Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Jane Austen Month, Day 30: A Cameo Appearance by the Author

Well, this is it---the final day of our "30-Day Austen Experiment."  For the past month, Miriam and I have paid hommages---big and small---to that loveliest of authors.  We have tried to incorporate the sensibilities, tastes, styles, and customs of Jane Austen's era and her works into our lives and into this blog.  We wish we could say that we now speak with British accents, and that our children are pictures of propriety, and that our husbands have taken to wearing long cloaks and cravats, but we can't.  What we can say is that we have felt a little prettier, a little girlier, and a little more refined this month.  (And by refined, I mean that I plugged in an iron and used the word "wretched" recently.)


As I pondered what to do for our final day of Jane Austen month, I decided it would only be fitting if we had an appearance by the author herself---a silhouette appearance.  And what better way to keep "all-things-Austen" close to our hearts than putting her silhouette on a necklace?  (A small disclaimer here:  I haven't made a necklace since I was five-years-old and enthralled with the multimedia potential of Fruit Loops and macaroni.)

I started by printing out Miss Austen's silhouette on regular computer paper.  I then selected the most clear and uniform flat glass marbles I could find in my collection of craft odds-and-ends.  (If you don't have these lying about, you can find them in the wedding and/or floral section of your local craft store.  The marbles I used were about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter).

 
After centering the marble on her image, I traced around the outside of the marble and cut the circle out with scissors.


I then put a thin layer of modge podge glue on the back of the marble and placed the paper silhouette on top with the image face down.  (And don't worry.  You don't see the glue after it dries.)


I then cut out a piece of black felt the size of the marble.  I held the marble against the felt as my template and cut around it.


Then, to gus the pendant up, I glued some black lace around the edge of the felt using a glue gun.  When I flipped the felt over, this is what the backside looked like.


On the lace side of the felt, I glued on a pendant back with a chain hook at the top.  I then glued down my silhouette marble on top of that.  After letting the necklace dry for a few hours, I strung my favorite black ribbon through the clasp.



I had so much fun making this one, that I decided to do another, except with a little more bling and a little less lace.  Before I glued down the glass marble silhouette, I strung a teardrop pendant on some fishing line and laid the fishing line across the felt backing.  When I glued the marble down, it set the fishing line in the glue and the necklace was good to go.

Just a note: the final products are being modeled by my friend's beautiful neck.  Had I done the modeling myself, I would have had to do it hanging upside-down so you didn't see my second (and third) chin. 



It is nice to know that with this necklace on, I can take a little bit of Jane with me wherever I go, even when our experiment is through.  May we all save a place for "everything Austen" in our days ahead (or on our necks).  Here's to you, Jane . . .


Linking Up:
Trendy Treehouse -It's Overflowing - The 36th Avenue - Shabby Creek Cottage - House of Hepworths -Common Ground - -Stuff and Nonsense - At the Picket Fence - French Country Cottage - Whipperberry - Shabby Nest - One Artsy Mama - tipjunkie - Sugarbee - Today's Creative Blog - Not Just a Housewife - Blue Cricket Design - Thirty Handmade Days

9 comments:

  1. Thank you so very much for a most delightful month of posts. I would venture to say we are all better for reading them. So inspiring. And thanks, too, for graciously allowing me to share your placesetting on the FrenchGardenHouse blog.
    xo Lidy

    FgH Blog

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  2. Oh I'm so sorry to see an end to this month full of Austen. Like I said before, I think you should do an Anne week or month :) I love this necklace idea. I make jewelry all the time, and I especially love making jewelry that is vintage-inspired or actually made out of vintage beads. Too fun and lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  3. My other comment disappeared. :(
    I love this. Thanks for linking up at Trendy Treehouse.

    Quick Question...how did you get the reply/delete on your comments? I tried adding them in other ways, but didn't like the widgets for those. Just curious how you did yours since it looks like a blogger format. Thanks! Tara

    ReplyDelete
  4. This too fun and I'm so in love with your blog.
    Congratulations (on both accounts),
    Teresa


    P.S. I'm going to use this cameo tutorial to make the napkin rings for Easter. What a charming sight they will be

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  5. This is such a creative idea. I would love for you to link up at my Linky Party via: www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com

    PS: I am your newest Linky Follower!

    Mrs. Delightful
    www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a cute idea! I was just thinking of making something like this, but with the silhouettes of my kids in it. I would love for you to share this at my link party!
    http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/02/paint-chips-canvas-art.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just stumbled across this blog, so I missed the month of posts. This would be a super cute mother's day present!

    I would love for you to follow my blog too so that we can share ideas!

    Your newest follower,
    Val @ http://cookcraftcrocheting.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello! We tried to make JA rings here in Rio but I NEVER thought of using marbles! You are a genius!
    For our last Jane Austen Society gathering we bought cameo rings and made the blue stone ring (copying the original Ms Austen had and was auctioned).
    Will share this amazing post of yours now!
    Congrats!!!

    ReplyDelete

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