Seasons in fibre

My house guests have gone :( and I'm back to being busy. 

I mentioned in the previous post that I am currently very much into fibre jewelry an I hope it lasts. The first four necklaces are already listed in the shop. They are each dedicated to a season:

SPRING

SUMMER

AUTUMN

WINTER

They all consist of felted wool beads which I then embroidered, crocheted pieces and yarn constructs and I really had fun making them, even though it takes some time, especially the felting part, since the beads are quite big (the one in the first pic is almost 5cm in diameter).

 Now I am working on some necklaces that I am really excited about - they are inspired by colourful African jewelry, especially high chokers. Actually - they're not, since I didn't really research African jewelry, but they are inspired by what in my head African high chokers would look like :)). I find fibre materials so appropriate because they are so light and there are so many ways in which you can use them. (me excited). Also, my dad brought me some really nice wool and I want to work on a few "monumental" pieces :)) Oh my, I have so many ideas and so little time. I really wish days would last at least a couple of hours longer.

Life, ah, life

I have been meaning to post, but life has caught up with me. I've been busy with uncrafty and unarty stuff and so slightly distracted.

Hoever, I have not been unbusy, so here it goes:

1) My Mail Me Art entry

I haven't been drawing in ages (sketches don't count) and this was a nice break. If you're interested, follow the link above. The deadline is 31 January, but it's a fun little project, or at least it was for me, maybe because I am going postal myself?

2) A felt necklace for myself.

I am in love with this one. It was hard work, as I did every single part of it - the felting, the embroidery, the crochet, the assembly...it took me three days, but it was so much fun.

It is inspired by beautiful beads of Sonya Yong James (she makes other lovely stuff. too).

Anyhoo, I wanted to make the necklace versatile (maybe because it took me ages, maybe because I was indecisive about the length), so I came up with an assembly that allows me to wear it in 3 different ways:

a) long

b) medium (with a help of a ribbon)

c) short

d) or even as a bracelet

Well, me very pleased.

Other than that, I am working on the burdies, and if I get a chance, I'll post some new jewellry in the shop tomorrow. Till then - be good and see you soon!

Viva los colores!

On Friday I made this knitted bangle bracelet. I was in a completely wintery mood and thought I'd do something warming and I found this method and the colour combo suiting. (I am not a very good knitter, but this is just for me, so I don't mind the slip-ups)

Then yeasterday we went shopping for some supplies and presents, and as you can see, my colours were still on winter tip of the scale (regardless of the butterfly).

And theeeeeen.......colours just exploded all around me. And kept exploding!

....

I bought this lovely little vintage looking purse, and some yarn, as well as that cover for the armchair, and some sewing material. The colours completely changed my mood.

Everything was suddenly very bunt, including my boyfriend, his painting and the little felt phone case I just made for him (which sits on his shoulder only for the purpose of the photo, btw.)

So, how could I not make some colourful jewelry. I finally used the felt elements I made a while ago and tadah!

*

Seriously, I cannot tell you how much colours influence me. They really make me happy. When I see nice colours, my mood immediately lifts. They don't have to be warm - it is just the effect that a good combination has on me. That is one of the reasons why I love my boyfriend's paintings so much. He is very good with colours and I have a painting of his that's my favourite hanging opposite the couch, because every time I look at it, it makes me smile a little.

And anyway, there is a good reason for the "bunt" as a part of my name here and the name of our little manufacture :-)

*

I hope the colours above bring you some smiles as well!

Harem and felt

Well, these are my latest doings:

I tried felting for the first time and it is great! I only got three colours from a lady at the art market here in Rotterdam a few days ago, just to try. So, I ended up with these elements (which I still haven't decided what to do with). All wet felted and all fun.

As I mentioned before, I needed comfortable trousers for a festival we are going to. It's gonna be very hot and it's a whole day thing, so this is what i came up with. Harem trousers of sorts.

Ok, to be entirely fair, this is what I produced in the past month (other than completely useless tidbids that I would never post). 

The first pic is a sort of a wall illustration (it's about 2m high) done for my boyfriend - the facial i-am-not-amused expression is entirely his. The second pic are rings (or soon to be rings) done in FIMO, wire and felt. That was going horibly wrong as well.

I want my productivity baaaack!