Mich L. in L.A.

The Mystery Thing Revealed: Lightning In A Bottle.

2012-02-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Time to reveal the answer to last week's Guess The Mystery Thing game! The challenge: identify the mysterious transparent shell around the little captive Cupid in my latest upcycled necklace:

Think you know? And who (if anyone) knew the answer and won the necklace? Read on to find out!

Before the reveal, check out a few of the funniest guesses. Mich's Honor Roll Of The Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Answers:

Centi: A hot-water bag for mice.

Amy: Princess Ariel's swim cap.

The Answer Is Chocolate: A frozen giant's tear.

Betsy: A cocoon produced by an extremely rare see-through caterpillar.

Michele: The packaging that comes with those fake press-on nails.

Sarah: I think you cheated and used your secret stash of lovely clear glass cupid prisons. Someone has to keep them locked up all year!

Hee! So true, Sarah. Otherwise, people would be falling in love all year round, and we certainly can't have tha...hey, wait a minute! Quick, who wants to organize a Cupid prison break?

Okay, then. Let's see what really happened. Ready? Here ya go...

Pacifier nipple! I have been wanting to make something baby bottle-related for the longest time. I really like the little Cupid in there. Of course, you could put anything inside, and create your very own lightning in a bottle. (Lemme know if you would be interested in a tutorial...it's easy.)

So do we have a winner? Indeed we do! The first smartypants to spot the binky: the supercrafty JHill from one of my favorite blogs, Mad In Crafts! And this week's other lucky winner, chosen by random.org: Lisa W! Congrats, ladies, you'll be hearing from me soon.

Thanks again, you guys, for coming over to play. What a bunch of sweethearts. See you soon!

Guess the Mystery Thing: Captive Cupid.

2012-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ooh, time for a brand new round of Guess The Mystery Thing! One for the romantics among you. (In case you're new here, Guess The Mystery Thing is a jewelry giveaway game that tests your wits, street smarts and crafty intuition.) Take a look at my new upcycled necklace, featuring a diminutive Captive Cupid:

What, oh, what is the mysterious transparent prison, in which I have ensnared this cute little cherub?

First person to guess it wins a fabulous prize! (Namely, a Captive Cupid necklace.)

How it works: leave your guess in the comments. There'll be two winners: first correct guess, and a random winner. That's right, I said random winner - so even if you don't know (or think someone else already got it), enter anyway, you could still win. And if your guess is funny, it might make my Most Creative Honor Roll.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon, join in!

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

Okay, all you romantics - ready? Annnnnd...Guess The Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY! CHECK THE NEXT POST TO SEE THE REVEAL!

The Mystery Thing Revealed: NOT Baby Fairy Tears?

2012-01-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

For the past few days, my readers and I have been engaged in a super silly game of Guess The Mystery Thing. The challenge: identify the mysterious pink drops in these, my latest upcycled jewels:

Aaaand they come in green.

The answer is about to be revealed! Think you know? Did anyone get it right? To find out, read on...

As always, I must first share a few of the best and brightest entries. Mich's Honor Roll Of The Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Guesses:

Scrollwork: Hummingbird snack packs.
Michele: Yummy, they look like the cod liver oil capsules my mother used to hand out to us as children! Strangely, I loved them.
Mary: Chipmunk hot water bottles.
Laurie: Please tell me they're not what I think they are (spermicide capsules)!
Stella: Baby polio vaccinations, lol - but where would you get those from?
Lisbonlioness: Poison rings are SO out of date! Going on a blind date is all good and well, but you don't really want to be seen wearing one of those big chunky Lucretia Borgia pieces in public, right? So these are cleverly disguised capsules of snooze potion to slip into the guy's drink when you need to make a discreet getaway (the Michael Bolton T- Shirt was a dead giveaway). Now you can leg it AND look stylish.
Ashley: Did Angelina Jolie give you her leftover vials of Billy Bob's blood?
Peaches: Individual pouches of electric magenta salad dressing.
Dena: Melted crayons inside Barbie's transparent purse that was left too close to a heater.
Alvis: Squibs that actors use to make fake blood appear on their clothes.
Sarah: The new breeds of dragons these days are having freaky looking eggs!
Amy: Barbie's breast implants.
meijo's JOY: Snacks for Dracula's babies?

Sonja: Doll house lava lamps.
Jaymie: The first thing I thought was feminine cleansing capsules. They are quite beautiful.

Oh, good grief, I wonder about you guys sometimes...I really do! And Jaymie? I implore you: never put those two sentences together again.

So who's ready to find out? Scroll down to see the answer...hee hee...

Ta-daaaa!

Little teardrop-shaped vials of orchid food! How could I pass these up when I saw them at the grocery store? They come surrounded by a rectangle of plastic:

I trimmed away the extra to the shape of the teardrop.

Winners, winners! Nobody guessed this - yippee, I win again! Sorry, I am just too brilliant for you this week. (It won't last.) Random.org has named three lucky ducklings to receive weird jewelry: Derek, Beth and crochets4preemies. Congrats to you all, I'll be emailing!

Shall we have a quick DIY? Here's what I did.

And that's the basic idea! Just attach earwires and voila, a pair of conversation-piece earrings. And something interesting - take a look at these two variations. The first pair has the curve facing out, and the second pair is turned around to feature the flat back:

For a neck adornment, simply add a chain, cord or choker.

You could even do something a bit more bold, like this swell green multi-strand necklace. Fun, eh?

Note to the winners and anyone trying this at home: these pieces are kind of...shall we say...conceptual. They prolly won't hold up forever - I imagine they're bound to spring a leak eventually.

When that happens, consider yourself fertilized! Bwahhahaha! (Don't worry, it's only colored water with a drop of iodine.) Then you can just discard the leaky teardrops, and end up with some cute butterfly jewelry.

Okay, boys and girls, that's it for today. Thanks for playing, everybody - that sure was a fun one. See you soon!

Guess the Mystery Thing: Baby Fairy Tears, Harvested At The Full Moon.

2012-01-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

Well! I do believe it's time to play a brand new round of Guess The Mystery Thing! It's a super fun challenge open to everyone - a fearsome test of street smarts and crafty intuition. Take a look at my latest upcycled jewelry project, repurposed from a mysterious secret ingredient:

The challenge this week: identify those weird, pink-liquid-filled teardrops. What the heck are they???

First person to get it wins a fabulous prize! (Namely, a nifty piece of jewelry featuring those weird, pink-liquid-filled teardrops.)

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon, join in!

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

I suspect there'll be a few people who will instantly recognize this Mystery Thing. The rest of you will be all, "What the..?" I freely admit that, before spotting these in a local emporium yesterday, I had never ever seen one.

Okay, my friends - it's time. Ready? Annnnnd...Guess The Mystery Thing!

Instant Memory Game For Little Dudes...For A Dollar.

2012-01-18T22:59:00.000-08:00

Hi! A quick kid-related idea for you - the world's easiest memory game, guaranteed! (One that will really keep your little guy interested and absorbed.) This tip is kinda seasonal, so I bring it up now. You know how there are so many fabulous valentines for boys nowadays...

