Chrysocolla and Black

faceted black agate bracelet

I love these bracelets...I'm going to have to keep one for myself... but which one?

I'm off to Ikea/Starbucks for coffee and to find some now craft storage to sit beside my little desk! wish me luck

chrysocolla bracelet

precious things

chrysocolla bracelet

No you haven't stumbled onto another blog by mistake, this is is Meridian Ariel, not in an alternate dimension either. But I have captured a muse and have been inspired to drag out some beads and play around with colours. Yesterday I crafted three bracelets, and today another three. I haven't dragged my bead boxes out for weeks, months even and 6 different bracelets in the span of two days. I think I may need a lie down, or another coffee at any rate.

faceted black agate (my favourite)

and did I mention the sketching? because I have been drawing, sketching and painting too, only a little bit but still that counts. Bust mostly I'm in love with these cute bracelets, the black agate and the chrysocolla ones are my absolute favourites and I'm really trying not to snaffle them up for myself.. but they are calling me, whispering things to me... oh but the turquoise one is pretty too...

erm something starting with a v (sorry I forgot I'll look it up later)

they may find there way into my etsy shop tomorrow.. if I don't hide them away... "My Preciousssss" ... ahem yes where was I?

chrysocolla and snowflake quartz, deep red jade,
and dyed turquoise

spellcheck thinks chrysocolla = Chrisco (ahem its a stone not lard)

Mermaid's Kiss

chrysocolla, silver, and glass beaded bracelet

Today for the first time in weeks I got my beads out to have a play and to sort out a bracelet that Anita at the framing gallery gave me to restring for a lady. It had some lovelychrysocolla beads but hadn't been put together very well by whomever had made it. I'm quite happy with how my reworking has turned out and hopefully the owner will be happy with it, and that it will fit her properly now too.

mermaid tattoo lavender rice warm/cool bag

Seeing as my beading supplies were scattered on and around my desk I decided to play with some green agate beads that I could never seem to put together in perfect way until today. It's a really simple design but the beads are such a lovely colour green in the light, and the bracelet sits well on you wrist. I'll be adding it to my etsy shop a little later today.

Emerald City Bracelet (green agate)


I made the little mermaid tattoo lavender and rice warm/cool bag a few weeks ago and never photographed it because I couldn't get a decent photo and I thought it wasn't good enough at the time. But now that I look at it I don't know why I didn't because its perfectly pretty, and though its small (measuring 3" by 8" ) its still very nice and smells good too so I thought I would pop it on etsy and see if I get any bites, but as its only a small bag I will sell it for a small price.

back home and back dated crafts

tea towel drawn by H and hand stamped with a little help

Were back from our holiday to visit my parents in Idaho, jet lagged all to hell and H currently having a major hissy fit as there is cheese on his sandwich...? We had a great time, though not enough of it and I will blog pictures later on in the week when I have stolen them from M, and can be bothered to sort them out. For now I will show you a few things I made the week before going away and didn't have a chance to blog.

lavender and rice warm bags hand stamped with Pappy and Grammy

H helped sew the lavender and rice bags, picked out the fabrics himself, and filled them with the aforementioned dried lavender and rice, then together we stamped the ribbon with "PAPPY" and "GRAMMY" least they forget, as well as getting him to draw a picture to trace onto a simple cotton tea towel from ikea, and then stamped it with my alphabet stamps and fabric ink.

a slightly better picture of the warmbag for my Mother

A few days before heading to the airport was my friend Flamesparrow's birthday, so in an effort to cheer her up I sent her a parcel of books, with a homemade card (which I think is one of the best I have ever done) and a small faceted onyx bracelet. The parcel didn't arrive until we were at our airport hotel so i never blogged about them either. I suppose I could have set the posts to post at certain dates then things would have been secret until my creations were in the hands of who there were meant for but the week before going away was chaotic to say the least.

onyx bracelet for flame

I know in my last post I promised a giveaway, but you will have to give me a few days as I have nothing made to actually giveaway. I did buy some crafty treats, fabric and stamps while away so I do have supplies to make some lovely things, and hopefully inspiration to get them made as well. And I have a lot of writing to do to, somebody kick me up the backside please, in a day or two though when I'm not so lethargic and jetlagged.

Flamesparrow's birthday card

Kid Swap Goodies for H

goodies wrapped up in re-purposed paper patterns
A few days ago Mr. Postman arrived with a parcel filled to bursting with gorgeous goodies from Australia, from the lovely Cass. Please visit her blog because the pictures she has are far better than mine, as H ran off with half of the wonderful things she made before I could take a proper picture of them.

Skippy the Kangaroo

H adores Skippy and has put him up on the shelf in his room to keep him nice and safe. But the best items sent in H's opinion, and he is very opinionated, are the cape/apron, he has been running all over the garden and into town wearing it, and the football satchel, that I haven't photographed as H ran off with it to fill with treasure, and bits for "machine" making.

Super Cape/Apron

And lucky girl that I am Cass even included two little goodies for me, a little wrist bag that I am quite infatuated with, M thinks I've gone quite off the rails, reversing it inside and out again and again. The only problem is its small and I'm not sued to carrying anything less than a full arsenal of things in massive handbags. I will just have to learn! And a lovely little recycled craft notebook... I love, love, love notebooks, they make me happy, there is nothing better than a new untouched notebook to write in, or just hug. so thank you so very much Cass, and I promise your swap will be in the post later today. And thanks go to Chloe for organizing such a fantastic swap

wrist bag and notebook for me!

