Happy New Year...

...to all my bloggy friends :)

On Christmas Eve, I managed a few pins in my Bucks Point edging for my new Grandbaby, due at the end of February. Here is a picture of the general pillow, with 5 of my handmade bobbins adorned with some of my first beads on the longer threads.

Here is a close up of the lace, emerging from the forest of pins.

After seeing the new year in while researching more new ideas to try in my glass making, I am having a relaxing day at my pillow.

This is my second ever Bucks corner! I know that technically it is not correct, but I am looking for a pretty piece of lace for our new baby - no awards needed :)

Here is my day's work. I started at the corner this morning.

My wish for 2011 is friendship, good health, security, productivity and fun for all.

May your dreams come true, your lace grow and your daily challenges be surmountable!

Hugs to all,

Withof

I posted about a fantastic weekend in Melbourne here.

Now I have attached the lace to fabric and a button so that I can wear it on Christmas Day.

The button measures 1 inch across, so you can see the piece is on the small side.

This is the last of my Christmas lace projects - happy, happy dance :)

more bead fun

I spent a solid day at the torch today, and after some basic donut beads I really had a play :)

60 beads in 1 go is a lot of beads - but there were 2 only fit for the hammer - they will make an appearance later on as frit VBG

(and I *will* remember to let the beads cool a little before diving them into the Vermiculite)

I had another go at textured beads - with some success today I think :)

I love the ladybugs and hedgehogs at the top - they will be made into divider pins.

The ladybugs at the bottom are a spangle set.

This set of Santas are now earrings and a necklace - I know they need annealing, but I intend to wear them this week, then take the findings off and put them into the batch for next week :)

I think I need to practice these, but Colin thinks the ladybugs and hedgehogs are a better use of the glass VBG

Cotton, glass and wire

Here goes 25 motif challenge number 3!!

I thought about making 25 coasters...there are some gorgeous patterns out there in blogland and beyond!

But...I was reminded of my design tat course this week, and my ambition to make a tablecloth or bedspread in tatting, so I have decided to see if I can design 25 motifs this coming year, then choose 1 of them (or maybe more) to start work on that tablecloth or bedspread!

2 days in the truck and here is the start to my new challenge...

Number 1...I do like this one :)

Number 2...not like the drawing, and the spokes need to be a touch longer to make it sit right, but passable I think?

Number 3 is no closer to the drawing, but I kinda like it too :)

Number 4 come about from a piece that I cut off, then played with. I think this one might join nicely, and allow for some more experimenting in that process to create some lighter areas to balance the dense rings...

Tomorrow, I plan on playing with the glass again! Some serious trolling of the internet has my head bursting with ideas to try out. Most of them will have to wait until I have a bit more experience, but I have a few ideas ready to go now.

Here is a necklace I have put together as a Christmas gift.The next two pics have not scanned so well, but you can get the idea!

Here are the final 10 Christmas tree decorations to go with my cards. You cannot see it very well, but I used 2 colours in each plait, and the 'real life' effect is quite pretty.

Finally, the last of the necklaces for Christmas! I love the black/silver colour combination, but I had soooo much trouble with breaking wire in this project, and there is a leaf missing - it fell out when I pulled the pins and I decided not to remake the section!

I am thinking the tension was in me, as the same wire was used in the pieces above and I didn't break a single wire then.

Sorry about the pic quality - I might take a real photo tomorrow!

That is long enough for now...thanks for reading on :)

Don't forget to let me know what you think before you go.

Christmas hugs for all in this busy final week of crazy!

Finishing off

Another 25 complete!!

Here is bookmark 25 - the same as bookmark 1 (but a bit longer)

It is made with Lizbeth HDT - shell in size 20 and the pattern belongs to Jon - I'll try to find the link later - it is no longer in my bookmarks :(

Tomorrow evening our Tuesday lace girls are going to enjoy a meal together.

Here is my Kriss Kringle parcel :)

- 2 cover cloths

- a pin pusher

- a lazy susan/pricker

- thread

- pin cushion

all in a travel bag.

Here is (one of) my current lace projects - another wire lace necklace...

Design by Britt

Made in black and smoked wire.

Finally, here are some of my handmade beads, at home on my new handmade bobbins :)

Thanks for reading. Have fun and stay safe :)

Bits and bobs

I spent the weekend in the shed...again!

This time my work was on the lathe :)

Here is my new lazy susan - this was the first bobbin I broke -

complete with a set of handmade beads. Timely, as I replaced my lazy susan with a needle pin and have been looking for a new handle! (I keep giving them away but this one will stay)

Here are the rest of the bobbins I made this weekend.

The inscription says:

Bobbin 1: Life without lace...

2010

Bobbin 2: ...I'm a frayed knot!

2010

On the right, you can see the other bobbin I broke. I intend to put it in my Kriss Kringle pack for my student's break up. The reciever can decide it they need a pricker or a lazy susan :)

I still have 2 sets to inscribe, but after 3 weeks of playing with open flames and molten glass with not so much as a singed hair, I burned my finger on the poker and had to pack up for the evening.

Now, I promised some lace in this post!

The tatting will have to wait until next time...I still have about an inch of chain to complete the final bookmark in my 25 motif challenge...

My bucks edge has stalled with Christmas drawing nearer at an alarming rate...

Tomorrow evening I will be delivering these wire lace necklaces.

They were designed by Lenka Suchanck.

I think I will have to make another for myself :)

They were so pretty I decided to use them to make my Christmas card cover for 2010.

Finally, I got to playing with some 1mm copper wire as LOML would love to see a wall decoration made in wire lace :)

More practice required but there are some possibilities here...stay tuned :)

Have fun, stay safe and please let me know what you think before you go.

Many hugs in this super busy time.

More beads

My collection of beads is growing...

Here they are in some order...
Top to bottom:
decorated with homemade frit (bits of random glass)
swirled dots
new technique - bubble dots
plain donuts
playing with stringers, 3d sculptured, millefiori, dots, more stringers
playing with homemade twisties (multi coloured stringers)
layered dots
layered dots
homemade frit decoration on transparent glass

Next post will include some lace I promise :)