In sets of sturdy little cards with multiples of each design. In every imaginable subject, and lots of favorite branded characters. Get a pack at the dollar store - in a theme that your kid absolutely loves - and blammo! You have a ready-made, boy-friendly memory game!

Last year, my dragon-obssessed nephew played his for many a good long stretch. (I'm talking 45 minutes to an hour at a time - wow!)

This year, I'm going to grab some Toy Story ones for his little brother, who is Buzz Lightyear-obssessed and just the right age for his first intro to the game.

Naturally, if you have girls to shop for, there are gazillions of great sets for little lady gamers.

Super Ultra Frugal Tip: if you wait until the day after Valentine's Day, they all go on sale. Half price! A fancy memory game for fitty cents? Yesss! Happy Valentine's Day indeed.

There you have it...next time, back to jewelry and stuff!

The Mystery Thing Revealed: A Valentine Post.

2012-01-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

So! For the past few days, my readers have been playing Guess The Mystery Thing, trying to identify the mysterious secret ingredient in these upcycled earrings:

The challenge: guess the origin of those little pink hearts-on-a-stick. They also come in white:

Think you know the answer? Did anyone get it right? Read on to find out!

Before the reveal, some ideas suggested by a few of my goofiest readers. Here is Mich's Honor Roll of Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Guesses:

Amy: Did you dissect a Cabbage Patch doll and take out its heart?
Saraccino: Tiny shield of the guard of the white or red queen!
Angie: They remind me of female parts with a cute piercing.
Shannon: Cruel tongue depressors used by mean doctors.
Betsy: Leftover fondant.

Love these! Ha! Thanks a lot, Betsy, now I'm craving birthday cake. (But then, I'm always craving birthday cake.)

Okay, okay, time for the answer. The hearts came from a cute little object I found at a yard sale.

Ready? Here goes...

They're fence posts from a plastic toy corral. See how I made a pun with the title of this post? Oh, yeah, I gotta million of 'em...

I think it might be an accessory for My Little Pony. Whatever it is, it stole my heart and I bought it. Then I stole its hearts and made jewelry.

Winners? Winners! Well, nobody even came close to guessing this one. Which means I win again, yay! But the giveaway must go on, so random.org has chosen two lucky duckies to receive some toy-pony-corral-fence-post-heart-jewelry. (Hee. Optimize that, Google.) This week's fortunate waterfowl: Marisa and Olivia. Congrats, you two, I'll be emailing!

See you next time - and thanks as always for coming over to play with me!

Guess the Mystery Thing: Heart On A Stick.

2012-01-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hi again! Who wants to play another round of Guess The Mystery Thing? I do, I do! The challenge: be first to identify the mysterious secret ingredient in my latest upcycled jewelry project, and win a fabulous prize. Take a gander at these:

Whence came those pure white hearts?

And, just to confuse the issue, they also come in pink.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon, join in!

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

Are you ready to give this a whirl? Okay, people...Guess The Mystery Thing

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYONE!

The Mystery Thing Revealed: Gotcha, By Gum!

2012-01-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Hi! For the past few days my readers and I have been playing a round of Guess The Mystery Thing. What's that, you ask? Why, a little contest to see who can identify the mysterious secret ingredient in one of my upcycled jewelry projects. The challenge this week: guess the true identity of these red- and bluebell-shaped charms:

Think you know? Did anyone guess the answer? Let's find out!

As always, I must first regale you with a few of the least accurate entries. Here is Mich's Honor Roll of Most Creative (Totally Wrong!) Guesses:

Betsy: What have you done to Barbie's shoe horns?

Emily: Baby fairy wings.

Amy: SHARK!!!!

Heather: Have you been trampling through Tinkerbell's garden?

Dena: Plastic driedel confetti.

Kathryn: Smurf shoehorns.

Lisbonlioness: Stolen blooms from U.K. bluebell woods.

Peaches: The teeth of a giant smurf who was run over by a train - that's how they got all flat and stuff. Obviously.

MeiJo's JOY: I hope they are not the flippers of little dolphins...no...oh dear...

Olivia: Baby smurf vampire fangs!

Shannon: Miniature dried man-eating plants.

Once and for all, people: I do not dismember Smurfs in my evil laboratory! I don't! Okay, yes, occasionally I conduct experiments recombining Smurf DNA with orphaned baby squirrels. And yes, the results (tiny blue squirrels able to rap in six languages and do the Macarena) would delight you if I were ever foolish enough to reveal them to the world. But that's it, I swear!

However, I can reveal the answer to the mystery of the bluebells.

Ready? Here goes...

Goofy rubber Gumby charms! Courtesy of Jessica from Zakka Life - who sweetly sent them, and very sweetly (yet passive-aggressively) challenged me to turn them into jewelry. Thanks, J! I was stumped for a long time, but you see I finally did it.

Who won? Me, that's who! I stumped you guys again, heehee. But you know I'm giving away jewelry anyway. Because I love this game and everyone who keeps coming by to play.

Winners! Since nobody got it, random.org has picked two lucky duckies. They are Agy and Shannon - congrats, you two, I will email you anon.

Thanks again for all the laughs! See you next time...right now, I have some snares to check out in the yard.

Guess the Mystery Thing: Little Bitty Bluebells.

2012-01-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

Whee! It's a brand new year...and time for a fresh round of Guess The Mystery Thing. A game that will test your street smarts, trivial knowledge and crafty intuition. Anyone can play, and you just might win a fabulous prize.

Take a look my new upcycled bracelet...

The challenge: identify the mysterious, upcycled secret ingredient.

Hmm...what are those itty things? The first correct guess wins the bracelet!

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon, join in!

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

This week, a special note to Jessica O. of the fabulous blog Zakka Life. Jessica, no guessing! (And thank you for sending me this oddly wonderful Mystery Thing.)

Ready to play? Okay, people...

Guess The Mystery Thing!

Easy Wire Wrapping for "The Undrillables."

2011-12-25T21:42:00.000-08:00

Hiya! A new tutorial for you guys! Take a look at this big silver pendant, made from a vintage steel leaf.

I lucked into a fabulous stash of these old metal pieces, circa 1960 or thereabouts.

They're from the estate of a metal sculptor - I'm thinking he used them for making wrought iron grapevines. Cool, eh? But these things are 2mm thick and hardened steel. No way was I going to be able to drill a hole!

So how to use them in an upcycled pendant? Well - here's how!

Start with two 6" pieces of hefty craft wire (I used 18 gauge). Make a loop in the center of one wire. Then thread the other wire through the loop. Like so:

Center the crisscross on the back of the leaf. Bend the wires up, to surround the leaf in front. If some of the ends are too long, snip off the extra.

With round-nose pliers, grab the end of a wire and start swirling.

Swirl all four wires right down to the leaf. Give each a final twist to wrench it tight. Now they look like random, vinelike tendrils!

You could leave it like this, nice and simple. But come on - that's crazy talk! I know you want more. Use a bit of wire to add a bead strung between two tendrils. Here I embellished with a beautiful chunk of red coral:

Another idea: tuck something under the tendrils and press them tight to hold it there. A drop of glue first will make it more secure. This beautiful flower was crafted by my friend PC, of the delightful Malaysian blog Meijo's JOY.

