Jewellery Wall Hangings

A close friend of mine Sarah-Jane had always commented on how much she loved the jewellery wall hangings I made earlier in the year.  As it was coming up to her birthday and she was dropping bigger hints than ever about the colour she wanted her room to be, I headed to the market to get some fabric to make some of her own.

I'm really impressed with how these turned out, having done them once already made it much quicker and easier and only took me an afternoon watching movies to complete.  I think they match brilliantly, especially with the big fabric flower to tie the whole thing together (I really must make a tutorial for these they are so cute and easy to make).  Hopefully they will also match the colour scheme of Sarah's room.

Bag Handle Necklace

I have decided I should do more reusing and recycling in my crafting endeavours and recently I had the perfect opportunity.  I was rooting around my room and found some old cardboard bags with fabric cord handles, I knew I had to make something creative with them and decided on a necklace.

I'm kicking myself for not showing a before and after but this was so quick and easy to make I will probably make more.  I have some more ideas to make a bracelet and ring in the same style so watch this space.  I want to buy some grey fabric to finish this piece off with one of my fabric flowers.  Although I should probably try raiding my wardrobes first as this is supposed to be a recycled necklace.

Oh and if any of you get a bag with a cord handle let me know, it might just become my new signature piece!!

Beautiful Beading

I have been working on some new pieces of jewellery over the past few weeks, using the new beads I bought from the Make It craft fair.  I didn't want to get too complicated let the beads speak for themselves, here are some of the things I came up with...

I think I'm getting a bit better at photographing jewellery too, but still have a long way to go.  It would have been so much easier to take these in the sunshine instead of my makeshift desk studio.  So I'm praying for another weekend like the last, I'm kicking myself I didn't make the most of the sunshine when we had it.

I only have one issue with the first necklace I made, I may have accidentally worn it to bed and the gold plated chain completely tarnished.  I know it still looks ok but I am a perfectionist so I think I'm going to buy a new chain to replace it.  I can always use this one for earrings!!

I have lots more ideas spinning around in my head, can't wait to try some out soon.

Lego Jewellery

I found more Lego jewellery yay!! These very delightful heart necklaces are from Etsy by various different supplies, my favourites are these by MoL Stationary.

 I just love how the clasp is the two pieces of Lego put together, genius!! There are even some with an added bit of sparkle too.  

I really want to make some of these I can imagine layering a few necklaces together would look really good, I just have to get hold of lots of Lego now!!

'Make It' Craft Fair

After a very unproductive week I have had a crazy busy weekend.  The craft fair was awesome and I splashed out just a little, but I decided I don't treat myself very often and if I want to get more serious with my crafting then I have to build up my supplies.

My friends Sara and Julie from work joined me and we set off hunting down lots of ideas for future crafts.  There were a lot of general craft stands mainly for card and scrapbook making,  and I did quite well to resist all of them as I have so much paper and card stock and glitter and stamps and ink and embellishments that I haven't used.  We did come across quite a few individual stands which were complete gems though!

This beautiful stand from the Japanese Embroidery Guild displayed some amazing artwork.  This is one of my favourites I love all the colours and such fine detail.  I think flowers are beautiful embroidered and a like the ribbon detail, it even looks plaited, isn't amazing what you can do with needle and thread.  I really do want to learn how to embroider, but it will have to be something to put on the back burner. 

This royal blue kimono is just gorgeous.

They also do Japanese beading work, this looks so complicated!!

We also came across these lovely ladies from WOW Embossing Powder, yet again a craft I have always wanted to try and never have.

The range of colours was so vast and beautiful, it was impossible to choose which colours I liked the best.

One of the ladies on the stand showed us a demo using this butterfly stamp from Inkadinkadoo (may have to get one of those!).  She also demonstrated how using white or black ink gives an entirely different look to the piece.  My favourite colour had to be Indigo, it was so bright on white but very sophisticated on black, I love the colour purple so much right now, I'm starting to get known for it.

 Next door to this stand was a shop selling mdf letters and words, I was really tempted to get an S and G but restrained myself.  We all really loved the idea of using embossing glitter on the wood, this was so glittery the picture really doesn't give it justice.

