How-to: "Something Blue" Bridal Hair Pin

My little sister will be getting married this summer and she trusted me enough to give me the extremely important task of designing and creating her jewelry. I'm scared already! ;O I'm almost certain, she will turn out to be my most difficult and outspoken client ever, and I'm not fooled by her when she says "Just surprise me, I'm sure I will love it!"

I decided to start with hair accessories. We went over different possibilities: hair combs, tiaras, hair bends and decided that hair pins would be best. My sister has very fine and "slippery" hair and pins will not only help to hold them in place, but also give the master hairdresser, my brother's best friend, lots of flexibility.

Supplies:

~hair pin
~wire (I'm using 26ga silver plated wire)
~beads: glass flowers, glass leaves, pearls, Swarovski crystals, seed beads
go wild! use silk flowers, feathers, old jewelry, sequins, buttons, etc
~wire clippers
1. Cut an 18in long piece of wire, place first petal or leaf shaped bead in the middle of your wire and twist wire securing bead in place.

2. Secure additional 2 petal beads on each end of the wire.

3. Make a couple of additional twists below the little branches.
4. Add glass flower bead topped with "something blue" Swarovski crystal bead leaving about 1/2in of wire bellow the flower.
5. Bend the wire tightly over the edge of the flower bead and twist tightly making sure that the blue crystal stays as centered as possible.

6. Thread a little Swarovski crystal butterfly on the longer end of the wire about 1.5in from twister wire, fold it tightly against the bead and wrap around.
7. Position the butterfly above the pearl branches.
8. Add one more flower bead with Swarovski crystal center at the base of this little bridal bouquet.

9. Thread both ends of the wire through the loop of the hair pin and secure it in place by wrapping around the loop of the hair pin and around the base of the bouquet. Clip off the access wire.

by Mirela
Jantar Handcrafted Jewelry

Craft Ideas For Your Valentine's Roses

Wondering what to do with those roses you got for Valentine's? First dry your roses by hanging them upside down. Spray them with hair spray or to really make them last, you can use this. Let them hang for about 1-2 weeks. Here are a few ideas to get you crafting with your pretty dried roses:

*Take an plain picture frame, trim the rose buds from the stems, adhere just a few buds to a corner of the frame. Place a picture of you and your sweetie from your Valentine's Day together, or any memorable photo.

*Use the rose buds to decorate a plain hair clip or hair comb. Wrap the rose ends with floral tape or ribbon then glue to the hair accessory. Decorate a messy bun or pull back one side of your hair back right above your ear.

*Fill a clear glass vase with the dried rose buds and use as a table center piece. You can also place the rose buds in a pretty bowl and add some eucalyptus for a simple potpourri.

-Misty
www.lapistolera.net

The {New New} Bath & Beauty Shops

For more Accessories from the Metro New York area - search: newnewteam, bath and body on Etsy

Oonagh Naturals - I started creating these products for my personal use when I couldn't find commercial products that satisfied me. It seemed like all the so-called natural products for sale at Whole Foods or my local health store still contained plenty of chemicals. Did you know, for example, that "emulsifying wax" is not wax at all, but actually contains sodium dodecyl sulfate or polysorbates? Don't get me started... Anyhow, after becoming really frustrated trying to find wholesome personal care products for my family, I decided I'd simply start making them. And that's how Oonagh was started.


PureSpa2 - Pure Spa Squared was born of a constant need to find new lotions & potions for my skin. As soon as I found one I loved, it was either discontinued or the formula changed.

I am offering things that I love in hopes that you will love them too. I believe in natural or near products. So everything here is as close to nature as I can get it without sacrificing quality.


Nordea Soaperie - Handmade soap is a special treat that I want to share with you. I make all of my soaps in small batches w/lots of attention to detail.

Soapmaking is about using specific ingredients to create a unique, handcrafted product.....it's about finding the perfect balance. Soap should clean, but not overly dry out your skin.

My preferred method of soapmaking is hot process. I find that I have more freedom and greater control of the resulting soap. I especially love being able to add special oils and additives that takes my soap to the next level! Handcrafted soap is about taking the best of what nature has to offer, and putting it into a bar for your bathing pleasure! Enjoy your shower!