Inspired by others

For a while I was getting really obsessed with trying to create "original unique art" for each of my projects. What that mostly led to was me not doing anything, rather than me creating some wonderful artwork. One of the things that I like about reading craft blogs is that it is ok to use other people's patterns (they even post them for free or self-publish them to share!), be inspired by someone else's project, or even to do totally ordinary things like bake a cake and have that be an artistic accomplishment. It has really let me do a lot more things, and more things that I like. I have a wonderful collection of things that I have made, that fill my space and make me smile. That's far better than trying to live up to the title of "artist."

So here are projects that I've made recently that I enthusiastically credit to others:


Squid (or as Michelle calls them - Squig) made from Sewing Stars' pattern book that I purchased at ArtBeat a few weeks ago. The perfect small project, I made him while having a crafty evening with a friend of mine. I am now tempted to make entire chains of squid to hang as garlands in my studio.


Collage canvas is based on a series that Posie Gets Cozy did and shared on her blog. There was something about the grid format, and the use of the smallest scraps of fabric that totally appealed to me. It kept sticking with me until I finally picked up a canvas at lunch and ran home to play with vintage and modern fabric scraps. It was definitely fun rummaging around in boxes of trinkets and actually using some of those fabric scraps without worrying about sewing them.


Wagon inspired by the papier mache work of Julie Arkell. I've had a little papier mache box hanging around for a while, the original idea for it didn't really click with me. I was looking through the recent Julie Arkell catalogue and saw the wagons, and knew what this box had to be! I want to make a small figure to put in it, but I don't do small papier mache, so it will have to be fabric of some sort. It still needs a pull cord and some general touch-up. By the way, if any family members are reading this, I wouldn't mind owning a piece by Julie Arkell. My birthday isn't too far away, you know...


Yesterday's creation, peach and blueberry cobbler from this recipe.

So there it is. Part of me feels a little uneasy about how much of a copy some of these projects are of other's work. But I'm really thinking of them as learning exercises, and a chance to do something creative without worrying about the artistic merit of what I make. So thank you to all of the artists out there, for your wonderful work and your personal inspirations.