Make Jewellery - I'm in Print

It's official, my name is in print. Make Jewellery magazine contacted me some time ago and asked if I could write my domino pendant tutorial for them as they were printing a rock chick feature edition. Welcome to my Punk Rock Skull Domino Pendants - this is my double page spread - initially they told me I only had a single page, but I sent enough items for two pages.

I'm thrilled as this is my first ever tutorial in print. You can find my domino pendants for sale here at Folksy. The domino charm bracelet below was also sent in and will be used as a magazine giveaway.

I couldn't wait to tell you all about my special news - I hope you enjoy the domino tutorial.

Weather update - we have had constant snow and weather is very bad here in rural Scotland. We lost our power earlier so I may not be contactable in the next few days as the snow is not letting up.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy Glass xx

How to Clean your Jewellery - Credit Crunch Tips

As money is tight at the monent, it doesn't have to cost a thing to clean your bling!

You can use ordinary household items, such as washing up liquid and baking soda.

Here are some tips:

Cleaning Silver
You can use a solution of washing-up liquid and warm water.
Rinse in hot water and buff dry.

Baking soda is fantastic for removing tarnish from silver. Every household should stock this little pot of powder - it is a great all rounder and good for domestic cleaning, and of course, completely safe.

Make a paste using one teaspoon of baking soda and a few drops of white vinegar (or just plain water, if no vinegar). Use an old toothbrush and rub the paste all over the silver piece, in all the nooks and crannies. Wash with warm water and buff with a cleaning cloth.

However, care must be taken when cleaning plated metals as it is easy to rub off the coating if you are too enthusiastic!

Another way of cleaning silver is using aluminium foil:

Line the bottom of the bowl with aluminum foil, add several spoonfuls of baking soda and fill the pan with boiling water. Now drop in your silver pieces and watch the tarnish disappear.

Why not try both methods and see which one works best for you.

TIP - Always clean jewellery in a plastic bowl lined with a cloth. This will protect delicate items and avoid your precious items from going down the plughole.

Gold
A simple bowl of warm soapy water should bring your gold up nicely - use an old toothbrush to get into awkward places.

Cleaning Precious Stones
Amethysts, diamonds, rubies and sapphires can be cleaned in washing up liquid and warm water – use a little paintbrush or make-up brush to gently scrub (toothbrushes can be too harsh for such delicate stones, so take care if this is all you have to clean). Rinse in lukewarm water then dip into surgical spirit to remove any soap residue. Buff gently with a cleaning cloth, or chamois leather works a treat.

Emeralds are softer and porous, so extra care must be taken - shine them using a chamois leather.

Pearls are porous and should not be washed in water. The oil on your skin is the best tonic for pearls, so wear them with abundance, but you must protect them from hairspray, make-up and perfume. You can polish pearls with chamois leather. This brings them up to a bright sheen.

If you are in a hurry, why not try this option - place your jewellery into a glass of warm water with a tablet of Alka-Seltzer, leave for a few minutes, remove and dry. The tablet does all the work for you. NOT suitable for pearls or opals though.

Hope you enjoyed these useful tips.
Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx

Tutorial - Earring Cards/Display

This tutorial will show you how to make earring cards for display purposes. Many people ask about the best way to display their earrings, and this is a very economic option. My earrings are 4cm in length, including the fish hook and this earring display is perfect for this size of earring. If your earrings are longer, you will need to increase the size of your template.

Materials:
Card stock
Scorer
Ruler
Scissors
Pricking tool
Double sided sticky tape

Step 1 - Choose an appropriate card you wish to display your earrings. I used 220gms of card stock, it is sturdy and will not bend under the weight.TIP - do not choose card that has a busy pattern as this will detract from your pretty earrings. If you have a logo or theme, choose a card that compliments it. It is a good idea to make your first template out of scrap card, if you make a mistake, you haven't ruined your good card stock.

Step 2 - Cut out a piece of card - 4.5cm x 14cm. Measure and mark scorelines as follows - 5cm, 7.5cm and 12.5cm. Fold along the scorelines so you now have a shaped piece of card.

Step 3 - Measure two holes where you would like to hang your earrings, depending on the size of your earrings. Measure equal distances from each side so the holes will match and using your pricking tool, make the holes. I have made four holes; a set for studs and drops, but you can make only one set if you wish.

TIP - you can use your scrap card template to line up new cards to prick your holes. This will save alot of time as you will not need to measure further cards.

Step 4 - Apply the sticky tape to one end of your card template (the smallest section). Fold over the card to make a triangular shape and stick the small flap to the card. You earring display card is now complete. I have incorporated a daisy patterned card, but it is more tricky to measure and getting the pattern in the right place. Plus, there is more waste. To minimise the waste from the daisy card, I made small daisy gift tags. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and think the earring cards look as good as I do.

Kathryn, Lazy Daisy xx