UFO Sightings

Of course, when I say 'UFO', I don't mean little green men and phaser guns! I mean Un-Finished Objects. All of these have been started but not (yet) finished. Some will be finished and some will probably be salvaged for the beads at some point in the future. In the mean time, they are sitting looking at me, reminding me on a daily basis that I am fickle!

Week 2 - C & G Course - Oat Spheres

Despite sounding to the contrary, oat spheres are not a breakfast cereal! They are beads made from 'oats', which are little plastic oval beads. This week we had to make several spheres and incorporate them into a necklace and earring set. I used a very simple design for the earrings, with a couple of Swarovski crystals on each to add a little sparkle.

I then used the earrings to inspire me for the necklace design. Because the spheres are fairly obvious, I wanted to keep it simple. So, I imitated the earring design and mounted the oats on eye pins, with more crystals and some seed beads. I am now thinking of a subtle but pretty way to link them up. Watch this space!

HELP!!!

You know when you spends AGES making something and it doesn't seem to want to go right? You keep adding things to try to add that 'certain something' - eventually you finish it and just can't decide if it works or is just too horrible to see the light of day?

Well, this...

...is one of those projects! It is a commission for a friend and the card is going to a mutual friend of ours. Please leave me a message saying YES or NO as to whether it is a goer. Be honest too.

Chickadee Design Necklace

This necklace is all my own design (proud moment!) It started with the bugle twist that I did on my course last week. I wan't overly keen on it and started wondering how I could change the pattern to make it more my thing but still fit the criteria of a 'seed and bugle twist'. This is what I came up with - a peyote and bugle twist with a hanging embellishment.

Three 'Mum' Cards

Excuse the shininess - I fogot to photograph them before packaging them!

A Couple More Cards

That baby die is really cute. The only trouble is that I only have the old style Sizzix machine and had to experiment with shims as well as the adapter. I finally got there though and love the card!

Lucky Chickadee!

I won this from IncyWincy's blog giveaway and it arrived this morning. It is so cute! Max asked me where it was going to go and added, 'It would look really good in my room'...

Week One -- City and Guilds Level 2

Twisted bugle necklace.

Cards, Cards and More Cards!

I HATE Winter light!

Rings From Bead and Button

Not a great picture, but these rings are so easy to make and look really sweet on the hand.

Bracelet Commission

I was asked to make a bracelet like the recently posted one but in different colours - and here it is. I hope the recipient likes it...

A 'Chickadee' Design!

This bracelet is all my own design - I couldn't get a decent photo of it though. Anyway, if you like it, please compliment, don't copy. I am copyrighting it...

A New Bracelet and Some Good News

This bracelet is made form a pattern by Spellbound Beads (linked to some months ago). I changed the pattern to make the bracelet a ribbon-tie one, and only used one strand of discs, rather than two. I like the finished result and intend to put it in my shop soon. The colours are a lovely mix - I think brown and turquoise is my favourite colour scheme.

The good news is that I had a meeting with someone today and she ordered 68 cards from me - so guess what I will have to concentrate on over the next two weeks...I am so excited!

Daisy Beaders Day - Netted Cabouchons

This was SO easy to do and looked really different depending on which cabouchon was used. There were some fantastic finished pieces on the day, including my friend's black onyx and gunmetal bead mix. I used a small labradorite stone and moss/black crystal seed beads. The larger beads around the edge are 'Black Diamond' Swarovski crystals. It was hard to capture the utter beauty of the finished stone on the camera (blooming Winter light!) but I hope you can see that it is stunning. I was really pleased with the finished article and am now considering whether to make it into a brooch or necklace.

Coin Purse

This is a coin purse that I designed myself. The inner bit, where the money goes, has velcro to stop it falling out but there is also a button flap for effect. Although it is obviously a prototype and not saleable (I need to work on my buttonholes for a start!) I am pleased with the way I managed to think about the process of making the article up. It is fully lined and the velcro stitching is inside the lining - so not on view at all. I will probably make a larger one for cosmetics, using a ribbon to tie the flap.

Happy Blogiversary To Me

I realised today that yesterday was the anniversary of me starting this blog. Amazing that the year went so quickly! I have really enjoyed blogging during the year and have made some lovely blog friends. During the year I have gone from making cards to cross-stitch and from there on to jewellery making. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster!

So...

...to me!

I really hope to be blogging this time next year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

That's it!

Hope you all have a fantastic 2009 - with lots of fun, love and chocolate. Oh, and champagne (glug).

My resolutions this year are to walk Max to school more often than I have been and to get to my target weight this year. I really do want to do this, so I will keep this blog posted. I am not looking forward to weighing in at my WW club next week, after a month away, but I will bite the bullet and get back on track...