Anchor Attire

I've been on a nautical fashion spree--a wonderfully inexpensive nautical fashion spree! I snagged the chambray anchor print shirt for $2 second hand (originally from GAP), and made the necklace and bracelet using a pair of pliers and some time. The necklace is just a piece of wire I bent into an anchor shape and then wrapped cotton string around it. I made the bracelet out of a scrap of gold chain with anchor buttons attached by gold wire jump rings.



Contrast Bouquet

If you've ever wanted to color in your own wallpaper, you'd love the products of Spoonflower's design challenge of the week. Here's my Contrast Bouquet design to fit the Floral Coloring Book Wallpaper theme. I'm currently in love with anemones, ranunculus, craspedia, alliums, hens and chicks...plants with interesting shape and texture!

Uppercase Mag

The other day I was at Chapters and picked up the April/May/June 2014 issue of Uppercase Magazine, which is the special Surface Pattern Design Guide. I was leafing through it and then had an unexpected, heart-stopping moment of semi-fame. I stumbled onto this spread, an article about Spoonflower, and noticed my Scallop fabric (from the Milk and Honey shoes) in the upper right corner.

 The photo is not specifically credited to me, of course, but it was a bright discovery nevertheless! It was one of those little "Wow I Feel Like A Legit Artist" realizations.  

Anyway, I bought the magazine and--whew! It is packed (on quality paper, I might add) with fantastic information and stunning textile designs!

If you are at all interested in surface pattern design I highly recommend you check it out!

Victory

"Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Corinthians 15:57



Flowers Preach

It's National Poetry Month! Here's a lovely poem called "Consider the Lilies of the Field" by Christina Rossetti:

Flowers preach to us if we will hear:--
The rose saith in the dewy morn:
I am most fair;
Yet all my loveliness is born
Upon a thorn.
The poppy saith amid the corn:
Let but my scarlet head appear
And I am held in scorn;
Yet juice of subtle virtue lies
Within my cup of curious dyes.
The lilies say: Behold how we
Preach without words of purity.
The violets whisper from the shade
Which their own leaves have made:
Men scent our fragrance on the air,
Yet take no heed
Of humble lessons we would read.
But not alone the fairest flowers:
The merest grass
Along the roadside where we pass,
Lichen and moss and sturdy weed,
Tell of His love who sends the dew,
The rain and sunshine too,
To nourish one small seed.



Feather Your Nest

I took advantage of a warm afternoon a few days ago by sitting on my porch and turning some branches of an unruly grape vine into a decorative robin's nest. It is made of concentric wreaths woven together with green yarn and more grape vine branches. 

I created the robin's eggs out of plaster and painted them with acrylic paint.



Clay

These are the first things I have ever made out of clay--a pedestal, doily tray, beads, and (quelle surprise) roses. Now I am totally in love with the medium!

There were a few cracks in the edges of the tray after it was fired so I filled them with plaster and then painted the whole thing white.

The "Robin's Egg Green" glaze took me a while to find, since I didn't expect it to be pink!

On the roses I used clear glaze, although I was similarly surprised when I opened the container.

The glaze on the pedestal makes it look like a chocolate chip cake--an unintentionally cute result!

The tray is going to display some of my jewellery so I gave it a gold rim.

I made these into robin's egg beads to use for a necklace or bracelet.

I will use the white roses to decorate my shelves, and the pink ones will be used as pendants.

Barbie Tea Pendant

I added jump rings to this pink-flecked Barbie teacup and teapot and slid them onto a long chain with a droplet bead to create a unique necklace. Suddenly kids' toys have fashionable potential! 

New Fabrics in Shop

New fabrics are up for sale in my Spoonflower shop! They are also available as wallpaper, decals, and gift wrap.

Parisian Stroll in Fresh (at long last I made a Parisian design!)

Mechanism

Pagoda Garden

Daffodils

Rock Exhibit