Free Stuff

Each month, beginning August 15, 2010, I will be giving away a handmade item to one of the kind and supportive followers of my blog. I will post pictures and a description of the the item and will draw a name from those of you who wish to leave a comment. I am hoping to make new friends and meet some fellow artists and crafters who wish to share their ideas and experiences of creating with me and each other. The first give away item will be a handmade linen pumpkin. It is about 4 inches tall and stuffed with poly fill. The stem is a slice of tree branch and the leaves are made of felt with some hand stitching. The tendrils are covered wire. Please leave a kind comment and your name will be included in the drawing for the free give away. I am very excited about meeting you all and hearing your ideas. The drawing for this pumpkin will be August 15th. Good luck to everyone!

These cute little pumpkins and a larger version of them are available for sale in my Etsy shop at http://www.umelecky.etsy.com/.

Bunches Of Baubles

Baubles for my new necklace design.

Squid In Progress

This squid is in it's beginning stages. I plan to add freeform designs to it's head and maybe a bow. There will be many tenticles and the eyes need to be redone.

Crocheted Critters

Well, it's Saturday morning and I thought I should add something new to my blog. Lately, my mind is flooded with new ideas for my crochet. I've been staying up late, to work on these new ideas, but my mind is working faster than my hands and there just isn't enough time. It's time to start a crochet journal! I need to start writing down my ideas while they are fresh in my mind.

I've recently added crocheted critters to my Etsy shop (http://www.umelecky.etsy.com/). There are some snakes, a cute little owl and I'm currently working on a large squid which was inspired by a fellow Etsy seller. My squid will be different of course and I am making it for myself, not for selling on Etsy. I will have pics of the squid next week, hopefully. It's a large project and is taking some time to finish. Here are pics of the snakes and the owl.

Something New

Last week I made some wool ropes using old wool sweaters. They make a good base for crocheted jewelry. I usually crochet a hollow tube and stuff it with wool roving, but I like this new method better for some things. Here is an example of a striped necklace with a felted wool base. I added more wool to the center of the rope giving this necklace an interesting new look.

Charms

I've started adding some charms and pendants to some of my crocheted jewelry. Here are two works in progress.

Maybe A Shadowbox

This pile of parts and pieces are some new things I am trying out. I'm considering using them to make a shadowbox. I'm trying to create a garden of some sort. It will have flowers and mushrooms and grass. I'm thinking maybe a bug or two as well.