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Satin & Sand

~ Reflections on Beauty

Satin & Sand

Tag Archives: Craft

Crown of flowers…

26 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Crafts, Design, Photography, Reflections, Writing

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Craft, Design, Fall, Grapevine wreath, Harvest wreath, Lord Tennyson, Photography, Pottery Barn garland

Tears, idle tears, I know what they mean, 
Tears from the depth of some divine despair
Rise in the heart, and gather to the eyes,
In looking on the happy autumn-fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.
from Tears, Idle Tears by Lord Tennyson

The yellow flowers in my front door wreath evoked vivid memories of buttercup, daisy, and dandelion crown making not only with my daughters but also with my childhood friends – almost forgotten.

*   *   *

Decorating Tip

I made the wreath from a Pottery Barn “Bittersweet” garland I found at my local store yesterday. I fixed it into a round shape with picture frame wire and then added some vintage amber buttons that looked like berries for more color (using embroidery floss to tie them to the grapevine). A lovely striped grosgrain ribbon worked well for the bow.

Globby Purple & Green Throw…

27 Saturday Aug 2011

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Crafts, Design, Photography, Reflections

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beautiful, Craft, Knitting, Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, Photography, postaweek 2011, Wool throw

© Knitted by Joan Currie

I know well that happiness is in little things… – John Ruskin

I stayed up late finishing another throw – and really enjoyed designing the generous fringe! The inspiration for the colors came from Nirvana’s Come As You Are performance video – Rome 1991 (the green spotlight on Kurt Cobain’s hair, especially).

Beautiful Yarns…

21 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by Satin & Sand in Design, Fashion, Photography, Reflections

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beautiful, Craft, Kate Middleton shawl, Knitting, Photography, postaweek 2011

© Joan Currie

It is a peculiarity of knitters that they chronically underestimate the amount of time it takes to knit something. – Stephanie Pearl-McPhee 

Although I am not planning to give up my present love (Rowan yarn), I have to confess that I am smitten with two others: Ozark Handspun and Be Sweet yarns. I plan to use all three when making Christmas gifts this year for my daughters.

British royalty fans will want to check out the July 20th posting of the Be Sweet Blog and the instructions for the shawl that Kate Middleton wore recently.

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Needlepoint Books…

22 Sunday May 2011

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Crafts, Photography, Reflections

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beautiful, Claire Murray, Craft, Elizabeth Bradley, Kaffe Fassett, Needlepoint, Needlepoint books, Photography, postaweek 2011

© Joan Currie

Fassett has successfully challenged the idea that knitting and needlepointing are dull, restrained, and limited to certain subjects or patterns. – Catherine Reurs

I have a penchant for Elizabeth Bradley’s exquisite needlepoint designs and two of her books top my list of favorite pattern books:

1.  Needlework Antique Flowers by Elizabeth Bradley
2.  Decorative Victorian Needlework by Elizabeth Bradley
3.  Kaffe Fassett’s Glorious Needlepoint
4.  Flowers, Birds, and Unicorns: Medieval Needlepoint by Candace Bahouth
5.  In Splendid Detail – Needlepoint Art by Catherine Reurs
6.  Donna Kooler’s Glorious Needlepoint
7.  Glorafilia The Ultimate Needlepoint Collection by Carole Lazarus and Jennifer Berman
8.  Erica Wilson’s Needlepoint (The Metropolitan Museum of Art adaptations)
9.  Jill Gordon’s Needlepoint – Glorious Tapestry Designs
10. American Country Needlepoint by Jim Williams
11. Designer Needlepoint edited by Hugh Ehrman
12. Floral Needlepoint by Melinda Coss
13. Nantucket Inspirations by Claire Murray
14. Victorian Needlepoint by Beth Russell

Clay Sculptures…

11 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by Satin & Sand in Art, Crafts, Photography, Reflections

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Art, beautiful, Beauty, Clay, Clay sculpture, Craft, Photography, postaweek2011, Susan Collett

© Susan Collett, "Cauldron" approx. 38" H

Each has his own happiness in his hands, as the artist handles the rude clay (s)he seeks to reshape it into a figure; yet it is the same with this art as with all others: only the capacity for it is innate; the art itself must be learned and painstakingly practiced. – Goethe

The two clay sculptures by talented Toronto-based artist, Susan Collett, evoke extremes of the same beautiful images for me:

Cauldron is reminiscent of the coral and conch shells strewn on Florida beaches, while Cluster awakens memories of oyster, scallop, and clam shells from more northern shores, such as Nantucket Island.

I have a penchant for a darker beauty (preferring black pearls and diamonds, black & white photographs and movies, nightscapes, and images of the underbelly of life), that which is swathed in mystery and thus relies more on the imagination.

© Susan Collett, "Cluster" approx. 30" H

One of Susan Collett’s clay sculptures is now in the collection Severes Porcelain Museum, Paris. See her website for more views of her truly original work – clay, copper, prints, and installations.

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