My sincerest apologies for the total lack of posts lately. Half Craft is filling a massive wholesale order for a major online retailer (more details later) and all of my efforts are going into that. Our jewelry will be hitting their virtual shelves in early July, so stay tuned!
I’m happy to share this feature with you today, our oval dangle earrings are featured on one of my favorite design blogs, DesignLoveFest, today. Check it out here.
I’ve had a very busy week, so I apologize for my complete lack of posting. But I’m checking back in to share some happy Half Craft Studio jewelry news. We have two new designs up in the shop today, and one of them showcases our new colors for the summer. All products will soon be available in various combinations of blue, yellow and red-orange. So if you’re waiting for a reason to buy the old colors, now is the time, because once they’re gone that’s it!
Pear Shaped Dangle Earrings
Oval Dangle Earrings
My custom stamp has arrived! Now the Half Craft Studio jewelry boxes are super fancy. I’m very happy, it matches the thank-you notes that I put in the packages, and makes the boxes special. Want your own? I got it here.
I talk a lot about 3D printing on this blog, and I’m long overdue for a bit of an overview for those who may be uninitiated. I’m going to share a bit of the process by taking you through how I made this USB drive. The USB component is store bought, it’s a standard USB drive that I bought and took out of its original casing. It looks like a tiny circuit board with a USB port stuck on the top. The case that I made is printed in ABS plastic, which is very durable and is good for everyday use. I made the case, a cap, and a small washer that fits over the case to sandwich the USB component inside. I wanted to make my drive special so I made a gridded area that I was able to do a little cross stitch in.
The process begins on the computer, in 3D modeling software. The software allows you to create precise 3D models that can be made into real objects by a 3D printer.
Here is what the drive looks like in the software. The green is a model I made of the USB component (based on the measurements of the real one) so I knew how big to make the case. The orange is the case, with a grid for the cross stitch part.
Once the computer model was made, I sent my file to the 3D printer. The basic concept of 3D printing is that a printer head (picture what a laser printer looks like with the cover off) moves back and forth across a flat bed, depositing microscopic layers of material with each pass, building your object like a loaf of bread stacked vertically. In this case, the material is the ABS plastic, which comes on a spool. The plastic is heated by the printer and comes out of a nozzle, similar to how a hot glue gun works.
After it was finished printing, I assembled the drive by inserting the circuit board piece into the case, gluing my washer piece on top to keep the circuit board in place, and doing my cross stitch. Here’s the finished piece! It’s 100% useable. And cute.
I’ve got art deco on the brain. I’ve been making a lot of art deco-inspired engagement rings and wedding bands at work and I’m seeing geometry when I close my eyes. Here’s my rule of thumb: if it looks like the Chrysler building, it’s art deco. Here are my picks for some cool art deco prints:
Friends, I have been on a quest.
Four years, endless hours of searching, always searching. For the perfect pair of kitschy salt and pepper shakers. This personal quest has taken me to countless flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales, and I am pleased to announce that yesterday, I ended my epic quest.
I bought these:
The shakers sit in this plastic piano, and when you press the keys they pop up like toast out of a toaster. I am in rapture. I got them for $5 at a flea market, cool as you please, just sitting there. There was a second set I was so close to buying, which was two tiny vial shakers set in a plastic camel that said “San Francisco 1955.” But the piano won out. It just doesn’t get cheesier than this.
I have a friend who runs acting classes for kids, and once a year I make a big load of fabulous costumes for their end-of-the-year show. I’m gearing up to sew the cutest ever Little Mermaid and Fiddler on the Roof costumes anyone’s seen this side of Atlantica/Anatevka. I’ve been looking at all kinds of easy costume tutorials, and I’m excited to share my favorites. All of these are projects with tutorials, just click the links!
Wings by Llevo el Invierno
Peacock costume by The Train to Crazy
Snail Costume by Oh Happy Day
Hot Air Balloon by Rook No. 17
