WOYWW - when canes go bad!

I had a go at doing a millifiore cane last night, which is not that hard
to do .... but reducing it was difficult .... and cutting off tiny
slivers and keeping the shape even more difficult!!!!

In the end they ended up being really out of shape on the beads, and all
of a skew .... still, I', sure I will master it eventually.

I wonder what all the other WOYWWer girls and boys are up to .... I'm
off to Fair Queen Julia's to see.

Happy Wednesday.

Hugs

Kay

Little Bird House in my Soul

Morning all,

We had a lovely time at the Borough Green Craft Fair on Saturday ... thank you all so much for supporting us ..  it was really lovely to meet you all.  A big thank you to Jan as well for taking time out to say hi.

This isn't a new piece of work, it was featured in Craft Stamper Mag last Summer, but I've only just got around to taking a picture of it - this one is off to a new home with Jan (I hope she likes it).

It was made using the our Ivy stamp that was the free giveaway with the mag that month, and also the little bird from our Garden Curio Stamp set.  Thinking about it this morning, that stamp set is a bargain ... it's DL sheet and is £5.85 unmounted!!

The Garden Curio set has an ivy on there, but it's a smaller version of the free one ... as we've had so many queries about it we will probably release it along with an even bigger one as another stamp in our range shortly, so watch out for that.

I am busy getting Katy's new Botanique A$ plate ready for release, and we are hoping it will be this week some time, so again watch this space for news of pre-release and sneak peeks.

Right, I have a ton of orders to get done, so laters .................

Hugs

Kay

It's not Wednesday, but this is what's on my desk

So, last night's session on the rack for the Pardo has resulted in these
little guys this morning....I am so pleased with them ... I just need to
make them into a project now.

I finished off with a couple of coats of clear nail varnish as I wasn't sure about spraying on the usual varnish out of a can.

By the way, has anyone seen my Pink Fimo ?!!! No I didn't think so ....
any ideas if I can colour the naked coloured Fimo with acrylic pain?

Happy Thursday

Hugs
Kay

Put 'em on the rack, that's what I say

So, my order arrived eventually: three packs of Pardo, which i have
never used before; a bead rack; some spare pins, and a bead roller.
This is what I've been playing with this afternoon. It only took one
ball each of Blue Zircon, Green Calcite and Fossil Wood plus about a bar
and a bit of Silver Fimo to make these.
They are inspired by a demo on C&C last week using the (and forgive me
if I'm wrong about this) Makumagami ...is not correct - I will look it up.
Where you cut even pieces of each of the three colours (or more I
supose), stack them and the roll in a stamp for some texture and then
shave bits off with the flexible blade. Roll out a bead (silver) and
then add the bits on top of the bead, roll to ensure no air bubbles and
make the hole.
Not perfect examples ... but SUCH FUN, and I don't think it will take
too much time to get the hang of it.
I'm loving the beachcomber look of these colours.
Happy what is left of Wednesday.
Hugs
Kay

More Beading on this cold WOYWW

Good morning WOYWWers,

Sorry I haven't been around much recently, there just seems so much going on all the time - I have had zero chance to craft really.

The only thing I have achieved this week is this practice piece of even count peyote stitch .... I am totally into beads and beading as the craft de jour!!!!

I bought a bead magazine yesterday - I have to admit just because of the pretty picture on the front ... YES, I am suggestible .... and in it there was a beautiful beaded ring.  Well, Toodles has recently purchased a full on Sweet Lolita Dress from Japan (she's gone from tom boy to girly girl in one leap), so I decided I would have a go at making the ring.

That's where Problem Number One sprang up .... "carry on using Even Count Peyote Stitch" .... what the *&*(?

Sooooooooooo YouTube being my friend I watched a few videos and had a go watching Big Fat Gypsy Wedding Last Night.

Things I have discovered:

• It is really easy to get confused and twist your work the wrong way ... thus going off in the wrong direction and making the end really raggy at the beginning.
• It's really easty to get confused at any time - twist your - work and go off in the wrong direction.
• How to add on more thread - it takes a lot.
• When doing two colours, it's easy to add the wrong colour and then spend half an hour trying to unpick it, unravel the thread and carry one.
• You need wayyyyyyyy more thread than you would think
• Lastly, thank goodness for Big Eyed Needles - although taking it back to the shop to complain because there is no "EYE" only to be shown that you pull it apart and that most of the middle is in actual fact the "EYE" is really a shamefaced moment!!!!!!

I have to carry on with this bracelet ........ I will not unpick it again ............ the ragged bit is where it will fasten underneath anyway, and I am sure I can disguise it somehow.


Hopefully it will be a quiet day today (Toodles have a really sore throat and fever, so no School and the Hound of Ightham Common cut his pad on a walk with Daddy last night, and is now doing a fantastic impression of Limpfoot Christie - no walkies for him).  Therefore, beading for me and hopefully some play time with Polymer Clay as my bead roller, baking rack and some Pardo Clay should arrive today .... happy mail, don't you just love it.


I'm also determined to find time to go to Fair Queen Julia's Crafty Kingdom and check out all the WOYWW desks.


Happy Wednesday.


Hugs

Kay

Super-dooper-easy beaded flower centre

Okay, so I had a bit of fireline left over from making Rani flower
centres the other day, and whipped up a quick 4mm and seed bead flower
centre in about 10 seconds flat ---- it looks really sweet in the middle
of a white hydrangea petal with a bling in the middle.

So easy to make take 5 4mm faux glass pearls, 5 seed beads (I used white) a small piece of Fireline Beaded Thread in Crystal about (6 inches long will make a couple of them) and a Big Eyed Needle ... I have dreadful eyesight that I need one, or it takes me about a year to thread a normal beading needle.

Thread the first seed bead on the needle, then go back through the bead again in the opposite direction and pull tight, then start threading on 4mm pearl and a seed bead until you use them all up ... go back through the line of beads in the opposite direction, and then go through what started out as the first seed bead and pearl to form a circle - I then go through another seed bead and create a loop, which I then thread my needle through to make a knot and pull very tight .... cut off the Fireline short and burn it with a lighter or pass through a candle to singe the end to seal.  Hey presto a small beaded circle that took seconds and looks lovely in the middle of a flower.

Hugs
Kay

Come and see us today at the Sevenoaks Wedding Fair

We'd love it if you popped in to say hello if you live in the area ..... entry is free.  Details of the event are HERE.

Hugs

Kay