I have almost finished this book and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is packed full of useful information, some of which I have pretty much discovered for myself already and some of it a complete revelation.
One of the pieces of advice in the book is to create a nurturing space in which to create your work and to surround yourself with things that inspire you. I had already embraced this concept wholeheartedly a long time ago! How could I not? Over the past 3 years I have attended a lot of events and met a lot of talented crafters. And then there are Etsy and Folksy and all those fabulous blogs out there – huge resources of online craft inspiration. I have been buying from, and swapping with, other crafters for a long time and have amassed quite a collection of beautiful handmade objects which inspire me on a daily basis. In fact I have run out of space in my workroom and a few things have found their way into other rooms in the flat!
Next week I have designated as my week of inspiration. I will be posting about the objects (and their creators) that inspire me – one post a day for the whole of next week. I have tried to group similar things together as I have too many things to only do one object per day. I really hope that any readers of my blog will join in and maybe leave links to share anything that they find inspiring. Some of my favourite things have been found through other people or quite by accident!
It is lovely to have all these things as a source of inspiration but ask yourself ‘why stop there?’ There is a whole area of crafting out there that you can actually enjoy when you are out and about, away from your workroom. Yes, I am talking about wearable art. From handknits to handbags, jewellery, accessories and much much more.
A couple of years ago, at the Edinburgh Festival, I came across the work of Lindsay Grime. She had a few things on a stall which was a collection of items by assorted people under the banner of the Owl & Lion Gallery. There was a fantastic ceramic brooch that I was stalking for almost a week and when I finally decided to buy it…it had gone. As they say in Glasgow ‘if you’re not fast, you’re last!’
Driving along Argyle Street the other day I stopped at The Shop of Interest (great name) for a quick nosey. They had some great things, some of which I had seen at the Wasps Studio’s Open Day last year. They also had a small selection of Lyndsay Grime’s work. I couldn’t afford a plate but I could afford this……..
I love this brooch. It is similar to the one I saw at Edinburgh and now it is adorning a very sensible black jacket (lending it some much needed panache) and making me very happy!
Another accessory that is making me very happy (and has been for several months) is this gorgeous woven scarf by Wallace& Sewell…….
I had been visiting their online shop daily for some time, looking at their beautiful scarves and home accessories, when I saw that they had created some scarves (the one in the picture is the one I bought) for Anthropologie. In a couple of clicks the scarf was mine. There is no denying that it was expensive but in terms of price per wear it has been worth every penny. I have worn this constantly since the day it arrived – I even wear it in the house as a wrap on cold days. Everyone that sees it comments on its’ gorgeousness and it transforms the most mundane outfit. The scarf is a bit of an exception in that the majority of things I buy are pretty inexpensive, not necessarily useful but contribute greatly to my immediate environment. In addition to all this, I like to feel that I am doing my bit to support another person’s endeavours and by doing so, creating some sort of Crafty Karma for myself and for them.
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