Crafts Fair Buys and Fun with Molds

My parents and I went to a craft fair recently.  I figured that this year I would write a list of the things I planned to buy.  Normally I'm a bit of a magpie - ooh I like that, or ooh I need that.  So the plan was to buy the following:

• Some big sharp scissors for cutting fabric.  I will turn that duvet cover I've kept for 3 years into a crochet rug;
• Ring blanks.  Both my daughter and I want to make some rings;
• Clip On Earring findings;
• Coloured paper.  I love finding pretty patterned paper, but when I come to make cards I struggle to figure out which patterns I can use with what, and besides I have a bit of a stockpile of patterned paper.  Oops.
• pretty flower beads like these.  I saw these bracelets and fell in love immediately,  I now need some similar beads!
• Good value yarn, lots of balls in the same colour.  I want to make something for me.
• Little gems - because you always need these;
• Double sided sticky tape;
• Black/dark coloured embroidery thread

I did manage to find everything on my list, well actually the flower beads I found weren't actually beads, but they were still pretty and perfect for adding to the ring blanks.

Oh, and the earring findings.

And I'm sure they'll look beautiful on cards too, if I can bear to part with them.  I made some cards for friends with my lovely new paper and some of the gems got a look in too.  The bird stamp set is also new.

The yarn and scissors were for more long term projects, so hopefully you'll get to read about the amazing crocheted rug from an old duvet cover sometime in the not too distant future.  I have a couple of projects I have to finish before I can find the patterns I want to use for the yarn.  And yes, I know I should probably find the pattern first and buy the yarn next, but I don't seem to work that way!

I did find something to buy that wasn't on my list at all, but I am so pleased I did!  I saw some molds like these and these.  I couldn't decide which ones to buy, I wanted them all!  I ended up with 3 different packs of molds, with a variety of shapes, flowers, butterflies, owls, birds, cupcakes,strawberries and bows.  I wanted to play straight away, but sadly the air drying clay in the house belongs to my daughter, so I had to wait until she came home from school.  Luckily she loved the idea as much as I did and we had already made a whole load of shapes before tea time!

I decided to have a go with the home made air drying clay I had used before and then my son wanted a go too, so I made another batch.  It definitely does work with the home made air drying clay, but it doesn't have such a pretty finish on it afterwards - it feels quite rough whereas the clay feels lovely and smooth.

For jewellery I think you'd need the bought clay although you might get away with it for ear rings.  I want to try it with hot glue and fimo too to see if I get different finishes.  So far it has been super easy to use these molds and I'm so pleased I bought them.

Bead Making

I recently spotted some beautiful little flower beads being used as part of a memory wire bracelets.  Gorgeous, huh?  I immediately became obsessed.  This led me to start looking up cabochons on ebay.  But ebay purchases take time don't they?  You have to bid on them, wait to see if you've won (I didn't), and then wait for them to actually arrive.

Could I wait that long?  Er, no.  I started having a look round for ways to make my own.  I found this video about using some of those glass gems to make jewellery.  I had some glass gems in the cupboard as I bought them to decorate playdough with some time ago, and later we used them as part of fairy garden creations.

I had a go with the galaxy style gem first, and it was looking good.  I am super pleased with it.  I've no idea what I'm going to do with it yet, maybe a magnet.

Then I had a try with the marbling technique.  I've never been very good with my nails, but I like buying polishes so I have a few available.  My first attempt went ok, but I was too slow and it dried a bit.  By the second attempt I had got it to work.  Pretty patterns, loads of fun, cheap, what's not to like about it!

These techniques would work so well at a jewellery making party for girls (or ladies actually!).  Now I just have to decide what I'm going to do with a load pretty gems! 

 And still I've not managed to get my hands on some of those beautiful flower cabochons.  Sigh.