I just had to conduct a search of my own blog to find a post I wrote on Feb. 16. The post was called Loving The Craft Supplies From Dreamweavers (I really need to learn to give my blog posts shorter names) and in that post I had pictures of a hair clip base and back along with a rough idea of what I wanted to make.
Just in case you were starting to lose confidence in my ability to complete a project, look here! Yesterday I sat down with my components from Dreamweavers and some of my homemade felt. I knew I wanted to do some beadwork and I had also just recently ripped apart an old watch. I thought maybe I'd try a little steampunk.
As it turns out, my style is now what I'm calling "Wonderland". I seem to lean towards fantasy and it didn't hurt that my son was watching Disney's Alice in Wonderland while I worked on my clip. I have always enjoyed playing around with findings and using them in different ways. For example, the antennae on my butterfly are the loop ends of two earwires used for making earrings.
I also like to think in terms of layers; metal base, felt, beads, beads on top of beads and so forth. I don't like things to look flat. The two colors of blue in the felt help to begin to add depth. The clock butterfly is a five layer piece making it the focal point. Then I gave him a little butterfly friend which I attached to a coil. I wanted this little guy to look like he was in flight. Then I needed leaves and flowers because butterflies like that sort of thing.
I also like to keep my creations fun and lighthearted. Time to Fly, my name for this hair clip, has three moving parts. The small butterfly wiggles, the leaf moves from side to side and the clock face can turn all the way around. It could even be upside down if you were feeling a bit comical.
So I had a great time with my craft products from Dreamweavers. I have a few more items from them with which to experiment. What will I make next?
I love it when people send me pictures! It always feels like a special gift when my customers come back to share what they have made with their roving.
This sweet, little, needle felted kitty is one of LIL KEEPER'S TINY TREASURE'S. She was made from Merino wool roving. Merino is very soft and a nice choice when you're making a little animal. After all, kittens are super soft and when your work is this cute, people are going to want to pet it!
A few days ago I shared a bracelet I made after being inspired by Rebecca Smith. That bracelet has found a home in my own jewelry box, but I made a second one. This Painted Wool Bracelet, wrapped in Merino Wool and embellished with wire and glass beads, is now available only at Wind Rose on ArtFire.
I really enjoyed making this piece. I love the colors and more than once I've been temped to put it one and wear it, but I decided that this one is for you. I also changed the way that the bracelet closes so that it is now adjustable. It will fit nicely on wrist sizes between 5 1/2 to 7 inches.
I have found that with this style bracelet, it's nice to be able to adjust the size for a close fit. It sits pleasantly on the wrist and the inside of the bracelet lies flat making it comfortable to use a keyboard or write a note. The bracelet is approximately 1/2 thick at the widest point. The size might make you think that it's heavy, but the bracelet only weighs half an ounce!
Right now this piece is one of a kind, but I have some ideas rolling around in my head for other designs. I love the idea of making my own beads and goodness knows I have the wool. I'm happy to have found another way to combine my passions for beadwork and fiber!
I feel like I'm emerging from a long hibernation tonight. I spent this afternoon finally writing the pattern for one my newest designs, the One Sided Miser's Purse.
It feels so good to have completed this task and only a week later than promised. Last week I allowed myself to be distracted by all sorts of things. I'm not sure what that was all about; some kind of imbalance no doubt. I'm starting this week out feeling much more focused and ready to face the tasks I create for myself.
Now that I'm back in pattern writing mode, I'll set to work on writing up the Tasseled Miser's Purse. I have to make that project at least one more time to be sure that I'm happy with every aspect of the design.
All in all, I think this week is off to a good start. I hope yours is too!
I just wanted to show you that I finished my Miser's Purse last night. I kept the beads simple, but I used multifaceted crystals to add some sparkle. I made a basic tassel because I thought is was the most in keeping with the purses of this style from the late 19th century.
I wish you could see it in person. It's hard to capture long pieces like this in good light. The clouds aren't helping me much this week either. Sometimes you just can't seem to get away from shadows.
Anyway, I'm kind of torn about whether or not to write a pattern for this. I like it, but then I'm kind of into this whole vintage thing right now. The question is, would anyone else like it enough to want to make one of their own?
