Mixed Media Jewelry Project Idea Earth Metal

Copyright 2009 Margot Potter for Walnut Hollow

I created this mixed media design for the fab folks from Walnut Hollow a while back. It features their Creative Metal sheets combined with inks, CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements and polymer clay. I actually painted the clay this color and used the Sculpey Ultra light. I like that it's so incredibly light weight and easy to shape and mold. I embedded slivers of metal into the clay and created metal cones which I inked, rolled and threaded on wire. I made my own findings using 20 gauge copper wire. I love this combination of colors and it feels so right for fall. I'll share instructions when this project goes live.

I'll be back tomorrow with a new Teen craft for I Love to Create. Until then...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo,
Madge

TastyLinks Saturday!

Stay Tuned for More Info!

We're heading into the city of brotherly love today to explore some cool products with the folks from Viva Decor. I'm super excited because they're odor free (great for a gal with asthma), incredibly innovative and the colors are to die for fabulous. I love vibrant, saturated, technicolor tones. As much as I dig old rusty things, I dig pop art and mid century modern...and art nouveau...and art deco...and impressionism... I'm a woman of many moods, how about you?

Give me the entire spectrum so I can play freely and break the rules, please and thank you.

My studio looks even worse today than yesterday. Why can't I be as good at cleaning and organizing as I am at making messes? It's such fun when you're in the creative mode and the glitter is flying and you're pulling every last paint color and brush out of your closets...then you wake up the next morning and it feels like a crafty hangover.

How did this happen?

Where are the magical helpers to clean it all up for me when I'm finished?

Here are this week's links from the Crafty Blogger gang and I'll see you Monday. Until then...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo
Madge

Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love Get a signed bookplate for your copy of Vickie's book, Pop Goes Crochet!

The Crochet Dude Drew talks about the crochet conference he just returned from and you can listen to a podcast interview with him and Zontee from Lion Brand Yarns!

The Artful Crafter Eileen just took her new Zutter Bind-it-All out of the box. Woohoo! Look at what a bona fide binding newbie can create with the Bind-it-All.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery Yoga ball never "looked" so fun, How to paint a yoga ball to look like an eye for a lawn Halloween Decoration

Naughty Secretary Club Jen shows how to transform old lace curtains and a cheap wooden embroidery hoop into a one of a kind earring holder.

Mixed Media Artist Have you ever used an online publisher to create your own artist book?

Cross Stitch at About.com One of Connie's friends is really big into Egyptian history and culture, so she has some pattern ideas for gifts. If you like Egyptian-themed decor, you will love these charts!

Crafty Princess Diaries Tammy talks about booth set ups for art shows as well as trade shows.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world Craftside has tutorials on how to make two punk rock scarves one with yarn and one with fabric, info on participating in the Good Mail Day Challenge, One Person's Oddity and a Polaroid Postcard design, a bunch of mixed element jewelry and tips on laying a pattern out on plaid fabric.

Cathie Filian Cathie is holding a charity dog costume & book auction. All the costumes were handmade by Cathie and featured in her book Bow Wow WOW! The proceeds benifit the Humane Society.

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner Alexa visits the San Francisco Zine Fest and gives a recap of what she saw!

About Family Crafts Who are your favorite popular characters? Are they included in this collection of free coloring book pages?

The Impatient Crafter Check out this Haute Couture inspired felt, ribbon and glass bib necklace Madge made for I Love to Create teens!

A Window into Madge's World

Madge waits, demurely, for her next adventure. Photo copyright Avalon Potter
Madge says, "Bring it on, baby." Photo Copyright Avalon Potter

Today, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to write. I'm running out of free projects to share...so I'm going to share some of what I do every day. I think there's immense value to folks who think they'd like to do what I do to see that...it's a lot harder than it looks...and it's much like being on a tightrope without a net...including the circus costumes if you're me.

I lost the part time job that pays a fair share of our bills recently and it's put immense amounts of pressure on me. I'm still 'employed', but I have to wait until a new position opens up. Since there are only a smattering of these positions, it could be a long wait. I'm not sure how long we can afford for me to wait...so in the interim I'm ramping up my efforts here at Studio Madge. If you're one of the many companies that reads my blog...please feel free to contact me to discuss possibilities. (She says without an ounce of shame.)

