MagdaleneJewels/Knits "April Showers" Promotional Blog: April 16 - April 30

http://magdalenejewels.blogspot.com/2014/04/magdalenejewelsknits-april-showers.html

Plastic by any other name would smell as sweet

I've been buying lots of vintage bangle bracelets lately to sell in my Etsy shop and wanted to find out more about what they are made of. They are plastic, but many Etsy shops have similar ones listed as Lucite.

So, I asked a veteran plastic seller on Etsy, Age Of Plastic https://www.etsy.com/shop/AgeofPlastic, for some advice. Here is her response:

Lucite can be molded or carved. It can also have seams, although I don't know how common that is (I think I've owned one Lucite bangle with a seam). On your better Lucite pieces, even if they were molded, they will have been polished to remove any sign of mold marks.

Generally speaking, collectors and sellers consider the presence/absence of mold marks and seams to be an indicator of quality, and occasionally to exclude a plastic when identifying. In some types of pieces, like Japanese celluloid floral bangles, seams are expected because of how they were constructed and have no bearing on their value.

Networking Saturday

It's Networking Saturday....
http://butterflyintheattic.blogspot.com/2014/03/networking-saturday-link-your-shop-or_29.html?m=1

100craftlinks.com

This site has tons of great stuff for any craft project. I just listed my Etsy shop there since I am selling lots of vintage buttons and beads that could be used for craft projects. Destash listings are coming up next since I have a box full of vintage jewelry that is broken or just too beat up to sell to wear.

Keeping Guacamole Green

The Guacamole Test: Guacamole Topped with Water
This idea came from The Kitchn and is a little bit of kitchen genius. Here’s how it works: Start by putting your freshly made guacamole in a container with a tight-fitting lid then push the guacamole down into the container to get rid of any air pockets. Next, pour 1/2 inch of lukewarm water on top, seal the container, and pop it in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat the guacamole, pour out the water and stir the guacamole to incorporate any surface moisture. That’s it. My guacamole was still bright and green after a full 24 hours, but the Kitchn reports this method keeps your guac good to go for three days.

Cat's Eye Beads

I'm just learning about cat's eye beads. Here's some basic info:

Resin Cat's Eye beads get their name from the unique way they refract light, resembling the oblong center of a cat''s eye. These beads are lighter than glass, expertly shaped with brilliant color and a well-defined "eye" line. They set off their shining light although at dark place.

Sometimes referred to as fiber-optic beads, change hue as they capture and reflect light and have a band of light running through the center that resembles a cat's eye.

Fiber optic cat's eye beads are made from a special glass (the same glass fiber optics are made from) 

Cat's Eye beads are man-made fiber optic glass expertly shaped into round beads by fusing quartz fibers together. The color is brilliant and the bead refracts light. Sometimes referred to as "fiber-optic", these man-made beads changes hue as they capture the light and have a band of light running through the center that resembles a 'cat's eye'.

The optical illusions within each Cat's Eye bead create a stylish movement when worn on the wrist. These beads are actually Synthetic Quartz Cat's Eye beads, they change their appearance by looking at them from different angles. The cat's-eye beads have a very definite eye streak and appear to shine from below the surface. 

cat's eye beads capture light and magically reflect dynamic brilliance that changes with every movement. Use these lightweight glass beads to add bright colors and a captivating optical effect to your jewelry. - See more at: http://www.fusionbeads.com/Cats-Eye-Glass-Beads#!Cats-Eye-Glass-Beads

cat's eye beads capture light and magically reflect dynamic brilliance that changes with every movement. Use these lightweight glass beads to add bright colors and a captivating optical effect to your jewelry. - See more at: http://www.fusionbeads.com/Cats-Eye-Glass-Beads#!Cats-Eye-Glass-Beads

cat's eye beads capture light and magically reflect dynamic brilliance that changes with every movement. Use these lightweight glass beads to add bright colors and a captivating optical effect to your jewelry. - See more at: http://www.fusionbeads.com/Cats-Eye-Glass-Beads#!Cats-Eye-Glass-Beads

