Happy May Day!!

 Happy May Day! My family started celebrating this holiday when I was 12. I had just read Louisa May Alcott's Jack and Jill and fell in love with the idea and talked my family into it. So, now every year on May Day, we make baskets the night before, fill them with flowers, hugs and kisses(the chocolate kind, of course!) and deliver them(for the most part) before the sun comes up.

 My fav baskets are old frappachino bottles with simple wire handles. They remind me of old fashioned milk bottles!

The all important caffeine boost for making all the handles. Me, being the one with experience with wire gets that job!

Click on the pic to see the handle more clearly, I couldn't get a clear picture and was to tired to try anymore!

 A close up, just because I love my macro feature!

The baskets after they have all been filled

Sneaky, sneaky.....

Run!

La, de, da de da!!

Earring Holder Tutorial

I've been asked by a few people how I made the earring holder so I took some pictures and hopefully have come up with something helpful!

Supplies:

Picture Frame, any size (the one I used is 8x10) Thrift stores would be an excellent place to find frames! I used a metal frame but see no reason why a wooden one wouldn't work just as well!

Small gauge wire in a color that will match your frame as you will be able to see it

Small beads, any color!

Wire cutters or scissors(the scissors will be wrecked for anything besides wire cutting, so use an old pair!)

Pliers, these are not needed but will help in pulling things tighter!

Step One: Remove the back and glass from the frame set aside for reuse later if desired.

Step Two: Cut a length of wire that will fit across your frame. Leave lots of extra for wrapping, especially if you are using a wooden frame as the are much wider then the metal one I used.

Step Three: Make a kink in the wire to keep your beads from sliding off and so you leave enough wrapping room. String beads, again leaving enough of an end for wrapping.

Step Four:

Wrap one of the un-beaded ends around the edge of the frame, like this.

Front view:

Back View:

Step Five: Slip end of wire under wrapped portion and pull tight. Repeat one or two more times. Trim end and press down. Be careful the ends will be sharp!!!

Twice Wrapped:

This is what it looks like on the actual piece.

Step Six: Hot glue bias tape or ribbon over the ends of the wire to keep them from scratching anything!Step Seven: You can either replace the back so it's free standing or you can hang it on the wall backless like we did. Have fun and enjoy your new earring holder!

An Earing Holder with a Bloody Past!

My Mom had been wondering how to better store her earrings as they were all muddled in a box in her drawer. She saw an earring holder that I had and decided that's the kind she wanted. Next thing I know she's taking me to the store and asking me what I think would work. What I thought would work is going online and buying one ready made, but I went along with the idea and was left with a couple different kinds of beads, some wire and a picture frame.

After wrestling with it for awhile, I decided I would have to string each strand separately and attach them as I go, one long strand would have worked, but she wanted different colors every third strand or so! Thoroughly poked, discouraged and bleeding I put it away after the first 4 strands.


I picked it up again today and after the break of a few days found that it was going much better this time! I finished in about an hour and hot glued some bias tape over the picky ends on the back to protect the wall and fingers from being scratched! As easy as it was I was still happy to see it over and done with. I head back to work after I'm done and come home to some news.......


My oldest sister was sent this picture of it and immediately wanted to know where we got it, because she wanted one as well! When she was told I made it she was sad that she couldn't buy one for herself. But, miracles of miracles guess who had a B~Day later this month? Sigh...........oh well. I guess that's what sisters(and band aids!) are for!=)

Pretties!

Life has been super busy lately and I was despairing of ever getting the time to sit and make these earrings. Some are presents and some are for me! As always happens when I make things is now I have to make two more pairs of each I have a Mom and sister who always want copies of whatever I make!

Not only am I making these for my friend, but my Mom wanted a pair and she wants me to make a a pair for her to give to her friend for Christmas!

I love the detail on these!

For a tea loving friend!
I have become fascinated with amber lately after having seen a pair similar to this in a catalog for $65.00! I decided to make my own total cost? About $3.00, boo-yah!

I love these with denim, they just go so well!

This picture caught my fancy, so I'm sharing it here with you!