Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Rolling Blog Hop - Hosted by Christine of One Kiss Creations

A Rolling Blog Hop

Hi Y'all,

A short while back, Christine of On Kiss Creations blog asked some creative and inspiring women if they would like to participate in a loose kind of blog hop, I was one of those women.  Instead of everyone posting on the same day, we would post as we got our projects done, with an end of November deadline. As you can see I did not meet that deadline, but Christine is a very polite and understanding person and allowed me and Erin a little more time.  She sent each of us a package containing vintage wooden spools like you see on the above badge (badge compliments of Hope's wonderful photography and Janet's tweaking...thanks ladies~it looks great!) and a few more goodies, that we could use or not, but the spools must be used.  Christine found the spools while antiquing in New Jersey.

Here is what I received from Christine...


In my design I used the large spool, the matte finished gray beads, the 1.5 mm cube beads, the blue iris and hematite size 11 delicas, and the Labradorite bead. 

I would like to dedicate this blog post to my Great Grandma Emma Prosser, Grandma Francis Prosser, Grandma Veronica Neuhalfen, and my Mom Alice Neuhalfen Prosser. All of these women have influenced me in one way or an other in my love of creating. 

As far back as I can remember my Mom has always sewed.  My first memories of this is when I was 5 years old sitting under the table with my dolls and picking up my Mom's material scraps as she cut out patterns. I would take the larger pieces wrap them around the doll's body and take a thin strip of material and use it as a belt.  At that age I still could not tie a bow, but I could tie a knot.When I got a little older my Mom would let me use scissors and a darning needle with embroidery floss. She showed me how to do a baste stitch and that was all it took I was hooked, and a crafter was born! 

My Mom's Mom, Grandma Veronica Neuhalfen, was a quilter.  I can remember sitting around a quilt wrack in the living room in her farm house, as a little girl watching about five or six women with little tiny needles, talking and rocking their hands up and down while they made tiny little stitches.  When I got into my young adult years I started making quilts, although I never got the hang of quilting by hand, I used the sewing machine.

When my Dad did his tour in Veit Nam we lived in his home town in Pennsylvania.  My Great Grandma Emma Prosser live up on the side of Hickory Mountain and I would go to her house all the time and sit on a little stool by her old Singer sewing machine.  She would sew and tell me stories of her life when she was a young girl.  I was so amazed with her sewing machine, because it was not like my Mom's Singer, her's was an old trundle machine.  She also did not use patterns she would take my measurements and make me little outfits.  I am so grateful that I had that time with my Great Grandma Emma.  When my Dad returned from Veit Nam we went to Germany and while we were in Germany my Great Grandma Emma passed away.

After returning from Germany and moving to Alabama back in 1970, I would go spend the summers in Pennsylvania with Grandma Francis Prosser, my Dad's Mom.  My Grandma Prosser crocheted and knitted.  I would love to watch her hands move so fast and the item she was making just appear in front of your eyes, it was so fascinating to me.  I would pull here pattern books out and look at them.  In one of the books there was a camisole that I fell in love with and I just had to have it, so I asked her if she would make it for me and she said well I could but I'm not, you are going to make it.  I was wide eyed and told her that I could not do it, she said sure you can I will teach you.  So my very first crocheting project was done with a size 00 needle and thread. Oh and no I never finished the project, but I never forgot the lessons I was taught, and went on to making many many afghans. 

I am so thankful to have and had all these amazing and talented women in my life to teach and nourish my natural abilities.

Here is what I created with one of the spools that Christine sent...


I have been wanting to etch metal, so I finely tried it.  I found a stamp that said smile.  Why smile, well because when I think back on those memories from above, they make me smile.  I measured the spool and cut a piece of copper sheeting to fit around the spool. Stamped it with StazOn ink using the smile stamp and a stamp with little hearts around the edges of the copper.  


I took the etched piece of copper over to my friend Morning's shop and used the torch to anneal the copper, so it would bend around the spool then I punched holes in the back and riveted the ends together.  I wanted the word smile to stand out so I used some blue patina ink to highlight the word and hearts.   I used the Zig Zag stitch in the tassel to represent the Zig Zag stitching from my Mom's sewing machine the best stitch to use with knit material.


The spool is hanging on my very first Viking knit it is not that good, but I thought it tied into my theme of this necklace.  I also used yarn to do a Kumihimo braid to represent the yarn crafts that my Grandma Prosser did. 

Well there you have it my creation "Smile".

Thank you Christine for your generosity and friendship.  This challenge really pushed me to do something different then what I would normally do. 

Here is the list of women that have already posted.

