more

more of what I've been up to.

cataloging baskets

I don't have a complete record of all my baskets. Some of the more utilitarian ones just got (mis)-used till they disintegrated and may not even have been photographed. I even gave some away, without making any record of them. In case I'm ever a collectable maker (stranger things happen :) I think I should do some record keeping, so I'm going to try to get recipients to send home photos and to catalogue some of the ones around the house, and even to make a note of fallen but not forgotten ones. I know I should edit this photo but the sun is shining and I have an allotment to dig, and a dog to walk.

first ever basket

here's a picture of my first ever freeform basket. ( A fair old while ago now)

made from old drift wood, roots, bark and rusted curtain wire all found on a walk on the Shaldon side of the Teign, combined with some recycled wire that was dumped at my compost scheme. I had only just started my basketry love affair then and I hadn't much idea of what i was doing, so I soaked all the wood bits in linseed oil to make them pliable and set about joining them together with copper wire gods eyes. I called it "Sea Witch Cauldron"

new baskets for old

3 years hard labour as a storage basket in our living room had left this painted cardboard basket looking a bit the worse for wear. It took a lot of retensioning and replacing broken strips to return it to almost pristine condition. The basket is an asymmetric twill and tabby weave with a hinged lid. The JRT is called Hex.

Christmas Deco's in July

I've been making a Christmas bauble over the weekend. Not that I'm starting to get ready for mid-winter this early (I'm still hoping summer will arrive) but I've been asked to teach a workshop on coiling with recycled materials in the late autumn so I'm checking out roughly how long it would take to make one of these. Finished to this stage (slightly more than half done) it represents about two hours of steady work. To finish it I'll need some more wrappers so more sweeties and toffees to eat. Still who doesn't have to make some sacrifices for their art?

rainbow basket

This little basket is a present for Peter's accreditation. It's quite sturdy, slightly translucent and smells faintly of chocolate.


11cm x 5 1/2cm
quality street wrappers and found copper wire

detail view