Now your pendant is done! The back looks like this:

To hang the pendant, just slip a chain, cord or neckwire in behind the crisscross, and you are the proud owner of a nifty statement necklace!

"But Mich," I hear you saying. "I happen to be fresh out of vintage steel leaves."* No problem! This swirly wire method will work with all kinds of objects that you can't (or don't want to) drill. The important thing is that your piece has a pattern of zigs and zags for the wires to settle into.

Here's one I did with a carved shell flower that did not come with a hole, and is too fragile to drill:

I like the tendrils, don't you? I always love it when embellishment and structure combine.

Well, that's today's interesting upcycle - hope you liked it! Thanks much for coming to check it out. See ya soon!

* Psst...I have some of the leaves available for sale in my shop, should you desire.

The Mystery Thing Revealed: The Statement Necklace Wins.

2011-12-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

So! For several days, my readers and I have been battling it out in another exciting round of Guess The Mystery Thing. The challenge: identify the swoopy silver element in this upcycled statement necklace:

Cute, right? Long and bold, with big vintage faux Bakelite beads.

This carved jade version is more of a princess length:

Did anyone guess the answer? Or is this one a little bit tricky? Let's find out...

Before the reveal, I like to feature a few of my favorite entries of the week. Presenting Mich's Honor Roll of the Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Guesses:

Alex: the coil from a French coffee press.
Stephanie: no wonder you can never make toast around your house, you took the toaster apart.
Amy: Barbie is communicating with Mars again.
Jackie: a baby mattress spring and cherry tomatoes.
Ashley: Dolly Parton's underwire.
Meijo's JOY: my TV antenna that blew away in the storm.
Several guessers: a potato masher.
Betsy: coils from the back of the Easy Bake Refrigerator.
Lisbonlioness: Homer simpson's latest EEG, which Dr. Hibbert felt the need to immortalize in wire.
Vanishing Pearl: people keep thinking up things to make with my kinky hair.
Periwinkle Dzyns: Slinky Dog called, he wants his body back!

Hee! I am so making something out of a potato masher someday!

Okee dokee! Time for the reveal. Ready?

*

Here's the answer.

The wire from a pop-up laundry basket! Specifically, a really cheap pop-up laundry basket that lost its pop.

And then there was jewelry.

The DIY is kinda fun! I took round-nose pliers and just started bending swoops at random...it was very experimental.

Added big beads and did more swooping:

Finished off each end with a small loop Then added short segments of chain and a clasp.

Two tips. 1. this wire is strong and working it is a little rough on the fingers; I should have worn gloves. 2. you cannot cut this stuff without Superstrength or a big machine of some kind! Plan to use the entire piece of wire - if it's too long when you finish swooping, add some more swoops. If it's too short, add some chain for length.

Now my favorite part. Did anyone guess? Answer: NO! In a rare win, I managed to stump you all. Yay, me!

However, one person had a near miss. Lisbonlioness realized I created the swoops from a flat wire that makes something pop out into 3 dimensions, although she guessed it came from a paper lantern. So I am totally awarding her the win! And my random.org winner: Kate. Congrats, you two!

Thanks for playing, everybody - that was way fun!

Hope you had fun, too. See ya next time!

Guess the Mystery Thing: A Swoopy Silver Statement.

2011-12-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

Hi! Time to play another round of Guess The Mystery Thing! A game of wits, street smarts and crafty intuition. Be first to identify the mysterious secret ingredient in my latest upcycled necklace and win a fabulous prize. Take a look...

What is that swoopy silver wire? It came from something quite specific. Something not usually associated with jewelry!

First prize will be this necklace, or - if it's not quite your style - I'll give you a choice of some other fun jewels from recent posts. I realize it's kind of big and wild, but it's very fun to wear, and a bit of a dashing statement.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon and join in! There is only one rule.

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

1. UNLESS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS ONE CLICK AWAY IN AN ONLINE PROFILE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR GUESS. (Fun fact: if you only THINK your email is visible in your profile, it probably isn't. Go in and make sure, okay? Nothing's sadder than a winner disqualified for no contact info.)

Ready to give this a whirl? Okay, people...here we go! Guess The Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING EVERYBODY! COME BACK FOR THE REVEAL IN MY NEXT POST.

Stylish Beaded Ornaments, Upcycled In A Flash!.

2011-12-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a nifty upcycle I wanted to share. How do you like these fancy beaded ornaments?

They are actually glass beaded drink coasters. I found mine at a thrift store, but if you Google 'beaded coasters' you can buy these online for just a couple of bucks apiece. Considering the intricacy of the work, that's super cheap!

I suppose I should mention, you could also DIY. Not me, though! I'm excited that this is a quickie upcycle. Finicky eye-straining beading project? When I'm busy like a hundred bees? Boo! Hiss!

To ornamentify, just add a wire hanger. Slip one through the little loop all waiting and ready. See?

Whee! Ready to hang. My favorite part is the translucent effect - light shines through them and they shimmer.

I like them plain, but you could tie on a ribbon bow, sew a button to the front or customize any way you like. After the holidays, remove the embellishments to use them as coasters for the rest of the year.

But wait, there's more. Look what else I went and did...

Yes, yes. Tut, tut. I realize that might be too much for some people. But I think it looks kinda tribal, bold and - dare I say it - stylish.

What do you guys think? I'd love to know how you might style this, if you were going to rock a beaded coaster.

Let's hear your thoughts, boys and girls...and come back next time for more strangely upcycled fun.

The Mystery Thing Revealed: The Gold Bird Variations.

2011-11-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

Hi! For a few days, my readers and I have been engaged in a grim battle of wits, to determine the outcome of my latest Guess the Mystery Thing challenge.

Okay, maybe not so grim. But stirring! Definitely stirring. The assignment: identify the secret ingredient in these upcycled earrings...

What are those swoopy golden fowl? Confident you know the answer? Read on!

Before the reveal, a brief pause to be entertained by a few of the cleverest answers. I give you Mich's Honor Roll Of The Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Guesses:

Ashley: you stole the flamingos Alice and the Queen were using to play croquet.
Jill: gold plated fancy miniature chopsticks, from the 14th century Ming Dynasty.

Amy: the two witnesses needed at Barbie and Ken's rushed wedding at city hall in Boca.
EmilysNan: very tall elegant bats.
PeriwinkleDzyns: the sticks the public health nurse uses to check kids for nits. They're decorative to distract the kids from the fact they may have little 6 legged critters crawling across their scalps.
Anne P: they are hiding from getting stuck in peoples yards, by painting themselves gold and hanging upside down! And doing a great job!
Saraccino: flamingos are normally birds with tiny, wobbly legs, would it not be for their secret hanging upside down procedure. How could you do this? Now you showed the whole world their beauty secret!
Mary: lawn ornaments for hamsters.
Dena: the pet flamingo of a voodoo doctor, who ran away one too many times, and the voodoo doc shrunk him along with the latest batch of shrunken heads. So sad for the flamingo, but on the plus side, feeding him is a lot less expensive. And something about the shrinking process made him gold, which was really a nice, unexpected side effect.

