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 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

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

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

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

New beady stash to soften my fall!

As if I wasn't in enough constant pain I decided to go for "a little trip" yesterday morning and narrowly avoided smashing my face into our large solid wood dresser! I have been dosing myself up with pain killers and treated myself to a very long, hot bath with lavender oil and epsom salts!

Feeling even more tender than usual and rather sorry for myself I decided to play with some of my new beads!!!! BEADY THERAPY!

I went for quite a lot of naturals this time!

Today I have made 3 more wrap bracelets, the first on a lovely moss green leather cord....

and two more men's bracelets, one on brown leather and the other on black waxed cord.

I am loving the Celtic Knot button, must get some more of those!

Oh decisions, decisions! What should I try next?

Men's leather bracelet

Here is my next beady attempt, made on 2mm leather cord with Czech glass beads. I made this one larger to suit a man......but then Chris tried it on and kept it so I had to make another one!

Having fun with my little beading attempts.

Bye for now.

Adele

xXx

Laddered wrap bracelet

Here is one of my latest bracelets, I have made 3 since the 5 wrap bracelet I last showed here. Despite the torrential rain and thunder storms we have been having, I am optimistic that we will actually get SOME Summer and I wanted to do some prettier, lighter colours.

The first two pictures were taken in my conservatory, but throughout the day the clouds have cleared so I ventured out into the garden to experiment with a few photographs in actual "sunlight!"

Not sure which sort of pictures are best IF I am ever going to attempt at putting these onto some sort of selling website. Opinions would be much appreciated please.

Bead therapy.........

......my name is Adele and I am becoming a bead addict!

So glad Mr Postie arrived with these little beauties this morning as it's turned into yet another dull, thundery day with torrential rain. I NEEDED something to brighten my day didn't I?

Tee hee, well hubby had to work this morning too so I am not going to feel guilty! 

I finished my first 5 wrap bracelet today, I tried out a few new "stitches" which I have really enjoyed and looking forward to making up a few more different colourways.

Ooooo, what colours next?

Bye for now.

Adele

xXx