First Attempts...

Here are my first forays into my bag of Greek beads! The above is a fairly long chain necklace made using AB greeny/blue flower shaped glass beads and some old brass coloured eye-pins. In between the flowers are some AB seed beads. The flowers are quite small, about the size of a drawing pin head. It is a delicate and understated necklace - pleased with that! £15 + P&P
This is a bracelet made using silver wire, clear seed beads and some fabulous green frosted irregular shaped beads (plastic would you believe, not glass) that look just like sea-glass. I am so happy with this one - trouble is I keep looking at the bag of beads left and feeling bad for using them as they are too nice! £7.50 + P&P

I am in the process of crocheting another Amigurumi bear in very fine crochet cotton - I'm not sure my eyes will stand the strain! I would have finished it last night but kept falling asleep, crochet hook in hand - hopefully I have recovered enough today from the mountain of washing (six loads, SIX!) and shock of going back to work so will be able to stay awake past 7 p.m. - poor old thing, it's a shame.........

Who wants to be back? Not me!

This is what I was doing on Saturday 27th October ........sigh! We had a day trip to an island called Aegina and spent the day pottering about,

eating squid and fish at a taverna on the beach, visiting a local archeological site

and picking up shells.....jealous yet?

We stayed in Athens with my sister and had several days in the city - we visited the El Greco exhibition, which was amazing. The paintings looked so fresh and new especially considering they were painted over 500 years ago. His style of painting also seemed very modern compared to other artists of that time.

We had a day looking at the bead shops, and I came home having spent far too much money on a sack of beads and findings. I didn't take any photos of the big shops as I was too busy rummaging through their stocks in a bead frenzy, but down in the flea market, Monastiriki, they also have several bead shops....



...although by this time I'd had enough and didn't buy anything from here. We went and had some souvlaki on a street corner, looked at all the stalls and then wended our weary way back home.

I even had some time to do a bit of crafting - thank you to Tracy J who gave me a link to a Amigurumi bear pattern just before I left - and made these little chaps:

I also fell in love with a little bag my sister made - the photo doesn't really show the workmanship - all fully lined and beautifully sewn. She was wondering how these bags would sell over here - perhaps you can give me your thoughts!
And so today it is back to work, and I have already done three washing machines full - ho hum!

Ai Chihuahua!!!

I know, I know, I should be finding better things to do, what with going on holiday very very shortly, but I just couldn't resist sitting in front of the 'The Green Mile' on tv last night (possibly one of my favourite films ever) and working on this little chihuahua. I found the pattern on the net and it just begged to be made. SOLD!
I really am going now - see you all in a week or so and yes I will have pictures. I'm just wondering how much wool, felt and stuffing I can fit into my suitcase........

Amigurumi Monkey Madness!

Since buying the Japanese Felt Mascot book, I have been enthralled with the style of these toys and keep looking on the net at all the books that are available - I know what I'll be asking for for Christmas this year! There is also a type of toy called Amigurumi (literally crochet doll) which I feel I could get addicted to as well - I found a picture of a little monkey with his banana shoulder bag and just had to try and make my own. Not so easy when all you have is a fuzzy print from a small illustration on the computer. My first attempt is the larger one - I think he is very cute but he wasn't small enough. Yesterday while having another search, I came across some basic instructions for these Amigurumi toys and realised where I had gone wrong, so had another go using their technique and thus came about the smaller monkey. I'd still like him to be even smaller, but now I have got the idea maybe I can experiment further. More to come I feel!

I shan't be posting for a while - I'm off to see my sister in Athens. I am definitely planning an excursion to the big bead shops and will hopefully be coming home with another big bag of booty! This time, after a year of making and selling jewellery, I have a better idea of what to look for and what to avoid, although I bet I still come back with some beads just because they are pretty....

A Surprise Parcel & Rather Wonky Dog

After a hard day at work today (teaching art to 6/7 years olds....) it was lovely to come home and find a parcel waiting for me from my friend Eleni in Boston. She had said she was going to send me some turquoisonite beads but when I opened the envelope, all the above came out! So I have lots of goodies to play with as well as a picture of her artists' loft apartment(wish they had things like that here!) and a Greek recipe for dandelions complete with photo. I must be rather odd because although I love everything, my favourite little bit is the piece of material with a grasshopper and a butterfly among the flowers - I am wondering what I can make to show the insects off to their best advantage. Thank you Eleni - that really brightened my day!
Sometimes you make something and it just doesn't turn out how you expect. The above little dog was made in brown chenille yarn which just would not knit up properly, no matter how small the needles or tight I kept it. As a result, the poor little chap looks a tad moth-eaten, with his stuffing showing and one ear definitely drooping (not unlike my own dog really - check back in the blog to see the resemblance!) So I decided to make him a little coat to cover up his leaky belly and used blue cotton yarn, which also decided to turn out rather lumpy and misshapen. So I am not sure what to do with him - should I put him up for sale at a lower price than all his buddies? Should I keep him out of sympathy? Should I offer him up for adoption on here? Please help me decide his fate! Scruff has been sold and has a lovely home with a small boy who says Scruff will be his best toy.......aaaaah!

Shells & Spirals

Been back at the jewellery, giving my eyes a rest after the felt cat! The above is a little necklace made with a gold seagull charm, tiny white cockle shells and blue glass beads, all hung on gold coloured wire. £15 + P&P
I got Bead Style magazine this week and saw a necklace made with thick wire spirals bound together with thinner wire and decided to have a go - so I shut the magazine thinking I had memorized the design and ploughed ahead with the old florists wire and thin silver wire, hung some blue glass leaves off it, made a silver chain and clasp, then opened the magazine and discovered my necklace bore very little resemblance to theirs! I think I went a bit OTT with the spirals and it's a bit like a very fancy piece of armour...but I do like it! I decided to quit while I was ahead and not hammer the wire flat as in the magazine - knowing my luck, I'd ruin two hours work! (I had already managed to kick over my large tray full of beads/findings/wire/shells - great......) £15 + P&P
This is a simple chain in dark blue wire with bright pink glass beads (the photo doesn't show just how bright they are) and five dark blue faceted glass beads as focals at the bottom. The chain is quite long, it goes over the head with no clasp. £15 + P&P

Little Grey Felt Cat

Finished the above last night - it is definitely quicker now I know what I am doing! This little chap is in grey felt, and this time has tiny buttons on the leg joints as specified in the pattern, as well as a leather collar with a tiny silver bell - my touch! He has a cosy purple felt bed, a stripy ball to play with and a can of food + bowl. He is 3 inches from nose to tip of the tail and stands 2 inches high. Set is £10 + P&P SOLD!

Just discovered a terrible clash of dates - I've been doing all this work for various Christmas fairs coming up and today found out that the main one, All Saints School, is on 1st December which is the date I have already arranged to go to the massive bead fair at Sandown Park - can't back out of the latter as my sister and niece are coming all the way from Athens especially for it! So I will have to look out for someone who can stand in for me on that day - any of you reading this who were planning to buy Christmas presents from me (I know there are a few of you who visit this blog) I WILL have a stall, just not too sure who will be in charge of it on the day!