New toys...and that dreaded Fireline

As I started typing this post I realised that I had not told you that my hubby had offered to buy me some metalsmithing tools for our wedding anniversary earlier this month!

He had originally offered to buy them for my birthday back in May but in the end I decided to hold off as I didn't have a work area set up.

Well I still haven't set up a work area but I certainly wasn't going to knock back the offer again!

Look at what arrived today from Fire Mountain Gems!

Rawhide mallet, ring mandrel, chasing hammer and jeweller's saw

Fire block, copper tongs, straight burnisher, bezel pusher and curved burnisher

925 stamp, rubber mallet, titanium picks, bezel roller, saw blades, stone setting pliers,
fibre grip tweezers and steel hole maker

~~~

Also in my order were two rolls of Fireline.

Now I have to admit I am a Nymo kind of gal...
I know a lot of you hate Nymo with a passion but I only ever use size 00 thread and it never frays or breaks and well I love it and it's the only thread I use in bead embroidery.

When I am beadweaving I tend to use KO Japanese beading thread as it is thicker, super silky and also doesn't fray...unless you have to unpick a piece several times and stab it with your needle...which has happened to me on lots of times one or two occasions

I tried Fireline a few years ago and I really detested hated it. It kept tangling and drove me bonkers. I later found out that perhaps 1lb strength isn't the best line to use due to how thin it is and after a lot of encouragement from a few of my beading buddies I ordered two rolls of Fireline - 6lb and 4lb in smoke and crystal with the anticipation that the stronger weights will be easier to use.

I only ordered a 50yard roll of each as I am not overly optimistic I am going to like it so there may be two rolls of the stuff up for grabs very soon...

but then again I might like it... hey stranger things have happened.

If I do choose to continue to use Fireline I refuse to pay any attention to any comments like "I told you so" as I will always love Nymo...
that's Nymo the thread not the fish variety but hey he is pretty darn cute but not quite as useful!

♥ 

Ever get a bargain?

I recently took part in a "free trial" of a particular makeup and skincare company here in Australia.The range is 100 per cent chemical-free and is free from talc, bismuth and fillers so I figured why not take part and see how they compare to the brand I am using now...plus they are all Australian owned and made and don't test on any bunnies!

As part of the deal you got around 25 full sized products including mineral powder makeup, blush, concealer, cleanser, moisturiser, mascara, lip gloss... you get the idea.

When they sent me the box of goodies I had 16 days to trial the products.If I liked what I received I could keep everything and pay the invoiced amount of $249.00, which in essence is a bargain considering the mineral powder make up alone sells for $39.95 and the skin care range around $29.95 each.

Anyhoooo I called them up today to tell them I liked their range and was happy to keep and pay for five of the trialled products - a gorgeous silky application brush ($14.95), a beautiful finishing powder ($39.95), concealer ($19.95), makeup primer ($29.95) and a divine oil made from tamanu oil which not only improves your complexion but helps fade scars ($19.95).

According to my calculations the 5 items would cost me $124.75 which I thought was ok considering I really liked these particular products and was happy to pay for them. I did actually like a few of the other products but couldn't really afford to buy any more so chose just the 5.

So when I called them up today to arrange to pay for the products I wanted to keep and send the others back the operator tells me that rather than paying for the 5 items at the full price I can keep everything I received for $99.95!

Huh?

I checked with her once, twice, three times...ok a few more times... that I only had to pay $99.95 for EVERYTHING not just the five products I wanted ... then informed her that she was charging me less than the cost of the five items I wanted to keep. (I know I am way too honest!).

I then told her that my invoice said I had to pay $249.95 to keep everything to which she laughed and said "you only have to pay $99.95".

DONE DEAL!!!

I am not sure what happened there but I ended up saving myself quite a few $$...
...yes I now have a few products that I didn't really plan on keeping but now I have saved myself a few dollars I figure they can be my new friends!

Have you ever got yourself a bargain that you weren't anticipating?

♥ 

My Creative Space

The past few days I have been working on Nancy Jones' Dragon Bangle which is on the cover of the Feb/March 2011 issue of Beadwork.

I've adored this bangle ever since I received my copy of Beadwork back in late January and thinking this looked like a pretty easy pattern as I feel pretty comfortable working with brick stitch, 

