Christmas is coming (well kinda)

It is time once again for me to consider what will be this year's Christmas brooch. 

Decided to try something different this year... and this is the result... 

Felt reindeers =). Never did felt brooches before. 

I got the idea from this site with felt Christmas ornaments ideas. There was a picture of a cute little reindeer but the template didn't seem to match the photograph =(. So I did a bit of reading, researching, sketching, resizing, testing... 

These sites involving different stitches for felt and options for eyes (as well as this one on how to sew safe eyes) were of great help. 

Hope my reindeer herd grows big enough my Christmas! Hope my friends like them! 

Recent discovery of glue!

I recently read about how super duper awesome e6000 is as a craft glue so I did two projects to experiment with its sticky prowess. 

Dinosaur earrings! 

I love dinosaurs! Who doesn't! Got a pack of mini dinosaur buttons, snipped off the sticky out bit at the back and sanded down the stumps with sandpaper. Glued on silver ear stud posts and they seem to be holding well - although to be honest I don't dare to be too violent with the posts! 

Loving my new dinosaur earrings! Dinosaurs! Woohoo! 

Remember to drop me a line if you want a free postcard from Singapore! 

Another button brooch

Ms Eborall's pattern has swiftly become my "go to" brooch pattern!

Happy Administrative Professionals' week!

Happy Administrative Professionals' week!

I know it's silly but I make effort not to call it Secretaries' week so that like my office accounts lady and despatch uncle (who aren't technically secretaries) don't get left out. 

Made brooches for the 4 secretaries in me office! 

Don't think I've done this type of button work before. And I definitely haven't done beadwork like this is a long time. 

Made in 4 shades of Lizbeth thread with size 11 beads, I did some minor changes to Ms Eborall's pattern - I didn't do the little dangle and instead of the beaded centre I glued on a flat backed crystal :) 

I quite like them! I'm going to make another for a friend's unwell mother. 

Ms Eborall's beaded button brooch pattern has been generously shared here:  

http://www.janeeborall.freeservers.com/BroochFlat2013.pdf 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

All ready to be given away! 

Pattern from minitats by Ms Patti Duff :) in silvery thread I got from the local bead store. 

Just in case, imma gonna do a few more :) better to be safe than sorry! 

New idea

I've always liked this that have permutations - like reversible bags! I love those. 

I had a sudden brain wave to make tatted interchangeable earrings. 

So I dug out my size 80s and bead collection and did a whole bunch of mini tats. 

So the idea is to give sets away. Like a pair of silver hoops (that I can get for like 5 bucks) and three pairs of tats. So you just loop the top loop over the hoop and tadah! 

Should I keep going? I love embarking on  new project ideas that I don't need to buy more supplies for. :) 

Down and out for the count.

Been diagnosed with shingles :/ and am under "house arrest" for a week.

Time to catch up on crafting. 

When I'm working I'm always telling myself "I wish I had time to work on [insert project here]". Now that I am house locked I can't remember what most of these projects were! *self-fume*

But I did remember a cube biscornu project that was shared with me earlier this year that had me all excited because the sample was done in variegated thread... 

I've never tried stitching in variegated thread before. 

I read online and some people said to do it stitch by stitch (i.e. x by x) Some people said to stitch normally... (Like all the /// first followed by \\\). So I tried both. 

The left motif is stitch by stitch. The right motif is stitched normally. Both had different effects. So I mixed it up with this awesome anchor 1335 floss. 

Tadah! 

How do you stitch with variegated threads. 

The decision is made... I think

I prefer doing brooches for Christmas because then the men can wear them too! 

But the problem with tatted brooches is that more often than not the brooch backs or pins can be seen through the holes in the tatting. :/ has anyone figured out how to overcome this problem? 

Toyed around with two patterns 

A holly pattern from a Japanese pattern book. And... 

A minitat snowflake. I did this in some silver thread I got from a local beading store. 

I think I like the snowflake better. But can the brooch back be seen? 

What do you think? 

Test run

Done in leftover Chinese knotting string from a pattern that came with the kumihimo disk (the instructions were in Japanese so I tried to follow the diagrams and prayed it would come out right!) 

First time gluing on end caps (I used craft glue because superglue dried too fast). Wearing it to work today to see if it's flimsy. I don't really trust glue... 

Does anyone have any tips for starting and finishing kumihimo braids? 

Lizbeth Twirlz

I recently bought some of the new Lizbeth Twirlz to try out the new thread. 

I finally got around to using some. 

I made myself a new scissors fob in size 20 Lizbeth Twirlz Purpleberry. Even though it kinda just looks "shiny" it's actually the different colours. If you look closely it's a mix of two shades of purple and pink. 

It's quite nice a thread to tat with. It's silky smooth and thankfully doesn't become "unravelled" on unpicking. It's much softer than the regular Lizbeth. I did find a few "bumps" in the thread but I managed to work around it. 

All in all it's quite an enjoyable thread to tat with but it's a shame the tri colours don't come up better. Maybe it's just this shade though. 

Has anyone else tried the Twirlz? 

A gift for a friend

Someone in the same line as me noticed my red Giddy Earrings. She thought they were cool but commented that she wasn't an earring person (the horror!!!!). So I offered to tat her a pendant.

She requested for green so that it would "look like jade". 

