Coffee and Crafts

Up and Running! (Again)

2011-11-29T01:44:00.000-08:00

2011 didn't follow the plans I had for it, but even when things don't go as planned there can be moments of brilliance.

In April, shortly after Jenny and I launched this blog, my mother had a grand mal seizure. Not only was this terrifying for her as well as the rest of us, but it was also baffling since there is no familial link, nor does she have seizure disorder. Long story short is that it was determined to be a seizure of unknown origin and she was restricted from driving for six months. Since my sister and her two children live with us, I found myself being a chauffeur and babysitter more often than I had previously. My crafting table became a play area. I adore my niece and nephew, but babysitting them made updating regularly impossible.

To stay up on crafting trends I applied to Michael's as the Scrapbooking and Jewelry instructor and have been teaching there since June. I hope to expand my jewelry classes and turn the scrapbooking over to someone else next year. I have learned quite a few new techniques, many of which I look forward to sharing with you!

Even though this year had some incredible difficulties, there were also many blessings and I look forward to continuing with this blog in 2012 and hopefully many years to come.

Easy Peasy Melt and Pour Soap

2011-05-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

I always get excited when I see all the pretty soaps on Etsy.

Last summer my sister and I decided to try our hand at making soap for the first time. I wasn't comfortable with the entire soap making process, which involves lye, so we went the alternative and easy route.

Melt and pour soaps!

Basically you melt soap and mold it into new and fun shapes. The possibilities are endless!

Not only are they easy (and cheap) to make, but they make fantastic homemade gifts for family and friends!

Here's what you need to get started:

- a scale (we used a postal scale that measures in ounces)

-soap (to melt and pour into a new shape)

- a soap mold in any shape (we used rectangular for ours)

-dye for coloring (make sure it's safe for soaps, do NOT use food coloring)

- essential oils or fragrances made for soaps

Everything we used in the following tutorial came from local craft stores (Michaels, Joanns and Hobby Lobby).

Important note: Make sure you check the ingredients if you have any skin allergies to anything!

Step 1:

Weigh your soap. For the mold we used we needed approximately 3.4 oz.

The molds don't tell you how much soap you need, so it's basically a guesstimate (we filled our mold with water and weighed it to find out).

Step 2:

Put the soap into a microwave safe dish and heat it until it's fully melted, which is approximately 30 seconds.

Step 3:

Add your fragrance and color. You have to be quick with this step because otherwise your soap will start setting before you pour it into the mold!

Be creative with your colors and fragrance! We used tangerine fragrance and a red/orange color combo for our soap.

Step 4:

Pour your melted soap into your mold!

Step 5:

In approximately a half hour (or less because we cheated and put the mold into the freezer), your soap will be finished! It should pop pretty easily out of the mold.

Ta da! Soap!

And I just realized I never took a picture of our finished orange colored, tangerine soap (because apparently I'm lame). So here's a picture of other soaps we made with different molds!

There's TONS of different soap molds out there, both in craft stores and online. Be creative and have fun!

Stay tuned for the next tutorial on how to make soap with a pretty design imprinted into it!

We're late!

2011-05-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

We sincerely apologize for the inconsistency of our posts the last month or so. Now that Jen #2 is on summer break, please expect more posts!

Stay tuned for our Etsian interview and also a tutorial on how to make your own melt and pour soap!

Wordless Wednesday: Is this heaven?

2011-05-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday: I want one of these!

2011-05-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday: We all have days like this.

2011-05-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Coffee for a Good Cause

2011-04-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, you get coffee out as often as you make it at home. I like the convenience of Starbucks and we have many of them here in California. I tend to keep a balance on a card so no matter how tight things get, I still have a little wiggle room for a cuppa.

I love this card design anyhow, but did you know that 5 cents from every purchase made with this card goes to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa? I have had a RED card for the last 3 years and even though it's not much, I like the idea of being able to do a little good when I go to buy my coffee.

Do you have a charity you like to donate to? Tell us in the comments to be entered in a drawing for a $5 Starbucks RED card!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

We will be back.

2011-04-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

I wanted to pop on and give an explanation as to why we've both been MIA the past week and a half.