We then decided to take a snack break; noodles and sweet and sour chicken it was really yummy!! Check out these huge pans as well, they would be so great for a party.  I wasn't sure why they had handles though they looked impossibly heavy to lift.

After watching a demonstration from Crafty Devils Ltd using paper punches from Tonic Studios with a special measuring device we knew we hat to get some.  Julie and Sara decided to split a border set between them and I purchased some special large punches; they only part cut the paper so you can fold it up and make 3D cards.

My favourite shop of the fair had to be The Southampton Bead Shop there were so many pretty, sparkly beads I was actually in heaven.  I really am a magpie shopper anything sparkly and I'm hooked and these beads are gorgeous.  My favourites are the Chinese Crystals, they are glass and two tone in colour my favourite were the purple/yellow ones, my two favourite colours just perfect.

It was seriously hard choosing which beads to take home, I really did want them all.  In the end I decided on these some small 4mm bicone crystals and larger 8mm faceted doughnut crystals.  I also bought a ton of findings in every type of metal.  I think they were much cheaper than the ones I got from Hobbycraft (I will have to find my old receipts) but they seemed very good value for money.

I think by this point I had been wandering around too long, I look a little manic! I really just wanted to take all these beads home with me.

I spent far too much on this stand alone but it was completely worth it, and as my brother lives in Southampton at the moment I think I will definitely be visiting their shop very soon.  Thanks guys you made my day!!

So after four and a half hours we finally decided we had bought enough and should head home; here we are all looking a bit bedraggled, but very very happy with all our purchases.

  Thanks girls for a great day!!

Carried Away With Flowers

I have got a tad carried away with making fabric flowers from the tutorial I posted the other day.  They are so easy and fun to make and different fabrics give an entirely different look to the piece, so I had to experiment with all the scraps of fabric I have lying around the place. One thing that is essential is to make sure the fabric is man made and so part plastic, other wise the edges burn instead of melt.

I also got around to finishing my jewellery wall hangers.  It took quite a bit of effort and an extra pair of hands to staple down all the fabric and screw the hooks in without rucking up the fabric.  But I'm thrilled with the result and couldn't wait to put my jewellery on it.

To add a bit of embellishment I sewed a spare fabric flower to the corner and I already have plans to improve the design. I want to attach a piece of ribbon around the large square which I can clip all my hair slides to.

The only problem is I haven't even hung a quarter of all my jewellery up and it is already starting to look crowed.  I think I may have to add a few more canvas' to the design, maybe I can make a whole wall full of them??

                        

Away for a Week!!

Once again I have fallen behind in my blog, but you can't blame me, I came down with a bad case of tonsillitis which was not fun at all!  Also Graeme had to back to university which is very upsetting, but I am counting down the days now until he is back for good!! It felt like a complete waste of a week and weekend (that's 2 in a row ruined now!). I would have thought being at home would give me lots of time to craft but for 75% of the day I was sleeping and the rest I just didn't have the energy!!  It was only fortunate that I had already taken the photos and drafted my last piece that I managed to post at all last week.  Oh well no point in dwelling on the past better look forward to the next week, and actually try and complete some of the projects I started over the last few months (some things which I was supposed to finish for Christmas but never got around to it!!).

Checklist

Ear warmers

Progress: Cut out shapes from felt. 

I had to go and buy more buttons and fabric to make the flower decorations, and I know I probably could have made use of what I have already but wanted to get something new.  With such a busy Christmas I have only just recently managed to get to the market (which is only open on Fridays and Saturdays) to get all the pieces I need.  So my friends and family will just have to wait a little longer for their presents, it's the thought counts right??

Jewellery Wall Hangings

Progress: De-canvased the wooden frames.  

The staples were almost impossible to get out and even with pliers took ages. I'm ashamed to admit it but I did this whilst I was still ill and later that night I thought my illness had got worse and I was developing a rash all over my hands it wasn't until the next day I realised it was just blisters from the pliers whoops lol!  They really are quite sore!!

Knitted Scarf

Progress: Currently learning to knit.

