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Actually I had thought about that from the moment I started crocheting with wire, but yesterday, when I was trying out all the crochet hooks my MIL gave me and finally came to the smallest one, the spark of inspiration (that Terry Pratchett is talking about in his book "Sourcery") hit me with all the might a spark can hit you.
I hope this idea will develop, my big goal is to crochet a life-size elephant ;-) You don't believe me? So what about a kitty head, not quite life-sized?This was my first attempt, in sterling silver wire, jade beads as eyes and a red seed bead as nose. Yeah, yeah, I know, no mouth. I will keep him as a good luck charm, I think. Without the ears he is about 0.4 inch high.
This is number two from brown copper wire. He is larger and he has tomcat cheeks. And a mouth. After all you don't really see cats' lips. The eyes are aventurine, the nose a red seed bead again. I'll have to search my stash for a pink seed bead or maybe a black one.
Stay tuned in case I post the picture of the life-size elephant some day .......
Today we spent at my in-laws' house. Eating too much and afterwards chilling on the various couches and talking while the sun was shining it.
When we came home, this little fellow was waiting on our hall steps with a card "a new spring wardrobe for Cat's cell phone". I wonder if my neighbor had seen my shabby little cotton something that was good for nothing. Isn't that so cute? I truly love it, she is such a dear lady.
So I spent last evening and night at my friend's house. We ate, we drank (just a litte prosecco for me), we laughed, we discussed things, we chatted and we petted the cats. Before that she took me to the stable. I have never been the kind of girl that was crazy about horses, never even for one moment. I look at them, I think they look nice, but so do cows to me. I just don't feel the urge to touch them or more - to sit on them! Over the many, many years of my life I often had to discuss that with friends. I was even forced once to sit on a (beautiful, but mighty big) horse because then I would change my mind. That's what they thought. They were wrong. Poor horse, poor me. A few pictures exist of this exciting venture, but they are not to be shown here because they are too embarrassing. For me, not the horse. He looked great. I was merely a monkey clinging on to him. My friends prefer the pic that I named "two butts". They have a good laugh just thinking about it.
So the hour we spent there looking a possible new riding instructor doing a test lesson was not exciting for me. Oh well. Sometimes you have to make small sacrifices ;-)
This is Jo. I didn't want to call her "The Head", after all she is gonna have to help me modeling my things. This morning we did a little test run with my hats. She doesn't want to smile, but I think it was ok for her, too. After all we were not in a hurry, no Paris fashion shows under pressure in this house.
I guess you will get to see her more often from now on :-)
I am still on the bangle trip. This one is from wire that looks more like brass, it's thicker gauge and very sturdy and it was probably not too smart to give the wire an extra twist every few stitches to give it a different look. Afterwards my fingers hurt, ouch. I think the effort was worth it, though.
This is antique looking thicker gauge copper wire with hematite. I really like this one. It looks much better in real, but hey, it's not easy making pictures at 6 a.m. Especially if you are tired and only up because the furry masters commanded you to. Oh, and if your camera is nothing special. And if you are just a lousy photographer like me :-P
Egg and copper ... I did it and it worked. Why shouldn't it have, though? Everybody told me it would. It looks much better on this agate than the shiny copper. I'll have to buy more eggs, I guess.
Now I should really get myself into gear. I'll go visit a friend overnight and there are still a few things to do around here. It's amazing how fast 5 hours can go by if you don't want them to. On the other hand ... I want to meet my friend and therefore want them to go by. Nah, too complicated for me now, I'll just get going. Litter boxes, here I come!!!
I think this was one of the most unorganised days in the last week. Not that I didn't get to finish anything (except folding the laundry, this exciting chore I kept for tomorrow), but I started here and then there and really I am surprised I got anything done at all. Nice was that while working on protocols and jewelry and laundry and in the kitchen I could leave the windows open (no worry, just the ones with the cat nets in'em) and fresh spring air was coming in, mmmh. I was surprised the cats didn't spend all day sitting on the window sills! Probably too loud outside or not interesting enough.So what did I get done? I worked on three club meeting protocols, I listed something on Etsy (peace, people! ;-)) ...
