Crocheted Amethyst Jewellery
Well, we’re back from our latest camping trip, soggy and damp but happy and exhausted! I’ll post some pictures when I find the camera under the HUGE pile of washing!
Waiting in the post for me was the latest issue of Beads and Beyond Magazine, which has my tutorial for using amethyst chips to make a necklace and brooch. I’ve had these for absolutely ages, and when I bought some new thicker wire I knew what to do!
Speak soon x
Beads and Beyond latest
The latest issue of Beads and Beyond is out
They requested something beach themed, so I spent ages looking through the Bijoux Beads website drooling over, well, everything really. They also wanted something simple, so I came up with ‘Dominican Dreams’.
There is also as always, lots of other fab projects particually Shanghai Lights by Anita Mistry. Its beadstitching which I’ve never done but I really want to have a go, the pendants are really gorgeous, very Victorian, vintage looking.
Well, back to craft fair preparation
Jane x
Crochet Masterclass
This months issue of Beads and Beyond, which is new and improved (almost like a book now!), has my crochet masterclass! I’m so excited to see it in print, I can’t believe I wrote it!
I cover the basic three stitches, chain, double and treble with step by step photos and descriptions, with a couple of examples of how each stitch could be used.
I have to say the chain stitch earrings and bracelet are my favourite, they won’t be going into my folksy shop when I get them back!
So if your new to crochet and have always wanted to have a go, try my masterclass in the magazine – I’d love to know if it works!
Crocheted Jewellery
I’m busy at the minute working on a new range of bags which is going quite well, and I’m enjoying working with fabric and my sewing machine for a change too! Hopefully, thanks to a wonderful handmade pressie off my dad, I’ll be able to post some fab photos in the next couple of days, fingers crossed!
But what I really wanted to write about is a wonderful compliment, and I’ve had two over the past two days! The tutorial I wrote for this months issue of Beads and Beyond is for my crocheted curtain rings, they look better than they sound, trust me! In fact you can trust Jo, look at her gorgeous blog Daisychain Designs, she makes stunning silver jewellery, a skill I can only marvel at. Fortunately for me though, Jo can also crochet, and she has made one of my designs! Not only does she like it, but more importantly, she can read my instructions – they really work!
They are fab, love the colour!
There is also a link on the Beads and Beyond website here for a tutorial for the vintage variation of the Reflections set
The necklace
The earrings.
My second compliment was from a previous tutorial, someone has sent a letter in to the magazine with a photo of my Vintage Lace bracelet they made!
PEOPLE CAN FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS!!!!
And more importantly, choose too!
Must stop experimenting…
I didn’t realise how much of a short attention span I must have, there’s me, complaining about my boys and their severely short attention spans and it turns out they must take after me. This keeping a blog thing has made me realise that I’m great at getting ideas, often turning them into reality (either by mistake or design) but what I am incapable of doing is following them through with further progression – its always onto the next idea.
So no more! I have ‘experimented’ with my last new idea, I am only going to explore ideas I have already set in motion, like this one I started yesterday…
Its made from scraps of Amy Butler fabric I’ve had for a while, a bit of an old dress, an old shirt and a favourite but broken necklace, and of course a bit of crochet, a double shell trim that I extended to fit the flap.
I boxed the corners and lined it with interlining to give it some stiffness so it retains its shape. I’m now envisaging a whole range of them, all the same shape but with different fabrics and crochet bits SO I’M NOT GOING TO LOOK IN OR WRITE IN MY IDEAS BOOK. I’m going to work on this for a while, and my curtain ring jewellery, I think that can go a lot further too.
So it is written down I am only going to work on those two ideas, although its half term next week so If I manage to do anything it will be a miracle!
On a last note, the latest issue of that fab magazine Beads and Beyond has a tutorial for my Miyuki earrings. Those flowers are what I made that evening necklace and my beautiful green bracelet from as well – ooh – another idea I need to pursue…
Vintage Lace
No ramblings today, I’m busy making jewellery – new ideas – will post more when I have something to show!
So a nice piccie
Crocheted flowers waiting to go onto hairslides
and a bit of shameless promotion
I’ve put my Vintage Lace bracelet that I made for February’s issue of Beads and Beyond in my folksy shop – its a good Valentines day present!
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?
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!
Beads and Beyond – again!
11th December 09
I’m in it again! If you take a look in January’s issue of Beads and Beyond magazine, you’ll find a rather stylish vintage necklace on page 50! I had all these lovely bits lying around (yes, literally, you’ve seen my room) and wanted a way to bring them all together that didn’t look like a mish mash. I think I’ve achieved it here, and the brooch gives it a nice bit of weight too. Using the most simple of techniques, a chain anyone can do this!
Also there’s only 1 day left on the folksy upcycle ebay auction for Sue Ryder, there were some great entries which are now all up for sale, a few people have even bid on my doily rug! So if you want an unusual Christmas present pop over and place a bid, its all for charity don’t you know!
Golden Strands
13th November 2009
Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky- from now on I rename it Fantastic Friday! Why, well you obviously haven’t seen the December issue of Beads and Beyond magazine, page 60 to be precise. Showing my shocking inability to express myself verbally I keep alternating between saying ‘OH MY GOD!’, ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!,and ‘I KNOW!’
Yes, that creation called ‘golden Strands’ is mine – in print!
I have to say I really enjoyed doing it, when you have to photograph and explain every stage of what you do it really makes you think. That enforced slowing down of the thought process is so beneficial, I have so many ideas that I tend to rush what I’m doing to get onto the next one, when if we slow down sometimes and notice what we are doing it can open up a whole new window we never thought about.
If anyone does try the tutorial please let me know and see your results. I will now finish on an apology for all the shouting and exclaimation marks in this post – I am a little excited!
