Juju Loves Polka Dots

All Blogged Out!

Oh My Goodness!

When I started blogging the world was such a simple place.

But now, everyone, and their sister has blogged her baking and babies. Is there really anything of interest left to blog about? I'm afraid I've lost the motivation to keep my own blog.

However, I now keep a blog for Loop. I'm more motivated to do this since there are always new things in the shop to talk about and I imagine our customers are interested. I'm posting patterns as well as interesting ideas over there. 

Check out my pattern for the Crow Waltz Shawl.

Will I still keep my own blog about non-knitted things? I don't know yet. I'm afraid that it's just vain and self-promoting. These days, I get so much irritating spam ,I have to approve all the comments. Yet, it is a place to have a voice and a web identity. I'd miss that, if I gave it up. I just don't know.

In the meantime, I thought I'd show you some recent non-knitting. I went away for a weekend, just to bead. I mostly finished off old projects. Two bracelets:

And two new pairs of earrings:

I was very inspired by my friends Marilyn Phipps and Zitta Smith. They both have astonishing collections of bead jewellery that far surpasses anything else I've seen. Their colour and design sense is first and foremost. They make wearable delights, but not for profit. Mores the pity really because I can't direct you to much on the internet. Marilyn is teaching some of her collage beading in the summer and autumn. I find her collage style really inspiring. It got all my juices going! I have all these lovley bits and love what they do when you put them together. Here is a little play on my bead table last week.  

I don't have time to make anything of it at the moment but it puts fire in my belly!

Summer Beading

I'm off for my summer holiday. I thought I'd leave you with these pictures of beads I've been making recently.
 

 

So much fun!

taking pictures takes time

Why do women always want to watch porn movies right to the end? Because they want to see if the heroine gets married. Jimmy Carr via my friend Jinny

I love that joke! It's my current favourite. I have been telling two highly obscene jokes that I wont mention here but I like that one even better.
I've been very busy this last month and haven't taken the time to blog. My biggest problem being that I don't always have pictures to go with my activities. I still don't have pictures of the wedding dresses I've made or the felt hats.
Also I'm working on a couple of books right now and I can't blog about the content. However, I will give you a sneak peak at some jewelery I've been working on for my next book because I took some nice photos and it won't hurt just this once. Will  it?
I've become very interested in combining fabrics with beads. This necklace uses chiffon as the stringing material and the tie.
 
 And more of that gorgeous chiffon...


I think I've finally found a material I like to string jade with! More experimentation to come...

This next set of bracelets includes some t-shirt tubes.

 
I loved making it because I could play with beads, fabric, silk threads and metal. More fun to come in this direction.

Today's inspiration: Middle Aged Teacher at Flickr continues to inspire me and now she has a blog. Plus super Susan at Loop has this lovely article about her at Lovely Textiles which looks like a great blog.
Likes: The Adam and Joe show! How I love funny radio!!

What's pink and fluffy?

What's pink and fluffy?
Pink fluff.

Love that joke!

When I was passing through Toronto I was too sick to do much bead and ribbon shopping. So I'm back there this weekend for a little looksy. I'm amazed how much cheaper and more variety the bead shops in Toronto have over London. I speculate that it has something to do with the large Chinese population bringing over imports. But the difference is spectacular.

This is a simpler pair of turquoise, glass and ribbon earrings. These are proving popular as presents to my friends and relatives.

More popular than the funkier yo-yo fabric variety.

Which I love!

While in Toronto, I also plan to spend a little time in China Town. For sometime now my son has taken to only wearing silk clothing. We order silk Kung Fu suits from Hong Kong for him but I'm hoping to find a good cache in China town. Or buy some silk and make some before the summer is over. That's the fantasy anyway.

Today's Inspiration: Kimono flea market.

Likes: Antique markets. I try to resist but I am powerless. I was proud of this find; a tramp art frame for $15 and a red and white quilt top (lower left corner).

In the Woods

What's black, white and red all over? Half a cat.

I told you there would be bad jokes...

But maybe I didn't tell you that I would be gone for so long...It goes like this every summer. I have the best intentions of blogging from my cabin but never find the time. This year has been my worst. But I'm still alive and well and happy in the woods in Canada.

I have finally recovered from my pneumonia, although it persisted throughout July.

I haven't been painting as much as I planned. I did these three before I left London.

