Tabel Runner, Tote, Chinese Lampwork Beads

Hi Everyone... I'm sorry for the two week lag. Yeah, tomorrow it'll be two weeks since I've blogged.

In my previous entry I mentioned that I started cutting and sewing the "Butterfly Trail" blocks for a table runner. I managed to get them pieced together. I trimmed the topper and this is the semi-finished look. I still haven't decided if I want to hand or machine quilt it yet. I'd like to make a black top stitch along the inside of the light pink triangles and use a light pink thread along the darker triangles. I still have to put more thought into it. Overall, I'm very pleased with my work. My points look great! I just might put this one up for sale. While I'm taking time to think...

I've almost finished up a tote. I think these colors are so beautiful together. The purple with small print has dainty gold leave flecks that I just can't get over. I quilted the top with gold metallic thread on the purple fabric and then I used an invisible thread on the floral pattern. I sewed a hook and loop closure instead of a zipper. I have to sew the inside flap down and I plan to hand sew that.

Here's the patchwork on the back side of the tote. The straps are long enough to pull over your shoulder with just a little ease for movement. I didn't want disproportional looking tote handles.

This tote is also tagged! "WizardGir1". I think it's a nice finishing touch. :)

Moving on...  I know that I'm not the biggest fan of quilting, but the tote project and the runner has encouraged me to make a small quilt. (DOH! I'm not even finished with my king size "Winning Hand" quilt yet. More on that at a later entry, as I have the border strips cut and ready to sew!)

This photo is of an Amish design. The pattern explained that the Pennsylvania Amish folks (a.k.a. Pennsylvania Dutch) didn't use bright yellow, orange, or yellow-green in their quilts. The neutral color used was black. I have always LOVED Amish quilts. I think they are so clean and easily read (they aren't busy with fabric colors and patterns). The particular block used in this quilt is called the "Bow Tie". Isn't it lovely? Do a Google search for this block in color. My printer ran out of ink. :D It's much more pleasing to the eye in full color. For this specific quilt pattern, I need 24 scrap strips of fabric.

These are my fabric strips. And no, they aren't solid. I think I might have only a few solid colors, but I have a different plan. I'm going to try to place them in this gradient color order after the blocks are made. That's the real reason I took the photo, so I could use it as a reference when it comes time. I think these prints will look adorable against the black color. I'm excited. All right, that's my quilting talk. Moving on again.

I helped my friend make her wedding earrings today. While we were at the bead shop, I saw the funky-fun (yes that's the technical term) Chinese lamp work beads. I had to have them. These will be adorable for summer. ...yup, another thing to look forward to (other than summer). By the way, I have to mention here that we got a half an inch of snow last night. GRR! That's just crazy. It's April. Not only that, but I'm SO done with winter here in Minnesota. It's just getting too long. I better stop complaining there. I want this to be a happy blog! :) I want to write about things that make me happy! 

Guess I'll close now. LOL. OH WAIT! I have one more thing to say. I saw a Kenmore Ultra Mini on Craig's List for $25 last Thursday. This machine has excellent reviews. It's made by Jamome, so it's good, of course. It's a 3/4 size machine weighing in at 11 pounds, but it has a full size motor in it. That means it has power! I want it. They sell for $100 at Sears. I contacted the seller to let him know that I was interested in buying it. He had to leave town and plans to call at the beginning of next week. My fingers are crossed though, because a person never knows how these things turn out. I tried getting a different machine once, and they never responded to my email. At any rate, you better believe that I'll mention whether I get the machine or not in my next post.

Until then, keep pushing forward through your projects!

Floating Beads, Scarves, Art Doll, and a Cute Quilted Tote!

Happy Mid-March! I'm a bit later in posting my entry this week because I've had a small life-change that needed to take place. Can you guess? Can you guess with all of my complaining about weight gain? Tawnya has joined the gym! I couldn't take it anymore. After I learned that my insurance pays a percentage of it, there was no reason to NOT join. I joined Friday and have gone each day since. I know, 4 days, big deal right? It really IS a big deal though - I've recommitted to a healthier lifestyle. So that's why I'm later today.