Jen #2 had a national board certification research project due and had been working hard at getting her research paper done (and had a complete meltdown with a blank dvd in her mac but that's a whole other story). She's also been up to her elbows in bracelet sales so she has been an incredibly busy lady!

Jen #1 recently got a job as a craft teacher and her first day was today! On a sad note though, her mom was taken to the hospital last week after having 2 seizures but has since been released (as of today). So far she has been doing well.

We will be back to our regular posting this next week, so stay tuned!

Your Favorite Craft Store

2011-04-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

No matter where you live, there tends to be ast least one or two craft stores around, ready to meet the needs of casual hobbyists and dedicated crafters alike.

Last year when I took a trip to New Jersey I stayed in Surf City, Long Beach Island. Just by chance I came across a purple house with a large sign reading "Just Bead It." Yes, even on vacation, in the middle of October, I was able to find a bead shop! I wanted to go crazy but the prices were a bit prohibitive for me so I just bought some pressed shell beads and took home happy memories.

When I am not on vacation I usually shop at *Michaels. I was a huge fan of Michaels even before I worked there in 2003 and after I left I continued to shop there for almost all of my crafting needs. As certain crafts have gained popularity and others have waned the selection has varied as well, but they have continually kept an exciting array of beads and supplies available for purchase. And who can beat their annual sales?

When I want to buy speciality beads that can't be found at most chain retailers I go to a local bead shop called "Beads Etc." The ladies there are welcoming and knowledgeable, there is a large assortment of unique beads that are hard to find and my personal favorite, the orphan bead boxes where I get lost for hours, combing through mix and match beads looking for perfect colour combos.

So, there you have it, my favorite craft and bead store. What's yours? Leave your answer in the comments and share your crafting specialty!

*Now that I am employed by Michaels Crafts I am legally obligated to state that fact in any blog post I make that mentions them. I am not being paid or reimbursed for mentioning them in this article.

How To Tuesday: Make and Take Charms

2011-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday's How-To utilizes our Perfect Headpin Pictorial and shows you how to make sparkling charms. I used a cell charm lanyard as an example, but these charms can be attached to almost anything with jump or split rings.

Step 1: Assemble your materials. You'll need 3-5 beads, a pewter or silver charm, a jump or split ring and a headpin. Split rings are like key rings in that they curl around themselves are are spring loaded, which keeps your charm more secure.

Step 2: Cut the head off of the headpin. Basically, we are going to make an eyepin on both sides. You could use a piece of straight wire, but you're more likely to have headpins on hand.

Step 3: Using the techniques shown in our headpin pictorial, make an eyepin loop on one end.

Step 4: Stack beads onto the headpin according to your personal tastes. I tend to go from larger to smaller, but many people like asymmetry, so if that works for you, go for it.

Step 5: Using the techniques previously mentioned, make an eyepin loop on the unclosed end of the dangle.

Step 6: Before you completely close the loop at the top, attach the dangle to finding of your choice. In this case I used a blue cell phone strap.

Step 7: Open the jump ring and slip the charm onto it, hook the other open end of the jump ring through the loop on the end of the dangle. Close the ring and tighten the ends so they snug close together.

Step 8: Done!

This how-to can also be adapted easily to make earrings with dangles or charms. Have fun customizing these!

Love to Shop - Etsy Finds

2011-04-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

Roses are Pink/Ceramic Bead and Pendant Bundle

I have a serious shopping problem. Plus, I LOVE shopping for beads!

Oodles of Noodles!

2011-04-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Looking for an easy craft to keep the kids busy? Or maybe you want an easy craft to keep yourself busy?

Dying noodles is such a quick and easy process, not to mention CHEAP! The best part is, you can use dyed noodles for almost anything: beading jewelry, counting in math (I use them in my classroom for this very reason), making pretty patterns and also making pictures! The possibilities are endless!

Materials Needed:

- Noodles (any kind will work. I used rigatoni because it's super easy to string and that's what I needed it for)

- Rubbing Alcohol

- Ziploc bags

- Food coloring

Put the desired amount of dried noodles into a ziploc bag (I used an entire box at once in my ziploc bag).

Then put the desired amount of food dye into your bag. You will have to play it by ear with how much you put in.

After you put in your food dye, put in approximately 1 to 2 caps of rubbing alcohol.

