Book Review: Big Ass Book of Bling by @MarkMontano

Woohoo, people, the wait is OVER and we can all get our bling on with fabulous DIY guru Mark Montano! Whut whut!

It's a project from the Big Ass Book of Bling!

Yes, I'm excited, but can you blame me? I mean, it's Mark Montano.  No, I'm not celebrity-obsessed (well, not really…) I'm really all about QUALITY, INNOVATION, LEARNING, and EMPOWERMENT through CRAFTS! Mark Montano teaches us to DIY in many different ways and his projects always come out rocking!

So when I learned about his newest Big Ass book, The Big-Ass Book of Bling, I didn't wait for a publisher to email. I didn't contact anyone for a free book, I pre-ordered that bad boy from BN.com, and it was perfectly delivered on time to my iPad. How's that for a space-saver? And since it's on my device, I can take it with me wherever I go. So, if I'm at the craft store, for instance, I can shop for all of my materials for a specific project using the list of materials in the book without carrying around a Big Ass book! However, I have a hard copy of the The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2, and it's awesome to have that as well. The format is up to you!

I love learning about the inspiration behind each project. In this book, Montano has arranged his projects by theme, often riffing on a similar focal point or theme. For example, he has multiple fantastic projects using vinyl and E-6000. You know those suckers are going to last forever! The work is so stylish and the techniques are tried and true. It's a privilege to peek into the mind of a true artist!

As an avid crafter, I am ready to dive right into the projects and techniques that Montano outlines in his book. However, I encourage even the more timid crafter to open his/her mind and give some of these techniques a try. With the right tools and instructions, they're not that hard.

Did you know you can make a crown inspired by Glenda the Good Witch for a costume party, child's tea party, or just to wear while doing errands (wink)? All you need is a headband, some wire, paper, spray paint, and a few other things. That's pretty cool if you ask me!

And lest you be worried about buying supplies and not using them, put your mind at rest. There are at least 6 other crowns using similar materials in the book. And once you make yours, I am sure everyone's going to want one! :)

In short, if you're thinking about buying this book, but aren't sure if it's any good, or if it's worth it, put your mind at rest. It's worth it just to read and learn, but the DIY possibilities are endless! You will grow as an artist if you use this book.  This is a book you'll want around for years to come.

Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links.

@musibatty Sterling Silver Mexican Bird Pendant #Necklace Giveaway!

The Prize

Pájaro Mexicano, MUSIBATTY, 2012

 Sterling Silver Pendant with Chain

Learn more about MUSIBATTY here.

First Entry (required)

1. Go to the MUSIBATTY Etsy Store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/musibatty) and look at the gorgeous eye candy there! (If you love jewelry and good design, you'll be in heaven.) 
2. Decide which MUSIBATTY original piece or pieces you'd love to wear or give to a friend. 
3. Comment on this post with your name/nickname and your favorite MUSIBATTY piece or pieces! :)  

For (up to 3) Extra Entries 

note: extra entries will not be valid without the first entry.

1. Twitter:  Tweet "I entered to win a @musibatty Mexican Bird #necklace on @artlikebread. Visit artlikebread.com! #jewelry #albmbg1."  In order to be counted for an extra entry, all hashtags and mentions must appear in your tweet.
2. Facebook:  Join the artlikebread facebook page.  If you are already a member, simply post on the wall that you'd like an extra entry for the MUSIBATTY Mexican Bird Necklace Giveaway.  
3. Pinterest:  Pin the photo in this post from your pinterest account and include the following hashtag in your description:  #albmbg1.  

  To see if you won

Please check back on artlikebread.com on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 by 11:59 PM EST in order to see if you won!  The winner should immediately email me his or her mailing address so that the beautiful prize can be shipped right away!

If you don't win, don't worry.

MUSIBATTY is generously offering a coupon code for free shipping to the Canada and the United States on any items purchased from her Etsy store from now until March 1, 2013.  It's ALB1234. Check her store for availability.  MUSIBATTY pieces are timeless and work for every holiday.

Full Disclosure:  This giveaway and coupon code are open only to the United States and Canada.

International Readers:  Thank you for understanding and please fill out this form, so we can keep in contact with you!  People in every country deserve a MUSIBATTY  piece!  Comments and additional entries from outside of the United States and Canada will not be valid for this giveaway, but we want to keep in touch!

Interview with J. Musi, Artist and Designer at MusiBatty

Hey! Thank you for joining me today!  I am overjoyed to present this interview with Jennifer Musi, the artist and designer for MusiBatty.  If you saw my blogoversary post, hopefully you are already excited about her jewelry and the upcoming giveaway of the Mexican Bird pendant.  There will be more on that later, but I wanted to give you a little background on the artist herself.  Therefore, without further ado, I present Jennifer Musi of MusiBatty.

Model wearing four MusiBatty pieces. Used with permission.

She's Making Jewelry Now

For your Sunday...

Spotted: Pasta Chic #Earrings by Dolce & Gabbana

I saw this little blurb in Life & Style magazine and I had to share it with you. Handmade crafts are very influential.

