08/21/2015

I've been playing around with some ball point pens doing some free hand doodles. Check it out.

Here's the first one. No pencils no erasers just me and an ink pen. Can you say art therapy?

This is number two and I really love this piece it has kind of a bluish greenish teal-ish colors and a purply blue.

Then this one came along.  Just a little bookmark. I watercolored the paper before I drew the design and I even burned the edges.

Number four is done on a stretched canvas. Not sure how I feel about this when yet. But I did discover glitter ink pens what fun.

I don't think it's done yet.

This one I really like!  It is done on white paper and I used a red pen, a purple pen with glitter in it and a mauve pen. 

Everyone says it looks like Hair.

For me I just like how it flows, however I am thinking of doing one it's all sharp points so stay tuned.

Then I did a Pineneedle bracelet. I still really like the infinity design.

So in the last week or so I have done multiple zentangle inspired drawings,  three baskets and started a fourth,  and a Pineneedle bracelet as well.

Art is a great stress reliever.

Whoops I forgot to show you the baskets…

And then I did a little purple and blue one. That's purple and blue threads of course.

 OK I think that's everything now now!

02/01/2015

Did you know that I give Pineneedle basket weaving lessons? It's a series of lessons actually, one lesson a week for four weeks.

My latest student did so very well and I think maybe I'm glad she lives in Connecticut. I don't do so well with competition! And I'm kind of thinking that the student could easily become the master. LOL she did such a great job,some pictures for you.

The first basket we do together.

And then the student does one entirely on their own. From bundling their own Pineneedles to choosing and sanding their own piece of wood!

Didn't you do a lovely job on both pieces! I'm very proud.!!!  And I'm looking forward to seeing her again in April.

01/22/2015

A basket for a friend of mine's husband to empty his pockets into at the end of the day. I hope he likes it

The wood reminds me of an ear, or maybe even a Porkchop! LOL! 

12/26/2014

New basket style.

I was channeling my inner Viking bowl!

Then a couple tiny bowls.

And then a bigger chunky one today.  I really like this piece.

And the bottom is even more beautiful than the front.

My hand is only in the picture for scale purposes.

And yet another start of a basket. This one's going to be good size.

12/08/2014

12/03/2013

Here is the newest basket.  I love this piece of Oak, so full of golden tones.

Wiggles likes it too!

Hated this...

So I broke out the sandpaper once again.

Looking at my own pencil drawing...

Which was drawn from a tutorial using this photo...

And. Then I used charcoal on a piece of juniper board and got this.

 Not sure if I like it at all on the board, critiques welcome girls and boys, contact me and let me know what you think.

I might just have to stick to flowers on the wood. Can I just tell you the drawing on wood is all whole different skill set that drawing on paper is.

11/19/2014

How about a live oaks Center stitched with yellow and red?

So far just yellow.

11/14/2014

People often wonder why Pineneedle baskets are so expensive.  Keep in mind that I do not factor in the time whenI go out and pick up my Pineneedles by hand one at a time in the rain sleet snow or hail here in Florida. Emphasis on heat!!!  Or when I go into the forest looking for tree lambs to slice for the bottoms. I don't factor in the time it takes me to sand the wood a drill holes in the wood and polish the wood with my beeswax mixture the only time factors that I taken to play for the actual needle and thread stitching time.

So that being said, I started this basket this morning at 5:30 what I was drinking my coffee and just finished it right at 11 o'clock. It measures 4 1/2 in shoes across the top one way 3 1/2 inches across the top the other way and it stands 2 inches tall. It's a $30 basket so I sat here for six hours working 

on this it.  So $30 divided by six hours makes my hourly rate add around what five dollars an hour 5×6 is $30. So imagine if I did factor in gathering my supplies, how much I would have to 

ask.  

It is a tiny basket but $30 is an extremely reasonable price for it I have seen baskets the size priced at over $100 more than one time.

I like to make my baskets affordable.  I want people who cannot afford to pay three or $400 for a piece at the galleries to at least be able to have a piece of handcrafted art of some sort even if it is tiny.

And it is a very very cute basket if I do say so myself I think I was feeling a little bit Christmasy you tell me…

11/06/2014

Lately, I have been searching for an artform to supplement my basket work. 

You see after enough years I was beginning to be a little bored with doing just baskets. Sooooo I've been playing around with Pineneedle bracelets and woodwork. 

And can I just say working with wood makes the arthritis in my hands just scream.  And I mean really scream, wake's me up in the night in pain.  I've never really had that happen before. So I think what I'm going to have to do his pace myself and only do wood on occasion, it really stinks but I have to listen to my old lady body I guess.

So yesterday I did two pieces of work with the wood, and one Pineneedle bracelet. Today it's Pineneedle work only. And I have found a comfort zone that I had forgotten can I just say ahhhhhhhh!

It's just the little one done with my usual Juniper but it just flows so nice and easy.  I'm enjoying the process of it, nothing really challenging me, just being successful from start to finish.

Beautiful feeling if I do say so myself it makes me feel whole.  :-}

10/27/2014

I'm really happy with the way this bracelet turned out I love the cost part talks, kind of like an infinity design. Just kind of taking it and running with it.

And of course a little basket too.