Sparkly necklace

This is the first thing I've made with my new bead purchases.

It's my sisters birthday coming up soon and I asked if she'd like me to make her a necklace that she'd designed. Her designing did involve her saying 'Can you use these beads from this bracelet I broke, and they'd look cool in earrings too' and rejecting my first design!

I'm really happy with how it turned out, I think I'm going to use crystals a bit more now, they're just lovely. I haven't completely finished it, because I'm not sure of the length she wants it yet but that won't take long.

The beads she gave me are the cracked glass ones. I've got one left over, not sure what to do with that!

Beady Goodness

This purchase arrived last Monday and I haven't really had time to get my camera out and take photos, but I did manage to sort out some of them in bits and pieces. I ordered them from Spacetrader and they arrived really quickly.

All these beads were in a 1kg mixed glass bead bag for only $20. I've sorted them into colour because that's the type of person I am.



These are the other beads I bought (I've already used some of the blue crystals) and you may be able to tell I was in a purple mood. Some of this stuff came from a lucky dip bag which had some cool stuff in it. I also bought some findings and charms but I've put them away already!

The chain is the only thing I'm not completely happy with, but I think that was more due to a misunderstanding on my part than anything.

Beaded Bookstrings

It's funny how life gets interrupted sometimes. I meant to post this yesterday, but I spent most of the day doing nothing and trying to sleep because I had to check a dog every two hours over Friday night. I did however, manage to fall out of my bed at about 2pm Saturday, which I think is a bit of an achievement. I wasn't even actually asleep at the time, I think I was reaching over for a book or something. But today, with a little more sleep under my belt (it's good stuff) I managed to get motivated enough to get my camera out, and I even went outside in an attempt to get some sunlight in the photos. Unfortunately the background is a bit dodgy, I might have to try somewhere else next time, or I'll just keep taking poorly lit indoor photos.

In my ongoing quest to make little going away presents for everyone at work before I leave (only three weeks to go, but I've only got 3 to go...just need some ideas as they're new people who I don't know that well!) I made some beaded bookstrings.

They were very easy to make, and I think they look very pretty. To make them take some beads that look attractive together, something to string them on and some crimps. String a crimp, a seed bead (if the other beads have holes that are too big) the beads that you want on that end, and another seed bead. Then skip the end seed bead and restring the other beads and the crimp. Crimp the crimp, cut the short end of your stringing material and you've done one end. Then measure up your stringing material to the desired length, and add enough to pass through the beads again plus a little extra and repeat the stringing procedure.

Secret Santa

I've done a Bookcrossing Secret Santa this year (and this post has been sitting in drafts for some time until it was sent off and recieved), and participants had to send one book, and whatever else you wanted to. So my Secret Santa-ee loves vampire books, so I thought I'd make an amigurumi vampiress. It was lots of fun, although she is a very stereotypical vampire with her black hair, white skin and corset!



She's been really well recieved, it's just fantastic! At the moment she's still waiting on a name but it shouldn't be long.

I also made a book string. I'm very pleased with that, hopefully it will look very appropriate sitting in some gothic romance novel.

Jewelry set: Winter Berries

I was having a bit of a play with my new beads and I made this set, how does 'Winter Berries' sound for a name? I really love this set, but I've made it for a Christmas present for my sister (I'm a bit organised this year) and so I'll have to give it away. But if she doesn't like it, then I guess I've got some lovely new jewelry.





I didn't actually like the initial set of earrings I made (but I did like the photo) so after I took this photo I destroyed them and made...


...these ones. The original ones were a bit asymmetrical and messy, and I think these ones go a bit better.

The set is made with Opalite beads on tigertail.

Beading Organisation

Do you like my organisational things? To be honest, I think the plastic trays with my goodies in them are quite pretty, so every now and then I'll get them out and just look at them. Does that make me slightly crazy? Or more than slightly?


Anyway, these are my beads. I've got more that don't fit, plus my seed beads which are in tubes because it's too hard to get them out of the squares without spilling them everywhere. So I need to buy more trays to be more organised (admittedly the other beads which you're not getting a photo of are pretty tidy. Most of them are now in colour separated bags).


These are my buttons (yes, it's probably one of the worst collections ever, but when I have a project that I need some buttons for I'll buy some nice ones), and other bits and pieces (eyes, charms and ummm...tops off drug vials, but I'm sure they'll come in handy one day).


And finally, my multi-coloured wire. It's pretty and in this little jar is very cute. The wire is actually a bit too soft and thin to do much with, but I used some of it for the wine charms I did recently.

So that's my beading (and a bit of other stuff) organisation. It's nice to know where everything is and to be able to see it easily. I don't actually have a huge amount of room here so if I wasn't organised I'd just be in a mess. Or maybe more of a mess!

Wine rings

I've made a few sets of wine rings for Christmas gifts.



They're all in sets of 6 and in a bit of a red/Asian theme. All of the sets are pretty similar, but there are a few little variations.The beads are pretty secure because I had to straighten the ends of the rings before putting them on. Now the only problems are losing them and people forgetting what ring is theirs once they've had too much to drink!

Necklace and Earring Set

After buying all those beads I thought I'd get out my tools (some of which were new too!) and make some pretties.



It's fairly obvious where my inspiration has come from, the Chain Smoking necklace which is floating round everyones wists. I'd link to it, but craftster.org is down at the moment.

Beads, Lovely Beads

Sorry I haven't posted for over a week, I've been nice and busy and all that stuff.

Anyway, during the week I got a wonderful parcel with beads and wire and findings and I think I've played with my new acquisitions most days since I got them, because they're lovely.


Ooooh, pretty 



As well as my beads, I thought I'd make a resolution to try and take more pretty photos, not necessarily of crafty things, but just of pretty things, and these are the first photos. Don't you agree they're pretty?

Clover Earrings

I made these earrings a few weeks ago, but I've only now got round to taking photos of them. They're quite simple and my first attempt at earrings. I still need to get the hang of bending the wire but hopefully I'll get better with practice.


Clover earrings 

Look what I got!

Look what I got! It was a gift from my friends, a late birthday/moving present. It's got tools, and beads and findings and now I can make some stuff. I'm pretty excited!


Ooooooh 

I'm heading to Adelaide tomorrow but probably won't be posting here for at least two weeks because I'm staying with a friend and I don't think she has internet access so I'll just be checking my email and that's about it.