It's almost time....

...for Minnie's Emporium!!!

So I have some pretty pendant watches ready to go with me....and yeah, I know all the times are different, but hey...that's how I roll LOL :D

So if you are out and about in Cumbria between 2pm and 6pm this weekend why not pay Minnie and me a visit at the Carnegie in Workington :D

Hope to see you there :D
Hugs'n'vintage snogs,
Julie xx

Getting ready....

Forrrrr...............................

oooooo I thought  had loads and loads of time but the weeks have just vanished!!!

So I set to work and have a few things ready along with existing jewellery :D

So here's a few sneaky peeks....

  Scarf jewellery

                                                                   Handbag hooks

 and I was making hairpins but found I was collecting more for my personal use than making for the vintage fair..............but then I got a bit carried away LOL

  and there's more LOL :D
Oh well, if they don't sell I will have lots of new pretties :D

Hope to see you there :D

Hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

Wirework Dragonfly....or is it????

is it really a wirework dragonfly???
Do you really think I got THAT good in just a few weeks??? LOL

Nooooooooooooooo - well would you believe it started as a crochet motif I bought from the auction site a while ago and it was white cotton?
Why does it look like silver wire??? Swellegant!

Christi Friesen's awesome metal paint transformed my pretty crochet piece in to an even more awesome addition to my wirework pendant!!

I added peridot chips and wire both from jewellery maker which is also a UK stockist of the swellegant products :D

I gave it all a coating of charcoal dyeoxide to tone down the brightness of the wire :D

Christi, I hope you love it too :D

I am working on a much bigger piece but just had to share this in the meantime :D
hugs'n'swellegant snogs,
Julie xx

Wire wrapped pendants - again :D

I have been playing with wire and gems again :D
The moon shaped pendant is made with gold and silver coated copper wire with moonstone and shell stars

The wrapped stone is a gorgeous piece of blue chalcedony which is cut and polished on one side but rough (but smooth LOL) and textured on the other side,
The colour running through it is gorgeous and the sparkle on the rough side is sooooo pwitty :D
It is wrapped in copper wire with moonstone chips added.

Now what to hang them on???
They are fairly large pieces so would even make pretty suncatchers

Loving playing with wire :D

Hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

Time for Tea?? for That's Crafty

This is my final piece as guest designer for august over at the That's Crafty blog so I had a bit of fun with the Tando village in a box and The Octopode Factory Alice stamps :D

I decided to be a bit different and use the lid as a base so that it looks more like a cake stand on my charity shop candlestick :D
It would look so awesome in christmas colours and if you made it as a box it would sit quite nicely if you put the lid over a pretty stemmed wine glass with the box part sitting on top!!

I may be adding a few more of these to my collection LOL

Here's a few more pics...

For all the deets of how to visit the blog HERE and to go shopping visit the site HERE :D

Hugs'n'snogs,

Julie xx

Tea time sneaky peek!!!

Here's a little sneaky peeky of my last guest DT project for That's Crafty....check it out on their blog tomorrow HERE :D

hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

Secret Garden Specimen box for That's Crafty

What's the secret???
Open it up to find gorgeous garden finds :D

I have used Graphic 45 Secret Garden stamps and papers on a Tando covered printers tray to create this pretty vintage style specimen box.

For all the deets visit the That's Crafty blog HERE and to go shopping visit the site HERE :D

here's a close up of the inside ....

Hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

Roaring Twenties fan for That's Crafty

This is my third piece as guest designer over on the That's crafty blog so only two left to go :-(

As soon as I saw this Tando fan I knew it would make a gorgeous Gatsbyesque 20's style fan :D
The gorgeous stamps I used are Crafty Individuals Fashionable Twenties Ladies and were the perfect size for the large fan :D

I used a wire wrapping technique on the base of the fan I learnt from Jewellery Maker and using their wire.

If you want to go shopping visit the That's Crafty site HERE, and for how to create your own visit HERE for the deets.

Hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

Wire wrapped Amethyst pendant

I was so inspired watching The Rachel Norris masterclass on Jewellery Maker channel this week I finally manged to pluck up the courage to attempt a wire wrapped pendant.

It's defo not perfect, and I need practice, but I don't think its too bad for a first attempt LOL

I haven't decided what to string it on to yet so have just threaded it on to a piece of organza ribbon while I think about it :D

Here's a close up :D

I love those little faceted shell pearls along with the silver plated wire, they look so delicate :D

hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

Sew Pretty for That's Crafty

Good Morning everyone, hope you are up to crafty business today :D
This is my using  piece for this weeks That's Crafty design team using the Tando chipboard oval bowl/frame.
I of course used it as a frame :D

I embellished it with my current favourite patterned papers (Tilda), lace, buttons and ribbons, but used paper clay on the base if the frame.

For all the pics and deets visit the That's Crafty blog HERE and leave me some feedback please :D

Then if you want to go shopping visit HERE to see a fab range of products and an amazing range of stamps :D

Hugs'n'snogs,

Julie xx

Awkward Alice!!!

Well, I don't think I have ever had as many problems trying to photograph a project!!!

I am afraid this is the best I can do!!!
So here she is, awkward Alice hanging on my very munched Honeysuckle! (stoopid flippin caterpillars!!!)

hugs'n'snogs

Julie xx

P.S look who arrived today :D
hope these guys behave better!!!

