My Craft Adventures

happy new year!

2012-01-19T19:00:00.002+09:00

Sewed this bag for my host-mom, it is her birthday next month.

Hope she likes it.

I hope your 2012 will a great year filled with lots of projects and fun.

snowflakes

2011-12-14T11:56:00.001+09:00

Figure if it isn't gonna snow, I should make my own snowflakes.

It's been awhile since I've done any wire work or beading.

I saw something similar and re-created it.

Happy Holidays!

d.i.y.

2011-11-10T11:13:00.004+09:00

I've been seeing these "snoods" or infinity scarves here and there.

I didn't want to go out and buy one, so I "made" one...

Use a skirt pin (top left) and your favorite muffler/scarf.
Pin the ends together (top right & bottom left)
Wear it!

Now if the trend dies, I can go back to using it like a muffler/scarf.

utensil holder

2011-05-29T14:33:00.000+09:00

I've been wanting to make a utensil holder for some time now.

Since today is very rainy and I'm stuck indoors, I decided to keep myself busy with this project.

I put two pieces of scrap fabric together and made this based on a roll-up type holder a friend had given me.

Her roll-up holder was made from a face towel.

My utensil holder holds, forks, spoons, chopsticks, butter knives & an area for tissues.

My fabric wasn't straight to begin with so when I sewed it together, it didn't come out straight either.

Anyway, I like how this turned out. I also recycled a stretchy ribbon that came with some cookies...it's like a big fabric rubber band.

iphone case & bag

2011-04-17T15:49:00.005+09:00

Found a cute Hello Kitty print...made this iPhone holder that can also hold the earphones.

With the majority of the fabric I made this bag.

etsy purchase #2

2011-02-05T09:00:00.002+09:00

New pendant that I purchased from Kimono Reincarnate. This purchase was to donate monies to the flood victims in Australia. Plus I really like her crafts and this is perfect for the Year of the Rabbit.

re-make

2010-10-22T08:34:00.002+09:00

Didn't like the way the bag fell in the other post, so I took the strap and cut it in half.

I made it into a T-shirt bag (I think that is what they call it), like those shopping bags you get at the grocery, only this isn't plastic.

stuck indoors

2010-10-04T21:02:00.000+09:00

Was stuck indoors today because of the rain, so I decided to use some scraps to make this bag.

It is a little bigger than this one.

Most shoulder bags tend to slide off when wearing heavy coats so bags like this, that go across the body are perfect for winter.

iphone case

2010-05-13T19:34:00.001+09:00

I had seen a cute iPhone case in a Cath Kidston magazine here in Japan.

The magazine listed the measurements, so I took them down and created my own pattern (7.7 cm x 12.3 cm).

I had cut some "nicks" on the top of the pattern, but realized it would be too hard to sew, so I cut my fabric straight across.

Using some upholstery fabric that looks like a Marimekko type, I created my own iPhone case.

I think the Cath Kidson version uses velcro and oilcloth fabric, but I wanted to try making button holes for the first time, so I did just that.

What do you think?

and a pair for satoshi

2010-03-20T19:26:00.001+09:00

A pair of sachets for Satoshi....these weren't long but are wide enough for his shoes.

more sachets

2010-03-19T18:24:00.002+09:00

After using up my potpourri, I decided to buy some more.

Using some scrap material I made these two long sachets...for my shoes.

sachet

2010-03-12T17:25:00.002+09:00

I recently found some potpourri tucked away in the back of my closet.

It still smelled fragrant, so I wanted to find a way to use it.

I took some scrap material and was able to fill 3 sachets.

Am putting these in our table linen and towel drawers.

my first etsy...purchase

2009-11-10T09:03:00.005+09:00

I know I haven't been posting much here, actually I kinda lost my "mojo" to bead or do crafts...hopefully with a pair of much needed glasses, I'll be able to get back into the swing of things.

I wanted to share this pendant that I bought from Kimono Reincarnate on Etsy. Melanie does beautiful work re-using kimono fabrics. She also sent me some handmade magnets.

Her packaging is beautiful as well.

You should check out her site.

keeping busy

2008-09-22T12:59:00.004+09:00

Been keeping busy, doing some project here and there.

A skirt pin with czech beads, faux pearls and new jade.

Using tegusu like the stuff used for fishing, strung up some odds and ends to make a long necklace.

Using nylon cord wire, strung up new jade, orange avent, blue lace, rose quartz & aragonite with czech beads and faux pearls to make a necklace.

