Sorry for the "What should I make for people you don't know?" post...

[tribhreagnu.livejournal.com]

but I wanted some crafty people for help refining an idea!

My parents will be thirty years married on Friday week (aww). I'd like to make them something, but I'm a bit limited in scope. Restrictions:

• I made them a collage for their 25th anniversary, and later found out that my dad isn't really into photos anyway, so photo-based presents are out.
• They're quite practical-minded, so it needs to be either small or useful, and my abilities don't really let me make useful things.

 Thirty years is the pearl anniversary, according to the internet, so it would be nice if I could incorporate that.  One idea I have is based on a rhyme my mother used to use as a nicer version of "Be quiet and stop squabbling": "Birds in their little nest must all agree/ To live in peace and harmony."  I thought of knitting two little birds and putting them in a nest with pearly beads for eggs.  (I originally thought of having baby birds as well, but I'm child number four out of five, so I'd need to either make the nest big and awkward, or be made fun of for leaving people out.)  Only things are:

• I made this bird's-nest necklace for my mum for her birthday last year, so I'm not sure if it would look a little unoriginal and lazy (especially as she lost it pretty promptly, and I only gave her a replacement about two weeks ago.  Now it's a brooch, for safe-keeping.)
• I'm not sure whether to use the same tutorial as above - I really like how the necklace turned out, but I'm not sure if it would look a little messy made larger.

If you have any suggestions, or different ideas entirely, I'd be much obliged!

Pop Tab Clutch

[jerricajaneen.livejournal.com]

Just thought I would pop in to show off this week's project - I made this clutch from scratch, using post-consumer soda-can pop tabs!  8"x3.5"x1"

Take a look:


Questions? Comments? Email me! jerricajaneen@gmail.com

Some recent jewellery

[queerlyobscure.livejournal.com]

I do think I begin to get the hang of photographing jewellery.


These are actually paper beads made from an old Hello Kitty folder divider (and by old, I mean that this is a piece of card stock that I've had for at least 7 years).

( 2 more under the cut )

Lenten Banner #2

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

Last Wednesday I spent the day at home because our dog was too ill to be left alone.  During the times when he was asleep, I finished banner #2.  It was a good distraction because it occupied my mind but was not as demanding as my cross stitch would have been. (I'm sure I would have spent the next days redoing any stitching.)  When my hubby came home from work we took Shadow to the vet and let him go in peace.  It was very hard - he's been with us 15 1/2 years - but the vet assured us that nothing more could have been done and we were doing the right thing.  Small comfort in an empty house, but that's part of loving a pet.

Anyway, here is a picture of banner #2.  We hung #1 in church on Sunday and it was very well received.  I don't know when we'll get 3 and 4 done.  I need to get together with my cohort and get going on them.  Doing anything this past weekend was out, as we had a house full of college students for the weekend.  My daughter brought a group of friends home to lead a contemporary worship service at our church on Sunday.  I've hosted family gatherings before, but my goodness, five 20-year-old guys take up a lot of house!  And (along with the two girls) eat a lot of food!  They were all extremely nice, polite and appreciative, and they did a wonderful job with the service, so we'd be glad to have them again.

But I'm rambling.
( Pic behind the cut )

(no subject)

[elven-ranger.livejournal.com]

Since we began, my theatre company (non-profit community group that a friend and I founded a few years ago) have needed a banner as we often take part in parades, carnivals and festivals. We did have one lady offer to make one, but when she brought it over, it was a dog-eared torn bedsheet with spidery writing at all angles.
We looked into getting a PVC banner printed, they cost far more than we could ever afford.
So then it was down to a lot of head scratching. ( what we did )

More fabric flowers

[alathia.livejournal.com]

I seriously need an intervention. i have two boys, and can only wear so many flower hairclips at a time. But I can't stop making them! I love the site Craft Snob for good fabric flower tutorials.

thank goodness my kids thought wearing them was the COOLEST THING EVAR


( more flower madness here )