Mesh Christmas Tree Door Decoration

  I got the idea from Pinterest

Sisak Photo

There were several photos  done by various makers. 

Mine isn't exactly like the Pinterest models and the ornaments are placed "differently" but, who wants to be like everybody else?🙃 I'm pleased with the outcome.

That's it 🎄🎄🎄

Update  :12/18/2024 

The ornaments are a little more orderly.

 

KIlling the Hard Drive

I fell in love with computers as soon as they became a household word. I wanted to learn all I could about them. I'd stay on my computer as long as I now stay on Facebook. ☹️

Since then I've owned more than one computer.  The first was a Gateway desk top.

paysimple.com 

Mine had two speakers. 

Shout out to CHM for accompanying me when I made the purchase and helping me choose the right thing.
There was no real threat of ID theft during that time so when I finally ridded myself of it I didn't remove the hard drive. I just dumped it somewhere. I don't remember where. (That was environmentally unfriendly and I now know better)

I needed to get rid of some electronics as well as a laptop that longer  performed well.
 I viewed several YouTube videos on how to destroy a hard drive and it's easy. 

• First I swept the hard drive of all information. Then I removed the hard drive, took it out into the garage and proceeded to drill holes in it. That didn't work well because I didn't have the correct drill bit. SO I beat it with a mallet. 
  

*If you really want to do a good job think of all the things you're angry about or have been; 

*the time you couldn't find your size in the cute shoe that was on sale

*the person that rear ended you and had no insurance

*sitting in a waiting room at 2:00 when your appointment was at 1:00. 

The list is endless.

After the beating I shook it and there was a rattling sound similar to broken glass inside. According to the videos that's a good thing. I'd even broken off some other "thingie" on the front of it.

I learned from YouTube that Best Buy will recycle your discards for free. I called them ahead of time to get a current read on this and yes, they will recycle your electronics.

My new friend. 😘😘

Haven't had a brand spanking new one in a long time.

❤️💙💚🧡💔💜💛

That's It***

Next week- Birmingham Oddities

Beads, glass, keys, trinkets????

What do you do with all of the beads, broken jewelry and other trinkets in your craft stash? This is what I did.The inspiration(below) came from Crafts by Amanda   to which I subscribed for future inspirational ideas.

Copied from Crafts by Amanda

Just about all of the "stuff" I have was given to me. Once friends and acquaintances know that you enjoy crafting from "junque" (that's the fancy spelling) you will get all kinds of goodies whether you want them or not. Below is a sample of some of those goodies.

There's broken jewelry, plastic beads, glass marbles, keys, lenses from glasses,earrings.

Those paper clips are good for keeping beads in place.

The cascades are done and ready to be attached to the pitcher. I didn't want to use my store bought jump rings so I made my own from wire I already had.

I really wanted a metal tea pot or coffee pot for the cascades to hang from. Thrift stores are not as thrifty as they once were. What I wanted cost $6.99. I bought the pitcher you see for $2.99 and also got a seniors discount since it was seniors day.

The paint was left over from a 75 cent vase I'd sprayed to look like mercury glass. 

I had to sand it a bit so that the paint would adhere.

I'm pleased with the paint job though it didn't come out with a mirrored finish. I realized afterwards that the mirrored finish would only work on glass. (Duh?)

It reminds me of a vintage milk pitcher. I sprayed a top coat of lacquer on it also. I expect it to rust and age after being out in the weather and that will only add to the character of it.

Time to put in the holes. I probably didn't have the right bit for the drill, so I made pilot holes and then finished by using a long screw, screwing it in until  I had a decent hole and then unscrewing it counter clockwise. Thank goodness for cordless drills. I didn't soften the holes so anyone touching it may get a cut. But, no one is supposed to be examining it anyway.

I have five  holes but seven bead cascades. This is where you ask me, "How do you spell lazy?"


Yes, I know the bed needs to be weeded but that's not the focus right now.

