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/

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 ------------>

16. Three Considerations for Faster, Easier Coiling Post 16

Well, we have taken a little break from our series, Three Considerations for Faster, Easier Coiling, for a glimpse at the NCBA Convention, but now return...

Thanks to everyone who commented on the last post, which was about using bases to start. I agree with Tony, Annejala, and Donna, i much prefer starting a basket "from nothing," that is, making a button. But i have found the challenge of the beginning more than many students can tackle. I don't know why coiling is perceived by some as difficult, but it is. But I also agree with Deb that using basket starts not only can make it easier for students to learn, but also increases the creative options for basketmakers. It also makes it easier to teach children.

Recommended starts for speed and ease of handling:

* drilled wooded pieces, regardless of their shape. They should be flat and pre-drilled

* pottery with holes around (properly fired polymer clay is fine, too, but make sure it is really fired…usually longer than specified, and perhaps at a lower temperature. The little perforated edges tend to break off if you don’t fire it thoroughly enough)

* discarded cds…glue two together, shiny sides out, if you don’t like the design. (E6000 or similar glue, even hotglue will work. The cds only have to be held by the glue until the pine needles go around one time, after that, the stitching will hold them.) This can be decorated with sharpie marker, or left plain. Poke holes either with a hot ice pick or drill with a dremel.

* Some people love walnut or hickory nut slices. I find them just a little too small for beginner’s comfort, but they are lovely and easy to obtain

*decoupaged cardboard can also make lovely starts, and be fun to make

*Shrink plastic. Put the holes in BEFORE shrinking.

*gourd pieces

*traditional teneriffe shapes

There are really endless items that can be used for starts...all of the baskets in this post were made by beginners, at public events, using The People Basket system.

I would love to hear about your favorite basketry starts, please leave a positive comment here for everyone to read!

The next post begins our wrap-up.
Thanks

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