Time to Relax

The absence of posts on my part has been because I have been extremely busy for a number of months working and doing two courses for the Craft Yarn Council (one for knitting, one for crocheting) to become a certified instructor at Michaels.  The two courses which occupied 6 months of my life while I was also working two jobs are now complete and I have passed!

During that time, the only other creative work I was doing was for jewelry courses I was teaching at Michaels.

 

The heart necklace was supposed to be a bracelet but I thought it would look much better as a necklace.  I taught the technique to my kids.  They made the smaller hearts on the ends, so this necklace has special meaning to me.

After my coursework was completed, I got back to a project a friend had commissioned me for in the fall, but I had to put on hold because of work and course load.  I am very pleased with the results and so was the client and the girlfriend he had me make it for.  I created the turtle myself from various beads and Nymo D beading thread.

And now, I have gotten back to knitting again.  More pictures of recent projects to come in the near future.

Back to School and Work

I finally completed a necklace that I had started before my trunk show in July.  It took me this long to figure out how I was going to make a closure for it.  This was quite a departure from anything I had ever done before.  Here was my starting point, a ball and chain (sorry, couldn't resist saying that).

Utilizing the versatility of a crochet hook, I came up with this.

Close-up

And here is the closure I agonized over so long.  I decided to use a bead (recognize it from one of the previous necklaces I posted?) and crocheted loop type of closure.  I am very happy with the way it turned out.

This Week's Jewelry

Here are a few things I've been working on this past week for the trunk show in High River at Chinook Fabrics.

New Trunk Show Designs

Here are some pictures of my latest trunk show designs.  More coming in the near future.

Latest Jewelry Creations

I just finished a 3 hour Open House at Michaels to promote my jewelry making classes.  It went pretty well.  I brought some of my latest creations to show off.  I will also be bringing these items to display at Chinook Fabrics in High River, Alberta on July 16th as well as giving a knitting session (topic to be determined).

Knitted wire and bead bracelets:  top - tiger eye, middle - fluorite, bottom - amethyst

New Tudor Roses and Teaching at Michaels

It's been really busy lately.  I just started last week as a jewelry instructor for Michaels in Oakville.  I gave my first demonstration on Friday night.  I had planned to make a necklace, but I finished it too quickly, so I improvised a coordinating set of earrings.  I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

I will be teaching classes Tuesday nights from 6:30-8:30 in June and July.  I still have to determine more classes beyond that and perhaps come up with some summer classes for kids.  I have launched a Facebook page now (https://www.facebook.com/Francesca.Gougeon.Designs) for Françesca Gougeon Designs to cover both jewelry making and knitting.  Françesca Gougeon Designs on Ravelry is only for my knitting patterns.

Other exciting news, I got the newest Tudor Roses!  I'm so thrilled!  It's a gorgeous book and I love the bits of history in it.  I thought it fitting to photograph me holding it while wearing the Katherine Howard sweater I knit from the first Tudor Roses.