New Work

Just a few more days and we fly back to Africa, our parallel universe. Here are a couple of new designs

hatched out lately.

Bracelet crocheted with pearl cotton, beaded, and attached to braided leather  band

Embroidered cuff on wool felt

AFRICAN COLOR WILD AND FREE

Ahh color . I have always loved it, and thought I was pretty liberated in using it; until I went to live in Africa that is...

African wax prints

In Africa there are no color rules, no color police; every color goes with every other color.  If you like it, it goes !

There is a newer housing development in our town and everyone calls it Smarties.

 Purple, pink, orange, lime green, you name it and there is a house painted that color.

Home owners association? What's that?

 Bo-Kaap Cape Town

I recently come across this great explanation for the source of the African color palette.

(see link below)

I call the first palette our desert palette. 

We are all comfortable with this palette I think.

The African color palette derives from two sources. The first is traditional and utilizes earth pigments and natural dyes. This palette is full of ochres, browns, rusts, burgundies, blacks and the whites of raw, untreated cotton cloth and other natural fibers. This is what I call the “natural” African color set.

When synthetic dyes were introduced to Africa a new range of colors appeared. The cloth dyers had not much experience with dyes, so they used each one on its own and at full strength. The result was a set of brilliant, strong reds, rich full blues, emerald greens, and golden yellows, colors never before seen. These form the “dyed” African color set.

quilt/http://www.denacrain.com/blog/tutorials/african-quilt/ 

Now that's the wild and free palette !

Sometimes I have to caution our artisans, that Westerners are not as liberated in color use as Africans, and selling wild color combinations is often hard to do.

Myself ? 

I have to say, that how I think about color, and what colors "go together" has greatly expanded since living in Namibia, but I still have a very long ways to go before being truly FREE .

Fashion

and more fashion

Christie Brown fashion design

hand painted candles  

Even in Nature African colors can be intense

• http://theroadforks.com/photography/lilac_breasted_roller_weekly_photo

THE BEADED EDGE

http://www.amazon.com/Beaded-Edge-Inspired-Designs-Crocheted/dp/1596683007 I Found this book exploring traditional Turkish bead crochet.......( and we thought bead crochet was sort of new :) ) anyway, it's a nice book, with a little different twist on bead crochet. I of course couldn't wait to convert the patterns to wire and beads !

Digital Scrapbook Keys

Any of you interested in digital scrap booking? Here's an image I made. First I rusted the keys, then photographed them, then got rid of the back ground in Photo Shop and added a drop shadow. Please copy, use, and enjoy :) P.S. we actually still use this type of key here in Namibia.

EASY PEASY EARRINGS

You can make these earrings in 1 hour or less.

Buy: 2 metal links, matching 28 gauge beading wire, ear wires, 2 jump rings, and your choice of seed beads. ( these are size #11)

Add 1 bead to your wire and leave about 1 inch tail. Make a blanket stitch around the link. Hold the bead and tail next to the link, wrap the wire around the back, cross in front of the link, and when you come back to the top, duck under the wire and pull tight. Repeat around.

Twist the end wire with the tail, and pull it through a bead hole. Cut twisted wires, just as they come out of the bead. Add your jump rings, and ear wires, and you're finished.

Summer Dreams

I took a picture of some sun flowers and one thing led to another.... thank you to: Cottage arts, and The Graphics Fairy

Queen of the Laundry

My daughter works so hard at her day job, and then as mom .

I made her this award and then plan to frame it or what ever other inspiration hits......

Images are from the wonderful Graphics Fairy 

Making ribbon flowers

Lucia's head band

It's spring, so let's make flowers.
My daughter wanted a flower for baby Lucia's head band. I searched my brain files and remembered this one. It takes less than 1 yard or meter. Just measure 5 equal spaces and sew a u shaped gathering stitch in each section. (The pink one had 4 inch sections) . Use thin ribbon, and heavy thread. Pull the thread to gather everything and Wala! It makes it's own petals as you pull. I even made these once in crepe paper.

A Big Big hug and thank you to Jeannette Cook ( www.beadyEyedWoman.com ) who gave me this pattern of her design and, best of all, is allowing me to teach it to the bead ladies in Namibia! I was like a deer in the head lights at the Denver bead show yesterday. I think I saw more beads than exist in all of Africa! For sure more than in any one place in Africa.

rust and resin

Sorry it's hard to see the resin, but I carefully applied resin over the photos on these rusted charms. (See the rust how to in earlier post.

Here's a few more resin coated ear rings. After trying the water based resins, I went back to the real thing. It's a lot more durable I think. Just don't be a total ditz like I was, and mistakenly use the part a twice :)

Faux Rust secrets

Ok, some people wonder why I want things to look rusty???...... but you crafty people know! I've been experimenting for a long time, and even tried the "real" 2 part rust paint with no luck. ( and it's very expensive) Alcohol inks work pretty well on bare metal, but in Africa they are not so available. I think the step by step explains itself........ Then I used StazOn inks for stamping.

I'm stuck in the USA waiting for our work permit renewal, but enjoying all the wonderful craft supplies available here! Lately i have been obsessing over making photo charms on the cheap, with an African/Namibian theme. After 100 or so experiments, I think I've got it. Recycled materials plus Diamond Glaze. What do you think?