How curious, Alice mobile for Thats Crafty

 That's me :D

Yes,  I am very honoured to be the guest designer for August on the That's Crafty blog :D
If you haven't been and visited the shop head on over HERE and see the amazing range of stamps and other crafting goodies in Laura's fab shop :D

This is my first piece using the lush Stampendous Alice stamps along with tando chippie yumminess :D

I had a terrible time trying to capture this at its best so will attempt to try and get some better pictures for you while I am on my weeks leave this week ;-)

For all the deets and how to visit the blog HERE and show me some support :D

I am rather out of practice at not only blogging but crafting these days!! But I intend to sort this out :D
I have some fabby Tando to play with, moulds and paper clay, and lots of yummy stamps :D

Watch this space,
hugs'n'snogs,

Julie xx

Blooming wire work..

.. I am definitely a novice when it comes to jewellery wire working but I was so inspired by a demo by Karon Crawford on the Jewellery Maker shopping channel today that I created this necklace.

All the semi precious beads and findings were purchased from there and are fabby quality and sooooo pretty :D
I am in love with the faceted shell pearls!!

I can't wait to wear this piece :D
It was so nice sitting in my yarden creating this necklace today :D

hugs'n'snogs,

Julie xx

Sad news....

I am very sad to say that Happy Daze is closing :-(
Moira has launched a 40% off sale featured on THIS blog post

Happy Daze was my first DT position and I still remember the day I received the e-mail inviting me to join, it was such a surprise!! :D

Moira has been a fantastic inspiration, and an even better friend :D
We have shared some amazing experiences which i will never forget.
So a HUGE thank you to Moira for kick starting my DT positions and hope that your health improves.

So if you want to grab a bargain while Moira closes up the shop hop on over HERE to save 40% off throughout the whole shop.

hugs'n'very sad snogs,
Julie xx

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow???

Well my name isn't Mary, and I may be quite contrary (my Mum defo says I am!! ) but I don't have a garden :-(

I do however have a long narrow yard....so I created myself a Yarden :D
I have been rather stressed of late and have found creating my own little space very relaxing...I have made it so there is only room for one chair LOL :D

So I couldn't have anything boring when it was somewhere I wanted to chillax, it had to be me....and this is soooooooo me :D
I don't have silver bells and cockle shells, I have blue ribbons and pink buttons, and a bit of bling for good measure LOL :D

Ok so here is my tea party inspired yarden ...

Purdey huh :D
And my ribbons and bunting not only look pretty they keep the birds away...that's what I tell myself anyway :D
My niece said to me "but your bunting will get wet...", I really don't mind, I can't wait until it all looks weathered and aged :D

Now for a tale of woe :-(

I was so happy with the way my beautiful forget-me-nots that I bought in some totally bargain bin sale/dying packs from B&Q had settled in and bloomed :D Just the perfect thing for my vintage style :D

Then I got up a few days later to find them like this....

Both plants were the same and in different places!!!

I was baffled...had somebody been in my Yarden and cut all my pretty blooms off?
Was it the birds?
Had an animal paid me a visit and scoffed them??

Well... I needed to look a little bit closer to home.... after doing a bit of Gillian Mckeith style investigation I discovered the culprits were my naughty pooches!!!

When I took this picture I thought Ollie was admiring my progress.... nooooooo... he was checking what he and Rolo were going to have for supper !!!
Naughty pooches!!! :-(

I now have some spray to try and deter them and sprinkle the plants with pepper to try and keep them munching my pretties!!
If you have any tips please share :D

hugs'n'snogs,

Julie xx

Beadsmith Macrame board.... new toy review!!!

Ok, you might think  "I would never use this - I don't make jewellery..."
BUT if you want to do any type of weaving work I highly recommend this item.
Its made from a really sturdy memory foam with notches all round the edges.
It might seem a very basic tool, but its perfect for the job it does!!!

I tried to do the pearl bead weaving I have on my board on a small bead loom, it was incredibly difficult and nowhere near as neat as it has turned out on the macrame board.

I also made this bracelet from lace and fabric scraps on my beadloom - it would have been sooooo much easier on this board, believe me!!!

Bead weaving is really easy and could be used with some awesome items in your mixed media work, nice fibres, beads, buttons, lace, fabric scraps spring to mind for me...and they don't have to be uniform!!

I wanted to make a thick choker necklace with my pearls and was quite disappointed with how it turned out, so when my macrame board came I took it apart and have remade it - quick and easy!!

To bead weave you start with an extra downward thread (lazy thread) to the amount of beads you are using - I have used 5 beads wide, so have 6 lazy threads.
To make the beading easier I put my bobbin from my original bead loom under the threads near the bottom so that the beads had room to move under my lazy threads. You could use anything really, even a marker pen - just something to lift them from the board.

I attached my beading thread to the outer lazy thread and passed my needle underneath all of the lazy threads. I then threaded my 5 beads on, and spaced them in between the lazy threads.

I took my beading thread around the outer lazy thread, then passed the needle back through the beads over the top of the lazy threads.

Then repeat the whole weaving process.

I love the board because of the notches, you can take all your excess threads and secure them on the sides, and even keep your thread secure if you need to leave your work.

Because it is memory form you can safely stick pins in to it, or your needles.  

I got mine from the Jewellery Maker shopping channel but I'm sure you will be able to pick them up in beading shops too.

My beading is nice and straight because I have used beads all the same size but can you imagine the texture you can create with random items and threads - paper beads, shells, bakers twine....
Hope this is helpful to you all,
Let your imagination run riot!!!

Hugs'n'snogs,

Julie xx

edited to add... This is not difficult at all - incredibly easy, and incredibly quick if you use large beads like I did :D