elinart -Etsy favourite!

Inspiration

Loving these orange bracelets from fashion designer Celeste Lee Arendse.

What's this I hear you say! What are these lumpen parings of copper. Well dear friends, it's last Tuesday's attempt at soldering.
I joined up for a jewellery class and have ended up in an super duper advanced course when, at this point in time, I have no technical ability with metal whatsoever.

Crochet - Hot tip #1 - Stripes

Goodness me, this crochet tip has taken me ages to work out. Sometimes the obvious is staring me straight in the face!!

Speed up your stripes by tying the different coloured yarns together before starting (Doh!). Crochet the width you require your stripe to be i.e how many rows you want it to be. Make sure the start and finish are directly above each other or as near as. Cut your yarn about 5mms from your first and final stitches, leaving enough to create knots, then unravel your stripe.
Straighten out the yarn and use as a guide for lengths of yarn for each of your stripes. Knot them together in order of colour preference.
Phew! That is so much easier than fiddling around trying to tie knots inside the tube.

Hurray! My crochet cuff jumped into the ETSY (her) gift guide yesterday. Maybe something to do with getting noticed in the Virtual Labs (?). It was my first time in the labs and managed to take part in the live chat with Crochet Today magazine, great fun was had by all. Got some great tips on trends for 2010!

Crochet Inspiration

Gorette. 2006

Marvel at extraordinary and fabulous crochet from artist Joana Vasconcelos.

http://www.joanavasconcelos.com

I have just taught a drawing class at the wonderful Prema Arts Centre in the West country.

http://www.prema.demon.co.uk.

The picture shows the group hard at work, drawing on billboard paper and long sheets of computer paper. They all launched themselves into the drawing exercises with amazing spirit.

'Ripening grey mould' - No. 3 in a series.
Materials - fabric, crochet and polymer clay.
Dimensions - 19cms(width) x 2cms(depth)


Thanks for all the lovely feedback about these mould pieces. All those who contacted me via Etsy and those who have featured me in their blogs and treasuries.

The series will be ongoing and I will be trying some more ambitious pieces. So keep stopping by. I have had some great suggestions from embellishing vintage clothing to wild and wonderful types of mould, all of which I will try and encorporate into the work.

Check out this new feature at the home of edgy embroidery - 'Mr X Stitch'. If you have just come from there...Welcome!

http://www.mrxstitch.com/2009/04/22/stitchgasm-elinarts-mould-pieces/

#1 of a series of works based on mould. It's crochet!!
Check it out at www.elinart.etsy.com

A detail of some freeform crochet I've just completed. I'm upcycling a Christiane Dior purse I found in a local charity shop , it's small and made of Navy ribbed satin with a navy leather lining and a press stud fastening.

I have three security doors to get through in order to reach my workspace. So this purse will stay around my neck, containing my pass and my MP3 player. Two vital items when in the studio.

* #20 crochet cotton in Black, Navy and Blackberry.
* Hooks #1.00 and #1.50
* Reading glasses #2.00!