Monday, July 27, 2020

Giveaway for July 2020

Another fun giveaway I wanted to share with you from "Closet of Ange" on Instagram:


Win this set of 4 wash cloths for the kitchen.  Handmade from 100% cotton.

Hurry this giveaway is almost over!  

Participating is easy:

1. Follow Closet of Ange (if you are already a follower, please skip this step);
2. Like or Heart the post;
3. Write in one word, or a few words about why you like a clean kitchen;
4. Tag someone (to tag use the "@" symbol along with their Instagram name without any spaces.  Example:  @closetofange.

Have fun!  Who knows, you may be our next winner.  

**Closet of Ange runs a monthly giveaway, eligible to Canadian and USA residents.**

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

instagram.com/closetofange

I wanted to share this giveaway with everyone. 

Lovely, Mother of Pearl Necklace in gold up for grabs.  Ends May 31st, 2020. 

4 Easy Steps to Get into the Draw:

1.  Follow ClosetofAnge
2. Heart the post
3. Comment on why you love spring
4. Tag a friend.

(to tag a friend, you use the @with their instagram name.

Have fun and keep safe!

Friday, February 7, 2020

Large Button Cowl For Men or Women

I'm in love with these large button cowl/scarves!!  They are a unisex style.  The wooden buttons are the perfect color brown to compliment the rustic feel of these handmade scarves.    I found these beautiful buttons on Amazon for a really good price.  You can get them here.  

*Please note that when you make a purchase via a link from my blog post, I may be receiving compensation for bragging about a product.  I only brag about products I love or use which are of the highest quality.


I sell these scarves for $30.  Order yours today.  You can order one via my Etsy shop. 
Choices of colors are: Brown, Charcoal, Light Grey, Mint Green, Wine, Blue.
Scroll to the bottom to see how the scarf fits with a coat or jacket.



Friday, January 31, 2020

I Made Some Boot Cuffs




I find when I wear skirts in the winter, my legs get cold between my boot and my skirt.  The solution I came up with was making a pair of "boot cuffs".  Of course boot cuffs are awesome with leggings and skinny jeans too!!

My first attempt was with a chunky yarn...  I didn't like the finished look of the cuff because I found it to be too "chunky" for my chicken legs (the cuff is nice though, just not suitable for me).  Since this was only a test, I didn't make two;  I  only crocheted one to see what it would like on me.  See the difference between the chunky yarn and the 4-ply below:



I thought a 4-ply yarn would be more delicate looking and I was right.  It looks way better for my leg size.

How did I make these?

Any 4-ply yarn, a size 5.5 hook, scissors and a wide-eye needle.

Make a chain of 23 stitches (or however wide you want your cuff);

Single crochet in the second chain from the hook (into the back loop of the stitch only- this is what makes the ribbed effect and it also makes it stretchy);

Single crochet each stitch in the back loop, chain 1 at the end of your work, turn and repeat until you have your desired size;

When you've reached your desired size, slip stitch the seam (this will make a nice almost invisible seam);

With your last slip stitch, chain 1, and single crochet all around the opening, slip stitch at the end.

To make your little frilly, scalloped finish:

Begin with 5 double crochet stitches in one stitch, single crochet in the next and alternate all the way around.  Slip stitch at the end and tie off (make sure you leave enough tail to weave in).

Finished!


Monday, January 13, 2020

Button Scarf For Hubby

My husband wanted me to make him a scarf with buttons.  I chose this lovely, acrylic/wool blend, roving yarn in this gorgeous cobalt blue color.  This scarf can be worn 2 ways: first it can be worn by buttoning the two lower buttons which gives you a looser fit around the neck as he is wearing it in the above picture, or with the extra button, you can also wear it so that it covers your neck more.  See pictures below to see what I mean.  



I personally am loving this scarf!!  Do you want to replicate this look, find the yarn here, and the large wooden buttons I purchased them here.

*My blog contains affiliate links.  When you make a purchase via these links, I may be compensated.  Please note:  I only brag about items I have researched or I have purchased myself.  Than You!


Thursday, January 9, 2020

Finished Adult Messy Bun, Ponytail Hat


I finished the adult-size, messy bun/ponytail hat in black with an oversized flower.  I'm loving this hat!!


Notes about making this hat:  Instead of only using the elastic in the circle, I also added a chain which I slip-stitched into a loop (I thought this might be a good idea in case the elastic ever broke).

Another thing I did, was use a chainless double crochet stitch when I did the slipstitch with each new row (this makes an almost invisible seam).  

I doubled my yarn (I used two skeins of 4 ply yarn, which makes the hat stiffer and a bit heavier).

