Necklace Variation

I wanted to try another necklace like the one I made recently using fire polished beads but this time I thought I'd try with pearls.  Unfortunately I didn't have sufficient pearls to make the necklace as it was originally so I designed this variation to utilise the pearls as I wasn't sure I could get any more the same colour. I made two short lengths of the netting and also a beaded bead using matching beads.  These components were then strung on tiger tail  and I'm quite pleased with the result.  It is interesting how different beading patterns look when done in other beads and/or colour schemes.

Forgotten Friday Week 21

Friday again already and that brings us to Judith's Forgotten Friday challenge where we use something in our crafty stash which has lain unused for a time.  My card this week uses an image from a Crafter's Companion CD - Flower Fairies of the Garden which I bought quite a while ago and only remembered (and had never used) when I was sorting my CDs into some semblance of order so that I could actually read all the titles when they were on the shelf.  This is Heliotrope Fairy and I printed a matching border and tag, adding some clear glitter to the dress and wings.  The flower was made from some of the left over background paper. 

Beaded Bookmark

I'd spotted a pattern recently in a magazine using peanut beads to make little star components for ear-rings or a bracelet and as I'd never actually seen or used this type of bead I decided to get some and have a go. I had seen pictures of these beads and somehow imagined they were much larger than they are in reality so the actual size came as a bit of a surprise. While I was at the bead fair I'd bought some bookmarks to decorate and thought this pattern would be just right.  It was fairly simple to make and includes size 15 and 11 seed beads with some fire polished crystals together with the 'peanuts'

Bah Humbug Challenge 23

I seem to be having a busy week and the days are just whizzing by but I have managed to make my Bah Humbug challenge card this week.  They asked us  to make a card or item for a teenager and that certainly made me stop and think but eventually I decided on using this stamp from Polkadoodles and I've dressed her in seasonal colours.  Background papers are from Papermania and I used a Marianne die for the glittery snowflake.

Smell the Flowers

We are having some much needed rain at the moment and it looks as if it here for the day which is a shame on a Sunday but we cannot choose our weather.  I went to a tatting workshop yesterday which was great - it was a technique I taught myself back in the seventies so it was good to be reminded of it and to get back into having a go.  I made a little butterfly and started on a bookmar but need to practise a bit more to get the tension right.  Today I'm off to a Bead Fair so possibly a bit of retail therapy - did I say possibly?? 

This card is made using a Tim Holtz Sizzix die to make the rosette flowers; the centres were put through a dotty embossing folder; the leaves are from a Marianne die and the background used an embossing folder and was then brushed over with some distress ink to emphasise the pattern.  The sentiment was produced on the computer.

Forgotten Friday Week 20

My card for Judith's Forgotten Friday challenge this week uses a stamp which I was reminded of when I saw someone on another blog had used it recently.  It is a flower one by Penny Black so I dug it out from the depths,  stamped with Versamark and embossed with detail white powder, then the image was brushed and sponged with Distress Inks. Background paper is from the essence of Nature CD (Chocolate Baroque) and I added some layers of punched card using a Martha Stewart border punch.  The sentiment was produced while I was playing around trying to make some circular wording using  a drawing programme on the computer. Judith is being very generous this week and offering a prize of some crafting goodies to a lucky winner when the draw takes place in a week's time.

Live Your Life

The wording on this card was produced on the computer and cut out with a Nestability label which was sponged and overstamped using a stamp which matches the background paper (Essence of Nature from Chocolate Baroque).  Flowers and swirls were cut with Marianne dies. A strip of embossed card - Cuttlebug embossing folder - and a die cut butterfly complete this card.