The Brass Paperclip Project

Thrift Store Confessional No. 8

Forgive me readers, it's been one week since my last confession.  I did sin, but this week's shopping spree wasn't really my fault...it was all about conserving resources.  My hubby's van went into the shop last week - half-way across town - so I had to pick him up at the shop after he dropped it off.  Then, since the shop was nearly half-way to one of my favorite thrift stores on the other side of town, we had to swing past...since we were nearly in the neighborhood and all. No point in wasting the gas it took to get half-way across town. Conserving resources, you see?

My hubby is actually the one who first introduced me to thrift stores when we were first dating.  When we have the chance, we still love to go together and see what we can find.  In the beginning, I didn't like the smell, wouldn't touch anything and sort of stiffly peered at whatever those things were on the shelves...my, how things have changed! 

But I digress, back to my confession...check out the pretty little stash I found this week...a vintage beaded purse, assorted jewelry and three vintage doilies.

Here's a close-up of the jewels.  The red earrings are Czech crystal...probably from the 1930's.  The green brooch is a Coro...love that large stone in the center.  The little tear-drop earrings are new and are destined to become hair pins.  The rhinestone ring is a stretchy thing that I'm going to experiment with.  The pearls are a gorgeous champagne color and have a sterling silver clasp which is a real surprise.  And they are heavy too!  Not sure what I will do with those yet, but they were too nice to leave behind. The earrings have already sold, but the brooch is available in my shop...click the link below the photo for more info.

Vintage Emerald Green Coro Brooch

And check out this darling vintage white beaded purse.  I fell in love with the shape!  It's not often that I find round beaded bags.  I guess technically, this one is more of a pear shape, but isn't it sweet?  The chain was a cheap-o replacement that didn't match the frame, so I removed it.  I'm happy to put a new chain on it, but I figured I'd wait and see who buys it...sometimes people just want a clutch and don't care about the chain.

Vintage White Beaded Clutch Purse

Last, but not least are these three sweet doilies.  I've been collecting doilies to replenish my doily flower girl basket inventory this spring.  In the meantime, I've got a whole bunch listed in my shop, so be sure to check them out if you are looking for a unique flower girl basket...

Click here to see my full assortment of vintage doily flower girl baskets

Finally, I always find some treasure that I can't justify buying, but have to share.  This week it's actually about the one that did NOT get away...this funky rainbow sailing ship kite.   My hubby tossed it in the cart for our rainbow loving daughter, so I pushed that crazy thing all over the store...good thing I didn't need much room in the cart!  People commented on it every where I went in the store...nothing like talking to people in thrift stores...never a dull conversation, I tell ya.  It is now hanging in the garage awaiting the blustery skies of spring.

So, that's my confession for this week.  I'm feeling the draw of the thrift stores pretty strongly today, so it seems silly to try and fight it...LOL.  Thanks for stopping by...I hope you'll stop back next week to see what else I confess too.  XOXO, Cindi

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Raise a Glass to Recycled Wine Cork Crafts...and A Giveaway!

Oh, wine, how I love thee....let me count thy ways...anyone else with me on this?

As a regular wine drinker, my stash of orphaned wine corks is pretty impressive.  My local food co-op collects them to recycle, but where's the fun in that?  I prefer the challenge of coming up with clever ways to reuse them....especially this time of year, when the wine is flowing even more than usual and gift-giving is on the brain.

Today, I've put together a tutorial/round-up post as inspiration for your holiday eco-crafting enjoyment.   So, grab yourself a glass of vino, sit back and prepare to be dazzled by the latest and greatest recyled wine cork craft post the blog-o-sphere has ever seen...

 

HOW CORK IS MADE

The first thing you need to know is that corks are an incredibly cool, sustainable, all-natural product.  Ever thought about where corks come from?  Tree bark.

Photo via Maryland Cork

The bark is havested from the base of the tree every nine years.  It does not hurt the tree.  After the bark has been cleaned and processed, corks are punched out.  How cool is that? 

You can read the whole story of how corks are made on Wineanorak.com.  They have a great illustrated post that explains the whole process. 

