Faith Ann Originals – beadrecipes

If you’re looking for the Summer Carnival Blog Hop it is here!

Welcome to the Haberdashery Blog Hop (my first, how exciting!!!). A bit over a month ago, I challenged my friends in the beading community to incorporate things found in the haberdashery department—buttons, ribbons, bias tape, sequins, lace, zippers and all sorts of other sewing bits and pieces—into their jewellery designs.

And here we are for the big reveal. Did you have fun finding interesting ways to use non-traditional components? I certainly had fun playing, although some things have yet to see the light of day! And I definitely had fun collecting all of these bits and pieces.

My first piece features that gorgeous, and rather large, button you can see in the picture at the top of this post. I bought this button on Etsy a few years ago (from Orit Dotan, a button shop with a great range of new and vintage buttons) because it was just. so. fabulous! I thought about using it as a necklace focal, but ultimately decided to use it in a bracelet so I could see it. But the question was, how would I incorporate it? After lots of browsing Pinterest and the fortuitous discarding of a pair of jeans by my husband I decided to make a denim cuff bracelet to showcase it.

Basically, the cuff is constructed from a piece of the waistband from the upcycled jeans. I added a bit of lace around the edge, and sewed the button onto it. Sadly, I have not yet worked out how to set the press-stud snap thingies in place (I’ve tried but something is not working, so I need to hunt down someone who knows what they are doing!), so it’s a bit of a Work in Progress. I’m also torn as to whether or not to add a bit more bling. Or just leave the button’s fabulosity to speak for itself!

I had enough useable waistband to make another cuff. This time I added a strip of ribbon (part of the Amy Butler collection, isn’t it lovely?) and some blue lace. Again, it’s unfinished as I couldn’t get my sewing machine automatic buttonhole function to work properly.

Here are the two denim cuffs side by side.

Still on a bracelet/ribbon kick, I created a couple of simple bracelets from a nifty lace belting I bought from the Japanese $2 shop Daiso. For the first bracelet, I just attached ribbon ends and a clasp to a length of the ribbon, and voila! A simple bracelet. I got tricky with the second version, attaching some chain to make a wrap bracelet. These were really hard to photograph, as the ribbon is very stiff, so apologies for the dodgy photo!

My next makes are a little more “me”, and incorporate some cute narrow “rouleaux” cording made from Liberty fabric into a necklace. The pendant is from Faith Ann Originals, and the beads are Czech glass. I attached the cord to the necklace and chain with a combination of knots and jump rings.

There’s a matching pair of earrings too, with a piece of cord tied above the Czech flower bead. You could easily do the same with a scrap of lace or ribbon.

There was so much more I wanted to do. I’m really inspired by Nina Bagley’s wrap bracelet/necklace pieces, which incorporate an eclectic combination of beads and lace and leather and all sorts of bits and pieces, so I’ll keep playing in that direction. I need to spend more time with buttons too.

Anyway, enough of me. It’s time to go and look at everyone else’s stuff! Thanks to everyone who joined in, hope you had as much fun as me!

Melissa Trudinger https://beadrecipes.wordpress.com <– HOSTESS, ME!

Ann Schroeder http://www.beadlove.wordpress.com

Tammy Adams http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog.html

Amanda Wacasey http://mandyinmystic.blogspot.com

Dolores Raml http://craftydscreations.wordpress.com

Divya N http://www.jewelsofsayuri.com

Michelle McCarthy http://www.fireflydesignstudio.BlogSpot.com

DiYana Brooks http://agapecreationsjewelry.blogspot.com/

Robin Kae Reed http://willowdragon.blogspot.com

Andrea Glick http://zenithjade.blogspot.com/

Karin Grosset Grange http://ginkgoetcoquelicot.blogspot.fr