Crafty jewelry: Cardigan Chains – Retro Chic

Well who’d a thunk it…cardigans are making a comeback.  We’re claiming it is part of the Mad Men Phenomenon –
at any rate retro is back in a big way these days so grab your favorite cardigan and add a splash of your own style with just a few beads and a bit of chain.  We love it!

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Color for kids

 Cách mẹ dạy con 3 màu gốc

1. Kiến thức cho mẹ:

a. Hệ màu Đỏ - Vàng – Xanh dương: 

Hệ màu Đỏ - Vàng - Xanh Dương (cơ sở tạo nên Bánh Xe Màu) gồm có:

3 màu gốc (màu cấp một): Đỏ, Vàng, Xanh dương

3 màu cấp hai: Cam, Tím, Xanh lá cây

Cam = Đỏ + Vàng

Tím = Đỏ + Xanh dương

Xanh lá cây = Vàng + Xanh dương

6 màu cấp ba: Đỏ cam, vàng cam, xanh đọt chuối, xanh lam, xanh tím, đỏ tím

Đỏ cam = Đỏ + Cam

Vàng cam = Vàng + Cam

Xanh đọt chuối = Vàng + Xanh lá cây

Xanh lam = Xanh lá cây + Xanh dương

Xanh tím = Xanh dương + Tím

Đỏ tím = Đỏ + Tím

Như vậy, chúng ta có Bánh Xe Màu gồm 12 cung màu cơ bản như hình trên. Với 12 cung màu cơ bản, khi được tăng/giảm sắc độ hoặc thay đổi tỷ lệ pha giữa các màu ta sẽ có các màu khác nhau.

b. 3 màu gốc:

Màu gốc hay còn gọi là màu cấp một, là các màu không thể tạo ra bằng cách trộn các màu khác với nhau.


Các màu gốc là: đỏ, vàng, xanh dương


 

Hơn 3000 màu khác nhau có thể được tạo ra chỉ bằng cách trộn các màu gốc này lại với nhau.

2. Cách mẹ dạy bé 3 màu gốc:

Bước 1: Chỉ cho bé đồ vật chứa màu đó.


Ví dụ:

Quả dưa hấu có ruột đỏ	Hoa đồng tiền màu vàng!
Đây là trái cà chua màu đỏ nè con!.	Biển màu xanh dương...

Hãy tôn trọng sở thích của bé: đưa cho bé 3 đồ vật có màu đỏ, vàng, xanh dương hỏi bé thích màu nào và bắt đầu dạy bé màu đó trước.

Chọn những đồ vật mà bé thường thấy nhất để dễ liên tưởng và dễ nhớ.

Bước 2: Để bé lặp lại cùng với mẹ cho đến khi bé thuộc màu đó.
Ví dụ : Quả cà chua màu đỏ, đây là màu đỏ.Hoa cúc màu vàng, đây là màu vàng.

Bước 3: Kiểm tra lại bằng cách hỏi bé trong những món đồ chơi của bé thì đồ chơi nào màu đỏ. Nếu bé không biết thì mẹ cầm lên một vật đầu tiên màu đỏ cho bé thấy và hỏi bé tìm những đồ chơi khác cũng có màu đỏ. Tương tự với vàng và xanh dương.

Bước 4: Thực hành bằng những trò chơi dưới đây để bé nhớ màu trong khi vừa học vừa chơi

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Craft lessons: Needle Flowers and Clouds to Knit

Over the weekend I experimented a bit more with tatting and this is the outcome: spring flowers. Not a major creative achievement, but nevertheless fast and easy to make, perfect for gift decorations, jewelry components or hair pins.

All that's needed is a tapestry needle, yarn or string and a pair of scissors.

The first knot is a half hitch knot and if they are spaced apart, they form loops or flower petals.

Make 10 or 12 loops, depending on the yarn and flower size. The pull the yarn carefully through the loops and close to form a circle. Tie and you're done.

The yarn used was quite stiff and the flowers hold their shape well. If your flowers are limp, don't worry there's always starch.

Sometimes moving pictures make it easier to learn, especially a movement related technique like tatting. I watched this video by TotusMel to learn how to make the knots.

The hint of warmer weather inspires wispy things; time to bring out that cotton linen yarn bought long ago from a thrift shop and begin a summer scarf. I usually don't like multi colored yarns, but this one is wonderful. It's like having a bit of a cloud in my hand.

The needles are too large for the yarn, but using them creates an airy and light weight texture.

If you would like to share a fun project you're working on, send a link in the comments, I'd love to see what you're up to.

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Recycling ideas: Create Textured Copper Earrings

We found this project in an email from Jewelry Making Daily and think that it is a pretty great how to for beginning metalsmithers.  There are some parts at the end where you might find some tools that we do not have here in the store (ie: a flex shaft for drilling holes, or for polishing)  However, we find that, especially for beginners, you don’t always need all the fancy tools to complete a project.  A metal punch works perfectly fine for making holes in most projects and the beauty of working with copper is that you don’t necessarily need to polish it to a fine shine, making polishing material such as super fine sand paper and polishing cloth can do the trick.  Also copper tarnishes naturally so polishing may not even be an issue for you!  At any rate…we really do like this post!

“My first metalsmithing experience resulted in these handmade textured copper earrings. My friend and teacher, metalsmith Lexi Erickson, taught me how to saw and then set me loose, helping me quickly turn a piece of sheet metal into two pairs of one-of-a-kind earrings in just a few steps. (As a newbie, she wisely started me on less-expensive copper, but the same process can be applied to silver or other metals.)
Here’s how you can make your own handmade textured metal earrings:”

Tools and Materials:

20-gauge copper sheet metal
Sharpie marker
jeweler’s saw with 4/0 blades
bench pin sawing setup
medium tooth #2 file
textured hammers
sanding block
flex shaft with polishing wheel, drill bit
dapping set
hammer and awl or nail punch
burnishing tool
jewelry pliers
2 pairs of ear wires

Steps:

1. Draw or trace a circle on the sheet metal. Stay close to the edge to conserve the rest of the metal   for future projects.

2. Saw out the circle. Aim for a flowing, slowly bobbing, fluid stroke with a good rhythm for the most efficient sawing and to prevent breaking your saw blades.

3. Pushing the file down and away from you, file the edges (in one direction only) to smooth them and to perfect the shape of the circle.

4. Use a straight edge to draw perpendicular cross lines on the circle. Saw along those lines to divide the disc into four pie-shaped pieces. Slow down a bit and be careful as you saw close to edges to avoid bending and warping the metal or breaking the saw blades as the pieces bob and bounce. Repeat Step 3 on the newly sawn straight edges to smooth and straighten any irregularities

5. Hammer the triangular pieces to add texture. Note that the more you hammer them, the more their triangular shape will stretch and distort a bit, so if you want their shape to keep its form, hammer conservatively.

6. Using a regular hammer and awl or nail punch, make the beginnings of a hole in the pointed top of each earring piece. Make it close enough to the tip to fit in the ear wire’s loop but not so close that it breaks or weakens the metal. Finish drilling the hole using a flex shaft outfitted with a drill bit. Tip: Do one hole completely and use it as a template to mark the other pieces in the same spot with the Sharpie marker.

7. Sand the drill holes and edges further with the sanding block. Place each piece in a dapping block and hammer it into a domed form.

8. Polish the surface to a high shine with a flex shaft and a polishing wheel.

9. Pressing firmly with the burnishing tool in a motion similar to that of peeling an apple, burnish the edges for a smooth, shining, well-finished edge. Open the loop on the ear wires with the jewelry pliers and attach the earring pieces to the wires.

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