A knitting success! (eventually...)

So, I haven't posted in a while, but I have been very busy (well, that might be a lie.) Anyhoo, first things first. Since you last heard from me (many, many months ago) I have become an Auntie! Oh, yes! And I have a feeling that I might already be the favourite auntie. Well, ok, I'm the ONLY Auntie, so I hope I'm the favourite! So, I've been a bit lacking jewellery-making-wise but instead, I've been knitting. Now, I've knitted bits and pieces before (mainly scarves that are never quite finished) and my most successful knitting venture was a few years ago when I started a pair of baby bootees and, well, let's just say they didn't quite end up the same size. Or shape. So, I thought "I have to try harder this time. There's only nine months to go!" and started (and finished!) a gorgeous pink and white stripey hoodie. Look, it even has ears!

However, I hadn't thought this through since, nine months later, my sister gave birth to The Nephew! And, however lovely and gorgeous he is, he would not like to wear a pink stripey hoodie with ears. So, the knitting pins came out again, this time with BLUE wool wrapped around them, and this was made:

However, no matter how hard i tried, or how fast i knitted, I was still too slow and it ended up a size too wee for The Nephew. Hmmm, this knitting malarky is harder than it looks! So, on to try number three. And, I'll be honest, after knitting up a wee bit of jumper number three, I stupidly left it in a bag on the floor next to my couch and, annoyingly, came home the next day to find that The Cat had destroyed it! So, jumper number three ended up in the bin.

So, I thought, I must have one more go before I through in the towel (or pins, I suppose) and, after a phone call from The Sister telling me that The Nephew had grown too big for his hat, I thought "This is my chance!" and, after several days of knitting (and, basically, nothing else!) attempt number four was finished!

And, even better, it fitted! And was the right colour! And shape! Well, ok, it was a bit big and fell down over his eyes when we put in on. But still, it counts!

Hmmmm...maybe I should just go back to jewellery...

My VERY FIRST attempt at making a ring!

I have been making jewellery for a few years now and, in that time, I have NEVER made a ring! This is very bad, especially since my blog is called "Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie"! It's also very difficult for me to find rings that actually fit. My fingers are quite skinny and most rings just fall off. I'm also way too scared to try on rings in shops. WHAT IF IT GETS STUCK?! So, the other day I had a look online for a fairly simple beaded ring tutorial and found this: 

This seemed like a pretty good place to start so I raked out some seed beads and got to work. The first ring I made was too small:

Also, as you have probably noticed from the picture, I managed to break it! So ANNOYING! I really liked the turquoise bead in the middle but I think the two grey beads either side of it were a bit big, so maybe it was a good thing that it broke cause now i can change it!

After this I tried a pink design. This ring was too big:

So, I guessed I had one more shot at getting it right before I got way too crabbit and gave up. And it worked! A blue and silver design that actually fit! 

 So, after all these years (and a few dodgy sized rings) I have finally made a beaded ring that actually fits! And one that I can keep all for myself!  That is, until my mum saw them and asked if she could have the blue one. Oh well, guess I'll have to make some more!

Mmmm...tablet...

Last week I finally finished my exams for university. Yay! Now i can spend the whole day making jewellery and not feel guilty! I have lots of ideas that I'm planning to try out and I was going to start today, until I looked outside and saw that we had a (very rare!) sunny weekend here in Scotland! There was no way I was going to waste that sitting inside all day! Way too much gardening to be done! Although i did spend a bit of time this morning making tablet!!

For anyone who doesn't know, tablet is a very famous scottish recipe. It's a bit like fudge, but LOADS better and probably with a lot more sugar and condensed milk! I think i've eaten too much though, as i do feel a bit hyper with all the sugar! However, the best it about tablet, just like anything you bake, is scraping out the pot! And, as you can see, not a bit was wasted!

Anyhoo, since i've been busy with exams, i've only made a couple of jewellery items, including this commissioned necklace, bracelet and earrings set.

I also have some jewellery ideas up my sleeve and, after looking at all the bead soup entries (thanks to anyone who commented or started following my blog!) i really want to try out more seed bead projects. I've only ever tried the basics and there were so many gorgeous seed bead pieces that i really want to have another go! And, now that I've written it here, I'll have to make sure i do it!

