Marbled glass, whether fashioned in a fine art vase or in small marbles, will always capture fascinated eyes!

Marbled glass is one of the most expensive glass collectibles on the market. Its luminescence and elegance are unmistakable, so it’s no wonder that it is treasured by top-level collectors and celebrities worldwide. Would you believe us if we told you that the vase pictured here was created for about $5.00 in about 15 minutes? Well, it’s true! And you won’t even need a paint brush! Even children can achieve this lustrous look every time.
Read on to find out how….

Left to right: wax paper, plastic vase, red, pink, and white acrylic craft paints.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
1. A plastic vase (This frosty-colored vase was bought for $1.00 at a a dollar store.)
2. Two sheets of wax/freezer paper
3. Acrylic craft paint in two contrasting colors (Here, pale pink and dark red were used. Very little paint is needed, so the small 2 oz. bottles work well.)
4. White acrylic paint (Very little paint is needed, so a small 2 oz. bottle works well.)
5. Polyurethane varnish (optional)

TIME NEEDED: About 15 minutes.

THE STEPS:
(Note: this process can be a bit messy, so make sure you are dressed accordingly!)

1. Place one sheet of wax or freezer paper on a table. Take the bottle or tube of the lighter of your two colors of paint and squeeze out some paint in a random design on the freezer paper (photo #1). Large circles and swirls work great.

2. Take the bottle or tube of white paint and add several swirls and splotches of paint over the first paint you laid down (photo #2).

3. Take the bottle or tube of the darker of your two colors and drop several small splotches over the two paints (photo #3).

4. Place the second piece of wax/freezer paper on top of the piece with the paint on it. Press your hands on top of the top piece and gently move the piece in a circular motion (photo #4). This swirls the paint between the two sheets of paper.

5. Gently peel back the top piece (photo #5) to reveal a marbleized design (photo #5a). At this point, you can add more paint and re-press the papers together, if you’d like to tweak the design in any way.

6. Pick up one of the pieces from its underside (the side without paint on it) and apply it directly to the inside of the vase by pressing the paper to the sides of the vase (photo #6).

CRAFTY CLUE!
To maintain distinct marbleized swirls in the design, put your hand all the way down into the vase to cover the bottom of the vase, first. Then work your way up to the top of the vase. If you’re interested in a more solid-color design with subtle swirls, start at the top and work your way down. As you work your way down, parts of the paper will inevitably touch the areas you’ve already painted, which will further blend the colors together.

7. When you remove the paper from the vase, you’ll see that the marbleized design has been transferred to the inside of the vase, and shows through to the outside (photo #7). The fact that the paint shows through from the inside is what creates the smooth, marbled glass effect. If the paint were applied to the outside, the design would be colorfully and texturally interesting, but it wouldn’t have the smooth, reflective look of glass.
Now, just repeat the process until all areas of the inside of the vase are covered with paint. Aim to cover a new area each time you put the paper in the vase to keep the design clear. When the sheet of paper starts to look “muddy”, pick up the second sheet and continue.

8. When all areas are covered, allow the vase to dry thoroughly. If you plan to only use the vase alone or with artificial flowers, there’s no need to varnish the inside. If, however, you plan to use live flowers in the vase, you need to cover the inside surface with two coats of waterproof polyurethane. You may find that it is easier get proper coverage in the inside of the vase with a sponge or sponge brush, rather than with a paint brush.

Information from - Quick & Stylish Decorative Crafts (e-book)

Here’s a new idea for plastic canvas – fashion accessories for your hair! This stylish set offers four pretty pieces’
to top off your wardrobe, what a clever idea!
Headband Size: 1-1/4″w
Large Barrette Size: 4-1/2″ w x 2-3/8″ h
Small Barrette Size: 3-1/4 “w x 1-3/8 ” h
Comb Size: 3-7/8″ w x 1-1/2″ h
Supplies: Worsted weight yarn (refer to color key) one 10-1/2″ x 13-1/2″ sheet of 7 mesh plastic canvas, #16 tapestry
needle, 43 – 4mm silver beads, 3/4 “w plastic headband, 3-1/2 “w hair comb, 3″ I and 4″ I barrette fasteners, clear-drying craft glue, felt, sewing needle, and thread
Stitches Used: Backstitch, Cross Stitch, Gobelin Stitch, and Overcast Stitch
Instructions: Follow charts and use required stitches to work piece. Use sewing needle and thread to attach one silver bead to piece at each x
For Headband only: For Bottom, cut a piece of plastic canvas 85 x 8 threads. (Note: Bottom is not worked.) Use black to
join Top to Bottom along short edges. Place plastic headband between Top and Bottom. Use black to join Top to Bottom along unworked edges, easing pieces to form headband shape .
For Barrettes only: Cut felt slightly smaller than barrette and glue to wrong side of stitched piece. Glue barrette fastener to center of felt.
For Comb only: For Back cut a piece of plastic canvas 24 x 10 threads. Work Back with red Tent Stitches. With wrong sides together, use red to join Front to Back along unworked edges of Front. Insert comb into opening and glue opening closed .