... I made some earrings ...
...
I crocheted in an agate disk with copper wire, no picture available for that, though, because it is spending its time in a plastic bag together with a squished boiled egg. I wonder what is gonna happen, it's my first try at that, but I am not ready for playing with chemicals yet. Did you know (no, you didn't, why should you, but it's a figure of speech) that my chemistry teacher in 11th grade did not even know my name? I think he knew it after he caught me in the hallway imitating him. Lesson learned, never imitate your chemistry teacher right beside the chem lab door! Ah, I digress.
I ordered new copper wire in different colors (banglemania is still calling me ;-)) and silver wire, I cleaned the kitchen and fed the insatiable crowd about a billion times. I did the laundry and I ate junk food *sigh*
Almost time for me to call it a day, I have to get up early tomorrow morning. That's supposed to be vacation time, pfffffft! :-))
This is so addictive! Yes, I watch Bollywood, yes, I own a saree that I have never worn and yes, I love bangles, but I have to admit I have a problem with the sound they are making if you wear many and bangles have to be worn in abundance, right?
So I was sitting there looking at my colored wire, looking at my stone beads and the small candle in my brain started to shine, a little flickering at first - which is why the first one became a children's bangle - but then I really felt I was on to something here.
I hope I won't be the only one to think that. Do you know this feeling? You are all enthusiastic about something, you do a little happy dance and all your soul and thoughts go into this project, no matter what kind it is. You are excited to show others and then the bubble blows because you get a polite "Ah yes", "Mmh-mmh" or something else along that line. Sometimes these experiences stick to you like glue, sometimes you shake them off. I learned it is important to always do something for yourself in the first place and then maybe the spark is gonna flow.
I had fun making these bangles and I am sure they won't be my last, I'll just have to stock up on beads and wire. What a sacrifice! Shopping for beads and wire is one of the hardest thing to do, well, at least if you don't have the money to say you take everything ;-)
Today we were at a minerals and fossils fair. I took the tall guy along because of his wallet, eh, I mean because he is the perfect companion for this. He headed off to hall 7 immediately where there was an antique fair. He found something, I found something, we are both broke, but happy :-P
And here are the first bangles with round beads, I also made some with chips. Not Doritos! Red goldstone and rock crystal. Not as tasty, but they sparkle more ... Eventually they will pop up in one of my shops, too - in a few days, I guess.
Sterling silver wire and labradorite
Copper wire and brown tiger's eye
Copper wire and red tiger's eye
Green coated wire and light green Chinese jade
Hot pink coated wire and rose quartz, bangle plus hoops with copper earwires
I am sure the banglemania will go on now that I have new beads ... gotta hurry, my hook is calling me!! :-D
"Please go answer the phone", my mom told me when I was over at her place. While I was talking to my sister who was on the line, I was playing with some rocks in a bowl sitting next to the phone. They had come with a fountain my sister had bought for the garden. Big, substantial rocks in all colors. Too big for jewelry? Hmm. When we had finished talking, I took the bowl to where my mom was sitting and started looking. The shape was important and the color. Finally I had picked three of the maybe twenty-five. "May I ask what you are doing there?" my mother asked and I told her. She allowed me to have them under the condition that I would give one piece to her.
"Black mist"
Netted in sterling silver wire, I don't know what the name of the stone is, but it looks like a sodalite, just in black. Maybe one of you can help me out on this one? Attached is a little star for guidance through the mist
This is the pendant I made for my mom. A big, chunky sodalite, netted in sterling silver wire, wearable from both sides and adorned with little very light green jade dangles.
Front side where you see more of the stone
The backside where the netting is more dense, like a little window for the star
Shhhh, I might have to go back to that bowl ....................................... ;-)
