Recycled paper beads

So I've been making paper beads for a little while now and it is honestly SO easy and SO fun.

There are so many different shapes that you can make with them

and I've been just winging it so far and seeing what a certain shape, length, color will turn out looking like.

The hardest to perfect is probably a "perfect" circle.

I'm almost there, but not quite.

My basic bead that I make is with a base of 1/2" and about 24" long

this gives me more of an oval shape (which I really love)

Blue newspaper oval beads

I also make the more long and slender beads as well that I use to make a specif bracelet type

Long scrapbooking paper bead bracelet

I don't have any pictures of it yet, but I'm also loving really tiny tiny itty bitty beads!

It kind of happened by accident when I had a small bit of paper left over, like 1/8"-at-the-base-tiny and was just rolling it out of reflex when I was thinking of inspiration for something new to do and then I looked at it and it was probably the cutest thing ever!

Well anything is cuter when it's small!!

Oh, and the best part about making paper beads...

surprising people with how versatile and interesting paper can be!!

I always take the train, twice a day, for half an hour each way so I often bring my little set up

of glue, coffee stirrers, paper, and scissors with me and get some crafting done on the road.

People around me are always curious and every once in a while i'll get someone brave enough to ask what it is. When I tell them they just get more interested!

I loveloveloveeee sharing ideas with people!

Hmmm, so I guess that's it for now, I'll try and upload a picture of my super duper tiny beads later...when i'm not so lazy.

Goodbye for now, world!

Going back to recycled materials

So I love working with clay, it's really awesome and fun to use since you can practically make it into anything with all colors and it's really versatile.

I'm really sick and tired of it though!

I worked super hard on all my small detailed clay pieces to sell at Fashion Garden

(which I sold 3 of)

And I am really happy with how it turned out, but all I want right now is to grab some pretty paper and make some beads and maybe try out quilling?

Yup, quilling is my new inspiration and I really REALLY want to get into and be amazing.

Like how cool is this stuff?

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/quilling-the-art-of-turning-paper-strips-into-intricate-artworks.html
Yeah, really awesome.

I love the fact that you can make something out of little shapes and things and different colors and end up with this really amazing finished product.

It is definitely my new project...I may put it off for a while though since I'm convinced i'll fail :P

haha

so anyways, let me share with you some pictures of my clay earrings and necklaces I made.

(Mostly a reminder to myself that I kinda rock sometimes)

My cupcake earrings, Sold the second and last pair!

My favorite pair of mushroom earrings!

Still very cute mushroom earrings!

Probably my least favorite pair of mushroom earrings

but they are the smallest and therefore they are forgiven for being not so cute

Amazing (if I do say so myself) pair of earrings based off of

Alice In Wonderland

Really adorable tea pot earrings,

proud to say these were my first clay attempts and turned out great!

So, I think that's the end of me being completely obsessed with my little mini clay masterpieces (term used very lightly) and now I can move onto another project!

Have I mentioned I'm a freak about being really organised? And this often gets in my way of doing stuff? Cause everything has to be thoroughly finished and organized and presented before I can move on?

Oh, I didn't? Well now I have!

Don't judge my crazyness too much!

The end!

Outcome of first kiosk!

So last night was Fashion Garden where I went and set up my first ever jewelry kiosk!

It was really exciting!

I felt like such an amateur though since another girl had a jewelry kiosk as well and hers looked all fancy and perfect!

Oh well, I am still proud of what little I had and even more proud that I even sold some stuff!!!

Yes, it was only 3 things, but it's better than nothing!

And I got a request for a custom piece.

Not bad for a first try.

Here's me at my sad looking kiosk. hehe

Compared to the other girls fancy kiosk!

If nothing else, it was definitely a wonderful learning experience!!!!

I am very glad it's over though so I can take my time and work on some other things.

The Results!!

So yes, my experiment with imprinting pictures on clay worked out and I've finally decided to stop being so lazy and to take pictures and upload them!

Enjoy!

Queen of Hearts and Alice with Flamingo mallet earrings

Drink me earrrings

Hanging fish earrings

Tea party pendant for necklace

Alice with flamingo mallet pendant for necklace

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum pendant for necklace

Caterpillar pendant for necklace

Solution?

So I've been super duper busy with going back to school and trying to finish up

as much jewelry as possible by the end of the week

(Thursday = presentation of my jewelry to my grade 4 class since they are doing a unit on the environment and Friday = Fashion Garden clothing launch where I will be selling my stuff for the first time! How exciting!)

so I haven't really attempted to fix my problem with transferring images to clay.

In my head I have it all worked out, it's just a matter of doing it and trying!

This time I will definitely do a test run!

Updates on clay disaster #1 to come!! haha

On a happier note, I'm so inspired by everything lately and just want to absorb and learn as much as possible.

New goal = learn as many skills as possible and have fun with it!!

Link to the party: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102585149806770

Big let down :(

So last night I started slaving away to try out this cool idea of imprinting pictures onto clay and baking.

It would have looked SOOOOOO good if it would have WORKED. But it didn't and now I'm sad.

Now I'm basically on an adventure to figure out why it didn't work and how I can make it work.

Good luck to me!

...

Nope, no good luck for me at all.

So I simply followed instructions in a book that I have on polymer clay that I got a while back.

It said to take the photocopied images and put them on the clay, bake, tada!

Well when I did that nothing happened.

So after my research I found out the photocopied image has to be made with TONER or LASER and not liquid ink. So there goes that.

Now I have a bunch of pieces of cooked clay and nothing to do with them.

I'll try to think of an ingenious solution, but it's not looking good right now!

Welcome to my blog!!!!

So I decided that it was about time that I start a blog.

Well I have one already that I started with my sister but it was a complete flop :(

What is different this time?!

I don't really care if no one looks at my blog, it's more for myself. You know, to stay organized and keep track of all my stuff!

(But at the same time I will not be unhappy if you decide you love me and my crafts and want to follow along!)

Soo, stay tuned, or not, for upcoming craftyness!!