Beginnings of a few bangles

I was reading this blog http://www.michlinla.com/2010/12/lime-green-bangle.html the other day and thought "This is a good idea for making bangles to cover with other stuff instead of buying them", so I went to my local dollar store and got a three pack of plastic glasses (cost $1.50 for the three) and cut one up today. This post is about that; a future one will be about the finished bangles that I make with them.


BEFORE:

AFTER:

First I ran a length of masking tape around the glass at the width I wanted the bangle. Then I started cutting it.
I had quite a time finding a way to cut the glass up without breaking it but after trying scissors (as suggested in Mich. L. in L.A.'s blog), an Exacto knife, and a saw, I finally thought of the thing that I found worked best for me...

...a soldering/wood burning iron!

It leaves a wider "cut", 

but it worked wonders for cutting the plastic into slices without breaking it.

In the photo above you can see where I tried using scotch tape when I was using the saw and Exacto knife. I don't recommend it if you are using the iron. It melts too! If you are using scissors to cut your glass, it will work just fine to define the "cut line", but NOT if you melting it like I did.

I kept a rag handy to wipe the hot tip on when it got goopy with melted plastic.

 It's actually the toe of a sock that has long ago lost it's partner. (I knew it would come in handy for something if I kept it!)

Okay, now comes the time consuming part. The iron melts the plastic, which leaves a ridge of melted plastic on the edges of the bangles. I used an Exacto knife to CAREFULLY cut away that melted ridge. I couldn't get photos because I had to use both hands to handle the bangle, but if you hold it at the right angle and kinda "pop" the plastic off, it works rather well. Just be VERY CAREFUL to not cut yourself. There is no fun in creating pretty things when you end up minus a thumb!!! I held the blade flat against the bangle and slid it along under the melted ridge and kinda lifted once in awhile to pop the ridge away from the bangle.
Then I took the scissors and trimmed up the edges and made them a bit more uniform in width. (I wasn't very careful and got mine really uneven when I melted them.) If needed you can use an emery board or file to smooth out any rough spots. I didn't worry too much about getting mine perfect as they will be covered soon anyway.

Once the glass is cut up into bangles and smoothed out (if desired), they are ready to be covered with your choice of "pretty".

I found instructions on Red Heart yarns website for crocheted and knitted bangles and am going to try that on these bangles. Maybe try some ribbon wrapped around them or even glue a bit of batting on them and then wrap them with fabric to make a pretty, "puffy" bangle.

I will be making another post once I have a few made, with pictures to show you all what they end up looking like.   (Wish me luck!!!)   :-)

*I will be getting a better camera soon, so hopefully after I learn to use it, the photos in my posts will be better. Right now I'm using the camera on my phone! :-/

Thank you for once again joining me, and I hope you have fun coming up with all sorts of ways to decorate your own bangles. Good day my fellow crafters....

Heaven is for REAL Deluxe Edition

I know, this isn't crafting or creating, but I love to read and I loved this book so thought I'd share the review I wrote after reading it. Who knows, maybe you'll want to read it also. Interesting to say the least.

Wow, this is an amazing story. After I read it, I let my Mom read it and she loved it also. My Mom recommended it to her sister, and Aunt Ruth Ellen is going to try to find it through her library. My brother read it after we were done and he really liked it. then he loaned it to our Uncle Earl and he said he couldn't put it down. 
This book is very easy to read and the story goes quickly, so even those of you that don't like to read shouldn't have a problem reading this in no time. My Mom got through it in one day. I took three different days to read it, but I only read before going to bed, so it really only took me a matter of a few hours to read it also. 
I have never read a book about "near death experience" or "life after death" that was anything like this book. A little boy goes to heaven while he is in surgery for a ruptured appendix that had gotten infected. Over the next few months and even years he talked to his parents about what he saw and did while he was "dead". His Dad is the one who wrote the book and it is from his perspective although he does quote his son in some instances. He tells how he and his wife responded to the things that their son said in the months after the surgery and how they finally started to believe that there was no way that their 4 year old could be making any of this up. (Like how he met his sister whom his Mom miscarried before he was even born. His parents had NEVER mentioned that miscarriage in Colton's hearing.)
Even if you don't believe in heaven and hell, or God and Satan, this is still a good book to read. I really enjoyed it, as I DO believe in heaven; but it is a pleasant story to read even if you are reading it only for the entertainment factor. 
My father died three weeks ago and I received this book for free to review shortly after he died. I believe in heaven and my father was a great man of God so I believe he is in heaven now with Jesus, but even believing that, reading this book touched my spirit in a way that no other book ever has. It left a feeling of comfort and peace in it's wake. 
This is not just another "near death" book. This book will touch your heart!
I am recommending that everyone that knows how to read give this book a try. It is worth the few hours that it takes to get through it!

