Powder Necklace

To protect her daughter from the fast life and bad influences of London, her mother sent her to school in rural Ghana. The move was for the girl’s own good, in her mother’s mind, but for the daughter, the reality of being the new girl, the foreigner-among-your-own-people, was even worse than the idea. During her time at school, she would learn that Ghana was much more complicated than her fellow ex-pats had ever told her, including how much a London-raised child takes something like water for granted. In Ghana, water “became a symbol of who had and who didn’t, who believed in God and who didn’t. If you didn’t have water to bathe, you were poor because no one had sent you some.” After six years in Ghana, her mother summons her home to London to meet the new man in her mother’s life—and his daughter. The reunion is bittersweet and short-lived as her parents decide it’s time that she get to know her father. So once again, she’s sent off, this time to live with her father, his new wife, and their young children in New York—but not before a family trip to Disney World.

With today’s wide selection of papers, there’s nothing you can’t create--even jewelry, like the gorgeous pendants, necklaces, and earrings in this remarkable collection. Mulberry paper, scrapbook paper, tissue paper, handmade paper, paper flowers: these very easy, very achievable projects use every type. The 40 pieces are divided into Zen inspiration, featuring works of stunning simplicity; Nature Inspiration, including a Golden Leaves Necklace and Earrings; Fabulously Feminine, with sweet touches such as foam board hearts and silk ribbons; and For the Girls, designed for pre-teens and teens. And on nearly every spread, there’s a special boxed “Paper Perfected” tip for successfully mastering such details as getting a smooth finish, using ultra-thick embossing powder, and painting on tissue paper.

Resin jewellery first started in the US around 6 years ago and has now become one of the fastest-growing trends in jewellery making. The technique is very simple - you simply mix the two-part resin together and pour into a bezel or pendant. Rings, pendants, brooches, cufflinks, hairpins and bracelets are all easy to make and look incredibly professional when done.In this inspiring book, well-known crafter Sara Naumann shows you just how easy and quick resin jewellery is to make, using minimal equipment and readily available products, and provides over 50 fabulous projects for you to try. You can add numerous items to the resin to achieve different effects. You can place paper in the bezels to act as a background to the resin - such as old book paper, map paper, scrapbook paper and photographs. Paper can also be painted, stencilled, or layered with washi tape before being coated with resin. Try sheet music for a vintage vibe, or origami papers for a fresh, contemporary look.In addition, you can also immerse various items in the resin before it cures, such as dried flowers and leaves, feathers, shells, beads and charms, or try adding glitter, coloured inks, nail polish and virtually anything else you can think of.The versatility of resin jewellery is awe-inspiring, providing papercrafters as well as jewellery-makers with all the skills and inspiration they need to design and make their own stunning pieces.

Polymer clay is probably the most versatile, most enjoyable craft medium of them all. It can be sculpted, carved, molded, stamped, textured, sanded, and then baked in a regular oven. How easy is that? Now Polymer Pizzazz makes working with polymer clay even more fun and rewarding--by introducing beginners to basic tools and techniques, then presenting 25 beautiful jewelry projects. With clear step-by-step instructions and helpful color photography, anyone can learn to make bold, bright beads, playful fish-shaped pendants, elegant faux stone necklaces, and much more!

Imagine beautiful mosaic pieces with tiles that you easily create yourself! Mixed-Media Mosaics offers a fresh, new approach to a traditional art form. By making your own tiles from polymer clay, you control the size, shape, color and even the texture, resulting in beautiful finished pieces that include tabletops, boxes, jewelry and shrines. In addition to learning traditional tiling techniques such as working with grout and cutting glass tile, you'll also explore creative options for personalizing tiles: • Discover the magic of mica powders and the regal look they can give to mosaics • Learn quick and easy ways of adding paint to handcrafted and commercial tile • See how easy it is to create molds and cast your own relief tiles • Find ways to add personal meaning to your work with the addition of text tiles • Experiment with the addition of beads, jewelry and other embellishments by embedding them right into the tile! Whether you'd like to complete a mosaic tabletop for your patio, a jewelry box as a special gift, or simply experiment with jewelry, you'll find the inspiration you seek in Mixed-Media Mosaics. Start creating your custom mosaic pieces today.

In the colonial cities and towns of Fatrasta, peace has never been easy. Immigrants fight amongst themselves or turn on the native population, while the governing power of the Kez Army steps in only to enforce the will of apathetic local governors assigned by a distant crown. Young war hero Ben Styke commands a colonial garrison in a sleepy frontier suburb. When the governor’s cruel brother stops for the night, rising continental tensions force Styke to protect the people of his town in a brutal escalation that threatens to destroy everything—and everyone—he has fought for. Occurs twelve years before the events in Sins of Empire.

Crystal Jewelry Inspiration from the CREATE YOUR STYLE Ambassadors features projects from 25 of these talented designers from North America. The CREATE YOUR STYLE Ambassadors approach crystals from every conceivable angle in projects as diverse as the Swarovski Elements they’ve used. Wide-ranging techniques, from modern bead stitching and elegant stringing to intricate wire crochet, help beaders polish their favorite skills plus learn something new. Styles range from vintage to funky to show-stopping glam, all sporting the sparkle that only crystals can provide. Jewelry makers will get first-hand information, expertise, and instruction from the most enthusiastic and passionate crystal jewelry designers working today. The gallery will inspire you with projects from Ambassadors around the world.

"Polymer clay is easy to work with and very versatile, as the necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings in this beautiflly illustrated book show."--