Wire and Beads Projects 2012

I took breaks from my weekly crafting and whenever my back can take it, I would sit and create! So in no particular order, here goes some of the stuff I made.

I am so pleased with this - my first handmade Christmas decoration!

Did you see that?

Another achievement for the year - a decade of Rosary, can be a car rosary or pocket rosary. 

Another rosary done

Another rosary

I like this bracelet - looks exquisite!

Bracelet using wires

Bracelets on stretch chord

This is quite big and heavy - I like the weight on my wrist!

Another one (or two) of my favourites - unique beads

Purple and pink

This is another heavy bead but very nice and comfortable to wear - I like!

When the two favourites are together, they look awesome.

Made this as a Christmas gift for a colleague

This went to a little girl

Trying my hand on brooches, this could look good as a wedding brooch too

Findings for My Rosary Project

Rosary necklace is one of my 'to-make' project list. Inspired by one of the blogs I read about rosary repairing service, I decided I should make this as a challenge. On Friday 29 June 2012, my husband and I (together with our son) went to Dragonmart Dubai to buy more of my bead project supplies. Trying my luck, I asked the sales assistant from the 'DaDa Trading' if they have this cross and medallion for rosary and she said no. That shop became crowded with people so I left and went to the first shop I bought the beads before, the 'DuDu shop' (see my previous blog in June). Not so many people so I can breathe and think while choosing the beads and findings. I asked the Chinese lady about the rosary cross and medallion and she produced both in less than 5 seconds. I wanted to give her a hug! I bought about 5 sets plus few more supplies and this time, did not even ask for discount. She gave me discounts herself :)

Marble In A Cage

This looks easy on the guidebook so I decided to try it myself this week. Unfortunately I did not have a thick string or leather strings to make this properly but I made a silent promise to buy it next visit to the craft shop. Instead, I have used thin black elastic string, normally for hairband and waistband. This is just for practice and blogging purposes but hubby has requested me to make him a necklace like this when I get the strings next time. :)

Little girls' bracelets

I made these bracelets for two lovely girls, Selena and Tiana as a surprise even from their mother. Simple gifts made from the heart.

And for their mother, a simple pair of earrings..

Marble-lous

Will be practicing some bead wrapping with these marbles :)

Daiso at Madinat Zayed

I have not gone to this Daiso branch for a long time so I thought I would go and visit. Got these from them:

Three tubes of seed beads, two star-shaped beads and colourful round beads. I am going to do two bracelets and maybe earrings for my friend's daughters this weekend. Sssh.. it's a surprise.

For a Little Girl

I had few small packs of plastic beads which are colourful and young girl-ish. I bought them from Daiso when I first started the bead project. I do not think I can use them with the other pearls so I decided to make a pair of earrings and bracelets out of them. This is such a great way to practice and it is fun too.

Dark brown, maybe maroon?

I have been occupied with this project for almost two weeks, partly because I was walking around Madinat Zayed area to look for small metal beads and debate with myself on the design.  I have summarised my trips to MZ as pointless if I need to do serious, money-making business out of this hobby.

And so yeaaay.. the necklace and matching earrings are done and ready to be brought out to meet its fans.

Mina Centre Abu Dhabi

Last night I went to the Mina Centre Abu Dhabi (location hint: Mina Port, Abu Dhabi Co-op, near to ACE Hardware Mina area, Toys R Us) in search for beading tools and supplies. The bookstore, where I bought my tools before, had the small pliers good for cutting wires below 0.8mm. I found the round nose plier set there too, priced at AED30.00 or AED38.00. The only problem is, the round nose pliers are a bit bigger than the ones I have now, it is good if I had a bigger palm *grin*. They also do not sell it per piece so I would have to buy a set of four or five different round nose pliers.

The beads they have are for children craft projects. Small craft section for colourful plastic beads in boxes. Not for me at the moment unless I am conducting bead classes for young children. They also do not have wires I was looking for. I was a bit dissappointed. They have supplies for other hobbies e.g. oil paintings, clay, engravements so if you are into those, you may want to visit this bookstore.

