Dainty Crochet Earrings

A quick and fun crochet jewelry project! I used this pattern from Julie Bolduc to make gifts last Christmas. I customized the pattern by adding 4 mm bicone Swarovski crystal beads.

Pink crochet earrings.

Purple crochet earrings.

Yellow crochet earrings.

It was such a joy to make these gifts for my friends. I have yet to decide if I will be making any Christmas gifts this year. I do want to support my fellow handmade artists, which is why I am participating in A Crafty Holiday. Angela Flicker is hosting a blog hop for bloggers to visit each other with ideas and inspiration for handmade gifts made by other artists. There is still time to contact Angela (deadline is October 14) if you are interested in participating. I'll bet we're going to be blown away by the beautiful wares!!

So, what are your plans for holiday shopping this year? Making your own? Buying handmade? Buying online? Braving the shopping centers? I'd love to know!

The Galah Crochet Basket

My latest crochet basket was inspired by one of my favorite Australian birds, the galah, or rose-breasted cockatoo. We had many of them visit us during our two years in Canberra. Our nickname for them was "Lovelies". I really admired the gray and rose of their feathers. Such a beautiful bird!

Gorgeous Galah

Close-up of satin cord crochet basket

Silver and rose pink satin cord crochet basket

I can picture this color combination in an entry hall for keys and sunglasses. Or how about a lady's dressing table to contain those beauty supplies?

A Larger Crochet Basket Design

Hello, everyone! How about a glimpse of a larger crochet basket I created? The wavy stitch design is the same one that I used on the baskets in my previous post. This time the dimensions are 7" x 3 1/2".

Toffee and Light Blue Satin Cord Crochet Basket

Close-up of my crochet stitches

Bottom of basket showing my label and embroidered edge

Picture a lovely beach house, with this basket filled with shells or starfish on the coffee table. I can also see it in a bathroom, filled with hand towels or wash cloths. How do you envision using it in your own home?

Wishing everyone a beautiful Friday and a lovely weekend. I can feel fall in the air!

My Latest Crochet Creations

I took some time today to work on my photography. I practiced on my latest design which is a wave stitch. I like the fluidity of these bowls, the way the satin cord makes me want to sculpt it once it is completed. I also used the wave stitch on a hemp twine acorn bowl. The shape of it is very fun.

Coral and light blue satin cord crochet bowl.

Doesn't my prop look delicious?

Fuchsia and apple green satin cord crochet bowl.

Close-up of my stitches.

Turquoise and black satin cord crochet bowl.

Turquoise and white hemp cord acorn crochet bowl.

Another view.

View of the lid.

What do you think? I do feel like my photos are starting to show improvement. I know I have been told many times to take lots of shots, but I skimped a bit because it was hot outside and the gnats were gnawing on me.

The next series of designs I am going to work with softer colors of the satin cord. As much as I love the brights, I want to be able to offer muted tones as well.

Making Friends for the World to See

I dedicate this beautiful video to all of my friends, past, present and future. This is one of my favorite songs by Elton John.

"Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, the others are gold."
-Joseph Parry

A Hive of Colorful Crochet

Here we are at the end of another week. I spent most of my creative time working on my website and logo. I enjoy Photoshop and am even getting the hang of Illustrator! I had a great time designing my "bee" and my "hive". I even made a button, as you can see on the left. I would love it if you grabbed one!

I am really thrilled to be a part of this online artistic community. I feel like I am part of something very special and very genuine. I don't feel like I have to do anything other than be myself to fit in. I love that! There has been so much support and activity that it makes me feel like no mountain is insurmountable. After two years of bitter heartache and pain, I am ready for healing and growth. I also want to put some positive energy into this world by supporting everyone that crosses my path.

Last week I was in the flow of creativity. I still feel it, and am ready to start working on new basket designs. I am concentrating on color and design in my crochet and it is really inspiring me to try new stitches. Here are my latest creations. What do you think?

Black and red basket using long single stitch.

Aqua and apple green basket using the long single stitch.

Red and aqua basket with diamond pattern.

Apple green and purple basket with diamond pattern.

Close-up of green and purple basket.

Goals and a Rose

Last week's goal list:

1. Set up website on squarespace.com. I decided to try bigblackbag.com instead, thanks to a tip from my new friend, Jo. I did start my home page, but want to use different photos.

2. Update social networking sites (blog, facebook, twitter) about the process. Since I didn't do much work on my website, I really had nothing to write about. I did continue to use facebook and twitter to support and encourage my fellow artists.

3. Continue to develop brand. Hmm, I have had this on my mind for a bit. I did ask my husband how he would describe my baskets. His reply? "Traditional, with a modern twist." I like that!

3. Continue to develop lines of inventory. I did make some new baskets, two with a new design. I will upload photos of them soon.

4. Work on pricing strategy. I began work on this last night. There is a lot to consider, and I want to be conscious of the time and effort I am putting into the construction of my baskets.

So for this week, I hope to get at least the bare bones version of my website up and running. I decided to break this goal out into smaller steps:

1. Take photos for the home page.

2. Write my bio for an "About Me" page.

3. Link my website to my blog.

4. Develop my home page with photos and logo.

5. Make my own logo in Illustrator. This could be tricky, but I am going to give it a try.

6. Develop my tagline. I want it to declare my intentions for my creations.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, creative and playful week!

My Mardi Gras rose. Such a beauty!