Summer Primitives Ahoy!

Summer is in full swing and finally my jet lag is wearing off enough for me to enjoy it!

Somewhere between the unpacking and sleepy haze of the past week I was able to finish up a few summer projects to offer on the Early Work Mercantile for July.  I've discovered dolls are so much easier to complete when they are half naked.

Sam and his clams emerged in just two days from idea to final stitches.

I have been making these starfish for years but have never offered them to the public until now.  Made of vintage linen they are pure sun bleached summer breezes.

Swing by the Early Work Mercantile to see all the fresh offerings for July 1st from the best prim artists around! Then skip over to By Your Hands to visit my shabby chic alter ego on Up-Cycle Nation Monday.

For such a sleepy girl, I sure have been busy!

LOVE  &  NAP TIME!

Summer Palette

Aaaaaahhhhhh summer!  That time when sales slow, whimsical demands dwindle and time for me to whip up a little something for myself.  My summer bag harbors stowaway projects worked as the sun rises and sets over the hotsy-totsy sands of the Gulf shore. 

I have been busy making linen flags to hang from my patio.  Using patterns from Robyn Pandolph Designs, I am replacing the called-for cotton fabric with my vintage cashmere wool. This dream fabric soaks up the summer dye palette of teal and pink perfect for shoreline living!

No backyard is complete without a summer banner!  To compliment the linen flags I am making a double sided chipboard banner.    The natural aging and buttery soft texture of 1886 paper on bright teal are pure lazy summer afternoons swung away in a shaded hammock!

 As the school year winds to a close, longer hours can be spent tending my personal projects.  I look forward to having my sisters-in-law in town next week for my daughter's high school graduation and know we will spend summer hours stitching, sipping Asti, and wishing such summer days could last a little longer.

 

 LOVE  &  LAZY SUMMER DAYS!

 

All Buttoned Up

 

 People say I have a button problem. I prefer button situation.  I've confessed, owned my problem.  I spelled it out in this earlier post- owning my button hoarding ways.  After all, Dr. Phil says I can't fix what I don't acknowledge.  So I have raised my hand in proud declaration!  I am a button hoarder.  Tried and true! 

 So I decided it was time to wrangle in some of these buttons, corral them into a storage display that would be both attractive and functional.  I found a ratty fab canister set, gave it a tlc coat of paint and prepared to empty 9 of my button barrels into a shiny new home.

I got through 2 barrels and filled 2 1/2 jars.  I decided this was not the wisest way to use my revamped canisters.  I would just end up with even more button barrels that would be infinitely more difficult to dig through.  And I need easy access to my obsession!  So I left 2 for buttons and filled the remaining jars with thread and bits- things I use often. 

Dr. Phil would probably say I am avoiding my issue.  But I say I have taken an honest inventory and I really don't see a problem with my button obsession.  At least I'm not hoarding gum wrappers or something totally useless.  Who's to say I'll never be able to use 1,467, 876 buttons?

Stop by By Your Hands blog for step by step instructions on how to revamp your own storage solutions! 

 

LOVE  &  ANYONE HAVE AN EXTRA BUTTON?

Summer Patina

I am attracted to patina like a moth to a flame.  The golden flecks of age, chippy signs of everyday use, and hand-worn surfaces make me swoon! Naturally, patina is key in my creations and this summer, well-aged elements, nursery rhymes and vintage fabrics will support a new cast of primitive characters.

My summer resource,  Fun And Thought for Little Folk, has finally been located after a year of MIA.  Let's just say codfish and beetles will reign the Hand of Bela Peck studio this summer.

 Adding to my summer vintage supply is this textured green fab delicious Pendleton wool.  Scored yesterday at Goodwill for $2.99!  I just love vintage awesomeness!

I am off to an energetic start and hoping the momentum continues! Stay tuned to see how these prim ovals take shape and come to life.

 

LOVE  &  VINTAGE!

Kitchen Pin Cushion Love

I can't bake.  I can burn a frozen Sara Lee Cake just by looking at it.  Much to my family's dismay, I would rather starve than fire up the oven.  So when I finally found a non-cooking use for vintage jello tins I rejoiced!  At least I was doing something baking-related......ish.

I am just in love with making tart tin pin cushions!  It's my stitching quick fix, my evening idle hands fix, and of course- my woolen up-cycle fix.

Recently I found a floral sweater with my favorite words "100% wool"!  Usually these Hong Kong vintage lovelies are an acrylic blend that I have to leave behind.  But this mint condition gem, covered in 30 hand-stitched flowers was the perfect match for a score of 30 tiny baking tins!

Most of these sweet treats are headed to Hendley Market (pop on in my Texas peeps!), but some will land in my Etsy this weekend as well.  Here's hoping y'all have a constant companion craft that makes your hands, heart and the environment oh so happy!

 

LOVE  &  UP-CYCLE NATION!

A Good Case For Needling

I just love a good case of needles!  It doesn't matter where they come from- quaint boutiques selling reproduction books, a brightly colored vintage book from the antique store, or that estate sale bag of cast off notions sure to include the best of all cases: an advertisement!

