last month i signed up for silversmithing classes. the first night was pretty much three hours of me geeking out. one hundred percent, instantly hooked::
i was a little nervous going in, but it was like a crafters wonderland. new tools, new materials, new methods, new everything. add to this a super skilled teacher and some time spent playing with fire and i've got myself a new addiction. can't wait for the next class.
|
|
this stuff is so much fun::
the girls will have a plentiful stock of memory wire jewelry after christmas. that last one is for indy; favorite color, favorite animal! i love you bead emporium!
hope everyone has a very happy and delicious thanksgiving! good luck in the storm new englanders. see you back here monday, bright and early :)
|
|
i never made myself that 5 wrap for the holidays as planned. this one just came off the board and was headed for the shop, but i think it will be staying right here::
with me and my pilly sweater.
happy weekend and good luck in the storm new englanders!
|
|
yes, it's that time of year again. the blogiversary!! three years down. inconceivable! and as promised, this one's for you. a giveaway for all of my readers, new and old. also occasional and accidental. i appreciate all of you, however you got here::
this is a 2 wrap, chan luu inspired bracelet. shorter and with larger beads than the other one. i'll be leaving this giveaway open all week for you guys. just leave a comment and i'll announce a winner friday morning. if you want to better your chances, follow me on facebook and enter 2 comments. already follow me? you can enter twice too! follow me on pinterest? enter twice! follow me on both? that's three entries! are you excited yet?
thank you all for another year of crafting support and encouragement. you are the people who make me feel better about knitting for dolls and more recently, sewing for cats. and i'll never forget that. ever. it's you and me, til the end!
**comments now closed**
|
|
though i mean no offense to the man. i'm sure he is sweet and cuddly and all that. he seems like a good guy, from what i can tell. here's the story, if you don't already know, robert redford has a catalog called sundance. it premiered in the eighties for people who visited the general store at his sundance resort in utah and still wanted to buy goodies after returning home.
the jewelry in this catalog is typically beautiful and sometimes drool inducing, but it ranges from reasonably priced to outrageously expensive. over the summer (or maybe before) he started selling very beautiful wrap bracelets by chan luu. the price tag was a little much (a lot much actually) and so i decided to make my own. remember the tinkering? i found a lot of tutorials on youtube. this one in particular is nice. it has a clear overview of the beading. i have a friend that owns the real thing and she was nice enough to send me pics of the closure, so i started and finished mine according to the one from the catalog. the beading technique is the same as what is in the youtube video though::
i got the basic idea and list of supplies from youtube, but if you are lucky enough to have a bead shop near you, chances are you can find all the goods and even get some live advice at the same time. that's what i did.
this bracelet is a five wrap and is made with sea glass beads. it can be adjusted for just the right fit. it will eventually land in my etsy shop. now that i have the hang of it i'm hoping to start another for my own "under the tree" experience. yes, i sometimes craft presents for myself. it might not be normal, but its fun. because i'm a crafting geek.
|
|
over the weekend the boys and i dug out my jewelry making supplies. i had forgotten how much stuff i actually had. inspired, we made a trip to the bead emporium. and then, after more research, i made an additional trip on my own. i'm playing around with something very exciting::
can anyone guess where i'm going with this? i'll give you a hint, it has something to do with robert redford. more soon!
|
|
i "finished" my first necklace last week. the use of quotations there is to let you know i'm still working on the design. for now, a simple star with simple stars:
then i started in on one for my good friend meghann, who is pregnant with her first little one. and its a boy!!::
the pacifier and bottle charms hooked me, and so i went super cutesy with the main image on the heart. but really, what better time to wear something cutesy then when you are snuggling with your new little bundle? not to mention, when you're covered in spit up and diaper juice, and you haven't changed your shirt in three days, cutesy around the neck may help you feel better! she also has the option of slipping off the heart and just sporting the charms. always looking out!
|
|
there is an amazing bead shop on main street in hyannis (the bead emporium). i made a trip there a couple of weeks ago and an hour slipped by before i realized what had happened. so much to choose from! vintage beads, glass beads, every jewelry making supply you could ever need. the staff is super helpful as well, which, for me, was a bonus::
i'm really not sure what the hell i'm doing here. for the moment i'm just enjoying playing around with my little bag of goodies. i've also got about 10 more questions for the girls at the shop. better schedule in another trip. and i swear, thats not an excuse to go through the charms again. for real. i will complete one necklace before buying more supplies, i will complete one necklace before buying more supplies, i will complete one necklace before buying more supplies.......
|
|
here's what you do after drinking an extra large cup of coffee just prior to a tropical storm; break out the power tools! then nag your significant other until he gets off the couch and powers them up. the following is a vague tutorial::
1. run to your parents house in the middle of a hurricane. pretend to be checking in on their well being during the storm, then nonchalantly steal a few panels of old wainscoting from the bathroom they are remodeling::
2. as previously mentioned, interrupt the peaceful lounging of your partner in crime. he can drink a cold beer with irene later, and he should be teeming with energy seeing as he got yet another uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep the night before::
3. stain fresh cuts to match front. use gloves. please. for the love all things holy. and maybe a respirator. i was ill prepared::
4. measure and attach hardware. bring in the old man again, math is not your friend right now. you were up at 1:42am, 2:30am and again at 3:58am (in order of appearance:: sip of water, bad dream, and the ever popular, can you lay with me)::
4. string!::
5. now grab your jewelry box, extract all earrings from the tangled ball that lies inside, and go to town::
finito! i saw this done with photographs and figured it would work with earrings too. i'd still like to do a photo one but this will hold me over and will save my remaining earrings from the little hands that like to squeeze and crush.
|
|
friendship bracelets are cool again. says me....and aunt kari. here she is on our family trip, pumping them out until all of the kids were sporting one::
when we got home kai and owen asked to go thread shopping and dug out our old clipboards. i gave them a brief lesson and they got to it. i got started as well and couldn't stop::
if you skipped seventh grade and thus missed the how to, you can search youtube and find a ton of tutorials. i am officially hanging up the clipboard for now, but may drag it out after my cramped fingers unwind, as these would make excellent and inexpensive stocking stuffers. just a thought.
|
|
