as i didn't really have the energy to be making anything new, i thought it might be a good idea to try and finish off some w.i.p's that i've had sitting around for far too long (i actually have a whole box of half-started or not-quite-started projects!) so here's some pics of some bits and pieces, some are made from scratch pieces and some are just embellished bits and bobs, like the deccies i bought and added beads to or strung onto some crochet. it does feel good to be finally finishing these and i'm now keen to work my way through the rest of the box!
i think i got into a bit of a rut last year ... i had a lot of stalls to make for and i'm also fortunate enough to have two shops selling my work now, but i think i just got a little burned out trying to keep up with it all. i was making things i knew would sell, but i think i didn't have enough time to be creative and come up with new ideas and designs. i've made the decision not to do any markets this year (well, i may do some christmas ones later in the year ...) so that i have a little more time to play and remember what it is i enjoy about feltmaking.
aaaaanyway, thanks in no small way to heather (more about that in a later post though) i have given myself a kick in the pants and got my fleece out again so i will soon be boring you all again with some felting pics and chat :)
this holds various lenses for looking at bugs and plants really close up - have you ever looked at a flower under a hand-lens ... i can recommend it! and then there's our bat detector for surveys on those long summer nights. this all sits in our nature bag, along with binoculars, camera, identification guides (and usually a snack for along the way) for when we go out 'sploring :)
7 comments:
Ooh ooh we have that bat detector!! Great fun :)
isn't it just! we have a few colonies around us and it's an amzing way to spend a summer evening. i love it when they come in really close to grab the insects above your head :)
Do tell us more about your bat detector I have so many in the garden and they occasinally pop in to give me a Alfred Hitchcok moment. I find them quite manic when they are in the house!
I think if you have a glut of 'having' to make things, it's no bad thing to have a break afterwards.
Tackling your WIPs to get your mojo back is a great idea.
Hmmm bats, don't they get tangled up in people's hair???!! :-)
Hx
In the land of 10,000 lakes, (Minnesota),and a billion mosquitoes ,(some times referred to as our state bird)....BATS are our friends . Great geekery kit.
I also battle with the idea of making things that I think will sell verses making things just to learn and have fun...(considering my Etsy shop has been closed for a year, guess which urge won). I think this is a battle most crafter/artists go through....after all, if I wanted to work in a factory making "widgets" at least I would get health benefits and make more then the $5 an hour I make trying to sell crafts .
we all feel the same Tracy. I love your deccies for the coming year, especially the reindeer. I also really love the the little bird that nests in your hall. We have bats around here but I'd never thought to get a bat detector - must go find one now.
Hi Sunroom,
The bat detector is the best gadget ever!
Basically, it lets you tune in to the echolocation sounds of the bat and, depending on whereabouts on the dial you pick up the best signal, this can help you identify the type of bat you have. For instance: if you are near water and the signal is strongest at 30kHz, it is likely you are ‘hearing’ Daubenton’s bat. We have two types of pipistrelle around here, one that we pick up at 45kHz and on at 55kHz, it’s such a lovely sound! And you can hear a change in the noise when they catch an insect (goes from a wet, slappy, clicking sound to a raspberry noise!).
You can find out more from http://www.bats.org.uk/ - enjoy :)x
Hi H, yep you’re right that a break is a good thing after a glut of making but now I’m feeling guilty and giving myself a hard time for being ‘lazy’! Defo think finishing the WIPs have helped though.
Oh dear, bats in your hair! No, mine just looks like a roost of bats have flitted through it most of the time!
I love it when they fly in really close, what happens is this (in my basic terms of understanding): when you’re standing about outside, you will be exhaling (among other things) carbon dioxide and emitting heat, this draws in insects which will be circling above your head and the bats are merely helping out by eating the insects before they can start biting your head :)x
Hi krex, hee hee your state bird!
We have a similar ‘delight’ and are plagued by midges in the summer, boy have they got teeth?!
You’re right that it is a constant battle, I think I need to concentrate on more of a balance (that word again) between the two – I do need to earn some pennies (and I’m really grateful I can manage that by making things I love) but I’ve now realised that having fun and playing is just as important – if not more so :)x
Hi Angela, thanks for your support :) Helps to know I’m not alone! Ta for your lovely compliments too.
You must, must invest in a bat detector – it’s so much fun! I’ll bring mine with me in April if you fancy :)x
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