The Wave by Curry Wolfe

I love seeing what people make with the little ceramic basket bases they buy in my MakeABasket Etsy shop!

Curry Wolfe got this little base awhile ago, and made a basket as a Christmas present. As many of us do, she let the basket go without photographing it. But her friend was kind enough to snap a few views and send them back to her, so we get to see it!

Curry took the flamingo base and made a whole little scene out of it, with wrapped rows and strategically placed sparkling beads, she made a whole little ecosystem with shoreline and a big wave coming in...watch out, flamingo! I love it!

You can think of your own novel and colorful ways to make coiling your own thing...

look for supplies at MakeABasket.etsy.com

pamela

Bug A Bug A Bug

When my youngest son was small, he loved bugs...and i used to say to him "bug a bug a bug" all the time...i don't know why. But this grew into a nickname, and bugs have never been the same around our house.

It is nice to know others like them too.

Here is testimonial to that. Another gorgeous basket by Geraldine Kiser.

She says, "This one went to another daughter, Ellen. Ellen has loved bugs of ALL kinds since before she could talk. I have NO idea why, it's just Ellen. When she was little I told her the house was sprayed for bugs so if she brought them in they would die. She happily transported bugs OUT of the house all the time! At age 27 she still LOVES bugs!"

The basket is so pretty, Geraldine, and how wonderful that you chose something she loves so much to combine with your talent for coiling.

Of course the base was purchased in my MakeABasket etsy shop. You might find a few bugs there still, if you are interested (or frogs, or lizards, etc.) To find a particular motif, to to the search box at the top of the page in my etsy shop and type in a search word. Make sure "this shop" is selected from the drop down menu before you search! I accept requests, as well!

Geraldine has started a new blog, you may find baskets there too! Check it out: http://gdinespicoftheday.blogspot.com/

Adding to a Collection

Do you have a collection? Most people do. Here is a basket for an owl collector!People's collections give us great ideas for appreciated gifts. am having alot of fun looking at these great new baskets by Geraldine Kiser. This is the third day I have featured one of her new creations. Geraldine has made alot of gifts for her family and friends this year, using basket bases from my MakeABasket.etsy.com shop.

Geraldine's daughter, Karyn, collects owls, but holds out for the more unusual representations. She evidently spent a semester studying in Greece, and the owl represents the Greek goddess Athena. Geraldine thought this was the perfect representation she needed to make a great gift for her daughter! I must say, it turned out fabulous!


Today is "cyber monday," the day they say people are shopping online (like a virtual black friday.) If you are still in the mood to shop, now is your chance to get free shipping on anything in any of my etsy shops. Free shipping is a very good savings, many times, it represents a better savings than a 20% off coupon. So check it out! to get your free shipping, THIS COUPON CODE MUST BE ENTERED AT CHECKOUT: FBSHIP This is the last day! My etsy shops are all linked through the side bar of this blog ----------------------->

A Handmade Basket Makes a Treasured Gift

Handmade baskets are great gifts. People use them. But they also love that you made them with your own hands. And they particularly love them when they know something like pine needles, something picked up off the ground, has been transformed into a functional and graceful memento.

Geraldine Kiser has been busy making such transformations. Here is another one of her fabulous basket creations:

She says: "Steve is a friend who was recently promoted to Captain in the Medical Service Corps of the US Navy, which is a pretty big deal. Steve is a Medical Planner called a POMI in Navy acronyms. We were fortunate to be in DC for the promotion to personally give him this basket."

I love how she turned one side of this basket back, and couched a coil around the side, almost like an anchor chain...

Geraldine is careful to sign and date her baskets, which is great! It is easy to sign on the back of a ceramic base with a Sharpie marker.


The base is an anchor she purchased from my MakeABasket.etsy.com shop. *(where cyber monday sale is still on: use coupon code FBSHIP for free shipping! In fact, that coupon works in ALL my etsy shops, see side bar for links to them ---------------> )

Baskets for the Holidays

"Are you ready for the holidays?" People ask all the time. Part of being "ready" is having the gifts you want to give all lined up. For the basketmaker, that often means weaving some gift baskets.

Geraldine Kiser has woven some wonderful gift baskets this year, using her own vision and bases from my MakeABasket.etsy.com shop.



This graceful Chickadee on a pine tree basket will go to her son-in-law's dad in Sweden. I love the eye-like opening, the beautiful way the collapsed oval frames the little woodland scene.

If you have not yet stocked up on supplies to make your gift baskets, now is your chance for a great deal! I am offering free shipping in all my etsy shops through the weekend. Just use coupon code FBSHIP at checkout for free shipping!

You can find all my etsy shops in the side bar of the blog ------------>

Return from BlogBreak: Great Baskets to Get You Back Into It!

Well, I have taken a little break from this blog, it has been almost 2 whole months since I posted! Sorry to keep you hanging.

Fortunately, others have been hard at work, to fill the gap. If you are looking for an active, interesting blog with some basket content to follow, I highly recommend Vicki Phillips blog, Phillips Family Fusion. Fed daily by Vicki and her daughter, it is a wonderful amalgam of their lives, including not only Vicki's wonderful pine needle creations, but nature, gardening, animals, touring, home...there is something for everyone!



Here are images of just a few of the wonderful basketry creations Vicki has blogged about.

Some of Vicki's baskets feature pottery bases from my MakeABasket shop on etsy. I am flattered.

She really does a great job, complementing the glazes, and bringing the colors together in her weaving. But what i really love are all the stories she tells about her baskets. These are the kinds of things i think about when weaving my own baskets. In addition, Vicki has a great hand with the photography aspect of blogging, taking a great styled shot of each basket in a different setting. I love it!

Clicking on the photos of each single basket in my blog will take you to Vicki's blogpost about it.






the depth of field on this next image is wonderful, Vicki!


This last one is my favorite, i love the colors and the way it just all works! Very lovely.



Vicki sent me the shots of all her baskets together, in preparation for a show she has coming up. Also, some of the baskets are for sale at the Gig Harbor History
Museum during their Woven Stories: Native American Basketry of the
Pacific Northwest and Alaska exhibit July 9 - October 16.

Best of luck to Vicki on her basket sales!
I would love to see what the rest of you are weaving!
pamela

New Bases Fresh from the Kiln!

For those of you who have been patiently waiting, new bases have just been taken from the kiln, and are being listed in my MakeABasket.etsy.com shop! Get them while they are hot! I will be continuing to list throughout the upcoming weeks, so watch for your favorite motifs! Thanks for all the suggestions on facebook, I have listened to what you requested! ~ Pamela