With the scraps from the legs of my chino pants, I combined them with this Marimekko print to make a reversible shoulder bag.

peyote stitch cell phone strap

2008-09-12T19:06:00.002+09:00

It's been awhile since I've beaded. Made this cell phone strap today. Peyote stitch.

Took me awhile. The Nymo thread that I was using got tangled then it was a big knotted mess, so I needed to start over...sigh.

Glad this came out.

wavy necklace

2008-08-26T12:49:00.002+09:00

It's been awhile since I've posted here.

I've since lost all energy to bead. Probably because I was fed up with the way my teacher was handling the classes. (Long story)

I finally finished the wavy necklace that I was assigned in June.

I'll post again when I finish other projects, hopefully it will be soon.

chevron stitch necklace

2008-05-27T09:08:00.005+09:00

This is the chevron stitch necklace that I was working on.

It took about 6 hours to finish.

dutch spiral necklace

2008-05-08T21:29:00.003+09:00

This is the dutch spiral necklace that I was working on.
I ended up taking a long time to finish it. I'm glad that one is over.

Now in class I'm doing this chevron stitch necklace. Hopefully I'll have some time to finish it before the next class.

working on...

2008-04-25T08:55:00.003+09:00

Working on this dutch spiral necklace. The stitch is quite repetitive so it isn't very hard, just kind of monotonous.

I guess I'll work on this a little at a time. 1 section took an hour. :( 6 more to go!

right angle weave necklace

2008-04-10T18:01:00.001+09:00

Today was the first day of my bead stitch class. I made this right angle weave necklace.

The color is light purple, with pink and some light brown pearls.

It took about 3 hours to finish the whole project.

lariat using take beads

2007-12-14T07:58:00.001+09:00

Like I said in the previous post, take(ta-kay) beads resembles bamboo, so this is what they call these long, twisted beads in Japan.

The start of the lariat is made using the ladder stitch and then the bulk of the lariat is made using the herringbone stitch.

The fringe is put on after you make the lariat itself.

odds & ends

2007-12-13T17:34:00.000+09:00

African helix stitch necklace. The pendant slides off and can be used separately.

Working on a lariat with take (ta-kay) beads. I think they call it take beads because it looks like bamboo.

I made two totes to give away for Christmas. This is the only style I can sew....straight.

working on...

2007-12-05T14:39:00.001+09:00

I'm working on an African helix stitched necklace. Should be finished soon.

Here's another scarf I crocheted, this yarn was a bit more difficult to use but I think it looks like a fun scarf.

american stitch vine & blossom necklace

2007-11-12T22:17:00.001+09:00

Another project designed by Stephanie Eddy called "daisy vine and blossom". This necklace uses the daisy chain stitch. It was quite easy to make. Another necklace that will look nice over a turtleneck.

herring bone margaret brooch & scarf

2007-11-08T19:20:00.000+09:00

Here is the finished brooch, it is made using the herring bone stitch. The leaves are made using the brick stitch.

My student taught me how to make this scarf. It is made using the chain stitch. Make a long chain for the length of the scarf then go through each link and make a chain stitch but pull the yarn through the link to about 4-6 cm long, do this for the length of the scarf. It only took 2 hours and 2 balls of yarn. I bought the yarn at the 100 yen (US $1) store, so it only cost me 200 yen (US$2)! Depending on the type of yarn you use, your frills can be thicker or thinner. My beads teacher loved this and wants to try making it herself! (sorry, I learned crochet in Japanese, so I know the terms in Japanese, I hope you can understand how to make this!)

working on...

2007-11-07T07:50:00.001+09:00

I have all the pieces for my herring bone stitch brooch. I'll be able to put it together at class tomorrow.

glove holder

2007-11-02T21:55:00.000+09:00

It is almost glove season here...This project took about an hour because of all the pin work.

Using the small clip, attach it around the handle of your bag and when you take your gloves off, clip your gloves into the holder...you'll never lose your gloves again.

american brick stitch pendant

2007-10-25T10:42:00.000+09:00

This project was a kit that was designed by an American designer, Stephanie Eddy and then it was translated to Japanese. It is a brick stitch pendant. It didn't take many hours to make maybe about 3. It is also called "falling leaves", which is perfect for the season!

working on...

2007-10-14T19:17:00.001+09:00

Currently working on this brick stitch necklace....it is quite easy, I should be finished soon.

right angle weave bracelet

2007-10-11T17:48:00.000+09:00

Finished! I put it onto my work mat because the clasp is quite tight (need someone to help me put it on and take it off)....onto my next project.

working on...

