Handmade Monday: Busy, busy, busy flowers

What a busy week!  Record sales in my Folksy shop this week, and the little cord charm bracelets are still proving popular everywhere.  There's not been time to do a tutorial, and at one point in the week, I was literally selling faster than I could make.  Long may it continue, and if I can get to 100 sales on Etsy (I'm at 97 at the moment!) then that will make me a really happy crafty bunny.

Every sale just encourages me in my obsessional, charm-buying habit and this week was no exception.  These beautiful flower connectors arrived in time for me to make and list cord bracelets in pink, coffee brown, red and lilac.

Aren't they pretty?  One has sold today, so later I'll be making a replacement.

I thought they would also make nice bold but light earrings too and combined them with some of my favourite drawbench glass beads in deep blue with red and gold drizzled paint.

Drawbench glass beads, this time in red with green, blue and gold drizzles, also found their way into a flower themed bag charm...

... and into these 'bubble' rings...

...

 ...which were a bit of an experiment but might well get repeated.  I thought they looked quite Christmassy - what do you think?

Talking of which, I have custom orders to do in time for Christmas, and presents to make for the family.  And someone said it was only a couple of weeks away, now that can't be true, can it?!

Here's the link to see what other crafty folk have been up to this week.

Alison

Handmade Monday: Jigging about a bit!

I've been very lucky as it's been really busy in my Folksy shop this week.  Packing all the orders doesn't leave a lot of time for making, though, so this week has been time to list some simple makes.  Inspired by some of the guest designers on JewelleryMaker TV, I got my jig out of the drawer, dusted it off and had a play.  For the non-jewellery makers, a jig is simply a plastic grid that you can put peg in to wind wire around.  It's great fun, plus there are endless puns to be made on the subject of jigging about!

 Jig patterns can get complicated, but I tried to keep it simple.

The pearls were shining a little and refusing to cooperate with the photographing, but you've got to love them all the same!

These are with peachy bamboo agate beads. 

A delivery of new charms is always a cause for excitement in the house - not least for Lucca the labrador who likes nothing better than an empty used padded envelope to rip apart!  When these connectors came, I had to make a bracelet for myself first, then get them in the shops where one sold within a day - well, they are cute.

At the moment, I'm in a huge dilemma as to whether to have a go at Kumihimo braiding.  I've ummed and ahhed about it so long, it's ridiculous.  So next week will either see a blog about braided necklaces and bracelets or something else, and you'll know I've finally made a decision!

Here's the link to see what other crafty folk have been making this week.  As ever, there are already some beautiful makes.

Alison x

Handmade Monday: A bit of everything and cord bracelets

Well, the cord charm bracelets are still my biggest sellers, so I've been raiding my charm stash and come up some forgotten treats

The little matryoshka/ babushkas are still the buyers' favourites, and I can't help but agree that they are super cute!

Meanwhile, I'm still doing things that take considerably longer to make, and as it's now officially Autumn, have been really enjoying using leaf charms and mookite, my favourite stone.

This necklace has an enourmous filigree leaf charm which I've made detachable, so you could just wear and enjoy the gemstone chain

A more modest carved carnelian leaf is in this charm bracelet, with lost of mustard mookite and carnelian and quartzite beads.

But most suitable for today is this piece!

Here's the link to see what other crafty people have been up to this week.

Alison x