Crafting a Family Tree

This month's crafting inspiration comes to us from our wonderful reader and inspired crafter, Sharon Sullivan. She writes, "I thought you might enjoy seeing what I did with your wonderful bamboo tile beads and beading cord." Click on the images for full-size views.

"Family is everything to us, and I came up with this idea one night while working on ancestry.com! 'Our Family Tree.' " Her whole family is on the left, and her immediate family is on the right. "As you can see, there are a couple empty branches for future growth of the family."

Well, we just love this idea, and Sharon was kind enough to share her photos and inspiration with us all. In addition to our bamboo domino tiles and cord, Sharon used an arty branch from www.save-on-crafts.com. Thank you Sharon! We are sending you a super duper goody bag for your inspirational project idea, as well as a $50 store credit good towards your next visit! Keep on crafting ~ we can't wait to see what's next!

This is Sharon's OTHER creation! She writes, "Oh, I'm attaching another picture to show you what I did with one of the freebies you sent. It was truly one of my daughter-in-law's favorite gifts! I put pictures of our grandbabies on a black background and affixed them to the bamboo tile. The holes were a bit too small for the cord on my freebie necklace, but a bit of careful drilling bored it out just enough that the necklace slipped right through. A couple of silver beads and voila! A beautiful way to show off her kiddos!  Again, thanks."

Do you have a favorite creation made with our supplies? Care to share with us? Just e-mail us, rubbernation@comcast.net. If we use your finished project on our site or in our newsletter, we'll send along a $50 store credit for you to use as you please on your next order!

A small plug - check out our Dollar Beads and End of Year 50-80% off Clearance sections ~ you'll be glad you did.

Happy Crafty New Year to All - wishing you a happy and healthy 2011 with time to spend with family, craft, and to share your stories with us!

Thank you all for an absolutely wonderful year here, from Kim, Cheryl, Anne, Helen, Kelly, Molly, Robin and Nick! Hope to see you soon! Watch for us in the New Year as we begin the transition from www.rubbernation.com to our zippy new home on the web, www.eCrafty.com!

Check out our family friendly crafts: Try our fridge magnets, scrabble tile crafts, or flattened bottle caps pendants, add clear self-stick epoxy domes - all are extremely easy projects for kids to finish on their own!

Dichroic Glass Bracelet on a Shoestring Budget, Crafting Simply for the Holidays

December's inspiration is all about keeping it simple.  I was inspired by a dichroic bracelet I saw in an artists gallery this summer and asked my 11-year old son Nick for his help.Look at the gorgeous results- this took him 5 minutes - (granted, he does everything fast) it couldn't be simpler - he picked 12 of our flat-backed dichroic glass cabs and e-6000'dthem onto one of our bracelet forms. Done! Literally, 5 minutes or less. Coordinates beautifully with ourready-to-wear dichroic glass earrings.

Take it Easy! Shop in your PJs! My favorite tip for a stress-free holiday is to relax, stay home, and shop in your pajamas!  Put on a fire and get out the cocoa - We've got a ton of fun little gifting ideas to keep you in your jammies and out of the malls - here's just a few!

PS ~ Stress less ~ Save 20% instantly ~ use your payment page savings code NEWS1210.

Our Top "Keep it Simple" Gift Ideas (by Technique)

1. Peel n Stick!

Scrabble Tile Magnets

Bottle Cap Pendants

Adhesive Magnets (circles or rounds)

Beadalon Peel/Stick 1" squares

Photo Charm/Pendant Forms with Epoxy Dome Lenses

DIY Typewriter Letter Charm Kits

Bottle Cap Pendants with Epoxy Dome Lenses

2. Just Glue It!

Glue On Bracelet Forms

Glue On Ring Forms

e6000 Adhesive

Dichroic Cab 10 packs or Scrabble Tiles

DIY Scrabble Tile Pendant Kit Makes 10

3. Just Hang it!

Ice Crystals

Photo Charms as Ornaments

Memory Frames as Ornaments

4. Just Click It! (Already assembled, boxed or bagged, ready to give)

 Photo Bracelets with Gift Box (6 new styles for December!)

 Dichroic or Swarovski,Glass Earrings with Organza Bag

 Holiday Sayings Bracelets 2 for $1

Boxed or Organza-Bagged Gifts Ready to Give

Jewelry Sets with Gift Box

Jingle Bell Earrings with Gift Box

Jumbo Jingle Bell Necklaces

 Typewriter Bead Charms, Necklaces

 Instant Photo Charm Pendants (Square or Round)

4. Gussie it Up!

Organza Bags for Gifting, Goodie Wrapping, Bath Salt Making

Organza Ribbon Neck Cords

Velvet Neck Cords

About our lead story - that is one cool bracelet - I think I'm getting it for Christmas! Woo hoo!

