Latest Pieces!

(Source: etsy.com)

Tile Coaster Tutorial

I am absolutely going to do this. Its so simple and cheap. From Blueprint Crafts:

So my good friend Emily just moved into her completely redone house a few weeks ago, and she asked me to make her some unique coasters.  I love the look of these from Target, but $15?  Get real.

For this tutorial, you’ll need a set of tiles – I got a handful from Home Depot for $0.20 a piece, some scraps of scrapbooking paper or any kind of paper really, some mod podge, clear acrylic spray, and felt pads for the bottom.

First, cut and measure you paper to the fit your tile.  The tiles I purchased were 4.25″ x 4.25″ so I cut my paper to 4″ squares.

Next, clean and dry your tiles – they are much easier to work with if you clean them off thoroughly.  After you have dried them off, apply a thin coat of mod podge to your tiles, place your decorative paper on top and smooth out all bubbles.  Allow this to dry for about 15 minutes, then apply 2 – 3 more coats allowing each coat to dry adequately.

After you’ve applied your mod podge top coats, take your tiles out to a well ventilated area and apply two coats of your acrylic spray (I sprayed mine outside in the grass).  The acrylic needs only a few minutes between coats to dry, then stick your felt pads on the bottom – one to each corner.   And if all goes well, you’ll come up with something like this!

Cute right!  And best of all CHEAP!  They are a great housewarming party, or hostess gift.  And they take very little time and effort – my kind of craft!

Today I’m going to finish up Emily’s – so excited to see how they look in her new house!

And, I’ve got a few big projects that I am STILL working on, and I CAN’T wait to show you all!  So stay tuned!

(Source: stumbleupon.com)

Make your snow globes

For Katie

Mason Jar Snow Globe Tutorial

I had so much fun making this next project! I tend to grab mason jars from garage sales and thrift stores whenever I can find them (today I actually snagged a turquoise one!). They have so many uses, from baking to crafts projects. This weekend I turned a few of my mason jars into snow globes for Christmas!

What you’ll need:

Any jar that seals

Distilled Water

Liquid Glycerin

Glitter

Figurines

Epoxy/Crazy Glue

(I found the glycerin at the drug store in the pharmacy section.)

Using the Crazy Glue, attach your figurines to the lid of the mason jar. Let them dry completely. (I waited 24 hours to be sure.)

Next, fill your jar almost to the top with distilled water. Add a dash of liquid glycerin (this is used to make the glitter fall more slowly). The amount is glitter you add is sort of at your own discretion. I ended up experimenting and some of mine have a lot of glitter and some don’t. Jordan’s has a ton. ;) Screw the cap on tightly and shake your jar to get the glitter moving.

And you’re done! Give your Christmas decorations a pretty handmade touch this year using this easy tutorial!

Charging Cell Phone Holder

This thing is pretty cool:

And no more phone hanging down from the outlet while in this room or that room……..the cord and phone are  now up off the ground, and tucked away into the little holder, while the phone drinks up a full charge.

And of course I couldn’t just leave the poor little holder alone……I had to Mod Podge some fabric right onto it for some kick.  Hey, when my cell phone is happy, then I’m happy.

If you look closely, you can see that the orange print is fabric.  There are edges of fabric along the bottom and then one line down the back where the fabric met up.  But hardly noticeable while in use.  (For a few more options……you could also spray paint it, then stencil it or use vinyl cut outs over the paint.  That would be cute too.)

And my favorite part, is that I didn’t have to buy a thing.  The entire holder was made from things I had on hand. 

And turns out, it’s pretty useful.  And not one bit of an eyesore.

Would you like to make your own Cell Phone Holder?

First of all, take a look around your house?  Do you have any old plastic bottles that are just about empty?  A lotion bottle, a mustard bottle, a hairspray or shampoo bottle?  Whatever you choose, find one that’s more flattened rather than a circular bottle.  The flattened shape will keep the bottle closer to the wall and out of the way once a cell phone is placed inside.

Now, measure your cell phone against the bottle, to be sure the bottle isn’t too big or too small.

I found that this bottle of baby lotion was the perfect size for my iphone.  So I washed this out with hot water and let it air dry. 

