Framing My Grandmother's Old Jewelry into "Art"

My Grandma Ida passed away about 13 years ago. She had given me a lot of her costume jewelry. It isn’t worth much but it was special to me. I have kept the jewelry in a bag for years. I have always wondered what to do with it as it is not typical jewelry I would wear. I decided to display it so I could have memories of her to look at each day.


I bought an inexpensive frame that came with the precut Mat. I then used scrapbooking paper I thought would go with the jewelry style. It was an antique looking pad of scrapbook paper I bought for $5.

I then put paper behind each frame in the mat board. I laid the jewelry out on the paper. Once I got the layout I liked, I put a piece of foam tape on the back of the jewelry to secure it. I chose this instead of hot glue so the jewelry wouldn’t get ruined.

Once the jewelry was put on the board, I framed it. I am planning to hang it in my room. I figured the entire project cost me about $45 (This included the frame).

Below are pictures showing the finished frame and what products I used for this project:

20x30 Frame
20x30 Matboard
Scrapbook Paper (Material or Wallpaper could also be used)
Tape
Scissors
Foam Adhesive Tape

FINISHED PICTURE

PAPER USED

JEWELRY AFTER I LAID IT OUT

CLOSE UP OF HOW I MATCHED THE PAPER TO THE JEWELRY

CLOSE UP OF THE PAPER AND JEWELRY

FOAM TAPE I USED



FOAM TAPE ON BACK OF EARRINGS



FOAM TAPE ON BROOCH



FOAM TAPE ON BRACELET





CLOSEUP OF JEWELRY ONCE I FOAM TAPED IT TO THE PAPER



FINISHED PICTURE IN FRAME

Link:

http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4/gtu/featured_on/story/Jewelry-Display/nmHqyVQ_IkutPBaukbg4RA.cspx

We finally saw Santa this year..........

For the last 4 years, I have tried to wait in line at the mall for my kids to see Santa. I always get about 20 minutes into it and say...."I have an idea, Lets go by a Toy and call it a day". The kids never want to leave but when I look at the 3 hour line.....I just can't do it.

My kids are now 5 and 6 so I thought....this year I am going to do it. If it doesn't happen now, it never will.

This was the strategy I had to use:

Make sure they each have a DS nintendo
Make sure they are both charged
Make sure the games are in and ready to go
Make sure we did a bathroom stop right before we hit the line
Make sure we stop by McDonald's on the way
Make sure to not let them eat until they are in the line (had to use eating to kill time)
Make sure to bring a coloring book in case they get bored with the DS
Make sure to pack a drink so they have water while waiting in line

Once I did all that, we were finally able to make it through the 2.5 hour line. Granted it cost me about $100 to get everything ready so we could handle the line. But, I am pleased to say I can now check the "Take a picture with Santa at the Mall" off my list of good motherly duties.

Below is the picture.....(A tired Santa, hyper kids, and a $30 picture).

Libby and I at the same age......

Libby had her Kindergarten school pictures taken. I pulled mine from Kindergarten and had to laugh when I compared the two of us. It is fun to see the similarities.

School Pictures of Lake and Libby this year

I don't know how I am so lucky and blessed,  I am so grateful for my kiddos. They make me happy everyday. The things they laugh, joke, argue is hilarious and makes my life fun.

Halloween Candy for Gingerbread house

The kids had a lot of Halloween candy, so I decided to make a Gingerbread house for Christmas to use it up. It worked out well. I bought cheap Graham crackers and hot glued them for structure (I have had several fall with just using frosting). Once it is dry, I let the kids open all their Halloween candy and put it into a muffin tin. Then they can decorate it however they want. It was a blast and inexpensive since the candy was free.

My teaching experience in Los Angles, California

We recently had a work function where they asked us to tell others something they didn't know us. I talked about my time teaching in Los Angeles. I thought I would post on my blog as well -- since I did go to the trouble of digging out the pictures :).

I grew up on a farm in Herriman, Utah. I then attended college at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. Both of these places are/were fairly rural. Once I graduate college I moved out to Los Angeles and got a job teaching High School students -- right on Hollywood Blvd.

This was no ordinary High School. It was an all girls school school. And, these were no average girls. All the girls in this private school were sent to this school because they had been in some type of trouble. The ages ranged from 12-18 years of age.

I remember walking into the classroom and was really nervous once I saw my class. I felt like Michelle Pfeiffer on the movie "Dangerous Minds". I knew this was going to be a huge challenge for me.

The first few months were hard and I was really intimitated by the girls. They used to say to me, "Why you got a ghetto name like Chanel?" I called my mom crying telling her my name wasn't cool like the designer "Coco Chanel". It was actually "ghetto" from what the girls told me.

Once I realized that you have to be tough like the girls in the school, I learned to love it. They taught me so much about life and the hardships. It also helped me to appreciate growing up on the farm (which I once could't wait to leave).

All the times my dad and mom had me help feed the animals, drive the tractor, haul hay, etc. was what made me who I am.

I ended up living in Los Angeles for a few years then decided to move back to my roots. But, of all my travels and life experiences, teaching these girls ranks in the top.

Below are the darling girls I taught and who taught me.

Facials with my son and I.......

I thought I would give myself a facial (with my $1 mask from Smith's....I am classy like that). I put it on and my son kept asking if he could be "SPOOKY" too. I told him it wasn't to be "SPOOKY", it was just to make my face soft. But, he insisted he get one as well. We did a facial on him and I swear he wore it for almost an hour. It was fun....and no joke, he has the best skin now. I bet all the 6 year olds at school are jealous :)

Autumn/Fall Posterboard Picture

I didn't manage to get this one in the frame, but this is the most recent board I made. I made it for my daughter Libby's school teacher. She is one of those teachers that try so hard and the kids ADORE her. I love knowing my kids get to be taught by her. Her favorite Season is Fall so I opted for a Fall board.

Christmas - Foam Board Decoration

Also, here is the Christmas one (using the same frame as my Halloween and Thanskgiving foam board decorations). These are all from decorations that were in my "Get Rid of Pile". They were old and falling apart. The only thing I had to pay for was the foam board. Worked out well for using old decorations.

Autumn/Fall, Halloween, Easy, Fun, Inexpensive Holiday Decorating

I went to go buy some holiday decorations. I must be out of touch because the wreaths alone were about $75 and very generic. I decided I was going to do my own project. This way I could do it cheaper and it would have some personality.

I found a large 20x30 poster frame at Walmart for about $12. I then removed everything so I just had the frame. I bought a foam board there for $3. They come in 20x30 size so this is the reason I got the frame in that size. I didn't want to do any cutting (I can't cut a straight line to save my life).

I bought a few cheap decorations for Halloween and Thanksgiving. The dollar store has a lot of little things that are fun for this project. But, you can always go to Hobby Lobby, Walmart, or other craft stores.

I then took my foam board and hot glue gun. I didn't even lay things out before I started. I just began to glue until I had all my items glued on. Once I got it all glued, I put it in my frame. The foam board popped right in and the latches on the back of the frame held it tight.

I did the Halloween and Thanksgiving/Autumn board to show how easy it is. You literally use the same frame and just swap out the Holiday. This is great for any Holiday. Christmas, Easter, 4th of July, etc.

It is so easy because the foam boards are so cheap and you can store them year after year and use your same frame to showcase the Holiday in your own way.

I have a spot on my wall where that picture hangs year round and I change out the theme.

People that come over love it and ask where I got the "Art Piece". I usually just lie and tell them it is an original and they could never afford it *wink*.