I've had a concept for a book series in mind for a while now and I've finally forged ahead with the proposal for the first title. I'm very excited to report that so far it's being met with excitement from the publisher. This would be a departure for me. Actually it would be less of a departure and more of an expansion or maybe it would be more aptly described as a tangential pathway. I can't clue you into what it's all about because I have to sell it first and then write it and then wait for the publishing date to approach so that I can finally spill the beans. I can say that it's bigger than a bread box and it's also bigger than my current focus. It's kinda like taking everything I've done in my lifetime and mixing it all up in a pot and saying...Stew's ready!

Yeah, it's like that. I think it's a mighty tasty stew, too.

I've also been working on scoring a TV show. I have some good folks working with me, so I'm confident it will happen eventually. It's tough right now because no one wants craft shows. The old model is broken, but we knew that already. No one wants to see the same host/guest/project format. It needs to be mixed up and given a new life. I don't really want to do just crafting...I want to be more of a Lifestyle Expert...but with a big twist. I'd like to think of myself as Julia Child with a glue gun or a slightly irregular Martha. I'm not afraid of showing the seams, making messes, being bold...and I want to inspire women to break out of their normal routine and try something outrageous. So...that's the plan. I'm getting closer. I know with absolute certainty that it's my destiny. It's what I do best and no one else is doing it like I would.

Speaking of Martha, I applied to be a guest on her show yesterday again. I don't have any formal 'in' so I just go to the website periodically and fill out the form. It's a total shot in the dark. What the hell. I think Martha and I would be funny together. We're totally different yet similar enough that I think we could find common ground. I really want to show Martha how to make jewelry properly. I keep seeing jewelry projects in her magazine and the instructions are...well...how do I put this delicately...incorrect. I know how much she likes doing things excellently and I'd love to show her how. So if you're connected to Martha and you read this blog, please don't hesitate to sing my praises. (She says without an ounce of shame.)

We are forging ahead with Beads and the City! Madge is taking you to NYC and we're going to bead shop until we drop! May 13-16th 2010. I will have info for signing up very soon. We can only bring 30 people, so the spaces will be limited. Also if you're interested in our Crafty Cabaret Cruise, please consider signing up. It's a small deposit and small monthly payments and you can elect to cancel up until three months before the ship sails and get a full refund. If you wait too long, we won't know how many people to plan for...

So my little Smurflings...along with the multitudes of other projects and deadlines I've got on my roster...you can see my work is cut out for me. My studio currently looks as if it's been attacked by a Tasmanian devil and I simply don't have time to stop and tidy it up. I've got largish rabbits to pull out of smallish hats and no time to stop and clean. Messes be damned...my muse is in the house!

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo
Madge

Free Recipes for Best. Salsa. Ever and Citrus Chicken Nachos!

If you make this meal...you'll feel just like these cats on this album cover. No, really.

Best. Salsa. Ever.
Madge’s Garden Fresh Cherry Tomato Salsa
Margot Potter

We love salsa around here and we wait all summer for the day we can finally make up a batch filled with fresh ingredients from our garden and our local farms. This past weekend my sister-in-law gave us a gallon bag of cherry tomatoes and that combined with the fresh haul from our garden made me wonder what might happen if I turned them into salsa? Well...I’ll tell you what...those sturdy and flavor packed little tomatoes make one heckuva flavorful salsa! Here’s my recipe! I’m not joking when I tell you this is without doubt the BEST salsa I’ve ever had. Yum.