 

TYPES OF WINE CORKS

Now that you know about the magic behind cork, it's time to take a look at the different types of corks you might encounter.  In the photo below, you will see the four types of corks: synthetic corks (1), one-piece natural corks (2) and agglomerated corks (3 & 4).

Synthetic corks are man-made, so we're going to ignore them for this post.  One-piece natural cork can range in quality from high to low...with the low having more holes and cracks.  Agglomerated corks are made of cork pieces that have been ground down and glued together.  The size of the pieces can range from decent size chunks to tiny particles...look at the difference between corks 3 & 4 above.  Sometimes an agglomerated cork is sandwiched between to discs of whole cork to make a fancy cork called a "twin-top."  Different kinds of corks will be better for different kinds of projects, so make sure you know what you have.

 

CUTTING AND DRILLING CORKS

Now, let's talk about preparing your corks for crafting.  Depending on what you are making, you may need to cut or drill your corks.  Cutting corks is not hard, but you will want to take a few steps to ensure that you get good cuts. You can cut them in half cross- or lengthwise for knobs, trivets, corkboards, card holders, etc.  Or slice them thin for tags, jewelry, tiles, magnets and more.

To cut them, use a sharp knife and make one clean cut...pressing the blade into the cork and pushing the knife away from you as you are pressing down through the cork.  Sawing back and forth or using a serated knife will leave streaks and ridges rather than a smooth flat surface. Choose your cutting technique accordingly, based on the end result you are going for.  If you end up with unintentional ridges or an uneven surface, try using a little sandpaper to smooth things out. 

To make lengthwise cuts, try standing the cork on one end and pushing down to get the cut started...then lay it down and finish the cut.  You'll have less chance of the cork rolling out from under your knife that way.

For slicing rounds, I find that I get better results when using agglomerated corks.  Some people swear by steaming corks before cutting, but I have not found that to be necessary to get a good clean cut with the agglomerated corks.  (If you only have whole-piece corks and find that they crumble when you slice them, try steaming and see if that helps.  If not, save them for projects where they don't need to be cut.)

Getting perfectly uniform rounds (thickness-wise) gets harder, the thinner you cut your corks.  If you absolutely need your pieces to be exactly the same width, try making a simple jig. You can find directions for a cork cutting jig on A Constant Project.

If your craft calls for drilling, you will want to hold your cork carefully or, better yet put it in a clamp or vice.  Marking your bit with a piece of tape will prevent you from drilling too far if you don't want to drill all the way through your cork.  And, as another blogger said, "No drinking and drilling!"

Got all that?  Good!  Let's make something with all those corks!

 

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS Recycled Wine Cork Necklace

This necklace was my very first cork project.  I made it a few years ago, but was recently asked for a tutorial...hence the reason for this whole post.  It's really easy to make and would be a fun holiday gift for a vino-loving friend.  I am providing directions for the necklace as shown, but it's very easy to adapt this by changing the length, types of chain, etc.  Have fun with it!

Supplies: (7) cork slices, nail or awl, jewelry pliers, wire cutters, (10) large jump rings, (4) medium jump rings, 8" of bead chain (cut into 2" lengths), 11" of chain (cut into 5 1/2" lengths), 1 clasp, 1 red bead, 1 head-pin.

Step 1: Using the photo as a guide, arrange your cork slices and chain to get the rough layout of your necklace.  

Step 2: Punch holes in your cork slices using a nail or an awl.  Place the holes far enough away from the edges of the cork that they don't pull out or crumble the cork. 

Step 3: Use your pliers to open your large jump rings.  Connect slices of cork with jump rings, pushing the rings through the holes you punched and closing the rings as you go. Keep going until you have connected all of your cork slices. (How to open & close jump rings.)

Step 4: Add two large jump rings to one of the end corks, as shown in the photo.  Add a 2" piece of bead chain to each of the large jump rings and close the rings.  Connect the opposite ends of the two bead chains with a single medium sized jump, leaving the jump rings open for the next step.  Repeat on the other side.

Step 5: Connect a 5 1/2" piece of chain to each side of your necklace at the open jump rings, then close the rings.

Step 6: Add your clasp to the two remaining unfinished ends.

Step 7: Add a wire wrapped bead to the front if you would like.  (How to make a wire wrapped loop.)

