Pretty Glass Beads

Glass Beads wirh Diamond Collar Spacers Beaded Ornament Hooks

This week has been busy with a great deal of sorting, sourcing and planning things I want to make in the next few weeks.  The overall picture is still one of creative chaos, but there are pockets where I can actually see what I have to work with, and to work up.

Halloween Witch Earrings

Tibetan Silver Witch Earrings in Black and Lime Green

Well, well, it looks like someone has given herself nearly a week off of craft blogging.  It happens quickly doesn't it?  Actually, I've been very busy crafting - I made this one pair of Halloween earrings!  Ahh, but it's what this one pair of earrings represents - that's the thing.

More Gift Tags

Birthday Gift Tags with Foam Embellishments

There has been a bit of a paper craft gift tag theme this week-end and can you believe it they're not ALL Christmasy.   I couldn't resist these colourful foamy characters with googly eyes (that's the best bit) and I thought they'd make cute gift tags with my circle punches and some co-ordinating papers.  Owls seem to be extraordinarily popular these days.  Especially the purple ones ;)

Q is for Quick: Puffy Gift Tags

Festive gift tags with glitter papers

I don't know if you've noticed on my blogs I follow list, but there are a number of holiday themed paper craft challenge sites that I enjoy following.  It's amazing to me the beautiful things that people are creating.

First Tree Skirt of 2013

Christmas Tree Skirt in traditional holiday colours

I've finished my first tree skirt of the year - and just in time for a "Finished Object Friday" to boot.   I've kept this one simple - without fancy stitches or fancy yarns - and it has worked up pretty quickly.

Snowflake Blizzard

Snowflakes in Silver

It's a blizzard around here as I'm back to the snowflakes today - and this time they are silver.  Trying to get back into the production groove I've worked up all of  my lovely large silver grey pearls.  I've actually used 4 sizes of silver grey pearls for a graduated effect and the all-important sparkly rondelle also in a silver grey colour.  I thought they looked dramatic and elegant on the shiny black paper.

Pear Gem Dangles

Pear Gem Dangles with Pearls, Faceted Crystals and Champagne Seed Beads

The lovely frosted champagne colour seed beads that I used in the hanger portion of these new gem ornaments were the inspiration for this version of my pear shaped gem dangles.  I have interspersed them with translucent seed beads in the same colour to make them stand out.  This started to remind me of champagne, so I kept the focal beads simple - the champagne bubbles in pearls and clear faceted acrylic beads. 

Happy Birthday Mum!

Happy Birthday Mum!

It's my Mum's Birthday today. Happy Birthday Mum!  This is the card that I made, and it has a special significance that I hope my Mum will get.  Some time in the 70's we had a bathroom that was decorated with smiley face wallpaper - oh yes! - and accessories to match.  It was my favourite bar none.  Given the style of my Mum's normal decorating, I think I may have had a hand in picking out the famous wallpaper - but we all ended up liking it.

Traditional Tree Skirts with Faux Fur Yarns

Stop the presses -  my in-laws have a Christmas tree. For the first time since I met my husband (many, many, many moons ago) my mother and father-in-law put up a Christmas Tree last year.  They would decorate, but because of many animals in the home avoided the tree.  I just couldn't let such an exciting development as this go without making them a tree skirt, so this is the one I made for them - and it is loaded with a variety of the faux fur yarns.

Craft Kits: Victorian Elegance Beaded Garland

I had occassion yesterday to be reminded of my garland kits, and I realize that I have never blogged about them.  And you crafty folks might be interested as now is a good time to start making things for the holidays.

Animal Print Shell Bracelets

Funky Leopard Print Shell Beads

One of the good things about having taken some time off from craft blogging, is that there are a fair number of things to catch up on updating.  As I am unlikely to want too many animal print things for the Christmas Tree (though there are a few exceptions!), I though these beads would work up nicely into bracelets.

Christmas Magic Glitter Pots

Christmas magic ... in pots of glitter

This is one of my new styles for 2013 .. the Glitter Pot Ornament.  Being constantly on the look-out for anything that I can string some wire and beads through, I was delighted when I found these little glass vials with plastic stoppers that contained a hole.

Large Diamond Dangles in Lime Green

Back to the Christmas craft room for me today.   I have so many things to work up (lucky me!) that I'm trying to get on to a system ... diamond dangles ... snowflake ornaments ... beaded ornament hangers .... cards.  But yikes, I'm forgetting tree skirts, garland, gift tags, jewelry and so much more.  I understand why Santa employs so many elves.

Fairies and Flowers in Purple and Green

Stop when there is absolutely no space left?

A little change from snowflakes and holly today ... to flowers and fairies.  I've made up another card in green, purples and golds and embellished the heck out of it.

Treearrings? European Style Beaded Ornament Hangers

European Style Beads with Pearls Ornament Hangers

I seem to be going a bit more to the 'designer series' section of my Christmas crafting these days with some fabulous and unusual bead finds.    These aren't necessarily unusual, but they certainly are special.

An Accidental Design - Gemsicles

Take a look at these sparkly things - aren't they wonderful?  Can you tell what they are meant to be?  These are an accidental creation because my first plan didn't work.

Working Up the Crochet Cotton with Washcloths

My work in progress this Wednesday is not so much an item as it is a task.  I am in progress on working up all my bits of crochet cotton.  I have several bags, and many small bits that are not enough to make a full dishcloth, so I was delighted when I came across a new pattern that was very much like the tree skirts I like to make.  It's a free crochet pattern "Shaped Washcloth" from Lion Brand yarns.

On a roll with the wash cloth /dish cloths

Cat Person Birthday Card

Close up of Kitty Card

Well, all the craft supplies are coming out it seems!  Just what I need - lol.  Not!  But anyway, it is what it is.  My mother has a birthday coming up so I thought  I'd better get in gear and make her a birthday card.  I am very happy with how it has turned out but the glue is still drying so I will show you that one another day.

False Rib Wash Cloth

False Rib is pretty in variegated yarn

A quick little update today so that I don't lose my momentum, and also to keep track of this knitting stitch / dishcloth pattern as I particularly like it.  This is the false rib stitch and it couldn't be more simple.  (K1, P1) for odd rows, and K on even rows.

Serious Bling Beaded Ornament Hooks

These 20mm rhinestone encrusted beads are sparkle heaven

Woweeee look at these beads!  B-Bling!!!  If I were a fashion designer, and my beaded ornament hooks were my clothing designs, then this would be the item that would close the show.  My 'ball gown' - if you will - of the beaded ornament hangers.