The Rain in Spain

Hello again, Oodlers. Since I last updated, I’ve spent a lovely few days in (not so) sunny Spain.

On the Saturday, we decided to explore Malaga a bit. I fell in love with the city, even though the weather was a bit on the chilly side (okay, I was so cold I thought I might die!) and we ended up leaving early than originally planned, just to get a heat on the bus. Some stunning buildings and we took in the Picasso museum as well. Next time my task will be to take only hand luggage but find space in it for my DLSR camera!

I’ve also managed to master bead crochet and made this necklace for a crochet group swap on Ravelry

The best part of the swap was that I managed to swap in person whilst on holiday, as by a total fluke, my partner lived about an hour away from where we were staying. We spent a lovely couple of hours chatting and drinking coffee.

Here are my lovely swap goodies.

The pincushion will be fab for when I start learning dressmaking (definitely this year – no excuses!), as I’m really bad for sticking pins in my trousers (well, jammie bottoms) and forgetting about them until they stab or scratch me later.

Toodles for now xoxo

I Get A Round

Hello again, blogosphere. I’m still hooked (pun intended) on crochet. Remember the Tucson Throw I did a few weeks ago? Well, I still had some yarn left, and a silver round cushion I got years ago in Ikea, so I though it crochet a cover for it. I used a basic granny circle pattern I found on Ravelry, but the best bit for me was working out how to shape the back to let my puffy cushion sit inside it nicely.

Futon on the spare room is looking very swish now.

I now have to work out how on earth to crochet a cover for the other cushion, which is a 5-pointed star shape!

Other than that, I’ve learned bead crochet. This only happened 2 days ago, so no photos yet! It’s actually ideal for taking to work or doing whilst watching tv, as you don’t need to worry about dropping beads. Stringing them is an utter pain though.

I completely forgot it was pancake day yesterday, so I think I may make sofficini (aka crispy pancakes) for Sunday dinner instead.

Anyway, must dash – need to string more beads for my current project.

Toodles xoxo

What’s My Name?

No finished jewellery to show today, but I do have some name badges I made for the girls who work in a local tea rooms.  The original idea I had in mind for these just didn’t work well, but I am really pleased with the alternative I came up with – I think they have a really nice retro look to them:

I have some almost finished beady things too – really must get them completed -  I hate having stuff lying around that isn’t finished, but I also seem to lose some enthusiasm once I’m about 75% finished – does anyone else have this problem?

I haven’t been doing much beading for the last month or so, which is something that happens every now and again; time just seems to pass me by sometimes.  Luckily I have a week off work later this month, so I’m looking forward to some crafty time, as well as spending time with my lovely hubby.  I even bought a beginners lampworking kit a couple of weeks ago, so definitely planning to spend one day melting glass.  Speaking of lampworking, the wonderful Linda at Inside the Fire gave me these stunners.  I’m really looking forward to making them into something, but also a little scared I don’t do them justice!  The colours are so me – I am like a broken record, the amount of times I say “you can’t go wrong with black, camel and grey”.

Everything else in life is ticking along nicely.  As always, I have a list of things as long as my arm I want to get done…sometimes I even manage to tick one or two of the off the list.  I still need to do a lot of work on my website, and shift this blog over there, but hopefully in the next few weeks, I have that sorted.  At the same time, I also want to tackle all the crap I have in the spare room.  Do you ever feel sometimes you just have way more stuff than you’ll ever need or want – I am definitely feeling this at the moment.  Haha, if there is anything of mine you want – why not ask me.  You never know, the frame of mind I’m in at the moment, you may just get lucky.

Until next time…

Lisa xoxo

Beady Bonanza

Definitely back on track with this blogging lark again.  To prove it, I have some finished pieces to show:

Firstly, this Alhambra Tiles bracelet, made from a tutorial by Callie Mitchell, The Peregrine Beader.

