CRAFTY OR JUST EASILY ENTERTAINED OPEN BOOK BLOG HOP 11

  
Do you like to read? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.
  
If you have came from PJ Fiala's blog site I appreciate the visit.  
  
If you haven't, make sure you double back  to www.pjfiala.com/blog/ and see who's crafty in her house. 
While you're there take a look at her latest release Designing Samatha's Love and the new covers for her other books including Rydin The Storm Out  HERE. 
  
Topic of the Week:  
Are You Crafty?  
Do you like DIY projects? Would you like to be?  
I always just considered myself easily entertained 
  
I noticed at a young age that I was creatively inclined. The first project I tried was a Winnie the Pooh Pillow made with a latch hook kit. As childhood years go, I would say it took 3 years to finish, but in actuality I worked on it off and on for 9 months. 
  
My church also offered a full-day Vacation Bible School for two weeks in the summer where I learned to crochet, knit and needlepoint. I continued to practice the knitting and pearling because it was much more relaxing than crocheting for me at the time. 
  
Throughout my life I have picked up my knitting needles and started  projects with no planned destination and I have found it soothing. In the back of my mind I thought one day I would create a sweater, blanket or even a sock, but the desire wouldn't remain and after a week or two I would become too busy to finish. 
  
In December of 2014 I began to participate in author takeovers on Facebook and wondered at all of the swag other authors would give away as part of their prizes. I saw some of their charms and bookmarks and I researched what would work best for me. I decided on beads. I contracted a young woman who taught crafts to seniors to create a few ribbon bookmarks for me.  Upon completion I studied her work and considered doing a few myself for the fun of it, but because I couldn’t imagine putting in the time I shrugged it off. 
  
In April I took my first 3-week vacation ever. I went to visit my mother who was recovering from knee replacement surgery and found myself with a few extra hours a day. Bingo. A few visits to Hobby Lobby, Michael’s and Walmart’s unexpectedly stocked art and craft area and I was quickly addicted. I bought a jewelry beading book, which had a great deal of instruction, and began to explore different ways of creating book marks. After 30 of those I began to branch out to bracelets and other types of jewelry. 
  
Now when I want to reward myself for meeting a writing goal or need to unwind after the job I will sit down at my craft table with tools in hand and create a few pieces. Here is one of my go-to piece when I need to let off some steam and explore other sides of  my creativity. 
  
Items 
5 inch Metal Shepherd Hook
  
2 blue frosted acrylic 8 mm beads 
4 6mm Clear AB Plastic Rondelle Beads Spacer Saucer Faceted 
1 6mm plastic faceted bead 
4 Jump rings 4 or 6mm 
10 link metal chain 
2 charms any kind 
A 2 inch silver eye pin or loop end pin 
  
Tools needed 
  
Round nose pliers 
Chain nose pliers 
  
Directions   
Place one of the clear AB plastic Rondelle beads on the 2 inch silver eye pin followed by a blue frosted 8mm, another AB plastic Rondelle and the clear facetted bead. Add the next three beads, duplicating the first set.   
You should have enough length on the pin to twist into a hoop with your round nose pliers. Bend the pin so it is flat again the top of the clear AB bead (or parallel to the now hanging beads) then bend the pin back by using round nose pliers. Insert the pin between the jaws and wrap the length around one of the jaws by twisting your wrist. This should create a loop where by the end of the pin is touching the top of the clear bead.   
Attach a charm to the 3rd link from the top on the 10 link chain using a 6mm jump ring. Separate the edges of the jump ring using the round nose pliers and chain nose pliers to twist the edges left and right instead of straight away from one another so as not to deform the shape of the ring.  
Set a charm on the jump ring then position the jump ring on the 3rd ring of the chain.   
Place another charm four links down from the first charm using another 6mm jump ring.   
Attach the now beaded pin to the last link in the chain using a jump ring.  
Attach the first link of the chain to the shepherd hook with the last of the four jump rings using the same method as number 3.  
Now you have a unique bookmark that will catch peoples’ eyes. 
  
As for me; I'm headed to my next challange. The necklace to go with this sow beaded, bracelet. 
  
~End~ 
  
Now hop on over to Christine Ardigo's blog page.  Find out how crafty she is. 
While you're there, take a look at her books Cheating to Survive, Every Five Years, and part of the Peace, Love & Romance Anthology. 
  
They can also be found Here. 
  
If you have a question you would like me to answer don't hesitate to leave it in the comments. 
  
Now let's go see what Christine is building. One hint. It looks too big to hop, but if you're going to try, wear your galoshes.