In all honesty, the amount of rubbing alcohol and food dye you put into the bag will depend upon what size noodles you are using.

The good thing is, though, that these are impossible to screw up unless you drown them in rubbing alcohol. =)

Once you have food dye and rubbing alcohol in your bag, seal the bag and then mix everything together.

Don't panic if it looks like a hot mess at first. It takes a few minutes of mixing it together (and maybe adding some more dye and/or rubbing alcohol) before you get the desired color you're looking for.

Also remember that once it dries it will start to really brighten up!

Here were all our bags freshly mixed!

Once you have your noodles mixed to your desired color, lay them out onto paper towels (we doubled the paper towels up to ensure we didn't stain any furniture!) so that they can dry.

Ta da! We now have a rainbow of noodles!

Happy crafting!

Midnight Musings

2011-04-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when the house is quiet and everyone is in bed, it's easy to lapse into quiet contemplation. It's also easy to spend 3 hours watching videos on YouTube, but that's besides the point.

Tonight I was thinking about several things, not the least of which is value. I also pondered rage, regret, sorrow and things you can't undo. Pretty heavy stuff for a jewelry blog right? I promise, I am going somewhere.

Crafting has a long a varied history, and often goes in cycles of popularity depending on many things including things like population booms, economic collapses and the need for an ever expanding and connected world to be able to touch something real. In the crafting world there are several levels of ability and dedication and like in any endeavor where art is involved, several levels of intense emotion.

The reason I mentioned rage is because I have seen a lot of it lately. Handmade sites like Etsy and Artfire have deeply divided communities who war with one another over what deserves the label "hand-made" and what doesn't. What might be seen as a statement of fact by one crafter is seen as war mongering by another.

I have some pretty distinct opinions about the issue but I won't share them here because Jen and I created this blog to bring crafters together and to have a place where people new to hand crafting could come and feel comfortable. I'll just leave you with this thought.

To me, crafting embodies love. Love for what you do, love for others and love for the world you live in. The way you give that love to others is to share your hand crafted items with them and with those items, your time, effort and thought. The energy, joy, and yes, even regret that you expend as you craft is what you share with the world when you are done.

A crafting question.

2011-04-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

*image from weheartit.com

Everyone has a craft they are more comfortable with. One that either they have been doing for a long time, or else one that just comes naturally easy to them.

Which crafts are your favorite to do?

If you were to learn a new craft, which would you like to learn?

We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Random Thoughts

2011-03-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of these days?

*image from weheartit.com

You're so crafty!

2011-03-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

Each week we will feature a crafter to learn more about their craft and what inspires them.

Our very first craft interviewee is Sonja, who is one of my favorite people. She runs the shop Fuzzy Tail Blankets on Etsy!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you craft?

My name is Sonja. I'm 26, a cat mom, blogger, domestic goddess, and an endometriosis and fibromyalgia warrior. I started making no sew adult sized fleece blankets in July 2010.

How did you get into crafting?

I got into crafting soon after my fibro diagnosis. I was stuck at home waiting to see what medications were going to work, unable to work, and bored out of my mind. I love blankets, I have many scattered all around the living room and my room. I had some friends on Twitter who made the no sew blankets, and I asked them how hard it really was, was sent some sites, and then I found myself at a fabric store buying my first fleece. I also had some online friends who sold things on Etsy, and I figured it would be a way to bring in some extra cash during the times that I can't work due to my illnesses. If they sell, it's fine, but I enjoy having a hobby where I can just do my own thing, have my cat help (read that as "I'm going to steal your pins and lay on the part that you need to cut") and take pride in something I put together. I do have to work around illness flare ups, but it's a leisurely hobby where if I need to stop for a while, I can, and it's okay.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I get a lot of my inspiration from my interests and hobbies. One of the first blankets I made was a star/space design, (and I've also done another space pattern) and that came from my love of "Star Trek." I chose a cat design because I'm a proud cat mom. I've done some tie-dye designs because I'm somewhat of a hippie. Today (3/25) I went fabric shopping and found some fun spring/summer designs because I'm sick and tired of this Minnesota winter. I also try to pick designs that I normally wouldn't like so I can appeal to people who don't have the same tastes as me--I like neutral colors, detest pink and am not a girly-girl, so I'm trying to have fun with some patterns that I myself might not necessarily like. However, I will not work with frog designs. I don't like frogs.