About the artist: My son Nick is an 11-year creative force of nature who loves to dabble in many many things in his spare time. Watch out world!

 

DIY: 5 Easy Holiday Ornaments, Gifts, or Pendants in Under 5 Minutes!

I'm an impatient crafter. I like to make simple things, quickly, with great results.  If this sounds familiar, read on!Our newest Memory Frames have just arrived - In a wonderful new larger size - 1.5" tall - 1 inch wide - classic jewelry and ornament proportions. reversible, changeable silver plated brass metal frame charms. We also stocked up on our 1" frames - perfect for ornaments, charms, etc. Top loading photo frame. 2-sided clear acetate photo/art protector insert included.

Make a customized two-sided altered art or photo charm/pendant in an instant! No sealers, no glues, no coating to apply - just place your art or photo between the folded acetate insert, load into the top of the frame ~ that's it.

Less talk, more crafts! How about some inspiring pictures? Our instant memory frames come in 5 sizes from 3/4" charms to our newest 1 1/2" tall pendants. 
No matter what the size - We like to secure the artwork on the inside with a drop of 3D Crystal Lacquer, Weldbond or Diamond Glaze.

Complete the look with our jump rings, organza cords, cords, organza gift bags, chains orpendant watches. PS ~ Our newest jump ring mega mix contains 5 bags, 100pc each, of jump rings in the most used sizes from 5mm up to 12mm - check it out! Customer favorites!

Find a BARGAIN in our Dollar Beads and Craft Supplies: FYI - we usually try to keep about 50 items in the dollar bin! Stop in! We offer organza cords by the each, for just .99 cents in some cases. We also offer handy packs of glass beads, charms, more.

We have SO many ways to personalize your holiday gifts - this is a quick start - for more memory frame ideas and photo charms, click here.

If you're not the plan ahead type and like living in the moment,  we've included some anytime ways to craft up a storm with our instant frames ~ see our samples below! Happy creating!

http://www.rubbernation.com/catalog/memoryframeinstantpend700.jpg

MEMORY FRAMES  |  Minis
	DIY Photo Charms Art Jewelry 1" 2-Sided Silver Plated Square w Clear Acetate Insert Reversible, changeable silver plated brass metal frame charm. 1" or 25mm square. Top loading photo frame charm. 2-sided clear acetate photo/art protector insert included. Available by piece or in bulk packs - see details page.	Price: $2.99 Retail: $5.99 You Save: $3.00 (50%) See more details and bulk pricing
	DIY Photo Charms Art Jewelry 1x1.5" 34mm 2-Sided Silver Plated Rectangle w Clear Acetate Insert 1 reversible, changeable silver plated brass metal frame charm. 1"x1.5" rectangle or 24x35mm. Frame style E. Top loading photo frame with 1 top loop. Perfect dimensions for pendants, photo, altered art charm bracelets and linked or embellished pendants. 2-sided clear acetate photo/art protector insert included. Also available in bulk packs - see details page.	Price: $2.99 Retail: $5.99 You Save: $3.00 (50%) See more details andbulk pricing
	DIY Photo Charms Art Jewelry 3/4" 17mm 2-Sided Silver Plated Square 2 Loops w Clear Acetate Insert 1 reversible, changeable silver plated brass metal frame charm. 3/4" square or 17mm. Frame style D. Top loading photo frame. 2 loops for photo, altered art charm bracelets and linked or embellished pendants. 2-sided clear acetate photo/art protector insert included. Also available in bulk packs - see details page.	Price: $1.99 Retail: $3.99 You Save: $2.00 (50%) See more details and bulk pricing
	DIY Photo Charms Art Jewelry 3/4" 17mm 2-Sided Silver Plated Square w Clear Acetate Insert Reversible, changeable silver plated brass metal frame charm. 3/4" square or 17mm. Frame style A. Top loading photo frame. 2-sided clear acetate photo/art protector insert included. Available by piece or in bulk packs - see details page.	Price: $2.99 Retail: $5.99 You Save: $3.00 (50%) See more details and bulk pricing
	DIY Photo Charms Art Jewelry 7/8" 22x16mm 2-Sided Silver Plated Rectangle w Clear Acetate Insert Reversible, changeable silver plated brass metal frame charm. Frame style B. 7/8" tall rectangle or 16mm x 22mm. Top loading photo frame. 2-sided clear acetate photo/art protector insert included. Available by piece or in value packs - see details page.	Price: $2.99 Retail: $5.99 You Save: $3.00 (50%) See more details andbulk pricing

http://www.rubbernation.com/catalog/memoryframeinstantpend700.jpg

NEW SIZE! DIY Photo Charms Art Jewelry 1x1.5" 34mm 2-Sided Silver Plated Rectangle w Clear Acetate Insert

