Flashes of Inspiration 2

...continuing the theme with a linky post...and  sharing something that is a big feature in our house at the moment!

Helen at Creative Chaos Art recently had a series of posts about the Fabulous Star Wars characters she crocheted from Lucy Ravenscar's cool patterns.......there are loads of amazing 'people', elves and creatures I'd love to have a try at making....I'm formulating a wish list.

Browsing  the links on Lucy's blog I discovererd Geek Crafts website and have spent many moments browsing lots of Dr Who, Sherlock, Star Wars, Harry Potter and other wonderful crafty bits and pieces with a similar appeal!

As we are working our way through a tardis sized batch of Dr Who DVDs...series by series (its so cool not to have to wait for a week to get to the next exciting instalment)....this inspired me to adapt some granny squares.
Tracey had given me the perfect colour yarn a while ago...I think she'll approve of its use!!
 I explained the pattern of a granny and RW Jnr designed the layout of each square....here it is in progress...

I'd better RUN! and get on with the last square and the roof!...Fantastic!.....

any one fancy a Jelly Baby?

(showing my age there!)

Flashes of Inspiration...

Isn't it amazing where inspiration comes from and when it strikes?

This bloom is from Tracey's summer flower garland pattern..I love the shape and it seems to easily create a regular form...some others I have tried look a little lopsided...

it was perfect for a five year old's birthday card!

I have been hooking lots of trial pieces...I love using variegated yarns and often practise with some of my stash of colourful acrylics....I don't mind that the rows or rounds are not all one colour...during  a granny square I was reminded of the paintings of Ian Stephenson...he uses masses of tiny dots to make up his images (scroll down the linked page to see the image)

I have been inspired to make a granny bag based on the tiny dots in Ian's paintings....

I have bought the yarn...

but was diverted to use a little on my dad's birthday card, he too is a fan of Ian's work.

The day I was due to start the card my reservation from the library was available. In 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets Throws and Afghans I saw lots of dots! So I learned to hook a bobble...and....

this became a crochet picture for dad - I forgot to photograph the finished framed feature!

Tracey's jubilee bunting also inspired a secret project for a special occasion coming soon....

Loadsa ends!!

 Fellow felters often inspire me, and recently   Gill and .Liz in particular.....so I'll be getting my colourful fluffy fibres, soap and trusty bubble wrap out as soon as possible...just to have a play...

I might even throw a few of these into the mix!

There's part two and three of Inspiration Flashes already forming....
watch this space!
Where have your flashes come from recently?

A Rabble....

of Butterflies!

Recently we celebrated  a friends wedding. The colour theme was right up my street  - bright pink and purple....

This butterfly was made with my fave hand-dyed Teeswater yarn ...and has, yes you've guessed it, a needlefelted middle!

I was so honoured to find that the Bride wore her butterfly on her wrist during the ceremony and all the photos!

I love the pattern ..its very rhythmical...

and the circular flower transforms into.....

....a beautiful butterfly

 .. a rainbow one!

By happy co-incidence at the same time as I was playing with my technique...Helen was hooking butterflies too!

As for a rabble of butterflies...I think I prefer their other collective noun...a flight!

Exciting!!

I have abandoned my intended post mid-construction to pass on some excitement! If I left it until I had completed the said page I fear the closing date might for one of these news items may have been and gone! I'm being incredibly slow at the word to blog action at the moment!

So....first of all the exciting news that the fabulous felt makers Tracy at narkeymarkey and Angela at a life of felt are organising an exhibition

 to celebrate the fourth international day of felt, on theme of  

The dying of the sun -  a meditation on fire. 

A message to all my felty friends -  they are calling for submissions -  all the info can be found here and here! 

What a fabulous subject - bound to spark a flame of  inspiration!

It gives me a nudge to explore and extend ideas from my firey piece from last November...

can't wait to get back to felting again hopefully sometime soon I might get some space in my house and week!

The other slice of excitement is the arrival of my labels! I asked Fiona from craftedHOME  via Folksy to make them and they are fab! 

I gave her an idea of typeface and colours and she sent a pdf before printing them. I'm really pleased with them and am itching to make something so I can use one!!

xx

Still Hooked!

Due to Time And Relative Displacement Of Space I have had to Temporarily Rehouse All Stuff Hastily hence a delay in blogging and a slight change in creative activity!

I have been concentrating on more portable crochet projects and have found that I have really missed felting...I keep gazing at my hamper of fluffiness and hope to get my hands soapy sometime soon but in the meantime...

I enjoy projects that can be completed in a relatively short time, whilst browsing (or should I say getting completely engrossed in) Ravelry I came across Kaldred by Karie and I love the pattern!

I find them very therapeutic to make

....and I like to use two yarns at a time to add a bit of variety!

