THE FROST IS ON THE PUMPKIN

I'm sitting here enjoying our old cookstove's comforting heat this fine crisp Sunday afternoon. Yes, we finally have heat in our home, but you know what?  It's a crying shame to use it when a cookstove's heat is so much more inviting.

It does take firewood to keep it going, though.  So, a bunch of folks from our church came over yesterday and we had a good ol' fashioned wood-splitting bee!  They split, oh, probably 5 cords of wood for us!  And it's all trees that naturally came down through the year and would have just rotted out there if we hadn't "rescued" it for our heating purposes.  And there's still plenty more out there for nature to use as critter homes.

The change in weather has got me making "warm" jewelry these days.  In the summertime, I can't even think about wearing a bracelet cuff or bulky necklace.  It's too much contact with my already-overheated skin.  But of late I've been enjoying making crocheted flower pins. And the latest batch has a special touch - a layer of ruching added to the flower brooch!  So much fun to make!

I've also finished a 50-inch loop necklace/bracelet.  It can be one long loop of a necklace, a two-looped one, or a lots-of-loops bracelet cuff.  I really like the cuff look.

Has the change in weather brought on a new serge of inspiration your way?  Share your thoughts!

THE FROST IS ON THE PUMPKIN

Hey all you crafty, creative people!  Where do you get your inspiration from?  What makes your creative juices flow?

One of my latest pretties!

I’ve got a variety of “ craft accelerants” that work for me.  Nature is a big one.  And this time of year is full of inspiration!  The leaves in all their colors, the smell of the crisp air, “leaf showers” (as one of my friends calls it),  a bunch of cornstalks with pumpkins out by a neighbor’s mailbox.  These are the things that pretty jewelry ideas are made of.

It's a pin and a barrette.

Texture is another thing that will set my mind in motion.  So many textures, so little time to make all of the ideas!  Take fabrics of all kinds, yarns both smooth and bumpy, sparkly beads, buttons, wood, throw in some of those fall leaves we mentioned earlier, and you’ve got the perfect accessory!

And, thus, the autumn escapades begin!  

 

Capitalizing on the beautiful fall colors.

Don’t forget to tell us how you’re inspired.