Bead Soup!!!!

I can't believe it. I actually managed to make everything I had planned for my bead soup! Elizabeth over at Elizabeth's Art sent me a massive soup full of pinks and turquoise and antique bronze metal (which I've never used before) which gave me loads of ideas! However, there was a bit of a mishap when i tried making the little pink and blue aluminium flowers into earrings and well...let's just say one got a bit squashed...so that idea didn't work but i did finally manage to make something with them in the end! So, here is the bead soup i received:

I absolutely love long necklaces so I decided to use the focal as a pendant:

It took me literally A MILLION YEARS to photograph this necklace (well, ok, a few hours but it's still a long time!). I tried laying it flat, curving it round, hanging it up, draping it over...and I'm still not happy with the photo. I REALLY like the way the necklace looks, but i just CAN'T TAKE A PHOTO!! So annoying!!

I then made a charm bracelet and added a couple of lucite flower drops from my stash. However, it still looked a little bare so I threaded some waxed cotton cord  through the chain to add a bit of texture:

To finish off, I then made some earrings. I absolutely LOVED the little glass flower beads and wanted them as simple, one bead earrings:

Then I used some crystals and tiny pearls to make a pair of cluster earrings:

And, finally, some hair clips using the gorgeous, UN-SQUASHED aluminium flowers:

I had no idea my hair was so dark! It looks blonde in the mirror! Scary!

Anyhoo, if you fancy having a nosey at some of the other bead soup participants, here's the link: Bead Soup Blog Party!! All of this was organised by Lori Anderson, so THANK YOU!!

Happy blog hopping!

A bead soup parcel!

Here (finally!) is my post showing my bead soup. Apologies for the rubbish photos!

Lately, all I've been thinking about jewellery-wise is the bead soup blog party. What to send, where to buy it from, how to package it and yet I keep completely forgetting that I GET A BEAD SOUP IN RETURN!! AND I HAVE TO TRY AND MAKE SOMETHING AMAZING FROM IT!! I'm determined to try and think outside the box (one of the main reasons the bead soup party was started in the first place) yet don't want to go so radical that it ends up badly made or unlikeable.

So, my bead soup arrived from Elizabeth Stolarcyzk at Elizabeth's Art. I really wanted to rip it all open and see what was in it but I resisted! I had to take photos first!

A box full of goodies.

A letter to explain what was in the parcel!

Elizabeth even put in a handmade friendship bracelet as a surprise!

All these boxes were handmade by Elizabeth with labels telling me what was in each one.

Here is a close up of the biggest one!

And just wait and see what was inside!

I absolutely love bright colours, so this soup was great! I've never worked with antique bronze metal, so it'll be a bit of a challenge but I can't wait! In fact, i've already been online ordering more...

I though i'd do a close up to show the polymer beads handmade by Elizabeth!

And here is the focal, a lovely antique bronze heart! I already have so many ideas! Short necklace, long necklace, earrings, bracelet...

And, in case you were wondering, here is the bead soup i sent to Elizabeth...

My RUBBISH camera.

This post was supposed to be "Look at all these amazing beads that my bead soup partner sent me!" but unfortunately my camera has decided to be RUBBISH and make all the photos really dark and out of focus. What use is that? (It may be my fault rather than the camera...) Anyhoo, I was going to just put them up anyway but I CAN'T! It would ruin all the lovely-ness of the beads ( you could barely see them in some of the photos). So, I must WAIT and write my post later in the week. LUCKILY, however, both my Dad and Brother just happen to be photographers! So i may see if i can "borrow" one of their cameras for a couple of hours. And i should probably ask for a couple of lessons in how to use them (they have A LOT of buttons on them. I don't think they ALL do something. They're probably just there to look nice.) I may even try to be a bit artistic with the photos (bead soup in a soup bowl?) Hmmmmm...

My venture into knitting!