Ingredients
1 gallon size bag of cherry tomatoes
Large bunch of fresh cilantro
Juice from 2 limes
1 large sweet onion
Three medium sized jalapenos (or any peppers you like in any amount you prefer)
Dash freshly ground pepper
Dash salt

1. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Dice the onions into large pieces. Place in bowl with tomatoes.
3. Use a large knife to dice up the top two thirds of a large bunch of cilantro. Add to tomatoes and onions.
4. Squeeze limes into mixture. (I like tart salsa. You can opt for only one lime or use white vinegar if you don’t love it tart and tangy!)
5. Dice jalapenos (remove the seeds first!) Add to mix.
6. Put entire mix into a food processor for about three pulses. You want to mix everything up but not turn it into soup!
7. Allow salsa to sit for several hours for full flavor.
8. Grab a bag of tortilla chips and get to dippin’!

I served this salsa with a South Beach friendly version of nachos topped with black beans, lo fat cheddar and shredded cilantro citrus chicken. We ate all of this up so quickly that I’m afraid I was remiss in taking photos. I think you know what nachos and salsa look like though!

Madge’s Cilantro Citrus Chicken Nachos
Margot Potter

Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts
Juice of 2 lemons
1/3 of a large bunch of cilantro
1/3 cup not from concentrate orange juice (or freshly squeeze orange juice)
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup water
8 oz. package of 75% fat free white cheddar cheese
1 large bag of fat free Tostitos or other lo fat tortilla chips
1 16 oz. can of black beans (rinsed)
Lo fat or fat free sour cream

1. Dice cilantro.
2. Combine with OJ, lemon juice, EVO, water.
3. Liquify marinade in food processor.
4. Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour.
5. Grill chicken.
6. Shred chicken with fork.
7. Rinse beans and drain.
8. Shred cheese.
9. Sprinkle chicken over fat free tortilla chips with black beans and cheese.
10. Bake in a 450 degree oven on a cookie tray until cheese melts.
11. Serve with lo fat or fat free sour cream and Madge’s Garden Fresh Cherry Tomato Salsa!

Get Creative Magazine Interview

A while ago I was contacted by the editor of Australia/New Zealand's Get Creative Magazine. We did an interview and it was just published in the August issue! I'm really thrilled with how it turned out. If you'd like to read the pdf, click on the image and it will take you to the page on my website. I'm so excited to have new fans from The Land Down Under...now how can I parlay that into a trip...hmm...

I've got a really yummy end of summer recipe for you tomorrow. Until then...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo
Madge

Free Mixed Media Jewelry Project for I Love to Create

Mixed Media Melange Necklace for I Love to Create by Margot Potter

This felt, ribbon, glass and crystal necklace is an easy project for a teen to recreate in their own personal style and has a true Haute Couture appeal. All of the high fashion houses are showing these fabric mixed media style bib necklaces this season, so I thought I’d try my hand at one that would have teen appeal. You can switch this up to suit the materials you have at hand, try washers and nuts, small metal parts, sequins, bugle beads, beads...it’s endless. (You may need to glue and then sew on items to further secure them, I prefer a low sew approach!)

It’s easy to make fabulous projects when you use I Love to Create products!

Margot Potter for I Love to Create
Teen Craft Project
Mixed Media Melange
Felt, Crystal and Fabric Necklace

Materials
Black craft felt
Black ½” thick grosgrain ribbon
Large cabochon style beads
4mm Tulip Glam-It-Up!™ Crystals
5mm Tulip Glam-It-Up!™ Crystals
Black thread
Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue
Aleene’s Stop Fraying
Aleene’s Stiffen Quick spray

Tools
Glam-It-Up!™ crystal applicator
Sewing needle
Scissors
Dress maker’s pencil

1. Mark and cut a symmetrical bib out of craft felt. Size to fit your wearer, I made mine in a shield shape. My felt shape is 6.5"x3.5".

2. Decide where to place your embellishments on the front of the felt.

3. Working around the crystals, use Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue to adhere the non-crystal embellishments. Allow to dry overnight.

4. While glue is drying, use crystal wand to heat and adhere Glam-It-Up™ crystals.

5. Cut two ribbon lengths that are long enough to be tied in a bow when worn. Mine are each approximately 2’.

6. Attach ribbon to top of felt on both sides using a needle and thread. I threaded the needle in between the ribbon and felt to conceal the knots. After you tie each ribbon off, use some Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky glue to secure the top of the sewn felt to the front of the ribbon. Allow to dry.

