A Little Frustration & Mistakes

A little frustration & some mistakes led to a much more creative piece.  As some of you know, I try to participate in the Thursday Sweet Treat at Creative Nachos hosted by the wonderfully sweet and supportive Natasha.  Each week, we are given a theme, this weeks was "beyond the reef."  Submissions are due Wed.

Ideas were just not happening! 
Monday - when I was out and about I saw a simple but nice wind chime with stair stepped dangles.  Ah ha!
With the idea of wavy cut glass in somewhat of a stair step design, would hopefully convey the ocean waves.   Due to some things that had to be done, I wasn't able to get going on it until late Tuesday afternoon.  I gathered up my blue glass pieces & set about creating wavy pieces of glass.  How to hang them? - I really wanted something circular - but the only rings I have on hand are smaller than I would like to use for this.....so maybe linear - with what? ah, a wavy white piece of glass  on top.  I left the room to get something and when I came back in I spotted a whale done for a previous theme, that I had been stripping the paint off of, off & on.  The glass paints I use are pretty durable so it really takes some work to get it off.  Cool - I could hang the white piece from the whale!!  Finished getting the paint off & started repainting. 1 coat done.

Wed - evening - strung all the glass together, the whale needs at least 1 or 2 more coats of paint. Realized that hanging the glass off the whale would probably pull the foil off the whale - but they still need to be together somehow.    I had accidentally drilled too many holes in the white piece & didn't want to start over, so I thought stringing some beads off the extras would be cool - I have a few nautical type beads & started looking for my shrinky dink sheets to make some little fish.  I set the glass on the floor, sort of tucked under the couch - and set about looking for the shrinky dink stuff & beads.   Didn't find the shrinky dink stuff.

Found the beads.  Sat back down and picked up the glass pieces - literally, the glass pieces - guess I had stepped on the white piece & it broke.  Ok, I don't have time to cut another piece & drill all the holes in it.  Super Glue to the rescue!  Then glued the aqua pieces on top of the break to add a little stability - and it looks pretty cool!      Added the little clam shaped beads under the aqua glass - where I had drilled an extra hole right top of another one! 
I'm pleased with the outcome - but will redo the white piece - Super Glue is pretty good stuff - but I don't think this would be a good way to send it out to someone.   And who knows, maybe I'll find the shrinky dink sheets!

ArtFire Crazy Train Rider Crystal's Handmade Studio

Crystal's Handmade Studio has a variety of items from greeting cards, jewelry, mobile phone/handbag charms, and a couple of unique heart ornaments with Ganutell Flowers.

I've never heard of Ganutell Flowers, but have heard of items created with  wire, thread & beads - these look really pretty and delicate.  She has 2 of them in her studio right now and they are both on sale.

Here's the other Ganutell flower in a heart


Pretty aren't they!?

This Indian Bead Charm bracelet is pretty cool

and it's on sale too!


In fact everything in this studio is on sale - so this would be a great time to visit Crystals' Handmade Studio.

HAF Spotlight Artist: Dalish Knits

This weeks Handmade Artists' Forum  blog ring featured artist is Dalish Knits.  Yummy knits! Gina resides in Jamestown ND and besides listening to some music while knitting, Gina also enjoys playing the piano & building with Legos with her kids.  I think her kids must inspire her knitted creations such as these adorable Amigurumi Baby Bees  

She also has some adorable  OOAK Knit Waldorf Baby Dolls such as this one in blue. 

Gina also makes a variety of these sweet Waldorf Clutching Toys, it looks so soft.

So if you are looking for some quality handcrafted items for that adorable little one in your life, visit Gina's Dahlish Knits on Etsy  - and have a wonhderful day.

ArtFire Crazy Train Rider Many Horses Jewelry Supply

Past Artfire CrazyTrai Rider Many Horses Jewelry Supply has quite a collection of jewelry supply items such as hair sticks, ear wires, beads, bead caps,jump rings, shawl pins, stick pins.....and more along with some finished items.