Yarnplayer's Five Petal Pendant (from her book Up and Tat 'em) done in size 20 Lizbeth Jungle Greens with green shimmery bicone crystals. This is one of my favourite pendant patterns. 

So... Have I achieved my goal? Does it kinda look like jade? 

Selamat Hari Raya!

I recently bought crocheted flower brooches at a fundraiser for the girls in my office. They liked them so much they asked for more! 

So, as celebratory gifts I made them fabric flower brooches using the clover templates (extra small). 

I love these little guys. 

Flower power!

A while ago I tried my hand at tatting a flower on a large press stud.

I decided to try shrinking it down on a more normal sized press stud. 

The large one was the "original" done in size 20 Anchor thread and size 30 DMC Cebelia for the leaves. 

The new mini is in size 80 Anchor for the petals and size 80 DMC for the leaves. (Oh my goodness I just realized that the brands are the same for both flowers and leaves!) 

I quite like it small as well! A nice size for bags and purses if I don't say so myself. 

More earrings!

Yarnplayer's Lacy Treasure :). The original design was for a pendant but I "shrank" it down to earrings with size 20 (instead of size 10) Lizbeth Denim Whisper.

I used size 11/0 frosted blue seed beads, 3mm crystals and small holographicy white leaves. 

Also started a WIP with size 80 anchor. I've had this ball for a while and the colour is starting to change. So I started an edging by Ann Orr. 

I wonder how much edging can be done with a full ball :). I intending to use the edgings with my sewing... When I figure out how to use it together. :) 

Giddy earrings and a butterfly

I am enjoying all my Lizbeth stash that I've been to "stingy" to use.

Yarnplayer's Giddy earrings in size 20 Berry Burst with red 11/0 beads and red/orange crystals. 

I just got my handy hands newsletter today and I used size 20 Cotton Candy to tat this butterfly by Kendra Goodnow that was in the newsletter. 

To do this butterfly I used my new pop-a-bobbin shuttle that I bought from Jane Eborall that was made by her sister, Sally, and Sally's huabnd.  

Comparing this and the aerlit it is clear that this is a much easier use than the aerlit. A slight tug and the thread comes off the bobbin. No painful thumbs here! 

Interesting...

I tried something new :) tatting on a plastic press stud! The pattern was from the Ring of Tatters newsletter and was designed by Jennifer Williams.

The flower was in 20 coats (the same that was previously used to make Marty's butterfly... I had snipped off a long stretch when I was winding shuttles for the butterfly due to a knot in the ball :( - at least it didn't go to waste!) and 30 green cebelia. 

Outta curiousity for most people which is the "top" of the press stud? The flat bit or the protruding bit - I did the protruding bit on top (and put a dob of glitter fabric paint for the centre).

I heart.

I heart both my tatting teachers. Sheila, who lives in the UK, and Jessica who is local :) I spent an awesome half a day today catching up and tatting with Jessica. I haven't done it in more than a year! I was so excited that I forgot to snap a photograph. Damnit. But it was such a great time :)

I was a bit silly though. I brought two projects to work on. And on both projects, I ran out of thread on one shuttle and I didn't bring any "refills". Genius I am. Sigh. 

On to the tatting... I complete this couple days back and I just took it off the blocking board. 

Tatted in size 10 Red Heart crochet thread, this is Marilee Rockley's Arpeggio. It can be found in her latest book, Marilee's Beaded Tatted Finery :). 

The book (as well as her other books) is available on her etsy store and on most online tatting supply shops :).  Visit her at her http://yarnplayertats.blogspot.com to find out more. They are worth the money, I assure you! 

The bracelet has been claimed by the sister. 

KL

The first trip of my in between job ness! 

To Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

I went up for a competition so things were hectic and I didn't get much crafting done save for these:

For some reason, what I intended to be fish kinda looks like birds. What do you think? Or do they just look odd :/

Also visited my favourite craft store in KL Malaysia!!!

(You can find them on Facebook! Do pay them a visit if you are in KL!)

Getting ready for the Secret Santa

Yes!

Even though there's still time to sign up and the partners have not been announced yet I've already got my eye out for small things to put in my gift box! =) I've already accumulated a few things.

And of course, I promised to share a few ideas for Christmas tatting!

Christmas Wreath by Pam Palmers - in one of the 3 Tatting Treats.

This is my 'go to' Christmas patterns. It's quick and fun to do. I usually make tonnes for Christmas either in the form of brooches (as modelled by my more attractive sister) or earrings =)

Snowflakes

Snowflakes are always a good idea. My favourite flakes are all designed by Jon. I love her book of tatted snowflakes which I now understand is available in most online supply stores! And she has generously shared many patterns on her blog, including this beauty - Quantiesque - don't be daunted by the appearance of Celtic tatting! Give it a go!

Christmas trees

Christmas trees are a must on Christmas - one of my favourites was designed by fellow Singaporean, Ellen. She has generously shared the pattern on her blog as well.

This is my rendition (I added a star for good measure lol).

 There's still time to sign up! Check out the link on the left bar!

Something new for myself

Put together with parts from one or my favourite bead shops. All in all cost me about $6 bucks. And the best part? The beads are removable. I can swap them out, but new ones or theoretically tat my own charms to suit to mood!