7. Dab a bit of Aleene’s Stop Fraying on the ends of the ribbon and allow to dry.

8. Trace and cut a second felt piece to back the first and add some structure to the design. Glue to the back of the first piece using Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky glue. Allow to dry.


9. Finish by generously spraying felt backing with Stiffen Quick and allow to dry. This will give your design structure when worn.

(Designer Tip: Felt is thick and porous, so you may need to check the glue on your embellishments several times to be sure there’s enough to secure them. Let them dry overnight so they have time to form a strong bond.)

Back to the Grind

Image Copyright Christine Polomsky

I’m back from Cincy and ready to get back to the grind. You may wonder what goes on at a photo shoot for a craft book. I was in Cincinnati to shoot the step outs, which are pictures of the main steps in each project. This helps the reader see how to recreate the designs. I find reading instructions to be terribly tedious, but give me a few pictures and I’m all over it! We try to break it all down and decide which steps are best served by a photo. It’s really exacting and there’s a lot of reverse engineering and thinking around the box so we’re not stuck recreating each entire design from start to finish. I was exhausted by the end of every day!

Later they’ll shoot ‘beauty shots’ of the projects in the book which will hopefully help the reader see how fabulous they’d look wearing the designs. I’m really excited about this book because it has a different focus than my other titles. It’s also going to look really different because we’re adding an element to the mix that I think is going to make this book stand out.

I’m being intentionally vague...thusly building suspense and excitement over the next year until the book comes out. Ooooo...suspense. Yes...it’s not coming out until a year from now! Talk about a challenge! I have to think about where fashions might go so the book is current when it hits the shelves. Being a designer means working up to a year or more in advance, so you really have to stay tuned into emerging trends and hope your predictions turn out to be on the mark.

I’ll have some more pics to share later this week, but I’ve got a rather large straw pile that grew exponentially in my absence, as unattended straw piles are wont to do. Egads. Why can’t I sprout more arms? Is that asking so much from the universe?

Check back tomorrow for a brand new Teen craft project for I Love to Create with an Haute Couture sensibility. Speaking of Haute Couture, big shout outs to Christopher Nejman for his lovely video tribute to our Glitterati UTEE YouTube video. If you’ve not explored his design work and you have even a slight inclination towards sewing...get thee to his website and quick!

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo,
Madge

TastyLinks Sunday!

The Original Platform Shoe circa 1938 by the Incomparable Ferragamo

I'm back home and ready to get back to work tomorrow...but today I'm still savoring my Birthday Weekend! I'm another year older and one can only hope another year wiser, but at the very least I'm another year fabulous...er. Or something like that.

The shoot went very well and ended a day early, unfortunately bad weather kept us in Cincy an extra night. Luckily we'd not left for the airport before we discovered our flight had been canceled...though the call came from my husband just as I was diving into a simply delicious shoe sale at Macy's.

There's nothing quite as frustrating as shoe sale-us interrupt-us.

Sigh.

I need new shoes like I need a hole in my head...but I digress!

Here's this week's Crafty Blogger Samples and I'm giving a super Crafty Shout out to the fabulous Rachel from One Pretty Thing for posting links to some of my projects here last week. Thank you, dahling!

About Family Crafts Find out how to can make a story sack for the book, and soon to be movie, Cloudy With a Change of Meatballs.

Aileen's Musings Aileen's created a quirky copper bird pin, stop by and check it.

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner Alexa revisits and reconnects with a craft from her childhood

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world Craftside has a sneak peek into the soon to be released book; Who's Your Dada? Redefining The Doll Through Mixed Media, free graphics of good angel/bad angel birds with a tutorial for using them as T-shirt iron-ons, how-to's on bleaching and cutting photos to create windows, and a mosaic chicken project. The book and bobbin winder contest continues, leave a question on any topic and you are entered to win!

Crafty Princess Diaries You'll find some big crochet fun in these new little books published by Leisure Arts and written by Drew, The Crochet Dude!

CraftyPod Sister Diane's new podcast compares two ways to publish a craft book: the traditional print and publisher method, and the ebook method. If you dream of writing a craft book, this is useful information.

