Sea Life Mobile

Hi All!

Today I want to show you another craft that I have designed using the Totem Poppets from Eye Connect Crafts.  I am having fun trying different ideas with these.  Today, I'm working with Starfish and Crab Poppets.

Here's the packaged Poppets:

Totem Poppets

These are made from recycled chipboard and are easily removed from the square of chipboard from which they are laser cut.  They were designed to be put together with 1/16" eyelets, but they can also be put together with brads, small screws or fibers.  Each Poppet comes with a statement on its totem representation, which you can incorporate into your artwork if you wish.  

For my version of these Poppets, I popped them out and painted them with acrylic paint.  I painted them with a main color, then dry brushed and dabbed other colors on top.  For the crab, I added bead eyes.  To hold them together, I used hemp twine.  I think it adds a nice natural feel.  It's very easy to work with also.

Here's the crab:

Crab Poppet

And, here's the starfish:

I arranged the poppets on a mobile constructed of driftwood, a piece of net and some shells that I had in my stash.

Ocean Life Mobile by Terry Ricioli

If you want to start playing with Poppets, head over to the website:  Eye Connect Crafts 
While you're there, check out the blog and see what Erin Sparler, the owner and creator or Eye Connect Crafts is up to with her amazing Poppets and with the other chipboard line, Lace-Ups.

Come back soon for more fun with Totem Poppets and Lace-ups!
Happy Crafting!
Terry

April Showers Mobile - Designer Crafts Connection

Hi Crafters!

This month on the Designer Crafts Connection blog hop our theme is "April showers bring May flowers".  I was inspired to create a mobile from craft wire with that theme in mind.  This little swirly cloud is raining happy flowers!

Craft wire is easy enough for the kids (or anyone!) to use since it's got a copper core making it easy to bend.  It comes in a lot of bright colors and can be found in most craft stores. 

April Showers Mobile by Terry Ricioli

Here's what you'll need to create your own:

Craft wire:  White, 18 gauge and 24 gauge; Silver, 24 gauge; Pink, 24 gauge
Jump rings, silver:  12
Buttons, flower faces with shanks:  3
A short length of chain or string

Tools:  wire cutters, round-nose pliers

For the cloud, cut a length of 18-gauge white wire and fold it in half.  Curl the ends into a swirl.  When you get enough swirls to make your cloud, arrange them and notice where they touch.  Connect those points by wrapping with 24-gauge white wire.

For the raindrops, cut a length of silver wire about 4" and fold in half around your finger.  Bring the ends together and twist.  Make a loop with the rest.  You can also make a wrapped loop as you would for jewelry.

For the flower, cut a length of pink wire about 12" long.  Twist a small loop in the end and form a petal.  Bend the wire back on itself and twist the bend to make a small loop.  Continue making petals and twist a small loop on the end of the wire.  Fold a 4" piece of wire in half and slip through the button shank.  Slide the loops of the flower on the wire ends.  If you've got 6 petals, put 3 loops on one wire and 4 loops on the other.  Slide all the loops up against the button, twist the wires together and press them against the back of the button.  Trim the ends and arrange the petals.

Here's a photo to show the flower before it's gathered against the back of the button.

Flower Construction

Once you've got everything constructed, connect the parts with jump rings.  Add a chain or string for hanging.

Happy Spring Crafting!

Terry

 PS  Don't forget to hop around the Designer Crafts Connection blogs to see the other fun crafts!

Bat Mobile

Hi Crafters!
No, it's not Batman's car!  It's a mobile with not-so-scary little bats made from Smoothfoam!  They are so easy, you'll have them fluttering all over the house.  The wings and ears are re-used plastic lids!  Here's the link to the instructions on the Smoothfoam blog. 


Bat Mobile
for
Smoothfoam

You'll find lots of fun Halloween designs on the blog this month from pumpkins to spiders to googly-eyed topiaries and so much more!   

The Creativity Team at Smoothfoam (of which, I am thrilled to be a part!) is having great fun with this theme and you will too as you decorate your house for Halloween!

Happy Crafting!
Terry

Rowlux® Illusion Film Blog Hop - Colorful Mobile

Hi Crafty Friends!

One of the things I like best about being a professional designer is the opportunity to try new materials fresh from the manufacturer.  It's fun to be able to help introduce a new product to the crafting public and design new ways to use it.

On this hop, some of the Designer Crafts Connection designers will be presenting projects made with Rowlux® Illusion Film.  This fascinating plastic film has been in use in many areas and is now being introduced as a craft material.

Here's a Colorful Mobile that I designed using the film.  The colors are vibrant and the plastic sheets are very sturdy.  It has wonderful 3-D patterns that dazzle the eye and reflect light in all directions.  



Colorful Mobile
with

Rowlux® Illusion Film

Here are the beautiful colored sheets.

Here's some information about this product from the manufacturer:

Rowlux® Illusion Film is made in the USA and comes in a diverse range of spectacular eye-catching colors and patterns.  These durable, translucent, 12" x 12" polycarbonate sheets add instant pizzazz to craft projects, seasonal accents, party decorations, scrapbooks, greeting cards, jewelry, furniture, frames, gifts, favors, accessories, art and DIY home decor projects. Easily cut with scissors, Rowlux® is also the perfect material for scoring, folding, embossing and die cutting. The creative possibilities are endless. This innovative and inspiring new craft material manipulates light to create dazzling visual effects. The illusion of depth and motion is the result of thousands of tiny parabolic lenses that are molded into the surface of both sides of the material. These lenses create a pattern of light reflection and refraction resulting in stunningly brilliant optical effects.

I cut strips of the film using a metal ruler and a craft knife.  To do this, score the film with the knife and bend along the scoring line to snap the strip from the sheet.  Then, I used a 1" punch to cut circles.  You may have to squeeze a few times to punch through the film.  Just keep squeezing in the same position and it will pop out cleanly.

After I punched out the circles, I was left with strips with holes in them.  Well, I couldn't waste those, so I decided to cut them into squares and use them also!

I connected the pieces with 8mm silver jump rings after punching small holes for connecting.

I wrapped a 5" metal ring with bright yellow acrylic beads using 28 gauge silver wire. 

Here's the finished bead-wrapped ring.  Wrapping took about 50 beads and 2 yards of wire.  Then, I connected the strands of circles and squares to the ring with jump rings.  I also connected four pieces of chain to the top of the circle and connected it to a wire hook for hanging.

Here's my Colorful Mobile hanging out in my garden!


Rowlux® Illusion Film

is available on Amazon at:  http://www.amazon.com/Rowlux-Illusion-Film-Polycarbonate-12-Inch/dp/B00CW7940Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1372292244&sr=1-1&keywords=rowlux

To see more amazing craft designs with this wonderful new material, hop forward on the big blue Designer Crafts Connection button or visit this link:
http://blog.modernsurrealist.com/2013/06/26/Rowlux-Illusion-Film-Designer-Blog-Hop.aspx

I can't wait to see what the other designers have created!  Come back soon and see what I did with my extra circles and squares...I'm thinking a pair of bright, fluttery earrings!  What would you create?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Happy Crafting!

Terry