A spot of remodelling - blogtoberfest day 14

As I mentioned last week I've been doing a spot of remodelling, reusing and recycling.

This necklace had a dyed stone pendant which has lost it's colour. It has a mix of handmade lampwork beads, czech glass, kyanite, pearls and metal leaves.

It needed to be made into a bracelet strung on memory wire - the pendant got ditched!.

I also used some of the kyanite stones to team with these rounds of chrysocolla and czech glass, plus snakesskin jasper.

 Here is one of the necklaces I mentioned on day 7.

Its lovely moonstone drops have become a simple necklace when teamed with grey czech glass beads and some chain.

Plus the faceted apatite ovals with chain have a new life as a simple bracelet.

This bold green and aqua necklace obviously wasn't to everyone's taste - or anyone's!

So parts of it are now a fresh summery bracelet.

You remember on Day 6 I showed your some pendants I had made?
Here are the finished neckklaces that I made for last weekends fair.
They are fashionably long and strung on ball chain with a birdie theme or a parisian theme. There was one with a rose theme and another with love symbols.

Still in the long necklace mood, I made some key and crystal necklaces.

I have more to show you, but maybe that's enough for tonight.
How has your week been?

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

And my giveaway is here!

My creative space - blogtoberfest day 13

I'm running out of time today!
I've been doing too much running around - driving around and have no time left to blog!
What a sad state of affairs : (

Anyway I came home to find these little cuties in my letter box - they were in a parcel!

Can you guess what I'm going to do with them?

You might have to wait until next week to find out!

In the meantime you can find more creative spaces here.

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

And my giveaway is here!

Bead table Wednesday - blogtoberfest day 12

I recently bought these cute pendants from Kylie Parry. 

 

They are sitting on my desk with a few other beads....waiting.

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

You can find my giveaway here.

A winner and a new giveaway - blogtoberfest day 11

And the winner is...................................

Tori!!!!
Let's hear it for Tori! ra-ra!!

And mega-thanks to everyone for entering.

Here is the next giveaway.

One of my handbeaded triangle pendants.

 A glass millefiori bracelet kit, comes with beads, findings and instructions. All you need are some pliers and wire cutters.

And from Boos Tees a versatile scarf, headband, bandanna.
You can wear this stretchy tube scarf in so many ways, and it is light and easy to wear.

All you have to do is leave a comment on any post this week and I'll draw a winner next Tuesday.

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

Lunch with Mel and Dora

Today I met one of my on-line friends for the first time, but it didn't feel like the first time.

That's how it can be with on-line friends especially ones you have known for 3 years or more. People think how can you genuinely be friends with someone you have never met in person? but I'm sure you all know that you can.

It's a newer version of having a pen pal, but more instant.

And when you finally actually meet, it feels like you have known them for ever and you feel so comfortable in their company and the visit is just too short and you want to have more meet-ups with them.

Has this ever happened to you?

Well I met with Mel today and Dora (Mel's dog who I failed to get a photo of)

We had lunch.

And then we had coffee and cake and then I came home, but I wish I could do it all again tomorrow.

Instead I came home and cooked roast veggies to have with our Monday night pasta - I just roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, capsicum, mushrooms and mini roma tomatoes in olive oil, then I tossed them with coriander pesto. Served with the little risoni pasta. Nice!

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

And my giveaway is here! Drawn tomorrow!

More craft market set-up - blogtoberfest day 9

I'm still thinking about easy and weather-proof market set-up.
Today's weather was a bit windy - those gusty sort of winds that take you by surprise.
You need to be prepared with gazebo weighted down and your display secure.

If you use table coverings they need to be un-flappable!
I used to tie my cloths to the table legs but now my lovely daughter has made me fitted table cloths. I still put cream velvet over the top as I think this shows off the beads better and I use tablecloth clamps to stop it blowing over my stock.

I have a huge bags - one of those IKEA bags - with all sorts of ropes, pegs, clamps, a hammer etc in.
Maybe I'll show you it's contents one of these days!

As I mentioned yesterday, I favour display props that won't blow over.
A while ago I got these perspex jewellery stands which work well for me.

I have them in two sizes and they stack for transporting.
I have quite a variety of necklace displays stands.

These black ones are good for certain colours or silver jewellery and they unclip and you can pack them flat.

Other items I like to have aready displayed so that I can just lay the board out when I get to the market.
These are calico-covered cut-up polystyrene boxes.
I pin my brooches to them, also stops them blowing away.

Aesthetically, it's probably not the best but it is very practical and customers can clearly see your wares.

Do you have any favorite display props that you have either bought or have made?

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

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And my giveaway is here!

Check list for rainy day craft markets - blogtoberfest day 8

Well here we are at Leura Fair!
Unfortunately it wasn't "fair" all day! A little bit damp, not as bad as some...but not the best.

Anyway we soldiered on and it made me think that once you have commited to a big market-type thing like this you really have to be prepared and make the best of it.

Most markets and festival are not cancelled if it rains and you don't get our money back if you don't go or if you go home early bcause you are not prepared.

So what do you need to take to be prepared for all eventualities?

Check list -

1. Gazebo - nice and strong and with a waterproof canopy. And preferrably with removable walls.
Some walls zip up and tie on, some velcro on.

2. Weights to secure your gazebo. Sandbags, empty 2 litre milk bottles filled with sand. If you are on grass you can use tent pegs instead.

3. Towel to dry up drips or wipe away mud.

4. It helps if you set up your tables and display so that they are set back from the drip line of the tent.

5. Also if you set up in a U-shape them people can still come inside and see you wares. Mostly I like to set up so that my tables are at the egde of the gazebo and I stand behind them, but very wet weather calls for different tactics.

6. Dress warmly and waterproofly yourself. Nothing worse than looking like a drowned rat all day with wet feet!!

7. Some people like clear plastic sheets, like painting drop sheets, to cover their stock.
Personally I don't like this unless you are absolutely desperate as it really discourages customers - unless all the customers have gone home.

8. Sometimes rain is accompanied by strong winds in which case you will need to make sure that your stock and display items don't blow away.
I favour display props that are not easily blown down or ones you can clamp to the table or weigh down in some way.
I have even been known to tie my display to the table with ropes or those elastic bungy straps with hooks on the ends, you know the ones? Not very attractive but sure beats watching half your stock fly down the paddock!

9. Anything else you can think of?

10. Above all - keep smiling : )
Hopefully it won't end up like this -

You can find blogtoberfest participants here.

Blogtoberfest giveaways are here.

And my giveaway is here!