Freeform Crochet Handbag in Autumn Tones..

Autumn toned freeform bag This is another piece I made some time ago after finding  a pre-existing synthetic bag base to which I attached this glowing Autumn toned freeform fabric created with Gum leaf motifs, bullion Gum Nuts & Vilene patches.

It’s a medium size bag  lined in a soft, coffee satin with 2 internal pockets (one with a zipper closure, the other for your glasses). The handles are sturdy cane,  with a secure zipper for closure across the top.

Size: 35.5cm (14”) wide x 21.5cm (8 ½ ”) high – handle height 11.5 cm (4 ½”).

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Loving those Rainbow Yarns…

rainbow yarnThose of you who are familiar with my work will know how much I love working with colour; experimenting with unusual colour palettes, taking risks with different combinations & always testing the boundaries of what’s considered the norm in regard to ‘what goes with what.’ All those old sayings like, ‘blue & green should never seen’ ‘contrasts must never sit side by side’ are just that, old sayings, & I take little notice of them… hence I’m always on the lookout for yarns that incorporate unusual & interesting colour combinations.

Recently there’s been a trend for gorgeous variegated yarns with striking & long colour changes, of which Noro & Mini Mochi, to name a couple, being particular favourites of mine. So, imagine my delight when I found ‘California’ by Cleackheaton  (100% wool) at my local yarn store… I purchased some balls right away but must admit, after initially making some headbands & a beanie a while back, a couple of which sold quickly, I allowed them to sit idle in my stash for some time until I remembered I still had some left over somewhere.

I had in mind to make a bag… & perhaps I was feeling a little lazy that day… Aussie summers have a habit of doing that… but instead of going through my stash looking for colour combos, I asked myself if working with just the ‘California’ would work & decided to give it a  try … the colours are rich & bright just like our Aussie summers… Oh, but the black is extra… here’s the result & there was enough to make another headband… not bad for working with just one yarn type eh?…

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‘Fern’ & ‘Bouvardia’ by Moda Vera (both wool, acrylic blends) are also great finds but I still need to think about those & what I’d like to do with them.

Archive Gallery revamp & update….

Whew!! Giving myself much applause… because I’ve finally completed the Gallery Archive Page revamp & update. It was such a mish mash of everything that I thought it would be easier to navigate if I made separate pages for each section

~ Bags, Purses, Pouches ~

~ Hats, Headwear ~

~ Garments, Scarves, Wraps ~

~ Other Great Stuff ~

The Archive Gallery is a showcase of works that have been sold, donated, given away or, in one way or another, no longer belong to me & are happily residing somewhere in the world where I trust they continue to give much pleasure & joy…

Enjoy your visit down memory lane… I hope it inspires & encourages you to try new ideas but most of all brings a smile to your dial…

Ideas & Inspirations No7 ~ Spirals

this will be my last post of the Ideas & Inspiration Series & therefore appropriate that I say something about the spiral – the symbol I have used, over & over again, in all of my work. Some time ago, someone commented about this but, all I could say at the time was that, ‘I just simply like it’… nevertheless, it starting me thinking… Why do I use it so often? And, what does it mean?

Since spirals are found everywhere in nature, I think it’s only natural that artists will be influenced by them no matter what walk of life we are from. I believe the spiral is intrinsic & embedded in everything we know & understand about ourselves, our world, the universe… be it: organic, mineral or abstract… perhaps this is the reason why it’s been so revered & used as a sacred symbol by humans since time began.

Spirals are simply beautiful to behold: centered, balanced & harmonious, yet, at the same time complex, wondrous & awe-inspiring. For me, personally, they represents life’s forces: since everything in life goes round & round in circles, to my mind, because we are always learning & experiencing, therefore adding to the progressive directions of our lives, these circles will never quite meet.

 

So… I guess in a nutshell, the Spiral illustrated my personal expanding journey for awareness… I just haven’t been conscious of it most of the time… but having that said… in the end….  I still just simply like them…

For those of you who are interested & would like to learn more about the spiral just google it… that should keep you busy for a few hours or so…

Gallery update…

Only took me 3 days to redo my Freeform Archive Gallery page but I’m so pleased I did… and, being the non-techie that I am, I’m rather proud of this achievement….

Not only did I manage to create a Gallery where each click of the thumbnail takes you to a super enlargement but I also put in a slideshow – whoohoo!!! what do you think?

click here to view FREEFORM ARCHIVE