 

WEEKEND IN NAPA-kin RINGS Recycled Wine Cork Napkin Rings

Napkin rings add personality to any table setting.  These are so simple to make using cork slices and small beads.  I chose some faux pearls that I salvaged from a broken necklace, but you can play around with whatever you have.  Different colors would be pretty, as wood a hint of sparkle.  You can also stain the corks by soaking them in...what else?  Red wine!

Supplies: corks, heavy needle, stretchy thread, beads, ruler, scissors.

Step 1: Slice corks. (About three corks per napkin ring, 8 slices per cork)

Step 2:  Use your needle and stretchy thread to alternate threading corks and beads until you have 6" threaded.  Tie off with a tight surgeon's knot, making sure that the last bead and cork are touching.  (How to tie a surgeon's knot.)  Repeat as needed to make as many napkin rings as you want.

Step 3: Set your table!

DREAMING OF A WHITE {wine} CHRISTMAS Recycled Cork Wreath Ornament

Does this wreath look familiar?  It should!  It's the same napkin ring shown above, but instead of putting it on the table, I wrapped a ribbon around the center and hung it up.  This would be a cute way to save special corks from a wedding, anniversary or other special event.  Add a little tag, so you can remember the occassion.  It's also a cute way to dress up a bottle of wine to give as a gift.  If you want to give it a little more strength and structure, string it on wire instead of stretchy thread.

 

JUST ONE MORE! Quick and Dirty Recycled Cork Magnets

After slicing and dicing dozens of corks for all of your fabulous cork projects, you are bound to have some extras.  (That is how this quick and dirty magnet craft came about.)

All you need are the ends of your corks, hot glue and magnets. Put a small bead of glue on the back of your cork and place the magnet in the glue.  Done. (This also works with thumb tacks.)

If you want to kick it up a notch, stamp some letters or designs on your corks.  All it takes is a stamp and an ink pad.  You could even use a sharpie to make some doodles. Create words, names or even a set of alphabet magnets.

Thirsty for even more recycled wine cork crafts??  Well, you are in luck.  I have pinned over 65 clever cork crafts on my Put A Cork In It board on Pinterest.  That number is always growing, so be sure to check it out whenever you need a dose of inspiration.

 

AND NOW...THE GIVEAWAY

**UPDATED 12.5.2012: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED and WE HAVE A WINNER!**

If you like these projects, but are too busy drinking wine to make them, I have great news for you...I'm giving them all away in my first ever blog giveaway!  One lucky winner will receive a holiday care package chock full of corky goodness including: the necklace, two ornaments and five sets of magnets.  They will arrive thoughtfully packaged for gift giving and are sure to delight the winos in your life.  :)

There are two ways you can score this GRAPE prize and be the toast of the town:

1. Leave me a comment on this post about which project is your favorite and why you want to win the giveaway. (1 entry)

2. Spread some link love by sharing this post on your blog, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.  Then come back and leave me another comment with a link to your share.  (1 entry)

That's it!  Contest closes at 11:59pm on Tuesday, December 4th.  I'll pick a winner at random on Wednesday, December 5th and will post the winner on my blog that day.  Be sure to leave your contact info with your comments, so that I can let you know if you've won. (Must be 18 or older to play.)

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you'll keep in touch and check back again soon.  If you're so inclined, feel free to follow along at any of the links below, so you don't miss a thing!  XOXO, Cindi

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Monday Morning Blues: Jingle Bell Hair Pins

 
How cute are these blue jingle bell hair pins??  I love them as the perfect "something blue" for a whimsical holiday wedding.  You can find them at Bella Mia Designs on Etsy, along with a full range of gorgeous hand-wrapped hair pins featuring sparkly disco ball beads and frosty swarovski pearls.  Happy Monday!  XOXO, Cindi

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Handmade Holidays: Homemade Hot Cocoa

Homemade hot cocoa is so simple to make and so satisfying to drink.  When you mix up your own you can have fun with flavorings and the intensity of the chocolate.  You can also keep stuff out of it that you don't want, like preservatives and unwanted chemicals.  And, it makes a wonderful holiday gift.

