What if we had Happy Hour at the bead store? Would you come?

We are starting something new here, and we are pretty excited. Crafty Happy Hour is a drop-in class that will take place EVERY Friday night. You will want to sign up to make sure you have a spot, but you can come to do the project anytime between 5:00-7:00pm. We'll have wine and all the goodies you need to make something fun!

Get more information about the Crafty Happy Hour right here. You can sign up for this first one and use the code BEADFREAK to save $9 off your registration! 

What a great way to start the weekend!

Snow Day Crafting

We are closed at the shop today. Our entire town is blanketed in at least one inch of snow/ice. For us, here in NC, this means that we are frozen, literally. We'll thaw out later this week, but for today at least we are all staying home to do whatever we love to do on snowy days.  For my family, that meant getting up super early to go outside and watch our dogs skitter along the surface of the icy back yard. Children who need dragged out of bed on a 'regular' morning are happy to pop up, breakfasted and dressed and ready to go outside on a snow day. Now we are back in, warming up and moving on to crafts and games and books. Maybe a bit more of the first.  Below I've got three great projects you can probably make with beads and materials you have at home...

my three favorite projects to make on a snowed-in day-

Slide Knot Bracelet You can make this! Use some of your favorite beads and (if you have it) waxed linen. No linen? Try leather cording, Conso thread or even rayon gimp. This project is from one of my favorite designers, Erin Siegel, click here to see the instructions and more ideas from Erin.  Dangly Earrings These use jump rings and left-long head pins. You have those parts...mix it up with seed beads and some of your favorite larger beads. Watch a how-to video here.  Wire Wrapped Bangle This just requires beads and wire. 20 gauge, 18 gauge, whatever you have. Full instructions can be downloaded right here, and this looks best with a mix of beads.

Animals Can Party and Exhibit

UPDATE- this event has been cancelled. The volunteers who were bringing pet food cans are not able to make it. I'm sorry for the VERY late notice, we were just informed!

Please call the store if you have questions.

The kind folks at Second Chance Animal Adoption are holding an exhibit and sale of pet-food can art in September. This event will raise funds to provide food and adoption services to hundreds of homeless pets.

We're hosting a 'prep-party' where you can view can art and learn tricks for turning your own cans into art on Saturday, August 17th, from 2-6 pm. The party is free, and we will have tools available to use. You'll leave with some new techniques and may be inspired to enter the show yourself! 

The idea for this exhibit and the events came from artist and animal lover, Martha Walton. With multiple pets eating canned food, she had a full recycling bin every week.  Dutiful recycling of cat-food can after cat-food can didn't seem like enough. She thought about 'upcycling' them.

With a few snips and bends, Martha figured out how to turn empty cans into intricate frames, sculptures and decorations. She's even making me a fancy floral corsage! 

"Every time I opened a cat food can I noticed that without the top, it looked like a frame - a picture frame” she said, “and with millions of pet food cans being tossed out, I knew if some form of art could come of them─ that would be a really good thing.” Martha created the “Animals Can” organization and solicited other artists to help. Together they have created whimsical mirrors, frames, ornaments, decorative wall art and more – all out of used pet-food cans.

These whimsical works of “can-art” will be on view Sept. 13 and 14 at an art show and sale benefitting Second Chance Pet Adoptions from 5-9 each night at Second Chance’s headquarters at 6003 Chapel Hill Road in Raleigh. On Sept. 15th you can join us at Pop-Up Sunday and make a pet-food can treasure box and donate to support Second Chance. 

Please join us at the prep party on August 17th!

I can't wait to see what beadfreaks do with Martha's techniques for transforming cans into art. 

Learn more about Animals Can  

Follow us on Instagram all week for photos of can art! The link it right there in the sidebar!

Woven Wire Basket

 

Make this sweet little wire basket.  Get the DIY instructions here.