Friday 16 September 2011

OH new techiniques and a tv channel!

LORDY LORDY. Much to my demise I have discovered JM.com and oh dear I wish I had my millions!  But on a brighter note discovered some new techniques. DOUGHNUTS, FLOWER CLUSTERS AND DOUBLE STRANDED WITHOUT CONNECTORS!

it's so simple when you actually realise what your doing and obvious really that I could kick myself when I realise how straight forward these items are to do.

So I was watching JM yesterday lol, in the evening the whole day replay! And discovered how to do doughnuts. So i set to work. I went a bit wrong and the strands didn't curve so I ended up with a straight tiered kinda look, but turns out that looks good in itself and even realised where I was going wrong. Not taken pictures yet as my blackberry has broken!  ARGHHHHH, new one coming tomorrow. and the camera is charging! But will pop pictures up asap. So did this tiered circle effect with black and gold beads. Only did it with cheap beads as I wasn't sure it'd turn out ok and didn't want to waste anything. But as it turns out it's quite an effective piece. just not highly exciting and a bit bland would defo add some sparkle next time, I'm in love with sparkle!

Then went on to make some more flower clusters with crackle beads and these have turned out gorgeous! I've done two shades of blue on one, a gorgeous turquoise and a deep midnight blue, looks great, but doesn't fit me! :(  I have big wrists for a lady! Then i did another in shades of red and this one is just lusciously rich and warm. I was sooo proud, by now it was about eleven am but I've got the bug and as you crafters will know just can't stop.

So then I made a beautiful neutral colour double strand with twists beige glass one, with different textures in and again it's fabulous. I was so impressed, my twisting didn't work as well as wanted it too, but it's really not bad for a first attempt.

I'm waiting on some stock from JM (hubby will not be pleased.) lol and some stuff from China which seems to be taking ages already well over the ten days, but it's not just one item so maybe there's a genuine hold up somewhere. I think they have some kind of holiday around this time of year whereby NO ONE goes to work!

I'm excitedly awaiting some swaroyski (sorry I cannot spell it, it comes up auto on most pages. lol) crystals which I cannot wait to work with as I haven't worked with them before. But have so many little ideas flicking through my mind. I have a silver 925 set coming so am actually going to make some 925 silver pieces. And have a personal task I'm on route to making been longing to make one for so long, but can't work out whether to attempt to make the resin cabochon I'm wanting or just buy one ready made? I don't know what would work out better in the long run, but this is along the lines of bangles. I defo want to make more bangles I love bangles and sparkly bits. I'm one of those that adores the sound of bangles banging together.

So much going on but am going to be busy babysitting this weekend and next lol I may be sending all the kids to bed really early!

Anyway I should really head off before I get the bug again as I need sleep, for over a week now I've not been going to bed earlier than 2 am! I don't know how I'm still walking to be honest especially with a school run in the mornings.

Sweet precious beady sparkly dreams!

Tuesday 13 September 2011

MY first fair!

My first fair Saturday 10 September

Ok so it was a little church fete but you know what it was great and gave me an inisght to the world of public selling.

I stayed up late for two nigths making loads of children bracelets and it took off, I made £30 of profit. Mostly on children's bracelts so my little insight was well directed. I had two days notice no table cloth and no price tags, lol but it went well.

I sta next to a lovely lady with a table of jewellery but we both did well, she had far more stock than me however and comse lovely soarkly bits, i felt someone a bit intinidated. However they were lovely people and a lady even gave me a lesson on making clusters of beads on bracelts, an amzingly effective but very simple process.

I've made a few but am some what lacking in stock of beads now. :( with no finances for two weeks! I have now foudn a website who sells dvd on wire work, so I cannot wait to get underway with th am even thinking may give polymar clay ago, as I spend a fortune on other peoples designs produced for all as well as customised pieces for me.


Then I discovered jump rings.

LOL and thus went into keyrings, even made my own chain but soon decided it was far more pratical to buy chain by the bulk. I dscovered all sorts of chain, colours, sizes, 
I started hunted high and low for tips tricks and things I'd need. You tube was a real influence and helped me learn so many techniques. 
I brought more and more beads in absolutely loving my delivery days, Funny as looking back as a child I would stand in awe of beads and never know what o do with them just that I LOVED them. My husband is now used to regular parcels through the post and humours me well! BUT he remains very supportive even though it is costing me a small fortune!
I googed tigertail memory wire foiled beads, crackle beads,  Falling in love with the potential of every little thing available!

So here I am five months down the line and still loving leanring new techmniques and coming up with new ideas. Working with polymar clay, with glass beads, with snake chains with pendants with clasps, just playing about and picking up bits here and there.  

I love to try and do things new all the time so if there's an idea I'd love to hear about it as I'd love even more to give it a go, I have a huge amount of ideas, and even had to get myself notebooks for ideas, themes, orders. All to keep track of what I'm doing and where I'm at. 

Here are a few of my recent items.






 


Where did Olivia's Pretty Things aspire from?

WELCOME to Olivia's Pretty Things thank you for visiting.

So a blog appears to be the next step. But where hence did we come from...

This passion all started with a christmas being broke and stuck for ideas for christmas, I made my family special christmas ornaments for their tree and European style bracelets (pandora style.) I ordered in a bulk of murano glass beads and snake charms. 
I loved putting the pretty beads together so much I made loads, sold a few but the fad is fast fading out now. 
As time went on, I got a bit bored of just adding beads to a snake chain, so I wondered and thought about what I could do next, I moved onto glass bead bag charms. Gradually brought more and more bits I liked the look of and went from there. 


These were my first ever attempts at charm bracelets before I knew about jump rings.









Hi and welcome to Olivia's Pretty Things.

So this is my blog and hopefully with help from a friend this is gonna be a BIG sucess!