Crafteroon

It's fun to share our talents with others, sometimes learning a new skill or taking the time for someone else. My husband and I spent a Sunday afternoon learning a new craft, a crafteroon, when my daughter Kelly opened her home to those who wanted to make jewelry. There is no charge for the event and she even has supplies for all you would need. How does she do that? No charge? But then you get to her house and see all of the beads, pendants, metal works, and findings she has and you get the picture: she would love to have some of it gone and if it leaves via someone else's efforts, that's just great. My husband insisted on buying two small packages of silver hearts to make each of his daughters a pair of earrings and some of the older granddaughters necklaces but I assured him Kelly probably already had a stockpile of hearts. I brought along a couple dresses that I was trying to find jewelry for and we managed to match up some of the beads and a pendant stone.

We arrived to find two tables in the dining room that had boxes of jewelry findings down the center. They are in compartmentalized boxes by the type of metal: shiny silver, silver, antique silver, gold antique gold, bronze,black, etc. On a side table were beads by colors. Into the living room were more boxes of beads by color on the coffee table and even more on a low set of bookshelves. It was overwhelming!

Liz was already there and a friend of hers from work came a bit later but even though we each had ideas of what we wanted to make it was still a lot to take in. With Kelly's direction, things took shape as we found pendants and other pieces, starting to put form to those ideas. Ready for style and color consultation, Kelly gets you started and gives assistance in the techniques for putting things together.

Here's the layout in the dining room: see more on the table in the background?

Do I know how to tie a clasp into a necklace? No, but Kelly does and shows you on one end and then helps you try it other end with her guidance. Along the way there is much conversation between all of us as we admire and give judgement calls on what looks nice together. Hot beverages were DIY but we were almost too busy to stop and take a sip. There was going to be a prize for anyone who used up a whole container of beads, thus freeing up some space but when I knocked a container of tiny beads onto the floor (losing about a third of my already strung necklace beads in the process) I was declared the winner even though it wasn't exactly what she was aiming for. I think we could come over every week for a year and hardly make a dent into her supplies. Why so much? She was the recipient of someones jewelry making supplies when they could no longer do this and it almost doubled her count. We are grateful she shares this mountain of wealth with us.

Here's what some of us made in the two to three hours we were there:

Liz's earring up in the corner but her friend made the rest: WOW!

Earrings are for Jim's 4 daughters and necklaces for granddaughters: I think they have HIS heart.

My contribution with purple necklace, earrings in another shade of purple/blue

I picked up the sewing machine charms at the last craft fair and Kelly had the right charms to add to them. Since this is a sewing machine blog, this is my tie-in:

It was a productive and fun afternoon in December that gave us all a good time. Sorry we couldn't lighten Kelly's load by much but I understand she's going to have another one soon. Wouldn't you like to come?