Final Free Mixed Media Jewelry Project from Beyond the Bead

Nice and Naughty Shrink Art Charms Copyright 2009 Beyond the Bead by Margot Potter
Nice and Naughty Shrink Art Charms Variation Copyright 2009 Beyond the Bead by Margot Potter

(Click on images to view close up!)

It's time for the final free project from my fabulous new mixed media techniques for the beader book...Beyond the Bead! Insert cries of unfettered glee and joyous abandon here.

This 'charming' project has a tale to tell. Originally these little flappers were a little more...shall we say...naughty. I was asked to consider covering them up just a skootch more and I agreed. It was never my intention to offend, I just have an affection for vintage pin up art. But only if it's naughty...and nice. It looks as if the Dover book I used is no longer in print, so I've provided a link to a fashion illustration title from the same period with less risque images. I've also included some variations I made using colored pencils and vintage Vogue pattern images from the 1940s. This is a pretty straightforward idea, you pick bold pen and ink images and you trace them on the shrink plastic. I'm all about make it easy and make it fun...this is a great project to do with kids (using kid appropriate images...of course!)

So without further drivel...here's your free project! Leave a comment and I'll randomly select a winner to be announced on April 1st. No fooling, tee hee. I'll be sending you a signed copy of the book, a jaunty Beyond the Bead promo button and a stash of CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements sparklies for your collection! Good luck! Oh and if you're on Facebook, would you consider joining my Fan Page? I'll announce upcoming events and airings on QVC there, share project debuts and links to what's new in Madge's world. Pretty please?

Nice and Naughty Shrink Art Charms
Copyright 2009 Margot Potter
Beyond the Bead for North Light Books

Are you a naughty girl? Do you love to dance on the edge of decency? Do you ‘rouge your knees and roll your stockings down’? Well, my little flapper girl, these nifty little shrink art charms are certain to suit your style. Vo dee oh doh!

*Any clean and simple black and white inked illustrations will work here. The bigger the better so you can really get the detail in before it shrinks! It’s important to use a very, very fine tipped market so you can really get the lines clean or the finished result could be lacking in definition. You can add more or less color depending on your mood.

Supplies
Dover Spot Illustrations Book
Rough and Ready shrink plastic
Ranger Adirondack pen red pepper
Ranger Archival Ink black
Micron 005 fine tipped black marker
4mm gun metal jump rings
Krylon silver leafing pen
Sheet of brown kraft paper cut to fit oven tray

Tools
Hole punch
Craft dedicated Toaster oven
Metal spatula
2 pairs chain nose pliers

1. Select images from book. Remember that they shrink a lot, so pick large detailed images for best results.
2. Trace images on rough side of plastic using a fine tipped marker.
3. Accent images with red marker.
4. Cut out images with sharp scissors making interesting shapes.
5. Create hole in top of image with hole punch.
6. Place images in preheated toaster oven on top of precut brown paper bag liner on oven tray.
7. Allow to shrink, use spatula to flatten any still curled images before cooling.
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
9. Use metal leaf pen to edge images. Allow to dry.
10. Attach jump rings to charms.

Supplies
Rough and Ready Shrink Art Plastic Shrinky Dinks, Spot Illustrations Dover Books, Adirondack pen and Archival Ink Ranger, Micron pen Kuretake, Silver leafing pen Krylon, gun metal jump rings Rings n’ Things.