Now on to my crafting! My girlfriend, Korrina, is getting married this summer and asked me to help her make her bridesmaid's jewelry: earrings and necklaces. We did that this weekend. I haven't made a necklace that gives the illusion of floating beads around the neck but I've always wanted to. It was a lot of fun figuring out! Korrina was very pleased with how the pieces turned out. She has other craft ideas for her wedding and I've offered to help do whatever I can. 

I had some time to work on my art doll. I was stuck on her shoes and finally decided to go with a blue cotton with lace trim and sequins for buttons. After I got the shoes completed, I got creative and finished her lace sleeves with some blue lace trim and gave her a blue bow-tie necklace.

Here's a close up of her shoes.

And here is a close up of her sleeve trim and bow necklace.

I said that I was going to post my colorful scarf last week, but I didn't want to pose quite yet. I will mention that I have worn this scarf several times and received some really nice compliments. I'm not gonna lie, I was slightly worried that I looked like a clown! Haha... Women just loved it! They mentioned it looked so fun. (Thank you!!)

And because I loved the frilly or ruffly look of the scarf, I decided to make one out of this really pretty white yarn that my ma gave to me. It's a very soft 100% acrylic with tinsel woven through so that it reflects light and looks sparkly at a glance. I'm a sucker for sparkles. :)

Maybe you can see the tinsel a little better here.

I also had some time this week to work on some quilt squares of my own design. I debated if I should continue making random quilt squares and make another quilt blanket, but I decided not too considering my king size quilt isn't even finished yet! I DO, however, need another tote that is a small size for carrying things to the gym in. :) (I love mentioning that I "go to the gym"!) Anyways, the photo below is one side of the tote.

Here is the other side of the tote. I'm not sure how I am going to do the handles yet. Time and creativity will tell.

Well, as you see, I have three projects to finish. I don't think I will start any new ones this week. I'm taking my ma's cats for two weeks, beginning Thursday, so I am not sure how much time I will get for projects this weekend. I have a gym date this weekend too, with a gal from work - she's invited me to Zumba session. Since it's so popular, I thought I'd give it a try. Although, I'm terrible at keeping tempo or anything that requires memory to movements. :D So again, I don't know how much crafting I will get to.

Okay, my Sweety is in the kitchen ready for dinner...waiting for me. Have a great week everyone. Thanks for reading! :)

Restringing and Puffed Flatbread

It's a new week and it's the END of February. Didn't this month fly by quickly? Geez, it seems that I just made Edward's Valentine's Day card. :)

I had another busy week last week, but I managed to get a couple hobby things done. A lady at work told me about a magnetic bracelet she purchased that was falling apart. I told her that I would take a look at it for her and restring it with a clasp, if I could. Here's the bracelet strung on the stretch cording. You can see the elastic broke. 

Here's the finished piece with a sterling silver toggle clasp. I didn't realize that she wanted a magnetic clasp. I brought it in today and it fit beautifully. I was worried because I had added about an inch with the clasp length. Apparently she works with a child who gropes and pulls at her accessories and needs them to be "breakaway" style. I brought it home to restring it with a magnetic clasp. I'll work on that after I'm finished here. :)

In addition to beading, I also made bread! Baked Puffed Flatbread to be exact. This bread tastes so incredible and the texture is amazing - firm on the outside and soft in the center.

Here's the recipe. 

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used vanilla)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions
In a medium bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Add oil, sugar, and yogurt. Mix with wooden spoon until combined well. Add wheat flour and 2 cups of bread flour. Mix until flour is incorporated, about 3 minutes. Turn out of bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 12 to 15 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Squeeze dough gently with full hand: if dough is sticky, sprinkle with flour and knead just to combine. Place dough in medium bowl with plastic wrap in a draft-free spot. Let rise until it doubles 30 to 45 minutes.

Turn dough onto a floured work surface and cut into 8 balls. Let rest for 5 minutes. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a flat circle - 4 inches in diameter. (Mine aren't uniform.)

