Crazy Christmas

Lads and ladies, how are we on this lovely New Years Eve? If you're reading this, chances are that you're bored out of your tree!

I've decided it's time to let you in on my recent little project. My dear friend Deirdre asked if I'd make her a hairband/headdress for a very special day, and of course I was only delighted to oblige! 

Back when a hairband was an option, I ended up making this...

Gold was always going to be the colour of choice, but aside from that I love this...

I just love modelling for y'all.

So, the hairband idea never transpired. Instead, a flapper, 1920's style headband was decided upon. Even though I loved the variation in bead size in the hairband, simplicity was key in my eyes for this project. 

In the process...

The finished product.

My drop dead gorgeous model!

I'm gonna keep this one short and sweet guys, just wanted to fill you in on my very special project for a very special friend. I've a few other bits and pieces in mind to write about in the new year, I'll try not to be as lazy with my blog next year as I have been this year! 

Thanks for all the kind words by the way guys, it always means a lot!

Let's not forget what this time of year is about, having fun and being with the important ones. And of course, foreign subtitles.

T'was the night after Christmas...

Well boys and girls, I'm a bit sad that this post is a little late tonight. If I'd posted it before midnight, I could have mentioned the fact that MY BLOG TURNED TWO ON CHRISTMAS DAY! Awesome right? It really doesn't feel like two whole years since that fairly boring Christmas night where I decided to start sharing some of my ramblings and some of my creations.

Speaking of creations, now that some gifts have been opened, I can tell you all a little bit about what I've made!

Remember when I made that ear-warmer thingy with that amazing turquoise wool? Well, I made something else with that wool too... A cowl for my long lost, amazing friend Jess! 

Pretty woolly and warm!

I think she likes it!!

I actually bought the wool for Jess months ago, the second I saw the colour I knew it was the one for her! I hope she feels good and toasty on many a chilly day because of it.

On that very same day, I spotted some wool that I knew my dearest Anneka would just love, so I could hardly leave it behind, so I made her a similar, but slightly looser cowl!

I'm so sad I didn't get some of this wool for myself... It was so cosy!

Look how flipping cuddly and warm it looks! She threw it on as soon as she opened it, just like Jess, which really made my efforts feel so worthwhile!

I really do love making stuff for people which I know they'll really love. My most recent project was only a half assed one for myself - a Christmas jumper!

Possibly not my finest effort, but it did the trick. I think people understood that I was vaguely excited about the festive season.

I'm sorry that this is a somewhat brief post, but I've to get up early tomorrow to do lots of making and do-ing for a very important event! I'll hopefully get to post a few pictures over the next week or so, fingers crossed it all goes to plan now too! 

Hoping you're all having a cuddly and warm week surrounded by those who mean the most, because, after all, isn't that what this time of year is really for?

xx

I'm stumped...

Ladies and gents (mostly ladies), lend me your ears! Or your brains rather. I'm in the process of setting up a shop on www.etsy.com, but in order to do so, I need a name for my shop! It can always be changed at a later date, and some work will have to go into all of this before it's ready to go, but I think a good name is a good first step. 

So, opinions? Suggestions? 

I'm also going to have to get my ass in gear with regard to making enough stuff so that I can start the shop off with a decent amount of stock. This is all rather exciting though! 

Some sketches I was making during the summer...

I was out shopping during my lunch break today, looking for nice card to use for labeling Christmas presents. Stationery and crafts shops always get me a little bit excited though, so as well as buying shiny card and bows, I ended up purchasing a wee crafts set, which will surely help me on my quest to make lots of awesome things for awesome people!

I'm not usually that girlie about stuff like this, but PINK ROUND END PLIERS AND TWEEZERS? Love! Plus that is quite possibly the cutest little hammer I've ever seen.

I'm keeping it brief tonight guys, but pipe up if you've any suggestions, and stay tuned for further developments!

40 more sleeps til Christmas FYI! Bam.

Long Time No See

Apparently that saying is an imitation of  pidgin English, along with "no can do" and many others. So there. I thought it was fitting since I have seriously neglected my blog this year... And it's not that I haven't been making stuff, because I really have! 

I might as well start with a disclaimer: if you don't have any interest in home made things, and dislike cat pictures, it's probably for the best if you close this tab now. Don't say you weren't warned!

Right, I don't think I even know where to start! It's been a funny sort of summer... Hang on, I keep talking like it's still summer time now. The fact that I haven't had college to go back to this year has been seriously strange. While I'm thrilled to be finished with all of that, graduation at the start of the month was seriously good craic.