I have to be honest, i've not done much jewellery making recently. I made a few earrings last week, but that was about it, although i am thinking up ideas for a red set to be raffled in a sale for comic relief. However, my creativity hasn't gone completely out the window! Instead, i've been having a go at knitting. I've known how to knit since i was about five (my mum is a knitting expert) but apart from making the odd scarf (and some really were odd), i've not really done much else. So, a few weeks ago when it was snowing and i got stuck inside all day, i had another go at knitting. But this time, instead of sticking to scarves, i decided to have a go at a baby blanket pattern my mum found for me in a folder, which is a pretty basic pattern and good for a beginner. And, surprisingly, it's actually worked! I have made a few mistakes, but all were easily corrected and i'm now almost half way through! It also fits in with my New Years Resolutions to have a go at crafts other than jewellery. I was going to put up a photo, but i think i'll wait until i've finished. It might actually give me the incentive to finish it! That's looking less and less likely though, as i've already started on another two knitting projects! Hopefully at least one will end up finished!

Also, i finally managed to send off my bead soup! I was a bit late sending it out as uni work got in the way, but now it's done and all i have to do now is wait for my beads to arrive. Eek!

Busy,busy ,busy...

Well, it's been a busy few weeks since my last post! A new term at uni has started, and i've already had to hand in a couple of assignments and study for a test next week. So, my jewellery making seems to have come to a bit of a stand still. ANNOYING! However, before i started back at uni, i did manage to get a few things made and make a wee bit of space in all my bead boxes.

I actually saw a silver necklace in a shop i really liked and thought 'I could make that!'. So i did! I just used black metal instead of silver to make it a bit more unique.

I also made a few charm bracelets, as i think this is a good way of using any beads left over from another project, when there's not enough to make anything bigger.

This is my favourite. I love multi-coloured-ness (yes, it is a word...)

I've also signed up for my first ever bead soup blog party! Yesterday i found out my partner was Elizabeth Stolarczyk from http://www.elizabethsart.blogspot.co.uk and i have my bead soup ready and waiting to send out! Annoyingly, I sorted the beads out into individual bags ready to send, and realised I've forgotten to take a photo! So I might have to mix them all up again. Oh well. I hope she likes them! I don't make my own beads since i don't really have the space or equipment, but hopefully i will have a go at some point, once uni has finished. So, I bought most of my bead soup online or in local shops, adding a couple from my own stash and can't wait to see what Elizabeth makes from them! I've also spent so long deciding what to send that i completely forgot that i'll get a bead soup in return! EEK! I hope i manage to make something that my bead soup partner approves of!

Signing up for BSBP!

Yay! I have just signed up for my first ever Bead Soup Blog Party!

http://lorianderson-beadsoupblogparty.blogspot.sg

I really wanted to sign up last year but i was just too busy. This year, however, I'm determined to have a go! I just hope my bead soup partner likes what i send. Fingers crossed!

Lots of apologies and another list!

Once again, i have to send out a MASSIVE apology! I just checked my blog, and my last post was in OCTOBER! That's right, October! That was 3 months ago! I am a terribly disorganised blogger. I'm also not entirely sure what i've been doing during that time. Anyway, here is a catch up. I know, I know, it's another post in the form of a list. I just like writing lists.

1. I've realised that most of my posts start with 'sorry i haven't posted in a while' (including this one.)

2. I've just been sitting some exams for Uni. This should be a relief, as in 'YAY! No more exams until May' but actually it's a bit like 'Eek, now i have to wait to get my results. I've probably FAILED and i still have to do more exams in May. RUBBISH!'. I think i might be panicking a bit...

3. Since it has been Christmas, then New Year, then exams, i have had no time to actually make any jewellery. The last stuff i made was a christmas present someone ordered for a friend. I have still been buying beads though. Which brings me on to point 5:

4. I have no space left. All of my boxes are packed full of beads. I even bought a big basket thing to put them all in, but they still seem to be everywhere. Not that i'm complaining. They are all very nice beads, i just need to make something with them!


And here are some New Years Resolutions. I realise that they are very late, but i'll still try and do a few of them! (hopefully)

1. Pass my third year at Uni with (hopefully) a 2.1 average (for anyone reading this who isn't familiar with British University grading, it's about the equivalent of a B+. Not sure if universities use the same grading in America.)