Brush tops of circles with water and then sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Use a rolling pin to set the seeds on the surface of the dough. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust rack to lowest position and line rack with a pizza stone or baking sheet at 500° F. Bake dough for 5 to 6 minutes.

When it's done it will puff up and the bottoms will turn golden brown. Transfer breads to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

Serve warm.

Serve "Edward" style - butter and jam. This bread is very easy and could easily be made into flat rolls for a gathering of sorts. 

I still want to get some sewing in, but I just haven't had the time to get started. I have some new ideas and when that happens, I feel bombarded. I know, I know, I do it to myself and I have to get a grip. I need to write down my ideas so I don't feel pressured. After this week, I don't have any sub jobs for two weeks. I plan on getting some sewing in within that time. Laura, you are right, beginning a dress may motivate me to lose those pesky pounds!

I didn't intend on baking a new bread this week, so we'll see what comes of next week.

...until then, happy days to you!

Migrating Eagles, Scarf Update, Wire Hoop Earrings

Happy Week! :)

Edward and I took a drive down south this weekend to see if the eagles were migrating yet. There were several eagles soaring but not many perched.

For this shot, my lens was racked out and I still didn't get a clear image. You can tell it's an eagle though. The weather was beautiful - sunshine and no wind. We plan on going down again in a couple weeks. It's so neat to see them perched along the river ice to fish.

Weather now? Minnesota is getting a ton of snow - I suppose over a foot by now. Snow plows have knocked down garbage and recycle cans all down the block. I've only gone out once today and that was to take back my Redbox movie. :) I think it's great for skiers and snowmobiles. Moving on to jewelry...

It was my jewelry week, but I didn't make any. The original plan was to make girls jewelry, but I didn't get around to it. I had a 40 hour week so that took up most time. The next two photos are of some earrings that I made a few weeks ago. These are an antiqued gold pair - faceted crystal for the focal bead.

I used the wire jig for these next earrings - I love using wire more each time I work with it. I like hoop earrings too. There are more complex designs out there, but I wanted to start simple and work my way up.

Since I was busy with work, only a few nights this week was spent working on my colorful scarf. I hope to get it done soon enough to wear it before the season is over. I actually was going to sit down and start stitching and then I remembered that I should update my hobby blog. So here it is!

This week is a sewing week, according to my hobby schedule. I feel like starting a dress to wear this spring, but I've gained 8 pounds. I feel a little discouraged because of that. Maybe I won't feel so pretty in it. Maybe that's a good reason to make a new dress! I'll have to see. I'm just gonna go with my inspiration - no matter what hobby I work on. :)

Have a wonderful week!

Polyclay Creations, Beaded Earrings, More Pee Pee Tee-pees

Oh, happy February to everyone! Yes, I am a day early but that's okay. Could it possibly mean that I am on top of things lately? Of course it's thanks to the new planner I purchased on October 25th, 2010. How do I know the exact date? My planner says "Buy Planner" on that date. I just wanted to write something in, so that was it. :)

Well, I said that I would have clay creations to share this week, but I didn't have time to complete the projects (maybe I'm not so "on top of it!"). I've varnished both sides of these pendants and earrings, but I have to hang them up in order to varnish the sides. Here's what I have so far.  These pieces will be strung with beads or wire.

This next one is mine. :D I'm not selling it... It's very pretty with the cherry tree embossing and the platinum metallic powder to enhance it. I will make several more in different shapes and then sell those.

This black pendant and earrings emboss pattern remind me of snake or turtle skin. I used a pretty piece of lace for the embossing and these are the results. It turned out wonderfully.

Here are some fun copper earrings that I made with the Wigjig. I really enjoy working with wire as a medium and plan to further my education and skill. I made each component of these earrings - aside from the beads.

Sun shaped chandelier earrings with Swarovski crystals.

Pale Pink crystal earrings.

I even made time to crochet this past week! Here is a Primrose pot holder. It's slightly different from the dishcloth: this has 5 petals and the dishcloth has 6.

Of course I wanted to make more of these little baby-changing helpers too. They fold nicely for a drawer or could hang near the baby changing station.

