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Yep, it’s a catchup post. Sorry to have flaked out like that. Yes, yes I haven’t forgotten the competition. Sorry! It’s on the list and I’m getting to it, really.

So, what’s been happening? Well in the last week, I have been crying and yelling at the kids quite a lot. My husband travels away for work and he has been away Sun pm to late Fri night for the past three weeks, prior to that there were two weeks much-needed holidays at home and before that there has been Mon-Fri away for the last ELEVEN weeks in row. I tell you, the two weeks break seem like a million years ago.

I have just about had it and the poor kids miss their dad like crazy too. So, suffice to say I am trying to keep up with everything crafty as well. Not to mention the diet (aughh!) and a ban on shopping as I have overdone it lately - must have been using as my stress relief. Oh, and I came off my anti-depressants a few weeks ago too so I am keen to not slide back there.  Yes, everything all at once. Natch.

I have been keen to ramp the business up a bit (yes, bad timing I know but it’s giving me something else to focus on) and so I have arranged to have a cube at in.cube8r which is a shop/gallery in Melbourne that I mentioned recently. Just as soon as I receive and sign the paperwork, I will be sending a package with detailed instructions as to how I want my stuff displayed in my street-facing 40cm glass cube. As suggested by Isy, I have made up a cube to the right measurements out of card so that I can play around with how things look and how much will fit in comfortably.

It probably won’t end up anything like that but it’s a start. I have been doing a lot of hot-glue-gunning and sticking buttons to everything. In particular, hair clips and rings. I have also been making some brooches.

Not sure what else will go into the cube but I’m sure I’ll take another few photos as I get it sorted out.

I have also been making enquiries about doing some market stalls here in Canberra, particularly in the lead up to Christmas. The only decent handcrafted markets are Gorman House Markets on a Saturday and Old Bus Depot Markets on Sundays. I have had the go ahead from both and now I just need to decide what I want to do and how often.

One thing I keep finding is that both Old Bus Depot Markets and in.cube8r requested no beaded jewellery as there is just too much of it around right now. I even did up a lovely little display board - keen eyes may notice that these are some of the pieces that were put up onto my shop site a hundred years ago. They are still here so I will do a big sale soon I think. I haven’t done a whole lot of beading lately (mostly because the ones I had made weren’t selling) and it seems there isn’t much point in making beaded jewellery for sale right now. Pity about all the beads and findings and stuff I have sitting around. If you would like to buy any of these, let me know in the comments.

Emma insisted on being included in the photo taking session so here she is with a couple of lovely friends.

brand new button chokers made from both vintage and new buttons now available at RED INSTEAD handmade.

Today I spent all day crafting with some friends at the inaugural session of Craft n Laugh - I wish I had thought up that name, I really do, but it was Rachel. I love it! There were four of us mums (Rachel, Ruth, Jess and me) and our various children and we all sat around Rachel’s dining table and talked up a storm while our fingers worked away. We are hoping to do this every Friday - what a great idea!

I wasn’t sure what to bring at first as it had to be light and portable, conducive to chatting and something that didn’t require a lot of contemplation or concentration. In the end, I grabbed a bag of buttons and some jewellery findings and a few other bits and pieces and spent the day making pretty things from buttons.

I threaded buttons as we chatted - easy peasy. The necklace above is made by stringing buttons onto round leather thonging. Cute and colourful.

I ended up making five of these ribbon necklaces for all the kids - they are so quick to make and they loved them. You can also see a button cuff that I made. I cut a piece of beige felt and sewed three rows of buttons onto it and then one huge button to act as the closure. I then grabbed a scrap piece of fabric that from the pile that I had brought along and backed the felt with it, sewing little handstitches all around the edge.

The choker and drop earrings above are made by stringing a large button layered with a small button onto craft wire and using jewellery findings to close. Simple, colourful and fun! I had such a great time making all of these and it was a great way to eat into the large button stash.

I have added more things to my shop - go to http://www.redinstead.com.au to see more:

 

a lovely long blue beaded necklace with clear glass pendant

 

a five strand wire wrapped necklace with green indian glass beads

 

a fun tote bag - groovy!

 

pretty flowers tote bag

 

for the serious handbag lover!

more new stuff at www.redinstead.com.au