For this, I used some lovely Toho size 11 seeds with a hybrid Picasso finish, delicas, size 15 seeds, Swarovski chatons & 4mm bicones and Czech fire polished 4mm beads, also with a hybrid Picasso finish.  It was also my first attempt at cubic right angle weave – definitely a stitch I will do again.

Next up, is this Ruby Pools bracelet, which was my own design (A.K.A. “making it up as you go along”).

I used June’s Acorn Club beads from Oak Tree Crafts for this.  There are size 8, 11 & 15 seeds and 4 & mm Czech fire polished in it, stitched in a combination of right angle weave and peyote.  I love when these wee kits come through my door.

Next up, one I actually completed at the Bead Retreat; a Granada brooch, from Sabine Lippert’s Beaded Fantasies book.

For this one I used Swarovski pearls (in my favourite powdered almond colour), bicones and a rivoli, along with some size 15s.  I am so happy with the colourway of this one – it has a lovely vintagey feel to it.

Finally, a Monochrome Spiral bangle.  One of the very first bits of beading I did was to make one of the these, and I had always intended to go back and do another one, but never quite got around to it (until now):

For this one I used seed beads in size 6, 8, 11 (3 different colours) and 15 (2 different colours).  The only downside to this bangle has been that one of the colours of 15s is frosted and they are very brittle.  Not great when combined with a very stiff bangle, the outcome being that a few of them have snapped.  Hopefully it won’t get any worse, at the moment you can’t really see where they have gone, but definitely something to bear in mind if you are making one of these, especially if it’s for someone else.

Have lots more to share with you all, so will be back soon with another update.

Lisa xoxo

 

Oops…

…time ran away with me and the next thing I know, my couple of days has turned into a couple of months.  I am going to try to be a better blogger though!

The unfinished bead embroidery and bracelet I showed the last time I posted is still no further forward, but I do have some nice beady creations, just sitting waiting to be photographed.  As soon as I’ve done this, I’ll blog them.

Remember my desire to start dressmaking?  Well I now have a date in the diary with the lovely Lesley to make a duct tape dress form.  It’s not for a few weeks yet, so that gives me plenty of time to sort out all my treasured belongings crap, which has migrated to the spare room.

Talking of dressmaking, I have acquired some luscious fabric since my last post:

I am planning to make a weekend bag with the oilcloth, a winter skirt with the grey cord, a bag and/or kitchen stuff with the ducks and dots, and something fabulously amazing with the brocade.

I have no idea how we managed to get halfway through the year.  I really wanted to have a go at millinery and corsetry this year, but time always seems to be running away with me.  I suppose that is the price I pay for having to work full time, trying to get fit, cooking in order that we eat few processed foods, and trying to squeeze in some craft time whenever I can.  Doesn’t help matters that I’m a bit of a procrastinator.

On the subject of getting fit, I have started roller derby training with Fierce Valley Roller Girls.  I used to be pretty handy on skates in my younger, Coasters days, but changed days now!  To be honest, I was a bit disheartened the first week of training when I couldn’t do all the things I could in my mid teens (well over 25 years ago).  Of course, once I got my realistic head on, I remembered I couldn’t do all these things when I started, the skills came with many, many hours of practice.  I am just so happy I’m getting to skate again.

I’ve also rejoined the gym and been swimming a fair bit.  I’m also keeping up with my yoga and burlesque classes (hence the no time I mentioned earlier).

Will be back in the next few days (I promise this time) with some beady beauties.

¡Hola!

It’s been longer than I hoped since my last post, but I do have an excuse.  Last weekend the hubster and I hit the sunny climes of Spain for a lovely long weekend, which just happened to coincide with my birthday.  It was really nice and relaxing (so relaxing in fact, that I have barely made a thing since I returned) – so much better than late February in Scotland!  On my birthday we went to a gorgeous restaurant called Oliva – the food was fantastic

I got some lovely goodies with my birthday money too:

A handmade leather bag from a wonderful shop called Manos – you can see the 2 leather work when you visit the shop.  The choker is also handmade and was from a boutique called (I think) Luisa Haan:

We’ve signed up for the next Tryst Craft Fair at the Dobbie Hall in Larbert, so I will definitely need to shake off my nonchalance and get making stuff.  I’ve also been aware that I haven’t done any beading for months; to be honest, I had sickened myself of it a bit, so the break has done me good.  I think it’s time to start again though.  I also want to get some polymer clay out and have a play with that…oh and my sewing stuff!!  I really love my job, but sometimes I wish I could take a year off and just spend all my time making things…well that will never happen, so I need to structure what time I do have a bit better, spend less time procrastinating (a.k.a. faffing) and more time making!

