A&C Weekly Challenge 2008

[Whizzz]

New Year & a New thread - post what you hope to start/finish this week!

I have bought lots of fabby gemstones & I want to try & make some different types of jewellery, different ways of stringing etc.

DH also bought me some rainbow fluorite & I want to make myself a necklace & bracelet, although am still pondering what style I fancy!

(& my bog is sadly neglected, I must try harder!)

Meri, can I ask you a quick question.
What wire do you use for your bracelets?
I'm just looking at buying some tigertail but then have seen beadalon too.
I'm stuck!
I love your new bracelet too btw.

vintageviolet- thank you... me too, I'm not a really green sort, but the stone was so pretty, I love the toggles, they are silver plated, as for doing up the ends sometimes it goes well and sometimes not, I have trouble with round silver crimps,.. i do need some new pliers though.. but that must wait till i sell at least one more bracelet as DH is grumbling about my craft spending... I bought a ball of yarn today, and a few beads while out shopping and hid them in my purse.

nbg- I use "Wire beading flexible Beadalon colour "bright"" and i think its another beadalon silver plated and coated wire. thanks. need to add some of the last few bracelets to my shop.. tommorow everything tommrow i'm too tired now.. need coffee and maybe chocolate

I had to make a card today and I made a few more similar ones at the same time. Still not got much enthusiasm or motivation...I haven't even set myself any goals this week!

I will do that tomorrow and try to get myself back on track!!

...the coffe and chocolate sounds very good!!!

oh dingle, i sympathise, i seem to have a bit of designers block atm, either that or its just plain laziness

need to get my act together before tomorrow, ds is at nursery so don't want a wasted day

Well I have restarted the scarf - I think the likely culprit is this one who has a liking for pens & hence possibly long knitting needles.

I made the earrings for mums friend today. They were based on this design from Laura Ashley but she wanted them silver & looking 'tidier' .
My version is here Crystal Earrings I've used lovely Swarovski crystals for added sparkle

omg whizz, i made some identical to those earrings!
again with swarowski crystal. i used a cherry red and an aqua blue colour.

lol at your culprit too. thats a great picture

Message withdrawn

I've done some knitting, some felting, some corsage crafting and some tidying and filing [latter two VERY boring, but now HAHA, DONE!)

have also set up an etsy shop but put nothing in it as I don't know what I can sell. Am determined to start selling something soon though, in the vain hope that it might move me one step closer to ditching the [shudder] day job - I need to do some more hot rice'n'lavender bags as the one I made my sister for xmas did turn out very nicely (if I do say so myself!)

dingle - your cards are great - I hate to see you without a long and motivating list - makes me think something is wrong with the world. I love your latest cards, and those boxes are beautiful too.

meridain - great green bracelet. I still haven't posted the blue one back (illness has reined and I have been very distracted and housebound) but hope to get it off tomorrow. I do have a necklace that that green one would look lovely with

whizz - love those earrings
have been looking at everyone's stuff on blogs and commenting as much as I can - there is so much great stuff going on

oh dior - how could i forget - the pattern arrived today - thank you is very sweet indeed - will definately post pictures (if I ever manage to get around to making it - am like a gadfly these days!)

that magazine looks nice - what was it?

JG - scarflets. Sell scarflets. And could I be your first scarflet customer purlease? I'd rather like a hat too, other than the fact that I look like I have escaped from a mental hospital in a hat - I do, I really do. It's so sad. On sunday I went for a walk with the baby monkeys and DH and moaned the whole time that I had earache thanks to the gale that was blowing through one ear and out the other (not much to stop it inbetween, y'see). DH said 'wear a hat', and then laughed to himself when he remembered what I look like in a hat .
DIngle - I am also of the opinion that without your huge lists of to dos the world is a sadder place, so please get back to normal.
Whizzz - those earrings are great! (I also look like a lunatic in earrings - it's just not fair, is it? )

Whizzz, your cat looks so like my Monty, who sadly died last year aged 18. He used to do that thing with his paw too.

Your earrings are lovely - nicer than the LA ones, I dont think that matt metal looks very attractive in earrings.

Dingle, your cards are great. What brand of backing papers do you use? I love that faded effect.