Designed by Celia Lange.

copyright Crochet fashion by Paula L. F. Bennet

copyright Crochet fashion by Paula L. F. Bennet

copyright Crochet fashion by Paula L. F. Bennet

materials
• 2 2-in. (5cm) or 11⁄2 in. (3.8cm) Rings
• Black electrical tape (optional)
• 1 Hank 110 seed beads, black
• 1 Package silver-lined craft store “2-cut”
beads or size 1 bugles
• 1 Spool 22-gauge craft wire, black
• 1 Spool 20-gauge craft wire, black (optional)
• 2 Crimp beads
• 10g 60 Seed beads, any colors
• 2 Flat, black pressed-glass beads for pedals
(6-8mm long)
• 1 Red pressed-glass bead for front light
• 4 Cylindrical bone beads, approx. 1⁄2 in.
(1.3cm) long
• 1 Sheet Shrinky Dink
• Colored pencils
• Beading needles, #12
• Nymo D beading thread, black
Tools: scissors, hole punch, wire cutter, roundand
chainnose pliers, tape measure or ruler,
drill with fine bit

stepbystep
After beading the wheels and making assorted bicycle parts including the seat, chain guard, gear sprocket, axle, and head set, you assemble the bicycle body by lacing the parts together with seed beads on wire. Final steps include adding the pedals and handle bars.
wheels
I prefer to use brass rings (sold as macramé rings) because of their weight, but use what you can find in a local
crafts or fabric store. If desired, cover the rings with black electrical tape, or let the metallic glint provide a natural wheel frame effect.

1) If using a white plastic ring, cover it with black electrical tape, burnishing it to the ring and trimming rough edges.
2)Thread a needle with 2 yd. (1.8m) of thread and tie the end onto the ring tightly with a square knot and a few half hitches (see “Basics”).
3)Transfer 3 strands of black 110 seed beads to the thread (about 60 in. /1.5m). Run your needle through the last bead again to secure the strand temporarily and keep it snug as you work.
4)Wrap the strand around and around the ring to cover it. When the end reaches the beginning, go through the first few beads (photo a). Then square stitch (see “Basics”) a few beads at the end and the beginning together to secure them (photo b). Knot with a few half hitches between beads, go through a few beads after the last knot, and cut off the thread. Note: If you haven’t strung enough beads to reach the beginning without gaps, add more; if you have too many, remove them. Make the second wheel.
5)To make a hub for each wheel, string 8 black 110 beads on a 11⁄2-yd.(1.35m) thread. Tie the beads into a tight circle with a square knot and weave the end in later.
6)Square stitch two beads at a time around the circle (see “Basics” and photo c). Work a second square-stitch
row and leave the thread in place for making the spokes.
8)With the hub centered in the tire, alternately string black 110 seed beads and silver 2-cuts to reach the bottom inside of the tire. Go through the beads around the outside of the tire and string a parallel spoke back to the other edge of the hub (photo d). These are the south spokes. Go around through half the hub edge beads to the north side and make the pair of north spokes.
9)Add the east and west spokes in the same fashion (photo e). Then add a set of spokes between each compass point.
Note: You may be tempted to run through the spokes to tighten them as you go. Don’t. Make all the spokes first. If there are any gaps when you are done, run through them again. Complete the second wheel.