One thing I did do was make dinner on Saturday – spent over 10 hours cooking but it was well worth it.  I made lobster ravioli with lobster sauce, venison with cha-cha-cha sauce (my made up on the spot name for cherry, chilla and chocolate) on butternut squash puree, with fine beans and pancetta.  I really pleased with the sweet (mainly because I normally hate doing sweets).  I did this Pomegranate Meringue Rose Tart from Saveur, but made individual tarts, served with homemade pistachio ice cream, crystalised rose petals and pomegranate sauce.  The tarts looked exactly like the one in the picture, but I’m quite gutted I forgot to take photos – was too busy to think about it really!

Until next time…

Funky, Fuzzy Felt

Nothing screams the 70′s to me like Fuzzy Felts – I love those things and used to play with them all the time.  My favourite set was the hospital one – I can still picture the ambulance, hospital bed and vases of little fuzzy felty flowers.  As I’m going through a bit of a 70′s phase right now, with the dresses I’m wearing and my love of fondue, I thought I’d stick to the theme for my first craft fair.  As well as the Christmas spiders (which probably aren’t particularly 70′s-ish, I also made stacks of coconut ice (which went down a treat) and lots of felt brooches.  I made ice-cream cones, cupcakes, flowers and cherries.  Here’s a sample of them (sorry the photos are so bad – I took them with my phone in really bad light).

I was really pleased with them and they are so fun to do.  It’s lovely being able to make something from start to finish in an hour, instead of working on it for days or weeks (or even months), as I normally do with my beadwork.   I’ve already had requests for more cupcake ones, as I only had one of them and it went very quickly (thanks, Eve :D)

If you remember the Christmas Spiders, I posted a few weeks ago, you may like to take a look at the little German folk tale that goes along with them.

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The Legend of the Christmas Spider

On Christmas Eve, a long time ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year… Christmas Day, the day on which the little Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cosy corner on the ceiling. They had fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated. The poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the little Christ child’s visit. Then the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could wait until everyone went to bed and then get a closer look.

When the house was dark and silent, the spiders crept out of their hiding place. When they neared the Christmas tree, they were delighted with the beauty of it. The spiders crept all over the tree, up and down, over the branches and twigs and saw every one of the pretty things.

The spiders loved the Christmas tree. All night long they danced in the branches, leaving them covered with spider webs. In the morning, when the little Christ child came to bless the house, he was dismayed! He loved the little spiders for they were God’s creatures, but he knew the mother, who had worked so hard to make everything perfect, would not be pleased when she saw what the spiders had done.

With love in his heart and a smile on his lips, the little Christ child reached out and gently touched the spider webs. The spider webs started to sparkle and shine! They had all turned into sparkling, shimmering silver and gold.

According to legend, ever since this happened, people have hung tinsel on their Christmas trees. It has also become a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the Christmas tree.

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I’ll be back tomorrow with some of my favourite things this Christmas and a photo of my first ever artificial tree.

Lisa xoxo

 

Incy Wincy Icy

Greetings, poor neglected Oodlers, so sorry I’ve been a bit lax in updating lately.  Been bedlam here in Oblibbyland, trying to get ready for my first craft fair, which I’m doing on 10 December, along with Lesley and Sigrid.

I’ve been busy making Christmas Spiders.  These are black faceted glass, but I’ll also be doing some in Swarovski Crystallised Elements.  They’re chunky little guys – each one is 30mm tall and 40mm fat (including legs)  Just need to print the little stories to go along with them.