I have been busy beading though. Here is my beading picnic in the woods. That's the lake in the background.

I can sit here and bead, watch the forest life and talk to our friendly chipmunk, Wunky. Next post I might show you what I've been making.

I'll be teaching beading workshops at a new London venue in the Autumn called the Make Lounge.

Today's Inspiration: There are so many great magazines on this side of the pond. I'm enjoying Craft. I just finished making (and drinking) delicious blueberry wine after reading an article in the last issue.

Likes: The call of the loon.

Look out for all the bad jokes!

What can you put in a wooden box that will actually make it lighter? Holes.

Warning: I have many bad jokes coming up over the next few weeks.

I disappeared again, didn't I? I have pneumonia and I feel terrible! And I'm getting ready for my annual trip to Canada.

This year I'm going to be painting and making earrings during the summer. I want to make 150 pairs of earrings to sell in the fall. Want a sneak preview?

What do you think? My plan is to do a couple of craft fairs and also try selling through Etsy.

What do you all think about Etsy?

I can't believe how many inexpensive but beautiful pieces of jewelery you can get there! If I wanted to buy someone jewelery for a present under $30, that's where I'd go. I'm a little concerned that my prices might look higher than average Etsy prices - London is expensive - but I'm working on ways to make my prices reasonable.

Okay, I'm going back to my sick bed now. I'm so bored!

Today's Inspiration: Sylvia Edwards' wonderful abstract watercolour paintings. I bought her monograph (look how cheap it is through marketplace) and it has given me a lot of pleasure in my sick bed.

Likes: Ribbon. Especially Mokuba ribbon. And there is a great Mokuba store in Toronto which I'm going to visit next week! Yeah!

Dislikes (I'm allowed to resurrect this today): Being too sick to make stuff!

String of Lights

On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights: "For indoor and outdoor use only."

 

Brad Dosland has the most beautiful pictures of belly dancers. Yes  I am still completely addicted to belly dancing and am planning the making of my first costume and wig/hair extensions.

It is also time for me to have my hair coloured, cut and re-extended so I am working on the new beaded extensions for the hairdresser to put in.
They are  in amazing antique bronze cut glass and ruby red charlottes. Much more beautiful in real life than this photo can show. Although I have bought a new tripod I really need some lights for my winter time photography.

My hair should be even more beautiful this time. I promise to get good pictures to show when the extensions are in.

This week I will finally be posting the pocket instructions. I am working on them now. Come back soon.

Felt crazy

He who dies with the most yarn and fabric is, nonetheless, dead.

I've been doing a lot of felting but not many pictures yet except for this needle felted bird, made from a drawing by my son.
We have no light at the moment and my tripod is kaput. Might get a new one today.

Have a look at Humblearts for some nice needle felted Christmas ornaments.

More felted ornaments.

Really good demonstration of needle felting.

Nice pincushions, site link from Molly Chicken.

 

Interesting site.

Highly desirable felted knitwear from Mary Davis.
Please Santa, a bobble skirt for Juju's polka dot collection!

I know it's expensive Santa, but surely with all your elves to help work those knitting machines, it's no problem.

Pocket pattern coming in the next few days.

P.S. Santa, this jacket is also wonderful!

Good Juju

I have to preface this joke by saying my friend is doing a study of Jewish humour and she now has a sideline of Protestant jokes:

WASP son: Mom, I'm sorry but I won't be able to make it to dinner on Sunday night.
WASP mother: Oh, that's okay son.
Briony Glassco

I am the good juju. this is the bad juju, in case you ever wondered.

I have been ever so busy but it should calm down for a while now and I will have more time for my blog.
I've just finished a commission for this necklace
It gets posted away today. To bad, because it looks great with what I've got on.
never mind, I have this neck thing to keep me warm.

Listen, I want to know if anyone else was persuaded by the absolute necessity on making pockets ? I've now made half a dozen and I don't know how I lived without them. Should I post a pattern?

Bead lust

Americans call it the Tonight Show so they can remember when it's on.
Jo Brand

(Sorry Americans. You do know the English, okay everyone, makes fun of you all the time, don't you? Jealousy probably.)
I'm lusting after these beads which are on sale at Happy Mango.

Actually all turqoise is lustable and on sale. But I'm not having any of it! I must make and sell what I've got before I do any more wicked buying. But look...

And polka dots too!

Boo, hoo!