assorted bicycle parts
Trace, color with colored pencils,

1) cut out, and bake the Shrinky Dink chain guard and sprocket (figure 1 and 2a or b, shown full size), following manufacturer’s directions. (Different brands shrink to different percentages. If you use another brand, divide the desired finished size by the finished percentage after shrinking and make the template the resulting size.) You can cut the holes in the chain guard 3⁄4 in. (2cm) from the edge with a standard hole punch as shown on figure 1 before baking. Drill a hole in the center of the sprocket after baking.
2) Use a bone bead for the head set at the base of the handle bars. Drill 3 holes all the way through both sides of the bead. Two are side by side placed vertically on the bead toward one end. Drill the third hole perpendicular to the first two and a little toward the other end of the bead (figure 3).
3) Use a bone bead for the pedal axle.Drill two holes near the center, slightly offset and perpendicular to each other (figure 4).
4) For the seat, cut a 20-in. (51cm) length of black 22-gauge wire. String 3 size 60 beads onto the wire and bend it
in half. Run the opposite end of the wire through the last 2 beads (photo f). For the next row, string 3 beads on one wire and run the other wire through from the other side. Continue in this manner, following figure 5. When you have woven the last row, bow the middle of the seat up slightly. Twist the wires together 2-3 times right under the seat and leave the tails for later (photo g).
bike frame
Using 20-gauge wire gives you a sturdier bike, but it will not go through bugles.The 22-gauge wire goes through bugles but not doubled. To build the bicycle frame, you can use any size or variety of beads you like as long as they go over the wire and allow you to reach the specified measurements
1) Cut two 20-in. lengths of 20- or 22-gauge wire. Cut one 3-in. (7.6cm) length, one 4-in. (10cm) length, and one 6-in. (15cm) length.
2) String a 60 bead, a wheel hub, and a 60 bead onto the center of both 20-in.wires. Pull one pair of wires forward and one back and ignore the back wires.
3) String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in. / 3.8cm) on each of the front pair of wires.
4) Run both ends through a 60 bead, the middle hole of the axle bone bead and a 60 bead (photo h).
5)String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in.) on each end of the wire.
6) String a 60 bead, the other wheel’s hub, and a 60 bead on one wire end and cross the other wire end through the three elements. Pull tight (photo i).
7) String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in.) on each end of the wire.
8 ) Run both ends through a 60 bead, the original hole of the bone head set bead, a 60 bead, and a crimp bead. Make sure all the beads are tight and even and crimp the crimp bead (photo j). Don’t crimp it tightly enough to break the wire. Leave the tails for later.
9)String 16 60 beads (13⁄4 in. / 4.3cm) onto both tail wires from the seat held together. Run the ends through the second hole of the axle bone bead (photo k). Add a crimp bead. Pull the beads tight and crimp carefully.
10) String 14 60 beads (11⁄2 in.) onto each end of the second 20-in. wire. Run both ends through two 60 beads. Pass the ends of the wire forward on each side of the seat post wire 3 beads below the seat and string 16 more 60 beads (13⁄4 in.) onto both ends held together. Turn the head set bone bead so the pair of holes faces the seat. Run both wires through the top hole (photo l).
11)Separate the wires and run one through the lower hole. String 20 60 beads (21⁄4 in. / 5.6cm). Wrap the end of the wire next to the axle bone bead (photo m). Trim the tail.
12) To make the light, string the red bead on the wire tail left on the head set bone bead. Trim the wire to 1⁄4 – 3⁄8 in. (6mm-1cm) and make a small loop with the roundnose pliers (see “Basics” and photo n).
finishing touches
1)To make the pedals, bend a small loop on one end of the 4-in. wire. String a pedal bead, 6 60 beads, the top hole of the large end of the chain guard and a 60 bead. Run through the original hole of the axle bone bead. String 6 60 beads and a pedal bead. Trim the wire and make a small loop (photo o).

The double Breasted Jacket became hugely popular around the 1930′s after the Wall Street Crash, made a comeback in the 1980′s, The double-breasted jacket is considered to be “the fashion silhouette” for the early 1980′s,. When the double-breasted jacket returned to popularity only young and daring would wear it. Junior executives, Not senior executives. That has changed. The jacket over the years has become widely popular among Junior and senior executives alike.

The double breasted jacket is one of today’s dominant trends for young women, The double-breasted fashion is so strong … Suits in black and white herringbone stripes, checks and plaids are available in mens and womens sizes

The lady in search of fresh adventure in clothes will soon learn that jacket suits offer much more than a different.

Double breasted jacket are often Taylor made and sold ready made, generally cost a lot.

If you feel adventurous and want to try making your own double breasted jacket,click HERE for the complete pattern making instruction.