Teehee!

On to the reveal...here goes...

Dollar store swizzle sticks! (As I said, this challenge was very stirring. Heh heh.)

The DIY is pretty simple, so I didn't take pictures. All ya gotta do: 1. Snip off the swizzle end with wire cutters. 2. Make some holes - you can use a Dremel tool, or melt holes with a heated poker. 3. Paint with model paint. 4. Add jump rings. 5. Turn into elegant jewelry!

At the bargain price of 12 flamingos for a dollar, you can make lots of variations. Hang them right-side-up for a different earring effect:

They make really cool pendants...

And look equally cute in silver.

(My one tip for making these: the model paint is nice because it flows on so smoothly. But it takes a while to cure, so prepare to be a bit patient. You could try other plastic-friendly paint and see what works. I experimented with spray paint, but didn't like the final look as well.)

Time to announce the winners! Since this was not a toughie, we had many correct entries. First prize goes to early bird Lorraine! And random.org has chosen winner number dos: Amy! Congrats, you two - I'll email you soon.

Thanks a bunch, everybody - for joining the game and making my weekend. Now I am off to think about what to make from the swizzle ends...any suggestions?

Guess the Mystery Thing: Art Nouveau Earrings.

2011-11-24T12:43:00.000-08:00

Hiya, everybody! Let's play a round of Guess The Mystery Thing! If you can identify the mysterious secret ingredient in these upcycled earrings, you could win a pair. Check them out:

The mystery this time: those pretty swoopy birds. Don't they have a cool, Art Nouveau silhouette, hung upside-down like that? What were they in a former life, and where'd I get them? Be specific.

How it works: leave your guess in the comments. There will be two winners: first correct guess, and a random winner. That's right, I said random winner - so even if you don't know (or think someone else already got it), enter anyway, you could still win. And if your guess is funny, it might make my Most Creative Honor Roll.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon and join in! There is only one rule.

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

Ready? Let's do it, people. Guess the Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY! REVEAL IN THE NEXT POST!

Upcycled Crystal Ornaments! Pretty! Easy! Vintage Chic!

2011-11-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

Hi! Today, an ornament tutorial. Vintage, cut-crystal ornaments, to be precise. And of course - they're upcycled.

Aren't they nice? And crazy simple to make. Here is the DIY.

Dig up a crystal salt or pepper shaker. Got one stashed among the family china? If not, they're easy to find at thrift stores or yard sales.

The only other supply you need: a basic ornament hanger. (A hundred for a buck at the dollar store. Or make your own from any old craft wire.) Grab a hanger and straighten out one side.

Thread the straight end through the shaker top, and make a U-bend as in this photo:

Now thread the bent end up through the opposite hole in the shaker top. Crisscross the two wires. And twist them together. Here's the progression:

Snip off the extra wire, and presto! You're done!

For extra cuteness, bend some squiggles in the wire, like so:

Hang them on a tree of some kind...

So chic!

Now here's one more idea. Fill the shakers with lightweight plastic beads or Mardi Gras necklaces, and voila - custom colored crystal ornaments.

If you have some vintage crystal shakers in your family, hang them on your tree and enjoy a new use for an old heirloom. Or give them as meaningful family gifts.

After the holidays, you could always convert them back into salt and pepper shakers...but I think I'm leaving mine like this.

That's it for now. Later, gators!

(Little technical note: some of you may have had trouble finding this blog for the past few days. Sorry! I was transitioning to my own domain name, and of course I managed to screw it up. You should still be able to find me under my original address, but if you would like to update your bookmark, this blog is now found at www.michlinla.com)

The Mystery Thing Revealed: It Was Fate.

2011-11-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hi! For the past few days, my readers and I have been playing an exciting round of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING, a game of wits and crafty intuition. The challenge: identify the original source of the little twisty leaves in this upcycled necklace:

Think you know? Betcha don't!

Before the reveal, please enjoy a few of the least accurate but still brilliant entries. Mich's Honor Roll of The Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Guesses:

Periwinkle Dzyns: absolutely definitely that gelatin layer Costco puts on top of their pumpkin pies at holiday time!
Marie: melted down false fingernails?
Square Feet: shed snakeskin.
Amy: loincloths for albino pygmy mice. Or cutouts from lampshades you are no longer putting on your head and dancing with.
Betsy: little albino troll tongues.
Peaches: aardvark toenails.
Kerry: leaves from a plastic tree you have growing in the back yard.
Melissa: the petals on the plastic insertion thingy for tampons (just because you said it is strange even for you).
Lisbonlioness: I do realize that Gollum is an unwholesome fellow, but pulling out his toenails is just...wrong. Plus, this necklace will smell faintly of algae and will be a tad slimy to the touch. Have you no heart, woman?
Anne P: you have cast a spell on some beautiful leaf and frozen it, like magic!

Heeheeha! My powers are legend.

On to the reveal! Here's what happened. On the morning after Halloween, I came out onto my lawn...to be confronted with one of the Fates, tangled in my ferns!

(Or is she one of Macbeth's witches? Whoever this is, she could use a couple of procedures.) I tell you, it really gave me a turn! Was this my destiny? To be forever trapped in an endless cycle of finding crap on the ground and turning it into strange jewelry?

All I can say is...I hope so.

The DIY is easy and fun. Just use small scissors, find some nice vein-like contours that look leafy, and snip away. You can draw the shapes first, or just wing it.

Those are all teeny - but try different sizes, too. And experiment with shapes and vein direction; I think the one in front looks like an insect wing.

To use them as beads or dangles, poke tiny holes with a pushpin, or melt larger ones with a heated poker.

I plan to use the little bitty ones for all kinds of leafy jewels. They'd make very cute earrings, or dangles on a charm bracelet.

And here's what I did with a few of the larger leaves: nifty curvy pendants!

Well, that's the answer! Hope you guys had fun playing. But wait, there remains one last, very important item of business...

Who guessed the Mystery Thing????

Nobody, that's who! I win! I win! I am doing a happy dance in the crafty end zone. I am slamming a hot glue gun into the turf. Boo. YAH.

Winners! Due to everyone's disgraceful lack of knowing the right answer, random.org has chosen two lucky duckies to win a necklace. Congrats to Blue Lunar and Meijo's JOY! Watch for my email, coming soon.

Thanks once again, my dearies, for throwing yourselves into it and entertaining me so much. Your destiny decrees that you come back next time and play again. Defy it at your peril.

*****
p.s. to last week's winner Shawna B...I sent you several emails, they are probably hanging out in your spam. Can you email me directly with your address? I want to send you your loot!

Guess the Mystery Thing: Teeny Twisty Autumn Leaves.

2011-11-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

Ready for another round of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING? It's way fun and anyone, yes, anyone can play! If you are the first smartypants to identify the mysterious secret ingredient in my latest upcycled necklace, you win it!

