Pages

Friday, July 27, 2012

Wake up with the Rain

I made this treasury on Etsy today while it was pouring rain... there's some beautiful photography and products in here-- check them out!


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

New Custom Silhouette Necklaces, & DIY Tutorial

I've introduced a fun new product into the shop this week!  Custom silhouettes are beginning to become a very popular item these days, and what better way to keep your loved one(s) by your heart than with a silhouette necklace of them!?

Here are some examples of silhouette necklaces from my shop:






If you'd like to order a custom necklace for yourself or someone else as a gift, please click on the image(s) ; they are up and ready to order in my shop!



DIY TUTORIAL

The process to make a silhouette necklace is not necessarily a piece of cake, especially if your not familiar with how to make resin charms-- you need the right tools, products, and skills to be able to create one from scratch.

Supply List:
-Adobe Illustrator (and/or Photoshop)
-Bronze disk frame charm, I use a 1/2" circle (about 14mm)
-Bronze chain & clasp, about 18" long
-Bronze jump ring (4mm - 6mm)
-Mod Podge
-High gloss print of finished profile image, sized to fit your charm
-Circle punch/cutter that fits the size of your charm (you can use scissors to cut it yourself, but it doesn't look as nicely finished)
-Resin

(I apologize ahead of time for not having step by step photos ready... I will add them when I get a chance in the future... so stay posted if your excited about making your own charm!)

To make your necklace the same way as I make them, it's required that you use and have sufficient knowledge & skills in Adobe Illustrator (or Photoshop).  If you own/use these programs, start with a profile picture of the person you are tracing, and import the file into the program.  (I know some people actually hand trace the person with ink, but in my personal opinion they do not look as clean cut and professional.)  Trace the whole head of the person by hand with your mouse or tablet- do NOT use any automatic tracing tools, and fill in your shape black.

Once you are satisfied with your silhouette, size it to fit into your frame charm.  I would recommend doing some test prints from your computer to make sure it will fit right inside the charm.  Once you are finished sizing the silhouette, print it onto a quality high gloss paper (you can order prints from Walgreens or wherever they provide glossy prints if you don't have the right paper-- a lot of papers and inks printed at home will bleed with the glue or resin, and are also not as sharp looking after being printed).

Punch out your silhouette print with the circle shape cutter (or scissors) and use mod podge to glue down your image into the frame charm.  Make sure it's centered as perfectly as you can get it.

Once the glue is dry, apply a thick coating of resin over the whole charm so that it creates a nice dome effect.  Blow any bubbles out and make sure there is no dust that gets trapped on your charm while it's curing.  Also be sure it's on a level surface so it doesn't become lop-sided.  Once finished curing, attach your finished silhouette charm to your chain with your jump ring!  That's it!


If you have any questions about this tutorial or anything else, please contact me at charmtopia@gmail.com

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Necklace Measurements

Before purchasing a necklace, do you ever wonder where the chain length will fall on your neckline?  If so, this illustration is a great tool to refer to as you purchase a necklace with a specific length, or if you are given the option to choose your length.  

Standard size is between 16"-18" or so for an average sized adult.  Hope this is helpful for all you visual learners!