Merry Christmas 2021 & Happy New Year 2022

It´s almost Christmas and I´m hustling around with everything. I really hope that I´m getting done everything before Christmas eve. This time year is most busy one and that´s why I´m expecting more and more Christmas when I´m able to take little break from everything.

I was intend to write my last week of Beadtober challenge exceptionally last week but totally forgot it so here it comes.

Top row´s first photo is my crochet anklet that I made last Summer. This day´s challenge was to show "Your favorite color" because of National Color Day. I tried first time to crochet some beads along and thought that it would be hard or difficult but it was actually very easy so maybe I´ll make more. For these anklet I used gorgeous icy blue seed beads that remind me of arctic water.

Second photo from top row shows my bracelet that I made as a gift to my friend. This day´s challenge was to show some seed bead work and I choice this bracelet. I haven´t made any more since it was pretty difficult to make and it took me hours to complete this bracelet. I used pink and golden colors seed beads as they are my friend´s favorite color so who knows maybe I´ll try this some day again. 

Third and last photo from top row shows my "Cozy Vibes" which was theme of the day. I chose this gray color crocheted bracelet because its one of my personal favorite. This warms bit your wrist and it goes well when you go jogging or running and you need to swipe your forehead. It´s made of 100% cotton yarn which absorbs well water and can be washed in machine. I made total 20 bracelets in different colors so you can pick your favorite one. Bracelet is super comfortable to wear which why I thought it would be perfect for cozy vibes.

Second row´s first photo shows "Earthy Fall" I decided to show my latest purchase at the time. I found nice animal print faux leather pieces from local fabric shop. These two have most earthy and natural colors. Later I ended up cutting small pieces from these leather and made earrings that I will show you later.

Second photo from middle row shows my pumpkin creations. This challenge was in October and Halloween time was near and day´s theme was to show something related to "Pumpkin Season". These pumpkins are my very first that I ever made with help of my friend who have been creating awesome jewelry from polymer clay. It was fun and different to create something from polymer clay without using any beading method. I would wanted to make pumpkin from seed beads but didn´t have right colors at the time.

Last photo from middle row show my cat face earrings which I draw and cut from faux leather. Using faux leather feels more natural to me. Many people usually say that real leather is the best but I think faux leather is also very good choice. I got once bracelet which was made from real leather. I couldn´t tolerate the smell so I left it outside of the balcony. 

Final rows have all my polymer clay work, first one shows "National Chocolate Day", second one was "Frankenstein Friday" and last one was "National Candy Corn Day". Each one I made from polymer clay instead of beads. I was too excited to use polymer clay instead of beads. All was fun to make and making the texture to little Halloween brownies was most challenging since when I turned the work in my fingers, the texture I made was nearly gone so had to figured out how to make texture to all four sides. Frankenstein was inspired from Pinterest and I mixed the green color myself. I thought it would be perfect as a keychain but still I haven´t if that is best choice. Candy corns I thought they would be easy to make rather from polymer clay than beads but I was so wrong! I should choose beads since colors were mixing together from my fingers and couldn´t immediately figure out how to mix nicely three colors. I´m pretty pleased how the candy corn earrings look like and maybe try later to make it from beads because the colors can´t mixed so easily like from polymer clay.

Some of these creations I have already added to my Etsy shop, BlueBellJewelry and if you like to have something just for you, I´m open to your ideas and suggestions.

~ Minna

Rauhallista Joulua (Merry Christmas)

Taas on melkein vuosi 2020 vierähtänyt ohi ja tuntuu, että ennen joulua päivät vain menevät entistä nopeammin. Tänä vuonna Suomen pimeys ei ole masentanut minua kuten aiempina vuosina. En tiedä mistä tämä johtuu, mutta aiempina vuosina olen välillä kokenut todella raskaaksi sen ettei päivänvaloa juuri ole. Ihaninta on kuitenkin se, että heti joulun jälkeen alkaa huomaamaan päivien jo hieman pidentyneen. Tämän jälleen kerran vähälumisen talven jälkeen alan entistä innokkaampana odottamaan kevättä ja suunnittelemaan mitä yrttejä ja kukkia ostan meidän aurinkoiselle parvekkeelle, jossa muuten omat kissamme viihtyvät jo alkukeväästä niin hyvin ettei niitä meinaa saada edes illalla sisälle!

