Charity Project

Little Bird Designs of Fredericksburg will be participating in the Lands End Share the Warmth project.  It is a charity event in which Knitters and Crocheters will be making squares to be assembled into blankets for the needy.  If you are interested in participating too, please go to http://www.landsend.com/feelgood/index.html?3 for instructions.  Hope you can give to this good cause  :)

The Dangers of Carpeting

Just a quick thought I had while I was beading yesterday.

I was sitting in my recliner, tray in my lap with a book and beads on it.  The beads we in the little plastic box containers they came in so I could easily use the needle to scoop out the beads as necessary.  I was just starting to pack everything up when I accidentally flicked the box of beads into my lap!  Several bad words later, I am trying to use my shirt as a funnel to get the beads back into the container.  Then I stood up.... plink, plink, plink.  Beads start raining on the floor!  Cursing some more, I get on my hands and knees with a led flashlight to start hunting beads.  But little did I know, Berber carpeting eats beads!  I used my hands to swipe the floor trying to feel for any loose beads and I ended up smooshing them into the carpet even more.  More hunting and finding and I finally finish locating all the beads, I hope.

Long story short, Berber carpeting is the demon carpeting for beaders.  At this point I am considering only beading in my bathroom where the linoleum will allow the beads to roll, but at least I will be able to see them!

As a side note, I am currently working on an odd count, spiral patterned peyote tube to be fashioned into a necklace to go with a beaded flower I made a week ago.  Once I have it completed I will, of course, put up a new post with pictures.

Until next time.... happy crafting!

Quick S Earrings

These little beauties were super fun to make.  Just a little expert wire bending and voila! Presto! Handmade earrings!  Another successful project, although this one was done more on the spur of the moment, with a lot less components going into it.

Beautiful opalescent purple shell disks with gold drizzles, suspended from delicately formed S curve wires with French ear wires.

Please send me an email at smf2001@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing these earrings.  Or you can click on the "Buy Now" button over to the left.  On sale now for $20.00.

Whats Next...

Well....whats next?  As I was looking through the book I realized all the remaining projects all deal with heavier gauge wire.  And guess what?  I have ZERO wire that is heavier than 20 gauge!  That means I will not be working through the book as I thought I would be.  That means my next project may be beadweaving, or it may be another project from the book, 'Ill just use a different gauge wire and hope for the best.  We will see...

An Ancient Design: Finished

Nap times are wonderful.  So much can be accomplished during a nap.  Lunch eaten, chores done, projects finished.  A special thank you goes out to my sweet son, Jason, who allowed me to finish this project today!

Having spent a few hours making this bracelet, I am pleased with the outcome.  A very nice bracelet, just enough slack, while not "jangly" still has nice movement. Since the clasp is next to the skin it is unlikely to fall off as is possible with a toggle clasp.  All in all, lovely, in a very Egyptian sorta way.

An Ancient Design

I have my book in my lap, my tools in front of me and I am ready to learn and start crafting this awesome, Egyptian inspired necklace.

I finish cutting all my wire, 21 pieces of silver coated copper wire all 6.5 inches long.  Curling the ends with a round nose plier, I begin my spirals.  As I sit here working, curling my wires, my husband is playing the new Halo Reach game and my son is asleep in the next room; everything seems right.  As the night progresses, I start to get into the groove; curling, bending, and shaping wire into a nice chain link bracelet.

With a little more than a third done, I am called to watch a tv show with Dave.  Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel.  Travel Channel has some interesting shows, although, we only watch the ghosty kinds.  Having seen another show, Most Haunted, Ghost Adventures seems a little less scary and more cheesy.  The show was about hauntings in Gettysburg, PA, which one would think would be teeming with ghostly activity.  The real creep factor came at the end when they used an Infrared camera to capture a figure walking across the railroad tracks and stop, then prepare to shoot a gun!  Possibly a civil war ghost? Or just a Civil War reenactor?  No one will ever know.

I will post again to show you the finished product when I am done, of course.  Until next time, happy crafting :)

Working through a book

I went to the library today to pick up a book on beading.  I came out with seven books!  A few on beading, one on wire working and one on chain maille.  I am going to start with "Making Wire Jewelry" by Helen Clegg and Mary Larom.  I am starting here for two reasons; one, I genuinely love wireworking and the prospect of working through a book that teaches you techniques appeals to me, and two, because I ordered all my beads and they haven't arrived yet. :)

As I work through this book I will be posting pictures of my work and making a portfolio or gallery on here as well.

Well... here goes...