Image from Life & Style Magazine

It's Holiday Crafting Time! Penny Pendants

Hey everyone! You might think it's early, but I'm here to tell you that it's holiday crafting time! Those of us who celebrate gift-giving holidays in December better get our butts in gear and plan our craftiness now! I'm not exactly sure how much crafting I'll be doing this fall. I'm hoping to do cards again this year, but who knows... Maybe I should follow my own advice and get planning!

I want to start a "Gift Crafting" feature on my blog, which will feature fairly quick, affordable crafts that would make wonderful gifts.

Photo property of Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made

Cathe Holden of Just Something I Made posted this excellent pendant tutorial. You could make a bunch of these using any motif or picture. I'm sure your friends would feel treasured after receiving this pendant. Oh, and Cathe's awesome blog is also in my Google Reader.

In My Google Reader: M&J Trimming

The creative team at this trim company are on the ball when it comes to finding attractive, easy ideas to trick out their product. Imagine all the ways you can use ribbon, ball fringe, lace, and rick rack. Then stretch that to the limit. That's M&J Trimming's Blog. Here's the post that I needed to feature:

I know, right?

And yes, they do give instructions, so link over and make that necklace!

FUSION! Marta Carmela

I was so tempted to use this image as my blog header. The necklaces crafted by Marta Carmela are made from recycled t-shirts and wrapped with string until they resemble something truly stunning. As you can tell, I doctored the image quite a bit, but the essence of the necklaces comes through beautifully.

These are made from recycled jeans.

Her crocheted wire forms are structured yet soft. I'd seen them before in a boutique and marveled at the simplicity & complexity. The idea of using fine wire to crochet a permeable egg shape speaks to the strength of that which is feminine. Perhaps it's the duality that attracts me to them. I adore this designer.

Rings.

I saw a woman wearing the one of these necklaces and chased her through the fair to ask her where she got it. They look STUNNING on!

You can visit Marta Carmela online to learn about these and her other artistic works. Her items can be purchased at Habito on Masaryk in Polanco.

Thank you for joining me on my tour through Fusion Bazaar. I hope you've been as inspired by these local artisans as I have.

FUSION! Gabriela Canaan

I'm a sucker for a rose, but when I learned that these roses were made of paper mache, I took a second look. Gabriela Canaan works the paper into sturdy, stylish brooches & baubles. I was coveting but I couldn't buy. :(

Keep an eye out for Gabriela at future Fusion bazaars. I see these roses in my future!

FUSION! Adriana Lozada of Tita Capotita

Soft, silken petals, alight on your neck like butterflies when you don one of these inspired creations. Adriana Lozada has taken a basic form and worked through many beautiful variations on this form. Her Fusion display was like a shabby chic boudoir, with a dressing table full of sensuous decorations to adorn the body.

I snagged this long & sexy necklace for myself. I adore it!

Adriana blogs at Tita Capotita. Check it out to see where she'll be next.

FUSION! J. Musi, Jeweler at MusiBatty

J. Musi is one of the nicest, most generous people I've met here in Mexico. And she also happens to be a brilliant jewelry designer. She crafts gorgeous rings, earrings, and necklaces. The first time I met her, I found a perfect ring for my mother and the earrings of my dreams, which remain in my collection.

This ring guarantees a good day.

See? I told you she was nice!

I like the way the two earrings form a pair but are not identical.

The friendly competition for these rare beauties was fierce! :)
My friend snagged the one-of-a-kind skull pendant before Michelle, another artist displaying at Fusion!

A garden of luxury.

Visit J. Musi, artist and designer for MusiBatty online at http://www.etsy.com/shop/musibatty .

FUSION! Adriana Joffmy y Alejandro Diaz deCossio

Pottery is enchanting. I've been wanting to learn for about 10 years. Hm. Maybe it's time to follow that crafty dream. Alejandro Diaz deCoss takes earth, and shapes it into these.

Adriana Joffmy is a jewelry designer who combines clay, glaze, wire, beads, and beans in thick, earthy creations.

They don't have a strong web presence right now, but I'll update with any contact info I find. Alejandro's studio is in Coyoacan, a very cool neighborhood in Mexico City.

Lucky 13

While watching the "Hunting the Hunter" episode of Criminal Minds, I was excited to see this fabulous 13-ball necklace on the funky and fabulous techie, Penelope Garcia.

As always, it was a gruesome episode, but you gotta love the fashion.

I wonder if Jennifer Perkins made this...?

I grabbed these images from cbs.com. You can check out the video here.

Perhaps I shall celebrate fashion like this in my blog from time to time. Vickie Howell for Caron does a great feature called "Movie Mondays" just like it.

I'm actually gonna sell some stuff!

I've been wanting to do an Etsy store since I learned about it. Well, not long after that, I moved to Mexico and things got more complicated. Instead, I'm working with a friend who has a store up in Door County, Wisconsin, and my mom is doing some craft fairs in the Chicago area. Since I have tons of free time on break, I'm making an Art, Like Bread line of jewelry for these outlets. Here's a sneak peek of some of my earrings. :o)


I made the packaging from a Sugar Babies box! I cut up some more from other packaging. It's so fun and free!!