Then I held my phone up to the bottle, starting at the bottom…..and decided how high I wanted the front of the holder to be.  Then I made a line with a pen across the front at that point.  Then I turned the bottle around and continued the line to the back but curved the back upwards.

I cut the bottle out with some kitchen scissors but a box cutter (or exacto knife) would work too.  I just have more control with scissors…….so I used them for this part.  I cut along the line until I was left with my phone holder shape.

Then, I drew a curved box shape on the upper back of the bottle.  Then I cut it out.  (What worked best for me was using a box cutter/exacto knife with a cutting board underneath.  This helped my control a ton.)  Then I used sand paper to smooth out all of the edges.

Like I mentioned above……you could now try spray paining and adding vinyl or stenciling it to finish your look.  Do whatever is best for you.

But here’s how I added the fabric:

First, you want to sand the surface of the whole thing.  This will really help to rough it up so that the Mod Podge will stick really well in the next steps.  Also, I didn’t want that blue ink to show through from the other side, so I sanded most of the lettering off too.  Worked great.

Then, I cut a piece of fabric that was big enough to wrap around the phone holder and was also an inch or two taller on the top and bottom.

Then, I turned the phone holder with the front facing me, and applied a generous layer of Mod Podge to the front.

Next, place the fabric right on top, centering it where it needs to go.

Then, apply more Mod Podge around the side of the container and continue to lay the fabric down right against it, pulling tightly as you wrap.  Also, be sure to pull the fabric down around the curve of the bottom of your bottle, if needs be.  This will help keep the fabric flat and smooth.  Use plenty of Mod Podge to aide you in this process.

When you get to the back, overlap one of the edges over the other.  Make sure the fabric is smooth all the way around the bottle……and then cut a straight line up the back of the container, trimming off the excess fabric.

Then trim around the entire container, cutting off the fabric nice and close to the edge.  Now, apply a nice thick layer of Mod Podge over all of the fabric.  Be sure and seal around all of the edges of fabric with the Mod Podge, ensuring that the fabric won’t peel off.

Lastly, cut an oval shape (or whatever shape applies to you) to fit the bottom of the bottle.  Place a layer of Mod Podge on the bottom of the bottom, place the oval shape on the bottom, then apply another coat of the Mod Podge.  Now set it upside down on something tall and slender and that your container can fit on top of, so that it can dry without touching anything.  (That’s a single flower vase that I’m using.)

Once it’s dry, use a box cutter/exacto knife to cut out the square-ish opening.  You’ll probably need to apply more Mod Podge around the opening and allow it to dry again.

Now, don’t worry if your edges aren’t smooth and have little pieces of fabric sticking off.  Use your box cutter/exacto knife and run the blade right along the edge of the phone holder all the way around, to remove any stray threads or chunks of dried Mod Podge.

And that’s it.  Your phone holder is ready for use.

(Source: stumbleupon.com)

The Enchanted Gallery

I recently purchased stamps from the awesome Etsy shop of The Enchanted Gallery to use on my pieces. When I finished, I wanted to let her  know how much I loved her work and to show her what I had done with her stamps. She has been so sweet and posted images of my work on her site!

So please check out her wonderful stamps! Here are links to both of Kimberly’s sites

http://www.theenchantedgallery.com/rubberstamps.html

http://www.etsy.com/shop/enchantedgal?ref=pr_shop_more

From The Enchanted Gallery:

I’ve always been amazed by etched art on brass and copper metal pieces. There are endless ways to go about it, including rubber stamping with 
StazOn (the ink works as a resist, just like sharpie markers and resist paints will) and dipping your metal piece into Ferric Chloride liquid. I’ve even 
done etching with salt water and electricity instead of the Ferric which also does a great job once you get the technique down. It’s something I’d love to 
do more of, if only I had more time for it, which is part of the reason I was SO excited to discover Riverbend Jewelry by Alecia Overton on Etsy.

Check out these beautiful etched brass jewelry pieces Alecia has created using these rubber stamps:

Favorite Place Necklace

Maybe you’ve seen this necklace listing in my shop, but I wanted to do a little spotlight on it :) 

Love your hometown? Or maybe the place you went to college, met your sweetie/got married, the place you want to live someday or where your family is from. Take it with you all the time! Each of the places are hand cut from blank sheet brass, then etched with the heart.

