Red rocks!

When I showed you my necklaces I couldn't show you this one as I hadn't made it...




It went from this....

to this....

I really like this one and wore it out on Sunday.  I just love the colours!

One of those other necklaces I showed you previously was for my friend as I had gone to the bead shop without her and I think she liked it

Here is a close-up

I gave it to her as we were on our way out to an exhibition in her local church. What do you exhibit in a church?  Well in this case it was wedding dresses and I took loads of photos so I will let you see soon but I need to edit them first.  You will definitely want to see some of the beautiful early ones...and my friend's dress was there too!

Nicky

A miscellany of things...!

I got up to a few different things yesterday


Quilty type things first

Two little spool blocks using leftovers from recent quilts.

I made these as I am going to a spools workshop with Carolyn Forster in October and I just wanted to test them out.  I know it is a long way off yet but I saw her little blocks and just had to give it a try.  

The 'thread' is the binding from my orphan baskets table topper and is on the bias so my thread is wound diagonally!  I find it quite disconcerting as I keep reading the spool and background differently every time I look at these blocks - sometimes the spool is the tan colour and sometimes the peach - guess they are too similar in value.  One good reason for the experiment - must make sure there is more contrast in the quilt...

As promised from yesterday I made a necklace or two from my bead purchases

For any beaders I strung the beads on wire and there is no fastening I just pop it over my head.  There is a variety of beads in gold and coppery colours and I was thinking it would be great for autumn but I like it for now two - just need a bit more tan....

This one the beauty is all in the lovely stone pendant - sorry I have forgotten what it is I was so mesmerised by the markings.

Quite a busy day and I took my son to his guitar lesson - took my rose dream blocks with me but didn't stitch....I was reading the newish craft magazine Mollie Makes issue 3

Need to get down to some serious quilting - tell me what have you been putting off till later...apart from housework, not really interested in that!





Nicky

New projects of a different kind!

I took my son to his friend's house yesterday and I had coffee with his friend's mum.  And then as I was in the neighbourhood I took a bit of a detour on the way home..... to a beautiful shop full of lovely goodies, but not fabric ones this time.






The name of the shop is Giraffe Gems and it sells beads - lots of them, and all the other paraphernalia required to make jewelry.   The owners are two friendly and kind retired ladies whose love of the craft spurred them into opening a shop and such is their success - a story familiar to every craft shop owner -  they now hardly get the chance to enjoy what started them off.

Nevertheless they are full of advice, will help you realise your project and make suggestions on how to do something better often with a cheaper alternative.  I do not think you could find a better craft shop than that!


Anyway I dare not go too often as I get a bit carried away but the welcome is just as warm - and they supply tea/coffee and biscuits.


Here are my purchases

I love all the colours of beads - I am a colour loving person.  But with beads you also get texture - shiny polished beads, matt beads, extra sparkly faceted beads, ribbed beads, glass beads, ceramic beads, stone beads, resin beads, metal beads and of course plastic ones.  Have to say I love them all!


It's not as hard as you think to get started and I have my brilliant friend Eloise to thank for introducing me to this craft and I just hope she forgives me for going there without her yesterday.




Now if you are missing out on quilty stuff then I recommend playing with snakes on EQ - sorry peeps you do need the software!


http://www.electricquilt.com/Users/FunStuff/Lessons/July.asp

spotted at Barbara Brackman's Material Culture.  Have fun!





Nicky

Beading!

One of the other crafts I pursue is a bit of beading.  My friend taught me how to make necklaces and I dabble in this activity occasionally.  It is much easier than I thought so if you like a necklace to go with an outfit why not make your own ....

I took these beads in pink and green and some wire, which I cut to size with my handy cutters. 

I threaded the beads a few times before I got the effect I was looking for and with the help of some pliers and some crimps finished off my new necklace.  It is long enough that it does not require any fastenings - it just pops over my head!

Here it is:

,

And it only took a short time!

This way I can get a necklace in the colours and beads I like, threaded on either wire or thread, and if I don't like it I can take it to pieces and make something else.  It is all at a price I like and I get the satisfaction of creating it!  What more could you ask?

Nicky