To get started, find a few different recipes that look good to you and gather an assortment of ingredients.  Some staples you'll need include: powdered milk, unsweetened cocoa and sugar.  Extras you might want to experiment with include: your favorite flavored chips, mini mashmallows, crushed candy canes, cinnamon, salt, and pudding mix (for a thicker, creamier cocoa).  This is one instance where quality matters, so buy the best ingredients you can afford for the richest, most wonderful hot cocoa.

Pick a cold stormy day to hunker down with this project and be prepared to drink a lot of cocoa!  Having a roaring fire going and extra tasters on hand is also helpful.  Make a few of your chosen recipes and start to compare...do you like more chocolate flavor?  Sweeter?  Creamier?  Play with your ingredients and make notes until you get it just the way you like it.  Once you have a base mix, you can add in the extras to customize your own signature cocoa mix.  Try some cinnamon, nutmeg or even a pinch of sea salt. 

Now your'e ready to package your cocoa.  I used recycled BBQ sauce jars...we went through a real BBQ phase a while back, so I ended up with a lot of these jars.  The labels were impossible to remove from, so I just cut pieces of vintage wrapping paper to cover over them.  Hand-stamped labels were placed on top.   It was super easy and very effective.
You could also use any kind of recycled condiment jars or canning jars...they don't need to match.  Just remember to sterilize them in your dishwasher or by pouring boiling water into them and letting the jars sit until the water cools.
Have fun filling your jars with layers of cocoa mix and chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes or whatever you like. I didn't end up doing a lot of layering because most of my jar was covered with the paper label, but I did top my mix with these amazing chocolate curls. Not only were they pretty, they were really good chocolate.

Don't forget to put some directions for making the cocoa somewhere on the jar...people need to know how much mix to add to the milk or water.  You can stamp an extra label for the back of the jar or make a cute little tag.

Now you are all ready to spread some holiday love!  Combine a jar of homemade cocoa mix with a bottle of homemade peppermint schnapps or a tin of fresh cookies and your friends will be forever grateful...not to mention, impressed with your kitchen wizardry!  Have you ever made your own hot cocoa?  Have a favorite recipe?  I'd love to hear your comments, so please feel free to share.   Thanks for stoppping by and if you liked this post, check back all month for more handmade holidays...  XOXO, Cindi

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Handmade Holidays: Peppermint Schnapps

Hi!  Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving yesterday.  I'm still full, but it's always so worth it to eat all that good food. I'm such a sucker for a casserole. Today's post is kicking off the holiday season here on the blog.  It may be a bit late in the game to suggest making mint schnapps for this holiday season, but if you can find some fresh mint, you still have time.  Otherwise, you can bookmark this post for next year. 

A few summers ago, I intentionally grew a ton of mint, so that I could fill an empty flower bed quickly  and have plenty of mint for summer mojitos.  By the end of the summer, I had only had a few mojitos and still had a ton of mint, so I decided to try making peppermint schnapps for the holidays. 

I used a very simple recipe I found on Jessie Cross's blog,  The Hungry Mouse.  Jessie also has some great pointers for making great schnapps, so definitely check out her post if you want to make schnapps.  The only thing I disagree with her on is the quality of the booze you should use.  Honestly, for vodka infusions, I think it's perfectly ok to use something cheap.  The whole point of good quality vodka is to distill out all of the flavor, but if you're going to flavor it up anyway, why spend the extra money?

That being said, I had my reasons for choosing more upscale booze. I wanted to support my local economy and be earth-friendly, so I chose two good, locally-distilled bottles and one widely distributed eco-brand that I found in the liquor store.  All of my schnapps turned out equally well...couldn't tell one vodka from the other in the finished product.

Once I picked all my mint, washed it and stripped the leaves off the stem, I made a quick simple syrup....following Jessie's directions on The Hungy Mouse.  You will see that mine is somewhat yellow-ish and that's because I use unrefined sugar...it's not brown sugar exactly, but it hasn't been bleached white.  Works the same as white sugar and, again, is better for the environment.  (I buy it in bulk at PCC, so it's not that much more expensive that plain white sugar...and it's fair trade.)

When the syrup was ready I poured it over my leaves and muddled them a bit with a wooden spoon to release all the flavorful oils from the leaves.  Last step was to pour a whole bottle of vodka over the leaves and stir.  Then you just cover the pitcher and let it steep for a few weeks.  I kept mine on the counter, so I could stir daily and keep an eye on it.  The liquid eventually turned to a caramel brown color.