Here are a few examples of some states I have done in the past. Yours can be any state or country with a heart on your special town. On the back I will etch the name of the town or your name, you pick! Each necklace will come with an 18 inch chain finished with a lobster claw clasp. The places will vary in size but will be roughly 2 inches. 

Each necklace is $30 plus shipping. All of my pieces ship in gift boxes, ready to give! Send me a message on Etsy including the state you would like and the city you want the heart to be over. Please also include the name you would like etched onto the back of the piece. Most custom pieces take about two weeks to complete, this varies based on complexity. 

Check out my shop for more info! 

(Source: etsy.com)

Two (kinda) New Cuffs

Every now and then I make pieces that I really fall in love with. I try not to want to keep each piece I make but it doesn’t always work. I have had these two cuffs for several months now but struggled with posting them in my shop. This morning I gave in and decided to share :)

Explore the World Around You Cuff

Taken from one of my favorite paintings, The Wave by Hokusai. On the inside I have etched the name of the painting and the artist. 

Check out my shop for prices and more items! 

(Source: etsy.com)

New Items in my shop!!

Leaf Vein Leather Bracelet

Art Nouveau Flower Cuff

Hammered Brass Bracelet

Hammered Brass Hoops

Hammered Brass Asymmetrical Necklace

Foliage and Glass Drop Necklace

Blossom and Carnelian Necklace

Antiqued Leaf Necklace

Queen Ann’s Lace Necklace

Forest View Necklace

For pricing and shipping info check out my shop!!

(Source: etsy.com)

Bird Nest Necklace

I made one of these for myself several years ago and I absolutely love it. I was surfing the web and found this great tutorial on how to make them. Enjoy!

I have been seeing a lot of bird nest jewelry around lately. They are beautiful and I love the trend so I thought I would try making my own. These turned out to be really easy to make and require just a few simple supplies. This necklace would make a lovely Christmas gift, which just happens to be around the corner!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

- Jewelry wire (I prefer using a 24 gage because it is easier to manipulate but the 20 gage can work well too with the help of some round nose pliers)
- pearls or glass beads
- necklace chain
- jump ring and a clasp

Select the beads you want, string them onto your wire and arrange them as you’d like.

then simply wrap the wire around the beads

wrap some wire in the space between each bead (I like the look of three loops but you could just do one or two if you prefer)

this is what the back looked like. (In the other necklaces I attached a jump ring but on this one I just formed a loop with the wire.)

now attach a jump ring and a clasp to the end of a necklace chain

and this is what you end up with 

I love how each one is so different

Inkodye Awesomeness

This is absolutely cool! You can purchase the Inkodye here http://lumi.co/collections/inkodye and they also give you a ton of ideas on how to use it as well as an instructional video. I might be buying some of this soon to get a head start on summer for my shop!

__________________________________________________________________

Here’s a fun tutorial on how to make a message bangle that’s one-of-a-kind, done in the sun, waterproof and weatherproof. Even after several trips to the beach, it won’t fade or wash off! Essentially, it’s the Perfect Summer Bangle. 

Used in this tutorial: 

InkodyeRed

Prepare. All you’ll need for this project is a raw wooden bangle (we got ours from DIYBangles.com), a black paint marker, plastic wrap, and some Inkodye! 

Transcribe. Write your message on a piece of plastic wrap big enough to wrap around your entire bangle.

Perfect. Carefully practice wrapping it around your bangle to see how it’ll look. Once your satisfied with your message, you can put the plastic wrap aside while you move onto the next step. It took us a few times to get the penmanship right!

Pour. Take the Inkodye color of your choice and pour it onto a plate or palet. You will need very little dye for this bangle, so don’t pour too much!

Brush. Cover the entire bangle with inkodye for a nice even shade. We also painted the inside to keep things easy. 

Wipe. Make sure to remove all excess Inkodye and keep wiping until the bangle feels dry. This will prevent condensation inside the saran wrap when you place the bangle in the sun. And don’t worry about wiping too much—the Inkodye has already been absorbed into the wood.