Look:

What are those twisty little contoured leaves? I upcycled them from something rather...unexpected. Even to me. I am dying to see if anyone can figure this out!

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon and join in! There is only one rule.

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

Ready? Annnnd....Guess the Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY! CHECK THE NEXT POST FOR THE EXCITING REVEAL...

The Mystery Thing Revealed: Confessions Of A Tomboy.

2011-11-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Previously, on Mich L. in L.A....

For the past few days, my readers and I have been playing a new round of Guess the Mystery Thing, a game of wits, trivia and crafty intuition. The challenge: identify the secret ingredient in one of my recent upcycled jewelry projects.

Check out these fun little exclamation point necklaces:

Cute? (I hope you think so.) Fancy? Oh my, yes! Those faceted 'dots' are crystal drops from an antique chandelier. But what the heck are those mysterious colored oblongs?

Before the reveal, I always pay homage to a few of the wonderful weirdos who took a shot...and missed. I give you Mich's Honor Roll of the Most Creative (Completely Wrong) Guesses:

Amy: Obviously they're the handles to a fairy's silverware set. Shame on you. Some fairy is going to have to eat with their fingers & you know how much they hate that.

Alex: a gynecological scraper made for mermaids. Y'know, nice swirly shell-like texture...

Periwinkle Dzyns: fairy wings from stodgy old unhip fairies. Rectangular wings are definitely for old squares...

Betsy: petrified pieces of blueberry Dentyne gum. You stamped a little design in them just to throw us off track.
Dena: they're stamped wax. But remember Icarus. If you wear this to your birthday party, the heat of the candles as you blow them out will melt your necklace, bringing shame to you. Much easier to cope with than the death the sun's heat brought Icarus, but still, not something to take lightly. Consider yourself cautioned.

Flying Beader: pieces from a Glade air freshener. Imagine the smell.

June: smushed and twisted JuJuBe's - a candy I loved to get at the movies.

MaryXO: a birthday candle squished flat.

Michele: the covers of some rather floofy memory sticks which I'm quite certain they have down there in LA though I admit I've never seen up here in Canada as we are a much more conservative bunch.

Amy:

I'm a barbie girl, in the barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic!
You used to brush my hair,
But not anymore
Mich has broken them apart
into charms that we adore.
Now my hair's a mess
But at least I have a dress.
Imagination, life is your creation
Come on Barbie, let's go party!

Heeheeheehee!

Ready to find out? Here goes...

Yep! Barbie hairbrushes. As most people guessed! I bought about 40 of them at a yard sale, from a little girl who, clearly, will grow up to be either: A. a hairstylist or B. a hoarder

It's so funny to me that everybody guessed this. You see, I never had a Barbie, being a total tomboy. (I had Kiddles - but I chopped their hair short and dressed them in loincloths to turn them into boys. They had daring adventures. Once in a while I left one un-sex-changed, for the boys to save from deadly peril.) So I had never seen a Barbie hairbrush; they were mysterious to me, and I thought nobody else would guess. Silly moi!

Winners! First correct guess goes to Lacey! Whoo to you, Lacey! And my second winner, chosen by random.org: Shawna! Congrats to both of you - watch for my email coming soon.

On behalf of myself and my lovely model, thanks thanks THANKS for playing, all you wonderful weirdos! Until next time!

Guess the Mystery Thing: Exclamation Points!!!!!!!

2011-10-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Oh, yay, time for a new game of Guess the Mystery Thing! The challenge is simple: if you are the first smartypants to guess the secret of this upcycled necklace, you win one! Ready? Let's play.

Look - exclamation points!!!!

The 'dots' are crystal drops from an antique chandelier. But what are those odd exclamatory oblongs on top? They are something very specific. Hmmm...

I'm fairly sure someone will guess this. I am already preparing to be schooled. Spanked. Humiliated. Trounced. *sigh.* You guys are just too good.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. C'mon and join in! There is only one rule.

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

1. UNLESS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS ONE CLICK AWAY IN AN ONLINE PROFILE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR GUESS. (Fun fact: if you only THINK your email is visible in your profile, it probably isn't. Go in there and make sure, okay? Nothing's sadder than a winner disqualified for no contact info!)

Okay, here goes. On your marks...get set...GUESS THE MYSTERY THING!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY!

Upcycled Bird Necklace Tutorial.

2011-10-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Due to massive, overwhelming popular demand (okay, three emails), here's a tutorial for my "Put a Bird On It" upcycled necklace! Remember? The one made from the plastic tube inside a roll of dog poop bags?

Ahem. It's way prettier than it sounds.

Ready to DIY? Here goes!

Next, you will need a bird. I found mine in the wedding section of the Dollar Store - a package of 50 for a buck - huzzah! But you could use any cute bird bead with a hole in the middle. (I had to melt the holes in these.)

Your basic necklace is done!

But wait - there's more!

Ta-da!!!!

I kinda love that it all started with a little gift from Bailey the Bagel Hound. What a prince!

Thanks for liking this project, you guys! See you next time for a new Guess The Mystery Thing Game.

The Mystery Thing Revealed: Here's the Scoop!

2011-10-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

For a few days now, my readers and I have been playing a round of Guess the Mystery Thing. Everyone has been trying to identify the secret ingredient in these fun little upcycled necklaces:

What is that black tubular object? And did anyone get it right? Read on to find out...

Before the reveal, please delight in the surpassing brilliance of the players. I give you Mich's Honor Roll of the Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Guesses:

Periwinkle Dzyns: a periscope for Barbie's submarine, built during her Goth period, no doubt...

VanishingPearl: the missing letter from a neon sign. (Everyone from Wa-Mart is such a crybaby.)
Deb: part of a "personal nose hair trimmer" (as seen on TV).

Crochets4Preemies: a tampon inserter thingy, painted black.

Jessi: Lego Harry Potter's wand.

Anne P: the heels off a pair of black pumps.

Periwinkle Dzyns: ...and the birds are from Barbie's wedding cake topper, from that short lived marriage to asexual Ken; doesn't matter how he dances or dresses, the boy just couldn't keep her happy.

TheFlyingBeader: While working on a toilet, Iddie reached down and found a small piece of black plumber's tubing inside blocking the opening. She began to wonder why would Howdie put it there. Was it her surprise Christmas present? Was there a diamond necklace inside? Was there a piece of cheese? She licked her hand, and ran them through her long beautiful whiskers and went off to look at her lovely mousey face in the mirror.

Wow.

And now! The multi-step reveal! Here is my dog, Bailey:

Here is the gift he keeps on giving:

Here are the "gift bags":

When the bags run out, this tube is left.

What can I say? My mother will be so proud.

We have winners! Can you believe, a couple of people guessed this??? I can only shake my head in amazement. First prize goes to: Alex! (Alex must be spooky smart, because she won the vampire teeth challenge a couple of weeks ago.) Second prize, chosen by random. org: MaryXO! Congrats, you two! I'll be emailing you anon.

Thanks ten million for playing, everybody! That was one of the most fun so far.

Now Bailey and I are going for walkies. I'll use the time to try to think up a new Mystery Thing - one that nobody will guess.