Uusi vuosi on melkein ovella ja uusi blogi teksti tulee tuttuun tapaan joka toinen perjantai eli noin kaksi kertaa kuukaudessa. Jos et vielä ole ottanut sähköpostimuistutusta käyttöön, niin kirjaudu nyt, sillä saat sähköpostiisi linkin uusimmasta blogikirjoituksestani heti kun se on luettavissa.

Ensi vuosi tuo hieman myös muutoksia blogiini. Olen suunnittellut uuden kirjoitussarjan, joka ilmestyy ensimmäisenä mahdollisena perjantaina joka kuukausi. Tämä kirjoitussarja ilmestyy vain kerran kuukaudessa ja kestää koko ensi vuoden. Olen aika innoissani tästä uudesta sarjasta ja hieman pahoillani etten voi paljastaa tätä vielä sinulle, mutta aivan kohta odotus palkitaan sillä ensimmäinen uudenvuoden blogikirjoitus ilmestyy 8. tammikuuta!

Työmatkoillani olen saanut ihastella ihmisten jouluvaloja, jotka ovat valaisseet ihanasti
tätä pimeää vuoden aikaa. Tämän tonttu kuvan otin juuri ennen jouluaattoa. Oli mielestäni
niin ihanasti laitettu tontut tikkaille, koristeltu havunoksilla ja valoilla 💕

Vuosi 2020 on ollut hyvin poikkeuksellinen ja harmillisesti monet myyjäiset myös peruuntuivat koronan vuoksi. En tiedä mitä odottaa ensi vuodesta, mutta toivon sen olevan parempi kuin tämä vuosi. Toivon kaikille terveeyttä ja voimia, sillä tämä on vuosi on ollut monintavoin haasteellinen ja vaikea.

Rauhallista Joulua, Pysy Terveenä & Onnellista Uutta Vuotta 2021!

~ Minna 

Again the year 2020 has almost passed and it feels like the days before Christmas are just going even faster. This year, the darkness of Finland has not depressed me like in previous years. I do not know why but in previous years, I have experienced it truly heavy that there isn´t enough daylight. However, the most wonderful thing is that right after Christmas I start to notice that the days have already lengthened a bit. After this  snowless Winter, I start to wait bit more eager for Spring and plan what herbs and flowers I will buy on our sunny balcony where our cats enjoy to be as well. They liked to watch and sleep there starting from early Spring and they don't even get inside in the evening!

The new year is almost at the door and a new blog text comes in as usual every other Friday, about twice a month. If you haven't yet enabled email reminder, sign in now, so you'll receive a link to my latest blog post in your email as soon as it's available.

Next year will also bring some changes to my blog. I'm planning on writing a new series, which will appear first possible Friday of every month. This writing series appears only once a month and will last for the entire next year. I'm pretty excited about this new series and at the same time feeling bit regret that I can not disclose this to you yet, but very soon the wait will be rewarded as the first New Year's blog post will appear 8. January!

As work trips I have admired people's Christmas lights which have lovingly shed light to this dark seasons.
I took this elf picture just before Christmas Eve. I thought it was so lovingly placed gnomes on a ladder and
decorated with conifer´s branches and lights 💕

The year 2020 has been very exceptional and unfortunately many sale events have been canceled due to the COVID-19. I don’t know what to expect from next year but I hope it’s better than this year was. I wish everyone health and strength as this year has been very a challenging and difficult in so many ways.

Merry Christmas, Stay Health & Happy New Year 2021!

~ Minna