We're not talking
Wesley and Princess Buttercup here... but photography. After being asked, well actually simply begged, by several students to take the mystery out of tubular right angle weave, I've finally finished my kit of the same just in time for Valentines Day. I love tubular R.A.W it is a really handy technique to use as a base for necklaces, plus you can work it in all sorts of bead mixes. As with Albion Stitch, I love that you can 'build' in different directions. My little Love Hearts charm shows you the basics, plus some directional beading and the whole zipping up some ends thing, mystery solved. The dilemma is which photo to choose?
I do enjoy styling pictures and the way that an image can tell a little story, evoke a mood, and really change how you see a piece of beadwork. Here are my three pictures...
The first one shows the Love Heart charm on a lovely knitted wool heart which my friend Jackie gave me for Christmas. Filled with dry grain and lavender it is one of the most huggable and comforting things ever, if you need one they are made by
Catherine Tough a British designer of many lovely things.
Next I picked the keys out of an old computer keyboard (tsk!!), and used a cheery gingham heart as the back drop for the charm. This heart is one that just appeared in the house, you can get similar from gifty stores or make one... I'm noticing gingham and a distinctly 1930's type of red white and blue creeping into fashion and giftwares, could we possibly be gearing up for a retro styled Golden Jubilee?
Then I used the cover of a lovely old book, the gold embossing curling into a lovely art noveau kind of heart motif. The book is a beloved and the linen is a bit grubby. If you're curious it's a copy of
'Country of the Pointed Firs' written in 1896 by
Sarah Orne Jewett.
I find that my copy is an original Houghton Mifflin and Company 1896 edition, gosh! Anyhoo, I was enchanted the first time I read the book, and now it has become one of those 'comforter' reads which are an essential for those occasions when retreating from the world, even if just for a while, is the only option!
How I'd love to row the boat over to Green Island and be cheered by company of the indomitable little lady that forever lives there.
Oops, bit off topic there...
So I'm thinking one and two are better than three for the purposes of telling a little Love Hearts charm story, have a look
here to see which one I plumped for.
