Well it has happened..........

 ............. the little blurb in Knitter's Magazine has hit the news stand.  I knew it was coming out in the Summer issue but did not know for sure when that would be.  I also did not know for sure just what they would use as they had several of my items to photograph.

A customer contacted me about a set of stitch markers and necklace clip.  So I now know that is one of the things they are showing.  I am really excited to get to a book store so I can see the actual thing but for now several sets of stitch markers have been photographed and will be making their way to Etsy in the next few days.

Special Order Bracelet

While we were at Stitches South last month a customer picked out a set of beads and asked if I would make her a bracelet and earrings out of it.  She pretty much gave me free rein to do what I wanted. 

I have been thinking about it for the last few weeks and today finally decided I had it in my mind the way I wanted it.  Ha took it apart twice. 

 

 I did not realize just how hard it would be to get a good picture that shows all three strands of the bracelet but I think together these work pretty well.

Of course I wanted to make earrings to go with it.  Hope she likes them.

Better Late than Never

Well April just got away from me so fast. Of course we were gone for a good part of the month, but I did not even take the time to think about my April button for our button project.  And here it is about a week from the end of May and I am just getting around to finishing.  So you get to see two buttons today.  Maybe I will be a bit better about being on time for June.

 April Showers

May Flowers

Check out the other finished buttons on the Button Project Page

Continuing the Challenge

 

Way back in December my friend Jodie and I started a challenge to use up all the odds and ends of short pieces of rods we had laying around our studios.  Well I did really well going through one huge tray and several piles but I still have loads of places were I have odd rods and shorts of glass.  This jar is full of Gaffer Glass which is hand pulled glass made by another glass artist.  I actually bought several pounds of this glass way back when Jodie and I went to Tucson to the bead shows about 8 years ago.  I used a bunch of it when I first got it back to the studio but this has been sitting here since then.

This glass is a different COE than the glasses I normally use so I even had to buy some System 96 glass to go with it.  I have been trying to think of what I wanted to do to use this glass up since back in December and the other day I had a bolt of lightening hit and I knew that it would all make just gorgeous flowers.   So for several days this past week I have been making flowers.  They are all going to be limited edition colors because when this jar of glass is gone there is no getting any more of it.  I just love though the way some of the glass is all streaky, and some of it is kind of pearl like.

 

Most of the flowers are headed for Etsy in the next few days but I think I am going to keep these lime green ones to make a necklace out of.  I think this green and some denim blue seed beads it will be a knock out.

Fun New Hat

I think I have mentioned that I have been making hats for Halos of Hope.  It has been something I have been doing almost a year now.  They keep my hands busy when I am tired or having to ride in the car on long trips.  I have made all sorts of hats and have put lots of little flowers on them and done different patterns.  While we were at Stitches South in Atlanta I saw a book and I am really sorry that I didn't look closer because I have no idea who wrote it or really what it was about but I think it was about decorating socks.  (Honest I was rushing to see just a little of the show while on a very quick run to the restroom.) Any way something stuck in my head and this is what came out.  I really think that it is fun and have already started another one.  I do hope the kids will like them.

Free Wrap Bracelet Tutorial

 Wrap bracelets are all the rage right now.  You see them all over.  I have made a couple of different styles and I am sure this one is not an original design, it is just my way of making one.  It took a little playing around with the crochet to get just the thickness of cord I wanted.  Any way here goes.

 You will need a small crochet hook. This one is a size 3. Some kind of crochet thread, pearl cotton, or craft cord.  And a button or disc type bead to use as a closure.  I also needed a needle which I forgot to put in the photo. 

 Form a loop with your thread and make a chain stitch, leaving a nice long tail about 7 to 10 inches.

 Crochet a chain that is about 60 to 65 inches long.  If you want fewer wraps you just make this chain shorter.

 Crochet enough more chain stitches to make a loop that will fit over your button.  This loop needed to be 15 stitches long.  Slip stitch back into the foundation chain forming the loop.

 Slip stitch in each chain of the loop and then continue to slip stitch in each chain of the foundation chain back toward the beginning.  Before you go very far do check to make sure your loop fits your button nicely.  You do not want it too big.  It should just slide over nicely.  When you reach the end of your chain cut a nice long tail and pull both of the tails through the last loop.

If you are using a large hole bead as your button you will want to slide on a size 6 seed bead then take the tails through the hole of the bead.

 Put a size 8 bead on each tail then take the tails back down through the hole of the bead and the size 6 seed bead.

 Using your needle run the tails through the base chain one going each direction.  I then like to take one of the tails and go back through and do this all one more time.  I just like the look of three beads in the center rather than two.  I am sure two would hold it on there I just like three. 

 Take your two tails and tie them in a knot around your base chain a couple of times then work the tails back through the chain to hide them.  After going back a couple of inches I cut off the excess.

Now just wrap the crocheted chain around your wrist several times, put the loop around the bead and you are ready to show off your new bracelet.

 If you are using a shank type button you just need to take your tails through the shank and the base chain several times then tie the knots around the base chain and again work in the tails.

Now all you have to do is wrap the bracelet around your wrist and button it.  Ready to go.  This length could be used as a necklace as well.  Have fun make several they are fun to wear together.

Finishing.........

................up some special orders from the last couple of shows.  Not getting home until the first of last week makes me feel like I have left things way longer than I should have.  It is a nice feeling to be almost finished with them all.

These are some row counter bracelets.  I want to make more but these were what I have gotten done so far.  Stitches Midwest is coming up in August and I want to be ready.