Before letting myself loose on the posh expensive wool I decided it would be a good idea to actually learn how to knit so took some wool I had left over from a previous project and just started knitting.  I soon realised its a little more complicated than I thought, but my Mum was really helpful and I managed to do a sample piece learning the different stitches.  There are a few dropped stitches and holes and some how I gained 3 extra by the end but for a first attempt after years I think I did pretty well, and it was really all I had energy for this week.

So I'm plodding along at a slow rate, but I have hundreds of new ideas from my new favourite website pinterest.  Which is a fabulous virtual pinboard where you can post collections of things you love from all over the web.  It is the best place to find new blogs that have similar interests to you and is just a fountain of new ideas!!  I have added my name to the waiting list as they are still testing in beta, I hope to get a login soon and start making my own collections!!

Projects for the New Year

I currently keep my earrings on my bedside lampshade, I know this sounds weird but it is a very handy and a sturdy place to hang them so they don't get tangled.  Although I have such a ridiculous number of earrings the the lampshade is becoming very full and a little unstable, so I had to come up with a different way to store them.  I had a quick browse around the internet for tutorials and a lot of people were using old picture or canvas frames filled with thin mesh or chicken wire to poke the earrings through.  I also found designs where they had covered the frame in fabric or paper and screwed hooks into the border to hang bracelets and other pieces of jewellery off.  I love this printed paper design by Decelerate, you can purchase the tutorial over at Etsy.

I really wanted to incorporate the earring hanger as well like this tutorial I found by Vanilla Joy.

So to compromise I plan to make a collage of frames, a couple for earrings and a couple for everything else, all in different sizes and fabrics.  (I have a quite a large collection of cheap canvas' which I used to decorate my uni houses with).  I think this could make a very nice statement on my wall although I may have to move some of my current art around to make it fit (Hopefully this won't be a problem when I have my own house and lots of wall space!!)

I already have the perfect fabric from Amy Butler which I bought a while ago to make ducks, but I can always get more.  I don't like the plastic mesh showing so I planned to cover it with fabric, but unfortunately the cotton I had was far too fine and the earrings wouldn't fit through.  So instead I popped to the market and picked up a fine weaved hessian, I thought I could embellish it with the other fabrics to add some colour.  So watch this space!!

Whilst in the market the fabric lady was knitting a ruffled scarf, it was beautiful but looked very complicated.  She corrected me, in fact the wool made by a Spanish company called Katia comes already netted, so it is very quick and easy to knit supposedly. I just had to get some and Graeme picked out the sea blue colour.  Now I just have learn how to knit again and this is a bit different to normal as you knit through the edge of the wool, it all seems very confusing but that's what Mum's are for!!

This is what the final result will hopefully look like!!

Recycled Earrings

Over the years my collection of beads, sequins and trinkets has grown quite large, and every time I break a piece of jewellery I can't bare to throw it away and instead it goes straight into my craft box.  So I have eventually decided to do something with my growing collection.  My inspiration for these has mostly came from other earrings I own and designs I have seen on the interewebs (Etsy is the best resource!).

This first pair was made from a pair of yellow and silver earrings I had.  I replaced the silver wires and beads with gold which now makes them a lot warmer and brighter.

I bought these blue sparkly gemstones from Hobby Craft but didn't know what to do with them, I found an excellent wire wrapped design on Etsy and used smaller multicoloured beads with gold wire, they look very elegant for a night out.

I liked the design a lot so made another pair from a beaded bracelet I purchased at a Charity shop.  The light green goes perfectly with quite a few dresses I own.  I am quite partial to green!!

The butterfly design was a bit of trial and error, I saw the initial outline of the butterfly split into two halfs on Etsy but thought I should embellish it a bit with swirls and multicoloured beads.  My only criticism is that I should have made this with thicker wire, as it is really easy to squash out of shape.

I bought earrings just like this from Matalan; the evening I wore them I lost one of the beads off then end, what a waste of a fiver.  I made these with beads I already had in my craft box so completely free, a lot more secure and still very stylish.

These two I made from left over sequins and beads.  The silver pair worked brilliantly, but I used much too thin a wire on the green pair the keep mis-shaping.  The best thing about making your own jewellery if you don't like it you can start all over again.