New Large Rectangle DIY Photo Charms Make Great Art Jewelry and Christmas Ornaments

FRAME STYLE E. 1 reversible, changeable silver plated brass metal frame charm. 1" wide x 1.5" tall or 24mmx35mm with top loop ~ great for bracelets and linked or embellished pendants. Top loading photo frame charm. 2-sided clear acetate photo/art protector insert included. 

Make a customized two-sided altered art or photo charm/pendant in an instant! No sealers, no glues, no coating to apply - just place your art or photo between the folded acetate insert, load into the top of the frame ~ that's it. We stock the mini frames and inserts in five sizes: .75" and 1" squares with top loops, and .75" squares with 2 loops for connecting as bracelet components or pendants, as well as .65 x .85" (16x22mm) rectangles and 1"x1.5" (24x35mm) ~ good for word and message charms.

To finish: Place your altered art, photos, collage elements (see our coordinating downloadable collage elements for instant inspiration), printouts, clippings, etc. between the folded clear acetate sheet insert, slide down into the top of the metal frame, and you've got instant charms or pendants without custom soldering for a beautifully finished art piece to wear or to hang. Coordinates with our 1" craft/paper punches.

We like to secure the artwork on the inside with a drop of 3D Crystal Lacquer, Weldbond or Diamond Glaze. Complete the look with one of our jump rings, organza cords, charm bracelets, cords, chains or wires.Plan ahead! This is a WONderful idea for holiday presents, jewelry and ornaments!

See more instant memory frames here (click)
See more classic memory frames (glass inserts) here:
See more photo charm and art pendant forms here:

Make Photo, Altered Art Jewelry in an Instant with our New Charm Recipes!

You've got questions, we've got answers! We've taken the guesswork out of all of your round photo charm needs. 

Click on the picture for a detailed view -you can quickly find magnifying cabs, bases, domed epoxy bubbles, matching bases, and charms by size by typing in the appropriate SKU in our search box.

Our square pendant bases are a little less complicated - we offer 1" square epoxy domes, 1" thicker square glass tiles, or 7/8" rectangles suitable for scrabble tiles.

No matter the shape - all of these methods avoid waiting for the layers of glaze or resin to dry on your photo and altered art jewelry!

Check out our ALL of our new pendant forms with a thinner 2mm rim and a 1" opening (25mm interior) to coordinate PERFECTLY with our clear instant adhesive epoxy dots and 25mm glass tiles as well! Our SKUs  1240, 1241 and 1242 coordinate with 1" squares bubbles, our SKU 1238 works with 1" circle bubbles.

 

We have pendant kits, plus extra squares, circles, clear epoxy dots AND glass tiles. Two of our square pendant styles are available in 2mm or 4mm thicknesses ~ letting you can choose your pendant depth and glass tile effect (sealed or exposed edge).

 

You can make a pendant out of nearly any flat art with this system - and if you don't have a hole punch nearby, you can use the clear adhesive epoxy dot as a trimming template after you've applied it to your image.

 

Plan ahead! These make wonderfully easy and personalized holiday gifts ~ and, they're easy enough and lots of fun for the kids to do! Happy creating!

 

In other news this month, check out our newest arrivals including new 1 inch clear ICE glass tile 10-packs (no discounts available on the 10packs or bulk items) in both squares and circles (slightly larger than our previous 23mm stock and the perfect fit for your 1" craft punch, our 1" pendant blanks, 1" magnets, 1" adhesive magnets, 1" bottle caps, etc!.

 

Don't forget the adhesives for your base - we recommend ourE6000 craft adhesive, as well as our 1" trimmable instant bonding dots and our 3D Crystal Lacquer sealer/adhesive.

Look for lots of excitement as we begin to make the transition from our well-loved web home Rubber Nation Crafts to the larger and zippier eCrafty.com over the next month or so.

 

And, bargain hunters and crafty souls - keep a look out for grand REopening member specials as well as a boatload of new items (yes, it's that time of year again! ~ our annual FALL BOATLOAD shipment is on the way!).

 

 If you're still reading - start clicking! We have over 40 new items for August and another 20+ sneek peeks already for September - Happy creating, happy last gasp of SUMMER from all of us at Rubber Nation Crafts and soon...eCrafty.com!