I finally found my mini wire cutter that would cut the 0.8mm in Daiso Al Wahda mall which cost about AED14.00. Happy!

Wrapped!

I almost forgot to post this latest wrapped bead earrings I made earlier this week. I love these wrapped beads projects. Will do more of these. I used 0.6mm wire for this. White faux pearl on top and Crystal white / black bead at the bottom.

Bead Obssession

Lookie lookie what I found... new beads bought from Dragonmart. If you are new in Dragonmart Dubai and want to find beads findings and supplies, go to the GA - GB area. Find a shop called Dudu Shop or DuDu shop (these are two different shop in a same row, no kidding). You should be able to find other related shops in same row. Please try to haggle for discounts :)

This is cheaper compared to the second bead strand. This is AED20.00 a strand. It's just plastic beads in funny shapes.

These are AED50.00 a strand. Purple jade stone.

I think next time I will buy two strands of cheaper beads. I am not daring enough to mix colours and a super perfectionist but I will get there. My new list of supplies to buy include more rolls of wires and a look out for stronger wirecutter. I nearly chipped my wire cutter cutting a 0.8mm wire. Will not do it again! I used my other wire cutters now that I have extra of those from my first few attempts in tool finding in Abu Dhabi.

Last night I have separated few beads from the maroon colour beads as I have plans for them. I have made headpins but short of energy in wire cutting. Next I just need to be brave in mixing colours!  

May Bead Projects

Having to discover a new passion, I am now in need of supplies. Thanks to few expat women forums, I found an area in Madinat Zayed which has almost what I need. They are only short of 0.6mm in diameter and above crafting wires and of course tools. Findings like earring loops and hooks are there but not the right colour. Too bright, too silvery, too bling-bling. I like silver jewellery. If you happen to find this blog and want to know where to get supplies in Abu Dhabi, you can head to Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre / Gold Souk. In the Shopping Centre itself there's one shop in particular that I visited twice to get supplies. It is next to a shop called Hollywood, near the G2000 retail outlet. I should really try to remember how to get to the shop, I seem to be always walking in circles whenever I go there.

Just outside the Shopping Centre, along side the Al Jazira Hotel there's a row of shops having more supplies. Naming a few, you can try to look for Golden Thread and Al Reza Trading. Malek & Shaheed shop has good supplies for Swarovski stones. All these shops are within the same block. Park on one area and prepare to walk. If you do not mind to walk around a bit you will find interesting findings. As the largest diameter of wire I found is 0.6 mm, I have to work with that for now. I hope the shops in Dragonmart Dubai can offer better supplies.

Last night I wanted to try out making wrapped bead earrings with the wires I bought, well not bad. Just need more practice.

Wrapped bead earrings - my first attempt

I love pearls!

Trying to play with the colour blue

My Happiness Project

Have you read this book, the Happiness Project? I have not read the book myself but I found the book on the display table in Magrudy's book shop in Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi few months back. I was flipping through the synopsis and read few pages (was not planning to buy any more books that day). It is from reading that few pages of book that I have decided the 'Happiness Project' is what I would call my journey this year onwards.

I have made few list of to-dos in my project which has no timeline but will have an objective - Make Me Happy! So if it does not make me happy, it will not be in the list. Simple.

One of the projects in my list had made me really happy.

Yes, I made my first bead earrings! It even looks expensive (quoting my husband's words). One of the things that I always wanted to learn and do is making bead jewelleries. It is not easy to find the tools. Supplies are not easy to find and choices not many. Under the Summer heat, I had to plan my route on where to be dropped and picked up. I will be heading to Dragonmart, Dubai one of the coming Fridays to shop for more supplies as I was informed that there are more choices there. Hope so. If not, then online shopping we will do!

I was so happy about my first earrings I decided to make another pair. I could go on making more but having a headache and a toddler demanding for attention, certainly not easy.

My second pair of earrings looks 'ethnic' - my husband said.

I am so happy. Happiness Project is a go!