My flower is oversized with 7 petals (I love the fullness of 7 petals as opposed to only 5).



Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Working On Adult Messy Bun Hat


I made a cute, messy bun hat for my granddaughter which turned out to be perfect for her mounds of curly hair!  Of course, she makes everything look cute in my eyes (lol).  Now, I'm working on an adult size messy bun (ponytail) hat in an adult size S/M.  Here is what I got so far.  It's going well.  I will be done shortly and will add a lovely crochet flower to the side to give it that glamorous look!

I'll post the pattern when I'm done.  Please take a moment to click on the FOLLOW button (up on the right of the page.  If you love DIY and handmade, you will love the Handmade-Korner!

Here is the one I made for my granddaughter (below).


Monday, December 30, 2019

Rustic Rings His and Hers

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/729087545/his-and-hers-rings-copper-rings-4mm-and?ref=shop_home_active_7&frs=1
These, rustic copper bands are hammered to a beautiful finish and then layered with a rich brown patina and sealed for a lasting finish.  I make these rings out of re-purposed copper pipe.  

It's interesting to completely transform an object into something else, to re-invent it and make it into wearable art.

Although copper does not look great on my skin tone, I love working with that metal; it reacts beautifully to the torch and it's so versatile! Plus, it looks amazing with silver.   

One of the techniques that blows my mind is "torch painting".  
In the future, I will write a post all about the process.  It's fascinating and mesmerizing all at once!

These rustic bands sell as a set.  You can get them via my online store here.




Monday, December 23, 2019

Crying Eye Pendant, Custom Order




A customer sent me the picture below of a crying eye (eye with tear) and asked if I could replicate the design for his girlfriend.  




Below, you can see my design from this original photograph (with my personal touch). 


First, I made a sketch with the measurements needed for the pendant.  

Second, I chose sterling silver and solid silver as my preferred metals because that's what I had on hand.  

Third, I chose a lavender color cz stone for the tear (as was required by the customer).


Initially we wanted to use a piece of beach glass as the tear drop but my sea glass pieces were too big for this project (and I didn't want to have to cut a piece of glass for it was just too small to handle).


In my original design, I had the idea of using PMC silver clay, which is a precious metal clay (a wonderful product because you can work it like clay then fire it in the kiln so that it burns off the clay and you're left with a solid piece of sterling silver or pure silver depending on the clay type you use).  Actually, you can also purchase this clay in less precious metals like copper, bronze, and of course you can also get it in PMC (precious metal) gold.  I've never used any other clays other than the PMC3 silver and the Art Clay 950.  Although silver clay is available on Amazon.ca I noticed the others are only available on the Amazon.com site.

If you are like me, and love to learn about new techniques, then you will enjoy learning about how to use silver clays with this how to book (it's worth knowing what you're doing because this clay can be tricky). Here are a few good books from the Amazon.com site 

*My blog contains affiliate links, which means that when you make a purchase via these links, the company may compensate me for promoting their products.  I only promote products I use or that I know are of the best quality.  Thank You.


What happened to my initial idea of using PMC3 Silver, you might ask?  Well, I did the entire pendant with the exception of the bail and everything looked beautiful (I was quite proud of myself especially since I was using the Clay 950 for the first time).  
After removing it from the kiln, I was giving it a good polish to get the metal to glisten like it should, and it looked amazing.  I knew the client would be very pleased!  

And then, to my horror, during the last shining, the pendant got caught in the polishing bit, twisted, under the pressure of the Foredom machine, broke into pieces that were flung across my studio (I have yet to find one of the pieces)! 

I had no time to be emotional, no time to panic, nor to give up.  The pendant was a surprise gift and my client was counting on me.  He was on his way to pick up the pendant the very same day.  I had to use my plan B (yes, I most of the time have a plan B with this type of project).

I took a breath, gathered what I needed to construct the eye (using silver .999 sheet and sterling .925 heavy gauge wire) and got to work.  

To my relief, in no time, the eye came together quite nicely; I was satisfied with the overall look.  

After cleaning and polishing it up, I added the cz stone and placed it in the jewelry box ready for pick-up.  

Results:  Happy client and a very happy recipient, the girlfriend!

Quote:  Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success!



Friday, December 20, 2019

Professional Finish To Handmade Hats


I found these awesome, little pyrographed, wooden tags with the word "Handmade" on them.  I absolutely love them!  They will add a professional finish to my handmade knit and crochet projects. 

What do you think?  You can find these tags here.  


*I promote affiliate links so that if you click on them to make a purchase, I could be compensated by the company.  Thank You for supporting me.