My New Set

Saturday morning I was preparing my breakfast and enjoying the stress-free feeling. I wanted to walk to the museum and take my camera with me. I put on my FIERCE Ani DiFranco T-Shirt, stating "Property of No One", *snap* and got ready to go. But... I didn't have the right necklace here. I wanted a rhinestone choker, but all of those are in the States. So, I pulled out some of my gorgeous quartz beads from Taxco, and snipped off some chain. A few minutes later, this is what I had.

Then I really wanted to round out the look with some big, hoop earrings. But... same situation. I wasn't as confident about this one. It'd been years since I really worked with wire. Since my BFF and I started a crafty business when we were teens. (God, we were so New Age- hand-wrapped crystals! How badass were we?) Anyway, I tried, and... I'm pleased to say, they aren't half bad!

This wire thing is opening doors for me. I've been thinking about it since.

What?

I was feelin' my kuumba. The song "Around the Way Girl" by LL Cool J kept going through my head.

Book Review: Plexi Class

Plexi Class: Cutting-Edge Projects in Plastic
by Tonia Davenport

Jewelry out of plexiglas?

What is plexiglas anyway? How would one work with it? Do I need all kinds of new tools?

All reasonable questions, no doubt. Before I read Tonia's book, I had almost all of these questions and more. I actually knew what plexiglas was already. How could I have been born and raised in the "plastics capital of America" and not know about plexiglas? But never in my wildest imagination did I think that I might use it for jewelry. Until now.

Tonia states on the back cover, "All you need are a few simple tools and materials to get started." Hmmm. Could that be true? As I read the "tools" section, I realized that as an avid rubber stamper and jewelry maker, I already had the vast majority of what she suggested the reader use to get started! Okay, maybe she didn't have me at, "Hello," but now I'm warming up to this book!

The technique section was simple, too! Wow! This is going to be a lot easier than I thought!

And with finished products looking like this:

It's definitely worth learning a new technique and medium!

Tonia's book has 29 projects (some with variations), and the instructions are clear, and well-written. I haven't had a chance to try the projects yet, but some family members can be sure to get cool new jewelry like this:

(Okay, you can stop drooling, Mom!)^

I love the use of shape. ^This has some fun techniques in it, too.

This is a lot easier than it looks!^

Huh? A notebook, too?

This project^ takes an ordinary notebook to a new level.

So personal and more durable, too.
It definitely got my creative neurons firing!

Readers can work on Plexi Jewelry, Plexi Accessories, and be inspired by the Plexi Gallery in the back of the book. And just in case you're not completely sold on Plexiglas, the book also contains a project featuring vinyl and one featuring shrink plastic. You can . . .e a s e. . . your way into Plexi Crafting.

The avid crafter would love this book, as you can amaze your friends with your professional-looking projects that will have people asking, "How did you do that?" Even someone who's an advanced beginner in jewelry making can pick up some valuable techniques. Even if you're just a sucker for jewelry or mixed media, this is some super eye-candy.

And, BONUS! There's a free project from the book now on mycraftivity.com! You may need to sign up for a free membership in order to access the project, but it's sooo worth it! You can purchase your own copy of Plexi Class at mycraftivity.com. Also, take a minute to visit Tonia Davenport's blog for more gorgeous finished objects. Fuuun!

copyrighted images from the book used with permission

Julie Cuff

I put this one up at my CraftStylish page. :o)

http://www.craftstylish.com/item/6645/julie-cuff

Look what I found in my Dorito bag!

Have you ever heard of a pog?

I never really got into them as a kid, but when I found one in my Dorito bag, I fell in love with the cute, blue dinosaur on the front. I wanted to make him into a necklace, so here's what I did:

1. Using my crop-o-dile, I punched a small hole near the top of the pog. It was a bit off-center, but I liked it that way. That way my dino's head could still be completely whole. :o)

2. I pressed the entire pog (dino-side-down) into Versa-Mark ink.

3. I covered the "Versa-Marked" side of the pog with UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel).

4. With the heat setting on low, I used my heat gun to melt the UTEE.

But wait! I noticed that the pog was kind of curling on the sides to give a convex look to the dino. No matter! I just pushed it down with a pin and kept on embossing.

5. I repeated steps 3 & 4.

Again, the pog curls. Again, I push down. This time with less luck.

6. I repeated step 5. (ha ha!)

I give in! Let the pog curl. Hey... actually I like this effect. Yay for happy accidents!

7. I let it cool and I let the UTEE set. Then I added two jump rings at the top.

8. I strung it on a leather cord and rocked it!

YEAH BABY!

Bracelets

Inspired by the "Trixie Two-Step" Bracelet by Tamera Berg on Plum & Verdigris I created these bracelets. On the video, Tamera uses a kit with 100% sterling silver and some fun beads. I bought my supplies at a great store in Puebla, but I went for the "silver look". I used some really cool beads that I bought in Taxco, like real turquoise, quartz, and cat's eye chips, along with some different turquoise chips that I bought in Polanco.

Here's the finished product:

I also made one with all quartz beads.
I might add "Mexican pennies", which are silver, to the mix.