Swapbot!

I've been lured back into swap-bot. I used to be quite active there a while back but it all got a bit too out of control so I sent all my swaps out to everyone I owed them to and left.

But I got lured back. I love handmade things. I really do. I love the way that they aren't exactly perfect. How I know someone has sat and made an effort to make something.

So I've just joined some easy swaps.

20 Glass Beads Swap

Something selfmade of recycled materials 2

Bracelets

I hope I can keep the addiction under control this time and don't live to regret it :)

Froggit

I'm not sure what the beading equivalent of the knitting term "froggit" is, but that's what I've been doing recently. I've got a lovely Bead Soup mix that I've made up but nothing seems to be working with it.




I've tried two freeform peyote necklaces. With the first attempt I had a strop at and pulled it apart to start again. Then next just didn't hang right at the front. This time it's a bracelet. I left out the bugle beads as I thought that might be affecting it's flow, but still no good.

This is the final incarnation before I took it apart yet again. I wonder what it will eventually turn into?

Round and Round We Go

Since I saw a Cellini spiral beaded rope I've been intrigued as to how they work. I'd asked a few people who said they were really complicated so have put them off for a long time but since I've been playing with seed bead netting, I figured that now was the time to learn.

I'm not a huge fan of instructions, partially as they generally don't make any sense to me at all which lead me passing them to G for him to figure them out and then showing me how it works which takes up his time and annoys me as I get so frustrated.

I like figuring out how things work, making up the instructions and then learning from the mistakes I make which in turn teaches me how the process works properly.

I did find some instructions on the web which actually made sense though at Bead and Button.

As usual, I didn't actually follow the instructions, I changed what beads I used, and didn't make a bracelet, or include memory wire as instructed, but I'm so pleased with what I have made!



Can you guess which one I made on Christmas day morning?



And an obligatory blurry arty shot

Breaking my Duck

I never know what to write in a  new blog. It's not really like there is a beginning, middle and end. It's all middle isn't it?

Anyway, I guess this link would be a good place to start. It's an interview that I did for BeadsDirect about my Etsy shop and jewellery making.

This is me with all my chins in the warehouse at work. As you can imagine, a lot of my wages goes straight back to the company!

Hello World!

I've finally had a chance to regain access to this blog so here I am! Hopefully I'll catalogue my musings with beads and crafting and get many more opportunities to play with my camera here. I've only had a play with Wordpress blogs and Livejournal before, so I'll be learning as I go, but that's life isn't it?