When my schnapps was ready I strained and decanted it into these little spice jars.

You can see that the color was really pretty...

To finish the packaging I wrapped strips of vintage wrapping paper around the bottles and tied hand-stamped tags to the necks with thin red string.  I had planted peppermint and chocolate mint, so I ended up with several varieties of the schnapps.

Here were a few other bottles I sourced from the thrift store.  I found fresh corks at the hardware store.  (Tip: If you want to reuse long skinny bottles like this, try dropping in a denture cleaner tablet to really get the inside clean.  Then use a long bottle brush to scrub off any grime.)  You can sterilize them in your dishwasher or by pouring boiling water into them and letting the water sit until it cools.



These bottles were given as gifts to friends along with jars of homemade hot cocoa, which I'll be doing a post about tomorrow.  Cocoa with peppermint schnapps is a match made in heaven.  Friends still request refills on the mint schnapps, but I've since moved on to other flavored infusions...this year I'm doing rosemary vodka which I made this summer to do rosemary lemon drops with.  I think for the holidays a rosemary and cranberry martini may be in order. 

Have you ever made flavored infusions?  Got a favorite?  I'd love to hear from you!  And be sure to follow along all month for a virtual DIY Handmade Holiday Bonanza! I'll be posting crafts, recipes and holiday fun all month.  XOXO, Cindi

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Thrift Store Confessional No. 7 - Vintage Clothing Event

Forgive me readers...it's been 34 days since my last confession.  And I have beans to spill!  This week's confession comes from a vintage clothing event that BLEW MY MIND.  A local estate team managed to get their hands on the entire estate of a woman who had been a costume designer for over 50 years.  To give you an idea of the magnitude of this sale, the woman had over 9000 sewing patterns.  NINE THOUSAND.

My husband and I managed to squeak in with just 45 minutes left of the sale...I could have spent the entire weekend there sifting through her fabric, notions and accessories, not to mention the decades worth of over-the-top vintage fashions. To put it very simply, I wanted it all. 

But I was soooo good...I only picked up a few choice items and am hoping for a second crack at the collection the next time it goes on sale.  There were literally thousands of items left at the end of the sale, so the team who is managing it is planning to open a brick-and-mortar shop to sell the rest of it.  I will keep you posted on that as I hear more...or maybe I won't...{wink wink}

The top photo shows most of my haul, including 5 pairs of long white gloves, feather boas, vintage milinery flowers, antique Victorian purse, antique Victorian lace wedding fan plus a vintage wig and a gorgeous white cape (not shown.)  The flowers are shown below...I love the colors and will turn them into something fabulous.

The antique fan is museum quality and is in perfect condition in it's original box, labeled "1909, Vienna Austria."  There is a calling card inside the box with the name of the woman, a doctor's wife, who probably bought the fan as a souvenier on a European tour back in the 50's.  (At least that's the back-story I'm imagining...) I'm still researching the fan, but hope to have it listed in my shop in the near future...if I don't end up keeping it for my daughter... ;)

And how gorgeous is this Victorian mesh purse?  German silver with an art nouveau frame...probably circa 1900-1910.  So in love...it's even got a ruffle!

This purse is available in my Etsy shop now...it would make a great holiday gift or accessory...hint hint.

Silver Mesh Purse - Victorian - Art Nouveau - German Silver - 1890s-1910

Also available is this pair of white beaded gloves...of the five pairs I purchased, this is my favorite.  

Vintage Beaded Gloves - One Size - Made in Hong Kong

Feeling so much better now that I've confessed.  Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek.  I'll be listing the rest of the gloves over the next few weeks and will try to get the fan listed, as well.  It's sooooo gorgeous and would be an elegant alternative to a bridal bouquet.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  XOXO, Cindi

P.S. If you liked this post and want to say in touch, you can follow along at any of the links below so you don't miss a thing. 

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Drab to Fab: Recycled Glass Flower Bridal Bouquet

Last week I listed my first ever bridal bouquet in my Etsy shop and promised via Facebook to share the backstory.  The truth is, this bouquet started out as a kitschy glass bonsai arrangement that I found in a thrift store.  These little trees became popular during the 1960s -1970s and sometimes cost hundreds of dollars depending on the size of the tree and number of flowers. 

