Wow! You all are crazy about the Grab Bags!
The mysteriousness must be really appealing! Not only have I had lots of online orders with Grab Bags (thank you very much!), but Stampin' Up! has informed us that the $15 Grab Bags have already sold out!
Not to worry! Stampin' Up! will be combining some of the $5 and $10 bags to create more $15 bag options.
Order your Grab Bags at my Online Store today, while supplies last!
For more details on this promotion, see my Grab Bag post.
Do You Know About Build-A-Brads?
OK, class. Raise your hand if you have ever used the awesomely cool Build-A-Brads to create custom embellishments on your stamping projects. Hmmm. I only see a few hands.
OK, raise your hands if you've purchased awesomely cool Build-A-Brads, but have never used them. There's a couple more hands.
How many have heard of Build-A-Brads? A few more hands are up now.
And, how many of you have no idea what Build-A-Brads are or what the heck I'm talking about? Aha! There are the hands! It looks like most of you have never seen these fun accents at all! They are easily overlooked and highly neglected little treasures!
You need to be introduced!
Build-A-Brads are these terrific, 1/2" inch diameter, plain brads that you can customize with your choice of stamped card stock or Designer Series Paper! You glue your paper onto the brad, then add one of the self-adhesive, clear plastic, bubble-like covers over the top.
I used one in the center of my Fleur De Lis card shown above. I don't use them as much as I should, but they really are Too Cool!
And, at our last Too Cool Demo meeting, Darla Eigenschink made them even cooler! Check this out!
Darla's Build-A-Brad Bracelet
It's an awesome bracelet, accented with Build-A-Brads! It's like making your own beads!
She showed us how easy it is to add these personalized embellishments to make unique and colorful bracelets with Stampin' Up! style!
Here are a few pictures I took of her demonstration to give you a better idea of how to do it:
She started with some chain she purchased at Michael's. I'm sure you can find something similar elsewhere, too, you just need the chain links to be circles that are approximately 1/2" diameter or a little smaller.
Next, punch out a 1/2" Circle of Designer Series Paper you like, or even a stamped image on card stock. Darla was using the retired Night & Day black and white DSP (above), which is currently on sale in the Clearance Rack (while supplies last).
Use Crystal Effects to adhere your decorative piece to the top of the brad.
Add more Crystal Effects over the top of the paper/card stock. Even though the clear brad cover has sticky on the back, Darla likes to make sure that the cover stays on securely since it will be worn as jewelry and may get banged around a lot.
TIP: The Crystal Effects will dry clear and it's non-yellowing, so it won't effect your Designer Paper. Be careful on stamped images, though, because it may smear the ink unless it's Staz-On permanent ink.
Next, she trims the ends of the brad legs a bit with wire cutters (or you could use Craft & Rubber Scissors)…you'll be wrapping these around the chain and they don't need to be so long.
Then, she feeds each leg through the center of a chain link and wraps them around opposite sides of the chain with her wire-looping pliers (found in the jewelry department of any craft store).
Here's a picture using another style of chain. The links are thinner, smoother and smaller in diameter, but they still work very well. In fact, it's easier to wrap the brad a little more tightly around a smaller link, so it doesn't slide around the link as much.
That's all there is to it! You could add Build-A-Brads to each of the links, or every other one. Darla loves making jewelry, so she added some coordinating purple beads to the centers of alternating links. Love it! Click to enlarge the picture to see it up close! She used the retired Cottage Wall DSP for the completed bracelet, and it, too, is in the Clearance Rack while supplies last.
Here's another example that I saw on Patty Bennett's blog: Build A Bracelets. She used chain with links that were a bit smaller in diameter, and she added Rhinestone Circle Brads, too! Ooooh, I love that idea! That would really make it oh so sparkly!
There are so many possibilities! Thanks, Darla, for sharing how to make this awesomely cool project!
Angie