I thought I'd give it a go.

Well.... really struggled getting this piece going. 

The pattern says to keep the tension loose however as you are stitching you naturally want to keep it as tight as possible as the beads are wobbling all over the place.

I've used brick stitch in many designs before but for some reason I just couldn't get the rows to sit well.

Perhaps it was the long magatamas that were making the difference.

I had about 6 or 7 attempts at starting this piece and was nearly going to give up but I am one very determined little cookie so kept persisting with it and voila!

I will admit that I did unpick it again as the size 8/0 seed beads were not sitting nicely which I think is  pretty important as they really are the backbone of the bangle.

I am glad I did because as you can see now they are sitting beautifully!

If you are going to give this piece a go then my advice is that if you are having trouble starting off... 

...stick with it.

Once you have worked 3 or 4 rows the piece starts to sit together quite nicely. 

Be sure to pull your thread as tightly as you can, not loosely as the pattern says and I found that as I was stitching the first few rows, holding the beads down flat on the table with my finger as I weaved through the existing beads seemed to help hold the beads in place a little better.

Also I found adding a stopper bead at the start of the work  helped hold the first few size 8/0 seed beads to sit firmly and not move about.

This bangle is certainly greedy when it comes to beads!

I am only about 3/4 through and my tubes of magatamas are starting to look a little empty so I am thinking that this bangle is going to take more than the quoted 28gm but I  might be wrong.

How's your creative space looking this week?

♥ 

♥ Happy Anniversary ♥

Today, 

22 August, 

marks the day that Alan and I got married.

12 years ago.

Happy Anniversary Alan.

♥

Next year will mark our 20 year anniversary of being a couple!

20 years!

Now that makes me feel old!

But as the saying goes...

"You're only as old as the man you feel"

♥ 

My Creative Space

I have been working on this pendant for a few days now...

It is stitched in circular brick stitch using size 11/0, 15/0 and 8/0 seed eads as well as Czech fire polished beads and drops.

I absolutely adore the combination of the copper with the green using one of my favourite colours of all time, colour lined sea foam/light topaz rainbow.

Rather than just string the pendant on a piece of cord I have decided to compliment it with some gorgeous beaded beads.

Since taking these photos I have also created some larger beaded beads and plan on making some peyote beaded beads also... I just have to wait for the wooden beads to arrive from the USA!

Hopefully they will arrive in the next week or so as I am busting to give these a try, not to mention finishing off my necklace.

What's in your creative space this week?

♥ 

Feeling good

I am feeling pretty good at the moment.

I am still sticking to my healthy eating regime.

So far I have been running a total of 6 times in the past week and a half.

I can feel my fitness level increasing as I am able to run a little further each time before taking a minute break.

I also attended a bead meet for the first time in a few months catching up with all of my beading buddies.

It was nice to be amongst some creative souls...beading and chatting.

Overall I am thinking life is pretty good right now.

Looking forward to another week of healthy eating, running and beading!

♥ 

Changes... for the better.

Jogging. It's something I've never really enjoyed.

I've tried it on a treadmill.

I've tried it in the street.

Jogging. It's something I've never really enjoyed.

Over the past few months...ok I'll be honest... the past year at least...I've felt very sluggish and overweight. 

Some tell me not to be silly that I should be comfortable in my own skin but I think if the way you feel about yourself is bringing you down then you have the right to do something about  it.

So that's what I'm doing.

For the past 5 weeks I have been eating sensibly. 

I've cut out potato which means no mashed potato for me...in winter this has always been a staple food for me!

I haven't been eating sweets, biscuits or chocolate.

And I've started jogging!

I decided a great way to exercise is to run alongside Spencer whilst he rides his scooter.

We've been two days in a row now.

The first day he was cheering me on telling me to hurry up.

The second day he was telling me to slow down!

Today whilst walking him home from school he said "mummy, can you  please not go for your jog today as my legs are too sore".

Looks like it's not just me getting a workout.

I probably only need to lose around 7kg (around 17 pounds) but I won't complain if I manage to lose a few more!

Watch this space!

♥