Thursday 31 January 2013

DIY Bird Feeder

So easy to put together cat and rat proof



DIY Bird Feeder





Materials required
Scaffolding pole or plastic pipe, long enough to keep the birds out of the reach of cats. Fix securely to wall or stake.
Plastic lid from used paint or feed container..bigger the better, make hole in center and push down over pole.
Some twigs, I used green ones, inserted into the top of the pole.
Then suspend fat balls, peanuts and sunflower seeds, in containers from' branches' and fill the tray with mixed seeds and niger seeds.
It is amazing how many birds visit every day and I have had gold finches, green finches and long tailed tits, robins, all other varieties of tits and a blackbird!

So much pleasure ..I just have to supply the food!

Saturday 26 January 2013

My latest Jewellery Designs

These are the latest designs I have been creating for my jewellery shop...each one a unique design and handmade by me in Ireland

Sea Breezes

Mermaids Treasure

Bold Blues

I would really appreciate your comments...thank you

Monday 14 January 2013

With Valentines Day in mind...

My latest designs for that special gift



Silver textured puffed hearts , turquoise beads and silver satin cord



Pretty earrings too


Amethyst heart pendant and flat coin beads

Amethyst earrings with silver plated ear wires

Pink Zebra and pink glass beads

Matching dangle earrings

Crystal and white glass hearts

...and dainty earrings to go with the necklace

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Designer Challenge

Introducing NoSnowSupplies from Etsy



At the end of last year Etsy shop owner Vente from Lithuania asked me if I would like to use some of the products from her shop..Nosnowsupplies and see what I could create with them.

Soon a packet arrived...



I was fascinated to read why and how Vente set up her shop.

This is what she told me

I’m a journalist by profession. I opened my shop a few years ago. I`ve always enjoyed arts and crafts, and was always making something with hands, especially during winters, which are very cold here, sometimes so cold, that people don`t leave their houses for several days (so you can see why I named my shop "no snow supplies" :-). I inherited a big box of buttons from my grandmother, who was a tailor, and then started to collect vintage beads and buttons from various sources to mainly use for myself, until I realized I really have too many and it was time to open a shop. I love vintage beads because of their bright colours and funny shapes. I think that contemporary beads are not made this creatively. I mainly sell beads from the Soviet Union, West Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Czechoslovakia and Japan. They date 1950-1970`s. I also have some modern beads, but not much. These soft flexible plastic beads are from West Germany, a small town, called Kaufbeuren, which had a big bead factory and a jewelry school (both closed already). There was a huge fashion to wear jewelry and accessories made from these beads in 1950`s and you can still find some in the flea markets in Europe (they were exporting them all over Europe and also to US). They`re fun to play with and can be stacked in different designs. These beads are very hard to find and my stock is limited. 

 

  So I started working with the plastic ‘flowers’, they are very light and flexible so layering them was very easy. I added a few supplies from my own stocks and here is what I came up with, I hope you like them.

I used white knotted cotton cord for the necklace then layered the green and white flowers, finishing them off with crystal glass beads .... I made matching earrings too.

and then some more earrings ...
Dark blue and pale yellow flowers, I added silver wire centers and dark blue rings and completed the earring with silver studs 
Orange feather shapes with paler glass flowers

Dainty lilac daisy with three tiny plastic flowers bunched together in the center. I added tiny glass seeds and silver ear wires
This shape was really challenging , I layered it with a paler yellow flower, a white bead center and a tiny yellow seed bead to finish. ... I was pleased with the results.

For this bracelet I layered the brown and black flowers and added some natural wood beads. I affixed them to a dark charcoal crocheted wrist band.

 If you would like to try them for yourself  here is Vente's shop address on Etsy.http://www.etsy.com/shop/nosnowsupplies

Vente has lots of other goodies in her shop, well worth a visit!