I got a new camera this summer (ish) too, so you'll be seeing much less of my blurry BlackBerry photos from now on! I might as well start off by telling you that Benny had kittens back in June...

I'll have to give the credit for photo-taking here to Jess, this picture featured in part of her 365 project, really chuffed that me and one of the wee wans made the cut.

I've mostly been making bracelets, jewellery-wise, over the past few months, and in particular, I've really been feeling the plaits! Now, I haven't got very good pictures of all that I made as some were gifts and are already with their new owners...

I initially made this one for Jess (of aforementioned 365 fame) as she strikes me as a very purple person...

... But then I decided that it worked well enough to give another one to Sarah Jane as she's got a bit of a thing for purple too! Apologies for the truly awful pictures, the bracelets themselves are much nicer. 

I don't do modesty.

I've still got a bit of a thing for fragmented bracelets with some beads, some chain, so I thought this pattern worked well. I used the same general template, but I changed factors like bead and chain size.

Snazzy picture taken with a snazzy camera. Amiright? I always love red and gold together.

Personally I prefer the chunkier chain. 

I didn't just do the plaited thing on bracelets either, oh no. You'll all be delighted to hear that I branched out as far as necklaces and (wait for it...) A HAIRBAND! Crazy, right? Right.

So this is a necklace that I made back around July I think. It's quite a loose plait as I just wanted to add a little interest, and didn't like the idea of 3 stand alone strands of similar length.

This was actually intended to be a necklace. The evening I made it, I was trying it on, trying to decide if I liked it. When I was taking it off, I didn't judge the size of my head relative to the necklace correctly, and I realised it was the perfect size for a hairband that stays put on my giant head perfectly! Winner.

Before I continue, I should really tell you what else I've been doing with myself. I finally made it to Electric Picnic this year, after years of heartbreaking repeats at that time of year, and it was so worth the wait. A fantastic weekend with fantastic company. Not only did I get to see some INCREDIBLE acts, but myself and Jess also managed to fit in a small bit of jewellery making. 

See those swirly silver ones? Yep, we hammered and soldered and beaded and pickled that silver until it was perfect! The gang at the ForGotten Silver stall guided us through the entire thing, while having a bit of a laugh too. Just what we needed on the Sunday morning!

As a result of EP, I've become absolutely obsessed with amazing music such as The xx, Bat For Lashes and Wild Beasts among many others! Thanks to a few of the girls I'm completely hooked on Revenge now (come on Emily, kick Victoria's skinny ass and run away with Jack!) and I'm mostly reading Kathy Reichs books. She's the lady who inspired the series Bones, and who the character is loosely based on. They're pretty easy reading, but interesting at the same time. Plus the chapters are super short, I love short chapters.

The kittens continued to be cute and grow as the summer went on...

I don't understand how people don't like cats sometimes... They start out as cute wee kittens WHO WINK AT YOU for crying out loud!

The credit for this one must once again go to Jess and her fantastic 365 project.

This was around the time we had to start deciding which kitten was most awesome and cute. One of them was too lazy to join in with the pose-off.

And it totally worked in his favour... Lads, this is Harry! Deadly name, I know.

Right, that's the cat section over and done with, for now at least. Believe it or not, I don't just arse around with beads. I also (as you will have seen in previous posts) enjoy arsing around with wool! When it came to deciding what to dress up as for Halloween, I came up completely blank. I hadn't a clue, but I knew I couldn't get away with my Princess Leia costume for a third time.

Then it hit me. What do I like other than cats? Yep, that's right... Owls. I mostly enjoy the kitschy, retro, colour-block owl images that are in all the shops at the moment, so I decided to take a few ideas and run with them. So, I crocheted "feathers". I'm pretty sure every single person I mentioned this to thought I was absolutely not well. 

This was the top in the middle of the process. Loose ends were later snipped off, and the "feathers" were ironed also. The top itself was made out of the lower portion of an old gypsy skirt. Remember gypsy skirts? Ah yeah, those were the days.

I felt the most important part of this costume would be the mask, and I was actually thrilled with the finished product...

Pretty sweet, right? I mounted the mask on a pair of frames from 3D glasses so it would sit nicely on my head when I didn't want to wear it. 

Twit twoo!! Yep, I look like an idiot.

So, moving on, I didn't just focus on plaits over the last couple of months, I also had moments of inspiration where I made some pretty cool stuff!

My take on the recent collar trend. I plan on going further with this idea, but for now this is all I've got!

Earrings. A huge departure for me... And I love them!

I've had this pendant for years, I actually made a necklace using it when I was about 17, but the chain subsequently broke, and the cross was lost for years.