More pee pee tee-pees in a different theme - teddies.

This is a project that I am not going to sell, but will if I it is requested. I work with children who have special needs. Many of them are drawn to certain fabrics or objects that create a specific sensation in their hand or against their cheek. I made this textile sampler so different fabrics could be removed easily with a snap.  

Last of all, a charming, soft, blue baby afghan! I did not make this one. My mom crocheted this and it's for sale here. I've always admired her shell pattern stitches - they are PERFECT! This afghan has a double ruffle and finished with a blue ribbon. The acrylic yarn is spongy soft and welcomes a sleeping, snuggly baby.

I am going to try hard to stay on my craft rotating schedule in order to keep up with the latest techniques in each hobby area. Last week was polymer clay and this week is sewing. I actually pulled my art doll out and worked a little more on her. I finally purchased some lace! She has so much detail to work out and after adding a detail, I come up with another idea. ...I'm NOT complaining!

I've invited my ma over for another craft day, which I think I will be sewing either my Flying Geese table runner, or my gorgeous art doll. (I really hope I'll be able to part with her when I'm finished. The intent was to sell her, but I'm falling in love!) More photos next week!

Until next Monday, have a nice and relaxing week.

Copper Chandelier Earrings

Evening Folks...

Today is my third wedding anniversary and we are heading out to Red Lobster for a date. :) I hope to find a sampler so I can try many things. I've never had real crab or lobster.

My mom came over at one point this week to help me on some crochet stitches but we weren't in the mood to work. We were in the mood to chat and have lunch, so that's what we did instead!

I've still been working on making jewelry. I picked up a new tool to help me make chandelier earrings over the weekend. Copper and brass metals are extremely popular right now, so I thought I'd make some with those materials. Here is a photo of the second pair of earrings that I made and I fell in love. The beads are natural pearls and semi-precious gold stone (just gorgeous and sparkly!). I cannot sell these! They're MINE! I have worn them two days in a row. I finally took them off to replace them with earrings that matched my sweater for our anniversary date. Things a woman must do! I'll probably wear them again tomorrow.

I'm hoping to do more work this weekend - anything! Sewing, beading, crocheting... Next week is only slightly fewer hours at work than this week. It's hard to balance everything. Working out has gone by the way side. I finally cleaned my house really well this weekend, after being down with a cold for 10 days. This weekend, however, is my PLAY weekend. I'm going to the library to get more books on my hobby crafts. I hope to have a goal set and met concerning the product I list for February. Maybe I'll have a plan more solid by next Tuesday.

Until then...

Beautiful Beads - Hand Made Jewelry

It's been one week since I last posted and it's been 11 days that my online store has been open. I am currently in the process of designing new business cards to help in the advertising department. I'll put my order in on Friday. Then eventually, I'll advertise in a couple news papers in the Twin Cities.

I've sold a few items thus far, and I am even more excited to share with others and see where this little business leads. I'm also taking a trip to Garden of Beads this weekend. Garden of Beads is located downtown Anoka, MN. Anoka is right on the river so it's a pretty old town.  Before my cold took a toll on my energy bank, I designed some pretty jewelry. All items posted are for sale, minus two; however, I will take orders to recreate the piece - or take suggestions for changes in design. :)

This badge lanyard can be ordered.

Pearls and Shells chandelier earrings.

This piece is available here.

This piece is available.

"Under the Sea" badge lanyard is made with coral and purple freshwater pearls.

This badge lanyard can be custom ordered.

Elegant Pearl and Glass Bead dangles.

This piece is made with faceted crystals and cat's eye glass.

I know this next item isn't beaded, but I mentioned in a post or two back that I had another crocheted item to post, so here it is! This is a Primrose Daisy washcloth or potholder. :) Country blue isn't readily available in too many stores nowadays, so I am going to stitch up a few of these.

I am working on the Flying Geese table runner - after my cold, I plan on getting back to that project. ...I had a vision of a a thick-walled tote that was embellished with beads. It might be a great idea that never forms into reality, but then again, it might be the inspiration I need to create something really special! :) Time will tell.

Until next Tuesday....