Crazy with flowers

My flowers decided to bloom after all, just a few days late, but that is all fine with me. I went out to take pictures, and there was a little bee in one on the flowers. So I have little bee bum in half my pictures. Oh, well!! At least the flowers are happy about it. I guess that is all that really matters on that one.I got inspired by the flowers to make some flowers of my own. Look at the mosaic picture; the stuff in the top left photo is called Hi-Straw and Swistraw. My supply is from the 40's through mid 1960's. They are made out of Viscose Rayon so they can be washed just like clothes. I just love thrift stores!I got this idea around 4 am this morning. "Why" you ask, "was I up at that time.?" Well, my kids woke me because of their fevers. After I took care of them, I couldn't go back to sleep. Yep!! I started making flowers on my looms. The looms are on the top row, middle picture. They are from the same time period as the straw and were actually meant to be used with it. In addition, you can use ribbon and yarn with the looms, too. I think they would work well with wire work like beadders use; pretty much any thing you can wrap around them without breaking the pegs.

The next picture shows the smallest loom with a flower almost completed on it after having been woven on the loom and embroidered with pearl cotton to form the center. This is considered a type of weaving, just not very complicated weaving.

That same blue flower is show again in the first picture on the second row. Then I decided this was too boring; I needed more variety and not just in color, so I started making a variety of sizes.

In the last picture of the mosaic I have a nice little stack of flowers ready to be added to the apron. OK, so I go over board; I am used to that. The apron I used I have had for about 10 years; I purchased it at a craft store called Mac's. I loved that store; too bad they went out of business about 5 years ago. I think the apron came out rather cute -- sort of spring, St.Patrick's Day, Easter and Mother's day all in one.

Looking at these photos gave me another idea. "Oh, NO!!!" you say. Take it easy; it's a good idea I promise, and you can do it if you can find the supplies at a thrift store. Actually, I think they are selling looms like this again. But if you can't find them there is always eBay; that is where I bought the brass one about 7 years ago. Do your search under flower loom, bloom loom, crazy daisy, knit wit, studio twelve looms -- any of these will work to find something that can make these flowers. Either way, the supplies are not hard to find.

Now for the idea: Wouldn't these just be sweet on a sheer little girl's bedroom window? Hey, I have three little girls; too. To bad their windows already have blinds and curtains. But maybe I can still change that. We will see; maybe I'll get some sleep instead.

Also the flowers made on the brass loom are the same size as yo-yos made from a standard size CD; oh yes, the wheels are spinning with ideas there, too.

Update

I noticed that Craftzine linked to this today ( Friday Mar. 16, 2007). They referred to it as a "How to" so I decided real quick I would make a true " How to" if you have this tool and don't know how to use it or if you have seen one and wondered how it worked follow the link below.
Tutorial here.
You can also see these same daisies made with double sided satin here.

Please join flickr group if you have made any of these types of flowers

I found the buttons!!!

If you remember, back in November I accidentally dumped all my Mother of Pearl button boxes. Well, I actually did get around to fixing them up real nice and neat with the help of my friend, Dale. When I went to his lace in, he gave me two real nice big boxes I could keep them in.

So, after a little bit of brain storming, I figured the easiest way to keep buttons is the way they come from the store originally, on little cards. Heather had the idea of gluing them down. I don't like the idea for mother of pearl, especially dyed ones, but it's great idea for plastic and Bakelite buttons. The next best thing is sewing, yikes! So I made my own little cards with a real big craft punch. It felt like I sat for days and days on end trying to sort and organize them.

I think the end result came out pretty well; as you can see, in one of the boxes some of the buttons are on strings -- still as they are sorted. I just haven't finished stitching all the buttons to cards yet. The card are set up in two ways: one way is all of one kind of button; the other way is a card with no two buttons the same on it. These are my one-of-kinds that would get lost the way I stored them before.

Also, since then I actually have received more buttons as gifts for Christmas, I have to sit down some day soon and add them to this box. I may need a third box by the time I am done. Those, the Christmas ones, aren't even pictured here. As you can see, not all of the items are buttons, but most are mother of pearl or shell and a few are metal vintage/antique buttons, too. What I think is real neat are the antique buckles.

Craftzine

My Shamrock tutorial just got a mention on Craftzine; that just makes my day!!!

I hope everyone has a lovely St. Patrick's day!!!

It has been a great day between this and being one of the winners at whip-ups Whiplash.

Contest Winners for Whip -Up Recycled Announced

My last entry into the Whip-up monthly contest won a prize. For making the Jean Rug I get a craft book. It was fun to make and I get to keep the rug and get a book too. How cool is that!!

The next round starts today; it is supposed to be a tutorial. So yep, you guessed it, a new tutorial is in the works. It's already in my head, and I have 18 whole days to do it.