Bow-ba-licious

Today is my niece's First Birthday party! 

Wrapping her gift is the perfect opportunity 

to make a special, handmade bow.

I Pinned a tutorial on my Happy Tutorials Board

plus I'm showing you here because it's fun!

 You'll need about a 12" square of paper 
to make one bow: 
consider recycled magazines, comic books, 
wrapping papers, marbled papers, newspaper,
brown paper bags you've decorated with 
stencils, doodles, etc.; any paper that is flexible and 
easily cut into strips.

 Cut 3/4" wide strips as follows:
 3- 12" lengths
 3- 11" lengths
 2- 10" lengths
1- 3.5" length

 Fold each end of one strip to the back as shown 
and tape at the back. Repeat for all strips except the shortest.
For that one you'll simply tape the two short ends 
together to form a loop.

 I suggest using a piece of tape to secure each unit 
as you build your bow. You don't have to, but it will keep 
the units from shifting and turning out wonky. 

Stack your three 12" units first, forming a kind of star shape.
Then similarly stack the three 11" units, and then 
the two 10" units, nesting and taping as you go. 

 By now your bow should look something like this.
Easy right? Now tape in the loop and you're
bow is ready to top a special gift.

Have fun and maybe you'll tell me the creative 

materials you use for bows!

Now, I have a party to get to! 
Wishing you all a happy & creative week.

To My Heart's Content

ohlittlerabbit.etsy.com, an excellent shop!

In honor of Valentine's Day, I've collected some of

my favorite Etsy finds & Friends! 

BurlapAndBlue.etsy.com

BurgundyDelights.etsy.com

sveika.etsy.com

ponyandpoppy.etsy.com

BeMyBee.etsy.com, my talented friend Marcia Terry

silvertrumpetstyle.etsy.com, plenty of red mug mats!

 

If all that red doesn't fill your heart, 

maybe STOMP will. Enjoy! 

Happy Valentine's Day every one! 

Wishing you a day full of love.

Take Flight

Do you need more creativity? 

Do you need a change?

When I see a moth or butterfly I ask myself 

these questions. They also seem appropriate to ask 

as winter solitude gives way to spring.

Here's apartment therapy's nifty tutorial for anyone 

needing a little butterfly magic in the middle of winter. 

Check out Heartland Paper's beautiful butterfly chandelier!

You can find even more fun tutorials on my Pinterest 

Happy Tutorials board! 

Beautiful Cloth

Rainbow dyed Habotai 

While at Arrowmont in 2005, I took an intense 
week-long Shibori dyeing workshop. At that time, 
I was painting, sandblasting and building stained glass windows. 
Dyeing and fiber weren't on my radar at all. In fact, 
I distinctly recall standing in the work room wondering 
what the heck I was doing there! (Don't worry, I figured it out.)

Mokume shibori on shantung

  Continuing to dye for a few more years, I reached a point   

where I no longer wanted to tread the path of synthetic 

commercial dyes. I learned about the company Earth Hues 

and discovered the world of green dyeing.

Arashi shibori on habotai

What has me walking down memory lane & pulling out my fabrics?

This past week my dear friend Marjorie gave me a gift: 

Eco Colour, beautiful dyes for beautiful textiles 

by India Flint (what a power house!) 

It's just like Marjorie to know exactly what to give.

The book brings together my love of dyeing, my interest in 
dye traditions the world over, and my penchant for 
constructing things, especially garments and quilts. 

That "green" and "sustainable" are the cornerstones 

of India Flint's work is the icing on the cake. 

 

For the next two mornings I soaked up every page 

of Eco Colour. Feeling re-energized about green dyeing 
and the potential, I knew that as soon as the snow melts 
I'd need an outdoor dye lab and all that goes with it, 
from a dyer's garden to a fire pit. 

 

Well, that same day I spent some time Pinning 
and this appeared:

Kantha cloth, color, patterns, & textures - they all feel like home. 

They speak to me as much as Alabama Chanin's work, as much as 
silk garments from the 1500-1800's, as much as any 
beautifully crafted garment. 
*Sensory overload*

So, rather than sewing bags, toys or quilts for the shop today, 
I'm taking a delightful detour researching & drawing, 
plotting & planning my summer time "green" endeavor. 
What fabric confections will I create? 
How will I fashion my outdoor dye lab? 

What seeds should I order? 

Where to hunt for iron and aluminum pots? 

When the snow melts, I can hunt on the ground for 

fallen branches and decaying leaves. 

I don't know how this sounds to you, but to me it's all very exciting. 

My dear friend Marjorie

Thank you Marjorie for setting in motion 

what will surely be a lovely "green" summer!

If you're a green dyer or have a dyer's garden, 

I'd love any tips, advice or experiences you can offer. 

Seeing Red

This just might be my favorite word, and now 

I'm seeing it in red, hot pink and orange a-plenty 

as I stock my Etsy Shop!  

   

You can now find new landing pads for your mug & teapot,

 or those that belong to someone you love.  

Plus, look for my LOVE mats coming very soon (above), 

just in time for Valentine's Day.

Add favored tea or coffee and you'll definitely win hearts!

 I came out of the Studio in time to see this morning's sunrise. 

Four degrees.

When it's this cold, someone winds up getting 

gently tossed outside:

 Can Stanley say cabin fever?

Intrepid Explorer

Follow me on Pinterest!

             

I can best describe what 

Pinterest is to me by 

calling it my Great Escape. 

It's a most creative 

time suck, and for that 

reason alone I love it.

Follow me, 

and I'll follow you. Deal?

C'mon, it'll be an adventure!

Wait! What about last week's lampshade, you ask?

Let me assure you the sugar starch method was a BUST!

I've since purchased wall paper paste and I'm pleased 

to report it's working like a charm. While I didn't intend 
for this to become a several week project, I do hope 
you'll come back next week and check on my progress. 
Hopefully, you'll see a working lampshade hanging over 

my little corner of the Studio. 

Open Studio Sunday

 Lace and the warm glow of orange. 

A welcome sight during these frosty winter days.

 Hopefully this crochet lampshade will soon be 

suspended over my Grandmother's chaise in the Studio.

It will go a long way to turning that corner of my 

Studio into a perfect place to curl up with tea & pretty yarn. 

Cross your fingers because I'm using a sugar starch recipe 

I found online and I'm not exactly convinced it will work. 

Stay tuned....

 My favorite balloon blower-upper.

 Here's a look at what's happening in the Studio today: 

happily drawing & cutting my own stencil. 

 Once my original is drawn and the stencil is made, 

I transfer my design to organic knit. 

I hand cut select areas and then begin the slow but lovely 

process of working toward this end:

And what is all of this for? One of those seeds 

planted a long time ago is finally sprouting. 

I'm sharing my process with you here each 

Sunday so we can see it grow together.

Have a week full of smiles & do some thing fun!

I hope you'll come back next Sunday to see 

the crochet lampshade, for better or worse.