Happy Day After Mother's Day Everyone!
I had a MomChops filled weekend plus crafts which equals the best kind of weekend there is!!
Saturday we had breakfast at her house, shopped for skirt fabric in two different places, stopped for a quick lunch and did a whole lotta gabbing (craft gossip and planning at it's finest)!
Sunday was another breakfast get together followed by hours of crafts. In the afternoon Chef RonChops came into the craft room and informed us that he would be serving us a 3 course lunch. The courses were: macaroni, cheese, and rotel (rotel is diced tomatoes with jalapenos for those of you who have never heard of it). He called his gourmet feast "macaroni and cheese with rotel"... it was utterly delicious and oh so fancy (thanks Chef RonChops)!!
Little MomChops Story
When MomChops comes over she always has a bag with her... inside her bag is usually a finished craft project or two and other random craft supplies.
However... also inside the bag is the most important crafting accessory of them all. One every crafter should never ever ever be without. Ever.
Slippers!
If she forgets her slippers it usually means she pilfers a pair of RonChops socks (don't tell him cause he might freak out a little bit... hehehe). I wanted to take a pic of her slippers but she forbade me. She crocheted them before I was born (167 years ago) and she's declared them too old to be seen by anyone but me and DadChops. I just wanted to share that little MomChops story cause it's one of those things I love about us hanging out together at my house! I am a lucky little LollyChops to have such a cool MomChops. Love you MomChops (xoxo).
So what are you rambling on about Lolly... let's get going with some crafts already (sheesh)!
A few weeks ago I shared a flower with a button center ringed with a bead embellishment (see it up top there)! Several people asked me about how I did that and I thought I might share a little tutorial on the technique!
Firstly... you'll want to start with some beads.
They can be any color really...
Teal, turquoise, metallic teal, light teal, dark teal, medium dark teal, translucent teal, frosted teal...
...you get the picture right?
Beads come in tons of sizes and shapes but I am using seed beads specifically for this project.
Just to let you know about what size seed beads come in... here is a little example!
I really like to use the size 11 beads for most of my regular craft projects. These are the easiest to find and there are TONS of colors to choose from (more teals than the law allows really).
If you can find them, get beading needles!
They are fairly cheap... 25 for $1.25!
They are MUCH thinner than sewing needles... and the best part...
... is that they bend.
You need to get these kind of needles if you really get into beading.
You tend to work the needles in and out of the same beads several times and when they are all snugly and close together you need the needle to bend some so you can get in-between all those fellas!
I also use Nylon thread combined with thread conditioner...
I am not telling you guys this stuff to scare you away from beading... you can use a regular needle and thread...
...but if you really get into beading you will want to get a few essentials!
Most beads are glass and over time regular thread will get cut and fray on the edge of the bead!
(that's why you use special thread (it's just more durable))!
I drew a little swirl pattern... just using a pencil on some muslin.
I came up from under the material and threaded 4 - size 11 beads on my needle.
Get as close to the last bead as you can and put the needle and thread back through the material.
It should look something like this!
Now... you will want to poke the needle up through the middle of the second bead.
Get as close to the center as possible!
(between the two beads and the bead line you are trying to make)
Pull the needle through the center of those two beads...
Now for the tricky part to explain...
You will want to take that needle and run it through the two beads that are facing the direction you are beading!
(holey cow that was kinda confusing and hard to explain!!! YOW!)
Basically what you are doing is creating a stronger line for the beads to follow and helping to connect them all together!
Pull the needle through those two beads and add 4 more beads and start the whole process over again...
(with a slight variation)
4 beads added...
...so now...
If you remember the first time you basically backed up 2 beads and threaded through them again before you added more beads to the row...
Well now you back up 4 beads (the ones you just added) plus 2.
So you are backing up 6 beads.
The thread will come out between two beads again...
...and then you take the needle and run it through those 6 beads
(again heading in the direction you are beading)
You just keep on going.
So basically you add 4 beads, back up 6, poke the thread through and thread back through those 6 beads before adding another 4 beads.
Scared LollyChops Here
I am pretty worried that this is not going to make any sense to be honest with you.
I was kinda nervous about doing this tutorial cause it's really hard to explain in pictures!!!
If this makes NO sense let me know ok you guys. I will do a video!
This is the finished swirly pattern...
I also did this same technique around one of those felt embellishments for my skirts...
...it's not too fancy but I think it adds something kinda special!
I added that same line of beads around some buttons too!
Again... this is super simple but can kinda jazz up your projects!
Oh... and be careful while beading...
If you knock the table with your mad craft muscles you get a big beady mess!
It's actually really super fun to clean up!
(so you might want to give it a try to see what I mean)!
(just kidding you guys!!!!)
Pink wreath dilemma...?
Last week I shared a felt and flowers thank you wreath I made for MomChops (you can see it HERE) and I was not sure if I was going to go with pins, french knots, beads, sequins or what... for the centers of the flowers! You guys really came to my rescue and basically told me to do them ALL (I know right???)!
So that's what I did! I added a little bit of everything (I even left a ton of the white pins) and it came out really nice!
So thanks a ton for being so generous and and helping me decide! It was really fun to read all of your comments!
And now for some random stuff...
I saw a scrapbook layout (a.k.a. LO) over on Stacy Cohen's site and I knew that I had to learn how to do this crochet technique she featured (the border is teal and I might have actually squealed when I saw it).
You can see her utterly fabulous LO HERE.
I sent the link to MomChops and sure enough she knew how to do this - so when she came over for crafts Sunday she taught me!
It's super easy! If you guys want me to do a tutorial on this technique, let me know! I could not get over how easy (and COOL this is). I think you are going to be seeing a LOT of this outta me (thanks for the inspiration Stacy)!!!!
I wanted to share more of the LollyChops inspired projects you guys have been doing lately!!!
So here we go!
Wendy made this beautiful bag and embellished it with some rolled flowers (tutorial HERE)!
Tara made this totally adorable set for her friends daughter!
I love love love how the little fishes are following the whale on the back!
You can download the free embroidery pattern (PDF HERE)!
Marla from Sincerely Home made her first ever crocheted rose!!!
GO MARLA!!!!
...and so did Karen!!!
I love the variegated yarn she used and I especially love how the little fella on the left looks like a rose bud!
Sooo pretty!
You can see the tutorial for how to make these roses HERE!
Lastly...
Jacynthe from Coups de coeur de Jac made a little framed picture from this tutorial HERE!
I think it really came out great!
Thanks for sharing your projects with me girls! I love seeing what you are up to!
What's Next?
I'll be back next Monday with the most exciting project ever (assuming I get what I need in the mail before Friday - keep your fingers crossed for me ok girls)!!!
The only hint I'll give you is that there are owls involved (and it's teal...that's more of a given than a hint really).
TEAL OWLS!!!!! ahhhhh yeah!
P.S. I have started a little LollyChops FaceBook page (welcome to the modern times Lolly). You can see my page HERE. I am going to post there during the week (little random bits of top secret crafts). So drop in and give me a HUG if you are a Face Booker.
P.S.S.T. Owl always love yas!
O.M.T. Here are some resource links!!!
Thread Heaven Conditioner: HERE
Beading Needle (size 10): HERE
Size 11 seed beads: HERE
Nylon thread: HERE
