Grow your blog 2014 - Gone Beading

I'm joining in with the Grow your Blog meet and greet event at 2 bags full and am looking forward to meeting new visitors as well as going to visit other bloggers. Welcome, come in and grab a coffee and settle yourself down as this is probably a post best told in pictures.


I have two blogs; this one is for my adventures in crafting, creating and ramblings on the general insanity that somehow forms my life. My other blog, called Pepsi Max Addict, is where I blog about the two cats to whom I am a long suffering and mainly willing servant.

 Swarovski and freshwater pearl set for a friend's birthday

 Fire polished crystals and haematite set for my Mother

I live in Scotland and this blog started off as a place for me to record my developing skills in jewellery making and beading. I love beading as it is great fun and probably one of the first crafts where I could create something that I could wear without apologising for the wonky nature of it. I also love having the skills to create special handmade gifts for friends which have special meaning or represented their specific tastes. 

 

 A decoration for the Christmas Decoration Swap arranged by Marianne. This beaded snowflake went to Jessie's Needle

An angel to send a friend a message of support

Over the last year I have diversified into new crafts such as decorative glasswork at Glasgow Metropolitan College with the fab tutor Kimberly, machine sewing at Clydebank College taught by Jenny, paper crafting, needle felting, paracord knotting and some wall art.

My His and Her's toilet door sign 

A basket liner for my towels

 A knitting needle and crochet hook case

 A birthday card

 My first glasswork pattern for my little dove

 Some paracord key chains

I have also been revisiting and refreshing old crafts that I used to enjoy but haven't touched in years such as knitting, crochet, punch tool embroidery and some hand sewing. I have also enjoyed the assistance of a good friend who has taught me how to read a crochet pattern which was something I had never learnt as a child/teenager.

A crocheted cotton washcloth with a bar of soap inside

 

One thing that is very obvious throughout this blog is that I am a bit of a control freak and hate being told what to do. This extends to arguing with my Sat Nag in the car, reading a pattern then ignoring it and my worst crime of all is deciding I've got an 'idea' then just totally free-styling things. Sometimes my approach pays dividends, like the fairy below for the Christmas tree, and sometimes it is a disaster but I usually 'fess up in a cautionary blog post.

I am a prolific maker of small things, I like my crafts to be absorbing but relatively quick otherwise I lose interest as something new comes along. I like to adapt the William Morris rule by only making things that are either beautiful or useful. I love reading, listening to audiobooks and occasionally just using my blog to have a little rant so you sometimes get a mixture. I've joined a virtual book group at Circle of Pines and am blogging about my latest read or listen on this blog.

Normally, when crafting I work at my dining room table, and often have to contend with a furry friend snoopervising, and my stash for each craft is piled into many corners. After moving to this house a room was joyously allocated as a dedicated creative space/craft room/study. However, this excitement is tempered by the fact that this room is chockfull of post-house move boxes which are now reduced to a height of around 7ft at present and the room has been christened the 'spare room of despair'. Still I live in hope.

So this me and my crafting blog in a nutshell really. I hope you have enjoyed stopping by, and if you'd like to leave a comment to let me know you've visited please feel free.