I kept these for myself!

I bought this Liberty Print ribbon some time ago and this week I decided to put it to some good use, after all, what use is it sitting in a box? I do struggle with fiddly little clasps so I decided to use magnetic clasps on both the bracelet and the chocker necklace. Yes, it works out more expensive to make but oh so much easier to wear!!! I think this has got to be the way forward for the jewellery I make for myself now!

I might even have to look at investing in some sterling silver findings too!

Adele

xXx

Leather chockers/lariats and earrings

Loving working with this flat leather cord! Initially I bought some flat faux leather in some lovely colours but unfortunately I tested it out before I made anything with it and it snapped quite easily-such a shame as I was really looking forward to using the array of colours!

Anyway, just have to make do with the dark brown and black real leather for now. This first set can be either a double wrap bracelet or a single chocker.

The next set is so simple but is one of my favourites for some reason. The chocker/lariat has an adustable/slider bead to help make the necklace adaptable....and I just love the earrings!

Oh well a few more things to add to my collection.

Adele

Leather jewellery set

I am starting to panic a bit now as I feel I have hardly anything to put on my table at the school fair on Saturday!!!!EEK.

I am trying to tell myself it doesn't matter and that I m there to support the school in their fundraising but I know I lack so much confidence I am going to hate standing there expecting people to be interested in my "wares!"

Over the weekend I decided to do a bit of knitting, just a couple of tiny pairs of baby booties  but I really struggled and found myself in so much pain, I think knitting session are going to have to be very short and sweet from now on.

This morning I decided to put my card making to one side and concentrate on a bit more jewellery. (Mainly because I wanted to fill up the back of my revamped suitcase with earrings! LOL)

I ended up making this little leather set; bracelet, chocker/lariat and matching earrings.

Got enough brown leather cord to make another set so I am working on that next!

I feel I am running out of time this week already as I have a few appointments to fit in and I also need to make enough cakes to feed 50 people - hungry Girl Guides and their guests!!!!

Best crack on then

Adele

xXx

Purple hearts - wrap bracelet and earrings

I have had a couple of days of doing nothing, well nothing I can actually look back on and feel that I have actually achieved something. Today was going the same way so I decided to finish off the wrap bracelet that had been left two thirds of the way through.

I must admit I do prefer the way the leather wrap bracelets "sit" and hold their shape more but I know not everyone likes leather so I am making some on a waxed cotton base.

Another few little items to add to my "stock!"

Bye for now.

Adele

xXx

My "To Do List" for June / Leather chocker, lariat necklace

I won't bore you with all the details I have set myself, some are healthier living, more exercise, de-cluttering...you know the same old goals I have had for yonks and yonks but still not achieved!!!!

BUT I am setting a few craft related goals for the month;

Make at least 10 new craft items.
Make a Birthday card for Hubby!
Prepare list for stall at School Fair.
Possibly dye bench cushions.
Aim to spend 1 hour per week organisng craft room.

WELL, not got off to a great start, we are already on day 6 and I have only just got around to blogging! (Bad, bad me!)

A very quick and simple project to share today, a leather chocker/lariat type necklace with matching earrings.

I have also finished a few, very simple, felt items but I want to work on how I am going to present them before sharing on here.

Oh well, a slow start is better than no start at all!

Another 5 wrap bracelet and matching earrings!

Whoop, whoop....well it was only on my beady board for 5 days-that's equivalent to one wrap a day...I am telling myself that's not too bad! LOL

I really enjoyed working with this one, I suppose the colours are a bit different.

I decided to make a little pair of dangly, beaded earrings to match too!

Oh dear.....now I am at that point again where I have to decided what to do next. I am really not good at making decisions.

Bye for now.

Adele

xXx

5 Wrap bracelet...slow progress.

Had this 5 rap bracelet on my beading board since Friday, although progress with it has been very slow going I am really enjoying working with this combination of colours.

If I am lucky I might be able to finish it tonight or tomorrow, I am rather eager to make some matching earrings!