Cross Stitch at About.com Sometimes, you've just gotta go against the grain. Find out when and share your comments about stitching against the grain.

Mixed Media Artist Have you ever tried using heavy watercolor paper to make a peeled paper collage?

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery Relax! A Toilet Paper Cozy never looked cuter then when embellished by embroidering with ribbons to make a plaid square on a recycled sweater using a tutorial from the book Ribbon Embroidery by Natalie Bellanger-Clement

The Artful Crafter A reader asks, "What are the pros and cons of selling crafts online?" Eileen answers.

The Impatient Crafter It's time for back to school fashions and Madge has whipped up a fab tiny Moulin Rouge inspired top hat headband project for your discerning teen...or any gal who likes a little splash of whimsy in her accessories!

Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love Make cute-as-a-button frames to match with your favorite picture!

I Love to Create Moulin Rouge Mini Top Hat Headband

Avalon Potter Models a Jaunty New Headband!

Moulin Rouge Mini Top Hat Headband
Teen Craft Project
Margot Potter for I Love to Create

Mini top hats have been big with the DIY and the club crowds for a while now and they’re filtering up to the mainstream this season. I thought for this week’s project for I Love to Create I’d whip one up for my daughter to wear to school. We just watched Moulin Rouge again and this has such a Satine vibe. It sounded so easy...and yet...well...it took some effort but I worked it out!

If you want to opt out of making the hat, just buy a doll or teddy bear sized top hat and embellish it. Would that I’d figured that out before diving into this head first...but there’s a lot to be said for Doing It Yourself! At least that’s what I’m telling myself so I feel better. I found a lot of great tutorials online for a variety of versions of this project and then I worked it out in typical Madge style. What’s crafting for if not making glorious mistakes and getting sticky, fuzzy fingers?! (Oh and if you’re more of a cowgirl than a circus performer, Jen Perkins made an adorable mini straw hat headband last year you should definitely check out.)

Materials
Black plastic skinny headband (I got five for a dollar in a value pack at our local drug store!)
Craft felt (Wool is sturdier and more durable than acrylic, but I used acrylic here.)
Pink tulle netting (I got this at JoAnn Fabrics.)
Black marabou feathers (I got these at JoAnn Fabrics.)
Acrylic fiber stuffing
Black thread
Hot glue sticks
Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue
Aleene’s Stiffen Quick Spray
Tulip Glam-It-Up Crystals in clear AB

Tools
Hand Sewing Needle
Scissors
Hot glue gun
2” diameter template (I used a large plastic pill jar)
2.5” template (I used a ribbon spool)
Ruler
Dressmakers pencil or white pigment ink pen
Quick Kutz QuickStik Quicker Poker Picker Upper Tool
Tulip Mini Iron

1. Measure and mark 5.5”x2.5” strip of felt and cut.

2. Use a 2” diameter template to trace and cut a circle of felt. This is the top of the hat

3. Repeat with a 2.5” template. This makes your brim.This is the tube of the hat. (If needed, Iron felt pieces flat with mini iron.)

4. Cut two 1/4" notches in the center of the 2.5” felt circle with scissors. (They need to be just big enough to accommodate your headband.)



5. Run a bead of hot glue along shorter edge of felt rectangle. Press on opposite short edge to create a tube.



6. Run a bead of hot glue along top edge of tube and carefully adhere 2” circle to edge. You can support this by reaching one hand inside to keep tube stiff while attaching the circle, just be careful not to burn your fingers on the glue.



7. Stuff tube with fluffy enough fluff to give it structure.



8. Run a bead of hot glue along bottom edge of tube and adhere to center of 2.5” circle.




9. Allow glue to set. If you have to go in and rework any funky spots this is a good time to do that!

10. Thread headband into slot you cut on large circle.

11. Use a needle and thread to secure the mini hat on head band, I’ve done it so it’s slightly off center for a “mad hatter” effect.

12. Your brim will pucker a little, that’s okay. Saturate it with Stiffen Quick and use your fingers to create an evenly spaced wave pattern in the puckers and to flip up the sides. Allow to dry.