Wrap. Take your plastic wrap and place your message wherever you want! Once you’re happy with the placement, pull the plastic wrap taut by gathering it towards the back of your bangle.

Tape. Take the gathered saran wrap and twist it towards the middle. Tape in place. 

Expose. Bring your wrapped bangle out into the sun. The color will start to appear instantly!

Develop. Leave the bangle out for four minutes on each side. We recommend turning it front to back and flipping it upside down to ensure all areas develop fully.

Cut. Once it’s finished, bring the bangle inside and cut through the tape and saran wrap.

Reveal. Peel back the saran wrap to reveal your dyed message! Once all the plastic is removed, it’s ready to be washed.

Wash. We recommend preparing a very hot wash bath using dish washing detergent as soap.  Let the bangle soak for at least 20 minutes, occasionally scrubbing the printed part with a brush or a sponge.

Enjoy. Flaunt your one-of-a-kind summer bangle and don’t forget to carpe diem!

Transferring Ink to Candles

For those of you who know me personally, dont be too surprised if you get one of these for Christmas. Because I absolutely love this idea and I’m going to Walmart tomorrow to get some white candles!!

I found this great idea on a blog, the link is at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!!

You will need some regular paper, tissue paper, tape, sharpies or markers, a candle, wax paper, and a heat gun. 

First, I taped a piece of tissue paper, about the size of my candle, to a piece of copy paper.  Markers will bleed through the tissue paper pretty easily so you will need something to protect your table, and it was easier for the kids to draw on the tissue paper when taped to the “paper”.

When your little artist is done, remove the tissue paper from the copy paper.  Cut out your design, and place it on to your candle.  It is important to cut away as much of the excess tissue paper as you can.

Next, you are going to take a piece of wax paper that is larger than your candle.  Pull it tight around your candle, and use your heat gun to melt your design into the candle.  Moving the heat gun in a back and forth motion for about 30-40 seconds.  Be careful of your fingers, the heat gun will be hot. 

Once you have heated the entire design gently peel back your wax paper and make sure the entire design is adhered to the candle.  If not just repeat with the wax paper and heat gun.

A very cute gift for the Grandparents.  Don’t you think?

It got me to thinking …. wouldn’t it be cool if you could use images from the computer and do the same thing?  Just think of the personalized candles you could make. 

Guess what, you can! 

I very carefully taped a piece of tissue paper to a piece of copy paper, making sure there were no edges and the tissue paper was completely flat.  Then I crossed my finger and sent it through the ink jet printer.  Seriously, my husband would not have been happy if I had jammed up the printer.  So, I didn’t tell him until I was finished and it had worked.  :) 

(Source: agirlinparadise.blogspot.com)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RBJ!!!

Its almost Riverbend Jewelry’s FIRST birthday. I can’t believe it, so much has happened in this past year. It has grown from a tiny personal hobby to something that has spread around the world! It is any artists dream come true to see other people enjoying their work as much as they do. Every time I get an email or a tweet from someone saying something as simple as “i like your work” makes my day. After all, where would I be without all of you enjoying my work! Besides weighted down with a ton of cuffs on each arm :) 

Over the past year, RBJ has grown and changed into a better expression of my ideas as I hone my skills. Hopefully, over this next year the trend will continue and RBJ will grow into something even greater.

So lets all celebrate December 10th with a 10% off of anything in my Etsy shop coupon!!! GOOD FROM TODAY TILL DECEMBER 10!!!! Spread the word and the love; get some of your gifts checked off the list and buy handmade this Christmas!!!!

(Source: etsy.com)

Grandfather Mountain & Linville Caverns

The brochure we picked up actually says “WARNING: You are on the most rugged mountain in eastern America. Please avoid ledges, don’t climb rocks in slick-soled shoes, and supervise children closely.” which made me chuckle a little. It is pretty rough, but man what a view. We went on a spur of the moment anniversary trip this weekend to Grandfather Mountain and Linville Caverns. It was quite a drive, but it was so nice to make some time to do something fun. Especially when its outside :) 

(Source: grandfathermountain.org)