This is cute Butterfly Love Hair stick Clip-on™ Purple Heart Butterfly


it says it's a hair stick clip on, but I can think of lots of other places to put it besides on a hair stick, like a purse ring, cell phone charm, light pull, and it would look really sweet as a hair stick charm too.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

These sweet Cupcake Lapel Stick Pins would look so cute on a lapel, or a hat, maybe even a purse all sorts of possibilities.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This Rosewood & Bone Shawl Pin is really pretty, I keep wondering if it would also work in your hair.

If you are looking for some jewelry supplies where you will get more personal attention than you do through some of those major chain shops, Many Horses Jewelry Supply may just be the place to go.

ArtFire Crazy Train Rider On Pens & Needles

I missed one (well, at least one) So today I'm doing the previous one - and today's tomorrow.
We have On Pens & Needles, with a variety of items, wood items, baby blankets, reusable bags............

This is so cute Red, White & Blue Cat Pendant

and I really like this idea - Reusable Sandwich and Snack bags - in a variety of prints, and lined with a rip stop nylon so you can just wipe them out - or if really messy toss them in a washing machine & air dry.   How easy is that!

Oops I said baby blankets, well yes there are some adorable baby blankets - but I love this embroidered onesie I Love Grandma















and oh the pen part comes in because there are some wonderful wood covered pens -  something  for those special grads!

So, go check out On Pens & Needles for a wonderful assortment of quality handmade items perfect for the new baby, grads, you, birthdays, or just because!

ArtFire Crazy Train Rider VIA DELLA ROSA

I admit, I'm not getting back into the groove of doing this so well!   and I wanted to put my jacket redo on here so waited until today to do the crazytrain thing.

Via Della Rosa makes glass & wood tile jewelry along with some pretty rosaries.

I sort of fell love with this sweet little bird titled Spring 1

These are cute little scrabble tile magnets titled Three Gossip Girls and they do come in their own little tin.  Sweet.

And a wood tile pendant Antique No1






One of the cool things about finding things on ArtFire - you have everything from simple, elegant, fancy, all carefully handcrafted by a person who takes time to make it right, and adds some little touches such as a sweet little tin or little box.  Simple things often make life so much nicer.

Check out Via Della Rosa, you'll see.

Cosmic - Old Friend

A few months ago I came across an Altered Couture magazine,  wow - I'm so inspired to try some of these alterations.  One of my favs is the altered jean jacket.  I love jean jackets, I think I have 4 of them now - well, technically, one of them is a blazer! Oops, I have 5.

Anyway - I have one that I wear more than the others, and it shows - it's getting pretty worn.



















After visiting CreativeNachos I thought this would be perfect for the theme for this week - Cosmic. 

It's silly in a way - it's a jacket - but I was about to cut parts off - 1st the lower band - my hand was shaking as I started cutting my friend apart.  Now,  you have to understand, I live in an area that you just don't see altered couture, at least I haven't,  and I really don't wear lace - & I'm not sure how well this is going to work on me.  I'm not 25, or 28, add a few decades to that last number.  I'm not saying how many decades. lo

Then I cut 2, 3" wide strips of a black and white pin stripe suit material and pleated it, added some lace   ( I had 2" left over, whew!) and sewed it on the bottom of the jacket.

Fortunately I have a very large piece of lacy material that I cut a piece out of to bead - it will go across the top of the jacket.

Beading this has been a very tedious process, my eyes just don't quite work the same as they used to.   I recently had surgery on my right eye - and the near distance is different than my left eye, and as it turns out, I don't perceive colors correctly with my left eye, so in order to get the true color of something, I have to close my left eye! I wanted a little bit of color in the details, but not something real bright like bright reds or golds, the green beads are two different greens - that yes, were done on purpose. 

As of right now, this is what I have. After I finish beading the lace & sewing it on the jacket,  I'll cut the cuffs off next - I'll use the same pin strip material to make new cuffs, but with  different lace.   I haven't decided what to do with the collar yet, but it too will go - it's very frayed.
I haven't quite figured out how to do the front of the jacket - down the very front part where the button holes are - it's also very frayed.  It's definitely a work in progress.
I will continue to post pics of it as I go.