Something different

This week I did something simple but different with my nails. This is the only red nail, all the nails on my other hand are pink. Part of the reason I did this was because.. I couldn't decide which colour to wear, and I thought 10 red nails might be a bit full on in my office, barely anyone seems to paint their nails!
I have cut my nails since painting them (bad.. I know but, I'm just really lazy at taking the polish off) and only one of the nails (on the other hand) is looking worse for wear. I will (hopefully) be switching it up again tonight, going back to my barry m gelly polish, I think.

Monday Monochrome

 

Okay, so it's not completely monochrome, and the internet seems to have messed around with that last picture because it was fine before I uploaded it. BUT, I treated myself to a new dress at the weekend. This was only £7 in primark (it was in a sale) and I was surprised that there were so many smaller sizes left (6,8 and 10). Maybe it's not short enough for some slim people? I don't know, but I liked it and wore it to work today, but I think it would be nice enough to wear for an evening out with a nicer cardigan (this one is from primark from a couple of years ago) and a glitzy clutch. Having said that, what do you think of my new bag? It was a steal at everything5pounds.com which kind of gives itself away with its name (although a lot of people on their facebook page don't seem to get it). They sell all sorts of women's clothes, shoes, accessories and lingerie/nightwear, as well as children's clothes. Most of their stocks seems to me to be from stores that have gone into liquidation, or couldn't shift their stock for other reasons, but as long as I like it, I don't care who couldn't sell it before!

All in all, this was a pretty cheap outfit, coming in at about £23 for everything in the picture, and then I wore it today with primark pumps as well, so only another £4-6.

These prices don't include jewellery as I'm wearing what I wear all the time anyway.

Slouch hat

I finished my hat! (And I'm wearing a customised tee but you can't really see it here). Yes, those buttons are the leftovers from my incomparable buttons tutorial. They're so pretty! :)
Anyway, if you've forgotten where this pattern came from, or just didn't read the original post about this hat, the pattern is over on ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/urban-revival

I think my band is a little thicker than the pattern, even though I actually checked the gauge with this project! I guess I didn't check it very well, but I think this works and it let me put the buttons on that way :)

What I did today

Sorted out my craft corner. It was previously a massive mess, but now it's all organised :)
Made a hanging decoration from my crafty creatives boxes:

• ribbon, from box 2 - nautical
• pegs, from box 1 - floral
• art cards, fish from box 3 - oriental, lighthouse from box 2 - nautical

Wrapped my mum's birthday present, it came wrapped with this leopard print tissue paper and it looked gorgeous, but I couldn't leave it wrapped up and just hope it looked okay (even though I was pretty sure it would!). So I opened it and had to re-wrap it, but I think I did a pretty good job! Just hope she likes what's inside.

Ravelry

I've discovered Ravelry and joined this week.
I've already started my first project from there, I don't know if you can see it if you log on (I haven't tried looking at people's profiles or anything yet). My username on there, if you want to have a look, is xkakesx, but as I say, I don't know if that's even any use to anyone.

Moving on, this is the pattern I've started..


© 2011 by Vickie Howell 

The pattern (and more pictures) can be found at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/urban-revival

So far, I have completed the band:

I've also started the main part of the hat, which looks quite pretty (but quite different from the finished project). With any luck, my giant ball of yarn will last till the end of the project.

You can see my lovely new crochet hooks here too that my mum got me for my birthday :)

Button mad!

The cupcake earrings! :D

As promised

As promised, what my work desk looks like on a Friday afternoon. Note that blogger is open, all my crochet is everywhere (and my files are all over the desk, in unorganised piles)

I do actually have a note on my desk now telling me to tidy the files I don't need away! :)

Autumn rain

Eventhough I'm still sat in my less-than-comfortable office chair, I'm quite enjoying crocheting on my lunch break, listening to the rain on the windows. It makes a nice change from studying too!

Friday is my one day a week where I give myself a break at lunch time to do what I want, instead of studying or revising for my AAT level 3 qualification.

I have a picture of my desk on a Friday lunch to show you later, but I can't plug my phone in to upload the picture here (and I don't have a clever android with a blogger app..).

Incomparable Buttons

I was given some lovely handmade buttons as part of a tutorial swap, and thought it was high time I actually did the tutorial.

So, how to make button earrings!

Here's what you need:

 Some bits closer up:
The gorgeous buttons I chose (from incomparable buttons):

Some epoxy resin glue:

I got a pack with both of these tubes (you need both) in a 99p shop.
The earring stems:

I bought mine from a shop on ebay...http://stores.ebay.co.uk/kittypink

Okay, so, once you've got everything together, you need to put a small amount of the glue on a piece of cardboard.

There should be equal amounts of resin and hardener.

Mix the resin and hardener together using a cotton bud (Q-tip).

Apply a thin layer of the glue mix to the back of the earpost using the cotton bud.

Then place the earpost on to the back of the button. Try to make it relatively central, unless you want your earring to hang below your earlobe a little.

Repeat from adding the glue to the post.
You should now have 2 earring post-ed buttons!

Leave them to dry overnight, sometimes longer, and then they should be ready to wear!
If you're not sure if the posts are fully adhered, pull them gently to see if they hold firm.
If they don't, leave them a little longer, if they do, you're good to go!

I've only made mine tonight, so I can't show them in yet, but I will post another picture when they are ready :)

I hope you all enjoyed my first tutorial, let me know if you have any questions!