Tuesday 2 September 2014

The end of the summer holidays!


It only seems like a few days ago that the school year finished and the 'long' summer holiday began. Now it is drawing to a close and teachers, children and parents are getting ready for the start of the new school year. 
The summer has been a very productive crafty time, and taking photos of my projects has made me realise how much time I have spent doing what I love! Some of the projects aren't yet finished but I thought that I would do some 'work in progress' pictures of these so I can monitor how they are going and, in the case of one, how much closer it is to being finished!













The pictures above are of an adaptation of the bead merchant Alston cuff pattern that I made earlier in the year. The only difference is that the clasp is a loop and embellished rivoli rather that a buckle. The box was covered in decopatch paper, and put together made a perfect gift! 

During June I stayed away from home for a week or so and decided to make a crochet blanket. It started off as a small project, but took considerably longer than I anticipated!! I was intending to use up scraps of wool that I had, and also raided my Mum's stash, as I decided to make a v stitch centre and then add some granny squares around the edge. After several weeks of hooky, it finally got finished and is surprisingly warm. Despite it only being the start of September it has already had some use!


As the end of the summer term rapidly approached, attention turned to end of year presents for the lovely ladies in my team at school. The homemakery has a blog which happened to have a pattern using lace zips which was very easy to follow so, after making a prototype for my Mum's birthday (sorry Mum) sewing commenced! Once finished chocolate bars were added - always welcome at the end of the school year!












The photo on the left is a special request present of a draw string bag. Very useful in the classroom!!

At the end of the school year I was lucky enough to be made a lovely loom band bear, and attached was the most beautiful glass handmade apple bead. Luckily enough the name of the maker of the glass bead was included with the gift and it didn't take very long for me to investigate her wares. Glittering prize makes stunning beads and other glass bits and pieces and, with another birthday gift needed, I managed to find some suitable beads in her etsy shop. I was so pleased with the end results that I ordered some more beads to make another one for myself. Well it would have been rude not to!!












Another supplier of glass beads is Jo, who sells directly from her website. She also has a facebook group which is for people who buy beads from her. As part of the group she runs themed competitions and the winning piece wins £5 to spend in her shop. The theme for the competition for July was animals and the one for August was yellow. 













Surprisingly my entry for July (the right hand photo) won and I used the winnings to buy the yellow beads for August. 

Yellow really isn't my colour and I made and re-made this bracelet for ages before I was happy with it. The little bird is hand made and sold at bead me up buttercup and the fabulous sixpence clasp is also hand made by the wonderful bits of NikNats. I love the way she has taken old coins and recycled them into something unique. 

Numerous purchases and oddments from my stash have been used to make other bits and pieces. Most of the components are from bead me up buttercup and smitten beads. Both companies make and sell packs of colour co-ordinated beads and findings, which is a great start if you are struggling to put colours together. 



The most ambitious project of the summer was the construction of an evening outfit for an event in the autumn. I had forgotten how long it takes to cut out all the pieces, let alone put them together!! It is almost finished, apart from the hem of the skirt and the removal of the last of the tacking. I love the colour and it fits beautifully. I can't wait to wear it. The fabric was purchased online at cheap fabrics and cost less than £35. Much cheaper that buying something off the peg. The pearl necklace is a Gatsby inspired pattern from beads direct, which was quick and easy to make but, being made with swarovski pearls, wasn't the most economical cost wise. It will look stunning against the dark blue. 



I have also finished a few kits over the last couple of weeks. These include the caterpillar bracelet from the bead merchant and the Casablanca and Marrakech kits from Spellbound. There is also an Oak tree crafts kit that I've made but, as it's in preparation for Christmas, it will have to stay secret for now!!


Caterpillar bracelet



Finally a huge, long term work in progress. This cross stitch has been on the go for an age and every now and again it comes out and I do a little bit more. I think the time has come to get it finished and I am hoping that it will be done by this time next year (did say it was a long term one!) 


Having spent a week of my summer creating a small crafting work area I am hoping that I manage to get cracking on some Christmas bits over the next couple of weeks and also finish off another Bead merchant kit, the baubles bracelet, which I snapped up in the sale for £12!! Bargain!! Wish me luck!!!!

After! I've forgotten to take a picture of the sewing machine cover I ran up!!

Before

Saturday 31 May 2014

Where does the time go???

It doesn't seem like five minutes since my last blog update but it seems it may have been a bit longer!!

During the school Easter holidays I decided the time had come to find a few other UFOs which were lurking around the place. One was a beautiful new baby sampler, which had been started but hadn't progressed very far. As luck would have it my best friend's baby was due in early May, providing the perfect motivation to get it finished. After the baby was born I added on the all important personal information and then mounted it (with the help of my Mum) and put it in the frame. I was quite delighted with the results and didn't have to undo it half as many times as I thought I would!