2007-10-01T16:03:00.001+09:00

This is a right angle weave bracelet that I'm currently working on. Have a week to work on it before my next class.

netting style necklace

2007-09-26T21:18:00.002+09:00

My latest project. A netting style necklace. I weaved the V-necklace then attached the "frills". I think it will look nice on top of a turtle neck.

crochet & good news

2007-09-13T16:55:00.000+09:00

This is a choker that we made in class using sterling silver wire to crochet the top. We also added a leaf and a butterfly as the pendant.

I also received my certificate for passing all the projects for bead stitch. I now have 3 certificates--one for crochet, bead skill and now this one.

I'm thinking of quitting my bead classes at the end of this year. (I can't believe I've been taking classes for 3 years!) time to move on....

rockin' girl blogger

2007-08-29T07:39:00.000+09:00

Bead Explorer of Boundless Opportunities of Beading, nominated me for another Rockin' Girl Blogger award.

Previously, on my food blog, I was nominated and passed this award on to 5 others.

I won't pass this one on but just give my thanks to Beadexplorer for thinking of me and my blog.

Thank you!

new toy

2007-08-24T11:09:00.000+09:00

I had been looking for Hot Fixx beads in Hawaii, but there weren't any to be found. I finally was able to get some here. They also sold the Kandi Kane, a wand that heats the glue on the backs of the rhinestones. I didn't know this, but it is one of those "as seen on tv" products.

I decided to "bling" up my jeans.

Here they are before the "blinging".

All "blinged" up...no where to go with them....
(the photos don't capture all the sparkly goodness)

I also "blinged" up these cream cases that I wanted to recycle.

herringbone spiral necklace

2007-08-09T16:58:00.000+09:00

Whew! this one was a doozy! Herringbone stitch that spirals into a tube.

We had to make three tubes and sew them together to make the necklace.

Then weaved these rings as decoration and also to cover up the areas where it is sewn together....next class in 2 weeks!

working on...

2007-07-28T22:02:00.000+09:00

This one could take some time. It is a herringbone stitch tube necklace. Just 3 centimeters took 2 hours....

herringbone v-necklace

2007-07-26T16:24:00.000+09:00

Well, I finished the necklace. Not something you could wear everyday. I took about 5 hours to finish.

Stay tuned for the next project...it is a doozy!

griffin silk cord necklace/lariat

2007-07-20T08:28:00.000+09:00

I finished the necklace in my previous post, but I want it to be checked by my teacher before I post about it, so I'll probably post about this necklace next week.

In the meantime, I wanted to show you a necklace/lariat that I made using Griffin silk cord. I used carnelian chips, some turquoise and some colored shell flowers. It is very versatile.

By attaching a clasp at one end, you can clamp onto any area and use this as a lariat.

And by putting a large stone at the end, you can clamp onto the end and use this as a necklace.

It took awhile to make this, but I'm happy with the results. The thing I really like about the Griffin cord is that there is a needle already attached, so there is no need to worry about threading the needle.

working on....

2007-07-13T08:10:00.000+09:00

Working on this herring bone necklace, hopefully I'll be finished with it soon!

peyote stitch flower brooches

2007-06-28T17:17:00.000+09:00

This project took awhile to make, maybe 8-10 hours just to make all the petals and leaves. The hardest was making the pink flower petals, using the thinnest needle, the beads would crack at the tip of the petal and I would have to start all over....

Assembling the brooches took another 2 hours. This project is the last in my beads course and I can now get a certificate for it. My next class starts in 2 weeks and I'll be doing projects which review the different stitches that I've learned.

square stitch heart lariat

2007-06-14T17:41:00.000+09:00

This project took over 10 hours. Each heart needed 2 sides sewn together.

The easiest part was putting it together. (sorry this photo is blurry).

square stitch ribbon choker

2007-05-24T17:06:00.000+09:00

This is a choker using the square stitch. This stitch wasn't too hard to learn and only took about 3 hours to make.

peyote stitch bracelet

2007-05-10T16:42:00.000+09:00

This bracelet was very difficult to make especially the pointy ends. I had to re-work one side 6 times before I could finish it.

herringbone tube lariat

2007-04-27T15:43:00.000+09:00

Here is my latest bead project, a herringbone tube lariat. It took a REALLY long time just to stitch the lariat. The little decorations at the end were the easy part. :) Now to catch up on some other projects that have been neglected...

peyote stitch tube necklace

2006-12-14T20:24:00.000+09:00

Today was the last bead stitch class for 2006. I finished most of this project the other day and attached the toggle and bar at class today.

