Christmas was here ... and finally gone ...

But that means I can show off my makings ... that was under someones tree =)

My nephew wanted some game or something that was totally unknown to me - so I when to the store and got a gift card. Which I decided had to be the most boring present ever for a 7 year old ... 

So I got this pattern for a Christmas Stocking ... and this is what I made to hide the gift card in: 

And to try out both types - I ended making one that I gave my dad :

Yesterdays loot =)

An unplanned trip to town, and some most likely over the top shopping...
But I saw this project on someone blog the other day ... and I SO wanted to do it myself ... Most likely mine wont be as pretty as hers. She had a much easier letter to make look pretty. But more about that later ...

I got the buttons I needed for my project, $55 worth of buttons. Its fun not having a stash to use from and no thrift or second hand stores that sell anything useful...
But hopefully it will be a pretty project when its done =)
Here are the buttons:


I also got some tools for my sewing ... 2 sewing machine bobbins and ... something I don't know what you call in English - I usually just call it murderer, cause it kills tread when you need to undo things ... Yeah I know I'm morbid or weird ...  If someone know what the thing is called, please leave a comment and let me know.









And I got told that it was Sinterklaas (a Dutch December tradition - is all I know since I myself is not Dutch) yesterday, and feeling emo and having a bad day ... I figured out any reason for buying myself a present ... This is my new ruler:

I kinda needed the new ruler - I only had a "6in x 24in" and a "2,5in square"
My new one is a "6,5 in square" - damn thing costed me $30 but I guess its will be worth it =)

Anyone still out there ?

I know its been forever since I updated my blog, but life happened I guess you can say. Health issues made it impossible to manage to be creative. But I been thinking and planing on things every day ...

I been planing on sewing things and maybe it wont be xmas presents this year ... but there will be a xmas next year too ...

So my question is ... Is anyone still out there - and want me back posting new stuff now and then  ?

A tiny splurge ... and a long wait ...

I was in town today and I totally fell in love ... with a fabric.
I have this pattern I got a few weeks back (Cant get into that cause its a secret - to my sister ...) and the plan is that we are going to make a handbag each when she comes to town for her vacation.

Isn't it awesome =)

Problem is ... my sister wants to go on vacation with her husband first ... so poor me and my awesome cute handbag has to wait for I'm guessing 4-6 more weeks ... 

Strange right ... how can vacation be more fun than sewing ... 

But the fabric is awesome right ? 

(I will post pics of the finished projects - when ever that happens) 

Tho maybe the wait is good ... cause the buttons I need ... are still in Cincinnati... 

Fabrics Swap - for sewing or quilting

I recently started sewing a bit, and the fact I now gotten a new and fancy sewing machine is making it more fun. I need to find my untapped talents, since so far I think I been the only one in the family that hasnt used the talents we have on a sewing machine. (I been told...)

So I been looking at making small things like little handbags or some quilting projects.
But as it is with most crafts, I am cursed with living in a small town in a small country - with a limited offer on colors and patterns. Its not bad quality - just limited range of the fun and fancy stuff.

So if your in UK or US (or anywhere else) where there is lots of big fabrics stores and cool patterns - and want to swap with someone that has a more limited access to fabrics
I am offering to do a FABRICS SWAP!
To make it more fair - only Printed Cotton.
The fabric I can buy is cut to 44 inches x 14 inches

So I can swap in 44"x14" or 22"x14" or 11"x14" - in printed cotton.
Just a "blind swap" - we agree on size. And then swap.

Contact me if your interested please. And I am in Norway, if your not interested in international swapping.
If you don't want to swap - just dontate some fabrics you dont want anymore - I am open for that too...

Here is a picture of my current bits - this might change from time to time - and is not necessarily what you will get. (Don't seem like white on beige photo so well - sorry)

Rumors has it ...

I should have made and posted something Vampiric style jewelery like a few days ago ...
I totally lost time and energy to make something - I was sure I still had time. Cause no one reminded me to get my head out of the sand and start doing things ...
I do actually have the stuff I needed to do to make mt planed thing ... just not the ability to get it done just now.

So please don't hate me - my health should hopefully stabilize and make me able to do something soon ...
At least I hope so.

I am still around and I still do fiddle with my crafts - things just goes a whole lot slower that usual. I wont go into why cause thats an awful long and boring story.
So keep checking back and sooner or later there will be something new here ...

(and as a PS: my spell check dont work - so please forgive typos)

Artbeads Design Challenge - What's Old is New Again - And Evinrude flies again...

Although the jewelry making community in the US is large and vibrant, the opportunities here in Norway to join activities that are as fun and challenging as the Artbeads Design Partners program are few and far between, so you can imagine how thrilled I was when I got the mail saying i was accepted to join the ArtBeads Design Partners. And I got to join in the challenges right away. The first challenge was “What’s Old is New Again,” which gave me the chance to work with some vintage looking base metals, which are some of my favorite materials to work with!

It was a lot of fun to stretch my creative dragonfly wings and make something so different from what I usually make. And what can be more fun than showing them off along with so many other talented designers?

Here you can find some of the stuff I used:
Swarovski: http://www.artbeads.com/swarovski.html

Base metal parts: http://www.artbeads.com/base-metal-components.html

So I decided to name my creation;

And Evinrude flies again...

I was watching a good old cartoon the other day, The Rescuers. And this cute little dragonfly from ArtBeads reminded me of it.

So I wanted to give a good old friend the chance to fly again.

The funny thing is - Ole Evinrude that made the outboard boat motor that was the inspiration for the dragonfly in the movie. Ironically, his birthday would have fallen on the day my ArtBeads dragonfly arrived in Norway, so it seemed like a tribute to his birth, in 1877. To add to the coincidences, it just so happens that I live within walking distance of the place he was born.

Disclosure:
I got as an AB-Design Partner the Swarovski crystals and the base metals components from ArtBeads free of charge. I was asked to give my honest opinions on the products, good or bad. I am not employed or compensated by ArtBeads in any way.

Antique Brass Isabella's GracePendant
Swarovski 6100 24mm FacetedTeardrop Pendant Crystal Bermuda Blue
Antique Vintage Brass-PlatedPewter Round Wave Toggle Clasp
3-Foot Hand-Dyed SilkBlue/White Blend 

My Happy Valentine

Perfect Valentines - in nice purple wrapping ...
I forsee more pretties being made in the future =)

Ok so my pressie didnt make it here for Valentines day - but with 1kg off beading yummies - I can wait =)

And I and so happy with 2 more sales this weekend. I think my Muse might like that too =)

Muse, Muse, Muse ... where are you ...

I seem to be stuck lately ... or that is I have an idea on what I want to make, but I dont have the money to buy mats at the moment ... So there is the hunt for "Plan B".  Which ofc I cant seem to find.

I got a new magazine today - a brand new Beadwork. So I felt hopefull that I could find something to jumpstart my creative wibes. And sure I did ... some really cool stuff ... Then we read the mats and big guess - I dont have what I need to make the things I want to try...

So how is it I can have kilos of beads - and never the right ones. Is there some universal law that makes it impossible to have what you need ... at least ones in awhile.

So please Muse, come up with something to do - with the beads and stuff I allready have =)