Adele

xXx

Wrap chocker/necklace and matching earrings

Made a pair of quick and simple earrings this morning and then decided to make a matching pendant.
I have put the pendant on a long cord with beaded ends so it can be worn as a chocker or as a long pendant necklace.

Bye for now.

Adele

xXx

Beaded earrings!

I am sat here, day 4 of having Amelia at home with a rotten cold. It's glorious outside but my head is pounding and my throat feels like I have swallowed half a tonne of gravel from the back garden, had my Tens machine on the go, on and off for the bulk of the day.
Chris isn't due back until late, late tonight and I am generally feeling sorry for myself! LOL

No energy or motivation to do much else so I have decided to make a pair of earrings this afternoon.
Not made many earrings before, in fact I think these are only my 4th or 5th pair. Trying to attempt a few new things but not being very adventurous!

Hmm, what next, I really need to do something to save what's left of my sanity!

Adele

xXx

More macrame!

I've had a couple of bracelets that needed finishing but somehow kept getting put off! Yesterday I actually got around to it...I think the main problem is that I wasn't happy with either of them. I am trying to build stock to hold a stall at a school Summer fair. I know I need to offer items at a lower price but I am just no "feeling it" as I am attempting some of these items!

I have had these infinity connectors for ages and this is the first time I have used one...but the bracelet is just not how I wanted it to be.

This one was originally planned to be 4 or 5 wraps but once again I wasn't happy with it. It is worked with multi strands...up to 12 strands at one point and I just felt it wasn't good enough. 

At some point I might have to try to adapt the idea though as I quite liked using a

 wider combination of stitch designs.

Back to the drawing board today though, what to do next....hmmmm????

Adele

xXx

Same old stuff!!!

I cannot believe it has taken me so long to actually sit down and sort out how to access my blog!!! Hey ho.....nothing much changes anyhow! LOL

I am still in constant pain, now more than ever, I am still living in a state of permanent chaos, projects around the house and garden started but never completed - running out of time, energy and/or motivation is just the way I roll!

In an attempt to accept and distract myself from my pain I am trying to throw myself back into crafting but even so, it's still a bit of a roller coaster of emotions and energy (or lack of it!)

I have however managed to make several bracelets over the last few weeks....not much but it's a step in the right direction.

I haven't managed much this last week because we are attempting to re-organise, de-clutter and decorate the garage. I say we but it's mostly Chris but I have managed a little bit of painting here and there but suffer terribly afterwards. It seems I just cannot win. LOL

Hope to share some more craft chaos with you soon.

Adele

xXx

Beading therapy...or not!!!!

Fed up of decorating and feeling that I am getting nowhere, yesterday I decided to do a bit of beading. I decided to try out a laddered bracelet using Super-duo beads......and although I really like the end result, it has been such a pain to bead. The thicker beading thread I like to use wouldn't go through the fine beading needles and I kept getting tangled and splitting the thread....so I have painstakingly threaded by hand.

I have struggle so much with my eyesight, and just cannot find the right balance between my glasses and my magnified, daylight lamp. I have had glasses prescribed earlier in the year and just cannot get on with them, if I wear them they are permanently balance on the end of my nose with me peering over them!!!

Hey ho.......live and learn. I will persevere....squinting every bead I thread! LOL Looking on the bright side and glad I am only making a double wrap and not anything bigger!

  

Slow progress....

but any progress is good!



Up to my eyes in decorating, I am a fool to myself and put myself under pressure to get our hallway and staircase finished ready for re-carpeting. Went to the carpet shop yesterday and have booked a home visit for measuring and have paid a deposit for not just the stairs and landing but for Jack's room, Amelia's room and MY CRAFT ROOM!!! LOL

It's going to be a bit of a challenge getting the hall and stairs done, but the children's room only really need a quick freshen up of paint.....but my craft room, well that's a completely different story. Used as a dumping ground for quite some time now, I can hardly get in the door. I have wanted to step up my crafting again but have found it so much more difficult with crafty stash all over the house. What better motivation do I need to get myself organised again! EEK.

