Let's Go Shopping!

Today's fabulous finds include:

 This sweet crocheted blanket by Atelier Afra.

I think it will look beautiful as a throw over my red

leather chaise and I can see myself curled up there

in winter cuddled in this blanket with a book and a cup of tea.

 This Bamboo Print by MollysMuses.

 I LOVE the colours!

 And for your feet, this pair of Apple Green Guillerminas 

by Lepiedleger. Not sure about their durablity but

I still think they're fun.

Finishing off with this feminine Floral Skirt by Kaylim.

So pretty, just wish it was my size!

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For more Saturday shopping ideas head over to the BrisStyle Blog .



Let's go shopping!

 Feel like some armchair shopping? Every Saturday the BrisStyle Blog hosts a virtual shopping experience that allows BrisStylers to share their favourite Etsy finds. How could I not play along? I literally have hundreds of favourites stored in my wishlist. Here are today's picks:

Crochet Flower Appliques

Bubbles Fresh Fruit Bowl

Felt flower shoe clips

 Baby stone buttons

Guess what this is made of...

I've shown you a bag made from keyboard keys.

Here's another one that is quite unique.

I first thought it was leather but on closer inspection it looked like some

kind of canvas.

Try seatbelts. I would have never guessed!

It's called the 'Hyphen' bag and is made by indie label interrobang in Sydney.

This bag is a limited edition, which is understandable, since there are not too many red seatbelts around. 

So clever. I like it.

Mending a broken heart

With Valentine's Day coming up I thought it would be a good idea to list some heart-themed rings.

What I didn't think was how challenging it would be. My beadwoven rings are created with a circular peyote stitch, which starts in the centre and increases towards the outer edge. By using different colour beads at different stages I create the various designs. I don't work from any patterns and just experiment with ideas as I go along. Trying to make a non-circular design in a circular weave is pretty tricky.

 This was my first attempt. Tops are too pointy!

 Second attempt. Love these two colours together but they are all wrong for this design, which needs a strong contrast. I couldn't see what I was doing and it ended up being too lumpy around the edges.

 Third attempt - success! Still not perfect but this is as good as it gets.

So here it is. There will be only one Valentine's contribution after all. After spending a whole afternoon trying to figure this out I've decided to put it into the too hard basket. Definitely a one-of-a-kind creation!

Back to flowers, stars and circles.

Happiness!

This is what I've been waiting for! A heavy padded envelope was waiting for me at the front door this afternoon with an absolute rainbow of Japanese seed beads.

Like so many other crafters I know, I source most of my supplies from overseas. When I first came to Australia from Africa I was thrilled by the selection of beads available in bead shops and used to spend hours just browsing the many colours, shapes and sizes. Fortunately I have a sister who enjoys this activity as much as I do.

But even the best bead shops could not compare to what I found online. America is a treasure trove for crafters. It's probably a good thing I don't

live there!



The downside of course is waiting for your parcel! But for now my wait is over and when I tipped all these bags of beads out of the envelope I almost got a creative anxiety attack.

So many colours! So many options! Where to start? When to start?

If you don't hear from me for a while at least you know

what's keeping my busy.

Playing in 'my creative space'.

Thanks to a link shared by Kellie Christie - the original button jewellery designer and now also button maker - I've decided to show you what

I'm working on today.

In between the housework, filing and grocery shopping I've started another beaded ring. Still waiting for a long overdue delivery of hundreds of brightly coloured seed beads so I'm using what I have at the moment.

This post will be linked to Kootoyoo where players get to do a bit of show and tell every Thursday, so if you're making something why not play along!

BrisStyle's Handmade Heart beats for Queensland Flood affected Communities.

With heartfelt acknowledgement of our fellow BrisStyle members as well as all the Queenslanders who have been affected by the recent floods, we have put our crafty goodness towards raising funds, as well as awareness of those in need.

Visit the BrisStyle Blog to see hundreds of amazing items that BrisStyle members have donated to raise funds for the Flood Appeal.