Another CELTIC WOVEN CROCHET piece - PURPLE FLOWERS

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY






Another piece in one of my favorite crochet techniques - CELTIC WOVEN CROCHET!

This one was a lot of fun to put together. I enjoy doing Celtic or Irish Crochet anyway. I used a Medium Emerald Green for the "Stems" around the "Flowers". I used a Medium Violet Purple and a Light Violet for the "Flowers".

Here is a closeup showing the detail of one of the four motifs in this whole piece:



Four of these motifs with a small Fill-In Motif sit in White Lace "netting" with a twisted edging in the Emerald Green and White!!

I just really like it - the way the final finished piece comes out when you do it using Celtic Woven Crochet. It is a little different -- and I think, so beautiful!!

In addition, the Purple and Green threads used are the beautiful, lustrous DMC Pearl Cotton -- one of the really beautiful threads available in many colors!!



(This item is made by Ruth Sandra Sperling -- and the photos above are All Rights Reserved and they link to the online listing.)

New Fall Color Palette Reflected in my Newest Fiber Design

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers

Though I have always liked some Turqoise in some things in my life, as Pantone (and others) decided that it was the "2010 Color of the Year" -- I took a look at putting some Turquoise in some of my "Designs in Fiber".

This is the first time I have incorporated Turquoise into a Fall or Autumn or Harvest Seasonal design - intentionally. It is in the current Fall Color Palette!

It is sort of an experiment for me, though I have found that I really like the combination of the Yellow/Orange/Turquoise -- and I did this design with contrasting rounds - not just for the colors - but the contrasts really shows off the crochet design.

Here is a closeup, to see the details more clearly:



I am curious how others feel about this -- it is Thread Crochet (considered Vintage or Old-Fashioned by some) in some new, modern, lively colors!

(You can find it in my Etsy shop and I want to also include it in my Design Style Guide Portfolio.)

Leave a comment, if you would like!
(I only approve comments in English)

FORESTS - Refuge, Place of Life and Joy -- Inspiration!!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY

FORESTS!!

All my life since I was a little girl - Forests of all sizes have been some of my favorite places to go.

When I was little, they were places to go to with Family or on Hikes with school or "day camp". My Family would go to various places on vacation -- and often some time spent in the Woods or Forest was part of it.

By the time I was in college, finding some Woods or Forest to go for a walk in was a way to "get away from it all" and find some peace -- and some joy in life! I would spend hours and hours either off in some Forest I had found - or walking through the country to get there!!

The Trees, the Wildlife, the feel of the earth beneath your feet -- there is really nothing quite like it!!

Throughout my adult years, I have traveled from coast-to-coast at different times to different places in the United States and I have been to quite a few of the Forests!!

So, when I started doing my "Designs In Fiber" (about 7 years ago), Forests and Nature seem to be a major influence in my choices of designs, subjects and colors.

So here are a few pieces that I have made over the years - Inspired (one way or another) by Forests (keep a watch out for more I want to make and will showcase on this blog)!!


MOUNTAIN CABIN IN THE FOREST

PILLOW - TAPESTRY OF A TREE AGAINST A DEEP BLUE SKY

OAK LEAVES IN THE FALL (as scattered on the ground)

HOLLY BERRIES ON IVY LEAVES (like you find around a Forest)

BRANCHES OF AUTUMN LEAVES

EVERGREEN BRANCHES IN THE SNOW

TEXTURED AUTUMN LEAVES

Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan - 2010 Comment Period on Draft Management Plan (and DEIS)

Ruth Sandra Sperling

I have blogged about this before -- but now after years of scientific review and writing and legal court actions -- we have a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Draft Management Plan for the Giant Sequoia National Monument established by President Bill Clinton's Presidential Proclamation on April 15, 2000!!

Well, it has taken a while (over 10 years), but hopefully we have one will which will really serve the purpose of the Presidential Proclamation.

They are having Public Meetings during the comment period -- to present the DEIS and Draft Management Plan and explain it to the Public, as given on the Sequoia National Forest website for the Giant Sequoia National Mounment Management Plan.

This is all part of the Public Process -- done per "NEPA" (National Environmental Policy Act - defined in Wikipedia here and you can find more information on NEPA here).

These are Public lands -- and the Public have a right to make comments on the management of these lands!!

And, as I look at it, this may be one of the most important Forest Public DEIS's and Comment Periods in the United States!! After all, as stated on the Conservation International website on Biodiversity Hotpsots, the Giant Sequoias are in one Biodiversity Hotspot, the California Floristic Province - and the Giant Sequoias are "the planet's largest living organism" -- and their ecosystem is Globally Significant for Biodiversity -- and certainly one of the most significant for Carbon Storage!!!!

Tonight the first Public Meeting for this comment period was held in Porterville, CA, where the headquarters for the Sequoia National Forest (including the Giant Sequoia National Monument) are.

