Mushroom bowls in red ~ the final set

This is the final set of mushroom inspired paper pottery bowls, the other sets can be seen here and here.

All three sets were made using the same set of moulds, although despite this I think they are all quite different in terms of shape, of course the variation in colour also helps to accentuate the differences.  Personally my favourite set is the brown/tan version, although I really like the this final set too for which I used a different varnish that has a subtle lilac hue to it which works really well with the reddy colour.

I’ll be making some more sets of bowls in due course, although I think I’ll aim for something quite different from these sets, maybe something a little larger, although equally as organic in feel … but more of that later. 

Coming in the more immediate future we have a sample or two from Jolene’s newly created ‘make-it-yourself’ bird hanger set which will be available at the forthcoming fairs we’re attending and we also have some more of her Sock Creatures.

handmade embroidered mushroom needlecase

This handmade needle-case is for the ‘Handmade Needlecase’ swap on Swap-bot.

I have been doing quite a bit of swapping at this website to try out new ideas and try to hone my needlework skills.  I’ve found it lends a purpose to my crafting rather than simply making something for the sake of it,. which normally leads to a huge pile of WIPs for me.

some close ups

front

inside front cover and first page

inside back cover and last page

back

front and back

When I started making this I wasn’t at all sure what the design would be.  I had an idea that I wanted to continue with my tree and mushroom obsession but hadn’t got much further than that thought.  I really enjoyed making this up as I went along and will probably make more of these in the future, each one a little or a lot different than the last.  I’d like to see how the idea evolves.

mushroom photo a diversion from wood carving and papier mache-ing

When I’m not running around threatening perfectly good sticks with my whittling and wood carving knives or shredding newspapers and sticking them to unsuspecting moulds I quite often find myself taking pictures of a whole host of random subjects … I’ll maybe upload more in the coming days given that I’ll not be finishing any stuff in the immediate future given a shortage of inspiring lumps of wood, and a lack of motivation to go and chop the logs that would yield said lumps.

I have got a couple of papier mache projects on the go at the moment including a bowl and a small character that I can’t help thinking of as a teeny-tiny-pontipine … it won’t be, but currently that’s where it is in my head … actually, that concerns me a bit!?

Anyway, in keeping with Jolene’s mushroom / toadstool  slant at the moment (yup, there’s more to come on that front), here’s where the fairies really live …

embroidered mushroom ornament

Is it an ornament or is it a pincushion?  Well, it could be either.  In this case it’s an ornament because the intended recipient doesn’t sew.

The pattern for this was from Little House by the Sea, who very kindly shared her pattern.  The embroidery was mostly my own creation, although the general idea was also taken from the one’s made by Little House by the Sea.  The stitches used are back stitch, running stitch, bullion stitch (which was new for me on this piece) and something that I know as lazy daisy, although I’m not at all sure that’s its correct name.