Having finished the embroidery before the baby's arrival I had a bit of time left to make some jewellery using bits and bobs from my stash. So here's a necklace made using a vintage cabochon and strung onto a spiral chain with a glass clasp. I've not used a glass clasp before as I usually go for a metal one, but on this occasion I think the black glass one is perfect.



I have also completed one UFO which has been in my box for ages. The lovely Christmas tree earring kit from Spellbound has been half finished for an age, mainly as I managed to loose one of the star beads for the top of the tree. The kit was the usual high quality I expect from Spellbound but the kit is very fiddly due to the size of the beads (I think they are size 15). I am satisfied with the end results although they are currently very squashed due to being in the bottom of my box for so long!


Next up, a bracelet made with one of the new muse kits from the lovely smitten beads. They arrived on Thursday and I couldn't wait to get started using them. The little bird house is from bead me up buttercup and i was having difficulty matching the colour, so I decided to go for a contrast and I think it's turned out really well. I love the way the packs are put together as most of the hard work co-ordinating things is already done for you. I especially like the peanut beads, which I haven't used before. They sit really well and give a nice texture to the bracelet. 


As a half term treat I booked myself onto a course at Beautiful Things in Brentwood for a crafty cuppa session. This is where you go along and are taught to make an item/items which are on the class list. The week it was meant to be button bracelets but, as I have already made one, it was the turn of zips! I never knew you could do so much with one! Claire had some suggestions for how to make a flower brooch and then there was plenty of time to play and come up with my own ideas. It is always nice to be in the company of other like-minded, crafty people who will share their ideas, enthusiasm and, in my case, a lot of their expertise.


Projects which are underway but not yet completed include a knotted wrap bracelet with swarovski crystals, a knitted Eeyore toy (which currently has both ears complete along with his nose) and a Beautiful Things crochet flower brooch. I hope that there will be pictures of some of these things finished, ready for my next blog!


'Til then happy crafting!!!

Saturday 19 April 2014

Long time no blogging!

I'm not too sure where the time goes and can't believe it's already Easter weekend! It has been ages since my last post and, although there's been no time to blog, there has been time to craft!!
The big beading night was a roaring success and I was very grateful for the donations made in aid of Kidney Research UK. I was able to donate £136 which was brilliant! We made simple spiral bracelets and also a St Petersburg bracelet in a range of bead sizes. All attendees managed to go home with a completed item (although a couple of sneaky people managed to trick me into finishing theirs for them!) I'm pleased to say that a couple of ladies have since purchased more beads to make jewellery items for themselves and to give as gifts. Careful ladies - it's very addictive!!
Here are some of the fabulous results!



I have also managed to complete some of my UFOs from the never ending pile. The fabulous Alston Lariat from the bead merchant is lovely. Although the pattern was quite repetitive the results are lovely and it has already had several wears and lots of admiration.



The GJ beads Caris bracelet pattern, which was mentioned in a previous post, was also completed a while ago so here is a picture of it in all its finished glory. I used some odd rivolis that I had in my box, which I think were 10mm. The pattern needed a bit of adjustment but it turned out OK in the end. The photograph really doesn't do it justice as it is super sparkly!



Along with the GJ bracelet kit I also ordered a rizzo ring pattern. The pattern uses a 14mm rivoli but I used a swarovski hexagon bead instead. When the size fifteen beads are added around the front you are unable to see the threading hole in the bead so it worked out perfectly. It was also a quick make, taking about half an hour. Bonus!!


I seem to have a bit of an addiction to the truly lovely kits from Oak Tree crafts. I picked up a pattern for the shirazel necklace from the bead fair at Five lakes earlier in the year and then succumbed to buying the bead kit to go with it. Although I probably had enough beads in my stash to make it it's always useful to have everything that you need already colour co-ordinated. The crystals in the kit are czech and half coated which makes them really sparkly. The pink and green in the kit go together beautifully and I love the fact that I could make up a couple of beads in an evening resulting in a necklace by the end of the week. 


Mother's day seems a distant memory now and, due to the opening race of the British Touring Car Championships at Brands Hatch, I was unable to see my Mum. Luckily we postponed to the following weekend, giving me an extra week to get her present made. 



I used the same pattern as the picture in my last post but changed the colours and layout slightly. As before, all the fabric and embellishments came from my stash.

For months now I have been looking at the October butterfly kit on the Heather Kingsley Heath website. I fell in love with it months ago and it has been in and out of my shopping basked more times than I care to mention. At last I gave in and the kit arrived during the first week of the Easter holidays. I eagerly opened the kit and quickly started to bead, and undo, and bead, and undo, and bead until eventually it was finished. The wings weren't as rigid as I wanted so I coated the back of the beading with a couple of coats of clear nail varnish, which seems to have done the job!!