 Fancy needle books and everyday business appreciation cases are relics of simpler times when front porch gatherings were the social hot spot and sewing skills were a necessity rather than hobby.  It was also pure advertising genius and perhaps the predecessor to branding by getting the consumer to incorporate logos into everyday life.

I am a true sucker for every needle case I see.  I linger, read the ad, open it to count the remaining needles.  I wonder about the conversations the case has heard round the sewing table.  With so much adoration, I realized I could make my own as a companion to my line of tart tin pin cushions. 

 Using printer fabric, I printed out my cases, aged with a cinnamon coffee soak, and layered over cashmere wool.  A simple herringbone spine stitch and a few needles tucked in- it's a thousand times more useful than a paper tag and leaves a lasting impression.

 With so much focus on returning to Main Street, shopping local, and restoring community, I hope to see the needle ad case come back into vogue.  For now, the needle case ad is the primitive perfect companion to up-cycled pin cushions!

 

LOVE  &  MAIN STREET!!

Busy Hands

Even though Baby Girl is only a few days shy of 18, when she is sick at home snoozing the day away on the couch, I can't help but pass the day by her side. I pull up the work basket, put on an animated movie and stitch as she sleeps.

So many projects needed just a few final embellishments: an eye, a snout, a few color touches.

I wasn't sure about Bubbles' snout- but with a few tips from my bestie, Ashlie Blake of Painting Bliss- he will soon suit my fancy.

The sheep chose just the right vintage leather glove for their faces.  This morning, now that yesterday's rain has passed, they are in the garden choosing their legs and then they will be ready for their Etsy slots.

I even had time to start another whimsical work.  I've ben wanting to do a pillow version of my mice using the dreamy alpaca roving I picked up on my trip to Connecticut in March.  It is like sculpting with buttah!

This wee piece will travel with me as I like to always have a project on hand.  Traffic jams, Starbucks drive thru lines, prescription pick up waits- all good times to punch in more wool and fill my need to never waste a second in this creative life.

 

LOVE  &  BUSY HANDS

Spring Prims In My Work Basket

My studio work basket is full of brightly colored farm life this week. Prim pigs, sheep and mice are ruling the roost with folk art flair.

Bubbles the Pig is back in production after being well received on his first run.  With thrifted winter woolies scarce in the hot Texas spring and summer months, I am thinking of making a summer linen version to keep the piggies happy.

Inspired by the colors of spring, these sheep are made from felted wool in teals.  They lumber quietly about the studio- lending a shady resting spot for wee mice.

Bubbles will soon be joined by his newest pen pal, Edna. Together they will laze about the pasture in the warm spring sun day dreaming under blue country skies.

 

Today is a gray day outside the studio windows so these colors should make for cheerful work.

 

LOVE  &  WORK BASKETS!

A Good Punch

Nothing beats stress build up like punching the @#*! out of something.  What do I do with nervous energy? Needle punch punch punch punch punch! And I make a living mess while I do it!

My work table is a scattered array of roving, notions, and wool scraps at the ready.  I have fallen in love with Wisteria threads roving!  It adds just the right hues to every project!  I love to use non-traditional backgrounds when needle punching. Old woolens, linen napkins, and painted cotton lend themselves well to my schemes.

Perhaps it is my New England upbringing that has me so thrifty (ahem- "resourceful").  I believe every scrap, every cast-off has value and deserves a chance to shine again before truly hitting the trash.

Bubbles the piggy has become one of my fave de-stress characters.  His bubbles are made from old sweater wool ringed in alpaca roving. I am playing in my dye bins to mimic the color quality of the Wisteria threads- but I am no match.  Not yet anyway (insert evil laugh).  I used a backdrop of wool up-cycled from a thrift store suit atop a layer of cotton batting. The fibers, when condensed through the punch process, give the bubbles dimension.

 

Mini punchers are my latest craze!  Old sweater wool molded into tart tins, sugar bowls, anything kitchen- then embellished with roving for a lasting pin keep treasure!

The old adage is true: when you're looking for something you can never find it.  Even when just last week the item was EVERYWHERE!  This week I received an order for 10 tins, and of course the constant supply has fallen off the earth.  I've been scouring the antique stores, thrift shops and garage sales to no avail!  So back I go to my punching, needling out the stress and keeping the faith that new tins will emerge before the deadline.

 

LOVE  AND  A GOOD PUNCH!

Feeling Sheepish

   Emerging from my common cold coma of the past week I realized I had spent most of my couch time counting sheep.  Suddenly the work basket was full of fat forms with tiny faces begging for final touches. Feeling better now, I kindly obliged.

 

Made from an up-cycled wool/mohair sweater, Sherman Simpleton has rented out his side  for advertising.

His face is a fingertip of an old leather glove.  Vintage gloves have been one of my go-to faves for years due to their versatility and expert craftsmanship.  

A new Sherpa fluff was born while I was resting.  Wanda proudly wears her full coat knowing it will be the talk of the spring county fair! 

