My creative space - I'm trying!

I made a pair of earrings.

and I finished a bracelet.

Whooooopie! go me!

I really enjoyed making these earrings.
They were quick and fairly easy.
I adapted a design by Carole Horn from Beadwork magazine.
Her design was for a whole necklace - it is very pretty.

I used the lime green beads instead of her pearl rounds.

I also finished the bracelet that I started last week.

I decided to use a button as a closure as I didn't have any of the slidey clasps that were used in the original.

I also like using buttons - they are a simple way to finish a beadwork bracelet and you can do them up with one hand (which is very useful when putting bracelets on).

I'm thinking of joining in with Jewelry making mojo challenge over on Humblebeads blog.
The thing that is holding me back at the moment is that the first assignment is to enter a challenge or contest.
That bit is really scarey!
Also I think i need a fair bit of mojo to do that....and since my mojo is missing it's kind of hard.

I'll think about it.

All good things are wild and free* - Five faves

Today I'm finding inspiration from the lovely illustrations by The Wheatfield.
For some reason this quote by *Henry David Thoreau just speaks to me!

print by the wheatfield

So I've searched for some other bits and bobs to fit this theme.
I just love tea bowls.
These are just adorable.

teacups by aquartzylife

This pick could be a bit controversial because foxes are a pest here in Australia but the design is so cute!

pocket mirror by MsSpanner

You can never have too many tote bags, right?!

tote bag by eGwendoline

 And of course you will need some jewellery to continue the theme.

silk bracelet by hfgifts

Have a great weekend and make sure that at least some of it involves being wild and free!

Bandannas for boating - my creative space

Maybe not so creative but it involves scissors, measuring and cutting!

And 10 metres of fabric!

Making bandannas for my dragon boat race team for the Dragons Abreast event on Sunday at Darling Harbour in Sydney.
Here are the 22 triangles I cut - they are a bit rough and ready - but should do the trick.

Dragons Abreast raises funds to support those affected by breast cancer.

If you are in Sydney come along and cheer us on - there will be races going on all day from 8.30 to about 3pm I think.

On other matters I am going to a local school fete at Springwood on Saturday. They are calling it Festival of the Green and it's a huge celebration of growing and gardens - Costa from the TV is going to be there and they are having gardening workshops and all sorts of things.

So I thought these sweet flower bracelets from a pattern designed by Stephanie Eddy would be appropriate.

I'm joining in with My Creative Space hosted by kootoyoo over on Village Voices - pop along and have a look why don't you!

Finishing off!

This bracelet had been sitting on my desk for at least a year waiting for a clasp. I even had found a suitable clasp!
Now, voila! It's finished.















That's one less UFO in my workroom! How about you?

If you would like to see more creative spaces or join in hop on over to My Creative Space on Village Voices.

A spot of remodelling/recycling

 As you may know I'm fond of recycling/remodelling/reusing creations that do not sell.

Sometimes just the threat of this fate is enough to result in someone to (unwittingly) buying the piece!
However not this one -

 It's a really bad photo that I took on my market stall one day...I don't think I ever listed it in my etsy or madeit shops.
It did have a matching bracelet and earrings...long gone!

 But I do still love the orange branch coral and the czech glass shell beads and the little acid green czech glass beads. so I draped it around my wrist and "yes"! it could be a very bold and unusual bracelet!

 Then with some of the leftover orange coral drops I made a long necklace on a chain - tres chic!

I think they are still very summery and beachy. We'll see how they go!

Are you getting in the mood for summer and planning your summer creations?

My creative space

I my creative space this week just a couple of simple bracelets to see how I go with my sore thumb.
I found that I can do most things left-handed and that the most difficult part is tightening the stringing wire, but somehow I managed!

I just love these bright stripey beads - they are a coloured malachite -
Rainbow malachite and fusion malachite...very sweet for summer!

For more creative spaces or to join in pop over here.

See you next week : )

My creative space

All the little sewingy thingys are finished (for now) so it's back to little transportable beady projects.

This is a pattern I bought many years ago from Stephanie Eddy at a Bead and Button show when I was lucky enough to go to Milwaukee, USA!

It is a little floral bracelet using seed beads and glass flowers and leaves - so sweet and it's easy too!

What's in your creative space?

If you would like to join in and share your creative space or just have a sticky to see what other are up to - pop on over to Our Creative Spaces.

My creative space

What a tangled web.....


we unweave and make them into wrap bracelets -



If you would like to see other creative spaces or would like to join in pop on over here.

