Monday, May 28, 2012

Paper Bead Baubles & Petite Purses HSS120

Pin It Now! Hi crafty friends!  It's time for another great challenge from Hand Stamped Sentiments!  I loved this week's theme...Jewelry or wearable art. How fun!  I channeled my inner grade-school -freckle-faced-pony-tailed-crafty-girl and made paper beads.   But I didn't stop there - I turned them into a whole gift ensemble...



Cute little Petite Purses to house coordinating beaded bracelets, made from the same sheet of DSP.
I've made these two, but I'm planning to make more.  Lots more :D



They were easy to do...the beads are simply strung onto elastic cording (fabric store, $1.39 for a bundle), and added coordinating ribbon.


I stamped little squares of gift tissue wrap with flowers from Betsy's Blossoms, so the bracelets get wrapped and tucked right into the purse, all ready to give.


I love these juicy sweet colors!  Are they preppy or retro? Both?
The DSP is brand new, available June 1 called Floral District.  You will LOVE!



The little purses are made from the Petite Purse Die. Here's a little tip on how to get the patterns for the DSP lined up just right on the lid of your purse:

Just cut a lid from Window Sheet and place it over the area of DSP you want to use.  You can shift it until your patterns are perfectly centered, then trace and cut by hand. 


Here's the how-to in pictures on making paper beads.
(1) Cut long, thin strips of triangles from DSP. Mine are 1/2" x 12".
(2) Add a bit of Snail to widest end and start rolling onto a bamboo skewer or thin coffee straw.
(3) Continue rolling, adding glue stick along the entire length as you go.
(4) Keep adding beads to skewer, then glaze all beads with Crystal Effects and allow to set overnight.



My favorite part of the purses is the tiny bow on each one. This bow is pictured on the cover of the new catalog, but larger.  Mine is so little! The loops are 1" and 5/8". A friend recently pointed out that I make a lot of tiny, tedious things in my workshops. She's right!  I'm a microcrafter :D

Here are the dimensions on the bow for this particular purse...
That's a bamboo skewer used to fluff the loops for the bow to finish it.

Please join in the fun at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week, it's going to be a great time over there!
Finally, I want to give a huge Thank You to our soldiers.  I, like many others, enjoyed this holiday weekend, but with bittersweet thoughts to those who made this day necessary.  I appreciate and pray for all our servicemen and their families, your sacrifice makes my life as an American possible.



Have a blessed & creative day! Erika. www.erikaclark.stampinup.net

9 comments:

  1. This is a gorgeous idea - I'm going to try it!!

    Thank you for remembering our troops!! As a veteran, an Army wife and Mom, and Air Force Mom, I really appreciate it!

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  2. Very cute! Love the paper beads.

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  3. LOVE all the projects. I've wanted to make beaded jewelry for so long and you have made it look so easy. I love the bow on the boxes too!

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  4. Adorable gift sets!!! LOVE it!! The purse is the perfect gift box for your cute bracelets!!! Love the dsp so bright and cheerful!!!

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  5. Hi Erika I didn't see an email address for you but I too an cross eyed from being tired! I made the buttons by punching out 4~6 copies of the buttons and gluing them together ...it is really easy. I hope that helps! Hugs Donna

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  6. Hi Erika! Those little bracelet/purse ensembles are adorable. As usual, you take something like the floral paper that I really wasn't feeling, and make me think outside the box.

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  7. WOW!!!! LOVE that you used the paper beads, you really went all out! Love that bow tutorial too! I'll have to try that!

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  8. Wow I love these beads, they make a great bracelet and what a cool gift they would be presented in the cute little purse. Hope my secret pal doesn't see this since I plan on making some for her.

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