Thursday, October 30, 2008

Leopard Print Rarrrrrr


Sometimes you just have to let that fabulous side of yourself out, right? The other day I saw these beads in my craft store and, well, just couldn't hep myself. My inner goddess/ lioness/ leopardess, you pick, snatched them off the wall and put them in my shopping basket. Sometimes I really love animal prints, I've been far more into giraffe prints lately, but how often do you see giraffe print glass beads? Never. So I figured I was lucky enough to snag these beads, I would run wild with them :-) And I suspect that inner wildness runs rampant within knitting circles, therefore, they become stitch markers! I've also worked up two more of these beads into a pair of earrings that I'll be posting in the shop in a day or two in case anyone is interested!

Pink Jasper Sets





So I've definitely been feeling pink lately. This weekend when I was doing all of that bead shopping, I picked up a ton of pink jasper! I didn't even realize it until I sat down to make the necklaces, that I had these graduated pink jasper teardrops and that I had purchased the pink jasper medallions the day before! In my defense they are very different in size and in pattern, in fact I'm curious how they can really be the same stone, but thats how they are labeled and since I don't really know any better I can't argue. I suspect the medallions are pink jasper but within some other stone. Anyways, I've just posted one of these sets on Etsy and will post the other set tomorrow! Hope you like them!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Match-y Match-y




Here's one of the necklaces that I made over the weekend! I finally had an opportunity to photograph and list them! Well, I've liste done of them. I didn't have time to list the other two yet. Either tonight or tomorrow sometimes I guess. This is the necklace that coordinates with the earrings I blog about yesterday. I've been told not to use the term "matching", that it sounds like you can't wear other things with them or some such thing. So I'm using the term co-ordinating. I doubt it makes much of a difference but I'm willing to give it a try! So this necklace coodinates nicely with the last set of earrings. :-)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Too many necklaces!

I've been on a necklace spree the last few days but I didn't have any lobster clasps to finish them off with! Eek! So I finally made the sacrifice to go to Michael's after school today and pick up some supplies. Of course they were have a sale. I'm proud I got out of there spending less that $20! But then since I was down in that direction, made a pit-stop at Joann's, where I picked up some fabrics for Christmas presents, and then while I was at it went to Barnes & Noble too. Didn't spend anything there but got some great ideas for presents for my brother and for a friend of mine who is expecting twins... who also reads this blog so I will say no more....



Anyways, here's a sneak preview of the posts for this week. These are a pair of earrings that coordinate with one of the necklaces I made this weekend! I made matching earrings for all three. This set I am posting separately, the other two I will post as earring and necklace sets. I love these beads together. I picked them up on Saturday at my favorite bead store, which was having a trunk show. Love trunks shows! It's a great opportunity to see things that aren't normally in the shop! Like these beads! Clearly I was inspired. Hope you like!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Weekend Projects



So it seems that crafting has become a weekend only project. I went to town last night after getting home from the Mobile Roller Derby (yup, thats what I said). I had been working out some necklace designs in my mind all day and whipped them up last night along with coordinating earrings for each and another pair of earrings. Then made more earrings this morning! Phew! So now I just need to go buy some more lobster clasps to finish the necklaces with and I'll post them. Posted these two pairs of earrings this morning, check them out!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Playful Annibelle Video

Maybe I should keep some of these...



I posted two more sets of stitch markers this morning. And it occurred to me, I don't have any stitch markers of my own to use! It's that silly? I've been posting all of these really pretty stitch markers and I haven't made a pair for myself. Maybe I should keep a set for myself! The thing is, I hardly do any knitting now. I have a half finished pair of fetching gloves made that I had begun when I was in Maine two summers ago, before I moved to Alabama. It seems that once I moved south, I lost my interest in knitting, maybe because it is always so warm outside. I do like to knit when its cold out and I'm all curled up in a chair by the TV. I just haven't been moved. This summer I started a new project, a daunting one, a sweater! And I haven't done more than one night's work on it. It's sitting on the bookshelf. I can see it from here. But I can't work on it with the kitkit around and she's always around. Hm... Maybe I will bring knitting home to Maine for Christmas. Maybe by then I will need a set of stitch markers to call my own?

Monday, October 20, 2008

More Stitch Markers



A few days ago, after putting my sewing machine away, I also thought it was time to put away the jewelry stuff, so I cleaned and cleaned of fthe dining table til nothing was left (almost)> And then, of course, I was inspired to create! How does that always happen? So I took out a limited number of supplies and worked on a handful of sets of stitch markers. I'm hoping they will be good sellers for the upcoming holidays!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

More Sewing Projects

I thought I would share some of my other sewing projects from the other night when I made Anni's new sleeping bag. I also made a plastic bag dispenser, a project that has been on my to-do list for almost a year! And two little bags to pack lingerie in when I travel. I hate to idea of the TSA people scrounging through my undies....



