Folksy Handmade - Practical Valentine Roses



Retro Roses Mosaic Garden Bird Bath



I had to do a Valentine Folksy Friday collection sometime, so I'm doing it this week so the ideas are there, ready for the January payday (that's been a long time coming, huh).

If I'm honest, I don't really do Valentine's Day. My other half is quite pleased. It means he doesn't have to fork out on inflated priced flowers. I've never really gone in for having bunches of flowers given to me. I'd rather have a plant (which will be cheaper than a bunch of flowers), or even a packet of seeds. Then I can grow the flowers for myself, a load more than a bunch worth too. That's much more practical. Like my Retro Roses Mosaic Bird Bath. You're giving roses, so there's the romantic bit, yet you're also giving a useful wildlife present that'll last for years too, the practical bit.





Retro Roses Mosaic Garden Bird Bath







So, there's the theme of this week's Folksy Friday. It's Roses for Valentine's Day. But, it's roses with a use, not roses that will wither within a week.

All the items picked you can either use or wear and have a rose design, a rose theme, or are rose coloured. Plus there are a few DIY kits too. A perfect gift for the Valentine that loves crafting. See the other ideas here -

*** Folksy Handmade - Practical Valentine Roses ***

(P.S. This is clearly a list of gifts for females, I will be looking into male gifts next week.)

Folksy Handmade - Denim



Bright Hearts Mosaic Garden Plant Pot



I have been experimenting with handpainting colour on pattern again, and I've come up with this Bright Hearts Mosaic Plant Pot. I wanted a random pattern of colourful hearts on a muted mixed background. The blues were perfect as a base for the orange, yellow and magenta hearts.

It was only when the pot was finished that I realised it reminded me a bit of denim patchwork. And there was the inspiration for this week's Folksy Friday collection, which has been added to January's board. Click the link below to see the new items -

***Folksy Handmade - Denim ***

Folksy Handmade - Exotic / Wildflower Collection



Peacock Eye Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

 


I am going to do a regular Folksy Friday (a themed collection of handmade items for sale on Folksy.com).

I think the way I will manage this (as I have tried various other ways of doing a photo gallery), is to make a Pinterest board for each month and add to it. As I've missed one Folksy Friday this January, I will make it up and do a double-themed Folksy Friday today.

The first list of items has been inspired by my two latest bird baths designs, Blue Paisley, and Peacock Eye which have unintentionally gone in a kind of exotic looking direction. So I've collected together a few other items that have an exotic look to them. Check out the Pinterest board here -

*** Folksy Handmade - Exotic ***



Sky Blue Primrose Mosaic Garden Plant Pot

The second list is themed on Wildflowers. I made this handpainted primrose flowers mosaic pot because the weather was so mild at the start of the week, and it was starting to feel like spring. Unfortunately it doesn't feel much like spring anymore, but it's not far away. So here's a little look forward to spring (and summer) -

*** Folksy Handmade - Wildflowers ***

Exotic Blue Paisley. Perfect for a Scottish theme.



Blue Paisley Mosaic Garden Bird Bath




Blue Paisley Mosaic Garden Bird Bath


There's a monthly competition started in the forum on Folksy.com with a theme to fit an item to. Bizarrely I was making this bird bath because the pebbles I used on my peacock bird bath also inspired me to make a paisley pattern with them because they are slightly kidney shaped, and the paisley pattern fitted January's competition theme - Scotland (inspired by Burns Night) - perfectly.

There's a Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crafty-Chittah-Chattah-Monthly-Challenge/272597522803131, and a Pinterest board -  http://pinterest.com/JoSara/folksy-monthly-theme-challenge/ - where you can see the entries getting listed as they get made. It's just a bit of fun, and to get the creative juices going. It'll be interesting to see how everyone interprets the theme with their own style. Keep popping back to see the updated albums.

New Year. New Ideas. New Designs.



Peacock Eye Mosaic Garden Bird Bath

 Here we are then, 2012.  Funny how a change in the date can kick start your mind. I feel all enthused, and I've got loads of ideas for items to make this year. Or, attempt to make in some cases, I'm not entirely sure how to make some of the mind's eye items into reality. All part of the fun of designing though.



Peacock Eye Mosaic Garden Bird Bath


My first item I've made this year was inspired by some glass pebbles that I've got. I was playing around with combinations of them when I suddenly put them into an order that reminded me of a peacock feather's eye. That then turned into creating a pallete of other colours on that theme. That then turned into arranging the design. That then turned into the Peacock Eye Mosaic Garden Bird Bath.

The design juices are flowing again.