Floam Me Up, Scotty!

Everything is cuter in Japan...even Floam!

In between the mountain of other design work I've got on my plate right now, I was asked to create some creations with Floam by the fine folks at QVC for an upcoming airing. I finally carved out some time Monday and began a floam exploration. I covered a recycled plastic bottle with Floam...and woke up to a puddle of melted floam under the bottle on Tuesday. So maybe it's not a great plan to Floam a plastic bottle...but it worked fabulously on Styrofoam balls and a variety of other surfaces. I was hoping to have time to make more samples, but I was called in at 4pm Tuesday for a morning airing Wednesday...which is today for you but I'm blogging in advance.

Enter fan stage right!

Wait until you see Frosty the Floam-man. That is if you see me today, Wednesday at 10am EST on QVC with the 6 piece Floam kit! If you miss it, you can watch the video at the hot link after the show ends. Yipee! My daughter made two fabulous masks and we Floamed a variety of items. Personally, methinks Floam works best on porous surfaces. That's just me.

So with all of the Floaming and the designing and the deadlines...I had no time for Retrofabulosity, in fact I didn' t have much time for any semblance of fabulosity and I'm saying a small prayer my Floam samples are dry by morning.

'Tis the season! Tomorrow I'll be participating in a fun holiday craft blog link round robin and then maybe...if all goes well...I'll share Frosty the Floam-man and his instructions here in the old bloggy blog on Friday!

We shall see.

Floamingly yours,
Madge

Free Kid's Mixed Media Jewelry Project by Avalon Potter

Avalon's Super Cool Mixed Media Necklace Copyright 2009

The thing I love the best about kids is that they have no filters. They're brutally honest and they're not afraid of taking risks. Until someone nags the creativity out of them, they're blissfully unaware of the rules. I like to fancy myself that sort of creative soul and I try as best as I can to nurture that freeform creativity in my daughter.

Avalon and I found these AWESOME K & Company chipboard animals recently and we knew immediately that they simply had to be made into some fun jewelry. I've not had a chance to make my piece yet, but she's finished hers and it's fabulous! I love the colors she chose and how beautifully she used asymmetry. Mind blowing. We had a small craftastrophe when she tried to punch a hole in the koala, but we put on our thinking caps and used a small grungeboard shape to cover up the bad hole and add a little texture and dimension in the process. Plus it gives him a little personality, don't you think?

Kid crafts don't have to be cheesy or simple, you'd be surprised what a kid will create with a little help on the technical aspects. I'd wear this necklace in a New York minute! Great work, Miss Avalon!

Avalon's Super Cool Mixed Media Necklace
Copyright 2009 Avalon Potter
For Personal Use Only

Materials
K&Company Actopus to Zelephant Chipboard Koala and Elephant
6 8mm rose water opal CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
4 8mm mint alabaster CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
6 8mm black diamond CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
3 8mm white alabaster CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
Small Grungeboard shape
Brown Ranger paint dabber
Decoupage medium matte or gloss
All purpose craft glue
2 sterling Beadalon EZ-Crimp ends
5 10mm silver plated jump rings
49 strand .018 Beadalon wire
11" section grey Beadalon polyester chain
Silver plated large swivel lobster clasp

Tools
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Wire cutters
Crop-o-dile
Paint brush

1. Paint decoupage medium on chipboard. Allow to dry. Repeat for opposite side.
2. Paint grungeboard shape and allow to dry. Adhere to forehead of koala.
3. Mark and punch hole in center top and bottom of koala and top center of elephant.
4. Attach and EZ-Crimp end to one end of an 8" segment of wire.
5. Slide on your beads in the following order: black diamond, rose water, blk. diamond, mint, blk. diamond, rose, mint, rose, rose, mint, rose, blk. diamond, mint, blk. diamond, rose, blk. diamond, three white alabaster.
6. Thread wire into second EZ-Crimp using chain nose pliers to grasp and pull. Keep wire slightly rounded to prevent from being too stiff. Attach end and cut off excess wire.
7. Thread a jump ring on elephant and attach to center front of beaded segment.
8. Attach a jump ring to bottom of koala and attach to left side of beaded segment.
9. Remove poly chain segment and attach with a jump ring to top of koala.
10. Attach a jump ring to open end of beaded segment.
11. Attach lobster clasp to open end of poly chain segment.

Enjoy!

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo,
Madge and AVALON!