My stunning new necklace!
You know when the planets aline, the sun is shining, the boys actually listen (okay, scrap that last bit) but when everything works out exactly as you imagined it but better…
Okay, so no one has a green neck but it was the best thing I could display it on, and It doesn’t work so well on the clear vase.
I crocheted 8 flowers in wire, using 2 beads for each stitch on the petals and used the tail ends to stitch them together. It is so light and soft and molds to your neck shape perfectly. I love it – can you tell!
Look what I won!
There is a brilliant blog I read that is loaded with advice for craft folk trying to get into business called artists in business. Jo Whitehead, who writes the posts is an absolute mine of information and so helpful AND makes the most wonderful glass, she has a gorgeous shop on folksy called Glassprimitif. As if that isn’t enough there is also a monthly giveaway to subscribers so if your not already WHY, and REGISTER NOW!
look what I got last month
Isn’t it beautiful!
Playing with rings
So I’ve been writing my latest tutorial for Beads and Beyond and basically Its how to cover curtain rings and what you can do with them. I did this a while ago and have had a few bits of jewellery in my folksy shop and some buttons in Claires Buttons in Cardiff.
I’d forgotton how versatile this technique is, and I’ve been using different things to cover like bracelets.
My first experiments:
What do you think?
Still tinkering…and crocheting!
What do you think so far then? I have to say I’m mega impressed with my ability, it did take lots of staring at the screen, copious amounts of shouting at it, a wide range of colourful language and a little bit of wine and some pointers from spoiltcatover on crafteroo – but I think its getting there. I want to try and get a slide show on the right hand side linked to my Folksy shop flashing up images of what I do, otherwise at the minute it just looks like you’ve stumbled upon some random crochet rantings!
I hope to get that sorted at the weekend, absolutely EVERYTHING crossed and every possible good vibe you could send this way will be desperately needed!
In between dipping my toes into code, I have been doing some crochet. I have a craft fair at Brackla in Bridgend next weekend so need to build up my stock.
I’ve been playing with the flower design for the scarflettes and I really like the ruffly aspect to them
And found a nice way to use up some old buttons too.
Well, thats all for now folks, if I don’t delete everything this weekend I’ll see you next week with some new Ideas I’ve been working on with the curtain rings.
Time for a spring clean
17th January 2010
Well, obviously not my house – I can think of a million better things to do with my time – for my website. I’ve had it about 7 months now, a great guy called Dave set it up for me how I wanted, but its time for a change.
So much has happened this last year, I set up a business, opened a shop on Folksy which has actually started selling stuff, I set up this site with a shop and a blog and I’m now writing every month for the magazine Beads and Beyond – who’d a thought it!
So, change. I have to say I do like change, and its time to change this. A bit. I want to keep things simple so I’ve decided I’m only going to sell through my folksy shop and my misi shop, (which I had completely forgotten about), and concentrate on promoting them. So this is basically just going to be a blog with some info down the side (hopefully!). I’ve definitely caught the blogging bug and it has helped me work – writing down ideas and thoughts in one place as opposed to various scraps of paper does help me clear my head and spur others ideas on. Plus I’m thinking about maybe doing some tutorials.
Anyhow I’m going to have a go and if it all dissapears hopefully Dave will find it all again. Cross your fingers I’m going in…
Romantic Bracelet
14th January 2010
Ta-daa!
My latest tutorial – Vintage Lace, a bracelet worked in wire with freshwater pearls, and on the front cover too! (If you squint!) I love this bracelet, it looks complicated but like all good things, is actually quite simple.
So if you fancy a go get the latest Beads and Beyond Magazine, and if you do, let me know, i’d love to see how you get on!
Log Cabin Crochet (and a pie)
11th January 2010
You know when your doing something, then you get an idea you just have to try right away?
I was having a productive day, working on my next submission for Beads and Beyond magazine and it was going well, then I ran out of thread for the last bit. Can I get any more – can I ******. Admitidly it was old, but for heavens sake, why do maderia have to regually change their codes and colours? So I got out my wool to just wollow in the beauty of the colours (everyone does that, don’t they?).
As I was making the pie for tea, filling was left over coq au vin from last night (makes the best pie, really rich and tasty) I started mentally putting together colours, then using the edge of the rolling pin to nudge them in groups, then I washed my hands and the pie got a bit side tracked.
But how exciting is that little bit of crochet!!
Snow! (and jewellery and gloves)
Friday 8th January
I’ve been amiss with my photos lately, so this is a bit of a catch up! Firstly though – we’ve finally had some snow! Here in Barry we have been watching the news as though we were in a bubble separate to the rest of the country, absolutely nothing. Tuesday night that all changed and Wednesday saw us building a huge snowman and sledging on our trusty tray at the local park! Fandabi-dosy!!
The snow was so thick we couldn’t find anything to decorate him, hence the white on white effect we went for!
For every plus there has to be a minus – we are now on day 3 of the boys off school, the snow still hasn’t melted but frozen and living at the bottom of a steep hill means lots of painting, hide and seek, telly and the odd bit of fighting, actually, being honest, lots of fighting at the minute – having boys is like having dogs I imagine, they need lots of fresh air and exercise!
However, they are occupied at present so I have a few moments. The secret santa that Vonnieorganised was wonderful. I received a gorgeous necklace off glamglass
as well as a beautiful Christmas tree decoration, brooch and selection box for the (very happy) boys!
I sent mine to Ali of craftmatters and luckily she loved it, Ali and her family are big into Christmas, so I made her a Christmas tree decoration, and the boys did too, a notebook and she loves baking so a Christmas cookie cutter in a little bag.
Well, my monsters are stirring so my time is up – hopefully next post I’ll be able to show some crochet…
