Small Change

For many years, my family gathered for Thanksgiving at my aunt's house. The food and company were always fabulous, and the conversation was lively. Not to risk a lull, my aunt had a clever idea one year to mix up the inter-generational conversation and spark some new stories: We each found a penny at our place. Between courses, we were asked to share a simple memory from the year on the penny. Easy idea, and a great way to retire the "chestnuts" that seem to resurface each year and learn something new about your dining companions!

This craft is inspired by that memory. Choose a penny with a year that's meaningful to you. Kids' birthdays, anniversary date, graduation year... Create a simple memory necklace by punching a hole and adding a jump ring. Mix in a few sparklies, and you've got a great accessory or gift.

What you need:

Penny

2 crystals or beads

2 headpins

3 5mm jump rings

2 headpins

purchased  chain with clasp

Flush Cutter

Metal Hole Punch
Round Nose Pliers
Chain Nose Pliers

What to do
1. Punch a hole in the penny. To make it easier, turn the hole punch over so you can line things up just as you'd like.

2. String a bead on a headpin and make a wrapped loop above the bead. Repeat with the second bead.

3. Open a jump ring and connect the penny to the chain. Close the jump ring. Repeat with each dangle made in step 2.

That's it!

Sneak Peek

I received a preview copy of my book! I need to add a few tips and extra content, now that the layout is complete. I'm very excited. This book is packed with information for jewelry makers, and it's got close to 50 projects!

Fifty for Fifty

For a special friend's birthday, we were asked to bring a gift of 50 things. I chose pennies, and with the help of a few others, found every year from 1964-2004. Here's the result:

DIMyself

Face Lift part two.

One of my favorite "rooms" in my little house is a sun porch. Just off the kitchen on the driveway side, it provides our daily in-and-out door as well as a much-needed retreat space for me. When I bought the house, the previous owners had already installed the screens on the windows and they were painted to match the trim. Later that fall, when it was time to install the storms, I was dismayed to find them peeling several colors of previous-owner-paint-schemes (turquoise teal and burgundy pink the most prominent). Glaring against the butter yellow and cream house, they were an eyesore to say the least.

It took me several years, but this fall I resolved to repaint the storms and treat myself to a better view for the long Wisconsin winter (sad to say storms will be installed from October through late May).

A few things made the job easier:

1. Create a workspace: My friend Mike came up with this brilliant solution -- two bar stools and two landscape timbers. It was the perfect height for me to paint without fatigue and I could set up two at a time. Trash bags over the stools and a drop cloth kept spills at bay; I am a messy painter.

2. Invest in the right tools. I found this unusual 1-Inch Square Paint Brush at Home Depot. It made painting the mullions (muntins?) a breeze. I also have been a long-time fan of Behr paint and the Ultra Satin Exterior did not disappoint.

3. Tape or Scrape? I tried the first two with tape. It was tedious to apply, but left a crisp edge. My only problem was that I was covering several coats done by previous "messy" painters -- the tape left some of the old overlaps showing. For the next two windows, I painted at will and when the paint was dry I scraped the glass. The total time spent was about the same, but the second method let me cover the old mistakes with new paint. If you are painting brand new windows, I would say tape them first. If you're going for a second or third update, I recommend scraping with a razor blade.

The final result:

Craft-tastic

I am pretty particular about my DIY projects. Is it clever? Would I use it? There is just too much clutter out there, and not enough originality. Last week I came across a really great project: this
 "accoutrement" from P.S. I Made This. Part jewelry, part accessory, all genius.

Face lift

Sometimes all you need is a quick fix to spruce things up a bit. I've always loved the mailbox that came with this house, but it was beginning to rust:

Here's the "after":

Not bad!