Let me begin with a few words about why I make the creations I do...what motivates me if you will. Sometimes it's an order from a customer and in addition to making that customer's order I'll make another to go along with it. Sometimes it's opposites...like if I make a kitten then I think about making the opposite...a little puppy. On occasion I am looking around the internet and see something I think is pretty or interesting and want to try it...it doesn't even have to be a bear or other animal...it can be almost anything.
The little pin cushions I make started from a desire to cross stitch again after years of setting it all aside. I joined a couple of cross stitch groups on Yahoo to see what people were currently doing and from visiting their blogs found out about this cute little thing called a biscornu (french word for quirky shape) that people were making for pin cushions. Well I thought it's small, will work up quickly instead of the big long term projects I usually stitch, looks interesting and the ones I've seen are certainly pretty...I've just go to try this! From that I refound my love of cross stitch and am working on finishing the Angel of the Sea in memory of my mother (I started it when she had a stroke and she later died from a 2nd stroke). I'd barely gotten any done when she passed away and it was then that I put my stitching away. Now the Angel of the Sea is nearly completed after working on it on and off whenever I had spare time over the last year and I'm very happy I picked it up and worked on it again.
The inspiration for making my miniature bears (and other animals) came from my daughter too. She saw them online and asked me one day if it was something I could make cause she knew I loved to crochet. I won't go into the details in this post (maybe in another one) but I tried making one, loved doing it, one thing lead to another and now I've been making them since 2002, and I'm the head of the Thread Artist Guild (R) as well as progressing and being awarded the title of Master Artist with them. Making the crochet bears lead me to wanting to try sewn/mohair type ones so I've dabbled in that here and there and plan to work more in that arena this year.
Other things such as doilies, afghans, etc. I love to make because I love to crochet. My grandmother taught me how at the age of 7 and from there my mom, and my other grandmother expanded my knowledge to include all kinds of needlework like knitting, crewel embroidery, needlepoint, miniature work, etc. Then a dear friend helped me learn to Tat a few years ago and I enjoy that too!
So that's a general overview of what I make and why/how I got started. As this year continues I will be expanding this blog to include all these things along with the highlights and frustrations along the way.
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