Not much to show you but I do have an almost finished bracelet on my work board at the moment. I LOVE these colours!

Excuse my obscure photograph, I took this the other day and was being distracted by a rather moody, teenage daughter!

Change of plan!

I had planned another day of decorating today, I am determined to get this hall finished and get new carpet fitted before Christmas! BUT a certain young lady was so, so groggy this morning and full of cold I felt it was unfair for her and her school to send her in. I decided that it was probably not a good idea to attempt decorating with Amelia at home and poorly so I thought I'd help hubby out with some of his back log of paperwork....but no internet. Work had been scheduled and we had been advised about a break in our service but I hadn't made a note of the date and it's never a good time.

So, what to do? I finished the beady bracelet that I started yesterday and even manged to take a few pics in the garden and conservatory in an attempt to get some good, natural light.

I am trying to make more detailed notes as I make my jewellery now, not exactly a pattern but just giving me more of an idea of costs/materials/lengths etc.

Cannot wait to try more colour ways like this but I had forgotten how fiddly it was threading Tila beads, good job I have my new super dooper glasses and craft light.

Bye for now.

Adele

xXx

Natural wrap bracelet!

Despite having a few reservation over my colour choices, I went ahead and finished my "natural" wrap bracelet this morning. Quite please with how it's turned out, I added some of the little Tibetan beads I recently treated myself to and I cannot wait to use then again!

I have been decorating the downstairs toilet on and off for a few months now, it all started when we had a leak under the hand basin! I am almost finished, just a few more little finishing touches. Only problem is that I sort of went a bit crazy with the paint roller and just kept going along the hall and now started working up the staircase!!!! I just keep making more and more work for myself, painting hallway furniture, changing drawer handles, altering the door curtain....it's never ending.

I had told myself I was going to do some decorating today but I keep getting distracted by Tila beads!!! Hmmm.

Adele

xXx

Lack of beady confidence!!!!

It's been a hectic few weeks, getting Amelia settled back at school and Jack starting College. To add to the already tricky equation, a few hospital appointments have been thrown in for good measure. Well we wouldn't want me "resting on my laurels" would we!!!

I REALLY need to get my act together and start prioritising the things that NEED doing and then actually doing those tasks.I spent all day Tuesday blitzing Jack's room, something I told myself that I wasn't going to do as he is old enough to clean and tidy his own room. Regardless of that, I went ahead and did it, cleaned windows, moved furniture...the lot! Wednesday I mainly spent on my hands and knees, weeding the block paving on the drive, a never ending and thankless task. If it had been on my to do list, I would have taken so much joy in crossing it through....but it was never on my list in the first place!

Yesterday was a rather broken day,between Brucie Boy, the dog groomer and helping out at Guides I never really got motivated to achieve much. So, as this afternoon is geared around yet another hospital appointment I decided that this morning I WOULD make time to sit down and get creative.

I am sure the crafters out there will understand my frustration, you sit down, get all your crafty stash out and you crafty mojo just flies out the window!!!EEEK.

I need help, I need advice, I need a kick up the backside and all I can focus on is the clock ticking away and eating at my little bit of time allocated to crafting.

OPINIONS PLEASE!!!!

I wanted to do a neutral bracelet, something that could be worn with almost anything but now I have started I am unsure. Is it too boring, too bland? Do I need to rip all the beads off and add some colour? HELP....tick, tock, tick, tock!!

 

Please excuse my wrinkled hand, should have put some hand cream on first but I wanted to see the colour up against a skintone, as pale as it is. (I obviously need an exoctic holiday!)

Adele

xXx

Back home and beading!

Whilst on holiday I decided to order some more beads, just to give myself something more to look forward to when back home. I wasn't disappointed, in fact 2 beady orders were waiting for me.

Yesterday I attempted a bit of bead organisation but gave up and decided to make another bracelet instead.

Quite happy with it but it did make me think that if I "plan" what beads to use next on a supposedly random pattern......is it still actually random? LOL

Best get on, lots to do.

Adele

xXx