Editor’s Projects BeadStyle Cathy Jakicic Magazine hip handmade memory jewelry is one of the most recent publications of Kalmbach Books. Cathy says that the idea of memory jewelry it came after she attended a scrapbooking event with a friend of hers. While she was there, working on a beading project, she began to realize how these 2 creative endeavors were alike. The scrapbooking group was fascinated with her project and how she designed and built it. The result is more than 25 jewelry creations inspired by special occasions, divided into 4 categories: milestones, hobbies, holidays and memories. Yes, we all know the endless varieties of charm bracelets and pictures in little frames on pendants and key rings. But Cathy’s projects go far beyond these common themed designs.
MILESTONES
Be sure to check out the decoupage bracelet; that he thought of creating a way to remember wallpaper or painting. Handmade birthstone jewelry was very personal and I liked it much better than the standard pre-made and pre-made pieces. Yes, the mini scrapbook pendant was too trite for me, but other scrapbook lovers might love the concept. Creating special paper beads, such as wrapping paper, or napkins from your baby shower was another cool idea that others might like, but not exactly my cup of tea. Cathy describes a reward bracelet—-I liked using this for myself, adding a bead for every POUND lost on my diet, and maybe a slightly larger one for every 5lbs. That’s a great example of how you can look at one of her designs and immediately see a new and innovative way to turn it into your own project.
HOBBIES
Cathy described a project to commemorate a child’s recital… while that didn’t particularly appeal to me, it sparked my own creativity, as I thought about how I could take a program and use it to create a memory keepsake. I also like the pop culture project; I may have to use this to create a design for my best friend who is a dedicated movie buff. You could use movie posters and create a unique bracelet and earrings, with a slightly oversized set for a necklace. I think this could also work for books or CD/album covers. Oh, we all remember our elementary school art work displayed on the refrigerator door (I wonder what they did before refrigerators?). Cathy has a cool plan to turn them into pendants.
HOLIDAYS
I enjoyed the photo book/scrapbook or bookmark project; There would be endless variations on this project alone! An earlier project showing how to customize a gym bag or backpack could also be a variation on this theme. His map bead project was also very original and could be used in many ways to commemorate a journey.
REMEMBRANCE
Cathy has different projects with photos, and a piece of fabric from your baby blanket or christening dress. But my favorite was one that created a keepsake box with an autograph, quote, or even a haiku if you like. And, baby blanket scrap is just fun and fun.
I thought the way you structured the book into 4 design ‘types’ was great, as it helped me to at least think about the kinds of events I would like to commemorate from my own life. As an example, I have small dried flowers from my husband’s grandmother’s funeral that I plan to put between microscope slides and solder for pendants for my stepdaughter, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law. No, it’s not the same as some of Cathy’s projects, but it is a providing us with positive and unique ways to keep a special memory “alive”.
Well, I hope I haven’t spoiled all your fun… if you like to create personal memories, or are a scrapbooker looking to “branch out”, this book may be a great place to start. I think these projects would be wonderful for creating personalized gifts. College girls or your younger daughters might enjoy this to create thoughtful gifts that would be appreciated but not expensive. You can find this online at Kalmbach Books.