2. Learn to play guitar. (I used to play when i was about 10, but gave it up after about a year, and now really regret it cause i've always wanted to play a musical instrument. So, i got a guitar for Christmas and will hopefully have learned at least a couple of songs by the end of the year.)

3. Make an effort to make more jewellery. (An obvious one, but i thought i'd still write it.)

4. Try and make other crafts (I've learned a few, such as sewing, knitting, crocheting but haven't really done much with them.)

5. Look through my wardrobe. Find clothes that i have never worn, or only worn once and either wear them, alter them (like adding new buttons, beads and stuff to give them a new lease of life) or give to charity.

6. This was going to be ' Try to be more organised and tidy' but i say this every year and it never works. Oh well, you never know. It could happen.

7. Read more books. I absolutely LOVE reading (due to my sister's influence) but i've been so busy lately with Uni stuff that i've barely read any books at all. Except Uni books, but they don't count.

8. Learn more star constellations. This is a bit of a weird one, but i've been watching a programme on the tv recently, and now i really want to learn more. I already know a couple of obvious ones like Orion, Ursa Major and Polaris but i think there's about 80 different constellations, so there is a lot of work to be done there.

So, i should have a pretty productive 2013 ahead! If i actually get round to doing any of this...

The curse of the seed beads!

I've discovered i have a bit of a love/hate relationship when it comes to using seed beads. I love the sparkly-ness (probably not a word) and the colours and the versatility. However, there comes a moment when, after spending ages at the bead table making something fiddley with seed beads, you finally finish the piece of jewellery, stand up and it happens: the sudden cascade of seed beads EVERYWHERE!! This happened to me when i was making the bracelet in this post. I decided, stupidly, that i would pick up the bracelet, before i had finished it off, and have a look at it when WHOOSH, beads everywhere. And i mean everywhere. Rolling under the table, under the couch, under the tv and, as i discovered later in the evening, in my mum's wine glass. I'm not really sure how. I think seed beads do it deliberately. They wait until your focus starts to just slightly wane and they suddenly scatter. They even managed to hide in all the nooks and crannies in your clothes and wait until you stand up and then they scatter some more. I didn't even know i HAD nooks and crannies in my clothes. I'm rubbish at ironing though, so i'm not surprised. I hate seed beads...

They do look nice though, don't they?

Bits and Pieces

Ok, now that i am finally back at uni (yes, i really have been on holiday that long) I probably won't be able to make as much jewellery as i'd like to, but i'll still try and put up a post as regularly as i can. I've been trying out a couple of ideas recently that i've been meaning to for a while, but never got round to doing, like making a heart shaped, bead covered window hanging like this one:

I decided to use pearls rather than the crystals that are more normally used, to try and be a bit more unique, and i think it worked pretty well. So well, in fact, that before i had even finished making it, my sister had decided that, somehow, it will end up in her house, whether i liked it or not. And she was right, it did. I was also asked to make a bracelet in 'whatever style i liked, as long as it was hot pink'. So, i used some pink pearls, with smaller cream pearls and silver seed beads and threaded three bracelet strands, one pink, one cream and one silver, then joined the three together and loosely plaited them to come up with this:

I wish i'd taken a better picture, but never mind. I also managed to finish another Christmas order (Sorry for springing Christmas on you, you're probably hiding behind the couch screaming 'IT'S NOT EVEN HALLOWEEN YET!!!').

Every year, i think to myself 'I'm going to be really organised for christmas this year!' and every year i end up buying most presents on Christmas eve. So this year i'm going to think 'I'm NOT going to be organised this year!' You never know, a bit of reverse psychology might work...

WARNING: Rubbish Photos Approaching!

Firstly, i need to send out LOTS AND LOTS of apologies as it's been well over a month since my last post. You may be thinking 'Well, we can forgive her for that. She's probably been really busy.' But no, i haven't! I have been doing a few things, like going to a wedding, making jewellery for a fair and catching up on some jewellery orders, but that's it! That only takes up about a week of stuff, so that's about four weeks of nothing! Luckily, i have the excuse of 'I'm a student!' to fall back on, but in a couple of years i won't be able to use that anymore. SCARY THOUGHT!!