The arrangement itself wasn't so bad, but I thought I could make some cool hair accessories with the flowers...I hadn't seen anything made with glass flowers before, so I wanted to try something new.

It took all my strength to cut the flowers apart. You can not imagine the amount of wire I had to cut through.  Each individual petal has a thin wire embedded in it...to make up the flowers, the wires are gathered and twisted together into stems...the larger the flower, the thicker the wire stem. (Thrifty Tip: This is also one of the ways you can tell if the flowers are vintage or not.  Newer flowers have holes drilled in the petals and the wire is simply wrapped through the hole.  Older ones have the wire actually embedded in the glass while it is still soft.)

Once I separated the flowers and leaves from the arrangement, I realized how heavy the flowers were.  Sadness.  They were far too heavy to wear as a hair clip...they would never stay put.  I didn't think they would work as a brooch either, so they sat in my studio for a loooong time until it hit me that they might look cool in a bridal bouquet.

I painstakenly cleaned each petal with a q-tip and polished those flowers till they sparkled.  Then, I raided my silk flower stash to find flowers that would work with the glass ones and came up with a lavender and gold combo that reminded me of an Etsy treasury I did a few years ago.  (That treasury, BTW, happened to land on Etsy's front page...very exciting!!)

Once I had gathered the flowers, the bouquet came together quickly.  I love the variety of colors and textures and the surprise of the glass flowers mixed in.  It's a playful combo, not too serious...but elegant enough for just about any ceremony.

I do have a few of the smaller buds and some leaves left, so I'm hoping to find the time to turn those into matching boutonnieres.  I think as a set, they would be gorgeous.

So that's the behind the scoop on the recycled glass flower bridal bouquet.  It is available in my shop for immediate delivery.  Click this link for more information:  Purple and Yellow Wedding Bouquet.  If you are interested in a custom boutonniere to match, let me know.  And let me know what you think of my first bouquet!  I'd love to hear your comments!  Thanks for stopping by and be sure to keep in touch.  You can follow along at any of the links below so you don't miss a thing.   XOXO, Cindi

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Something Sweet: Imagine Dragons

I'm so behind on my blogging, but I have another great video for you today...this one comes from my aimless late-night wanderings on Pinterest.  I love this song by Imagine Dragons and am totally into the hand-slapping-stomping-rhythm-thing that is getting popular right now...see what you think...

 

BTW, I'm collecting quite an assortment of awesome videos on this blog, so if you need a coffee break, go ahead and kick back and hit play. 

Hope your Monday isn't as soggy as mine is in Seattle today.  Check back soon for some fresh updates...I promise!!  XO, Cindi

Something Sweet: Hand Painted Cakes

OMG.  I am dying here...talk about something sweet to start the week!  I am totally smitten with these hand painted confections by Nevie Pie Cakes.  I discovered them on French Wedding Style a few weeks back and deided I had to share.  How sweet would it be to have your wedding cake hand painted with flowers to match your bouquet? 

Or your bunting fabric?    

Or Nana's old china?

If you're lucky enough to live in or around London, you can have these amazing cakes delivered.  Otherwise, the equally gorgeous cookies can be shipped.  I think the cookies would make amazing wedding favors.  They can even be painted with names to do double duty as seating cards!

In other news, I know I've been a blogging slacker...hoping to get caught up agin this week.  I have so many confessions to make and some great new items to share.  Thanks for checking in and I hope this gets your week off to a sweet start...see you soon!  XOXO, Cindi

 

Something Sweet: Crayola Doesn't Make a Color For Your Eyes

If this post doesn't put a smile on your face, I'm afraid your Monday is shot.  This great song and adorable video featuring Kristin Andreassen come via FB friend Jamie Foster, of Boojazz Studios, whom I met doing the Seattle RE Store Trash Fashion show a few years ago.  She's a fun FB friend to follow because she finds awesome stuff like this.  She also happens to be an amazing photographer who lives in Chicago now, so if you are in her neck of the woods...check her out at the link above.   And now, let's get to the crayons...

 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great Monday!