I have made blankets for friends and family based on their interests/likes. I enjoy doing that the most: taking ideas and making them work for someone I care about. I have also donated blankets to auctions to help raise money for friends' medical bills/procedures. I know first hand how frustrating medical bills can be and I am grateful I can help out others who don't have the resources I do.

One added bonus of taking up no sew fleece blankets as a hobby is that I can spend time with my mom while fabric shopping. She quilts, and I remember as a kid being dragged off to the fabric store and thinking it was the worst thing imaginable. Now, we make plans to go fabric shopping together, we compare coupons, and maybe have lunch together as well. I have way more in common with my dad, so it does mean a lot that I can have these fabric shopping outings with my mom.

Do you have any tips or tricks for people who are thinking about starting a craft?

I learned most from friends. They helped me figure out how to start making blankets, how to get into Etsy, now I ask them about what kind of patterns would they like to see. Also, it's fun to see what your friends might be up to when they're not out making a living. Crafts are a labor of love. You can learn a lot about a person when you see the love, time, and effort they put into their crafts, whether they sell them or not.

Whoa, look what we made! - Wednesday

2011-03-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

This is the first of many Wednesday posts that we will be doing. These posts will feature random crafty items that both Jen #1 and I (Jen #2) have made. Most will be jewelry pieces, but sometimes we get a hankering to make other stuff!

The piece from Jen #1 I'm going to share is her badass fertility bracelet, complete with fangs (and an awesome description).

Fierce Fertility Bracelet

There is a story behind this bracelet. One day I was telling Jen #1 that all the bracelets I make are super cutesy, pink and flowery. I wondered aloud if she were to make a fertility bracelet what it would look like, since she's not so flowery and pink (not an insult, just the truth).

She then came up with the above bracelet. While yes, it's pink and has butterflies, it does have her fabulous touch to it that all her jewelry has.

I, on the other hand, do not always make fertility bracelets. I do make other sorts of bracelets, such as the one below.

Let's Be Happy Stretch Bracelet

Not only is it super adorable and bright, but it isn't a fertility bracelet! AND, it's stretch so you don't have to fight with clasps trying to put it on. Just slip over your wrist and you're good to go!

Have you made something recently?

How-To Tuesday: Easy to Make Earrings

2011-03-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today's Tutorial is all about easy! During the last how-to pictorial, we showed you how to make a headpin into an eyepin. Today, we're going to use that knowledge to make a simple and fun pair of earrings.

Materials:
2 headpins
2 large beads
4 medium beads
2 small crystals
2 earring hooks

Tools:
Side cutters (aka nippers)
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Safety glasses

Step 1: Brew a pot of coffee* while you assemble your supplies. For this project I recommend using beads that will match the greatest number of outfits or your favorite colors. Making jewelry is all about being able to enjoy it and show it off, so always pick supplies you love.

Step 2: As you lay out your earrings, experiment with design. When I first started making jewelry I was a stickler for symmetry and what I call "stacking." Stacking is going from largest to smallest, like this. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I encourage you to try different styles and ideas. You might find you like the freedom of asymmetry.

Step 3: Once your design is laid out, begin to thread your beads onto your wire. Additional embellishments such as small spacers can be added but aren't necessary. Leave a 1/2 inch gap at the top of your headpin in order to make your loop.

Step 4: Using the techniques learned in the headpin pictorial, finish your earring with a loop.

Step 5: Use the chain nose pliers to gently open the loop on your beaded earring. Slip the open loop over the closed loop on your earring finding of choice. Use the pliers to close the loop entirely.

Although this technique seems simple, it's the building block of more complicated designs and styles, which we will address in another tutorial. So go out and craft and don't forget your coffee!*

*Or tea if you must.

How-To Pictorial 1: Perfect Headpins Every Time!

2011-03-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Coffee and Crafts first How-To Tutorial!

This technique is a jewelry making basic and one that you will find yourself using for almost everything you make. From earrings to charms or even links in bracelets, the ability to turn out a professional looking headpin will put your creations above the rest!

