Recycled Jewelry Project and Madge's New Tiara

All Eyes on You copyright 2009 Margot Potter

This is the All Eyes on You necklace. I’m mad for this one. Every time I wear it, I get rave reviews. I’ve got it on in the new video, so I figured I’d give you the 411.

These are 1.75” Bazzill Basics thick chipboard circles with images from fashion magazines cut out and adhered with decoupage medium on both sides. They are light as a feather, so you can really pile them on. I used my Crop-a-dile to punch a hole in each one so I could hang it from a 10mm jump ring. To give them a more distressed look I took a nail file to the images (gently) and then added layers of stamped flourishes in Ranger archival ink in jet black and stamped type in Ranger silver paint dabber. I sealed it all with Mod Podge Glossy using a brush to get some texture and edged each pendant with Krylon silver leafing pen in silver. They look fabulous with the Beadalon Quick Links components, very mod. I have a similarly themed project in my second book The Impatient Beader Gets Inspired taking sections of images from vintage fashion magazines and adding ironic text from the actual ad copy beneath each image. I put those in soldered microscope frames, which added another element of irony to the concept. I think it interesting to dissect the messages with which women are regularly bombarded. Plus I’m all for upcycling and there are so many great images in the mags we toss out, why not put them to good use?

The BQOTU's new tiara.

Green Acres is the place to be!

This past weekend my hubby took some pics of me in a new tiara I’m hoping to teach for an upcoming special event. Here it is and here I am wearing it in a Green Acres photo op with our escape chicken and Amos, one of our pot bellied pigs. I gave my ‘Holly Would’ tiara from Sparkletastic to a very lovely woman who worked in a washroom in Chicago. She had the most gorgeous voice...forget Susan Boyle-move over Aretha...this woman was a superstar. I just figured she needed that tiara more than I did, and she was thrilled. Honestly, I think every gal needs a tiara. Even if you just wear it to wash the dishes. I think we should all crown ourselves queen of something, which is why I sometimes call myself Bead Queen of the Universe or BQOTU™.

Why the hell not? You can be anything you choose. So choose well.

“I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny, old attics; even if they dress in rags; even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us. Didn't you father ever tell you that? Didn't he?” A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett

xoxo,
Queen Madge