my creative space... is filled with roses

Today I decided that I wanted to take part in the creative space fun at kootoyoo, so the post I'd planned with photos from yesterday's drive will have to wait.  Instead, today is all roses.

I guess it shouldn't be surprising that everything I'm making right now is rosy. The tail end of winter needs some extra flowers, even if they're just made of yarn and paint. After having made lots of little crocheted roses with the rose pattern I refined, I decided to try using thicker yarns instead of fine crochet thread and perle cotton.  I think I might be a little obsessed now.






I'm not sure what I'm going to do with those roses.  I have a few ideas I'm kicking around.  We'll see.  I did create a garden full of roses for another bag I've been slowly working on.  Here's an in-progress photo:


I couldn't help taking a photo of it on my rose-carved antique sofa.  That's where I sat crocheting most of it.  This bag is my first foray into felting.  I crocheted it from virgin wool.  I wish I'd photographed the body of the bag before felting it and I wish I'd measured it, too, so I could compare before and after to help with future felting projects. 

My mom suggested that I put the roses in pantyhose to felt them, as she'd seen something similar done with felted pumpkins.  She donated an old pair and I filled up the legs with flowers and the seat with the handles.  The result was very odd-looking,




but it worked.  The only problem was that the legs tangled themselves up in the washer.




Now I just need to figure out what fabric I want to use to line the bag and then I'll assemble it.

What's been consuming most of my creative energy this past week has been my stitched postcard for The Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap.  I am loving how this project has pushed me to attempt some techniques that I've never tried before and I am loving how my postcard is turning out.  I wish I could share it with you RIGHT NOW, but I need to keep it a secret.  Here's a sneak peek of it on my sewing machine because I can't help myself.




In addition to all of the rosiness that I've been creating, in my inbox this morning was a rose-themed poem.  I'll admit that I don't read all of the daily poems, but it's nice to get them in my inbox anyway.

A final bit of rosiness is happening in paint.  My newest abstract rose:



This one started out much smaller, centered in the page and with carefully painted petals.  It looked just awful.  Many layers of paint later, I gave up careful painting and ended up with this.  I like how it turned out.  Today I'm going to try refining the painting of the vines of roses from week 2 of my painting class.  We'll see how it goes.

Comments

  1. Beautiful roses ... and that bag is going to be gorgeous! Love it!

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  2. In love with the pink rose. *happy sigh* That bag is absolutely gorgeous!

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  3. WOW you are so clever! I love all of your creations and am sure your postcard is wonderful too :-)

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  4. A great job of crocheting the roses and then felting them too! You live in a very productive household with both you and your Mum working on projects simutaneously with the postcard swap! I think your painted rose is wonderful. I can really see that framed up and on a wall. I really think the abstract style suits you Ann.

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  5. Oooooh! I adore your crochet roses! Absolutely gorgeous!

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  6. That rose bag is spectacular! I love it that you've got so many roses on it - not just one - be 'generous' I say! Can picture an entire beanie covered with them - but I'm not sure where you'd wear it...

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  7. You're roses are so cool, it amzes me that you can amke those. That is going to be one pretty bag. Lovin the painting!

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  8. Your crotchet & felted roses are so pretty. You are really clever. I wish we lived closer and then maybe you could teach me how to crotchet such delicate beauties! In between our coffee and chat times of course :-)

    I like the way your painting turned out. Sometimes you've just got to keep going and adding the paint. I think the finished result has a really warm and imaginative feel to it.

    Kat X

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  9. Just popped in to say Hi and how much I love your roses....what beautiful work!
    Alex

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  10. You are the Rose Queen, Anne! These are beautiful, and what an interesting way to felt!! They came out fantastic!
    And I do love your rose painting! A lovely post!

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  11. Thanks so much, everyone, for all the comments and kind words. Your encouragement means so much to me!

    Kat, I'd love to chat and drink coffee and teach you how to crochet!

    Judy, would the Rose Queen get a rose-covered crown, perhaps? I'd LOVE that! :)

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  12. The bag looks awesome!I'd love to learn to crochet roses.I love your new header, especially the painting of a cyclamen - can I have a bigger peek please? :)

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  13. You are so talented..I LOVE the roses and oh how I love the clutch..just wonderful.

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