First 2018 Birthday Cards

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Hi Everyone

We can definitely say that the winter weather is having an effect on us all at the moment but, guess what, I am now thinking about January! So this last week has had me making birthday cards for friends who celebrate in the New Year.

I would like to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season as I will be taking a break over the Christmas and New Year period. I will be with you again on Monday the 8^th of January, enjoy the time and have fun with your crafting.

Jo x

Alloy Plated Chain Bracelets

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Good Afternoon

Well, we have had some heavy snow in this part of the world and I love it! No work, staying inside, drinking hot chocolate and sitting in front of the fire – all good!

This week I have made some bracelets from alloy plated chain, they are very lightweight and I really like the different coloured round beads that I have wired in. Using amethyst, burnt orange agate and pink druzy frosted quartz the colours against the alloy really pop.

Unfortunately, because of the snow, my last craft fair of the year on Friday in Onchan was cancelled, so I hope to see you next year.

If you have been making something fun, just let me know.

Jo x

alloy plated chain Bracelets

Christmas Run Up

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Morning Everyone

I have been writing my Christmas cards this week and found that I was a few short, so I made some more – just in case.  However, for fun I also made a hollow drum which I have filled with sweets (what else would you use?) and I am very happy with the results.  It is a SVG.com pattern and went together like a dream.

I will be at my last craft fair of the year on Friday 8^th December, at the Hub in Onchan from 7:00pm to 9:00pm so if you are in the area of School Road, please call in and say Hi.

If you have been making something fun, just let me know.

Jo x

Christmas Card Selection

Best Ever Drum

Decadent Cuff

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Good Morning

I had fun this week using a premade brass cuff, something I haven’t tried before.  It has enabled me to not worry about a piece holding its shape and just enjoy getting the piece embellished. I have wrapped the cuff in antique bronze wire and then filled it with chips of rose quartz. I am very happy with the results and I am sure I will use these cuffs again.

I was at the Laxey Christmas Fair on Sunday and if you called in to say hello, then thanks for doing so.  I hope that you enjoyed the fair and found something to take home.

Let me know what you have been making on the lead up to Christmas.

Jo x

antique bronze & rose quartz Cuff

Laxey Christmas Fair 

Nutcracker

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Morning everyone

Winter is definitely here, we can’t hide it anymore! So, this week I have been making a paper nutcracker which stands approximately 12 inches high. 

Although I really love traditional nutcrackers I must say I struggled a bit with this project. This is a pattern from SVG.com, one of my favourite companies, but it did cause me some trouble. Still, I struggled on and finished it and, even though I love the concept, I’m just not happy with the final execution.

I would love to hear your comments, just let me know.

Jo x

Spanner Art

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Good morning

This week I am featuring some spanner art (the first in a while) from my lovely partner who works under the name of Fuzzy Designs. Having sourced the spanners from old shops, and those that he has been given, he takes his themes from the spanners themselves and the animal world.

Using his skills in engraving and painting, the spanners take on a new lease of life and we hope eventually they find walls in new homes to grace and become well-loved items.

I would love to hear your comments of these pieces, just let me know.

Jo x

 

Baby Dragon learning to smoke 

Fly the blue yonder

Gift Cards or Cash

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Hi Everyone

So this weekend just gone has seen the first of the Christmas Fairs and it was fun. We had sunny weather (a surprise) and lots of visitors.

In the last week I have made some cute boxes which are used for giving either gift cards or cash. I really like them because if you are gifting either of these items then at least you get something that looks like a gift and not just an envelope which is always a bit of a disappointment under the tree.

Next Saturday I will be in St Johns, Methodist Hall - if you are in the area, do call in for a cup of something hot. 

Let me know if you would prefer one of these boxes to an envelope!

Jo x

Slabs Galore

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Good Morning Everyone

What a busy week this has been with Halloween and all that stuff, I hope you have been enjoying it.

I needed to come up with a sixtieth birthday gift for my sister and I liked the end result so much that I made a second version to put on my stall over Christmas, in the hope someone else will like it too.

My sister’s necklace is blue and black agate with copper coloured wire, and the second necklace is pink & black with pale pink coloured wire.

Next weekend will be the start of the Christmas Fairs and I will be in Port Erin at St Catherine’s Church Hall so, if you are in the area, do call in for a cup of something hot.  My other dates and location are on my “Where to find me” page. 

Let me know which necklace you prefer and have a great week.

Jo x

blue and black agate with copper coloured wire

black agate with copper coloured wire

pink & black with pale pink coloured wire

Mega Stuff

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Morning all

This week I have been trying to tidy up my work space so I can start some fun items for Christmas. Well, as we know, once you start you get side tracked all too easily and I ended up with a major job on my hands.