But yeesh! I'm starting to think it may be not be possible.

Guess the Mystery Thing: I Put A Bird On It.

2011-10-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Yay! Another Guess The Mystery Thing game! It's fun to play and everyone is invited. Just take a peek at my new upcycled necklace:

Be first to identify the Mystery Thing - in this case, that black tubular object - and you win the necklace!

I hope you like it...perhaps it's the teeniest bit weird, but it's super fun to wear - I have been wearing mine constantly since I invented it a few days ago.

Here's another version, without the dangles:

This challenge might be a tricky one. But whenever I think that, you guys guess it immediately, waaah. So I'm going to be particularly mean, and not even give a hint!

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. So c'mon and join in! There is only one rule.

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

1. UNLESS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS ONE CLICK AWAY IN AN ONLINE PROFILE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR GUESS. (Fun fact: If you only THINK your email is visible in your profile, it probably isn't. Go in there and make sure, okay? Nothing is sadder than a winner disqualified for no contact info!)

Okay, gang. Ready? Set! Go go go! GUESS THE MYSTERY THING!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY!

Not Your Average Scrabble Jewelry...

2011-10-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Sure, we've all seen necklaces made from Scrabble tiles. Sometimes initials with the letter tiles, sometimes art decoupaged onto the backs of them. But today I have something different to show. These:

Made from these:

Interesting, no? If you can get crafty your little hands on some old wooden Scrabble trays and would like to DIY, here's what I did...

Slice.

Drill two holes.

If you are feeling it, sand the rough edges.

(As you will see presently, I skipped this step for the tutorial closeups - ahem, blush. To me, sanding is like ironing clothes. It's tewtally optional.)

If you want a fancy doodled version, draw stuff with a sharpie:

Now to assemble! I did it two ways. The two-headpin method:

The single-piece-of-craft-wire method:

With either method, once you have the two pieces butted together in a rectangle, trim the wire ends short and fold down sideways.

Use roundnose pliers to turn little loops:

And voila - you will have a basic pendant that looks like one of these:

That's pretty much it! Find something from which to hang them - chain, cord, or neckwire - and the embellishments and configurations are yours for the styling!

Thsat ti - hpoe yuo hda ufn! I adh lost fo fnu!

Alter, Lalitagors!

The Mystery Thing Revealed: One From The Toy Cupboard.

2011-10-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

So - did you guess it? Time to reveal the solution to my latest Guess the Mystery Thing game. The challenge: identify the oddly shaped bits featured in these upcycled necklaces:

Before the reveal, please enjoy the imaginations of a few of my weirdest readers. Here is Mich's Honor Roll of Most Creative (Totally Wrong) Guesses:

Jessi: Hobbit door stops.
Mary: dollhouse bookends.
Meijo's JOY: 'Yin and Yang Kissing Wood Pieces,' to balance your Zen and Qi during crafting.
Ashleigh: doll furniture legs.
bluelunar: teeny tiny shelf brackets.
Amy: wooden puppet feet.
JHill: dollhouse crown molding.
Dena: cornices from Barbie Ikea.
June: mini version of a piece in the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens.

PeriwinkleDzyns: obviously, shoe inserts for Leprechauns' little green felt booties - they slide these in at night to help retain the shape. Because Leprechauns spend all day guarding gold at the end of the rainbow, and where there is a rainbow there is rain. And as we all know, felt has to be blocked after it gets wet, from the rain, by the rainbow, yup.

I'm afraid. I'm very afraid.

And now - shall we find out? Here goes...

Wooden Scrabble trays! Sliced, drilled and assembled into this interesting Yin/Yang configuration.

Nifty, eh? Scrabble looms large in my life, and I wanted to make a Scrabble jewel that did not use letter tiles. (Because that'd be too easy.)

Winners, we have winners! First correct guess: Welmoed. Nice work, Welmoed! And my random winner: Ashleigh! Congrats to you both; please keep an eagle eye out for an email from moi.

Thanks for playing, everybody! (I know I say this a lot, but I can't emphasize it enough - how much I love that you guys join in and guess and make me laugh. Your enthusiasm is a highlight of my week.)

See ya next time, when I'll post a mini tutorial for these Scrabblicious necklaces.

Guess the Mystery Thing: Variations On A Funny Shape.

2011-10-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Who is ready for a new game of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING? (Me! Me!) It's really fun and anyone can play. Just take a gander at my new upcycled jewelry project:

Can you identify what I used to make the focal piece?

It's something very specific, and familiar to many of you.

Pretty? Want to win one? Tell me, what are those mysterious objects? No hint this time, because I think it's going to be easy peasy.

How it works: Leave your guess in the comments. There will be two winners: first correct guess and one random guess. That's right, a random winner! So even if you're stumped, guess anyway - you could still win.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. (You don't even have to be a follower of the blog, although I would lurve it if you were.)

The one and only rule:

1. If your email isn't available in one click from an online profile, please, please, please include your email address with your guess.

Okay, me hearties! Ready? Set! GUESS THE MYSTERY THING!!!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS, EVERYBODY! REVEAL COMING SOON...

Make Jewelry From Vampire Teeth! First, Stake A Vampire...

2011-10-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Nyuk nyuk nyuk. I slay me.

So here's my new upcycled jewelry project: curvy red jewels, derived from dollar store Halloween teeth.

Want to DIY? Here, I wrote up a silly, easy tutorial, just for you!

First, snip a set of teeth in half. Defang with a pair of scissors. Then poke a small hole in each end.

For a pendant, you'll need two headpins and two filigree shapes:

(Find filigrees at any craft or bead store. OR rummage your jewelry box - perhaps you have an old pair of earrings you can take apart!)

Assemble a sandwich, with the headpins going through both filigrees and the vampire teeth, like so:

With a wire snipper, trim your headpins to approx. 1/2 inch. Then use round-nose pliers to make plain loops with the wire ends, to hold the sandwich together.

And that's it! Add a jump ring and a chain, and voila necklace! You can choose either side to showcase, for two different looks.

It makes a surprisingly cute shape, don't you think? Who'da thunk?

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial - I had fun, and that's the tooth. See you guys next time - and fangs so much for stopping by!

The Mystery Thing Revealed; My Spirit Crushed.

2011-10-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Oh, foofers! I can't believe someone guessed my latest Mystery Thing! If you missed the post, here's a peek:

And I thought it was tres mysterious! Apparently, not so much. I was crushed by an avalanche of correct guesses. Waaah! Sniff.

Before I reveal the winners (and the answer), let's salute the comedians. Here are my HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR THE VERY BEST (TOTALLY WRONG) GUESSES:

Anne P: a belt buckle made from red licorice.
Periwinkle Dzyns: a toilet training seat for My Little Pony.
Ashley: molds of the footprints of the reclusive Ponybear.
Amber: tiny fairy sleds.
Keely: accessories for Mrs. Potato Head.
Anon: a Santa magnet, backwards and painted red.

Ha!

Ready for the reveal? Here goes...

Plastic vampire teeth! Now honestly - wouldn't you have thought I could get away with a stumper here? You people are smarter than you look.

