When Bad Things Happen to Good Things

Martha used to be my Queen of Crafts.  Her television show, the old one, featured classy, useful and fun demonstrations on cooking, gardening, collecting, and crafting.  (I learned how to wire a lamp on her show!)  The magazine had beautiful photography and was full of creative ideas for making home a colorful and comfortable place for me and my family. 

Well, I know Martha doesn't care about me anymore.  It's not personal, it's my age bracket.  You have to keep reaching for that younger audience, I understand.  But Beauty and Style pages?, there are so many other "women's" magazines that provide this kind of information.

Lately, the articles and ideas in Martha's magazine just haven't inspired me like they used to.  In the past I could always count on the "Good Things" section in each issue for quick and clever craft projects.  Ok, occasionally they didn't hit the mark as being especially clever.  But in the most recent issue one of the Good Things has kind of taken a plunge over the edge, and become a very Silly Thing.  I speak of the rock star necklaces. 

Firstly, the photograph in the magazine does not show the necklaces actually being worn, so of course the photographer has styled them to look attractive.  I couldn't tell from the photograph or instructions what size the rocks might be.  But, gee, I love to collect rocks when I am traveling (never from any place where collecting is not allowed).  So, although skeptical, I thought to give it a try.

I used a pretty variegated embroidery thread to wrap around the small stone:

 

The thread kept wanting to come away from the stone.  Gluing neatly is not easy. 

But I give it a go....

 

Oops......  

 

More secure if wrapped horizontally, but not so pretty: 

 

Now I'm being silly (but it's a silly idea!).  What about all those larger, pretty stones one picks up while traveling, beachcombing, hiking?  I used Paracord for this one. 

 

Clunk!

 

Here is what a friend of Mom's did with a pretty rock she found on the beach -- polished and glued it to a silver bail, then attached to a silver chain.  Classy.

 

I really miss the Martha of ten years ago, when she and her editors published the best magazine on the market for living the creative life.  Where did all those excellent craft, collecting, gardening, food, photography, etc. editors go?  Sigh.  If I want a really good home/living magazine these days, I drive 70 miles to Memphis and buy a magazine from France, Marie Claire Idees.  Sadly, I cannot read French, but the excellent photography tells the whole story, and Google translate can help with the recipes!