Diytutorials | Sparkle Thots

Silver? I Have A Lot!

By Ruth On October 24, 2012 · Add Comment · In admin, discover, diytutorials, random, rings, SG, silver, sneaks, sparkle thots

Someone once asked why I stocked mainly 925 Silver and goldfilled items in store. Here’s my long overdue and somewhat lengthy answer.

Silver is probably one of the more affordable ‘real’ (as opposed to plated stuff) jewelry around. While the prices of silver have been on the upward trend, it is still nowhere as expensive as gold. And is hence, relatively affordable. So I do have a fair bit of silver pieces lying about. Some from goodness knows when.

One thing I adore about ‘real’ (vs plated) jewelry, is that it can be cleaned. Plated stuff has a shorter lifespan. It costs a whole lot less but because of that, you can’t quite expect it to last forever. The look will change. Tarnish and oxidation, will occur. Unless you live in a vacuum, you really can’t stop it from happening. Slowing the process down by treating your plated items with care does increase the lifespan of course. But it will discolour.

So… back to the point. Silver. I recently wondered where my stash of rings went. I almost all but wear 3 on rotation basis, the rest kept prettily away. I rediscovered the gorgeous pieces and some, not so ideal ones. This particular ring is from the now defunct Perlini’s Silver (remember the chain fellow Singaporeans?). And is probably bought at least 10 odd years ago.

The tarnish has set in, and it looked, well, black. Aged to be polite.Definitely not something you’d immediately go to on opening the box. Yet because it is 925 Silver, it can be polished. And here’s the transformation.

Pretty nifty. A couple of quick wipes with the polish cloth and we have some sparkle back. I later managed to get even more shine back (more wipes!) and it’s part of the go-to these days.

And… that’s why I tend to stock 925 silver and / or goldfilled items in store. They last so much better. Well worth it for sentimental items in my opinion. Or the everyday pieces you love. (But yes, I do offer plated items because some designs are nearly impossible to source in ‘real’ metals!) From my own firsthand experience with what I own and wear.

** filed under DIY because, you really can polish your own stuff quite easily and painlessly. Without harming and scrapping away with toxic elements!

Cranberry Rose

By Ruth On August 28, 2012 · Add Comment · In admin, children, DIY, diytutorials, food, get crafty, home, random, SG, sneaks, sparkle thots

Was surfing the net the other day and discovered gorgeous foods to bake. So armed with an incredulous sense of wanting to involve the kids, we got to work on making some Cranberry Rose cookies. It sounded like a good idea but I think I’d either stick to baking without the kids, baking easier items or just doing away with the roses.

We started with a full cup of roses which had to have their petals picked and sepals removed. The kids got in on the action and whilst the child labour sounds awesome, in theory it wasn’t. Because the kids couldn’t sit still. They eventually toppled the bowl of freshly plucked petals (irony seeing these are dried flowers) and we had quite the mess to clear up.

Ultimately, we got them done. They were yummy but they sure didn’t last very long! Pretty awesome stuff.

** Yes, I’m on yet another ‘all things roses’ craze again. Never died. Just took a hiatus.

Decorating On A Budget

By Ruth On August 10, 2012 · Add Comment · In admin, crafts, design, DIY, diytutorials, get crafty, home, random, SG, sneaks, sparkle thots

Spent a lazy afternoon washifying more stuff… An easy to do DIY project that is simple and can be done by kids (if you so choose). If you are like me, you’d likely have these items on hand. A couple (or more) rolls of washi tape, empty packaging (mine’s of macarons and if you are like me, they don’t last long enough to stain the boxes!) and a blob of blutack.

A quick run-through if you can’t already tell…!

Easy peasy. Choose a firm enough box. If you’d like more structure and ‘coherence’, grab some blank canvas frames. Select your washi tapes (or use all!), and tape any way you’d like. And because washi tapes are so forgiving, you can simply lift and reposition if you aren’t completely satisfied.

For this, I just covered the box cover. I flipped the bottom around to be a nice contrast. Position however you like and blutack it on. Or on a hook. Whichever your preference. I might get down to washifying the rest of the boxes. We’d see!

** Paper flowers are from another DIY tutorial earlier this year.