Christmas Spiders

I’ve also been trialling some Coconut Ice.  I can’t believe I’ve never made this before…well, actually I can because I only tried home-made stuff a few weeks ago at The Butterfly & Pig, and I’ve never liked the shop-bought stuff – too fondanty and not coconutty enough for me.  This would make a fantastic Christmas present, and the beauty of it is you need zero cooking ability – you don’t even need a cooker!

Coconut Ice

If you fancy giving this a try, it really couldn’t be easier.  Grease a small baking tray (I used a silicone one, so didn’t bother greasing it).  If you don’t have a baking tray, you could probably use a plate, as the mixture is pretty firm and should stay in place.

• 200g desicated coconut
• 200g icing (confectioner’s) sugar
• 280g condensed milk

Beat the icing sugar into the condensed milk until you have a smooth paste, add the coconut and mix well.  Spread half the mixture onto your tray (try to keep it around 1cm thick).  Add a little red food colouring (optional) to remainder and beat well until you have a nice even pink colour.  Spread this on top of the white mix and smooth down the top.  Leave in the fridge overnight then cut into squares.  If there are any uneven edges, you can do what I did – cut them off and eat them.  Enjoy!

Will be back shortly with more craft fair makes.

Until then…

Lisa xoxo

November?

..how on earth did that happen?  One minute it felt like I had just returned from holiday, then I blinked and it’s November.

Since my last post, I haven’t done much crafty stuff, but do have a head full of plans – just lacking some motivation.

One thing I did have a go at was making my own sweeties. I had treated myself to Home-Made Sweet Shop by Claire Ptak.  I made the salted caramel chocolates and adapted the peanut butter fudge (although I think next time I’ll put even more peanut butter in it, as I adore peanut butter).  The book as fantastic – I can see me making quite a few things from it.  I especially love that it’s aimed at the UK market, so all the ingredients are easily obtainable.

I also may have mentioned this before, but I am determined to get to grips with bead embroidery this year.  Dimensional Bead Embroidery by the wonderful Jamie Cloud Eakin is a brilliant book, with really well-written instructions.  It follows on nicely from Beading with Cabochons.

I’m really keen to learn to make my own clothes, so much so that I have visions of myself in glorious party frocks, designed, cut and sewn by me.  I think reality may not be simple – so far I have only got as far as acquiring The Party Dress by Simon Henry, The Vogue Book of Sewing edited by Crystal McDonald , and Advanced Pattern-Drafting for Fashion by Teresa Gilewska I still need to get my hands on a copy of the basic one!)

I have so much to learn!!

Finally, in keep with the festivities this year, here’s Stu and I with a couple of friends at a Hallowe’en party last weekend – I’m Liza Minnelli.

Hopefully November won’t fly by as quickly as October did.

Until next time…

Lisa xoxo

 

Off the Cuff

I made this beaded Rosette Cuff to wear to the wedding of my lovely friends, Jo & Richard, last weekend.

I made the base of the cuff using Miyuki Delica beads and the rosette using Size 11 Seed Beads, also from Miyuki.  I love beads with a matte finish.  The cuff was then placed over a blank and backed with ultrasuede.  I’m really pleased with this one, and I’m to write a tutorial for it, although I may refine the rosette a bit – watch this space.

On other matters, work behind the scene on my forthcoming website is going along slowly but surely.  I’m also working on a project for this month’s Operation Tackle That Bead Stash, in red, aqua and white.

I’ve also finally cut out the stole I was supposed to be making months ago – to be honest pinning and cutting it was a total pain, as the fabric I used was a bit on the slithery side.  Need to get it put together and sewn up – will definitely do some of it one night this week.  Not even started on my duct tape dress form, but have roped in the lovely Lesley, who has agreed to mummify me in tape, when we both have a bit of spare time!

Also, I’m long overdue a craft book post, so check back shortly to see what I’ve added to my library recently.  Until then…