Mini Iron - Many Uses

I first discovered the Clover Mini Iron (affiliate link) when I was making clothes for fashion dolls and I was having a hard time pressing my itty bitty seams with my big old iron.  I saw this baby at the fabric store and it seemed like the perfect solution.  And it was!

The mini iron plugs in and has a little temperature dial and a stand.  It has a tiny iron-shaped head that is perfect for pressing seams on small projects.  It's ideal for applique, miniatures, or any other delicate project that requires pressing.

Mod Podge + Glitter = Win

As I mentioned before, I'm a glitter girl.  I like to sparkle up anything that sits still long enough.  But I can't stand glitter that sheds and migrates.  Applying glitter in the classic way (put down glue, sprinkle glitter, let dry) results in glitter EVERYWHERE.

It was a life-changing moment for me when I learned how to apply glitter that won't flake off.  All you do is mix your glitter into Mod Podge (affiliate link) and then paint it onto your object.  First of all, it's much less messy to apply, and you don't end up with a bunch of loose glitter to get back into your container.  Then, once it's dry, you've got gorgeous glitter that won't budge.  Just apply as many coats as you like, allowing them to dry in between.  I also like to apply one more coat of just Mod Podge at the end to give a nice smooth appearance.

Because Glitter, that's why.

I've got a new blog, Because Glitter, where I share all sorts of sparkly goodies that I find.  It's got my brain thinking in glittery terms, and it's got me itching to do a few sparkly DIYs.  In case you're also glitter-inclined, I thought I'd share my favorite glitter for crafting.

I'm sure a lot of glitters out there are great, but my personal favorite is the Martha Stewart brand.  It's available at Michael's and from Amazon (affiliate link) and there are several varieties and sets to choose from.

Myself, I'm a sucker for the iridescent.  It's shimmery and beautiful, and comes in lots of colors.  Oh, and the vintage leaf style is a knock out when used in casted resin pieces.

Nunn Design Sealant

My biggest challenge when I started working with resin was working with printed images.  The paper darkened, the images never stayed crisp, and they just didn't look right.  I read a lot about how I should be getting my photos laser printed at a copy shop, but I don't usually do that much planning ahead when I get crafty.

Then I found Nunn Design Sealant.  I love Nunn Design products, and I was intrigued by what this product promised to do.  I print out my images on matte photo paper at home on my ink jet printer.  Then, after I glue them into my bezel setting and the glue has dried, I apply a few thin layers of this sealant.  Get all the way into the corners and let each layer dry thoroughly before applying the next.  If you get nice solid coverage, this sealant will keep the resin from seeping into your paper or running your ink.

I've had great success with this stuff and I love how it lets me use my home printer for spontaneous resin fun!

Little Windows into my Crafty Soul

I've done a fair amount of work with resin.  You can see a few pieces I made the last time I played with resin here.  I've done photo jewelry, filling bezel settings with resin, and I've also done molding and casting, filling a silicon mold with resin to create a new piece.

There are a lot of resins on the market, and several of them are quite good.  My favorite is from Little Windows.  Little Windows resin doesn't have as strong of a chemical odor as many other two part resins.  You can mix less at a time to avoid waste, it cures in 12 hours to a crystal clear finish, and my finished pieces look great.  The Little Windows website sells lots of coordinating accessories and has a ton of helpful instructional and inspirational content.

Zip Top Plastic Bags

Okay, I know some of you are asking why today's fave is a plastic zipper bag.  You might be wondering how they qualify as a craft supply or tool.  Trust me, if you make jewelry and you don't use zip top plastic bags, you will want to. 

Nothing keeps your finished jewelry clean and tarnish free like a lack of oxygen, so storing finished pieces in a zip bag keep them pristine and organized.  But don't forget, your supplies can tarnish between projects too, so I keep all of my findings and chains and other metal supplies in zippy bags.  That way everything is in great shape and ready to go when I pull them out to get creative. 

To keep myself organized, I write sizes, metal content, and any other important info right on the baggie with a permanent marker.

Silhouette Cameo Cutting Machine

Today's fave is a big one, guys - it's my trusty Silhouette Cameo cutting machine (affiliate link),and I don't know what I would do without it!

Unlike many of the die cut machines out there that use cartridges with designated designs, my Cameo plugs into my computer and cuts any image I create using the included software.

Let me tell you, when I got married I put the DIY in DIY wedding.  A lot of my crafty magic was thanks to my Cameo.  I used it for table signs, escort cards, even for customized table confetti.  I also got sparkly black pen cartridges and used them to address my invites!

If you are ready to invest in a cutting machine, definitely check out the Cameo.  It's a pretty epic craft-time tool!