Winners! For first correct guess: Alex Smith - he or she is most perceptive indeed! And my 2nd winner, chosen by random.org: Mandiferous. Congrats to both of yiz!!! Expect an email anon.

Now I slink away in defeat, to plot my next Attack of the Mystery Thing. I'll get you my pretties...someday.

Guess the Mystery Thing: Cute, Red and Filigreed.

2011-10-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, campers! Let's play a new round of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING! Anyone can play - it's super quick and simple. All you do is take a look at my latest upcycled jewelry project:

Now here's the game: the first person to identify those mysterious red curvy bits wins one of the jewels.

What say ye? Any ideas? I think this is a really tricky one. (Famous last words...)

Hint: it's an upcycled holiday item.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. (You don't even have to be a follower of the blog, although I would lurve it if you were.)

The one and only rule:

1. If your email isn't available in one click from an online profile, please, please, please include your email address with your guess.

Easy, right? Thinking caps on. Ready? Set! Guess the Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY! REVEAL COMING SOON!

The Mystery Thing Revealed: An Old World Solution.

2011-10-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well, that sure was fun! For the past few days, my readers and I have been playing a new game of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING. A whole buncha people tried to I.D. the mysterious silvery base of my latest upcycled jewelry project:

What do you think? I did give one tiny hint: that the Mystery Thing was something a little bit Old World. And I ventured to predict that the winner would be one of my European readers.

Before we find out if anyone got it, I salute the brilliance of all you fabulous weirdos, who entertain me every time with your ridiculous ideas. Here are this week's HONORABLE MENTIONS FOR THE VERY BEST (TOTALLY WRONG) GUESSES:

Jessi: Robocop's contact lens.

Lorraine: Jingle from a tambourine. (Great guess!)

Meijo's JOY: A mermaid's sea shell powder compact.

JesusChique: Mermaid bra cups.

Keely: Pasties for a robot stripper.

Amy: Satellite dish on a dollhouse.

Anne P: Frisbee for a Madame Alexander doll.

Alex Smith: Foiled jellyfish.

Periwinkle Dzyns: Jock cups for leprechauns.
Smree: Some of the Tin Man's spare parts. (Let's not ask which.)

Rengawk: There's my foil hat!

Snort giggle.

Okay, are you ready? Let's find out the answer...

Little tin clips for Christmas tree candles! Very traditional and beautiful. Because of the fire hazard, we rarely light real tree candles here in the USA. (Mine are vintage and faux, but the clips are just the same.)

We have WINNERS! Congrats to clever Centi from Germany (see, I was right!) who entered the very first correct guess. And random.org has chosen the second winner, Gillian. Hooray to you both, expect an email soon.

Thanks a million for playing along, EVERYBODY. I do love this game. Next time, I swear I'm gonna stump you!

Guess the Mystery Thing: An Ornate Silver Flower Pendant.

2011-09-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Whee! I think it's time for a brand new round of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING! Anyone can play. Yes, anyone! Just take a gander at my latest upcycled necklace:

And see if you can guess the mysterious secret ingredient. In this case, the oddly shaped, semi-flowery, silvery base of the pendant. What is that doohick? I know some of you will recognize it...especially, perhaps, some of my European readers. It's sort of an Old World Mystery Thing.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. (You don't even have to be a follower of the blog, although I would lurve it if you were.)

The one and only rule:

1. If your email isn't available in one click from an online profile, be sure to include your email address with your guess.

Ready? Set! Guess the Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY!

The Mystery Thing Revealed: is there an Ickthyologist in the house?

2011-09-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Time to reveal the freaky answer to the question "What the heck was that dang Mystery Thing that looked like fishlips, in Mich's most recent Guess the Mystery Thing challenge?"

Before the reveal, let's salute some of the funniest attempts to answer. Here are this week's Honorable Mentions for Most Creative (Completely Wrong) Guesses:

Alex: half of the plastic body of a clicker for dog-training.

June: the key to Blueberry Muffin's secret hideaway.

Dena: dessicated fish faces sold to seagulls to use to flip shells to find treats.

Terri: eye of newt. (Totally could be!)

Anne P: mini-DVDs with all of your secrets to making crafts.

Jessi: the little blue toilet cleaner cake from a garden gnome's bathroom.

Heehaha!

Okay, let's find out the answer...

As I predicted, nobody guessed it - it was far too obscure. So obscure, in fact, that even I don't know what the mystery thing is!

Okay, okay - not totally fair. But this is my blog, dang it. And you guys keep on guessing my mysteries! I had to throw in at least one impossible game. The backstory: my bloggy friend Ruth, aka upcycled jewelry girl, aka PeriwinkleDzyns, has some kind of nefarious connection to an industrial vehicle factory. She sent me a bag of rejected electronic parts from a tractor dashboard.

(source)

The little blue fishlips (what, that's not a technical term?) are officially designated as Part #1/2075. And they were rejected because of PDMG. I mean, isn't it obvious? (PDMG = Pretty Darn Mysterious Goodies.)

Yup. I'm sure you are all completely enlightened now. (So could someone enlighten me?) Thanks for the cool inspiration, Ruth!

Winners. (Side note: some clever person said electronic parts, and I would have gone with that as the closest guess. But that person didn't include an email - which, as you know, is literally the only rule for entering.) So congrats to Terri and bethwalker07, this week's two random winners as chosen by random.org! Yay! Look for an email from me anon.

Okay, my friends, gotta run - thanks as always for playing!

Oh, and just so you won't hate me...next time, I promise the Mystery Thing will be something of which we all have actually heard!

Mmm...maybe.

Guess the Mystery Thing: Fish On A Wire.

2011-09-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hey! Who wants to play another round of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING? Everybody, I hope! If this is your first time, it's super easy. (Bwahhahaha.) Simply take a look at the photos of my latest upcycled jewelry creation:

If you are the first person to identify the secret ingredient in these necklaces, you win one!

In this case, the mystery is that round blue dealiemabob - yeah, the part with with those cute little fishlips. What is that thing? (Hint: unlike many of my Mystery Things, this time it's pretty obscure. In other words - not a common household item or anything from the dollar store.) Good luck, you poor dears!

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. (You don't even have to be a follower of the blog, although I would lurve it if you were.)

The one and only rule:

1. If your email isn't available in one click from an online profile, be sure to include your email address with your guess.

Ready? Set! Guess the Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS FOR PLAYING, EVERYBODY!

The Best Upcycled Rubber Grape Jewelry Tutorial I've Ever Written.

2011-09-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

Say you have some rubber grapes. Say you feel like wearing them. You could go this route...

Or you could make jewelry. My mom gave me the idea at an estate sale. I was tossing aside a big buncha purple grapes as useless, when she said, "Could you use them as beads?" Oh, brilliant!

You can easily use them 'fresh' off the vine - just treat them like any regular bead.

But I had even more fun with a little shape-shifting. One simple cut, and look what you get: a cute, tulip-shaped bead cap!

Right now I'm going to show you how to make this pretty, vine-y, silver wirework pendant.

