Makey-fingers: recent results.

First of all, there was the necklace (because I do love a new challenge, and decided recently that I could be a master jewellary maker!) I've bought a few bits and pieces over the last couple of months to get me started with my new hobby, and have been perusing craft magazines and the Accesories departments of the shops for inspiration. I have thoughts on a memory-wire bracelet, and am writing down other ideas as I have them, to put by for later when my skills and materials have caught up with my imagination!

But here is my first attempt: A button necklace (some of it is out of shot- they're terribly difficult to photograph! But its a little bit longer than it looks, and symmetrical... kinda).


Then there was the thought that I'd like to get something pretty and heart-like downstairs, to cheer up the corridor. I saw some hearts on ribbons in a shop window recently, and thought that I'd have a go myself. I fixed them together in a temporary fashion, whilst I waited for some more wire (preferring that to the ribbons once I'd experimented). And I'm glad of that, because I have changed my mind about the order of the three, and the beads between them several times.

They're not hanging here, on a door, but, again, its all quite tricky to photograph! They're actually here, on a heart peg.

And the individual hearts look a little bit like this:

Its imperfect, but then, so am I! If I was to do this again, the words would be in the middle. I'm still considering what I could use over the top, if anything, as a fixitive... It may well change the whole feel of it, so I'm unsure...

There is a musical theme here, and I got hold of some spare written-music of a couple of my favourite tunes to use, then layered with decorated tissue, and the words? A bit of Shakespeare that I am fond of, (Ariel singing in The Tempest) which is also beautifully set to music by Arne. (This isn't my favourite version, but its very pretty. I think I prefer it sung a little bit more simply- Emma Kirkby perhaps?...)

Where the bee sucks, there suck I:
In a cowslip's bell I lie;
There I couch when owls do cry.
On the bat's back I do fly
After summer merrily.
Merrily, merrily shall I live now
Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

I love the image this gives me, being the size of a fairy, flying around in an idyllic Summer. So I guess the sweetness of it makes me smile- its lovely to pass it by a couple of times a day.

Theres also a little photo of my sister, Pootle and I, that has been hanging about (not literally on a wall unfortunately), waiting to be made use of. Unfortunately it was printed on regular paper, and was a4 size, and the original print hasn't been seen for a while. It deserved a frame of its own, and something special. I fiddled about with some watercolours and pen, and came up with this. Its one of a kind!

I've also been working on something else with pen and watercolours. Its still a work-in-progress, as although it is 'finished' and framed, I'm not entirely satisfied, so am tweaking some bits. But here is a sneak preview...

Not to be out-done, the children have been busy too.

So I suppose my makey-fingers have had their exercise for a while, but this is pretty much how things go around here- inactivity in the craft department (or nothing going on of note), then I find the energy (and drive) to zoom about until the early hours for a few days in a row, just to finish those things that need finishing! At least I'm making progress on my Thirty List! I can now tick off 4 (the hearts: 'inspirational'? Well, its something that I love reading and it puts me in a good mood, so perhaps it is, indirectly), two of the three from number 5, and one skill of the three (jewellary-making) of 9.


xxx