a handy way to clean silver

I have always hated silver because of the tarnishing.   I was so upset to find that my favorite necklace had tarnished!   However, thanks to the wonderful info on the internet ... I was able to get the tarnish off in just a few minutes with no polishing!

Here are my before and after photos - taken with my scanner:


It is very simple to do.   You only need water, baking soda, salt, and aluminum foil.

I found the info here:
http://www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/clean-tarnished-silver-jewelry.html

The one thing that they don't mention on the website ... when the sulfur atoms come out ~ Pee-Yew!   Stinky like rotten eggs (only not as strong).   It is totally worth it, though.   I swished my necklace around for a minute or two, rinsed it off & dried it - and it is good as new!

Charming

Whew! I just mailed off two sets of charms (30 total) for a couple of art swaps I took part in. I made several charms from old bottle caps, with images pasted in, a bit of glitter and paint, beads, etc... I sealed these bottlecap charms with layers of clear UTEE, heated in a toaster oven. This process was a bit touchy ... too much heat & the UTEE would get bubbles. However, the charms cooled very quickly and I was able to finish them in no time.


Other charms I made by altering little metal discs with images, beads, and "ransom note style" text.
The colorful charms on the right were made with scratchboard designs.

All of these charms were sealed with Diamond Glaze, which creates a clear hard non-sticky protective coating. This was my first experience with Diamond Glaze. While it does take several hours to dry, it is very easy to work with, it thins and cleans up with water, & does not have toxic fumes.

I will be sure to post photos of the completed charm bracelets that I plan to make from the traded charms.