Unwrapping the bear bead kit by Daiso

I picked up this bead kit by Daiso while shopping in Mong Kok, Hong Kong. In the past I used to do a lot of beading either from Japanese project books or Miyuki beading kits I love. But the problem is sourcing the beads themselves quite often have to buy them in small amounts or substituting for something else. I guess ebay and amazon are best places to look.

Brought this for $12 HKD which is bargain and comes with earjack plug as recent development with smart phones there is no place to attach mobile phone charm. I use them to dangle on bags or USB sticks.

On closer inspection it wasn't Daiso store I brought probally due to set jet lag. This is third day since my return to reality. Further research I believe it is Living Plaza by AEON, Mong Kok. 3/F Chong Hing Square, 601 Nathan Road, Kowloon. AEON is company who import Daiso products they are much nicer than Poundland, 99p, Pound World and other discount stores here in UK. Some Poundland papercraft products are okay but rather buy in Works.

This come with selection of plastic beads, Nylon monofilament and cotton wadding which is new. I never come across beading project which uses cotton as stuffing as normally large or small clear beads. It suppose to take 2-3 hours. I'll start this kit tonight, the instructions are very clear comes with diagrams and multiple languages and photograph the finished project.

Also I noticed an image of one my tatted motifs has been on Squidoo tatting website and not incited. I believe it is one created by 12# Flora white/purple with red beads. It would be polite to link where you take pictures from when searching on google. Even in pinterest they link back the source, I heard in flickr a person's zentangle drawing as uploaded to facebook without their permission. Yea it happens so makes sense to add watermark in everything I upload to flickr and my blogs. I may of been away for 3 years but doesn't mean I won't find out.

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More completed creations found in archive

These are were completed over the Christmas period. Some were given away as presents.

The photo quality isn't that good it's amigurumi baby snow bunny from darncat. The pattern used to be able to downloaded free I checked it seems to be private blog. The head was over stuffed, this is my second attempt at amigurimi. Recently brought another Japanese craft book which has lots of cute animals. These can be hung from mobile phone straps.

My first attempt at evenweave the stitching was alright but backstitch was highly detailed. This was to replace the altered stocking brought from a shop. The Me to You bear pattern is from Xmas issue of Crosstitcher magazine. I added seed beads on the edging.

This is first attempt at creating a mouse plush, everything is hand stitched I feel the limbs are slightly off. I used material scraps lying around. If there are duplicates this means I can't be sure these are uploaded or not. Pay well to update regularly.
Still more to come and decided to update my flickr album. I used to be able to to all these stuff in the daytime now have to wait until 7pm only to find other people are using the internet. This isn't fair. I was told laptop doesn't use that much electricity.

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Tatting techniques I have learnt.

I haven't been able to update my blog as I like due to some people being stubborn and moronic. Only been tatting for 2 month and already becoming proficient, ring and chains are second nature to me. Also I noticed certain projects contain obmittance and mistakes. Here are techniques I have completed so far.

Cluny leaves are not as difficult as it seems and there are perfect tutorials on youtube. I have difficulty following written instructions even if they have clear photos. I recommend a pattern with lot of cluny leaves just so you can get used to make a loom and weaving.

Celtic tatting- I used Helen Bailey's Celtic Egg Pattern and noticed there were so errors, where it says 'repeat from * to ** 4 times.' It should be 5 otherwise there won't be enough rings to fit to first section. Third section instruction- after Chain B, etc it should be another chain 6 - 3 - 3 - 6 join to picot of ring from First section, chain 6 - 6 - 6 join to picot of ring from First section.
Here's a hint check the instructions before uploading online, 11 year old motif and still not corrected.

Motifs are from Diamond Rio Bookmark/Edging by Sabina Carden-Madden and Saundra Hameed Cluny.

Flying Minor Norwegian Dragon-Google threw up several images of this wonderful dragon motif, I traced the source it turned to be designed by Anne Bruvold. I used Lizabeth H&H 20 No.131 it has 4 different colours you can tell I have used SSSR because never quite mastered it. My dragon is the mystic psychic and appears a totem/guardian of mages/psychics/shamans. Well I am an RPG gamer. 

Inward face Picot- There was very few tutorials for this technique the nearest I could find is Tatted Moth Pattern on totusmel.blogspot.com Hard to notice the inward face picot from this image they are on the body of the moth.

Maltese/Pearl tatting- This is from Eliz's Maltese Pinwheel Snowflake
I must of miscounted on last chain as ended up with additional section of snowflake and it should be load 6 seed beads on shuttle 1 as I can't see how bead on shuttle1 can be encapsulate into a ring. This pattern is good as has clear photos on how a maltese ring is made.

Expermental1- block snowflake
My attempt to create a medallion with blocks. It seems last block has to 4 X 5 or the thread won't lie in the right direction. The first section can be made with split ring which means omitting the beads. I unattentional created floating rings.

Expermental2- Wide snowflake
This has 12 sides and variation of first design I sketched while I was learning how to tatt. Originally featured just chains and ring this motif has SCMR on the outer arms.
These patterns I created are experimental and won't be releasing instructions just yet. Threads I use are Flora H & H white or white with purple graduation.
There are still of other techniques to learn and becoming harder to find practise patterns for them. I have few more experimental motif of my own. Bye for now.

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tatting- block, chain and extras

So far I have learnt block tatting and becoming harder to find practise motifs for advance techniques such as square. Tutorials are plenty and there are decent videos in you tube.
I've found some excellent vintage tatting books on the Antique Pattern library. The older links on Georgia's site are dead so I'm forced to search for patterns else where. Been okay so far.

The top is Sue Hanson's snowflake which features block tatting, come to think of it majority of motifs I tatted are snowflakes. Below is my interpretation of edging by Elgiva Nichol's as shown on www.georgiaseitz.com/classes2/blocktat/block.html. Would be helpful if I learnt the Inward facing picot as would made joining the bottom to the top chain easier. I'll see if I can design a motif using block tatting.

Here is the split chain, I had to watch you tube video in order to figure out how the technique is done. The pattern is Split Chain fan by By Katia Vallée except instead of extra long picots I used handmade tassel.

Some extras- Another Snowflake motif and Button flower by Lisa C. Trumble. I don't have crochet hook small enough to pass 11/0 seed onto a picot, instead use piece of beading wire. (Don't know what gauge as label has fallen off).
I'm current doing cluny leaves which seems complicated but is is simple. Here is an excellent tutorial, not in English you'll soon get the idea on how it's made.

Another excellent Cluny leaf tutorial is by Mimi.

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Short break from MMORPG- Grand Fantasia.

In the rare moments I don't play Grand Fantasia I do crafting to keep my mind active. I managed to completed a beaded pendant which has been lying around unfinished for many months. Didn't know how to finish it off.

It doesn't have title but there are more details of this pendant on my flickr photostream. In the meantime I'm working on my next project.

The plastic packaging makes a good bead and paper pricking board and a good way of reusing. I dislike throwing stuff away are they might have uses elsewhere. I still run into the problem of colour choosing but see it was this was if you use what you have than wouldn't need to waste money on impulse items. I hear stories on create and craft or crafty magazines reader lost a whole room to their crafting materials. Thinks of the Wombles of Wimbledon Common and you can't go wrong. Make use of good rubbish.
I think I will return to Grand Fantasia.

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