Wanda's face is made of distressed leather and her tie is a simple scrap of Americana calico.

Rounding out the common cold collection is the sheep trio "Baa, Baa, Blacksheep".  These wee guys are made from up-cycled garments, garden sticks and wool roving.

The beige Baas have a face of painted cotton distressed just so, whereas the black sheep has a leather glove tip face.

In addition to sheep- pigs, mice, and bunnies were found all in stuffed and ready to finish condition- just littered all over the house.  Makes me wonder if I was actually productive in my coma- or were other wee hands at work?

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Guess we'll never know!

 

LOVE  &  GOOD HEALTH!

 

Bagging The Birds

Festive feathers are flying here!  Though spring is cracking the winter cold, pastels are ruling the day, and autumn is almost a bad word- it is time to send off some birds in high hopes of earning a spot in upcoming holiday publications.

 

 

Last summer I sent my first submission to Somerset Studios and was floored when not only was my work published in Prims, but I was asked to write an accompanying article. (Smelling salts have since been a staple in my supply closet!)  The seashore primitives have returned from their grand journey with stars in their eyes and tall tales on their tongues, whipping up a whirr of excitement in the studio.

First to raise a wing and shout, "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!!" were the scrawny turkeys.  So happy to be out of the sleepy storage bin, the Drumstick brothers, Edgar and Earnest,  have packed their credentials and jumped in the shipping box; showing off their up-cycled woolens and making the Up-cycle Nation oh so proud!

Joining the Drumstick brothers is Buzz the Vegan Vulture.  He is labeled, bagged, and ready to roll! In recycled wool, cashmere, and vintage fur, Buzz proudly represents the Up-cycle Nation as well.

Hopefully, their dreams of fame and fortune in the big city will be realized- and in time they too will return with magical stories of their own.

 

LOVE  &  OFF WE GO!

 

The Simple Rabbit

Some times life calls for something simple; a slow down, a yield sign, a gentle rain on fresh spring flowers.  My studio cycles much the same.  The complicated doll dresses, the microscopic turns of linen starfish, and busy wool applique patterns give way to a yearn for prim minimalism.

Robyn Pandolph's leaping bunny is my primitive spring go-to pattern when I want to play with fabric but not be bogged down in my own designs. 

 These bunnies are quick!  They multiply fast!  And it gives the fabric a chance to really pop! Simple rabbits also help to keep my scrap piles dwindling to a manageable chaos.

Popping up everywhere, you can see the finished guys available for purchase in the Early Work Mercantile, my Etsy shop, or swing by Hendley Market on The Strand in Galveston.

LOVE  &  APRIL SHOWERS!

 

Inspirational Tweets Headed To Hendley

So many peeps chilling in the trees these spring mornings!  Nesting activities abound as the quiet winter skies give way to warmer days and green leaves.  In celebration of the season, new Inspirational Tweets have emerged from the studio ready to take flight to Hendley Market!

 

 

There were days when getting goodes ready for market was a fretful plague of anxiety, self-doubt and the certainty that Hand of Bela Peck goodes wouldn't match up to my fellow Galveston artists.  After the first basket was delivered I was shocked to see my Russian Mice collection grace the front table and doors! After the second basket, I fell into a welcome routine of artsy chat and friendship.  Now, several baskets later, the Hendley trip is a welcome break- a chance to share in recent finds and girlish banter on daily things.  In my Hendley journey, and over the past year, I've come to realize that all artists doubt their work.  I've found a new community of friends who try to balance the struggle for creativity with the challenges of everyday life.  Most importantly, in the vast anonymity south of Houston, I found a place where I belong.

 

Though timely for spring, this delivery of Inspirational Tweets reflects the feelings and undercurrents brought on by my involvement with the fab peeps of Hendley Market!  If you find yourself in the Galveston area- swing on in!  Hendley Market is located on The Strand and is open Thursday-Sunday. 

 

LOVE  &  SPRING TWEETS!

 

Strippin' It Down!

There comes a time in every fiber artist's life, usually a few times a year, when the stash closet doors won't shut and the pile of storage bins is stacked so high and deep the garage door is rendered useless.  Reluctantly we know it's time to get back to the bare minimum and give up all those scraps accumulated for the sheer pleasure of collecting.

 

 

My wool scraps are the worst space suckers simply due to their over abundance.  It is in these bins I begin the task of cutting usable pieces from the chaos, grouping them with like colors and setting them aside for sale.  What fun is a stash if no one else can play with it?

 

 

Lamb In A Can and Sack-o-Lamb are created from the wee collections set aside.  Fun snippets of color, texture and patterns to ignite that creative spark in far away studios.  All tucked into a recycled coffee or tomato can- it's an eco-friendly up-cycler's playground!

Because I love the victorious feel of a bargain, I offer my wool scraps on Ebay with a very low starting price.  This eases my storage burden quickly and gives the buyer a chance to share the love! Look for new listings weekly at Hand*of*Bela*Peck on Ebay!

LOVE  &  DESTASH!