Wirework ring...

One of the workshops I did at Birmingham with Beadalon was on creating wirework rings. I kept my design quite simple and had a fantastic Swarovski crystal to use to create in our piece. The concept was quite simple - but I think it's an art that would just get better and better with practice. There's a few knacks to learning about the sizing - it's a learning aspect to understand how much the wire loosens from the sizing you start with. I might go back to this piece to have a play with some finer wire in a complementing colour to experiment with some more techniques. If I do I'll post another picture up for you! So needless to say a ring mandrel and more wire is now on my shopping list!!

happy crafting

Jane

Charms Necklace and dragonflies

I spent ages at the trade fair at the learning table with Beadtime who supplies many of the beads and findings I sell. Their fantastic tutor took us through lots of hints, tips and techniques to create gorgeous jewellery. This particular example we made using the Indian Glass Beads we stock on our website. This is a fab way of using these more luxurious beads to really show them off. A cost effective piece of jewellery as you only need half a dozen beads, accented with a focal bead (I used a heart) and a few charms. The lovely dragonfly is made using seed beads, a few small spacer beads and the dragonfly wings. The beads are fixed onto headpins and then onto a small piece of chain using split rings. The piece is then hung on a length of faux suede finished with a box closer and toggle clasp. I haven't got the dragonfly wings in stock yet.... but as you can imagine, the class has left me brimming with new ideas which requires new beads and findings... so I'm in the midst of putting together an order for all sorts of goodies! If you have any particular requests to add to the order - email me in the next couple of days!

More inspiration to follow over the next few days... I won't fill up your heads with all the samples I made all at once!!

happy crafting

Jane

Tim Holtz Demos & exciting products!

Just back from the trade show at Birmingham. As you can see - I got to meet Tim Holtz and watched his fabulous new distress stains being demonstrated!... watch the website for stock to appear!... I think they are fab - no more worrying that you are running out your inkpad to cover a card project with your favourite inks tones. Lots of new stuff to excite at the show... and I am still placing orders this week so still lining up the new goodies for you all! Particular highlights are new cosmic shimmer mister colours - plus the new chalk spray range! I've also found fab templates from BCE. As for jewellery, I've learned lots of wiring techniques - creating wire rings and creating wired jewellery too.. so I'm hoping to get some samples rustled up this week once I've finished all the ordering!

Too many things to list in one post... so more to come!

happy crafting

Jane

bead restock...

All the glass crackle beads are now back in stock. Also.. watch in New Stock Arrivals as we are putting on the remainder of the beads that are yet to reach the website... more appearing during the week!
enjoy!
Jane

new downloads

I've added on my sample board using Stampbord onto the website. Click on the downloads link to go through to 4shared to download lots of project ideas and papers!
enjoy!
Jane

Oriental Card

This card is all about layers.

1. Apply pale colours to your white card surface using cut n dry foam. I've used a mixture of distress inks - shabby shutters and antique linen. Then stamp your leaf design using antique linen (mine is from Elusive Images Retro Vases set).

2. Stamp a random pattern using the same leaf stamp onto acetate using black stazon ink

3. Cut a strip of black card and stamp and emboss in gold powder an oriental shape - I've use one from an old set of rubbadubadoo stamps I have - but the Clarity stamp Asian Bamboo (6534) would be good too. Do the same on a smaller strip for the top right hand corner.

4. Take a piece of glossy white card and apply your distress ink colours directly to your card surface. Use a piece of foam if you need to do any blending. Then allow to dry (use a heat gun to hurry it along). Give it a light spritz with a gold irridescent spray - perhaps a Cosmic Shimmer Mister or a Glimmer Mist - anything with a pale ink but a bit of sparkle

5. Stamp your oriental lady using black archival ink and set aside to dry. My stamp is from Magenta called Geisha (not in current stock but can be ordered in on request).

6. Cut a small strip of glossy card to mount behind my lady - stamp your leaf design using versamark and allow to dry, then go over the top with the same distress inks then stamp over the top of your versamarked leaves using the same stamp but using archival black so it gives a shadow effect.

7. You can then assemble your card. Fix your piece on top of your acetate first, then you'll know where you can apply double sided tape behind the front layers so no-one can see your adhesive marks.

I've also posted up an image of another design created by using the same layers, but this time using stamps from Elusive images Retro Vases set. You can also spritz your background card with an ink spray too if you want a bit more glitz!

I challenge you all to make a card using this style of layers - it doesn't need to be the same colour scheme - but I'd love to see what you all do with inspiration from this card - so email me with your creations or post on your blog and send me a link!

These cards were created from an original project from Craft Stamper I saw quite some time ago - sorry can't remember the date of the mag - but I can route it out if someone really wants to know!

enjoy!

Jane

Sale now on..

Happy New Year to you all - come browse in our sale - 20% off everything until next Tuesday. Check out our latest e-mail newsletter: http://ymlp.com/z4n8vt.

Happy Shopping!

Jane