Step 1. At minimum, you will need a headpin, a pair of round nose pliers and a pair of wire cutters. Not pictured are safety glasses, which are used to protect your eyes from debris.

Step 2. Since this is just practice, Take your round nose pliers and gasp the head pin 1/3 to 1/2 of the way down. This headpin was originally 2" so there was quite a lot of room left on both ends.

Step 3. Hold the headpin in your non dominant hand and use the pliers to bed the wire at a 90 degree angle. The headpin should now look like an "L."

Step 4. Now that the wire is bent, it needs to be trimmed in order to make the loop at the top. Using your finger as a guide, you can easily judge how much wire to trim.

Step 5. Trim the wire. Grasping the wire in one hand, use the wire trimmers and bring them flush against your finger nail. Once measured, cut the wire.

PLEASE NOTE: Wire has a high tensile strength and regardless of your cutting tool, it will take pressure to cut it. That pressure gets released into the CUT piece of the wire and it can fling itself off almost anywhere, very quickly. PLEASE use caution and wear safety glasses to protect your eyes.

Step 6. Assuming all went well and no one is in the ER, grasp the wire as shown. I prefer tinier loops for connecting things, but if you'd like a larger loop, move the wire further down in the grip of your pliers, the method and movement stays the same. Your plier hand should be facing you, palm towards your face. Reposition your hand around your pliers. (See below.)

The pliers and wire are still in the same position, but my hand is turned upwards. This will help us in the next step. As it has been said, "It's all in the wrist!"

Step 7. Make your loop. I know this picture looks like several steps earlier, but it's not. See where my thumb is? It's facing away from my other hand and the pin. With your non-dominant hand, keep the pin steady while you exert pressure and turn your pliers towards your other hand. You will see the loop forming as you get your pliers all the way over.

Step 8. Finish the loop. Here you can see the loop is almost closed and my right hand is facing downwards again. Slip your pliers out from the loop and examine your headpin. Any small gaps can easily be closed using crimping pliers. All you need is some gentle pressure to get the end to close all the way.

Step 9. Stand back an admire your handiwork. If you are still making smooshed looking loops or "9's" just keep going though these steps and experiment with sizes and metals. The tougher a metal is, the easier it is to exert too much force and smash or dent your loops. Practice on pins you don't mind throwing away.

Step 10. Show off your hard work! The first time I made a perfect loop I squealed and ran around to show everyone. They weren't as impressed as I was, but it still felt great to have learned a new technique. Catch our next tutorial this Tuesday where we'll show you how to make earrings using this How-To!

The Earring Challenge

2011-03-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

So Jen #1 came up with this fantabulous idea to have an earring making challenge tonight.

The rules were simple.

1. The earrings needed to be some sort of green for St. Patty's Day.

2. We only had 17 minutes to complete the challenge.

So while I (Jen #2) was finished with my earrings well ahead of time, Jen #1 is at approximately 40 minutes and counting on her earrings.

Here are my earrings (because I finished the challenge on time):

Made with chinese crystals, faux pearls and green flowers.

After a very slow finish, here are Jen #1's earrings:

Made with goldstone, aventurine and capiz shell dangles.

Her's are WAY better than mine, however, due to surpassing the time limit by a LOT, Jen #2 wins the challenge!

While we are on the topic of jewelry, stay tuned for tomorrow's post on how to make beautiful Os with your headpins!

Not sure what a head pin is?

It's a straight pin that you bend into a loop to create dangles. It's a versatile piece that can be used in almost any type of jewelry!

Headpins at RadiantSparrow.

Stay tuned!

In the beginning...

2011-03-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

Two Jens met via a silly little internet site called Neopets.

Who knew that one teensy conversation in a forum would lead to six years of steadfast friendship?

We are both crafters by nature and our goal is to share our crafting knowledge with you. Well, and we also intend to share our love of coffee.

Jen #1 runs the shop Sparkling Sundries.

Double Rainbow Quartz Bracelet (personally one of my faves)

Jen #2 runs the shop Bloomtastic!

Pea in a Pod Fertility Bracelet

Want to keep up with our photo menagerie? Check out our Tumblr!

Stay tuned for upcoming posts!