How to safely package earrings for shipping

What to do when your earring cards don’t fit in the gift box you have?
Selling handmade jewelry is fun, a day that brings a double sale is twice as fun.. until it’s time to pack and you realize that your packing plan just doesn’t work and does not guarantee the package will travel safely across the globe.
Join me on this mini earring packing adventure – a simple “how to” full of pictures and some words

How to make Halloween pumpkin beads from polymer clay

Halloween 2011 is just around the corner but there’s still plenty of time to collect ideas and get busy with homemade crafts! Here’s a very simple and well illustrated (and completely free!) step by step DIY sculptured pumpkin beads tutorial.

Learn how to make these unusual pumpkin shaped beads in 7 simple steps and use them in your craft projects just as you would use regular beads or charms – created pumpkin earrings or make other accessories to go with your Halloween costume, create beaded bookmarks and key chains, Halloween charm bracelets, party accessories, home decorations and so much more.

Amethyst spiral rope

Or should I call it ‘the never-ending spiral’?

I just love how it turned out but the process of beadweaving seems to take forever! It’s literally one bead forward five beads back. One stitch adds only one seed bead worth of the necklace lenght. Just consider the fact that 3 meters of thread make only 21-22 cm of the chain!

Don’t know how long it took me to finish the lenght of the neclace, but I’ve been working on it on and off for the whole weekend

Simple cross-stitched pincushion tutorial

A quick and easy homemade gift idea or a useful addition to your craft box?
A creative way to use those small cute cross stitched patterns that are too small for framing or a way to use up small off-cuts of linen/evenweave?

For me it’s all of the above, as well as an excuse to stitch small patterns or choose to embroider only a fragment of the large design. And the pillow shape of this pin cushion makes it very easy to use just about any cross stitch pattern you like.

Today I’m posting a brief and simple photo tutorial explaining how to make your own pillow pincushion with tassels.