It's easy, adorable, and I am quite sure you will have fun! Ready?

First, pluck thyself a grape.

Squish it between thumb and finger, and follow the curve of your finger to cut off the tip of the grape.

You now have a little Pac Man shape. You can use it as is, or flip it inside-out for a different silhouette. Both ways are cute...see the subtle difference?

Next, cut about 6 inches of craft wire. Make a swirly at one end.

Stack a big bead, your Pac Man, and a spacer bead onto the wire.

With round nose pliers, grab the wire above the spacer bead, and use your free hand to spin the wire all the way around in a circle, to form the first 'leaf.' (You'll need to reposition the pliers partway through this step.) Then make another leaf a bit higher up.

Trim off the wire to leave about 3/4 inch.

Finally, make a simple loop, and try to orient it opposite the plane of your leaves. (Does that make sense? All I mean is, your top loop curves front-to-back, so when it's hanging, the leaves will poke out side-to side.) If it doesn't want to orient that way, use your pliers to jigger it around if necessary.

Lookie there! Your pendant is done!

Now say this ten times fast: rubbergrapeybuggybumper, rubbergrapeybuggybumper, rubbergrapey...arrrgh...bleah.

Oh, heck, just go make some jewelry!

No-Sew Mini Lampshades, Anyone?

2011-09-05T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hi, everybody! Would you like to see my new tutorial for these cute little no-sew lampshades?

They're upcycled from some well worn, painty old work jeans.

Um, did I mention they're no-sew? No-sew, people!

To DIY, simply CLICK HERE. I'm guest posting on Michele Made Me, as part of her month-long series, Drop Dead Denim.

Hope I see you there!

Love Me, Love My Jeans!

2011-09-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Oh boyohboyohboy, September is going to be fun! That amazing Michele person, over at the wonderful blog Michele Made Me, will be featuring a solid month of upcycled blue jeans! Here's the event button, which is one of the cutest things evah:

Do not neglect to follow along. (I shall whisper in your ear that I might just be making a little guest appearance at some point...woot!)

In honor of Michele's cool event, I wanted to share an idea that tweaks one of my very early tutorials. Does anyone remember my shabby chic Jean Seam Wrap Bracelet?

Well, if you follow the same tutorial, but add a flower to one end - wheeee! It goes all Boho, and you end up with this:

I am way giddy about it. I just love wearing this thing.

And if you stretch it out, you get a flower on a stem...

Eureka! Home decor.

That's a twofer. And really, who doesn't love a twofer?

Oke doke, thanks for visiting today, you guys. Check back soon for some more upcycled DIY!

The Mystery Thing Revealed. Tiptoe Through The...

2011-08-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Last time, I posted a Mystery Thing Challenge, asking my readers to guess the identity of the little black tulip-shaped bits on these cute upcycled jewels:

Did you enter a guess? Were you right? Let's find out, shall we?

The Mystery Thing is...

Rubber grapes!

Bravo to everyone who played along! If you want to be impressed, go here to read all the clever, funny entries. A quick shout out to a few of them:

Mich's Honorable Mentions for Most Creative (Albeit Totally Wrong!) Guesses

Miss Kool Aid: Teddy bear eye sockets. (Oh, noooo. The horror, the horror!)

Alex: Ball and chain wedding favors. (Hee, that is totally something I would do.)

Angela: Lego man hair. (Erk. Something about that phrase gives me the willies...)

Amy: Booties for Lego Darth Vader's baby. (Wait - Lego Darth Vader has a baby?)

Winners Winners! The prize for Smarty Pants of the week goes to Jessi, who was first to guess grapes!!! Nice work, Jessi! And the random win, chosen by random.org, goes to MielJolie. Congrats, you two - I'll be emailing ya.

Thanks again for playing, everybody!

Coming up soon: the absolute best rubber grape upcycled jewelry tutorial ever written! She says modestly. (I just googled it - there aren't any others.)

Guess the Mystery Thing: Little Black Tulips.

2011-08-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Callou callay, it's time for a new round of GUESS THE MYSTERY THING! Anyone can play! Simply take a gander at my latest upcycled jewelry project, these rings:

..and see if you can figure out the secret ingredient.

If you guess right, you could win one!

Or if you're a necklace person, I made a pendant, too:

What is that black tulip-shaped bit at the base of the flower? It's from something very specific. (Hmm, I wonder if you'll get this right away, or if it's a toughie? To me it looks a bit obvy, but maybe that's only because I know the answer.)

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. (You don't even have to be a follower of the blog, although I would lurve it if you were.)

The one and only rule:

1. If your email isn't available in one click from an online profile, be sure to include your email address with your guess.

Ready? Set? Guess the Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR PLAYING, YOU GUYS! CHECK MY NEXT POST FOR THE FUN REVEAL.

Watch It!

2011-08-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Well! Another day, another upcycled jewelry project. This time, it's a restyle of sorts. Do you love the look of wearing a chunky vintage man's watch as a bracelet? I do! But sometimes, I want just a touch more.

Watch closely, now...

Whee! Vintage watchband flower bracelets!

Want to make one? It's sinfully simple.

Find a chunky man's watch with a stretchy metal watchband. Or just the band, with pins and watch removed.

I have two versions to show you. First using the naked watchband.

Start by choosing some kind of fiber for a tassel. (Yarn, embroidery thread, ribbon, etc.) You also need something skinny to use as a needle threader. Here's my favorite tool: a dental flosser!

Using your giant needle threader, pull your fibers through the ends of the watchband, like so:

Gather the fibers and tie a knot to form a tassel. (It can be loosey goosey or righty tighty, your choice.)

Hey howdy! That's a cute bracelet already!

If you like the chunky watchband look, you will love wearing one this way, with a little tasseled oomph.

But let's take it a step further.

In a previous post, I showed you a fabulous cheater's way to score a whole bunch of crocheted flowers without actually crocheting anything.

Of course you could crochet your own flowers, if that's your thing...

Take a button and a small piece of craft wire. Fold the wire in half and insert through the button. Then poke the wire ends through the watchband, like this:

Stack a flower, some silk leaves and another button onto the wire. Twist the wire ends together to secure. Then use roundnose pliers to turn little loops or curlicues with the extra wire.

And wOOt wOOt!!! It's a bracelet!

I love the industrial band next to the frilly flower.

Okay, now one more version, even easier. Find an old chunky watch, but do not take it apart! Gather a flower, a leaf, a bead cap and a headpin.

Put the beadcap on the headpin, and poke them through the band, exactly opposite the watch.

Then stack your leaf and flower onto the headpin, add a bead or another beadcap (my flower already had a center bead, so I used that), and make a loop or swirly with the end of the headpin to secure everything together.

Voila!

Photobomb!

And you do realize that this version still functions as a watch, right? Way coolio!

These flowery versions are just one way to approach this restyle. I love that this is a true blank slate project. Add anything you like to the watchband - how about steampunk, or a big rhinestone brooch, or a hand-felted focal bead? Rummage your brain and your stash and see what else you can think up.

Okay, peeps, that's it for now! Oh, and - smirk, smirk - thanks for watching.