This necklace is made using the peyote stitch. It kind of reminded me of a winding staircase.

All done! Since I'll be going back to Hawaii for a bit, the next class for me will be in April.

thomas tote

2006-12-01T16:37:00.000+09:00

A reversible tote bag for my cousin's son, Kellen...shhh..it's his Christmas present...

peyote stitch channel ring

2006-11-29T08:36:00.000+09:00

I bought these channel rings online and stitched a ring into the channels using the peyote stitch. My favorite is the white one.

other crafts

2006-11-17T10:37:00.000+09:00

A crocheted scarf.

A crocheted brooch with beads.

A pot holder and tea cosy for my host-sister.

Mini-bead purses.

Several bags which I sewed.

bead stitch-intermediate level

2006-11-17T10:17:00.000+09:00

The intermediate level included the brick stitch.

Right-angle weave pearl bracelet.

A needle case cover using the peyote stitch.

And a lariat using the herringbone stitch and venetian beads.

bead stitch-beginner level

2006-11-17T10:11:00.000+09:00

The beginner level of bead stitch started off with the peyote stitch rings.

A spiral stitch necklace.

A daisy chain bracelet.

A netting stitch necklace.

bead crochet-specialty level

2006-11-17T09:59:00.000+09:00

The final level before recieving my certification was called specialty level and included projects such as a mini-bag pendant.

Another "gorgeous" necklace.

A necklace made using all the little bits of sterling silver wire, melded together and then crocheted.

A little doll.

bead crochet-advanced level

2006-11-17T09:53:00.000+09:00

The advanced level projects included a crescent necklace.

A napkin ring.

A choker using a twisting method.

A 3-layer dome ring.

bead crochet-intermediate level

2006-11-17T09:49:00.000+09:00

The intermediate level--a wide bracelet

Domed ring and clip-on earrings

A brooch

bead crochet-beginners level

2006-11-17T09:44:00.000+09:00

Bead crochet uses sterling silver wire and semi-precious beads.

Here is a cell phone strap using semi-precious crystals.

And a long necklace.

Bracelet, earrings and ring using tourmaline and swarovskis.

bead skill-specialty level

2006-11-17T09:31:00.000+09:00

The specialty level class was the level right before receiving my beads skill certification.

Cell phone straps woven with "tegusu" with a flower pattern (monotone).

And a cell phone strap, using 9-pins to create a flower pattern (colorful).

Our last project was called "gorgeous" necklace. I wonder when the Queen of England will invite me over for tea...

bead skill-advanced level

2006-11-17T09:29:00.000+09:00

The advanced class included a necklace using Tpins and 9-pins.

A 2-layer ring using "tegusu"

A 3-layer ring using "tegusu"

And a lariat and domed ring using bead balls

bead skill-intermediate level

2006-11-17T09:25:00.000+09:00

The next level was an intermediate level.

Our first project was a necklace using "tegusu" to make a choker. This one was tough, because the beads are clear and so is the "thread".

Next was a glasses cord made with 9-pins and T-pins.

A bracelet using the "hachi-ami" or weaving to look like the number 8--sorry I don't know what it is called in English.

Mini purses using "tegusu"

bead skill-beginner level

2006-11-17T09:17:00.000+09:00

The next level called beginner level, included these projects.

A necklace using 1 "thread" called "tegusu" it looks like fishing line.

A necklace using nylon cord wire and "tsubushidama" (crimp beads).

Earrings using 9-pins (eye pins) and T-pins (head pins)

Using "tegusu" weaving a 1-layer ring

Using "tegusu" weaving a 2-layer ring

bead skill-introductory class

2006-11-17T09:02:00.000+09:00

I started beading about 3 years ago as a favor to Satoshi. He needed people to fill his quota for membership at a company culture class.

Here was our first project, a Rondele ring.

Next, a necklace using nylon cord wire and a bead ball.

A ring that was made to look like a cross.

A bracelet using an eye pin (it is called 9-pin in Japanese because it looks like the number 9).

A necklace using nylon cord wire.

craft blog

2006-11-17T09:01:00.000+09:00

I just wanted to start a blog which posted only about crafts which I have done. So far, I have taken up beading, bead crochet and bead stitch. I have also sewn a couple of bags.

Enjoy!