Two Cards, a Bracelet and The Thursday Night Project

Both of these cards have been made with some new swirly rubber stamps that I bought yesterday. I also bought some 'Diamond Glaze' which I have fallen in love with. It is so easy to use, dries beautifully and very quickly, and is better than ALL the other brands I have tried before.

The cards are very basic, although I do think red, black and white is a great combination.

This bracelet is made using twisted herringbone stitch. I then decorated the hanging part with some leaf stems. It would not be to everyone's taste as the long bit hangs down the wrist and could annoy...BUT I love it!

The following two WIPs are my 'Thursday Night Project' items. See Crafter...oo for full information. It is something that we all post about and we all try to get things that have been annoying us completed.

This is more twisted herringbone, but with 11° seed beads and delicas this time.

This is also twisted herringbone but with leaves added. I got the pattern from the Bead and Button Volume 2 book.

BBC Booklist

So apparently, the BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?

Instructions (if you want to play):

Look at the list and put an 'X' after those you have read once.
Enter a number for the number of times you read something.
Make sure you delete my X's!

OK...

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - X8(maybe more!)
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien - X
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - X5
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - X 3
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (in my pile to read)
6 The Bible - X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - X3
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell - X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman - (half)
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - X2
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott - X4
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy - X
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller - (half)
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - X
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier - X2
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks - in my pile
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - X
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot - X
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell - X2
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald - (half)
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens - X
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh - in my pile
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck - X
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame - X
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy - in my pile
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens - X
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis - X5
34 Emma - Jane Austen - X2
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen - X4 (or more)
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - X4
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hossein
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - in my pile
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell - X
42 The Da Vinci Code - X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving - X
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins - X2
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery - X4
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy - X
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood - X
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding - in my pile
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan - X
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons - X
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - X5
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth - in my pile
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zifon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck - X
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt - X2
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas - X3
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding - X2
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens - X
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker - X2
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - X4
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson - X
75 Ulysses - James Joyce - in my pile
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray - X2
80 Possession - AS Byatt - half x 2 (too boring)
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens - X2
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - half
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton - X4
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas - X2
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare - X10 (studied for A'Level!)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factoy - Roald Dahl - X4
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

50 books! Not bad...

It's Coming...Aaarrrgggghh! Save Yourselves...

The Giant Seagull of Wales!

This photo was taken when I was about 12 (i.e. a VERY long time ago!) We were visiting a castle (Conwy I think - Dad will be able to confirm...'Dad?') and this seagull was sitting on one of the battlements. Dad snapped a photo. Now, much as this was a quite large specimen of seagulldom, it was not big enough to wipe out a whole town! This photo has become Pettit family folklaw since, as in, 'Remember the photo of the humungous seagull?' at every Christmas meal. Not much cop as folklaw goes, but a family has to live within its limitations.

Dad recently scanned loads of the slides he took years ago, so there may well be some more...erm...original posts on my blog soon. Watch this space!

Well Done Gill!!!

Gill at Hollingdale Designs has come third in the Delphi Art Glass Festival 2009, with this wonderful piece...

She is an amazing crafter and person and I just wanted to say WELL DONE GILL!

Earrings

These beads are fairly large (about 2.5cm long) and have a lovely pattern to them. They look stunning as earrings. I have recycled them from an old bracelet that I never wore.

Necklace - Spiral Rope

I made this today, very simple and relaxing - just what I needed today after a hellish weekend. Mark and Max went out for a bike ride and I enjoyed the sunshine and quiet! I am now making one in blues for a commission. The lady wants something simple and fairly plain, for her mother. I think this will fit the bill nicely.

Pictures of Wrapped Loops

These pictures show some of the better wrapped loops I have produced from Daisychain's tutorial. Most of them are far from perfect, but they don't loook too bad and I would wear the pieces, which is all I can ask for really! I am going to continue practising and hope to be a professional 'looper' soon!

Thank You DaisyChain

Just a quick post to say thanks to DaisyChain Designs for her tutorial on how to do wrapped loops. I have been trying to do them for ages - she sent me the instructions last week and now I can. I am just waiting for my camera battery to charge before taking some pictures. The ones I did last night are not perfect, but all good things require practise.

If you want the free tutorial for yourself, go to http://www.daisychainjewellery.co.uk and put it in your basket.

Pictures to come!

Three Pretty Bracelets

These were done from a pattern in 'Bead and Button' magazine. They were so simple to make and really fun to do after all the time I have spent with 11° beads lately. I found the toggles on Ebay and love them - they don't suit small pieces though as they are quite large.

I loved the pattern so much that I made three! They are all going in my Folksy shop.

Talking of Folksy, I have been thinking lately about the way I need to concentrate on one style in the future. It dawned on me that I don't have a niche - I just do whatever takes my fancy. I am leaning towards just making bracelets in the future...advice from all you great bloggers out there would be much appreciated. I am going through a huge crisis of confidence.

Garden Swap

Kerry at PennyDog has organised the above swap. My partner is Paula in the US.

The rules are:

You must make one handmade item in a garden theme, this can be something for the garden, or something with a gardeny theme- insects, flowers, etc.

An item of a crafty nature that your swap partner can use in their own crafting- fabric, buttons, stickers, etc

An edible treat- chocolate, cake, etc

I am really looking forward to this! I already have lots of ideas but am going to mull them over before finally deciding.

