What a busy few days! Lots of UFOs completed so I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. Unfortunately I got wind of the end of the Bead Merchant sale (which is this week) and succumbed, yet again, to a few last minute bargains. More about that next time but first (drum roll please) the pictures of projects which I have completed since last time.
Firstly the lovely Optica bracelet from Spellbound beads. The bracelet itself was really easy to do as it's made in bits and then put together. Having made component type bracelets before I put it together as I went which, although a bit fiddly, meant I could work out which colour combinations to use next. It also resulted in a successfully completed project as I would have put all of the bits back in my box and added to the UFOs!

Having had a good sort out over the Christmas holidays I discovered numerous kits in various states of completion including two tassels from a class I attended and a bead merchant angel with only one wing. I am pleased to say that they are now in my 'completed projects' box!

Having finished so many UFOs I decided to break open the Alston cuff kit that I brought after Christmas in the sales. It was a lovely pattern to make and started off with a foundation row of right angle weave - the first stitch I ever learnt! 

The thing I love about making bracelets is, having small wrists, they don't take long to make! This took about two days and I think it's gorgeous! I have the kit to make a matching necklace too and I'm already looking forward to making that. I might even start it tomorrow!

This week, apart from the cuff, there are three other 'non-ufo' items that I have finished. The first was two lovely brooches from the bead shop Manchester which were a complete bargain at £2.50 each. Both include Swarovski crystals to give them a real sparkle!

Finally I revamped an old photo frame using Decopatch paper. As you can see from the photos the back of the frame is still a dark brown, but the paper on the front has lightened it and made it look better with the other frames on the wall which are light wood. It took two or three layers of paper to stop the dark colour showing thorough but I am satisfied with the results. 

Looking back over the past few days it's incredible to see how many things have been finished and I am finding it very satisfying. As the end of January approaches I am looking forward to counting up how many UFOs are left and finding some more things to add to my list. Hopefully the star beads I've ordered have arrived and I will have another picture to add! 'Til then I am not buying any more kits (unless they are in the sale) or any more beads (unless artisan, critical to UFO completion or in the sale. Wish me luck!

UFOs completed this week (and one not on the list ...)

Well, over the weekend,  progress on the UFOs has been good. Two have been completed! One of them (the Christmas decoration) has been in my box for a good few years. It's a lovely kit from Pandorian which is made around a metal bangle. The tree itself is made using peyote stitch and then there are a few little embellishments to make to add on around the bangle. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the tree grew - from nothing to a whole tree in not much longer than an episode of Sherlock (although I have lots of experience of peyote. I suspect if you are a newbie it may take longer!) 

The second project to be completed was a ring kit from Beads Direct. I have had this in my stash for so long they no longer sell the kit! When I got it out the instructions had disappeared but, as Beads Direct have such amazing customer service, a set soon appeared in my inbox. These were really easy to make and took no time at all. A bit of elastic, some silver beads, a few of my favourite Swarovski elements bicones and the job's done. 

The 'non-UFO' item on the list is an update to a photo frame. The item in question is completely the wrong colour to go with the other picture frames on the wall and is undergoing an update (photo to follow). I am using some decopatch paper but, although it has had one layer, it will need at least another one before it is finished and back on the wall. Fingers crossed it will be completed by the end of the week and back in its rightful place.

Finally a bit of an update on a project from a class at Beautiful things in Brentwood. Before Christmas I booked myself onto both the crochet owl hat class (see the banner at the top of my page) and a class to make a button bracelet. 
I arrived with my particularly unattractive bangle from the charity shop and left with a beautiful bangle, which I can't wait to wear. 

 At some point in the year I will, no doubt, make some more of these as they are easy to do, make a change from beading and, at 50p for the bangle to start with, very cost effective. In the meantime I will continue with my UFO's. I am hoping they don't take too long as my sale bargains from the Bead Merchant arrived on Thursday and the urge to start another project is getting bigger ....
I will resist, otherwise I will have yet another UFO in my box!!!

Sale bargains!

With the January sales upon us the temptation to add even more to the 'to be finished' pile is rather great.

There is already an Alston Lariat necklace kit from the bead merchant and soon a cuff kit to match will be winging its way to my house! I have no will power and a 40% discount was just too good to be true! It does make me wonder if I'll ever reach the end of my UFOs or whether they are going to go on forever...
Just to add even more to the never-ending list I was lucky enough to be given loads of making bits for Christmas, which I can't wait to put to good use. 

So, in a slight amendment to my New Years Resolution, I am going to finish my UFOs and not start the new ones (any I had for Christmas) until the other ones are finished. As some have sat in my stash for several months (if not years) this would seem to be the best way forward. 

Dragonfly brooch

Although this wasn't one of my UFOs it was made from some of the beads from my box. I knew that I brought them for a reason, I was just lacking the inspiration!

The idea for the brooch came from the Hobbycraft website although I used the beads and wire I already had in my stash.

New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year when I think about my new years resolutions and this year I am going to attempt something that I MAY actually achieve. Being crafty in nature, I have a huge backlog of unfinished objects (or UFOs). Having stumbled across the blog written by Claire Mackaness of Beautiful Things about 'works in progress' (or WIPS) and UFOs I decided that starting a blog to document my efforts was the way to go. So, with the blog set up, 2014 is the year to tackle them.

The total in the bead stash came to nine projects (I'm sure there are other craft projects lurking under the bed somewhere so this total is likely to increase significantly). 

So, the new years resolution has begun. Three beading projects completed to date, as well as one beaded dragonfly brooch to give as a birthday present (which wasn't a UFO but was made from left over beads from the box).