Stuff!

This is from a kit by Spellbound beads. I like their kits and the beads they use seem to have improved over the years. This is a bit fancy for my taste and was very labour intensive. However, the patterns that the company come up with are always unique, which is fantastic for learning new styles and techniques.

This is from a kit by Oak Tree Crafts. The earrings were really quick to make, but I was gutted to lose one the first time I wore them. Different ear-wires next time :(

These are my own design, and are totally made from sterling silver and Swarovski crystal bicones. They look stunning in the ears. I sold a similar pair to my cousin's wife but kept these for me!

Christmas Cards For 2011

This is the card I produced this year. There were others, but this one was my favourite! I used ProMarkers for a professional look, but made sure that the label on the back told people that they were 'hand drawn, coloured, stamped and finished'. The design of the pudding was my own but it was very simple. Despite being simple, imagine how long it took to make 80 cards...

It was so nice to get my mojo back for a while. I have also started beading some bracelet kits - and I will post pics when they are finished. Despite my mojo raising its head above the parapet, I am not ready for designing again, so I ordered someone else's designs in kit form.

Gold and Bronze Bracelet

This has been adapted from the 'Cordoba' bracelet from Spellbound Beads. It looks fabulous on and has gone into my Folksy shop.

I really love the look of it on the wrist and have decided to give Folksy another go. Last year things got a little dark for me and I stopped believing in myself. This year is going to be more productive and happy, I hope.

Happy New Year to you all x

TTNP & Coursework

I finished both of these necklaces in my C&G course today. The top one is to be used as a 'tatting' pattern, which is one of the stitches we covered - it is from a kit by Spellbound Beads. The second one is a netting pattern, taken from the internet. I did change several things about it though, to make it my own.

The Thursday Night Project - 22 October

This is mine...

I still have to do about another third of the necklace. It is a kit from Spellbound Beads.

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.

Bead Show Kit - Finished

This is one of the kits I bought yesterday, from this shop. I bought three more kits from them, which are all lovely. Although the instructions could have been slightly clearer and the beads better quality, I bought the kits for the pattern - so I could use them time and time again, with my own colour schemes. I don't think the LARGE glass of wine I had helped me with the instructions last night either! Once I understood what the instructions were telling me to do, it was easy enough to continue without referring to the pattern. I will more than likely make many more of these bracelets (called 'Cordoba' by the way) because I think the final piece is really striking.