 VOILA'

I expect  the neighborhood cats to tear it down. It will have lasted for a short while.
That's it ***

BIB NECKLACE with TEE SHIRT SCARF

Feast  your eyes on all of the broken jewelry that has been given to me. Now that it has become known that I will recycle and repurpose just about anything this is where old costume jewelry comes to get a lift. 75% of what you see is from friends giving me ziplock bags of discards. I'm grateful to them for it because I enjoy trying to figure out a way to use it.

Amid this clutter was the makings of a bib necklace.  I'd planned to do a cloth necklace with some pieces I bought when Sis and I went to the Jasper Wal-Mart.  The cloth necklace didn't turn out the way I wanted but I salvaged portions of it anyway.


back and front of bib necklace before decorating

 I cut an arc from heavy cardboard and covered it with the fabric using school glue. After it was dry I put several coats of decoupage sealant on the front and back allowing each to dry thoroughly.  I took my cordless drill and placed two holes on both sides.








Be careful not to cover the holes

On the other side I hot glued trinkets from broken earrings, necklaces and etc. In the center is a fabric flower I made from some of the fabric. It looked too plain so a glued in a center.








Again, be careful not to get glue in the holes

 As added protection for the seed beads I placed a thick layer of sealant over the areas I felt were a little fragile.
















If your camera says 'change the batteries', do it or else you get dusty looking pictures



Using jump rings and chain I looped the chain through each of the holes and then attached them to larger jump rings.



Things got a little out of hand because I was watching Downton Abbey
and trying to keep my hands busy.

 Attach jump rings to the fabric and t shirt and medium chain. Put on a lobster clasp and you're done with the necklace.  Yes, there's a lot on there, the fabric, the tee shirt beads, etc.

BUT WAIT THERE"S MORE!

You know I couldn't stop with just the necklace. It had to have a matching tee shirt scarf. You can  wear either the scarf or the  necklace or BOTH.

It looks like a lot but it's been doubled.

Feeling adventurous? Strut it then.

THAT'S IT***

Copycat 2 or Inspiration necklace



http://www.jlkjewelry.com/

 More flattery through imitation. I saw this necklace at  JLK Jewelry. It's made from silver and semiprecious stones. Her website  describes her work in the quote below .
"Jennie Lorette Keatts creates handmade pottery cabochons, using Jugtown Pottery glazes. She then sets the stones into her own hand fabricated silver designs."



                 

Here's my DIY

I used:

flat glass beads (Dollar Store)

Floral wire (Dollar Store)

Cardboard (free)

hot glue

white school glue

 jump rings (in my stash )

paper clip

I began with prepping the cardboard the way I explained in my previous post titled Copycat. I made a freehand drawing of a triangle with curved angles and used it as a template. After cutting out the number of triangles I needed, I painted them with Dark Patina, a metallic acrylic paint by DecoArt.  I went around the edges with a silver Sharpie pen. The pieces were sealed with a matte water based sealer.

After the pieces were completely dry, I used my drill to place the holes for the jump rings and to join the pieces together.

The inspirational necklace has  earthy  semiprecious stones.  I didn’t have those so I used flat glass beads that are often used in flower vases and other decorations. If you go to my Tablescape post you’ll see where I used them as a decorative accent.

I didn’t have any silver wire so I decided to use blue floral wire which matches the flat glass beads. I could have painted the wire after gluing it to the triangle but I would have to sand it first to rough it up so that it would accept the paint.

I have yet to figure out a cheap, free, creative way to make a bezel for the settings. In this case I used a silver Sharpie( see yellow arrow) and colored around the flat bead to give the appearance of a bevel before gluing it on.

The hooked end of the clasp I made from a paper clip (see blue arrow). I need more practice on this.   

AFTERTHOUGHTS    The metallic paint was not the color I expected. Under store lights and in the bottle it appeared to be what I wanted but it was too dark.   The glue gun gave me fits with strings going everywhere.  It would make huge globs when I didn't need it to and not enough glue when I needed it. It made the project not as neat as I would have liked it. I have since learned that cleaning the nozzle and freezing the glue sticks is supposed to help with that problem. I'll try it and see. Using the silver Sharpie to imitate a bezel didn't work.

This is me wearing the necklace.

It has more of a medieval look to me.

THAT'S IT***