Im three quarters through a loopy hot water bottle cover. Sounds mundane, but I love my hottie, and cant wait for it to have a new soft cover! I'm using Rowan Little Big Wool, which is a lovely soft chunky yarn. Size 0 needles, so it knits in no time.

And DD found the camera today - just have to find the usb connector now!

ah yes GM but that is not my design so I couldn't do it (though I could knit one for you as a oneoff of course!) how much would I need to alter the pattern for it to be legit, or is it ever legit even if you do alter? (there are things I would change in that pattern)

Not very productive this week.

The main reason for this has been my mind's been on my cousin and his family. He was diagnosed with Cystic Fybrosis in his 20s and now at 36 has just undergone a heart and lung transplant. He's doing OK but there's a long way to go.

Of the list I had all I've made are 2 buggy blankets which have been replaced by orders for 2 more - so still outstanding is:

• Make a reusable shopping bag for a friend
• A cushion cover
• A pair of curtain tiebacks
• Hem a piece of material to make a tablecloth

I'll also be making a patchwork blanket using fleece.

I have added a couple of entries on my blog but Im' mostly looking forward to the Meet-up next week!!

oh dizzy, fingers crossed he'll be ok

anyway, you've got next tuesday to look forward to, but shhhh, don't tell the others , they'll all be jealous of swedish crafts day!

sorry to hear that dizzy . I'm really looking forward to next week too!!!

JG - I am not sure the protocols of pattern amendment...hmmm. I would rather like one, maybe you just have a good neck for displaying them, and on me it'll look ridiculous? I'll email you....

gosh everyone has been so busy and I have done stuff all.... well I have intentions... not sure if they are good our bad.. ... will go catch up on blogs and things...

Dizzy - wishing your cousin all the luck & best wishes.

I have no idea about pattern protocols either. Isn't there some kind of rule about having to change 2 things on making a similar item to something else ?

Of course I am probably speaking out of my bum here - don't talk to me about rules, regulations, safety directives and such. It's a flippin minefield and a BIG headache.

Check with your Trading Standards bods if you are unsure. I'm sure they'll be able to help.

Right, we are off to feed the ducks now ....

Dizzy - keeping my fingers crossed for your cousin.

I've done basically nothing. Blardy Ravelry & MN - I've been spending all the time I could be crafting waffling on the pooter instead.

I have started to sew together The Pratchgan. I still have around another 100 squares to get in but I think it's gonna look fab when it's done

Not much crafting going on here today...I am trying to get my NVQ course underway and it seems I am getting nowhere!!

Fusby on most of my latest card I have used either the BG Motifica or Sublime I won from here just after Christmas. You can usually get 4 toppers out of each 8.5 x 8.5 sheet!!! BUT it still breaks my heart to cut it!

I got no crafting done today.. so friday is a blitz day... and if anyone or anyhousework gets in the way of my painting/knitting/doodling/jewellery making there will be hell to pay... right best go sort out ds's disaster of a room.

I covered the top of an ottoman/blanket box thing today, I just need to decide what to do with the sides now. I might cover it like this place in London (I got a dresser from her, it's more muted colours and lots and lots of birds - I told her I liked birds and french fabrics and the result was pretty fab). I don't know though, DH says it may be too much, maybe I'll just use one fabric instead.

And I finished a custom doll, and made a couple of 'skins' to take on the train on friday when I go on a trip out with my friend, so I can sew for a bit.
And my blog's been updated with my latest purchase from Etsy - look!!! The really cool thing is, the one that's me really does look like me!!! I love them, and they were so not expensive either.

Crafters I'm not sure if you have followed all the uproar about the For Sale topic that's been going on recently, but I'd hate for anyone to be dragged into it unwittingly! If you don't know the score there are lots of people concerned about the numbers of 'traders' now using the board to sell stuff for profit. Theoretically any of us crafters could be classed as sellers/traders if we have sold/swapped stuff with others so I just really wanted to alert you all. I know most of us are just covering the costs of what it takes to make something, but I thought it best just to highlight what's going on in For Sale

Oh, I see now .....

can you link the thread as I can't see it. It's probably right in front of my eyes

might take you time to plough through it!