Bakelite and other Plastics

The best test is to run the piece under hot tap water, or wear the bangle while you relax in the hot tub or shower. If it smells a little like your old high school chemistry lab (formaldehyde), it's Bakelite. If it smells like vicks vapo-rub (camphor), it's Celluloid. If it smells like burnt milk, it's Galalith (1920's). If it smells clean, or like nothing at all, it's lucite or acrylic. In any marbled piece, there should be vertical lines on the inside of the bangle.

Creme: Creamy white
Creamed Corn: Light creamy yellow
Custard: The color of egg custard
Butterscotch: Golden yellow with a hint of brown
Toffee: Light yellowish brown
Golden: Medium golden greenish brown
Cocoa: Light brown
Chocolate: Medium brown
Coffee bean: Dark brown
Rootbeer: Transparent golden brown, often with black swirls
Black: True black, no other body color when held to light
Apple juice: Transparent golden yellow
Pineapple: Light yellow
Lemon: Intense bright yellow
Tangerine: Intense bright orange with a hint of yellow
Coral: Pinkish orange
Melon: Cantaloupe orange
Orange: Orange
Rust: Deep orange with a hint of brown
Peppermint: Light pink
Fuscia: Strong Deep Pink with a hint of blue
Cherry: Intense bright red
Tomato: Red with a hint of orange
Rasberry: Red with a hint of blue or purple
Cranberry: Purplish red
Wine: Deep burgundy red
Navy: Dark navy blue
Vaseline: Yellowish green, the color of Anti-freeze
Chartreuse: Light celery green
Lime: Intense bright green
Green apple juice : Transparent bright green
Olive: Olive green
Moss: Deep brownish green
Forest: Deep green
Leaf : Medium green with a hint of blue
Pea soup: Medium green with a hint of brown
Jade: Mottled medium and darker greens
Creamed Spinach: Greens swirled with white or yellow
Ink spot: Dark bluish green splotches on yellow backround
Teal: Dark greenish blue
Blue moon: Dark teal with yellow marbling
End of Day: A mixture of three or more colors, supposedly created at the end of the day, when all the remaining plastic from the day's production were combined.

DESCRIPTION OF PLASTIC
Plain: Uniform color throughout.
Marbled: A blended swirl of two or more colors.
Layered: One color of plastic on top of another with indistinct boundaries between the colors.
Laminated: One color of plastic on top of another with distinct boundaries between the layers.
Transparent: Transparent, and appears transparent when worn.
Light Transparent: Plastic that appears translucent, but is actually transparent when held to the light.
 Translucent: Like holding a piece of bone china up to the light, and discerning the shape of your fingers through it. In some marbled plastics, there may be a mixture of transparent and translucent areas.
Opaque: Light does not pass through the plastic, or does so only on thinner areas, such as in the valleys of the carved areas or along the edges.
Light weight: Light weight and thin.
Medium weight: Medium weight and average thickness.
Chunky weight: A heavier more substantial weight piece.
Heavy weight: A bold heavy piece, sometimes reaching as much as an inch or more in thickness at it's thickest point.
Domed: A domed piece is thicker in the center and tapers at the edges.
Sliced: A sliced bracelet is the same thickness throughout, without tapering at the edges.

DECORATION
Etched: Very faintly carved surface decoration
Lightly Carved: Faint carving
Medium Carved: Average depth carving
Deeply Carved: Deeper than average carving
Heavily Carved: Extremely deeply carved
Faceted: Carved with a regular pattern of facets
Grooved: Routed out in a line
Pierced: The material has been cut completely through
Inlaid: A space is routed out of the material, and a contrasting material is fitted into that space. Bakelite polka dot bracelets are an excellent example of inlay technique.

 lots from http://www.plasticfantastic.com/glossary.html