Janet  ~  Hope  ~  Tanya  ~  Maryanne  ~  Bobbie  ~  Cynthia  ~  Lisa  ~  Liz  ~  Kim  ~  Cynthia again  ~ Karin

Erin is the last to post and will be doing so soon.

Happy beading Y'all,
Therese

20 comments:

  1. I think the best thing about this contest is that it has brought out a lot of loving memories. Well done.

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  2. Wonderful creation Therese, I love what you did with the spool, very interesting :-)

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  3. Awesome design. I love that you incorporated the etched metal into the design. Beautiful.

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  4. What a beautiful post - so glad you could revisit those that mean so much to you! Reading this brought back memories of my own! :) Thanks for that!

    This is AMAZING - I already knew that whatever you made would be - but this is just genius! LOVE the etched copper - LOVE IT!! The Viking Knit and the Kumihimo braid are so perfectly incorporated!

    You have to be one of the most creative people - BEAUTIFUL JOB!

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  5. Woman, is there anything you can't do?? From beadweaving to glass, metal etching to kumihimo, you got skills! I so love reading about all the grandmas. Cause that's the kind of grandma I'm going to be! I love the colors you chose, and I also have a big smile on my face right now! Such a very special memory piece for you.

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  6. What a beautiful post. I too sat and watched my Grandmother quilt....you made a beautiful tribute to some memories that will grow old with you.

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  7. Beautiful Therese, such a tribute to fond memories.

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  8. Love how you treated your spool to a metal overlay! So much creativity in this challenge piece, and so many loving memories woven together. It is going to be so much fun to wear! Beautiful pairing of labradorite and copper.

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  9. You awed me again, my Friend! What a beautiful, creative piece full of mixed textures and components! The family history, rich with handwork and love comes out clearly in what you made. Those loving ladies in your life taught you to use your hands and your ideas and taught you things you never knew how to do before. And here you are in this challenge, working with copper and wire and teaching yourself new techniques to make this a reflection of the women who got you started on this handmade path. The viking knit is representative of the first basting stitches you did and the first time you picked up the 00 crochet hook...it may not be perfect, but you learned it! Big Smile here :-D
    Thank you, Therese...for being in my world, your pushes, and your dedication to this challenge.

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  10. Your family creativity history echoed for me, and you so beautifully captured and honored it with this necklace. I love how you incorporated little tributes to each of the creative women in your life, making a piece that others can appreciate but that will always have a deep resonance for you. Worth the wait!

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  11. Beautiful, Therese! Your first etching turned out wonderfully! How nice that you have a friend that helped you bend the metal around the spool. I love the design- it really is a lovely piece!

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  12. The spool looks fabulous! Beautiful necklace. What a gift your two grandmas, great grandma and mother have given you, a love of creating. Being able to create, and actually needing to create, is a wonderful thing. Kids are natural artists, they create from anything. As people grow older sadly they loose that interest/ability. However, with just a little bit of encouragement it can be a lifetime skill. I absolutely love how you're trying new things, growing as a creative being. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next!

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  13. Therese what an absolutely beautiful post! You can see the love and creativity in your life, and says so much about who you are. What an amazing experience, and you've clearly been influenced by it and put it to amazing use! There seems to be nothing you won't try, and do well! I LOVE the etching in this piece and viking knit! LOVE ... that's on my list of things I'd like to try. Really wonderful necklace and tribute to your family

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  14. LOVE this piece!! I especially enjoyed Therese telling me the stories of her grandmothers and mom that inspired this piece. Therese is absolutely incredible and everything she touches is golden. I am so proud to call her my best friend and I am very blessed to have her in my life to help inspire me and make me step out of my comfort zone!!!! :)

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  15. This is gorgeous Therese! I loved reading about your creative background here. I didn't realize you sew, knit and crochet too! Those skills make for creativity with no bounderies.

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  16. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to check out your blog, Therese. I can't tell you how much I love what you did with the spool! The finished necklace is beautiful, but the background you shared is also beautiful!! What a wonderful tribute to the women in your life. I love what you did with the spool, the etched copper is fantastic. This is an heirloom piece that is just so wonderful!

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  17. What a fabulous idea to wrap metal around the spool. I love it. Even more, I love all the symbolism for the wonderful women who influenced your love of creating. This necklace is a beautiful tribute to them. I personally adore all the different mediums you used to make the necklace and it speaks volumes about your talent and vision!! Amazing work!

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  18. THerese - I just adore this piece. This challenge was quite ingenious of Christine - and it's really brought out some wonderful stories and creations. I really enjoyed reading these little snapshots into the history of YOU, and all the sewing/crafting/creative influences you've had. I can see this was a meaningful challenge for you. I love the 'smile' etching in the spool. Well done. Hope you had a wonderful christmas and wishing you a happy new year! :)

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