Spool Tamers

These are a handy new tool from Beadalon.  They're made for keeping wire spools neat and tidy, and they work very well for that.

But I've been using them for my beading thread spools instead.  And I looooove them for that!  They keep all of the thread on the spool from unraveling.  If you grab the tail of the thread and the little elastic tab and pull, it feeds out thread.  And if you pull out too much, you just run the elastic tab around the spool and it winds it up in a jiffy!

The spool tamers come in a pack of three and they're a pretty good deal.  I highly recommend them whether you use wire or thread, or both.  I got mine here.

Parchment Paper

Yep, parchment paper.  I use this stuff for practically everything.

First of all, I do bake with it.  And if you bake, I highly recommend parchment paper.  I've found it to be a total life saver in the kitchen.  I never bake cookies without it, and it makes removing cakes from the pan so much easier.

But I also keep a separate roll of parchment paper in my craft room.  I use it anytime I need a non-stick work surface, or anytime I'm working on something messy.  Painting and applying patina is always done on parchment.  I use parchment whenever I work with polymer clay to protect my work surface - and then I stick the piece into the toaster oven right on the same piece of parchment.  I also bake shrink plastic on a piece of parchment paper, which allows it to slide as it shrinks.

If you've done any of these activities and needed a good surface to work on, I highly recommend parchment paper.  I don't use much at a time, so a roll lasts me a really long time.  You can get it all over, including Amazon (affiliate link), Michaels, or at the grocery store.

Tulip Beading Needles

When I read about Tulip Beading Needles, I was not quite convinced that they could possibly be as amazing as everybody made them out to be.  So when I got my first pair of size 12s, I decided to sacrifice one to the Beading Gods and see just how strong and flexible they really were.

Seriously.  No really, you guys.  I bent this thing into a complete "U" shape and it still didn't break.  If you do beading, you'll know how persnickety size 12 needles can be.  I used to buy them constantly.  Not only did I make this little guy to a complete back bend without breaking, but when I let go, the needle sprang back, only retaining a slight curve.  I honestly couldn't believe it.

I've been using the same pair for months.  The price, which initially seemed high, now seems very reasonable.  I've saved quite a bit actually, now that I don't have to replace broken needles all the time.  So, I'm convinced.  They really are that amazing.  To top it all off, they have a slightly larger eye for easier threading.  Need I say more?

Gingher Fabric Shears

Okay folks, if you or someone in your household sews, you will understand the importance of a good pair of fabric shears.  You will be familiar with the phrase, "Don't cut that with THOSE scissors!" and the accompanying look of panic and/or fury.

The Gingher 8-Inch Knife Edge Dressmaker's Shears (affiliate link) are the only fabric shears for me.  I got my first pair of these beauties in college and have never looked back.

Odds are, you've tried them, or are at least familiar with them, if you sew much.  They're pretty much the gold standard, and yet they won't break the bank.  It's an uncommon combination.  What the manufacturer says about these badboys is sufficient, so I'll let them do the technical explanation: "The 8 inch Dressmaker’s Shears have a versatile longer length cut and blades strong enough to trim and cut multiple layers of fabric effortlessly. The longer cut is ideal for cutting out patterns and trimming seams. Gingher’s precision ground knife edge cuts flawlessly all the way to the points. The bent handle allows for smooth, comfortable cutting across a tabletop or counter."

Basically, if you have to cut fabric on a regular basis, I can recommend no shears as highly as these.

WildFire Beading Thread

And here's is the other love of my beading thread life - WildFire.  If you saw my last post on FireLine, pretty much ditto for WildFire.  It's another nylon thread that's very strong and doesn't self-puncture, so it doesn't get tangly or impossible to pull out your mishaps.  But whereas FireLine is the perfect fluid, drapey beading thread, WildFire is fantastic for sturdy, structured pieces with some body to them.  It's a little bigger, despite having the same advertised diameter, but I use it whenever it will fit when I'm aiming for a structured piece of bead weaving.  One of my newer favorite obsessions is dimensional, shaped weaving.  I get a ridiculous kick out of creating 3D shapes with seed beads.  I love how strong the WildFire makes these pieces.  I don't bead without these threads!

FireLine Beading Thread

Have I mentioned by love for bead weaving?  If you've seen my Etsy shop, you'll know how much of my crafty time is spent with a needle, thread, and seed beads.  In the past, I always just used whatever beading thread I had lying around.  But when I started my current job, a coworker introduced me to FireLine.  Oooooh.

