House of Sickness

Yes this week we have been the house of sickness. We had a selection of vomiting, sore throats, headaches, runny noses, coughs, colds, aching bones...well you get the picture right?

So Sunday has rolled along and we are finally all on the mend because obviously we weren't all sick on the same days so we spread it out and made each other miserable feeling sorry for ourselves, except Callum who even through the vomit and the subsequent snot fest managed to stay happy and full of beans. What is it with toddlers and energy? I really need to get myself some from the same place he gets his as it's so much longer lasting than the adult variety I have!

I haven't had much time to do anything much creative but here's a necklace I made for our most recent beadswap. It was inspired by Christi Friesen's candy focal beads.

Birthday Beading

I spent Saturday afternoon hosting a 10th birthday beading party. I designed 2 simple necklaces and one bracelet for a group of (mainly) 9 and 10 year olds to make. I set all the beads out and after a lot of oohing and aahing they set about choosing the design they wanted to make, once that decision was made they had to choose their beads... that took a LONG time. It looked like it was quite painful for some of them deciding between colours and some opted for a rainbow of beads when choosing one or two proved just too hard.

They all worked really hard, listened to my instructions and asked questions when they weren't sure. You would never believe that 10 girls could be so quite, you could have heard a pin drop between questions and the occassional sigh and giggle when things went wrong. A lot of them found the crimping near the clasps and the covering of wire a little too tricky so I helped a bit but the majority of the work was theirs.

After finishing the necklaces they all put them on and went for a break, cake, present opening and some running around. After that they could choose if they wanted to make a bracelet, some opted not too and instead ate more food and did more running and laughing but five made the bracelet. This was a lot quicker as it was a simple beading design and they were all soon outside running off their sugar highs.

It was a great success, the girls had a lot of fun and Katrina (the birthday girls mom) said she was really pleased at how well it went and how much fun they had. I even gave out my details to a couple of people who are interested in doing something similar for their girls. Here's how they took them home.

It's so great to do something you love and have other people love it too. Evie was invited as she knows Brianna and she had a great time, here's what she made.

Bookmarks and bead parties

I have spent the last couple of evenings finishing off the bookmarks for my friend. Although I don't ever duplicate an item (unless it's requested for a bridal party or something similar) I did use the same layout for the bookmarks. I used different colours and styles of beads and I was please with the variety it led to. I asked Neil what he thought when I had finished and he said he really liked the glass ones but the flower ones looked a bit childlike, perfect I said they are for under 10's to which he replied that's OK then otherwise they wouldn't really be any good!! Like he's suddenly an expert on bookmarks and beads, typical eh?

A friend of mine has a daughter turning 10 next month and she has asked me to organise a beading party for her. I have been working on a design for a necklace and bracelet that will appeal to ten 7 to 10 year olds which is also relatively straightforward to make. The problem is I want them to be able to have some input into what they make but most of them have never done any beading before so I have to keep it really simple and also within the budget given. I think I will make two or three necklace designs and the same for the bracelets and then have a selection of beads in different shapes and colours, that way I can guide the design but they can still have the jewellery that suits them. If anyone has any ideas of how I can better do this please let me know, all suggestions are welcome.

Deb's Beads

I just have to share with you the most incredible bead artist, her name is Deb Batten and she is a Christchurch based New Zealander. I first came across her beads about 18 months ago and thought they were stunning, I bought a few and made some jewellery for friends and family. The beads were lovely and the jewellery a huge success.

I have since bought a number of beads from Deb, I guess I'm a regular now and recently she has been making the most amazing beads with a new glass made in New Zealand by Gaffer Glass. The glass is Chalcedony and gives beautiful shades and depth of colour. Deb's beads have a stunning organic feel to them and the shapes and colours just flow. What I love most about them is the way you see so much in them, they aren't just a flat picture of a flower or a pattern, they pull you in and every time you look at them you see something else, another colour or reflection in the light. As you can probably tell I'm a big fan. Her latest listings are amazing and here are a couple of my favourites.

If you get a minute or two you should really check out her site Firebird-NZ.com, it is well worth the trip. Thanks Deb for being such an inspiration and also giving me encouragement in my own polymer clay bead efforts.

Catching Up

We had a public holiday here on Monday so had a three day weekend, what fun, an extra day to relax and do nothing...yeah right! It was busier than  ever and I didn't get round to doing the things I had planned to do. Which primarily is I haven't got around to making the blinds for the kids rooms but here is the fabric they chose themselves (months ago). I'm showing you because I think if I get it out and share it I might feel that I have to do something with it!

Here are a few beads I did manage to make at the weekend, this I can do while sitting on the sofa after a long day of cleaning, sorting and working in the garden .

And I baked as well, some yummy peanut butter cookies and another egg free muffin recipe, this one tasted good but  the cakes were completely flat, one day I'll get it right if I keep trying and the kids seem to enjoy trying the different variations. No pictures of my baking though as I forgot, here's what's left.

A Plate Full of Hearts

I have been making my clay hearts by hand previously and although they are quite sweet I was really only manipulating the swirled lentils I had made and they didn't make a statement. Then a couple of weeks a go I bought a latex mold to try something a bit different. The first ones I made I was quite please with, until I decided to double bake them for strength. They ended up overcooked, not burnt but just cooked a little bit too much so that they discoloured. Still Evie thinks they're beautiful still so she has had them for her dress up.

My second batch were much better I just haven't had time to sand a buff them yet, this weekend maybe?

Day One, so it begins

OK so I have been telling myself for a some time that I really need to start blogging and getting myself out into the beading and poymer clay community but though that is exciting it is also a little scary. Exposing myself, through what I make, is quite daunting but I feel that it is time.

It 's busy busy busy here recently, not only working but trying to spend more time creating with the clay and get ready for our first craft market as well. I sometimes wonder if it isn't too much but figure you have to just go for it; so here goes... Oh and don't forget trying to spend time with the family and our new puppy. Well nothing to lose, might as well just get on with it .