DIY Photo Jewelry Keepsake Bracelet Silver Plated 6- Link 9"  Add photos, mini artwork or stamps. Just glue image into frame, add one of our clear sealers over it! Picture/inner area: 12mm x 16mm, Frame/outer size 22mm x 18mm. Bracelet form measures 9" including chain and clasp. If you'd like it shorter, simply remove a link. Price: $4.99 Buy Now

Quick and Easy Gift Ideas: Make your Own Personalized Typewriter Pendants

Quick and Easy Gift Ideas: Make your Own Personalized Typewriter Key Pendants with our Downloadable Collage Elements 1" Typewriter Keys 2 Smith Corona Style Black Tan

Instant download after purchase ~ no waiting! Free shipping! Full sheet ~ 8 1/2x11". Beautiful hi-res 300 DPI artwork for use with our bottle caps, glass tiles, epoxy dots, acrylic cabochons, pendant jewelry forms, microscope slides, memory frames ~ make collage, jewelry and altered art projects. Instant download link will be e-mailed to you following checkout. See our expanding downloadable art section. Jump start your creativity with fun artwork pre-sized to your next project ~ lots of possibilities!

Printing instructions:

Instant download link will be e-mailed to you following checkout.

If you are registered on our site, you will also find all of your download links in the "My downloads" section

Open or save the .jpg file on your computer

Files are at high-res 300dpi in .jpg format.

Print on glossy ink jet photo or good quality coated gloss paper if possible.

Full size: Print as is or use "print to fit" setting on your printer, along with "high" quality output for best results.

This set is SCALABLE based on your own printer's capabilities ~ to print out at 1/2" or 3/4" circles - adjust your printer (50% or 75% output scaling). Similarly, you can increase the scale to get 1" circle with no border design.

See our other alphabets for more design options. Each printer is different - you might experiment with brightness and contrast settings to calibrate the art to your liking.

To use for finished jewelry with our pendant bases & bottle caps: You can do alot with just one sheet! : It is a 300dpi (will appear larger on screen) prints out to 8.5x11 letter size sheet. Increase printout size slightly (about 105% on your printer settings) if you're planning to punch or trim. You can also decrease the size for 3/4" charms, etc. by proportionally decreasing the output size on your printer (75% etc.).You can use our instant peel/stick epoxy dots to seal your images on to bottle caps, magnet bases, etc.You can use your own ink jet or laser printouts, dry, SET THE INK with a little chapstick or wax based lip balm on both sides, let dry. Then use one of our clear sealers (3D Crystal Lacquer, Diamond Glaze, even Mod Podge) let dry completely, overnight, with several thin layers.

Beads Wholesale and Jewelry Making Supplies -Mini Glass Vial Bottle Pendant Necklace 25mm w/ Cork Charm & Cord GREEN Dragonfly Wish Keeper

Introducing our Wish Keeper Necklace. 1 filled mini glass vial bottle pendant charm necklace. Filled with metallic mini beads ~ available in a assortment of colors such as blue, green pink, aqua and gold. Includes beaded decorative cork stopper, charm and cord. 25mm each. (approx. 1" tall). A delightful pendant necklace. Think outside the bottle ~ use the beads and fill with whatever you wish! Great for a gift or to wear yourself.

Beads Wholesale and Jewelry Making Supplies -Just the Fancies! Lampwork Beads Mix BLUE 6-24mm 50g

Don't know if you've heard - but we're UNLOADING 35 BOXES from our fall craft supplies and beads shipment! Here's a new arrival we're just thrilled about - we can't post pictures fast enough...these lovely lampwork glass bead strands come in a rainbow of colors - pink, black, blue, aqua, green, red ~ take your pick, add some crystals and findings and have FUN creating!

Approx. 30 beads. 6-24mm mainly. 50 gram bags or stands. Just like the name says, ONLY fancy lampwork beads in the most popular sizes for jewelry making. Focal butterfly, little ladybug, encased roses, florals, appliqued, striated, fancy and foiled art glass beads. Random assortments ~ we update the product picture as new mixtures arrive - bead count and mix will vary. Fantastic price for super fancy lampworks - keep a couple packs on hand for those inspired moments! See our findingssection for related add-a-bead pendant makers, head pins, earring hooks, cording and other helpful jewelry making supplies.