FireLine is a braided nylon beading thread.  It's strong, it doesn't tangle as easily as regular nylon thread, and it doesn't separate and pierce itself so easily.  That means that it's easier to undo stitching when you (inevitably) make a boo boo.  Basically, it's a bead weaving miracle.  It's very fine, and makes for some beautiful beadwork.  It's my thread of choice for finer, more fluid weaving projects.  Stay tuned for my structured project thread of choice, that's next.

Magnetic Clasps

I was never sure of the best way to close a bracelet when I started making jewelry.  Bracelets can be tricky, since you've got to work the clasp one-handed.  One of my favorite purchased bracelets has a magnetic clasp, and I always thought it was genius, but I never thought to look for magnetic clasps for my own work until more recently.

And when I did it was miraculous.  I found these magnetic clasps at Beadaholique - there are a number of finishes and different sizes, etc.  They make me so happy.  They are a neat, clean finish to keep the focus on the bracelet, plus they're super easy to open and close one-handed, but strong enough to stay closed while wearing.  Definitely my favorite go-to bracelet clasp these days.

My Favorite Bead Weaving Book

Okay, you might not fully understand the weight of the statement when I say that Teach Yourself Visually: Beadwork is my favorite resource for bead weaving techniques.  Bead weaving is one of my favorite crafty activities...EVER.  And it can be tricky, but I keep this book on hand for when I forget how to decrease square stitch or make round netting and it's always easy to find what I'm looking for in a moment.  The photos and illustrations are clear and the instruction makes sense.  Plus, the way it's organized is really user friendly and makes finding what you're looking for a breeze.  If you're learning how to bead weave, or like me, you just like to keep a reference guide, I highly recommend this book.  Amazon's got it for a pretty good price.

Bead Stoppers - Don't Bead Weave Without Them

Bead weaving is one of my favorite things.  And it became much easier when I discovered Bead Stoppers!  They're a lifesaver for bead weaving or stringing - They just clamp right onto the end of your thread or wire where you would usually put an anchor bead (or hold on for dear life) and keep your beads from sliding off the strand.  Then, when you're done, they just open right up and they're off in a jiff!  They're one of my favorite, favorite tools!  I found mine at Beadaholique.

Needle Grabbers - Seriously.

If you sew or do bead weaving or millinery, or, I imagine any other number of crafts, then you need these things.

I hate thimbles.  When I was taking a millinery class in college, my costume shop manager suggested these little gems - and changed my sewing life forever!

Anytime you are using a needle to go through tight spaces (like bead weaving) or tough materials (like millinery) you end up wrestling with your needle trying to pull it through.  Many folks use a thimble to push from the back of the needle.  But with the needle grabbers, you just wrap it around the needle and suddenly it pulls through like a breeze!  In fact, be careful bead weaving, it makes it so easy to pull through that it can be easy to break a bead!

Needle grabbers are cheap and come 2 to a pack, so I usually have them floating around all over the place in my craft supplies.  I usually mine from CreateForLess.

Wire Looping Pliers

If you make jewelry, you know that wire loops (simple or wrapped) can be a bit annoying.  For me, they were downright troublesome - until I found these pliers!

I make a LOT of jewelry, in my personal time, and at my full-time job.  So listen when I tell you that this is one of my all time favorite tools!  I got my pair from Beadaholique, and there's even a video on the page that shows how to use them.  You just place the pliers next to where you want the loop and close them.  Bend the wire around, rotate the pliers, and bend the wire the rest of the way around. 

The loops are neat and round every time, and you can change the size simply by moving up or down the nose of the pliers.  Oh, and let me tell you, they transformed my wire wrapped loops - into something that actually looked nice! 

Sullivan's Make-A-Zipper Saved My Wedding Dress!

If you sew, you probably know that most fabric stores carry zippers in lengths from, oh, 7" to about 22" long.  And one of those would be fine for your average run of the mill strapless wedding gown.  But I realized after mine was already under way that my full, high-backed bodice was going to require something different.  And I panicked a little.

And then I found Sullivan's Make-A-Zipper (which I found for a great price at createforless) and I knew that it was all going to be okay!  So, what this product is really meant for is cutting 12 of your own zippers whatever length you may need.  Pull one of the zipper pulls into the zipper fabric your're using and cut off however much you need.  Just make sure you stitch around the base and the ends so your zipper pull doesn't come off, and you're golden.  But what I used this product for what creating an invisible zipper that was about 30" long, which is hard, if not impossible, to find.  I was so relieved to realize that I had found the solution!  And actually, I still have quite a bit of the 4 1/2 yard spool left to make zippers with my other 11 pulls too.  It's a great deal, and such a life saver if you occasionally need odd-sized zippers!