The OTTBS September Challenge: Whatever The Weather

I fell asleep in August (with the windows wide open to let in a little breeze) and woke up in September (with the blinds banging in the wind that carried the thunderstorms and pouring rain.) I absolutely adore the changeability of autumn. It makes me feel as though anything is possible.

So, it seems fated that this month's challenge over at Operation Tackle That Bead Stash is 'Whatever The Weather'. And, if anything is possible, I might even find the time to join in this month!?

This month the prize is sponsored by the lovely Celia, who is offering one lucky winner £15 to spend in her store, Jencel.

Please head on over to Operation Tackle That Bead Stash for more information about the challenge and how to enter.

The OTTBS February Challenge: Red, Blue & Gold

Well, the February Challenge has been revealed over Operation Tackle That Bead Stash and, for me at least, it would be a real challenge. Red, Blue & Gold. With an extra twist that means including some free-form beading!

You can read more about the challenge - and find some additional links to free-form tips and techniques over on the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash Blog.

The OTTBS January Challenge: Inspired By A Song

The lovely lasses at Operation Tackle That Bead Stash have revealed their first beading challenge of 2015. The challenge is to create using a song as inspiration and, although that *sounds* easy, I think that I'm going to have some difficulty choosing from the ideas currently floating around my head!

A Song and a Smile

All beaders, bead makers and jewellery designers are welcome to enter the challenge. Check out the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash Blog for more information about entering the challenge - and details of this month's sponsored prize!

The OTTBS July Challenge

The Operation Tackle That Bead Stash July Challenge has been revealed - and I think that I'm going to have some difficulty choosing from the million and one ideas currently floating around my head! 

This month's challenge is being sponsored by Chantal Hanna from Snoochy who has offered up a beautiful inspiration kit full of Czech Glass, Pearls and Findings for the (very lucky) July Winner! 

All beaders, jewellers and bead makers are welcome to enter the challenge. Check out the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash Blog for more information about entering the challenge - including the all important theme for this month. It's truly inspiring!

The End Of An Earring Era

I never, ever thought that I would manage to keep up with a year-long jewellery making project - even if it was to make 'just one pair of earrings each week'. But, I did! And I have loved every minute of the Operation Tackle That Bead Stash Earring Along so much that I have encouraged everyone in the OTTBS Facebook Group to sign up for another challenge in 2013. 

In the meantime though, let me share my last three pairs of earrings from 2013, all made with some of the amazing beads, findings and stringing materials from Blue Moon Beads. 

I must admit that I'm a little bit in love with this first pair - they remind me of pink champagne and I feel happy every time that I see them! The majority of the components for these little lovelies actually came from a pre-made pendant (but we all know I can't leave anything in one piece, right?) All I added into the mix was a couple of luscious pink round beads and ear-wires, both from Blue Moon Basics.

This second set of earrings came together really quickly with a combination of elements from the Feather Jewellery Collection, the Mud Pie Bead Mix and some amazing tassel chain earring components. They make little swishy-tinkly noises as I walk. Great fun!

And finally, proving that sometimes less can be more, these cute earrings are made up of simple ear-wires, oval jump rings and some of the most amazing metal charms - loving the tiny touch of central bling in all that metal. The charms are from Blue Moon Beads' new collection, Urban Warrior, which is a little bit swoonsome! I guarantee that you'll be seeing more of that very soon!

Kasaviragas Karkoto {Tried & Tested}

Just popping in today with a Tried & Tested review of another tutorial that's perfect for using up some of your beading leftovers - Kisaviragas Karkoto by Panita. That's right, it's in another language - but please don't let that put you off! The diagram truly is exceptionally easy to follow if you have a little bit of beading experience and, of course, anyone who needs a little bit of help can just ask me!

The pattern calls for seed beads in Size 11 and Size 6, though I have successfully used Size 11 and Size 8 in my own version of the bracelet. To stitch up the full bracelet, with three rows, you'll need approximately three grams of each bead size. So, have a little rummage for all of those 'nearly empty' tubes of seed beads! 

If you're not sure whether you have quite enough beads for the full bracelet, I've found that a one row version looks just as cute and, of course, if you want to play around with the basic pattern to make some earrings, you'll need a much smaller amount!

You can vary the pattern a little by working with other sizes of beads, as long as you pair together two different sizes. Size 15 and Size 11, still work perfectly well, but you'll need a smaller needle and possibly a thinner thread. 

Can't wait to see the variations that you all come up with x

A Little Leftover Loveliness {Bead Table Wednesday}

Operation Tackle That Beadstash have declared the month of June to be 'Leftovers Month' and so, we are encouraging everyone to rummage around in their beadstash, and make something pretty with the random bits and pieces that they find. 

So, hoping to lead by example, I had a little dig around in stash over the weekend - and came up with several bags of wooden beads which were leftover from when I started beading. Nestled in there, amongst those cheap wooden beads, was a beautiful, little focal that I'd completely forgotten about - who said poking around in your past was a bad thing? 

It took a little while to sort the beads into usable piles - and there were a few truly ugly beads that had to be discarded along the way. There was then a little bit of trial and error as I worked through a couple of patterns until I came up with a design (and length) that I was happy with as a necklace.

In the end, I opted to string the beads onto a some copper wire, as it held the shape of the necklace far better than any of my beading threads - and it allowed me to shape a button clasp that wouldn't stretch with time. Happily, I think it compliments the wooden beads well!

I can't quite believe that, after all this time, the wooden beads that I had banished to the bottom of my beading box have finally made a re-appearance and I've turned them into a piece of jewellery that I actually like. Just the incentive I need to have another rummage!

I've Been Beading {Ten Things On The Tenth}

If you love Shimelle as much as I do - and I'm sure that you do - you'll be aware of her blog series Ten Things On The Tenth. It's a simple idea, we share ten things - any ten things - on the tenth of the month. Simple, but I've never managed to organise myself enough to actually join in.

At the beginning of the year, I realised that by concentrating so much on my papercrafting, I hadn't really progressed much with my wireworking and beadweaving. I was feeling guilty about my ever growing stash and headed on over to the Facebook Group for Operation Tackle That Bead Stash with a bit of a challenge in mind - creating a pair of earrings each week during 2012.

The ladies, thankfully, took up the challenge with relish and we've all been busy beading, bending and, um, bragging about our makes. It's been just the motivation I've needed to start working with my beads again and the photographs you're seeing here are the earring sets that I made during our first ten weeks of the challenge.

If you're interested it's never to late to join the challenge. There are plenty of new members to the OTTBS Facebook Group, who are catching up - and a few of us who need to catch up because we slacked off over the Easter Weekend. And, yes by 'we', I really mean me. *Blush. Blush*

You can also post your own Tenth On The Tenth. Your ten things can be absolutely anything you feel like sharing. Just head over to see Shimelle and link up your own blog post or projects!