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red wooden bead necklace

And just to let you know what I have been doing these last few days since organizing the fairy tale swap. I have done an commissioned order for a red bead necklace, though I haven't been able to get a hold of the woman who ordered it, so I have left it at the framing gallery and asked them to deal with her as she was their customer. I'm quite please with how it turned out, and if the woman who ordered it doesn't want it then the shop said they would be happy to place it on display.

Most of my time has been spent with H, playing Super Mario on the DS, fighting evil baddies with jedi lightsabers, building complex machines, out of ribbon, garden hose, and broken toys. Tuesday was meant to be a great family day out to see the knights at Warwick but the weather was so awful we diverted to The Bull Ring in Birmingham for some Krispy Kreme donuts, cinnamon jelly belly jelly beans (for me), and Starbucks in the borders bookshop. That has got to be my favourite thing in the world, sitting in a book shop drinking a cup of coffee, the scent of espresso and books mingling together. heaven

I also brought home a few goodies from paperchase, some recycled cotton paper postcards to doodle on, some blank mini cards and envelops, and some blank mini notebooks to doodle on, as seen in the two images below. Little Owl on a notebook.

Vintage Swap

Here are the things that I posted off to my Vintage Swap Partner, so if you are looking Mel and haven't received my package yet DON'T LOOK!

My swap partner is Mel from Sky Rocket Sews who likes the colours red and turquoise. I ran out of time to have the painted page put into a mount or a frame but I hope that Mel likes it, Its one of my favourite painted pages that I have done so far. What me obsessed? probably but I cant help it its just so much fun to paint these little pictures on pages from a broken and battered book, my kind of recycling. I hope she finds some use of the key chain, the red agate, and the turquoise/teal glass bead look amazing together. The books were in a bag of books that came from a relatives attic, they were lovely and I thought that Mel would appreciate them, plus I thought they really fulfilled the Vintage Craft Swap.

red agate and teal glass bead keychain

Painted Page flapper with red necklace

vintage ladybird children's craft books

Storybook Pages

toadstool

Before I begin this quite possibly random post I would like to announce the winner for my 200th post give away.. drum roll please! The winner is Katy from I'm a Ginger Monkey. Thank you to everyone who left a comment, new visitors, and old friends. I appreciate every comment that is left and I try to visit and comment on everyone's blogs. Last night I was babysitting for a friend, so instead of vegging out on the sofa watching Indiana Jones I dragged my paints over and some storybook pages and set to work. My favourite is the Toadstool above, and the little red heart, I haven't flattened them out yet, and I might just get M to take some scans of the toadstool and the cherry blossoms because I think they would make great prints, or stickers, or something... any ideas?

The toadstool was the last thing I painted and to me Its just perfect, in a way that I don't normally think my well my anything is, I guess I'm my own harshest critic. The only painting that I'm not happy about is the doll one, based on one of those little momji (sp?) dolls, she didn't want to be painted apparently. This morning I finished working on J's watch, which I hope she likes as much as I do. Hopefully I will get some more beading done before , H gets home and chaos descends on our little house.

teapot

cherry blossoms

doll

J's watch final assembly

Sweet Like Candy

Instead of going out anywhere today, as the weather was so grim, thunder lightning, hail, rain, and lashing wind H and I wisely decided to stay at home. He was exausted and I have a cold so it was a crabby and snuffly house today. Despite wandering around snorting olbas oil (sort of like vicks vapor rub on acid) I managed to not only do the previous post, but I also managed to get these three bracelets made, and a bit of knitting too.

It could possibly have something to do with H going for a two hour nap.... but nah lets jsut say I had an inspired day. The Ice Flake quartz is my favourite, its so clear and resembles crackling ice. If a girl can't have diamonds why not ice flake quartz instead. The smokey quartz is always a favourite of mine too, but the last bracelet pictured, the tri-coloured jade is something special. When I showed M he said it looks just like candy, it makes me think of GingerMonkey, I think she would appreciate the colour of the jade beads, so when it hits the shop tommorow I shall call it "Ginger".

ice flake quartz bracelet

smokey quartz rondelle bracelet

tri-colour jade coin bracelet

Biting the Bullet

Its official the bullet is bitten, if you would all kindly look to your right you will find and little Etsy box. Do you see it thats me having my very own little Meridian Ariel Etsy Shop!

www.meridianariel.etsy.com

I'm still a nervous wreak that it will all go tits up and fizzle out on me, but its there all shiny and new and I'll see what becomes of it. I'm hoping that at the very least it sells enough to keep me in beads and paint! Wish me luck and tell me what you honestly think. If you want something and its not there tell me and I'll see what I do!

Chinese Painting Beads

chinese painting semi-precious gemstone bracelet

My creativity has taken a bit of a nosedive today with the weather being so gray and miserably outside, and the onset of a headache that defies all medication. Luckily I made the above bracelet last night with Chinese painting semi-precious gemstone beads that I ordered with my hoarded Christmas returns money. I'd not heard of the stone previously but when I saw them on the bead website I was so intrigued that I had to have them to play with. I think they are gorgeous anyway.

I also finished knitting a small card holder out of a scrap of teal wool that was lurking in the bottom of my knitting box. If this headache recedes I plan to do some sketching for some paintings in the living room, M says the pair that are up that match the red/burgundy rug are too small for the wall so they must go. which is a shame because I like the pair even if they are too small.

knitted card holder