It could be finished differently and of course it could be in any color or made with all sorts of fibers. I just don't know about this one. Should I or shouldn't I?
This is 4oz of Merino wool that I painted for a customer this week. I'm not really selling or marketing today, I just wanted to share this bright, happy rainbow with you.
Happy Friday Everyone! Have a great weekend!
I feel I am suffering from a deficit in attention span this week. I'm getting plenty of things done. They just aren't the things I planned to do. My plan was to have my One Sided Miser's Purse Pattern written by now, but instead, I distracted myself by working on this new design.
This, sort of pumpkin shaped purse has been floating around in my head and needed to come out. This is my prototype which I still plan to embellish with some beadwork and probably a tassel on the bottom. I haven't exactly figured out how I want to finish it yet.
I'm pretty happy with this design as far as first run throughs go. There are only a couple small changes that I plan to make in the future. I have also found a spring hook that I like so that the purse can be worn like a ring clutch or be hooked onto a larger bag or even a belt loop.
My first Miser's Purse design which was more rectangle in shape, could be easily changed to a larger size, but I prefer this change in shape for additional roominess. The pocket measures 6.5" high and 5.75" wide allowing plenty of room for keys, phone, lipstick and stash of cash. It could easily take the place of a larger clutch for a formal occasion and be a pretty part of an ensemble. Not only that, with a Miser's Purse, you don't just have a bag, you have a conversation piece!
So I guess I'm continuing to bury myself in things to do. I will get my other pattern written and this one will follow. I'd suggest a time frame, but I fear that my personal deadlines are in jeopardy these days. I never know where my head will lead me next.
These are so lovely! I was delighted when I got an email from Irma the other day. I didn't realize she was following our Mini Muk Luk Tutorial too! She actually made this pair of muk luks in less than a day!
She shared that she made a few changes along the way. Right off I noticed the scalloped trim around the top of the boots. I think that is really cute! I actually love it when people make designs their own. Perhaps some people are protective of their patterns, but I always hope that people will see my patterns as just the beginning. I want them to be personalized, adapted and even made better. I try to resist the urge to give too many suggestions about how to alter the pattern, so I don't take away from the creative insights of others. 
Here Irma shows the yarns she used for her project. You can see she carried two colors for both the blocks and the second color. That why these mini muks look so warm and toasty! I also think that by combining these colors, she added a lot of visual depth.
If you crave details, her yarns are Novita Isoveli, Novita Isoveli Colori and Novita 7 Veljestä. You may have to buy a plane ticket to find them. :D 
Here is a nice close-up so you can really see the colors. Even though color theory is something that can be learned, some people just seem to have a gift. I think Irma is one of those people! Not everyone would put these colors together with confidence and look at how great the results are!
If you would like to see more from Irma, you can visit her blog at Neferi. Oh, and remember, Google Translate is a very nice tool!
I'm here to report that yesterday, I created absolutely nothing. I did however, get better organized.
We each have our own level of cleanliness including everything from slob to neat freak. I tend to come in more on the neat side. I don't think I'm quite freaky. If you visited me by surprise, you would find unmade beds, the evidence of boys in almost every space, and probably a few dishes in the sink. I do however, have a cleanliness quirk in my nature. You see, I become paralyzed creatively if I'm surrounded by clutter. I cannot work in a space unless it is clean and organized. I find any level of mess to be a distraction. It feels like a car alarm going off or a jackhammer; one of those disturbances that just can't be ignored.
My dye shelves were starting to feel like that. I have a custom dye request to fill, but yesterday I had to take time out to overhaul my pantry, and in the process, make a better situation for my dye stock and equipment. I simply could not dye one more ounce of wool until this was accomplished. Of the tasks I performed yesterday, the most life altering is the labeling of the lids on my dye stock jars. I may start to sound a little freaky after all, but this is major for me. For years, literally years, every time I need a certain color, I lift jar after jar until I find the right one. About a zillion times I have told myself that I need to label the tops of my jars. Finally, I've done just that. Not only did I label the lids, but I changed to using only one size jar for a more uniform appearance and I've organized them by hue. Now they are lined in rows in the color order of the rainbow. If I need a certain shade of green, I know about where to start looking.
