The Best of British Craft!

Yesterday I took part in Treasury Tuesday by gathering together a collection of treasures that celebrate the talent of wonderful British crafters!!
Being from England myself I wanted to take a good look through Etsy at all the great things my fellow British crafters were making.
And I was not disappointed!

Each item I picked is so special and delightful that I've decided to feature a selection of them here too!

If you would like to view the whole wonderful treasury (and please do) then click HERE

Forest Ranger Bear - Felt Art Doll

by The Big Forest

 So adorable and whimsical!

I love their little hats and can't help but wonder at what they keep in their cute little bags?

 Union Jack Hot Air Balloon Print

by Dotty Dictionary

 This gorgeous print brings to mind the classic tale of 'Around The World in 80 Days'. I think it would look just perfect hanging up near my giant shelf of books!

Andean Hoop Earrings

by Palomita Jewellery

 With their bright and bold colours these giant hoop earring are sure to turn heads!

They would look just brilliant teamed up with a summery dress.

Luxury Red Berry, Granola & Belgian Chocolate Cookie Mix

by Jessica Bakes Well

 I haven't seen very many baked and food goods available from the UK and most other countries are not able to ship overseas to us, so I was really excited when I came across this cookie mix!

I think these make the cutest gifts!

 Cheshire Cat Reversible Cushion

by Miss Ella

 This lovely Alice In Wonderland inspired cushion is really special!

On one side you get to see this lovely Cheshire cat, but if you turn it over all thats left on the other side is his cheeky smile!

New Home Cactus Card

by Hannah Stevens

 This new home card is so cute!

Who wouldn't want to live in an adorable little cactus house?!

I hope you enjoyed this bright collection of British crafts and remember to head on over to Etsy to look at the whole treasury!

Pendant Progression

After my very first attempt at wire wrapping my second and third attempts when even better!
I've managed to get faster with each one and am pretty happy with the outcome ^_^

 Milky Quartz Pendant

Quartz is known as a power stone and will give the wearer energy as well as balancing and focusing them. It is also used for enhancing thoughts and clearing away negative energy.

Amethyst Pendant

Amethysts are used in alternative healing practices for reducing addiction to alcohol, drugs, shopping and a number of other afflictions. It is also used as a stone for protection and is believed to repel negative energy while attracting positive.

And finally I was brave enough to try making a pendant which included more than one stone.

This turned out to be a pretty big challenge but I actually really love the way it turned out! I chose to use a small piece of carnelian paired with a lovely piece of quartz which is milky at the top and clear at the bottom. I think they work together really well, and the colour of the wire matches them perfectly.

Quartz & Carnelian Pendant

Carnelians are used to give courage and will give the wearer the confidence to move forward on a new path in life. Quartz will give the wearer energy as well as balancing and focusing them. It will also clear away negative energy. 

First Steps In The Wire Wrapping World

Today marks one week since the start of a new beginning for me.
The start of my wire wrapping and jewellery making journey!

I've always enjoying making and creating things, and the more fiddly and delicate they are the more I seem to like doing them!
So when I happened across some photos of beautifully intricate wire wrapped pendants on Instagram I just knew I had to have a go!

Luckily I had quite a few gemstones already that were ready to be put to good use and so I got to work stripping some old cables I found in the garage. I rooted out some old jewellery making tools from the back of a cupboard and sat down with a cup of tea and started work.

A few hours later and with some very sore fingers and thumbs, I had this:

My very first wire wrapped pendant!
Gosh I was so proud of myself! I even had a fancy hot chocolate to celebrate ^_^

I created this pendant with the help of a Youtube tutorial which was extremely helpful in showing me the basics so I knew what to do by myself the next time.

I actually think its pretty good for a first try!
I used an Opalite bead and copper wire in 20 gauge and 28 gauge.

Making this pendant really helped me to get some basic wraps under my belt.
I really recommend just getting stuck in if you're thinking of trying something like this! Theres no point being nervous and trying out a few wrap techniques on some scrap wires. Just get going and start a project!
You'll learn much better if you end up with a finished item at the end!