Here is the plastic bag dispenser. This will come in handy for clearing out the floor of my pantry, whichi s currently covered in bags! I use the bags for my bathroom garbage cans and for taking out the cat litter, very handy and good recycling I think. Plus look how cute the fabric is! The bottom fabric was another gift from my friend Nikki, she clearly has good taste in fabric, can't believe she gave me some of her stash! I used the tutorial from www.dioramarama.com to make it, although it is mostly a free hand tutorial. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.dioramarama.com/2006/12/grocery_bag_dispense.html I found it on the Sew Mama Sew Blog from last year's Holiday Handmade. What a great series that was!


The other project from Sunday night was this set of lingerie bags. No tutorial here, just stiched up one side for the pull strings and then folded over the rectangle. Very straight forward, but I like to organize things when I pack and I like the idea of keeping my under things in separate bags when I travel. Plus, how cute is this fabric? Picked that up at JoAnn's last weekend without any projects in mind, just couldn't help myself! Sorry these picks are so dark, camera batteries started flashing at me, so I was in a hurry to download!

Monday, October 13, 2008

What's New



Here's another new pair of earrings I whipped up. I made these a few days ago but really had to hem and haw about whether or not I was going to keep them for myself. The end decision was, I have another pair of these briolettes and many more of those pearls so if I decide I must have them, I'll make myself another pair :) I think these would be lovely as bridal earrings, something blue maybe?

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Kitteh Sack




So I noticed recently that Target has some really, really cute Kitty accessories that have a handmade appearance. There were toys and beds and sacks and I almost bought some of them when I realized, I CAN DO THAT! So today, after making a pair of earrings and hemming and hawing over a necklace that never did get finished, I converted my jewelry making space, i.e. the kitchen table, into my sewing space and went to town.


I whipped up a kitty sack out of this lovely brown canvas with a swirling leaf and butterfly pattern. I had intended to make Annibelle a comfy bed with this fabric but after seeing how much she loves being nestled inside the paper bag I thought she really needed a more permanent sleeping bag. And it is definitely a success! As soon as I put it down from my table she jumped on it and layed down and after half a second of coaxing she was inside her own bed. I used a gorgeous yellow flower print gifted to me last weekend from my friend and colleague Nikki to trim the endge and for the bird applique on the front. Thanks Nikki!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Lotus Blossoms



It seems to me that sometimes making jewelry is like the flowering of lotus blossoms, known for their enchanting beauty, which arises out of murky water. Well, here's a picture of my murky water, the mess that is my dining table when I'm working on my jewelry!



And low and behold, I've been making more earrings with flowers! How poetic :) These are plum colored iridescent freshwater pearls wire wrapped around silver ovals and anchored with a glass flower.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

New Lovelies



So here's a peak at some of the other new things I whipped up over the weekend. I think I will start making a habit of being creative on the weekends. Maybe even devote one weekend night per week to it. That would keep the shop busy and it really does keep my mind active to have something to think about other than my work all the time. I need to spend more time cultivating my creative side instead of being such a couch potato, as much as being a couch potato is also keeping my mind off of work, it is not improving it in any way. Sigh.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Ode to Anni



Poor little Annibelle, my kitkit, had surgery today, time for her spay. So I thought I would post some pics of her from yesterday when she was worry free and silly. Here she is, playing in a paper bag. Apparently it was pretty comfortable in there, all cozy, since she quickly fell asleep! What a cutie! She's doing ok this evening, sleeping next to the laptop right now.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Holiday Prep




In time for the Holidays I've started posting all those new pretties that I made over the weekend. I will try to keep up my current trend of listing or re-listing one or two items almost every day! I have quite a few new things listed on my Etsy site, so go check them out! Here's a lovely beige stone necklace and earrings set that I recently listed. I dreamt about this color combo of the soft pink with these soft brown starburst patterned stones for a couple of nights before I sat down and made this necklace. I do love the way the glass beads compliment the stones. I think they'll make a perfect Christmas gift set for someone!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Inspiration


Wow, last night I was on a roll! I set up my jewelry making supplies on the dining table and created created created all night long! I think I made a necklace, 6 pairs of earrings, and a pendant! I'll be posting them on my Etsy site over the course of this week, so watch for them!

Here's the pendant that I finished last night. I love the way it hangs. I tried doing a horizontal orientation instead of the other pendants which are all vertical. I also added a little bling to the pendant, which I love :-) Sparkly! This pendant coordinates with a pair of earrings that I made a few weeks ago! I know this pic is bad, I'm waiting for my camera batteries to recharge and then there will be better ones!

Friday, October 3, 2008

Coordinating Pendants




So I've been experimenting with my paper based earrings and have made a handful of matching pendants. I'm not sure yet about posting matchy-matchy sets. I have sold a set, it sold rather quickly. And I'm told they tend to sell well as gift sets, so maybe its a good idea for the impending Christmas season. Here are two of the pendants that I'm posting. Right now I have them listed separately on Etsy with references to the coordinating jewelry. I've also been really into necklaces lately, probably why I've experimented with the pendants, so I might have something new to post soon!