SHRINK!

SHRANK!
SHRUNK!
MAKE STYLISH SHRINK PLASTIC JEWELRY

LARK JEWELRY & BEADING

K ATH Y S H E L D O N
coauthor of Fa la la la Felt

contents
8 10
Introduction Shrink Plastic Basics

The Projects 26 Tiger Lily Earrings 29 Flower Power Necklace & Ring 32 34 36
Springtime Francie Earrings Bucket and Shovel Brooches Seven Treasures Earrings

39 Russian Doll Set 42 Lighthouse Necklace 45 Woodland Creatures Bracelet & Earrings 48 52 54 60 64 66 69
Mexican Oilcloth Necklace

50 Origami Plane Earrings

Simple Circle Necklace Bollywood Earrings

57 Not-Your-Grandmothers Cameos
Pinkie Swear Necklace

62 High Tea Charm Bracelet

Bird Silhouette Bracelet Stamped Brooch Laurel Necklace

72 Cascading Words Necklace & Bracelet 76 80 83 86 89 92

Spot-of-Tea Brooches

78 Cat and Milk Brooch

Sweetheart Necklace Paper Plane Ride Necklace Birds-on-a-Wire Necklace & Earrings Shaped Flowers Earrings Blooming Flowers Bracelet

95 Rainy Day Necklace & Ear Threads 98 Calla Lily Earrings 101 Orla Earrings 104 Wrap-Around Unicorn Ring 106 Polka Dots Earrings & Bracelet 110 Temp lates 125 about the designers 128 Acknowledgments 128 About the author 128 index

92 SHRINk! Shrank!

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g F l n i o m w o ers o l B

Bracelet

d e s i g n e r

C ath e H o l d e n

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Basic shrink kit (page 12) Pre-roughened shrink plastic Blue, yellow, and green permanent markers (or colors of your choice) 2-inch (5.1 cm) daisy punch (see Note) 1-inch (2.5 cm) flower punch (see Note) 1-inch (2.5 cm) scalloped circle punch (see Note)
1/8-inch (3 mm) hole punch

h, this one is so much fun! With just a bit of magic (okay, heat), shrink plastic goes from flat to flower.

Note: I know, it stinks when you want to make a project, but you cant find
the exact same punch. The templates on page 112 show the shapes and sizes of the punches Cathe uses. You can use other flowershaped punchesthe end result will just look a bit different.

To make the blue flowers, color the rough side of the shrink plastic with the blue permanent marker, keeping in mind that the color will be more vivid once the plastic shrinks. Let dry completely. Use the 2-inch (5.1 cm) daisy punch to punch at least seven daisy shapes from the colored plastic (you may want to punch extras in case some dont form well). To make the yellow flowers, color the rough side of the shrink plastic with the yellow permanent marker, keeping in mind that the color will be more vivid once the plastic shrinks. Let dry completely. Use the 1-inch (2.5 cm) flower punch to punch at least seven flower shapes from the colored shrink plastic. To make the leaves, color the rough side of the shrink plastic with the green permanent marker. Let dry completely. Use the scalloped circle punch to punch at least 15 scalloped circles. Then use the scalloped circle punch to cut each circle into two leaf shapes. Use the 1/8-inch (3 mm) hole punch to make a hole in the center of each flower shape and the end of each leaf shape. Continued...

Thin gloves (optional, see step 5) Wooden thread spool Small paintbrush with a rounded handle (or other tool with a small pointed end) 21 yellow glass seed beads 21 gold head pins 14 gold eye pins 14 gold spacer beads Gold-plated jump rings Gold-plated chain, 7 inches (17.8 cm) in length Gold-plated clasp set

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Blooming Flowers
Bracelet

Follow the shrink plastic manufacturers instructions to bake each flower shape individually. You may want to wear thin gloves for this next step. Once the flower has shrunk, immediately place the hot flower onto the hole in the top of the wooden thread spool. Press the center hole of the flower into the hole of the spool using the rounded end of the paintbrush handle to create a bowl effect. You may press glossy side in or glossy side outeach creates a different look in the final flower. On the bracelet shown, the blue flowers were shaped glossy side in and the yellow flowers were shaped glossy side out. Bake all the leaves, following the shrink plastic manufacturers directions. Because they are small, they may take less time than usual, so watch carefully as they shrink. Flatten the leaves if necessary when you remove them from the oven. For each blue flower, thread a yellow seed bead onto one head pin, leave about 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) of wire, and make a simple loop (see Making a Simple Loop, page 24). Repeat this with another bead and head pin, but this time leave a little shorter length of wire before making the simple loop. Open the end of one eye pin, attach one long and one short head-pin-and-yellow-bead assemblage, then close the eye pin (see the top photo for reference). Poke the end of the eye pin up through the inside of one blue flower. Thread on one spacer bead, and make a simple loop. Make seven of these total. For each yellow flower, thread a yellow seed bead onto a head pin, poke the head pin up through the inside of a yellow flower, add one spacer bead, and make a simple loop. Make seven of these total. Spread the chain out horizontally in front of you, and arrange the flowers in an alternating pattern. Use the jump rings to attach the flowers to the chains, adding some leaves to the jump rings with the flowers and some leaves on their own jump rings in between the flowers. Attach the clasp set to the chain.

94 SHRINk! Shrank!

shrunK!