The Puttering that Keeps me Sane

I’ve recently discovered a delightful treasure trove of nerdosity, called CutOutAndKeep.net. It’s a bit like Facebook but for crafty dorks (or, like me, dorks who aspire to craftiness.)

Not only can you find a whole slew of project ideas with which to occupy any free time you may or may not have, you can also find quite a number of How Tos that people have been good enough to post along with photos of their shiny bits of flair.

You can find everything from art, photography & painting projects to gardening tips, hairstyle tutorials, recipes and, of course, jewelry projects of all sorts. And, since I’ve recently been bitten by the jewelry/beading bug, I had to sign up and join this community of crafty folks.

This twist on Chain Mail & Pearls has gone to a happy home with it's new owner, Jyessee.

My Grape Vine bracelet & Rhumba-style earrings look far more intricate than they actually are.

Idle hands and all that…

My job exhausts me. Whose doesn’t? Mine has gotten so completely & utterly tiring lately, that staying up until 10:30pm on a weeknight is starting to feel like life in the fast lane. Yeah. I’m a wild woman.

I’ve found, though, that when I can channel all my mental puttering (LX’s term) into something physical, it actually helps me sleep better at night. I don’t mean going out and pounding the pavement for an extra few kilometres or adding extra reps to a weight routine, either; I mean a more creative pursuit (in addition to the writing, photography and dabbling with recipes that already occupies much of my free time) with which to toil.

So, because I have SO many free hours in my days (heh – if only html had a sarcasm tag), I thought it might be fun to try my hand at jewelery making. I was mesmerized by the efforts of the artisans at this year’s Spring One of a Kind Show and found myself inspired to give it a go, myself. I mean – how hard can it be? Kidding. Totally kidding. The talent at the One of A Kind shows is overwhelming & magnificent. But it did inspire me in a creative vein much different than any of the others I’ve ever decided to follow.

And, with that – here are my first few creations. They aren’t anything too terribly elaborate; not by any means. I thought keeping frustration levels to a minimum would be best for my (ok, LX’s) sanity. But it’s a start, right?

Attempt#1: Kid-sized & the height of fashion to a five-year-old.	Attempt #2: Simple seed beads, bugle beads & a lobster clasp.
Attempt #3: Double stranded beading & beads of varying sizes with a simple lobster clasp	Attempt#4: Earrings with faux pearls, silver spacer beads, Swarovski beads on silver-plated fishook earwires.