Maker's Monday: Creepy Key Necklace

Monday's roll around too quickly! Over the weekend I got a lot of cool crafting done and I can't wait to share the results in WIP Wednesday, but first, we have to get through Maker's Monday. This week I have another easy peasy necklace idea for anyone else getting in the Halloween spirit. I myself have decided to go with the Halloween spirit full-force and have started decorating my living room. Life is too short, right? So let's make a Creepy Key Necklace!

Supplies:
1 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Word Key
1 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Adornments Oddities Bat (sadly, these are now retired)
1 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ball Chain (nickel finish)
1Tim Holtz Idea-ology Jump Ring (nickel finish)

Tools:
Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on your preference)

Instructions:

1.  Open your jump ring by clasping it in the pliers with one hand and holding it firmly between your thumb and index finger of your other hand (or another pair of pliers). Gently twist the pliers away from you and the jump ring should open. Slide it onto the hole of the key and then the hole of the bat charm. Close it using the opposite twisting motion and make sure it is completely closed. 

A note about the bat charm: this charm set has been discontinued but this year's release from Idea-ology includes owls and spiders. Either would be a cool substitution!

2.  Snap one end of the ball chain into the clasp. 

3.  Slide the chain through the jump ring and snap it closed.

The ball chain is about 36 inches long but if you prefer it to be shorter, it can be trimmed using wire cutters (for jewelry), nail clippers, or even scissors. This was a quick little necklace to make and I believe this one is a keeper!

WIP Wednesday: Creepy Charlottes

My last post mentioned necklaces for WIP Wednesday and here they are: Creepy Charlottes! I know technically these aren't Frozen Charlotte figurines, they are Tim Holtz Idea-ology Salvaged Dolls and they're available at many craft stores as well as online.

Creepy Charlottes coming soon!

I didn't think to take photos of each step until after I had my papers trimmed and glued in place, but the idea started with a bezel, a coveted Susan Lenart Kazmer Spellbinders Media Mixage hobnail bezel, to be precise. I had bought up a good supply of these bezels because as far as I know, they aren't being made anymore. You can still find them online. Happy hunting!

Months ago, I had thought of making some necklaces out of hemp string tied noose-fashion around a doll so I snagged a package of Salvaged Dolls. They've been on my desk, waiting for that motivation and me learning to tie a noose. (seems I should know how to tie one, doesn't it?)

Thanks to insomnia, I had the idea to put a doll in the bezel for a creepy Halloween necklace. Saturday I had the right amount of domestic laziness to begin.

When I say I had laziness, I truly did. Normally, I would have used a die and my Vagabond machine to cut out the papers for the bezels, but I didn't want to leave the couch. Instead, I trimmed the papers (Tim Holtz Regions Beyond Mini Stash) and pressed them into the bezels, trimming for fit. They weren't perfectly cut, but glitter hides a thousand flaws.

Love these Tim Holtz papers and ephemera!

I glued the papers into the bezels using Glossy Accents and added a piece of Tim Holtz 'Frightful' ephemera then put a thin bead of Glossy Accents around the edges of the paper and up the sides of the bezel. A heavy coating of the chunkiest black glitter pressed down into the corner seams gives the pendants a dirty but luxe feel.

The dolls fit so well but they look so clean. I want them to look old and dirty and creepy. I want at least one to be rusted. This weekend I will work on them and let my mind wander until I can think of something wonderfully wicked to dangle from the bottom of the pendant. I'll even try out different chain ideas.

Maker's Monday: Creepy Message Necklace

I'm trying to get back into the blogging groove and decided to start out with a Maker's Monday. Over the weekend, I had a serious case of Halloween Fever and ended up making a few easy to assemble necklaces. I also started two necklaces that will be featured in this week's WIP Wednesday. Let's get to it!

Supplies:
1 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Typed Token Halloween
1 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Philosophy Tag
1 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Ball Chain
2 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Jump Rings (any color, one large, one small)
1 Tim Holtz Idea-ology Swivel Clasp

I like to mix metals in projects

Tools:
Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on your preference)

Instructions:

1.  Open your large jump ring by clasping it in the pliers with one hand and holding it firmly between your thumb and index finger of your other hand (or another pair of pliers). Gently twist the pliers away from you and the jump ring should open. Slide it onto the hole of the large Philosophy Tag. These are a "harder" jump ring so I used two pairs of pliers to open and close them so I didn't ruin my fingernails. Close it using the opposite twisting motion and make sure it is completely closed. Repeat for the Typed Token.

These tokens and tags are fun because you can mix and match colors and come up with eerie messages

2.  The Swivel Clasp comes with a short length of chain attached to it. I opened the jump ring attached to the clasp, removed the chain, and then closed the jump ring. Open your Swivel Clasp and add the Philosophy Tag and Typed Token. Close the clasp.

You could add beads or more tokens, but for me, less is more

3.  Unhook the ball chain and slide the chain through the Swivel Clasp's jump ring. Hook the ball chain closed

A fun necklace to inspire fright!

I love longer necklaces but if you prefer shorter, the ball chain can be trimmed using wire cutters (for jewelry), nail clippers, or even scissors. I had fun creating creepy messages and will have a few of these necklaces posted in the shop very soon.

 Have you been thinking about Halloween too? I'd love to hear what's up your sleeve for this year!

Baby Steps, But I'm Back!

Oh my goodness, I've been such a bad blogger! My toenail has recovered and is almost completely grown back since my first procedure in September. There were growing pains for sure and it is still tender and the tip of the nail is all jagged-looking but soon, I should be able to trim it and it will look like a normal nail again.

I did have a titanium stent inserted into my ankle (in the talotarsal sinus, specifically) to correct my dislocations. I had some issues that weren't very major and now that I look back, I know what I should and shouldn't do when I have my left ankle done.

It is amazing that I have not had the old pain in my "Witch's Toe" for quite some time. That pain became constant before my first surgery and I thought it would always be that way.

 One weird thing is that I really had to force myself not to walk on the outside of my foot. Sometimes I catch myself standing and notice the weight bears on the outside and I have to mentally force my foot in a "normal" position. I almost wonder if that had a lot to do with my big toenail still recovering as I was starting to walk after the last surgery.  Regarding shoes, I've had to get rid of anything with a heel but I can wear flip flops, just not for extended periods or for walking great distances. I've got some supportive sandals and nice loafers that seem to really help and I think as my ankle gets stronger, I should be able to wear short heels again.

I would get tingling sensations in that ankle right as I was going to sleep, most likely nerves waking up, but that hasn't happened in over a month now. I do have to be careful when I sleep though. If I don't have good support of my right ankle (direct contact with the mattress or my left leg), it twitches and is a very painful wake-up call.

All-in-all, I think it was a good decision to have the surgery and I can see I have an arch in that foot now and my toes look straighter. Even the hubby has noticed!

I've been updating my Etsy shop with lots of wonderful jewelry pieces and have even gotten back into writing. I've started Haiku Horror Stories II and hope to finish that before October.

I took a tumble down our basement stairs at the beginning of May and bruised myself up really badly, but I didn't hurt my ankle or do serious damage to myself. This prompted my family to swoop in to get supplies so we can get to work on that bathroom (yep, it still isn't done) but very soon we'll catch a break to get going and finish the damn thing!

Sad news, our cat Zoey is very ill. We're fairly certain she has nasal tumors (cancer) and we need to make that Big Decision and we're completely heart broken. She's about 14 years old, so she's lived a good, long life, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Whew! There's a lot more that happened since October, but I'll save some stories for future blogs. I'm looking forward to getting back on a schedule with some new projects and stories to share.