13. Wrap a strip of pink netting around the entire brim of your hat and knot one strand around the other, tucking in the extra netting so it looks like a flower. Cut off any excess uneven netting. The netting will hide the back seam and any futzy spots along the top and bottom of the tube from the hot glue. (This is a typical The Impatient Crafter™ solution to not having to be perfect.)



14. Slide two marabou feathers into the side of the flowers and use Fast Grab to tack them and the netting at the knot into place.



15. Use Aleene's Fast Grab Glue to attach crystals to netting. Because the netting is made of plastic, I didn't think it wise to use heat, so I opted for glue. I used a Quicker Poker Picker upper to make it easier to adhere them.



16. Allow everything to dry before wearing...our hat was still wet here...we like to live on the edge like that.

Avalon Potter Looking Adorable in her new Moulin Rouge Tiny Top Hat Headband!

Saturday TastyLinks™!

Image Copyright Enoch Bolles

I’m frantically getting ready to go out of town for a week in Cincy to the photo shoot for my new book. I had to get a how to project ready to drip on Tuesday this morning and it was a heckuvalotta work! Sounded simple enough on paper...

I still have to size the pictures for the project, upload the post to two different blogs and add hot links, do laundry, pack myself and my daughter, print out instructions for the shoot, wash and style the mop on my head...

Calgon, take me away!

Special Linky Love thanks to Dawno for the kind words she said about me in her interview with Steve Groenier of ArtBeads.

Scarlett Lanson’s Use the Muse contest winners were announced this week. Congrats to the winners!

Just sos ya knowse, this is my last post until Tuesday and that’ll be all she wrote until August 22nd...my birthday! Just giving you some notice in case you wanted to shower me with gifts. Har har.

Until then...craft on with your bad self!

xoxo
Madge

Here are this week’s Crafty Blogger Links:

About Family Crafts Do you papier mache? Share your projects and stories!

Aileen's Musings This week Aileen's been busy altering cabinet cards. Check out her newest funky cabinet cards and download more freebie images for you to alter yourself.

Cathie Filian Cathie and Steve spoof their love of Mod Podge in their latest video.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world Craftside has a fun mixed-media cupcake jar topper project, a how-to on making bottle cap bookmarks, a tutorial on painting over a photo to create a multi frame effect, and a fun beaded fan design. And the tables are turned, leave a question and you are entered to not only win a free book but also a Wrights SideWinder bobbin winder!

Crafty Princess Diaries Re-purposing crafting materials is a great way to make sure you don't waste your wonderful stash of supplies.

CraftyPod Sister Diane shows you how to embroider on a perforated metal beading disc!

Cross Stitch at About.com A saying from the Bard inspired Connie's latest free pattern. Stitch the saying alone or combine it with floral motifs for a larger sampler.

Naughty Secretary Club Jen takes everything from a vintage clock to an Etch a Sketch and coverts it into a funky picture frame.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery The scissors are set aside this week and a vintage green marble gets re-purposed into a cool modern necklace with a technique from the book Contemporary Copper Jewelry by Sharilyn Miller

The Artful Crafter Read some suggestions for preventing your polymer clay projects from cracking.

The Impatient Crafter Madge transforms a Kraft paper lampshade from Target into a sophisticated accent piece for a teen's room in this post for I Love to Create.

Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love A no fuss, no muss t-shirt project for the kiddos!

Big Ideas

Image Copyright Enoch Bolles

I've run out of witty banter for this week I'm afraid. I've been working incredibly hard to sell some new ideas and generate some new income streams here at Studio Margot. I've been brewing them up and pitching them to anyone who'll listen. I'm now in the waiting for responses stage.

The waiting is...as Tom Petty so aptly said...the hardest part.

You can't control how the people in charge will react to your big ideas.

You can't do anything about the people around them who may have conflicting agendas.

