Embroidered Necklace #2

It's still not completely finished.  I made some ribbons by melting the edges of some silky fabric I had (I'm trying very very hard not to buy anything new and just use what I've got) and I need to get the ribbons attached and then add a backing to the piece.  Although sticking it would be slightly easier I think I'm going to go for the sewing option.  I'm pretty pleased with this:

Once it's all finished I intend to make some more, using different colour-ways (and as I say, it'll all be with bits and bobs that I have already).  I love the way that one thing leads to another!

And speaking of which, I made some organza flowers at the weekend.  I'm not entirely sure what I shall use them for but I feel another necklace coming on.  And I shall  be making some pink ones this week too hopefully.  My daughter's school is having a craft fayre in March (I'm trying to encourage my daughter to make some bracelets to sell from the beads I gave her for Christmas) and I figured that my usual stuff might not sell, so I shall be making more bracelets and things myself as well as these pretty flowers as they will go well on clips.

Once I come up with something for these flowers I'll let you know.

Leibster Award for Crafters

Last week amid the madness that is half-term I managed to wrench the PC away from the kids long enough to discover that I have been picked for the Liebster Award.  Twice!  My heart-felt thanks go to Mich at McCrafts, The Blog, AND to Kat at With U In Mind.  I feel very honoured to have been picked by both of you (and I should add that I only discovered I had been picked by Kat when I popped over to her blog in order to nominate here - as she's had the award already I was denied the chance of doing so!).

Anyhow, the Liebster Award is given to bloggers who have up to 200 followers in the hope that it brings them new followers and friends.  Once nominated you have to pass the award on to five other bloggers to help them too.
To accept the award you must:
1  Link back to the person who gave you the award and thank them,
2  Post the award on your blog

3  Give the award to five fellow bloggers who inspire you and

4  Leave a comment on their blog to let them know.

So here are my nominations for this weeks award:
1.  Handy Wood Crafts - this blogger really needs out support and it's not hard to do what he's asking.....

2.  Handbags by Helen - every time I read this blog I get more and more tempted to try making a bag....

3.  Chasing Art - I am lovin' these cards, and see now I want to try out making cards too.....

4.  Devon Country Diary  - I like to see what Annette is up to and I especially like this weeks Angelina leaf (that reminds me, I should dig out my Angelina fibres....)

5.  Polly Polkadot  - I woman after my own heart, a stay-at-home, self employed mum who just can't stop making things!

Ok then, I guess now I need to go and let everyone know that they've been nominated, and I shall also wander over to Handmade Monday and see what everyone has been up to.  Enjoy your week folks!

Embroidered Necklace

So this week, despite it being half-term I got something new started.  I've been thinking about making a necklace of scrips and scraps for some time now, and it's one of those things on my virtual list that I always manage to forget about it.  So here it is, unfinished as yet, but it's proof of a couple of busy evenings at least.

There's lots more to do - more beads to add, maybe a few feathers here and there and then once I'm happy with it I'll need to back it and add ties.  And as I've got lots of different scraps of fabric in lots of colours I can forsee that I'll be playing around with a few of these before long.  I can't wait to get the children settled in bed so that I can have another play but as it's the holidays that might prove a little tricky.....

Two of the flowers I've added were pre-made, but the others (which do look a little indistinct at the moment) were made by gently melting the edges of organza with a candle flame.  If you're interested in making some of your own flame kissed flowers plus some other ideas for making you own here are two great blogs with lots of tutorials, Little Birdie Secrets and Skip To My Lou.

And as if that wasn't enough make sure to skip over to Handmade Monday and check out what everyone has been up to this week.  Have a great week all!

Headdress Sneek Peek

I made a couple of headdresses last night.  To be honest I'm not sure if they're finished yet, but I took some pictures anyway.  I might add some jewellery, I might not - I'll see how I feel when I sit down with them again on Sunday evening....

Note to self, never plan........

So, this week was the week where I was (for the first time in three years) going to have a little free time.  My youngest was due to start his nursery place on Tuesday and I had a schedule worked out as to how I was going to spend that precious two and a half hours each day...draft some blog posts, do a little on-line networking via various fora, tweak this, photograph that......

Nope. Never plan.  Not for the first week of a change of routine anyway.

On Monday night my seven year old daughter came out of school looking decidedly pale, and crying that she didn't feel well.  We got home, she walked upstairs and then said, "I'm going to be sick."  And she was.  From the top of the stairs.

Once that was cleaned up and the two of them bathed and sorted for bed I got on with writing a blog post and chatting about it on Facebook.  Then my PC monitor died.  Properly couldn't be coaxed back into working died.

So the next day I took the PC to a PC mender to check the problem that I couldn't fix and juggled the difficulty of taking the littlest one to nursery and picking him up whilst having my daughter at home ill (I cannot thank my friend and neighbour M enough!).

Thankfully everyone is now well, the little one is enjoying nursery (although he cries every afternoon mid-session as he is wondering where I am) and today the PC was returned home along with a new monitor (which was the problem and I'm grateful that it wasn't a more difficult and expensive problem).

Frighteningly, as a stay at home works from home single parent I realised just how dependent I am on the interaction with the world I have via my PC.  I don't have a *smart phone* or a back-up lap-top or a tablet PC.  I probably need to get out more ;-)

Back to it!

So, the day approaches when my youngest child goes to nursery.  Today he braved his pre-school inoculations and although the concept of going to nursery is still a little hazy for him I'm hopeful that he'll enjoy himself - and that I'll get to use the time wisely!  In all I'll get two and half hours each day to create, craft, blog, promote, practice dance and prepare my classes so I think I need to set myself some kind of schedule in order to make the most of it.

He's ready for nursery - here's a picture of him with his depiction of "Small, Medium, Big".

And until I get some more items made and pictures done and posted I'll leave you with a link to a very crafty Blog, 1st Unique Gifts