My creative space

Today I had an unscheduled day playing shops at the craft co-operative that I belong to.
How it works is that we take it in turns to man (or woman) the shop, which is open every day.
But todays rostered person had an appointment and asked if I could swap.
That's one of the things that is so good about the co-op, we all help each other out.

So I grabbed a couple of boxes of beads so that I'd have something to do between customers. In fact customers like to see when we are creating and I always get comments about "all those tiny beads"!
















This is a spirtal roe bracelet using 7 different shapes and colours of czech and japanese beads from size 11 up to 4mm cubes.
Did I tell you already how much I love cubes?
Remind me to show you what I made last time.

I also have to show you my newly organised workspace but it's not quite ready yet!
Maybe next week ; )

If you would like to take peek at other creative spaces pop over to Kirsty's blog at Kootoyoo

Canoeing and creating

I meant to post this last week as the canoe trip was the weekend before last (east coast aussies will know how wet it has been the last week!).
I really wanted to get outdoors but to do something that didnt involve walking! (for obvious reasons) and we hadnt taken the canoe out for yonks. Our first excursion wasnt that great because we put in at an oversize pond in the middle of a picnic area, but luckily on the way back we found a navigable part of the Nepean River and spent a very pleasant couple of hours messing about on the river.



We bee eaters and kingfishers and lots of water dragons - all these are killingly difficult to photograph with a little camera from a bobbing canoe - so you will just have to take my word for it. (apart from the waterdragon)



It was very special because the two men in my life were there too.


Meanwhile back at the ranch.......I made earrings, just 'cus that's what I like doing.
I love the czech glass drops and have now started wire wrapping them. However I didnt have copper earwires to go with the copper wrapped aqua beads.
Now I know that many jewellery designers make all their own earwires - but I dont!
I buy them.
But I really wanted copper earwires and I searched on-line to see if I could buy them - well of course you can buy them - you can buy simply anything on-line!
Then I had a "eureka" moment and thought "I can make those with the wire that I have and then I can finish the earrings today"
So I looked on-line for a tutorial ( I know those clever clogs of you who make the afore-mentioned earwires will be laughing at this!)
I found an easy tutorial on cut out and keep and Bob's your uncle! (my kids think that is really funny 'cus they actually do have an uncle Bob!)



And I made some bracelets -

and some little simple earrings -


What have you been up to this week?

Wednesday wishlist

Yay! It's the first day of spring and what a beautiful springful day it is!
Warm, the smell of blossoms in the air.
Makes me want to wear bright and beautiful things.

A light shirt dress -

garden party blouse by SecondWindVintage

with a stunning bracelet -

fiesta cuff by windyriver

and, of course my favorite cowboy boots -

ruby phoenix boots by maefairvintage

What are your spring wishes?

monday treasury

Lots of people have been having fun with treasury east on etsy.

Strawberrycouture included my city nights bracelet in this collection of sellers from Sydney.


Strawberrycouture is from Texas and I didnt ask what the connection with Sydney was.
Anyway I was totally blown away when I visited her shop!
There is the most amazing collection of crotcheted hats!

Like this one -

black cloche hat by strawberrycouture

You simply must go and have a look!
They are sculptured headwear.

Carley from vanillapixie had fun with greens.
and what a lovely subtle selection.

Thanks Carley for choosing my spring morning necklace.

Carley makes the ever popular little hair clippies for little ones.
Her shop is in vacation mode at the moment but when she gets back you can have a look at all her pretties.



Then I also noticed that BoosTees had been picked in this clever treasury from aylla.
Thanks aylla for including my men's tshirt 'on the road'



I discovered a little gem in aylla's shop.
Gorgeous cute purses and pouches.

Could be a pencil case, but is really too nice to be just a pencil case.


Great gifts - you could put some of vanillapixie's clippies in them!

Ooopsa-daisy!

What have I been up to this week?

Making daisy chains - that's what.

It's a stich I've never had much interest before, but when I saw a design for some little rings in Beth Stone's book - I though "what else have I got to do?"




Here is a close-up of the bracelet I made with size 8 beads, so you can see the pattern.



I made a ring with size 11 cylinder beads and some swarovski crystals.



And then another using less crystals, I tought it would be more comfortable to wear.



Then another coliur combo.


The daisy chain bracelet made with bead soup size 8 beads.
It doesnt show the pattern of the daisy stitch very well, but I like the randomness of it.


What do you think?

Wishlist Wednesday - 26 - blogtoberfest day 21

Some extravagant wishes this week, and appreciation of people's time and talent.

A ring -

mars planet ring by smashing

a bracelet -

ironman's DNA peyote cuff by time2cre8

and a scarf -

earthy flamboyant recycled sari scarf by plumfish