Pearls and Glitter Tube Beads

This necklace took a while to create as it involved using glitter card to create the tube beads which was very stiff to roll. The Pearls are in two different sizes and like The Spirit of Napier below is strung in such a way as it can be looped or tied.

Spirit of Napier

I call this one The Spirit of Napier as it was re-purposed (made) from a touristy brochure about Napier and all it has to offer.  Each bead is 15 mm wide,hand rolled and glazed, strung on nylon, crimped with the excess nylon fed back through the beads so it is invisible.  The necklace is long enough that you can loop it two or three times or knot it if you have a mind to.

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Beads Glorious Beads

About four weeks ago I stumbled upong paper beads (yet again on Pinterest). I stared intently at the photos, visited the websites, watched youtube clips, rolled up my sleeves, fished out my paper supplies, located a skewer and glue and then set forth to create my first paper bead.

Now I have a large jar full of misfits (for want of a better word) and a full on addiction to creating jewelery from paper beads as the photos below will attest...

The misfit jar (all beads that haven't been used for 'something' end up displayed here - you never know when they might come in handy for a new design

Earrings with matching necklace below

The necklace that matches the earrings above

The first piece of recycled jewelery created with pages from an atlas

My paper stash has grown dramatically as has my toothpick and skewer horde, the kitchen table is overrun with paints, jewelery findings, jars, buttons, glues, beads, paper beads,... I'm sure you get the picture! I couldn't be happier!

Another Decorated Container

Another container I had the desire to recover with patterned card/paper. 

This one has an empty port bottle inside it though, I'm still unsure what I will be doing with the bottle - I have thought about using the theme of my favourite songs performed by Sting which the crowd sang along to at the Mission Estate Winery concert  in 2011 - Mesage in a bottle.

I'll be sure to post the results when I make up my mind and decorate it.

Decorated Pen & Pencil Container

I have had my pens sitting in this container for a little while now and today I finally decided how I wanted to decorate it

Decorated Metal Lunch Box

I love recycling, re-purposing, buying second hand and getting things for free is always a bonus. So you could probably understand why a sign by the bread that advertised  *buy two loaves and get a free lunch box* would catch my interest :) Imagine my delight when the lunch box turns out to be metal and covered in advertising, the perfect excuse to re-purpose it:-

Add black paper (the only colour I had enough of to cover the entire surface) and various stickers, punched & cut out shapes, a torso tag made I had lying around from previous burst of creativity, ART letters, a button, a scotty dog and a M as my first name begins with M and here is the end result :)
 

 And finally a photo of the treasures my Art lunchbox now holds :)

Solar Fountain

Late last year I posted a picture of a glass birdbath that I made just incase you missed it here it is again

I've since added to that birdbath a solar fountain which my lovely husband gave to me for Christmas in a glass bowl

Jewellery Organiser for under $10

Frame sourced from St Vincent De Paul Op Shop $4.00

Fine wire mesh sourced from Mitre 10 Mega  $5.00 for .5m x .9m remnant

Using wire cutters I cut the mesh into a rectangle large enough to cover the inside of the frame and stapled the wire to the back of the frame with a staple gun - it's as simple as that.  My inspiration?

                                                                                   Source: google.com.au on Pinterest

Toilet Paper Roll Tag (Pt 2)

 As with my earlier post above is the front and back of a decorated toilet paper roll 

Below is the tag which slots in between the front and back

Toilet Paper Roll Tag

Above is the front and back of a decorated toilet paper roll 

Below is the tag which slots in between the front and back

Finally a time to relax

Life has been fairly hectic of late with Christmas and all that it entails, hence no posts so far this month.  I am finally on holiday however and have been putting my time to good use :0) Below are a few photos of the rag rug I have been busy making.

 The fabric from an old skirt whose elastic had seen better days!

 A close up of the middle of the rug

The almost finished product

Recycling envelopes & art

Imagine my delight when opening mail at work I finally discovered that the inside of most of the envelopes had interesting patterns (I've been in admin for over 10 years now and had no idea about security patterns - go figure). Me being me my first thought was 'wow, cool, free art resource!' so I diligently cut out as many different patterns as possible over the next few weeks and brought them home where they leant themselves to being made into flower shapes.

Re-Purposing - Fabric & Zip Flowers

On the weekend I found myself having to purchase a new pillow. The one that I eventually brought came in a bag, initially my first thought was to bin the bag but then I started to look sidewards at the bag and wonder what I could do with it instead of sending it to landfill (we do try to recycle, re-purpose where possible). Below are photos of the bag and a fabric flower (inspired by a really great tutorial at Create & Delegate) and a zipper flower which I've managed to make thus far. Still in the planning stage is bunting.