Thanksgiving Thankfulness

     Hello,
My name is Elizabeth and I am starting a new blog. I have never done anything like this before so I hope I don't mess up TOO badly! :-)
  First I would like to share 10 things I am grateful for since it IS Thanksgiving evening.

1. My dear Mom. (I lost my Dad last month, so it means even more to me to have my Mom so close. She is my best friend.)
2. My Dad. (He is gone now, but I learned a lot from him while he was here. Wish I could have learned more.)
3. The roof over my head. (Not everyone is so lucky. and it happens to be raining right now!)
4. My car. (Even though gas prices are higher than I like, it is still nice to not have to walk everywhere.)
5. All of the many websites and blogs that I have been to in recent months to learn new things, and improve things I already knew.
6. Answered prayers. (I believe in Jesus and He is one of the things I am grateful for so it is on my list!) 
7. All of my dear family and friends. (True friends are hard to come by so I don't take mine lightly.)
8. My job. (I may not make a lot of money but I love what I do and there are many people that can't say that.)
9. All the rough spots in life that have taught me that I AM tougher than I think I am. I am a survivor! 
10. And last but not least...the delicious Pecan Topped Carrot Pie that I made today!

It really isn't as gross as it sounds (and believe me, when you don't like carrots, it sounds pretty gross!) It tastes like a combination of pumpkin and pecan pie. I love both so for me it is the best of both worlds! I found the recipe in the February/March 2008 issue of Taste of Home magazine, (Page 17 if anyone cares.) 

Of course, this didn't have enough calories in it so I have to add just a few more...

It was SO worth the extra workout that I will have to do to burn those calories, though! A little slice of heaven, it was. 

Here is the recipe in case any of you want to try it:

Pecan-Topped Carrot Pie

Prep: 35 min / Bake: 45-50 min + cooling

Darlene King   Estevan, Saskatchewan

4 cups sliced fresh carrots (or, as I use, 1 can of carrots ~ E)

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I use homemade pumpkin pie spice from a recipe I found at SparkPeople.com)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of salt

1 unbaked pie shell (9 inch)

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

*Add 1 inch of water to a large sauce pan; add carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 9-11 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.*

  Place the carrots, milk, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt in a blender. Cover and process until pureed; blend 1 minute longer. Pour into pastry shell. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and butter; sprinkle over filling.

  Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and edges are browned. (Cover edges of crust with foil during the last 20 minutes, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning.) Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

  Yields: 6-8 servings.

*Skip this step if using canned carrots.*

Well, it took me long enough to do my first blog that it is now officially Black Friday instead of Thanksgiving! So you all be safe and have fun SHOPPING!!!!!

There's no telling what will be showing up here next, so stay tuned. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon.  :-)  

Heaven is for REAL Deluxe Edition

Wow, this is an amazing story. After I read it, I let my Mom read it and she loved it also. Next I'm going to let my brother read it. My Mom recommended it to her sister, and Aunt Ruth Ellen is going to try to find it through her library. 
This book is very easy to read and the story goes quickly, so even those of you that don't like to read shouldn't have a problem reading this in no time. My Mom got through it in one day. I took three different days to read it, but I only read before going to bed, so it really only took me a matter of a few hours to read it also. 
I have never read a book about "near death experience" or "life after death" that was anything like this book. A little boy goes to heaven while he is in surgery for a ruptured appendix that had gotten infected. Over the next few months and even years he talked to his parents about what he saw and did while he was "dead". His Dad is the one who wrote the book and it is from his perspective although he does quote his son in some instances. He tells how he and his wife responded to the things that their son said in the months after the surgery and how they finally started to believe that there was no way that their 4 year old could be making any of this up. (Like how he met his sister whom his Mom miscarried before he was even born. His parents had NEVER mentioned that miscarriage in Colton's hearing.)
Even if you don't believe in heaven and hell, or God and Satan, this is still a good book toread. I really enjoyed it, as I DO believe in heaven; but it is a pleasant story to read even if you are reading it only for the entertainment factor. 
My father died three weeks ago and I received this book for free to review shortly after he died. I believe in heaven and my father was a great man of God so I believe he is in heaven now with Jesus, but even believing that, reading this book touched my spirit in a way that no other book ever has. It left a feeling of comfort and peace in it's wake. 
This is not just another "near death" book. This book will touch your heart!
I am recommending that everyone that knows how to read give this book a try. It is worth the few hours that it takes to get through it!


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Disclaimer: I got this book free from Book Sneeze and in exchange I am to give my honest opinion of the book. I do not have to give a positive review. In no way is my review the opinion of Book Sneeze or Thomas Nelson (the Publisher). It is simply my opinion.