I had planned on having this up earlier this week, but Brice forgot to bring the laptop home 2 days in a row. I really need to stop being lazy and get my computer fixed, but I have been so productive without it that I almost hate to get it fixed. ALMOST. But anyway, I have a mini tutorial for the Christmas garland I just made for this swap:
I don't really know if you can call it a tutorial, more of a how I did it. I did a lot of beading and I'm not very knowledgeable about that kind of thing so I am sure there is a better way to do it, but oh well, here goes:
This is the finished product:
and here are the supplies I used:
1. Glittery chipboard letters
2. silver craft wire 24 gauge
3. Bead reamer
4. All in one beading tool
5. glass beads in shades of blue
6. Store bought crystal garland-I goth this one in the cake section of Wal-Mart
7. Pretty glittery snowflake ornaments
I got all this at Wal-Mart while browsing one day and it didn't cost very much. The first thing I did was wind all the crystals on the store bought garland around the actual part of the garland. THey were made to hang down and since I was going to hang the letters and the ornaments, I didn't want them hanging down. Ok, numbered directions from here on out....
1. I took a bead reamer and made holes in all the letters. On the m and the y, which had 2 prongs, I made 2 holes:

2. Then I cut a piece of wire with the all in one tool. I didn't really measure, I just made it as long as I wanted it to hang plus some for twisting around the letter and the garland.

3. I inserted the wire from front to back

and then I twisted the extra wire around the hanging part of the wire:
4. I put beads on the wire. I used silver and blue because I love those colors for Christmas. It just looks really cold to me :)

5. Then taped the store bought garland to the floor and laid everything out to make sure of the placement:
BTW, I wouldn't bead the ornaments, just wire them.
6. I then twisted the extra wire at the top of the letters around the store bough garland:

and VOILA! it was done. Afterwards I found this pretty blue stars garland in my craft area and decided to twist it around the store bought garland. It turned out well I think. I hope the recipient likes it :)
Closeup of blue garland twisted here:

Paige has also needed some dresses for church and I got on that this week. This one is made from baby cord and butter suede and the pattern is from Ottobre 4/06. It went together well and the fit was perfect. I would definitely recommend it.

and modeled:

I also finished an amigurumi panda key chain for a swap-bot swap:

I'm working on an amigurumi Little Red Riding Hood and I can't wait to show it :)
Have a great day ya'll!