Autumn Bracelet

My latest Jewellery creation is an autumn leaves bracelet.  Makes a very satisfying autumnal noise as the beads cluster together.  On Gold plated base with a toggle clasp.

Display Idea

When I get an idea, I have to go full steam ahead and try it out.  This morning I was pegging out the washing and had an idea for displaying my necklaces at the farmers market.

It has cost me nothing as the planks were from the garden.  Needed washing and painting with a greeny blue  paint wash.  Once dry, I stuck weather worn pegs onto it.

The necklaces can simply be pegged in place.

The planks will be held onto the side struts of my stall with clamps.

Autumn Organising

Most people spring clean, but I Autumn organise. I have been sorting out all my crafting paraphernalia before the Christmas rush starts. I have a workroom that has floor to ceiling deep shelving and over the past few days, I have removed every item and sorted it out. I've dismantled jewellery that I am not happy with, have tidied through the bead boxes, done a stock take, folded, wiped, piled, stacked the paint, paper, beads, fabrics, materials, fabrics, clays etc and ruined my nails in the process. I am now happy with what I see and all that busy-ness has inspired me to make more stuff. I've also been messing around with the look of my blog and I'm not sure if it will stay this way. That's largely because I can't find out how to get it back to how it was!! (it was one of those "press the button" and before you know it things are different.)


 I do like the fact that all the posts are so visible though especially on the Christmas Creative Blog which is a really visual blog.

Disaster ~ Pure Stupidity

Being a crafter, and an experimental one at that, I am prone to having the odd disaster, but my latest is of epic proportions.
I am currently making papier mache bowls for Christmas and this morning I started to make another batch.  For the first layers I use upturned bowls and layer paper strips over them for a couple of layers before I bake them in  a low heat oven to dry out.  Then I make a clay paste papier mache and coat the outer layer on.
So I got out my plastic bowls and covered one huge mixing bowl and two smaller cereal bowls with paper strips.  I use plastic bowls as they are flexible and removal from the formed shape is easy.
I bunged them into the oven and didn't really think about the temp.  Normally it's on a really low setting,  I was so excited at nipping over to the shops for gold spray paint and doilies that I forgot.
I have been unsuccessful in my doily hunt and got talking about crafting to several people and forgot that my bakes were in the oven.
When I came back in I thought, oh lovely they'll be dry by now, and they were, but each one of the paper forms was empty and on the floor of the oven there was a huge pool of melted plastic and to make it even worse it's stuck all over the oven shelves too.  The bowls had completely disappeared.

Christmas Creative ~ What's New?

I have another Blog (well actually I have several more) that I would like to draw your attention to.  it's called Christmas Creative.  It's the perfect blog to inspire your creative side or to give you a great showcase of what the UK fantastic talented people are making for their shops in the run up to Christmas.  There is alos a healthy dose of Christmas music waiting for you over there.

Make your own Christmas Globes

Make Quilled Snowflakes







Music: O Holy Night ~ Celtic Woman

Today's the day ~ Celtic Woman Concert

Today  is the day that I would have been going to the Barbican Centre in York to watch Celtic woman in concert.  Sadly,  I can't tell you how sad I am that it was cancelled.  so I shall console myself with a celtic woman fest of my favourites:

Christmas Decorations ~ Mary & Joseph

 I have spent the last week developing and creating these Nativity figures.  They are created from wooden blocks.  I think they would look great on anyone's mantlepiece or windowsill.

You can purchase them HERE

Paul Bailey Art

I love Paul Bailey's art work.  He works in water colour and indian ink and has a unique style that is very recognisable.  Take a look at his work here

My Memories 9/11

They say that many people can tell you what they were doing when JFK was killed.  I always thought that was a bit of a myth, but during the time of my life, there have been two such utter shocking events that have etched an image in my mind.  The first was the death of Diana and the second happened like this.
I stood in the infant play ground with my little girl in her buggy.  We were waiting for her two big brothers to come out of school.
One of my childhood friends came rushing over.  "Have you heard about the Twin towers?" she said.  I replied in the negative.  I wasn't even sure what the twin towers were, let alone where they were.
She went on to tell me that "an aeroplane has crashed into a skyscraper in new York" What an awful accident.
At that stage the playground flooded with children and we made our way home.
Back inside, I went to turn on the portable in the dining room.  I remember the green carpet, the TV balanced on top of an old beige kitchen cabinet.  The blue wall, the flames pouring from a tower block and then the change of camera angle, the shot of a second plane hitting, the explosion, the amazing flash of orange gold and the glint of the sun on broken glass, all set against a blue sky. Then the shock hit.
It was hours before it was possible to stop watching.  the children played happily, oblivious to what was unfolding infront of my eyes.
The towers crumbling, the dust charging up the streets covering everything in it's path.  memories of lessons in school about Pompei.  Images of grey, grey people, grey cars, grey streets, grey mood.
Sorrow, stress, searching for loved ones.  Anguish, anger, Al Qeada.....
The World Watched, The World Wept, The world Changed

My Christmas Shop

I know some people think it is too early, but I have just begun to put together my Christmas Shop.

I have loads of handmade Christmas Gifts and decorations. Including the Nativity story Bracelets (above)

salt dough  decorations (Top) and Salt dough nativity  (above)

I'll show you more tomorrow.

or, if you can't wait ..... go and have a look HERE

Autumn

As aging summer spreads her hands
To catch the falling leaves,
She turns them into wondrous shades,
The autumn patterns she weaves.

To make them whisper and to shake
She gently blows them round
Allowing sun to glint on gold
As they flutter to the ground.

The floor is now a carpet of bronze
An amazing sight to behold
The artists pallet could not improve
As onward the season rolls.


Poem by Carol

South Cave Show 2011

This is what I was doing at the weekend

Craft Tutorial ~ Make your own rainbow crayons

Skirt Drama Update ~ Latest in the skirt saga

Continuing the saga I am having with school uniform skirts,
School uniform ~ Arrrggggghhhh
and the follow up: Bad News
here is the latest episode

Parcel finally arrives today Wednesday.  I go into the house, open it up and discover not the black 26 x 22, but a grey 24 x 20.  I just sat and stared at it.  How can an order be quite so wrong?
I phoned the company and got the expected apology, but that doesn't help when they don't have the skirt I actually ordered in stock.
So I have now to send back this skirt and find another.  Hopefully my new selection of company can do better!! ... well they could hardly be worse!

Hydrangeas

So Madonna hates hydrangeas.
Personally I love them. They are so romantic and English Country Garden with their beautiful heads of clustered tiny flowers. Here are some beautiful examples of modern and old varieties.

All these photos are from Hydrangeas! Hydrangeas!