You may have a brilliant idea and be absolutely capable of seeing it through to fruition, but there are a number of factors you simply can't control. That's why I am always pitching a slew of ideas to a bevy of people. All of the things that I do are highly competitive and subject to brutal judgment. Be it designing or writing or hosting or performing...I'm constantly putting myself out there to be judged by others. It's what creatives do. If you think it's easy, think again. I've developed a tough outer skin, but I still have a soft white underbelly. No one likes being dismissed.

I'm often vying for work with the same companies as other creatives. It's tough because many folks can't see that there's room for all of us. There will always be people who look at you as competition and do what they can to trip you up. You can't get away from that because, especially in times such as these, a lack mentality begins to prevail. When people have a lack mentality, they live in constant fear that someone else is trying to take their piece of the pie. Often those people show up wherever you go, whispering mean things about you behind your back. You have to hope that your talent, integrity, honesty and transparency will shine over their pettiness and deep sense of lack. If not...and this is a tough one...it probably wasn't the right fit for you.

When you're willing to toot your horn without shame, it freaks other people out. Do it anyway. Even though I pay it forward and sideways and backwards...people can be so threatened by me they take great pleasure in doing things to sidetrack my success. It's been an ongoing scenario and a frustrating one, but I'm not willing to let it stop me.

That's life.

It happens to everyone who dares to dream big.

Keep dreaming.

The folks in charge of approving your pitches are often also operating from a lack mentality. They're afraid of taking risks. In times like these, they think it's better to play it safe. They can't see the possibility of a new idea when they're being pressured to keep making the same idea over and over and over again. This is why books and music and movies and TV Shows get so watered down.

I disagree with this approach, but I'm not in charge.

I'm in charge of imagining, fine tuning and pitching my big ideas. After that I can only hope that someone with vision will get them and get me and see the value in taking a risk. I can only hope that the people around them will realize that I'm not competition and that the only person with whom any of us are competing is ourselves.

"There is room enough in the sky for every star to shine." Madge

I'm a hard working, talented, compassionate, witty and wise woman. I'm standing on the edge of my success and I'm ready to leap. I just need someone to take that big risk with me...to embrace my big ideas and help me get them out to a larger audience. In the meantime, I'm throwing as many things as I can at the wall with the absolute belief that the right one will stick.

"Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..." Dory the Fish


xoxo
Madge

Black Forest Necklace for Art Beads

Black Forest Necklace copyright 2009 Margot Potter
(Click on images to view in detail)

The fine folks from Art Beads asked me to select some CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements from their website recently for review. I have been working with the Create Your Style initiative since my first book and last year had the distinction of being named a Create Your Style with CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements Ambassador. So to say I love crystal...would be a vast understatement! I had a darker, moodier design in mind so I used olivine, tanzanite and black diamond as my color palette with gun metal and anodized steel accents.

The new aquiline bead is such an interesting shape, I envisioned a vine with some funky shaped fruit dangling off of it. The center rock pendant is another new shape I'm loving, notice if you can that it has both frosted and sparkling elements. I added a pop of purple featuring the newly launced xilion cut in 6mm in tanzanite, but since they seem to be sold out, you can opt for the 5301 in the same color.

Beads this gorgeous don't need a lot of gee gaws and doo dads, so I made a straightforward and simply striking design. I call this Black Forest.

Maybe I can find a home for it in a bead magazine...I'll keep you posted!

Cheers,
Madge

Free Mixed Media Jewelry Project: Red Riding Hood Glass Pendants

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Free Mixed Media Jewelry Project
Red Riding Hood Glass Pendants
Copyright 2009 Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter

My friend Homer H. Hillis of HHH Enterprises has a never ending array of fabulous new toys for the mixed media crafter. He sent me some new Our Glass pieces recently that are totally awesome. They’re thick, they’re smooth and they are optically clear. That means whatever you put behind them is slightly magnified. He also sent a roll of 3/4” thick foil tape to help seal the images. Beadalon just came out with glue friendly pendant bails and BeadFix glue in sheets!

Can you say, “Match made in heaven?!”

