… make a tiered skirt for a little girl

instructions here at 3peas

hello whipup gang.
i am so late with my monthly post but was waiting for something to hit me and today it did. in new york right now the Stationery Show is going on and i thought we could all spend a bit of time ooooh-ing and aaaah-ing over all of the amazing paper arts that are out there. since i can’t be at the show i am taking most of these inspirations from grace’s amazing posts this week … be sure to check out her blog for more complete information … i’m just giving some call outs!

at first you think … well what can you do with cards that has not been done already?! but everyone has a vision and it has been so fun to see what is going on out there in more of the larger market and how that might inspire those of us who might be in a smaller market. some of my favorite inspirations from graces’s posts:

pancake & franks
saturate
hammerpress
herman yu
foxy and winston
binth
good on paper

and then a few call outs to some who were not mentioned but whom i admire:

etui
chiemitti
pink bathtub
abby tries again
posy press

and so i leave you to check it all out and if you want, leave your favorite paper artist in the comments. i know there are many, many more whom i have forgotten and i will be kicking myself once i hit “post” … have a lovely & inspired day! until next month, mav

Submissions for Adelaide, Australia’s Morphe II show are now being accepted. “Morphe II is open to anyone who makes handmade original soft toys,” the final 30 selected will be exhibited at the Nest Studio shop in October. Entries are accepted until June 25th. More information and the application can be found here.

To coincide with the call for entries, there’s also a free pattern available for download from Moopy & Me. You too can make your own Mini Moopy!

I first became a fan of Anne Black, a Danish ceramics designer, when Design Sponge posted about her work. The shapes are beautiful, often with a very simple silkscreened pattern like a dotted line or a starburst. What really kills me is her jewelry line, though. Like these bracelets:

and necklaces:

There are also brooches and earrings. More of her work at Tivoli Home (where I got the pictures) and Greener Grass Design, among other places.

Actually Knitty has three surprise patterns this time. First up is the wild skirt pictured here that is knit in sections and joined with a three needle bind-off — pretty nifty construction! There is also an adorable and quick baby top and whimsical felted tea cosy. A little something for everyone.

Wire loop tools, cutting/scraping tool, wooden sculpture tool, cutting wire.

Handtools that potters and ceramicists use are real simple and can often be made by hand. I also have a whole batch of old plastic cards that gets a second life in the workshop. But what I most often use are buckets of all sizes and colours.

Bamboo knife, wooden paddle, callipers, dipping tool.

I did my ceramic training at Central St Martin’s in London and although I’d had ceramics as my main hobby for a long time there were many tools that I’d never heard of, let alone knew what they were for. I was all exhilirated at all the possibilities they held in store for me.

Next year, it’ll be 10 years since that first exitement and the tools feels more like extensions of me… Sometimes it strikes me how beautiful they are and how many I still have the opportunity of getting to know.

Metal and wooden ribs, natural sponge, sponge on a stick, metal carving tool, wooden sculpture tool.

I received two potter’s fair tips’ from Canada (thank’s Mary!):

The Potter’s Market – this weekend!

1001 Pots, July 14th – August 13th.

Last week I went pawing through the Goodwill Bins with my friend Sarah and came up with several colorful sweaters ripe for felting. They were just crying out to be made into handbags, and so they were. I thought I’d share the process for those who want to give it a go.

1. Find a sweater that will felt when washed. It should be as close to 100% wool as possible. Gap sweaters are especially good for this project, since they’re often stripy, colorful, and woolly like the pink multicolored one I used. The white sparkle-embellished sweater I used was angora, mohair, and wool, and did not felt as much so resulted in a less structured bag.

2. Wash the sweater in a hot sudsy wash and run through the hot dryer until completely dry.

3. Cut into two layers, halter shaped, as follows: If desired, cut the bottom band of the sweater completely off. Cutting through two layers of sweater at once, cut a line along each side of the body, close to the seam. Following the sleeve line, continue to cut the sleeves off as well. You’ll have two pieces of sweater. Trim so that the halter shape is steep.

4. Turn the sweater inside out, or lay pieces with right sides facing, and starting at one armpit stitch down the side, across the bottom, and up to the other armpit.

5. Still with right sides together, sew the collar front and back together, stitching across twice or more to make a firm handle.

6. Turn the sweater rightside out. You now have a basic bag, stitched around the sides and bottom and at the top of the handle, with two large and rather floppy side openings.
7. Turn under the raw edges around each handle opening and topstitch.

8. Turn them under again and hand stitch with a coordinating thread and large tapestry needle. The bag is finished! Mine took 30 minutes.

To make a flower using the bottom band from either the front or back of the sweater, thread a large tapestry needle, and knot the thread leaving several inches of thread hanging before your knot. Lay the sweater band out horizontally and starting with one short side, make a z-fold and run the needle through it. Pull tight. This is your flower center.

Now start wrapping the band around that center, keeping it tight and running the thread through every few wraps. Once you have rolled up the entire sweater band finish it by pulling the thread through one last time and knotting it together with the hanging thread from where you started. Knot tightly several times.

Attach to the bag and fold down the last outer wrap to make a stylish petal. Wool that is tightly felted won’t fray, so you can simply cut some leaves or other embellishments from the sleeves to add alongside.

Well whiplash round one is finished with the end of week 6. I hope you all had fun, I certainly loved seeing the different interpretations and checking out new blogs I hope everyone else did too.

I have new ideas for whiplash round 2, but I would also love to hear your ideas too.

And of course who did you love this week?

Feedback please this is the place for it.

Felt from raspberry.co.uk

Look through her archives to see more.

Mimi makes the most adorable dolls, I have showcased them here before, but her latest batch of fat cats and robots are too good to pass up.