Dangle charms

I decided that since I had a pile of beads and such out for making dangles last week, I might as well just continue to make more so I have some when I need them. I started off at my desk but decided I'd try to make some while watching some telly with the Tinman.

 This is my tray of assorted beads and such. Most of them are metal beads, a few are wood and shells, then their are the seed beads for the ends of the dangles. I love keeping my eye open for odd looking beads, not just at the bead store but also at garage sales, thrift shops and the Tinman even brings me some vintage necklaces from auctions that I can take apart to use. As a result I have quite an assortment of things to make unique dangle charms with. Whenever I want to make these charms I always take out an different assortment to work with so I'm always getting different combinations.

Here is the pile I did this week. I have a few ideas for some new designs that I think will have these hanging from them. So I better get back to making some jewelry to hang these from.

Oh I just realized it Wednesday so I'm going to tag along with the WOYWW group. Go check out some desks over at the Stamping Ground to see what everyone else is up to this week.

Wendy

Messy desk today...

haha that kind of implies that sometimes it's not messy!  Well it does get cleaned up once in a while, I just don't remember the last time that happened.LOL.

So here it is!

I'll give you a brief tour. Starting on the left is my Buddha that I made years ago when I was doing ceramics. He helps to keep the peace while I work and he doesn't mind the mess at all. At the top is kind of an inspiration board where things that I like or don't know where else to put get pinned to. If you look closely you can see a Michelle Casey post card that inspires me daily. At the right on the beading mat is what I'm working on at the moment. I've laid out a few pieces that are ready to have some dangley bits added to them. These should be done in the next day or two and I'll show you how they turned out. As for everything else on the desk, some are works in progress, some are works in stagnation and a lot of it is just bits and bobs that I've taken out to try and haven't put away again yet.

Well that's it for the desk tour. I better get back to those dangley bits now.

Oh, I almost forgot, if you're interested in seeing some more creative desks check out WOYWW over at Stamping Ground.

WOYWW

I thought I'd participate in What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday since it's actually Wednesday and I thought about it. What are the odds of that!  So you can see what's on my desk. I've had my alcohol inks out which haven't seen the light of day in a long time. I'm working on a few challenges but haven't got any further than this. This is how things seem to be working out for me lately. I get images or backgrounds done and then can't seem to get it all together and finish it. All I'm trying to do is make a few card. Why is this so difficult lately. Well I hope to get back at it this afternoon and get something finished. So with any luck at all I'll have something to share with you tomorrow.

Come on over to the Stamping Ground with me and check out what's on every ones desk.

So busy and WOYWW.

Well I keep telling myself I'm going to blog more. I'm going to keep some kind of schedule in my life but then life gets away from me again. But I'm back on track, at least the blogging track any way. I've been busy preparing for this weekends Handmade Harvest show in the Almonte Agricultural Hall. It's a must see show on Saturday May 7 from 10am-5pm. The first 50 people get free swag bags. Now who can resist that. At the last show people were lined up before the doors opened! So now you know why I haven't been blogging and here is what I've been up to.
This is how I left my work table last night. See the white box that says ready for tumbling?That's todays job. Well I might get a few more pieces ready to tumble first, but then it's into the tumbler and then they have to be assembled into wonderful jewelry creations. Mostly I'm working on some new earring designs but a necklace and a few bracelets got in there when I lost focus on earrings. Does anyone else have this problem? When I'm set on creating one thing other things take over. I've learned to go with the flow. I usually get some of my favourite pieces during these times.
This is the long side view of my work table. As you can see I've been using my new disc cutter and dabber. Sooo much fun!! I've finally been able to make some of those designs that have been in my head for ages. You would think this would leave a little empty space in my brain but no, the more I ideas I use the more ideas come into my head. I've been thinking about what I'm grateful for lately and today I think that is what I'll be grateful for, an endless supply of creative ideas to work with!

So I'm off to get more out of my brain.

If you'd like to check out some more creative desks go over to Stamping Ground for WOYWW.

Have a wonderful creative day.

Card making break

So this is how my desk is looking this week for WOYWW. Not so bad really, well not as crazy as yesterday. Don't be disillusioned that I tidied up for you! I didn't even realize what day it was when I did it although I do usually like to tidy up for visitors. I was working on a project the last few days that was just not going as easily as I thought it should be so I put it all away to take a break and make a few cards. For me card making is therapeutic. I'm not sure why but they are always just relaxing and fun to make. It turned out to be a quick break since my sleepy head got the better of me and I retired to bed early with only a few cards put together.When I pulled out one of my card making boxes I found these embroidered images that I had done ages ago and forgotten. So I just finished them up with mats and cardstock.
This one I stamped the background card and added the image to the empty space of the embroidery.
Not a really creative session but maybe I'll find a little time tonight to play again before I have to clean up for the next project.

Have a creative day and head over to check out some more creative spaces for WOYWW.

WOYWW

I'm guessing that a few of you are wondering what WOYWW is! It's okay I haven't lost it(at least no more than usual) and I didn't even make it up. It stand for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Now that's a mouthful. Julia over at Stamping Ground is the creator of this weekly sneak peek into other peoples creative spaces. I follow a few blogs that participate in this event each week and I love to check out how other people work(I feel like I'm peeking in when no one is around!)

So I've finally decided to give you a glimpse of my work desks. Yes that is plural. I am lucky enough to have a very large studio with many work desks. I know it sounds wonderful but really it just means I can leave one mess and start another without having to clean up the last one. I'm a messy creator and I've come to terms with that part of me. I let her have her messy time and then every once in a while the organizer in me comes by and does a mad clean up. It seems to be working so far as long as the two don't meet, then nothing gets done!This is my crafty area, where I do paper crafts, metal embossing, stamping, painting etc. Right now I'm working on my pages for a Book swap my ATC group is doing. The theme is Black and White. Can't show you what I have done yet or I'll give away the surprise element but I've been using my India ink and pens which I hadn't had out in ages. Lot's of fun. I really must play with them more.
This is my hard core jewelry desk. It is here that my copper jewelry starts. The hammering, sawing, riveting, punching, antiquing etc happens here. The copper on the book that you can see is waiting to be antiqued, sanded and tumbled. After all the ruff messy stuff happens to it I head over to yet another work desk to add the finer details of beads and chains to finish it off. I won't show you that desk today. I have to leave something for another day right!?

I hope you enjoyed my little studio tour. I'm heading over to the Stamping Ground to sneak a peek at the many other creative souls linked there.

Have a creative day!