I kept this simple and straightforward, so I can use them as striking focal elements in some new designs. The images are from a recycled vintage children’s book I purchased this past weekend. You can opt for permission free images or other images that suit your style. I love recycling fashion magazines. Don’t scan and manipulate images on the computer unless they’re permission free though, using the actual page is recycling, copying the page is copyright infringement.

Materials
Vintage Children’s Book Pages with Small Detailed Images
HHH Enterprises Our Glass Wafers/Bubble Glass
Beadalon Glue-on Pendant Bails
Beadalon Bead Fix Adhesive Squares
Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue

Tools
Bone folder
tim holtz for Tonic non-stick Scissors
Marker


1. Place Our Glass wafer over selected image and trace with a marker.

2. Cut out with scissors.

3. Spread a thin, even film of adhesive on wafer and adhere to glass.

4. Use fingers to gently work out any bubbles under glass. Allow adhesive to cure.

5. Place tape over back of decoupaged glass, if rectangle or square shape, leave an overlapped edge that is flush with top edge of glass. (If round glass, leave a small 1/6” edge. Designer note: You may need to add a second layer of adhesive to get the tape to adhere and stay there.) Mark and cut with scissors. Use bone folder to burnish tape edges flush to glass.

6. Adhere tape. Repeat adhering tape strips moving from top to bottom of back of pendant until finished.

7. Place flat side of bail on back of glue square and use as a guide while you cut out glue to fit bail.

8. Adhere bail to center top at the back of the pendant.

9. Use your bone folder to smooth out any wrinkles in the tape.

10. If you'd like, you can add a layer of solder to seal everything inside or you can opt to leave it as is. If you're hard on your jewelry or plan to wear this often, I suggest the solder!

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo, Madge

I Love to Create: La Tour Eiffel Decoupage Lampshade

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In the blink of an eye, little girls become young women. They’re more grown up and they want a more sophisticated bedroom. Total room rehab isn’t always an option but it’s not so hard to make quick and significant changes if you’re crafty. I bought this Eiffel tower lamp at Target about eight years ago, and it’s still available online! I wasn’t terribly fond of the shade that came with it, so I purchased a plain craft paper shade that I’d always intended to embellish. Flash forward eight years...

It’s perfect for my daughter’s newly revamped room! We used white tissue paper stamped with archival ink (you need to be sure your ink is waterproof or it will bleed when it gets wet.) I got a great decoupage trick from crafty diva Pattie Wack at CHA and used Aleene’s Tacky Glue® glue stick to adhere the torn pages on the shade instead of decoupage medium which can get very messy very quickly! Here are the instructions! Bon chance!

La Tour Eiffel Lampshade
Teen Craft
Margot Potter for I Love to Create

Materials
Kraft Paper lampshade
Eiffel Tower lamp base from Target
White tissue paper
Vintage or new off white buttons in various sizes
1 yard black chiffon ruffle trim (JoAnn Fabrics)
Ranger Jet Black archival ink
Hero Arts Old French Writing stamp H2365
Inkadinkado Flourish stamp 96253-P
Traci Bautista’s Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage™ in Glossy
Aleene’s Tacky Glue® glue stick
Aleene’s Fast Grab™ Tacky Glue®
Aleene’s Jewel-It®

Tools
Foam brush

1. Wipe shade off with a dry cloth to remove any dust or dirt.

2. Stamp a large sheet of white tissue paper with archival ink and the writing stamp. Add stamped flourish accents. Allow to dry.
3. Tear each stamped section leaving frayed edges.
4. Adhere paper segments to lamp using glue stick. Make sure to cover back of each sheet completely. Work from the center using your fingers to gently adhere paper to lamp and work out any wrinkles or bubbles.
5. Overlap sheets and don’t worry about any small gaps, you can go back and fill those in later with smaller paper segments.6. Spread a thin layer of decoupage medium over lamp using a foam brush. Use brush to work out wrinkles or bubbles. Don’t stress too much, texture is good! Allow to dry for several hours or overnight.7. Adhere ribbon trim to bottom and top edge of lamp using Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue. Allow to dry. 8. Adhere buttons of various sizes to shade using Jewel-It Glue. Allow to dry. C'est tres chic, n'est pas?