Today, I will create something. I'll paint that rainbow roving for my customer and it will be a pleasure gathering my tools and my dye. I am no longer halted in my efforts by a noisy space. For me organization isn't just a beautiful thing, it's a necessary one!
This beautiful Navajo spindle was made by Hokett Would Work. This was one of my purchases from the Fibers Through Time conference. I was admiring Jim Hokett's lovely woodwork when I noticed these spindles in a stand hiding in the corner. My memory immediately flashed to some of the first spinning I had ever seen.
When I first started to explore the fiber arts beyond my lifelong crocheting, I began by weaving and worked by way backwards. I used simple frame looms to teach myself weaving techniques and it wasn't long before I came to respect and admire the wisdom of the Navajo Weavers.
After weaving for about a year, I knew I wanted to make my own yarn. I received an annual dose of education on my visits to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. It was at this event that I stood and watched a Navajo woman spin on a spindle like this one. Her spindle was aged and I could only imagine how many thousands of yards of wool had been spun on that stick. It looked more like an appendage that a separate tool. I stood entranced for the longest time as people brushed passed me. I have always learned best by seeing and doing and my eyes were memorizing her every move.
That being said, I'm not sure why my first spindle was not a Navajo spindle. I'm sure cost and portability were factors. I've never actually spun on a Navajo spindle, but that is soon going to change. If you have never had the good fortune to see a demonstration, here is a wonderful link to an excerpt from a Wolf Creek film. Master Weaver Clara Sherman teaches how to card and spin.
Yesterday afternoon I drove down to the Fibers Through Time Conference in Phoenix. I was visiting with a few people and I wanted to see the vendors.
It was a fiber lovers paradise at the Crown Plaza Hotel! There's no other way to put it. Two large spaces were filled with roving, yarn, sundries and tools of every sort. Armed with my checkbook, I bravely went forth to do battle against my wants and needs.
OK, truth be told, I don't really need anything. I have a studio full of fiber, yarn, dye and all sorts of fun toys to go with them. I guess the battle was more between wants and good conscience. I like to treat myself while maintaining a certain amount of control. Of the vendors, the one that really drew me in was Rebecca Smith. I loved her fiber art jewelry! This is a pair of earrings that came home with me. She had a nice selection of loose beads, earrings, necklaces and bracelets all made from this same technique. I would have loved to have met her, but she was busy giving a workshop at the conference. 
So today, instead of writing the pattern for my Single Sided Miser's Purse like I planned, I got completely sidetracked. I spent the late morning into the early afternoon making this Rebecca Smith inspired bracelet. This is coiled wire wrapped with hand painted merino roving. I added small glass beads as I wire wrapped the long bead of roving. Then I finished it off with three Swarovski crystal pearls on each side and a pretty silver hook closure. I had such a good time making this piece. If you happen to be a female member of my family, be warned! You will probably be seeing this design on your birthday or come Christmas! So thank you Rebecca Smith for inspiring me today! I can only imagine what would happen to me if I actually took one of your classes. I'm sure I'd be a jewelry making maniac!
If you happen to be one of the people to whom I promised I'd be writing the Miser's Purse pattern this weekend, I apologize for the delay. It might be more mid to late week rather than the beginning of this week. It's not my fault. You just can't fight inspiration!
I had a very nice group of women keeping me company as I wrote the Mini Muk Luk Tutorial. Knowing they were out there, following along, was so inspiring. It made me work all that much harder to make the pattern as good as I could. Now the finished tutorial is even better thanks to their feedback!
They each did such and excellent job on their muk luks! Look at those wonderful colors and how perfect the shaping is on every one! It's also nice to hear their plans to make even more pairs as gifts. There will be some toasty toes next winter!
I want to thank these fantastic women from the Ravelry group Crochet Fever for taking part in this Crochet-Along! It was wonderful spending time with you and I appreciate all of your support! You really made this fun for me! I know there are a few others who are still working on their Mini Muk Luks and I hope I'll get to see even more pictures!
