Inspired by Stained Glass

In my last post, I indicated that I would post some pictures of items I have made that were in some respect inspired by stained glass.  I hope you haven't been holding your breath in anticipation of this event!

Here are some pieces I have made that have stained-glass-like elements to them.  The first is a beaded needle case with a spiral color pattern.  I love the way the transparent glass beads glow against the opaque black ones:

The next piece is a rather wild felted knitted hat with a stained glass motif:

Here's a closeup of a tam I showed in a previous post...the colors are really vibrant against the black:

Another hat with bright colorful bobbles and pompom against a black background:

And yet another hat, with blocks of color and stranded patterns interspersed with black:

Last hat--A Rose Window-type pattern in fair isle:

Here's a braided necklace with a glass pendant:

And next, a coin purse made from a recycled sweater with a stained-glass-like color pattern:

And finally, a double-knitted scarf with periwinkle blue and black patterning, which is reversed on the back of the fabric:

I hope you have enjoyed this little tour of my creations.  Coming soon, a free pattern or two!

Stained Glass

I recently realized why I like the look of leaves or flowers with the sun shining through them.  It's because their glowing colors remind me of stained glass!  I have always loved to see the sun shining through colored glass;  in fact, I remember having a little mosaic toy as a child, with little colored plastic squares that were placed in a transparent plastic grid, which could be held up to the light.  I loved to try different patterns and hole them up to see the sun shining through them.

I love to try to capture the beauty of these glowing colors in a photograph, when I see them.  So here are some photos that remind me of the beauty of stained glass:

I hope you enjoyed this eye candy as much as I did!  I had a few thoughts recently about transparency.  As the light shining on these somewhat transparent leaves and flowers causes them to glow, so God's love shines through us to others.  He takes our uniqueness, and shines through it to make our lives glow.  Like leaves and flowers, each of us has things that make us one-of-a-kind.  In the case of a leaf or a flower, it may be its shape, hue or texture that sets it apart.  In our case, it may be our unique experiences or gifts that make us special.  But each one of us is special in the eyes of God, and He wants to use our individual differences to glorify Himself, even as the light shining through the things He has made brings glory to Him.

Sometimes, though, we mar the beauty of His work in us.  When we refuse to obey Him, our sin mars the beauty that He has created in us, like the blemishes on the leaf in the next photo:

The absolutely amazing thing about this, though, is that, unlike this leaf, which will never be unmarred again, God gives us the opportunity to be renewed to wholeness and purity again.  Through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven and have all our spiritual blemishes removed!  Thanks be to God.

In my next post, I plan to share some fiber creations inspired by stained glass and its glowing colors.

Cross-Pollination II

The second shop that we visited on our trip to Lincoln City was Mossy Creek Pottery.  It is just down the road from Alder House, and is actually closer to the highway.

This is a gallery with quite a variety of pottery and fused glass items.  There are both functional and purely decorative items here.  I love the "tiled" texture in these lovely vases:

And the vivid blue in this soup tureen took my breath away (wouldn't that beautiful gradation make a great knitted or woven scarf??).

Here are some beautiful but functional blues:

My husband liked this wall pocket, tucked away in the little corridor between two of the rooms:

I liked it, but was more drawn to this one:

In the next room, we found this shimmering platter:

And also these scenic plates, mounted on the wall:

I have always liked the contrast of matte and shiny, earthy and colorful in this line of products:

And I found this little cabbage-y tea set to be enchanting:

There was a whole shelf of shimmery urns:

Here's a closeup of my favorite one:

Check out the texture on the teacups and the cannister:

Even the bottom of the teacup has texture!!  I love it!  If I remember right, these teacups were more the size of a soup bowl.

 And last but not least, here are some bowls with great texture.  The center one reminds me of a crocheted basket.

There is much more in the shop--these are just some of my favorite pieces.  I think I need to go find some yarn--my mind is brimming with possibilities!  I hope the tour has inspired you, as well.  Go forth and create!



The Tendency Towards Texture Part 2

Before I show some examples of my own explorations of texture, I have a few more inspiring textural images to share.  The first one is some kind of lichen (I think...?), that I found growing on a tree.  The tendrils remind me of some of the fuzzier yarns I have seen.

This next photo shows a decaying tree stump, with cracks and smooth, patterned depressions (carved out by some sort of bug...?).  It fascinated me.

I see texture in clusters of flowers, too.  Here is an example:

I enjoy the pebbles on the beach, or even just in a neighbor's yard.  I'm not sure if I'm more drawn to the texture or the color here!

Speaking of the beach, I found these shiny bubbles contrasted against the coarse, dark sand:

 And here is foam on the water, reminding me of a damask tablecloth:

Here is more texture on water--isn't it beautiful?

And of course, I must include some pictures of the ubiquitious glowing leaves--see the different sizes and shapes?

Of course, leaves don't have to glow to get my attention:

Even in the winter, they can distract me from my walk:

By now, I'm sure you thoroughly pity anyone who has ever had the unpleasant and tedious duty of taking me for a walk.  Kudos to my youngest, who has borne the brunt of the burden for a number of years, now, with patience and grace!

The Tendency Towards Texture, Part 1

I am inspired by many things around me. I have a great appreciation for the beauty of creation, and I often am distracted from my immediate task to behold some new wonder: the colors of a sunset, the pattern of the petals in a flower, the interplay of light and shadow on a dappled lawn, or the subtle and intricate texture of leaves on a plant. These beauties, while I may not directly represent them in my creations, become a part of me, and they do affect the things that I make. I like to record them in a photograph as often as possible, so that I can review them and continue to be inspired by the images.

I am very drawn to texture, and am always noticing textures in the world around me.  Here are some images that have inspired me:

I am always enchanted by the morning light on the huge hemlock tree in our yard.  The texture of the sun-bathed needles against the darker background never ceases to fascinate me.

For some reason, after living in our house for a couple of years now, I only just noticed this bush blooming for the first time this spring.  I love the way the flower clusters droop so gracefully.  For some reason, this bush in full bloom reminds me of a fireworks display (see the next picture).  Do you see it?

I love the texture of horsetail against the smoother leaves behind it:

Anyone who has ever gone on a walk with me on a sunny day can attest to the fact that I love the way the leaves of the trees glow when the sunlight hits them.  Consequently (much to my family's chagrin), I often stop to take pictures of the textured, glowing leaves.  Perhaps I should consider this color, more than texture, but the differing shades of the same color speak to me of texture.  Here are a couple of examples:

I guess this second one could also be considered pattern, as I am drawn to the curved branches and the leaves surrounding them.  These branches turning upwards towards the sun gladden my heart--they seem joyful, and hopeful.

More fireworks:  Can you see the little buds about to burst into bloom?  Check out the contrast of the buds, the flowers, the stems and the leaves.

 

 These shiny leaves, with their interesting shape, also fascinated me:

All of these images inspire my explorations in texture.  In a future post, I hope to share some of the textured items I have made.  In the meantime,  I hope you will notice the many intricate textures around you!