Anyway, as you can tell from the title of this post, it's going to be full of rubbish photos. Generally, my photos aren't great but they are in focus most of the time, which is about as much as i can hope for. However, on the morning of the fair, i didn't feel well and had about thirty seconds to take photos of all the stuff i'd made before we left. So, here's what happened:

I did take more photos of all the other jewellery, but you are probably ripping your eyes out in horror at the moment and screaming 'Look at that last one! You can see her shoe at the bottom of the photo! How could she take such rubbish pictures?!' so, i'll stop there. (Bet you looked back at the last photo just to check!) But don't worry! I'll try and sort myself out before my next post which, HOPEFULLY, you won't have to wait until next month to read!

A Catch Up!

I haven't posted for a while, so here is a catch up of all the stuff i've been up to (Don't worry, it isn't a long list. I've not done much):

1. After talking about it for AGES, i finally made an attempt at some macrame and, surprisingly, i managed it! Unfortunately, I'm a very impatient person and wore the bracelet before the glue dried fully and a bit of it has started to unravel, so now i have to fix it but NEVER MIND, i still count it as a success, if maybe only a partial one.

2. I have started making a dress, which i think i mentioned in my last post. It's going really well so far! OK, that might be a bit of a lie. Actually, it's a big, fat LIE! I started it about two and a half weeks ago; i haven't finished the bodice yet, or done anything to the skirt; I've had to unpick it several times because i kept making mistakes; I bought new bobbin things for my sewing machine, then discovered they don't fit and, finally, I decided today would be the day i finished it! Then ran out of thread. I think that was because i've had to unpick it so many times. I doubt i'll ever have a future as a dressmaker, but at least the colour is nice!

3. Some gardening antics: I have, for the first time EVER, managed to GROW SOMETHING EDIBLE! Well, that's not quite true. I did attempt this last year, but only managed to grow one tomato, and i didn't even eat that, as i don't like them. Anyway, this year we have potatoes and (questionable) onions (they are a bit on the green side and not at all like the brown ones you buy in a shop).

4. I have just had to throw out my very lovely, comfy slippers. This may not sound like much, but in my little cottage, which is nearing it's 200th birthday, not wearing slippers is like wandering around with your feet strapped to some ice-cubes. Very cold ice-cubes. However, i couldn't justify keeping them for a moment longer, considering they were very misshapen, full of holes, a different colour to what they were when i bought them and pretty much falling apart. This may be because i wander around the garden in them. I may have to invent some off-road slippers to wear outside. Or maybe i'll just put some shoes on next time. But that doesn't sound as fun.

Unfinished

Without realising it until now, i've actually had a pretty productive week! I've managed to start a few jewellery projects that i've been meaning to do for AGES! I've also managed to get loads done in the garden and even had time to make AMAZING scones, with jam and whipped cream. I ate WAY too many though, but i couldn't help it, they were SO GOOD!! Just to prove how good they were, i took a picture.

I also received a lovely parcel through the post, telling me i had won a £25 goodie bag from MadCowBeads! And here it is:

The letter they sent.

A jewellery book.

Lovely pearls in black, grey, red, pink and blue. I love working with pearls!

Some gold eyepins, silver jump rings, gold flower spacers, silver earring wires and more gold spacers. I never work with gold jewellery, so i might have to challenge myself a bit!

And some charms ('made with love' heart charms, musical notes, dove peace charms, stars and gold holly leaf charms.)

 So, not too bad a selection considering i got it all for free! Most of it i would have picked for myself, so i'm pretty pleased! I also spent the morning digging up ALL the potatoes cause they are being munched by all the beasties in the garden, so now i'm absolutely knackered and never want to see another potato again. Which is a shame, as we're having some for dinner tonight. And tomorrow. And into the foreseeable future. Oh well, at least they taste nice!

I've also started attempting to make a dress! I've not finished it yet. In fact, i've barely started it, but here's a sneak peak.

Now, i've started loads of things this week, but not really finished many of them, so i'm off!