Blog Swap: Craft From Your Stash Hoopla Dreamcatchers

It’s time for another blog swap! Wondra (Wondra's World) and I spend Wednesday nights crafting and chatting over Skype. Sometimes there’s more chatting than crafting, but it’s always epic. A couple of weeks ago we realized that we hadn’t swapped blogs in almost a year! To remedy this, we’re sharing craft from your stash tutorials. 

Hoopla Dreamcatchers:

Hello from South Wales! It's Wondra from Wondra's World again and I've stopped by to share a fun stash busting project.

It's easy to turn this:

 

into this:

What you need:

embroidery hoop
hemp, leather cord, embroidery floss
beads

What to do:

1. Separate the hoops and wrap them in hemp or leather cord.
2. With the first hoop, wrap embroidery floss or hemp cord loosely around the outside of the hoop.
3. Now start weaving.
4. Add beads when you get to the center and tie it off to finish.
5. With the second hoop, tie lengths of hemp or embroidery floss (or feathers or whatever) around the center and bead it up.
6. Tie the hoops together and you're done.

This was my first attempt at making a dream catcher. It's a little bit lopsided but I think it turned out alright.

If you're going to do this yourself, I'd suggest you use different sized hoops and just tie them together loosely. It's a fun project but can be time consuming so give yourself an hour or so.


Thank you for the tutorial Wondra! 

Don't forget to visit Wondra’s World for my Catch-All Bowl tutorial.

In With the New

From my Instagram

The year 2013 was full of of adventures. I traveled to Battle Creek, Ludington, Saugatuck, and Kalamazoo. I organized my craft studio. I read 151 books. I spent many Wednesday nights crafting and philosophizing with Wondra of Wondra's World. And the 10 days Wondra came home were EPIC!

But 2013 had its share of difficulties. My last blog post is dated September 18th. When a family member became ill, Matt and I had to take on unforeseen responsibilities. Life stopped. We spent several weeks driving back and forth to the hospital. We didn't know how bad her illness was (or if she'd be able to live on her own afterwards). But as she healed the visits because less filled with uncertainty and fear.

The wonderful news is that after a few weeks away she is home and doing great. After the responsibility and stress, I took time for myself.

The time was well-spent; I feel relaxed and focused. And what better time to return to a Shimmering Star than the beginning of a new year?

I look forward to 2014.

Family Emergency

Dear Readers,

Matt and I have been busy with a family emergency this past week. I foresee it being at least another week or two before I will start blogging again. 

Your thoughts and prayers are welcome during this time. 

Thank you for your understanding. 

Jessica

a Shimmering Star

On Westerly Wind

Updates

Summer is winding down, and so am I. This summer has been eventful, and while I had a blast I am looking forward to a quiet fall.

Here are a few things about the past few weeks. 

1. My birthday was the last week of August. My family celebrated on the previous Sunday with burgers and apple crisp. On Wednesday, my friends and I checked out the new Grand River Marketplace then went to my house to play Cards Against Humanity until 4 am. 

2. I have read a lot of books. Over a hundred already (which beat my goal) and it's only September!

3. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback at work, and I am being sent to several conferences and workshops over the next two months. 

4. I am organizing my life. Changes are coming, and I feel energized.