Have you had enough? I told you guys I've been busy. I was crocheting again at the weekend, and with the end of one of my reams of wool I decided to make one of those headband, ear warmer thingies.

Isn't the wool just to die for? Aldi's finest!

Fancy effects with my snazzy camera.

The finished product. Ridiculously cosy.

I forgot to tell you guys about my first (unpaid) model. Well, I made a bracelet for Caoimhe B. I'd been trying to figure out what to make her for ages, cos she deserved at least one gift from me! Anyway, I knew I wanted it to be pearly, but after that, I hadn't a clue. I took pictures of the finished product before I popped it in the mail to her, but the photos were, quite honestly, rubbish. So I took more when I went to visit her and the rest of my ladies in Dublin.

Yay Caoimhe! I was well chuffed when I spotted this on her wrist at graduation too... Whoop.

While on this Dublin trip I was given a graduation gift from Anneka that I can't not mention. Bunting! Incredible! 

Badassery at its finest!

Right. As crazy as it may seem, I think I might actually be finished talking. Or typing. You catch my drift. Once again, I must apologise for the giant delay between posts, I'll try to behave a little better in future! 

Oh, and just in case you'd forgotten what Harry looks like...

Aiiiiiight señoras y señores, buenas noches.

The Graduand

Well hello lads and ladies. It's been an absolute eternity (or six months) since my last post... My sincerest apologies for that, but I was rather busy getting myself an auld degree! It was the most stressful few months, but I guess I have to say it was all worth it, right? Moving swiftly along...

Due to my heavy workload, I actually wouldn't have had anything to blog about even if I did have the time to blog. But now, now I've got so much time on my hands that I don't know what to do with myself! I spent the last few weeks watching many episodes of Bones. Actually, who am I kidding. I watched all Bones episodes that have been shown on d'telly so far. It distracted me nicely from the horrors of waiting for exam results. I'd highly recommend this method! 

Wow, I'm really out of the blogging swing of things... Feel a bit tongue-tied, or finger tied even. That sounds odd. I actually did get around to making some small wee bracelets back around the end of January... I got a few bike charms that I'm sure I told you guys about before. I eventually got around to making a few bracelets with them! 

This one was for Jess, I usually choose pinks and purples for her...

This one is mine! I'm a yellow-aholic, I'm worse than ever these days. Ask anyone. 

Nothing too exciting there really. Oh gosh, I think I might have lost my knack of writing mildly entertaining blog entries. Drat. I'm living it up back at home in Kerry these days, working a little, a lot of free time on my hands, but hopefully that'll soon be filled with driving lessons and job applications and the like. Being a real person (i.e. not a student) is so bizarre. It's definitely going to take some getting used to. 

Right, back to business. I really got back into the jewellery thing this week. And I had a great excuse to do so. My most wonderful lady friend Katie Gordonka Marie Piglet Gordon went and passed all her exams. I'm a big fan of hers, but I'm also a terrible friend. I still hadn't sent her birthday present (which I forgot to take pics of, sorry!) and card over, so I sent one big package there today. I wasn't sure what to make her, I usually make bracelets, but I thought she's probably getting bored with them at this point, although she's too kind to say it. Anyway, here's what I ended up with...

I need to get myself a decent camera this summer, but at least I'm mixing up the backgrounds now, eh?

So, Gordonka, sorry about the fact that you're probably going to see this before you get your package, but congrats and happy birthday anyway m'dear! 

After the necklace, I decided to go back to what I know... Bracelets. Ages ago I posted a picture of a necklace I'd made with a very sparkly central section of beads, but I never wore the necklace as it was too long to suit me. Well, last night I took it apart, and I ended up with this...

Again, picture doesn't do the sparkliness of it any justice... Apologies.

Fairly happy with that one, wore it to work today, along with my other creation for the week!

Again, nicer in person. Come ask me to see it some time! Or don't. Whatevs.

So, that's about as far as my creative juices have stretched lately. I'm still trying to unpack after the big move home, so procrastinating to avoid that is busy work! I did, however, come up with what I think is a deadly new way to store and display all of my jewellery. As I've been moving around lots I just kept it all in a make up bag, but last week I decided to use a few hooks that were already in my ceiling. I had a net full of teddies hanging up there back in the day. 

Cool, right? Just me? Alright then...

I moustache you guys a question, what do ye think? Awful pun, I know. 

Right, I think that's about it for now lads. Hope you didn't miss me too much, but it's safe to say I'm back for good now. And I might try branching out what I blog about. Maybe. We'll have to see.

I'm gonna act like a tree and leave...

