So, if you know me, you know wire wrapping and I just don't get along. I read the tutorials, I play with the wire, but....ugh. I don't know. It just doesn't work out so well for me. But I've been determined to make the awesome "tree of life" pendant work out for me. So I've been practicing. And here's six of the ones I've made. I'm very proud of the copper and fluorite one bottom left. Made that today. That one finally looks almost like I planned it to in my head. The rest I have likes and dislikes but I'm still proud of how I'm learning. And it's just so fun to play with gemstone chips! 




Thoughts, feedback and general comments appreciated!

Faerie hutches are miniature, dollhouse-sized (1:12 scale) creations, each unique and each handmade with hours of precise attention to detail.

I made the first one for a friend in Gainesville when she opened a yarn store last year. This one is a little different, but similar.





And some close-ups:



Close-up detail shows off some of the amazingly intricate details. Top shelf has three bottles including "true love," "pixie dust," and "faerie dreams," a few glass potion bottles, a crystal ball and candle. The second shelf has a woven basket with three balls handmade of yarn, a silver platter and tea kettle, three more potion bottles and another glass bottle filled with the "sands of time." (I'm especially proud that I figured out how to make the yarn balls!)



The bottle cubby features a trove of yarns and threads, scissors, and a host of pretty silver bottles tucked into the corner.

I make them in all kinds of themes and styles and I have a great time making them. I hope you have fun viewing them too! 

This isn't my site but I came across them and thought I'd post to help anyone out looking for either intro how-to's or ones that are new techniques.

Free Beading Projects:
http://www.auntiesbeads.com/Category.aspx?ID=fcc61d29-de9f-477f-9b40-fcccd8176d2e

Beading 101:
http://www.auntiesbeads.com/Category.aspx?ID=b61cbf96-55f2-48eb-9363-0fea3dc9c35a

Free Instructional Videos:
http://www.auntiesbeads.com/Category.aspx?ID=9cac5bca-d677-4ff6-ad2b-72558e3751dc

(Or direct YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AuntiesBeads )

Hope those help someone!

My birthday's coming up on May 16th. And I was thinking how fun it might be to have an all May babies swap where everyone crafts a few items for each other so we all end up getting neat crafted things for our birthdays! Who doesn't like presents in the mail for their birthday? And who wouldn't like those presents to be awesome crafts from awesome craftsters? 

My thoughts are: open to anyone who's birthday is in May. Sign up open for a couple weeks now in April. Send by May 31st. (Though hopefully, people can send to their partners close to the birthday if possible, we'll give all month to send.) Theme is open so you can send things that your partner will like. Probably just a default 1 large/1 medium/1 small would work best.

Any other May babies interested in something like that?

(Note, I've never organized a swap before. So if there's a May baby out there who's been a successful organizer before that would like to help out, great! If not, well, I'm not new to swaps, just running them but I'd be willing to give it a go.)

I call this "Ocean Blues" because the colors remind me of the sea.



The single green bead in this piece is called the "spirit bead." In Native American tradition, it's customary to include one bead that is unique and difference which purposefully breaks the pattern. It's said to honor the spirits.

I've been very attracted to the "Tree of Life" pendants and here is my first successful attempt at making one. This uses copper and aquamarine gemstone chips.




(I think it looks nicer in person.)

Made for the "One Tiny Thing - Round 18" Swap. My first attempt at miniature food.



And for size reference:

I made this for the "Decorate My House Swap." Never heard of a utensil wind chime before I got my partner's swap survey. Came out pretty good for being a first-time project with no real tutorial and just a vague sense of plan!



And an artsy-looking up shot:

You know how you can go to the craft store these days and buy the ready-to-iron rhinestone designs? They're normally on a plastic adhesive, and you iron it and then peel it off and poof! you have a shirt with a rhinestone design? What if you want to do your own design that doesn't exist ready-made?

I've seen the flat-back rhinestones and that's cool, but I'm pondering about adhesive. They had some fancy "flat back hot glue gun" looking thingy but I don't think I want to shell out $12 for something so specialized. Would a regular fabric glue be enough to use to adhere the flat-back rhinestones on? Would it be sturdy enough for wear? Would it damage the coating on the rhinestones or lead to ugly bleed-through? And what about stiffness? Does it make it too inflexible to be comfortable? I made an iron-on Halloween shirt and it's great and there's no problem with it being a big stiff patch on the shirt. (Especially important when you're a girl and you have...you know...curves to consider.  ) And does something like the fabric glue just make a big 'ole mess of glue everywhere except backing your stones? Bah, I don't know want to wind up with a stiff, glued together, deformed rhinestone sorta mutant projects. 

So...I guess I'm just trying to pick the brains of anyone who's made their own designs. ANY tips are appreciated. Anything to make it easier to try out.

Thanks in advance!!
-m

Here's the thing. My guy (whom I refer to as "Love" since years ago I needed something to call him online and that stuck) does custom graphite portraits and such. Well, he just got an email for a publication. They're looking for someone to do 6 or more drawings for them. Each would be turned into a t-shirt. (That would be available for sale for profit from their site.) Normally, when he does a custom drawing for someone, he retains copyright and does not permit any commercial or for-profit use. Generally it's just someone getting their grandkid drawn or their pet. That sort of thing. It never really comes up. But this is different. They specifically want to commission him to do drawings for their publication AND for use in commercial sales. Which is where we're thrown. How do you find out what is a fair rate for this sort of usage? Is there some standard we can refer to? We literally have NO CLUE what to charge for something like that. If a standard drawing is say $100-200 how much do you then add on for usage rights?

Anyone who has any knowledge or references they can point me to would be greatly appreciated. We've just never faced this before and I'm not even sure where to start trying to find out information. We really want the opportunity so we're worried about going too high but at the same time, we don't want to cut ourselves short.

Thanks in advance!
-m