My Favorite Magazines

We all have our favourite magazines and I thought it was about time I share a few of my favourites with you.  They are all full of fantastic projects and often provide me with inspiration for a new creation.  I know it may sound sad, but I actually look forward to scanning the newsagent shelves for the latest copies each month................one of my simple pleasures in life.  Can't wait until the next issues!

Handmade glasses from beer bottles...........yes, I did say beer bottles!

I have found this fantastic project to make handmade glasses from empty beer bottles, courtesy of iowagirleats.com. I can’t believe how simple it is………..and the worst of it is that I shared this idea with my Dad today and he already knew how to do it.  Can’t believe he has never shared this with me!  Happy reading!

 

You can cut glass bottles at home using materials you probably already have on hand.

Materials:

glass bottles
yarn
nail polish remover
lighter
sink full of ice water
sandpaper

Directions:

1. Wrap the cotton yarn around your bottle 5-6 times, tie and cut ends. You can also braid three pieces together and tie that around the bottle. I actually had better results using the braided yarn. 

 

2. Slide yarn off of the bottle.

3. Dip yarn in nail polish remover. I filled a bowl with nail polish remover and let the yarn sit in it for a few seconds to make sure it was fully saturated.

 

4. Slide the wet yarn back onto the bottle. NOTE: The bottle will be cut wherever you place the yarn, so make sure it is as straight as possible.

 

5. Holding the bottle sideways from the mouth, light the yarn on fire. ****Please please be careful!**** Only the wet yarn will be lit on fire and the flame is very well controlled.

 

6. Rotate the bottle in circles as the yarn is on fire for 20-30 seconds so that all parts of the bottle warm evenly.

 

7. Holding each end of the bottle, submerge in cold water and watch the bottle parts separate.

 

8. Use sand paper to smooth rough edges.



The hardest part about this project is getting the cut in the right spot. You need to make sure that the logos on the bottle are left intact. The glass on the neck of the bottle is thicker and harder to cut using this method, but it is still possible and if you put the bottle tops back on (securely) and turn the neck up the other way, they make great shot glasses!

You can make more than just drinking glasses. Think vases and candle holders too! This method is supposed to work on wine bottles too, though I haven’t tried those yet!

A new interest in Pinterest

Pinterest............the new sensation.  After recently coming across an article on Pinterest in a magazine, I decided to pay this website a visit.............and now I'm hooked!!! I love the idea of being able to create a board of all the pictures, websites and items that interests me and being able to share this with others.  More so, I love the idea of being able to find out what inspires other people.  Although I am quite new to it and have only built up a few 'Pin It's' at the moment, I can see myself wasting many hours adding to it.  I have attached a link to my Pinterest board..........just in case anyone wants to take a sneaky peek at what inspires me.

http://pinterest.com/katielouise1975/my-handmade-heaven/

Jewellery Creations

Creating handmade jewellery was my first love and although I may move on to other creative pursuits, jewellery will always be waiting in the wings when the inspiration hits me. Just thought I would take some time to share a couple of my latest jewellery creations with you.

The bracelet and earrings above are made from small shell discs in a variety of different colours. I purchased these when I attended The Big Bead Show at Sandown Park Racecourse last year. I love all the different colours and they go perfectly with most outfits, as the wide range of colours match almost anything. Has anyone else been to The Big Bead Show? I would love to hear about other people’s purchases and the items they have made.

Hello World!

Hello.........My name is Kate Adams and I am the creator of My Handmade Heaven.  I am passionate about anything handmade.........From jewellery to soft furnishings to handbags to up-cycled furniture.  If I am not working on my latest handmade item or researching my next project, I am dreaming about making the perfect item.  The feeling of creating a unique, one-off item for your own or someone else’s enjoyment inspires me.  From the first idea or inspiration to the finished piece, the journey along the way is always one of anticipation and excitement.  My hope is to share my thoughts, experiences and inspiration with you, in the hope that you will share with me too.