Although the instructions are very detailed I don't think this is a make for the faint hearted however the end result is as good as I hoped. The kit comes in purple and green, and pink (which is the one that I made).

The final make, which isn't yet finished, is a beaded flat-backed cabochon. I used beads from my stash to embellish it and am part way through making a spiral necklace to attach it to (although I may yet change my mind). The cabochon took about three hours to complete but I think that it's stunning in pink and black.


There are a couple of other beading projects which I have made for birthday presents so I will post pictures of them over the coming months. I don't want to spoil any surprises for the recipients!!

For a while now I have been following Paper Panda's facebook page and her work is truly amazing. She is a paper cutting expert and her work is just beautiful. I resisted buying a kit for ages but the time came when I could resist no more. It is a new craft for me to try and I loved it (although I'm not sure the OH would've liked the mess I created!!) I have completed a medium sized cut out, which I'm rather pleased with, but as it's a gift the picture will have to wait. I just need to pick up a frame for it and the job done. 

By far the biggest job of the holiday was clearing and sorting my crafty stuff and having a good organise. Unfortunately I discovered yet more UFOs, although these are not beady in nature, and some are top secret (in case someone destined to get one as a present reads this!) There is now a new pile of bits to finish and a short list, although some of the items are going to be time consuming to get finished. To make matters more interesting there is a bit of a UFO deadline too! More about that later in the year I'm sure!!

So aims for this week ... To finish a pair of Christmas tree ear rings as the beads I ordered an age ago have actually arrived, Sewing, sewing and yet more sewing, and that's about it!! It sounds so simple but I guess time will tell. Wish me luck!!!



Tuesday 11 March 2014

A couple of quiet crafting weeks ...

It's been a couple of busy weeks and so the crafting has gone on the back burner. There have been a couple of makes which I have completed and one which was a bit of an unplanned make. Firstly the Alston lariat challenge from the last post. Although making the base of the pattern took ages it has finally been embellished with tiny size 15 beads, the buckle made and attached and the frills started. All in all I am delighted with how its going. I love that the pattern is quite straight forward (which is always good after when tired) but the flip side is that it can get a bit tedious.



Hopefully by the end of the week it will be complete. I can't wait to wear it!!

Over the half term holiday I was given the opportunity to raid a substantial fabric stash and take whatever I wanted to do a few sewing projects. I was in heaven!! I came home with a bag full of goodies and, needing to make a birthday present, the perfect opportunity presented itself! I had an idea and a design in my head and, for once, it actually ended up as good as I had hoped. A huge thanks must go to the generous donor of the fabric stash (who was also my textiles teacher at school and had the patience of a saint!!)



The recipient of the cushion that I made was pleased with it. It is amazing that I managed to make the entire thing using bits from my stash so no new years resolutions broken on this project. To go with the cushion I used Decopatch paper to cover an elephant from Hobbycraft. It was the first large project using decopatch and I was surprised how easy it was and how good the end result was. I even found some sparkly stones left over from a previous project to use for eyes. All he needs now is a name!



Finally a project for the future. Last May I organised a big beading night in which raised money for Macmillan cancer care. We raised over £100 in one evening and, due to popular demand, I am organising another one at some point before the Easter holiday. This time the money will go to Kidney research UK as March is their main fundraising month. So, the search for a project has begun. At the moment the favourite is a simple St Petersburg pattern which I have adapted but I'm still undecided. Watch this space for further ideas....




Aims for the rest of this week are to complete the Alston lariat and make my Mum's mothers day present (using bits from my stash of goodies). Maybe I'll also be able to make a decision for the beading night in. Fingers crossed!!

Monday 24 February 2014

This is my second update of half term, if a little bit late! The week flew by but I managed to find time to finish off my UFOs from the start of the week. I love the valentines bracelet and I think the Murano glass heart (which I picked up at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas) finishes it off a treat.



The GJ beads bracelet is also complete (picture to follow on next update) and I managed to complete a project involving a beautiful button given to me as a Christmas gift from my best beading (and general life-long) buddy Anna. It really is lovely and the photographs don't do it justice. I adapted a pattern in the February edition of Bead and Button magazine. I am delighted with the results! The button was sewn onto beading foundation and then the other beads were attached using back stitch. The chain is a simple spiral as I didn't want anything too complicated to detract from the spectacular focal point. 


Finally, as a final half term treat my Mum and I took ourselves off to the Essex bead fair at Five Lakes hotel near Colchester. It is always good to be able to select beads by actually seeing them rather than choosing them on the internet - colours on screen can be so tricky to match. Some of our favourite bead suppliers were there including the Bead Merchant and Oak Tree Crafts. Both always have a huge selection and their customer service and delivery is, in our experience, very good. A few essential purchases were made so I can complete some more of the UFOs in my box and one has already been done. I had some large glass beads awaiting some inspiration and, with the addition of some rondelles and some wax string, a thing of beauty was created (well I love it!!) 