It was a bit of a shock how much my dear friends at JJ Ribbons have given me in the way of discontinued wallpaper and fabric sample books. The wallpaper needs to be removed from the large folders by cutting it out sheet by sheet (this is no small job), and I have not come close to finishing it. The fabric needs to be removed (carefully) from the books, the sticky plastic (which makes it rigid) has to be removed and then the fabric gets coated with powder so it doesn’t stick to everything else.

So, what you can see is just the start of the process but hopefully it will mean I can eventually use it faster – well that’s my theory anyway!

Enjoy your week

Jo x

Wall Paper Samples

Silk Fabric Samples

Garden Necklace

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Happy autumn

Well, would you believe that I have finally finished this beautiful piece of jewellery over the weekend.  This necklace has seen my work bench on and off for about three months.  It is the most interesting and hardest thing I have made to date, I am very proud to have finished it.

It is made from lemon quartz, and gold and green wire in various gauges with the neckline being a kumihimo piece made from beige suedette cord and gold satin cord.  The three flower-like drops are what inspired me to make this necklace, they are from curtain braid which was given to me by a good friend who is a curtain maker and came from a sample book. 

I really would like to hear what you think of this necklace.

Jo x

 

Halloween is coming

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Hi, Good Morning

I don’t know about you, but I am a real Halloween lover and so this week I have been indulging myself by making some bits that definitely make me smile.

To get warmed up I made some lollypop covers (bats, owls and ghosts), and some straw or pencil toppers (spiders, ghosts and witches’ hats).  All of these items were simple makes but fun to do and they look great.

I then turned my attention to a pair of skull garlands that have battery tea lights in them.  They are essentially a small box with a glitter skull on the front and an insert of coloured vellum so that they are different colours.  I just love the results and they make me smile every time I walk past them.

I really would like to hear what you think and what you are making for the freak night season?

Jo x

lollypop covers (bats, owls and ghosts)

straw or pencil toppers (spiders, ghosts and witches’ hats)

skull garlands that have battery tea lights

The Joy of Rectangles

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Morning

It has been another hectic week in my household, I am now starting to think that it won’t be anything else until Christmas is over, but there you go.

Looking through my stash for inspiration, as I do, I came across some lovely rectangular gem stones that were just begging to be used.  I have simply threaded them on to beading wire and used small 2mm beads as spacers to allow the colour and shape of the gems to show.

The first is blue and black agate and the second is ever so pretty fluorite with a purple agate in between.

I will be at St Catherine’s Hall, Port Erin on Saturday 7^th October; I hope to see you there.  Don’t forget to let me know what you have been making and what you think about my latest creations.

Jo x

blue and black agate 

fluorite with a purple agate in between

Christmas Cards Round 2

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Good Morning All

This week I have made my second lot of Christmas Cards, they are simple but cute and I am very happy with the result.

I wanted them to be more about colour and shape and less about in your face Christmas so I think these do the job. These designs are from Lori Whitlock on the Silhouette website and I have enjoyed making them very much.

By making some cards every month, I hope that I will have enough by Christmas so that I won’t have to make them all in one go, although I usually do!

I will be at St Catherine’s Hall Port Erin on Saturday 7^th October; I hope to see you there.  Don’t forget to let me know what you have been making and what you think about my latest creations.

Jo x

Ear Rings Galore

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Hi Everyone

After checking my stash for the upcoming Christmas Fairs, I realised that I haven’t made any earrings for some time.

So here are some that I have made this week: floating peach and white coral, sky blue apatite in a square silver surround, kumihimo kunzite and magatama, amethyst drops in a silver shaped surround and moss prehnite drops - which are stunning all on their own.

I would very much like to hear what you have been making and what you think about my latest creations.

Jo x

5 Glorious pairs of ear rings

kumihimo kunzite and magatama, amethyst drops in a silver shaped surround & moss prehnite drops 

sky blue apatite in a square silver surround, 

kumihimo kunzite and magatama

floating peach and white coral

Simple Paper Craft

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Morning Everyone

It has been a very busy week for me one way and another and, as a result, not much time for crafting.  So I have kept this week’s pieces uncomplicated, but enjoyed every minute of making them – sometimes it really does pay to just keep it simple!

Although simple, the fun children’s book marks (and notelets for the more grown up) both seem to be very popular at the craft fairs I attend and make for an eye-catching part of the stall’s display.

Please let me know what you have been making.

Jo x

children’s book marks 

notelets

Simple Jewellery

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Good Morning

Sometimes I just crave some simple crafting when I can kick back and let the jewellery just happen. So this week I have made a stunning new dream catcher in green and I love it; very dramatic I think.

I have also been playing with some large chunks of Sodalite and silver gizmo beads. I think this is very simple but quite effective.

Don’t forget I’m always interested in what you have been making.

Jo x

dream catcher in green, white pearl & Black Zari Thread 

Sodalite and silver gizmo beads