Ogalala Bracelet

The whole thing













The tail end

The toggle and closure loop

Ain't Spring Grand!

This beautiful specimen is from my garden and looks stunning at the moment. I found out some information on it from the BBC Website:

Common Name: Christmas berry
Genus: PhotiniaSpecies: x fraseri
Cultivar: 'Red Robin'
Skill Level: Beginner
Exposure: Full sun, Partial shade
Hardiness: Hardy
Soil type: Well-drained/light, Moist
Height: 400cmSpread: 400cm
Flowering period: April to May

Photinia, or Christmas berry, is a genus of Asian and North American shrubs, which includes a group of evergreen hybrids grown specifically for their colourful young foliage. Most are forms of the garden hybrid P. x fraseri, with glossy dark green adult foliage, and variable red tinted young leaves, especially as they just unfold. 'Red Robin' is one, a choice form with eye-catching juvenile growth the colour of sealing wax, similar to a pieris. This is sometimes caught by late spring frosts, and some shelter is advisable. Plants enjoy a sunny or partially shaded position in moist but well-drained soil. The Royal Horticultural Society has given its prestigious Award of Garden Merit(AGM) to this plant.Looks good with:Chaenomeles speciosa 'Geisha Girl'Forsythia x intermedia 'Spectabilis'

Peyote Discs - Finished!

Not an excellent photo of the necklace I'm afraid, so I hope to take another soon. But, you can see (along with my double chin) that it sits nicely on the neck. I made side bands of peyote stitch and attached ribbons to tie the choker with. The earrings are incredibly simple as the choker is such a statement piece. I wore it today, to show my C&G class and it was very comfortable, despite me not really liking things too close to my neck.

Peyote Discs Continued...

This is what I have done with the discs so far. I am making a choker and a pair of earrings and intend on being able to wear them to my course tomorrow, so they are going to double up as my TTNP on Crafter...oo tonight too! I think this is probably the most work-intensive piece I have ever made but I am proud that it is my own creation (apart from the actual pattern for the disc). I will NOT be making another one though as I think I could easily make these discs in my sleep now!

Peyote Discs

These were from a Pandorion pattern which I have made as part of my C&G Course. I am going to make them into a necklace and earrings for my final 6 sets. I still need to make several more discs and think of a way to include them into a necklace but I am working on it. I love the colours together - really me!

Peyote Bead Necklace

Made with the same beads as the peyote bracelet a couple of months ago. In fact, it is for the lady who bought the bracelet. I have to make a pair of earrings too, which is testing my imagination at the moment. I have a few, half-formed ideas, which I will give more attention when I have finished the project I am about to blog...

Pretty Bracelet

My friend had bought a kit from The Bead Merchant about a year ago and needed some help. So, she brought it round the other day and I sat and made it up at the same time as her, so I could see how to work it up. It is a very simple pattern and quite sweet, but a bit too 'pretty pretty' for my taste. My friend really liked the mix of beads that I used but they were just a 'grab something quick' selection and not what I would normally wear.

What a FAB Blog!

The Vintage Moth is such a lovely blog - with old-fashioned pictures that can be used in your crafting. She has images like these...

...which are just so lovely. There are so many to choose from, all with a vintage look. I am personally in love with this one:

Brick Stitch 'Feather' Pendant

This pendant was inspired by some earrings in a book, but only loosely. The actual design and make-up was my own. I love the mix of turquoise and brown/bronze - it is so lovely. I am going to put this in my Folksy shop without a chain, so someone can decide for themself how to wear it. I could not decide on a ribbon, chain or thong, as all would look lovely in my opinion.

Time For Tea Swap

My items arrived today! Thanks to Vonnie at Blotted Copy Book who sent me this...

Thanks Vonnie - the bag and candle are especially brilliant - really funky. I will probably light the candle while crafting this evening!

Labradorite and Swarovski Bracelet

This bracelet has labradorite chips, swarovski bicone crystals, seed beads and glass pearls in it, all twisted into a pretty rose toggle. The crystals catch the light, adding a little 'bling'.

Strata Bracelet From Spellbound Beads

This has been sitting in my pile of projects to do since I bought it at the Sandown bead fair in November last year. I tried to make it once before but it went horribly wrong and I gave up - however, I went through my UFOs the other day and vowed to make it. I ignored anything that seemed to be going wrong during the make and kept plodding on, working on the basis that I should just follow the instructions. Slowly but surely it built up, despite the instructions not being the clearest in the world. I am thankful that I was not a beginner trying this as I would have probably given up on beading forever!

Anyway, it is finished now and I think it looks lovely. I changed the round beads for beads of my own as I was not happy with the quality of the ones supplied in the kit. All in all, although I think the finished kits from Spellbound do look lovely, the instructions are far from clear and the beads are not good enough quality.

My Husband is Forty on Sunday...

Ha ha! Mind you, I am too soon (but in October) so I shouldn't laugh. I have arranged a lovely surprise and he has some fab presents coming. The card has his name made from Fimo, which I was quite pleased with.

This is the patchwork bracelet I was commissioned to make for a friend's daughter. I ordered Gill's buttons for it but they were slightly too big. However, I couldn't NOT use one in it, so I used it for the clasp, which I think looks really sweet. Hopefully she will like it - she is nearly 7.

Charm Bracelets

Two made from my lovely new beads. They are really easy to make but seem really popular. They do look nice on the wrist - all jangley and beady, almost good enough to eat!