This one's for Deirdre... Au revoir mon chéri!

I feel bad. I've been off, although I haven't been task-less, but I didn't blog as much as I would have liked to over the Holiday Season. So my apologies for that lads, I'll try to be better in future! 

I did actually make another piece over Christmas, but I hate writing when I don't have much to show ye. It's your fault really! SHAME ON YOU! JK, LOL, ROFL. No shame flying around anywhere, we're all good. Now, back to business. Jewellery. 

I made a necklace during the first week of January, and I must say, I was pretty pleased with the result. Again, I threw some chain in, cos I flipping love chains, but it was a different spin on the theme. 

I used this cute wee ball pendant thingy that I salvaged from a necklace I dismantled over the summer. Cute, right?

I'm still contemplating whether I should shorten the necklace a little, I wore it this week, and I was a bit unsure how happy I was with it, but I adore the colour and how delicate it looks when worn. A triumph really.

See? Super long. Ah well. I still heart it loike.

My New Years Eve was a different affair to other years. Instead of going out, and having one of those nights where everyone scatters and you only have a mediocre night, I went and stayed with the wonderful, the fantastic, the incredible Jess! We had a wild night. We had a Harry Potter marathon, we ate chocolate and crisps and SAUSAGES and just had an absolute ball. It was brilliant, had such craic with her, but I think it's fair to say that the craic is always mighty when Jess is involved!

After my last work of art, there was a serious drought. I wasn't well for a few weeks, so I was holed up in bed watching episodes of The Office. Some of that stuff just doesn't get old! I'm not going to lie though, I miss Michael Scott from the new episodes an enormous amount. Feels like the series is in limbo somehow.

I came back to Dublin two weeks ago, and I went straight from one train to another, as I went to visit my lovely ladies, Lisa and Anneka, in Louth. And they did the most wonderful thing ever. They brought me to Newgrange! I was like a small child who'd eaten too much sugar, I was so giddy about the whole thing! It was terrific. I'd wanted to visit Newgrange for years and years, so it really was a dream come true. And no, I never got to go there on a school tour... Contrary to popular belief, being from Kerry has it's drawbacks! They're rare, but they do exist. Anyway, take a look!

The place really did take my breath away. The sheer scale of the thing is incredible, and when you realise how short the passage is relative to the size of the entire structure. Plus, the corbelled roof was so fricking deadly!

I didn't get a decent shot of the entrance stone (some idiot tourist kept trying to get in the picture!) so this is of the stone at the opposite side. The carvings are just amazing, and it's cool how the rock's imperfections are worked into the pattern...

Needless to say, that weekend kicked the ass of all other weekends that have been had. Well, not really, but it was deadly, alright?

I'm a week back into the new term of college now. My last term in fact! So strange to think that it's finally here... College has been a bit of an uphill struggle, but I really am looking forward to kicking ass over these next few months. Several sources have informed me that it is actually worth it, so I may as well go for it!

I was up and bright as a button this morn, and I went for a really good gym session with the awesome Kate. We pumped some iron, and then we met the bewitching Caoimhe (I used a thesaurus to come up with that one... I needed an extraordinary word for that girl cos she's just the bees knees!) for a little lunch! It was well needed and they gave some great advice for the next few months.

Tonight I felt like I should make something. I felt the urge that I hadn't felt in a few weeks. I turned on my YouTube playlist (which now features Walk Off The Earth, they're awesome, look them up!) and got to work. 

Instead of making a random bracelet like I usually do, I decided I wanted to make some earrings. I had an idea, but for it to work I decided to sketch a little, and sure I might as well show you guys how some of my pieces come about... Sketches!

I know. I'm the next great artist of our time. But please don't go giving me a big head. I know I'm awesome. It's cool. We should just leave it at that for now...

I knew these were going to be a bit fiddly around the ends so I wanted to make sure I had a plan in place to prevent the littering of my room in beads. I've only made one of them so far, but I think it's quite cute... Might even take them on a test drive some day next week... Purely for the lolz.

This shows the completed earring, and the start of the other one.

I don't think a whole bunch else is going on with me these days lads. I haven't had the time to read any books, which is bumming me out a little, but such is life. Special mention should be made to who this particular post is dedicated to... Dee is moving to Switzerland tomorrow, and I couldn't be happier for her, but Holy Underwritten Metropolis (yes, this was once said by Robin, I looked it up), am I going to miss that gal! I'm hoping that a trip to auld Lake Geneva will be my first of the summer... I'm tempted to start counting down the days already! 

Well I guess that's it for tonight guys and gals (mostly gals I'm guessing...). 

Bam! said the lady...