Finally, as a half term treat to myself I decided to order an Oak Tree Crafts acorn club bead treat. At the bargain price of £7.50 I thought that it would be a good way to add some variety to my stash and be a bit of a surprise when it arrived. My bead treats arrived on Saturday and I wasn't disappointed! All of the beads were bright red and there are enough to make a bracelet or necklace. The only dilemma is which pattern to choose .....
This week I am going to try to complete the foundation row of right angle weave for my Alston Lauriat and, hopefully, add on some of the embellishments. I have also been collecting fabrics and bits and pieces for a HUGE top secret project which I am planning to start during the Easter holidays. All I'm going to say is that it's 'Great British Sewing Bee' inspired and that all will be revealed some time in July. Watch this space!!

Sunday 16 February 2014

The UFO pile has nearly disappeared, the sun is shining (finally) and it's half term at last. Another good opportunity to finish off some crafty bits and pieces.
Firstly the bead merchant frills bracelet, one of my sales purchases, is finished and looks great. I love the combination of colours.




The second UFO which is underway is the lovely valentines bracelet, again from the bead merchant. I'm making it a little bit at a time and hope to have it complete by the end of the half term holiday. It is available in several colours and I selected the hyacinth combination. Although, on the website, the colours appeared to be blue and white on arrival there were some green beads in the kit too. I decided to replace these with some white ones and some alternative blue ones and I think that it looks great. I can't wait to finish it so I can wear it! 




There is one project that is proving a challenge and is therefore still in the finishing off box. I purchased a chain maille pendant kit from beadsisters and I'm really struggling with it. Luckily their customer service is amazing and they are doing their best to help me with my New Years resolution and get it finished! They even provide step by step instructions via email for people that can't follow the written ones which, by the way, are very comprehensive. I think I just have a mental block when it comes to putting lots of little metal rings together!


Finally, I've discovered some patterns in a drawer which I had forgotten about. They're from G J Beads and I recalled buying the bits to make them. Have had a rummage in my stash I found some crystal rivolis that I brought in New York last year and, even though they weren't quite the right size, I think they worked out quite well. I had to make a few pattern adjustments along the way but I think it's going to look great when it's finished. 




So, UFOs to complete this week are the valentines kit, the Caris bracelet and, hopefully, some more of the chain maille pendant. I am also hoping to have a sort out of my other craft bits and pieces so no doubt there will be more UFOs to add on to my list before the week is out. 





Saturday 25 January 2014

What a busy few days! Lots of UFOs completed so I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. Unfortunately I got wind of the end of the Bead Merchant sale (which is this week) and succumbed, yet again, to a few last minute bargains. More about that next time but first (drum roll please) the pictures of projects which I have completed since last time.
Firstly the lovely Optica bracelet from Spellbound beads. The bracelet itself was really easy to do as it's made in bits and then put together. Having made component type bracelets before I put it together as I went which, although a bit fiddly, meant I could work out which colour combinations to use next. It also resulted in a successfully completed project as I would have put all of the bits back in my box and added to the UFOs!





Having had a good sort out over the Christmas holidays I discovered numerous kits in various states of completion including two tassels from a class I attended and a bead merchant angel with only one wing. I am pleased to say that they are now in my 'completed projects' box!





Having finished so many UFOs I decided to break open the Alston cuff kit that I brought after Christmas in the sales. It was a lovely pattern to make and started off with a foundation row of right angle weave - the first stitch I ever learnt! 



The thing I love about making bracelets is, having small wrists, they don't take long to make! This took about two days and I think it's gorgeous! I have the kit to make a matching necklace too and I'm already looking forward to making that. I might even start it tomorrow!




This week, apart from the cuff, there are three other 'non-ufo' items that I have finished. The first was two lovely brooches from the bead shop Manchester which were a complete bargain at £2.50 each. Both include Swarovski crystals to give them a real sparkle!



Finally I revamped an old photo frame using Decopatch paper. As you can see from the photos the back of the frame is still a dark brown, but the paper on the front has lightened it and made it look better with the other frames on the wall which are light wood. It took two or three layers of paper to stop the dark colour showing thorough but I am satisfied with the results. 




Looking back over the past few days it's incredible to see how many things have been finished and I am finding it very satisfying. As the end of January approaches I am looking forward to counting up how many UFOs are left and finding some more things to add to my list. Hopefully the star beads I've ordered have arrived and I will have another picture to add! 'Til then I am not buying any more kits (unless they are in the sale) or any more beads (unless artisan, critical to UFO completion or in the sale. Wish me luck!