There have also been various experiments with butterflies, fish, flowers, and granny squares - which I find great fun and I have a fab idea to follow up.....however

Tracey has written a brill pattern for Jubilee bunting and  I have set out making some for something special happening soon.....

Crocheting Dads!

Thought I'd give a big shout out to men who crochet!

Two of my close friends were taught how to crochet by their dads...one of many legacies they passed onto their wonderful daughters...

You can see one of Tracey's dad's fab creations in this blog post .

Remebering both these dads....

Do you know any men who crochet?

Maybe a chap who chains?
a loop loving lad?
a fella that freeforms?
a dad doing doilies?
 or a handsome hunk who hooks?!!

Tags and Bags

Are you sitting comfortably? As this is a wordy post I thought I'd add a few random bag pictures too!

My vintage (original 70s) granny bag made by mum. It has an amazing twisty silk handle. I have some of the purple wool in my stash!

A few weeks ago Jenny over at the amazing Love and Peas* tagged me.

Here are the rules:
Post these rules
Post 11 things about yourself
Answer the questions provided by the person who tagged you
Create 11 new questions for the person you tag
Go to their blog and tell them they have been tagged!

What a great  challenge! I have been cogitating and deliberating ever since so here goes....

11 novel things about myself:  (I have revealed some other facts in the past)

After my passion for Donny Osmond I became a Bay City Rollers fan and was the proud owner of a pair of Rollers rainbow stripey socks and a tartan bag announcing 'I love the Rollers'.

I have a sizable collection of China Crisis CDs (originally I had cassettes) and I got Eddies autograph after a gig (one of my first student ones). I am also a huge fan of Chris Rea.

The start of my secondary school sewing studies was a rather ambitious skirt. So ambitious I grew significantly in height during its sloooooow production. Thankfully layered skirts were all the fashion so my creative mum rescued it by adding an extra co-ordinated layer. This was one of many half started projects mum patiently finished.

Here it is! Lovely 70s fabric!

I don't like celery.

I had a picture shown on Play School.

My favourite character from the magical  Harry Potter books is Neville Longbottom

I love Mackenzie Thorpe's art

Background noise is essential! Radio 4 in the bedroom, Radio 2 in the kitchen (or R5 live during the footy season at weekends)  and telly in the lounge.

I can be savagely anti-social with a good book, and computer games confuse me!

My first car was a gold coloured Talbot Horizon.

I did a quiz to find out which Top Gear presenter I was most like and it unsurprisingly revealed me as Captain Slow - James May!

Another original 70s bag crocheted by mum still in use! Usually stores my pompom equipment, now has my bookmaking tools!

So to answer Jenny's questions!

• If you were a flower what would you be? My faves are Freesias - they come in all sorts of colours, have an amazing architectural shape and smell wonderful!

• If you were an animal what would you be? Has to be a dormouse! They look so cute curled up asleep..though I'm not the right size for a mouse really!

• If you were a biscuit what would you be?  It would have to be a chocolatey one - preferably chocolate on the inside and covered in a thick layer of chocolate!

• If you were a drink what would you be?  One with a bit of fizz....

• If you were a tree what would you be? I'd like to be one that has bright pinky blossom in spring and stunning autumnal coloured leaves that scrunch loudly under foot!

• If you were a language what would you be?...the language of music?

• If you were a colour what would you be? mmmmm  preferably a rainbow of colours...but if I had to choose one it would be pink...

• If you were a art supply what would you be?... an open tube of squidgy oil paint ready to be spread thickly onto a canvas and with a some fingermarked splodges of other colours around the outside of the tube!

• If you were a super hero  what would you be? It would have to be Bicycle Repair Man....big Monty Python fan!!

• If you were a musical instrument what would you be? I should say an oboe (as I play one)... whilst learning you sound a bit squeaky but when played well it sounds awesome! However I'd really like to be a trombone for its glorious slides, booming bass notes  and slight comedy element!

• If you were a piece of furniture what would you be?....a saggy well worn comfortable settee

These are all things I'd like to be...not how I see myself!! Although some do sound a little familiar!

My third gift bag from Tracey's pattern - this one did contain pressies! I used 3 yarns and a huge hook!

Now 11 questions for the people I tag....

What would you put into a new chocolate bar?
Who is your favourite literary hero or heroine ?
Who would you like to meet?
What skill would you like to learn?
Where would you set  the next Bond movie?
Sherlock or Watson?
What is your most memorable fashion statement?
Where is your favourite stretch of coast?
Which Doctor Who alien would you like to see again?
Which is your best decade?
What would you make with lego?


...who are:
Kate at Starfish Studio
Carrad at Faded Reverie
Becky at The Fluff Pot
Sarah at Gingerbread Bunny
Its a bit of  a vague Never Eat Smelly Worms vibe!

Lots of my bloggy friends are really busy at the moment...I hope you all have a bit of fun thinking of possible answers while you work! !