There are 5 more scheduled - including one in San Francisco and two in the County of Los Angeles:

•Saturday, September 18, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., at the Doubletree Hotel in Bakersfield.
•Tuesday, September 21, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn in Clovis.
•Wednesday, September 22, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco.
•Wednesday, October 6, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency in Valencia.
•Thursday, October 7, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the Hilton in Pasadena

And there is another meeting of the Science Review Panel at the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, CA on the evening of Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 5 PM until 8 PM. (I plan to attend this one.)

All in plenty of time to get the data -- and make your own comments before the Comment Periods closes on November 3, 2010!!!

I have been going to Public Meetings on the Giant Sequoia National Monument - from the forums for its establishment in March 2000 through all kinds of meetings, including the meetings of the Scientific Advisory Board 2001 through 2003, where they discussed the development of the Management Plan and created their Advisories, which are being used in the development of the Management Plan.

I have learned a phenomenal amount!! Though I have my own ideas of the protection of the Giant Sequoia ecosystem (have the whole ecosystem in the National Park Service, but that is outside this public comment period for the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan, as putting it in the National Park Service is an act of Congress [not a National Forest Service proceeding] - see my earlier posts here on my blog!! I wrote my California Representatives about putting the Giant Sequoia National Monument in the National Park Service and combining it with Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park years ago!), going to these meetings is very educational about what is going on now -- and there is scientific data available on the care and restoration of the Giant Sequoias in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

I have seen these beautiful Giants many times -- I am a tree-lover, for sure, -- and, whatever happens, this is an important issue for me and I am Reading, Listening -- and then Writing Comments!!!

What do you want to do????

Moving into FALL or AUTUMN Designs for 2010

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers


I'm doing something a little new this year in Fall or Autumn or Harvest designs.

I've been reading about Color Trends for 2010 (both in Fashion and Home Decorating), because I like to work in Color!!

Now you have your Classic ones - mostly from Nature - Copper Reds, Oranges, Goldish Yellows, Browns and Beiges -- just think of the trees turning in the Fall and that is what you would most likely think of these Classic Fall or Autumn coloring!!


I have been doing my Fall Designs In Fiber in these colors for years now - and some have been rather popular -- one year I had a rather large Custom Order for a bunch of my Maple Leaves in different colors!!

See this blog article from last year in the Fall, with a video!!
http://rssdesignsinfiber.blogspot.com/2009/11/fall-decorating-what-i-have-to-offer.html

But I have decided to step out a bit from the classic - this year, Turquoise is supposed to be "The Color of the Year"!! So colors in that family are showing up in different season's palettes.

See this article from "Handmade Spark" with the Fall 2010 Colors per pantone - the color "Lagoon" is the color in the Turquoise family in this palette.

And in this article from Design Style Guide, "Turquoise Inspiration 2", different shades of Turquoise is shown in Home Decor.

So, I am working on some new items with shades of Turquoise in it -- my newest has Yellows in a design with Turquoise, including some textured Irish Crochet Leaves in a Sunset Ombre thread - got the Fall Leaves in there.

Another with an Aquamarine, Gray-Beige and Beige Rose (almost like the 'Living Coral' shown in the Handmade Spark article)!

Another in Blue/Green/Beige -- and maybe some Reddish Coppery Maple Leaves!!

-- And like in my earlier post -- more Classic in Sunset Ombre and Fudge Brown!!

Fall /Autumn / Harvest Season is one of my favorites for Color!!

So, keep an eye out for what shows up here!!

More Little Fiber Art Pieces - Inspired by Nature

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items In Fibers



Sometimes I see something in life -- and I want to make something!

Well, this is one of those instances!

My Rosemary Herb Plant in my front yard has some little Light Blue Blossoms on it now! I have had this plant for years now -- I actually use it for Fresh Rosemary in my cooking -- and my garden book says it is supposed to bloom in winter -- so I guess it is a little early this year, as it is late summer (we did have some cooler days and nights ???), but Whatever -- I saw them and decided to whip out something in my crochet!!

This is what resulted:




Truly Inspired by Nature - just the other day!!

I have literally hundreds of patterns and I can take different stitches and components and put them together to create a certain design.

This looks like a rather simple Round Design with a small Blue Flower inside some Green -- but the pattern is a bit complicated -- and, of course, I had to add something -- the final edge is done a little different - threw in something I learned in Celtic/Irish Crochet to give the edge a little bit more than a flat look - you can see that it curls up a little bit in this closeup!





You can find this pair in my Etsy Shop - BLUE ROSEMARY HERB BLOOM COASTERS OR TRINKET DOILIES!

It is also with a lot of other Flower Designs in Threads in this GUIDE here on my blog!

What have you seen in life that inspires you to make something??????