Beads Wholesale and Jewelry Making Supplies -Fearless Crafters Metal Beads Charms Pendants Mix 100g

Just arrived! If you are looking for some inexpensive CRAFTY FUN, try our new Fearless Crafters Metal Bead Mix! A free-spirited mix of lead and nickel-free solid metal alloy beads, charms, connectors, pendants, even bookmarks in some cases! Mixed finishes, colors, themes etc. 100 grams. 4-100mm. Bead count varies greatly - expect about 50-70 pc. per 100 gram bag. You are purchasing solid non-tarnishing metal alloy NOT sterling silver beads. Combine with others, save BIG on shipping!


To see all of our new arrivals, just click here

To make sure you don't miss our BOATLOAD SHIPMENT news, join our newsletter list and get upgraded to SAVINGS CODES monthly!

Beads Wholesale and Jewelry Making Supplies -Watch Face Charm Pendant Necklace w Ant Silver Plated Ball Chain 30in

Just in! Our favorite new doodad! (1) 22mm (just under 1") light weight, working top-loop watch (with new battery) on a 24 or 30 inch ant. silver ball chain necklace. A fun and simple gift! Make it more unique by adding our word charms, photo charms, message charms or other embellishments for a truly customized gift.http://www.rubbernation.com/servlet/the-4216/Watch-Face-Charm-Pendant/Detail

Beads Wholesale and Jewelry Making Supplies -Message in a Bottle Keepsake Pendant Kit Copper Fillable Tube Vial Altered Art

Beads Wholesale and Jewelry Making Supplies -Message in a Bottle Keepsake Pendant Kit Copper Fillable Tube Vial Altered Art

Our New 1" Pendant Kits Make Photo, Altered Art Jewelry in an Instant!

Well, for something little, this is BIG! NO waiting for the glaze to dry on your photo and altered art jewelry! Check out our ALL of our new pendant forms with a thinner 2mm rim and a 1" opening (25mm interior) to coordinate PERFECTLY with our clear instant adhesive epoxy dots and 25mm glass tiles as well! Our SKUs  1240, 1241 and 1242 coordinate with 1" square bubbles, our SKU 1238 works with1" circle bubbles.

We have pendant kits, plus extra squares, circles, clear epoxy dots AND glass tiles. Two of our square pendant styles are available in 2mm or 4mm thicknesses ~ letting you can choose your pendant depth and glass tile effect (sealed or exposed edge).

You can make a pendant out of nearly any flat art with this system - try ourdownloadable art sheets for instant inspiration. If you don't have a hole punch nearby, you can use the clear adhesive epoxy dot as a trimming template after you've applied it to your image.

Plan ahead! These make wonderfully easy and personalized holiday gifts ~ and, they're easy enough and lots of fun for the kids to do! Happy creating!

In other news this month, check out our newest arrivals including new 1 inch clear ICE glass tile 10-packs (no discounts available on the 10packs or bulk items) in both squares and circles (slightly larger than our previous 23mm stock and the perfect fit for your 1" craft punch, our 1" pendant blanks, 1" magnets, 1" adhesive magnets, 1" bottle caps, etc!.

Don't forget the adhesives for your base - we recommend our E6000 craft adhesive, as well as our 1" trimmable instant bonding dots and our 3D Crystal Lacquer sealer/adhesive.

Look for lots of excitement as we begin to make the transition from our well-loved web home Rubber Nation Crafts to the larger and zippier eCrafty.com over the next month or so.

And, bargain hunters and crafty souls - keep a look out for grand REopening member specials as well as a boatload of new items (yes, it's that time of year again! ~ our annual FALL BOATLOAD shipment is on the way!).

Super savings for our subscribers! Don't forget to use your 5-day member's 20% off code - NEWSAUG10 good on everything on our site except bulk lot items (10 packs, 100 packs, etc,)....most of these are noted on the site as no additional discounts available.

If you're still reading - start clicking! We have over 40 new items for August and another 20+ sneek peeks already for September - Happy creating, happy last gasp of SUMMER from all of us at Rubber Nation Crafts and soon...eCrafty.com!

MAKE it TONIGHT! Cornucopia Leaf Leaves Cha Cha Bracelet **KIT* *OUR KIT Includes beading cord, beads and instructions. To make this bracelet: String a 100-gram bag of our organic glass charms mix (see suggested materials below) onto clear super stretch cording and voila! You've created a VERY easy masterpiece to keep or to give. Bracelet measures about 7". You will need 2 bags of our SKU 1384 Organic Leaves and Shapes mix (our kit includes 1 bag) or add spacer beads for larger wrists. Add some ear wires and a few extra dangles if you're having too much fun to quit. If I can do it, ANYone can! Estimated time: 15 minutes - 1/2 hour. Have fun!