Beaded Gourds

 
 Using a variety of beads and colored wire, I have been decorating  small gourds.  The beads are threaded onto the wire and woven in a random weave filling in the area of the gourd that has been cut away. 



A small battery operated votive candle inside the gourd can create a twinkling glow to the colored glass beads.

 

 

 I  first learned this technique from Vickie Hartman at a workshop in Bedford, PA. 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to All!

Let all the Christmas Bells Ring......

Wishing you all the joy and wonder of the season

Sharon

Pine Needle Bowls

I have been using circular wooden disks, laser cut with various designs as the base for pine needle bowls.  Most of the designs allow for attaching the pine needle coils directly to the edge of the disk.  Some require that I drill a small hole around the edge of the circle.  I coil around the base until I reach the desired diameter for the bowl, then I bring up the sides of the bowls for a several rows.  I have been using dyed pine needles for the bowl and natural pine needles for the final finishing row of the bowl to tie to the wood color of the base. 

 

 

Craft Show Winters Mill High School

November 12, 8am to 1pm

560 Gorsuch Road, Westminster MD

Come and see all my baskets on display.  It's time to start buying your holiday gifts!

Josephine Knot

The Josephine Knot is a design that dates back for thousands of years.  The unique twist can be found in numerous  artistic forms.
Sandy Bulgrin  taught a workshop using the knot as the beginning of a rib hen basket at the Bedford Basketweavers Guild annual convention last weekend.

A Josephine Knot is formed with ten pieces of round reed to begin the basket. The pieces are separated on both ends to form the ribs of the hen basket.  After a few rows of weaving the ribs are shaped and tucked into place to form the rounded basket shape.   The basket ribs are adjusted with each additional row of weavers until the desired shape is formed.  The weaving continues from both sides until it meets in the middle and the basket is complete
I used a combination of  cream, turquoise, green and tan round reed, flat reed and seagrass to add a "beachy" color scheme.

Weaving with Annetta

 What better way to spend a rainy Saturday than weaving with friends?

Central PA Basket Weaver's Guild hosted a one day workshop lead by Annetta Kraayeveld.  Her website, www.prairiewoodbasketry.com includes her patterns, kits and blog, The Basketry Teacher.  If you ever have a chance to take a class with Annetta you won't regret it.

Everyone had a great time while learning some new techniques.  The basket is woven with a cream and dark brown 2/2 herringbone twill base.  The cats head ears are formed  and sides woven up with a 3/3 twill accenting the  dyed and natural spokes.  Three T-Twining rows are the focal point around the middle of the basket.

2016 A Weaving Odyssey

 I spent an enjoyable weekend in Gettysburg, PA with the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild.  From Thursday evening, Sept. 15 through Sunday, Sept 18 at noon the convention room at the Aspire Hotel was full of basket weavers practicing their craft and learning new techniques from master basket weavers.

Thursday evening I completed a small Nantucket Bell.  It was woven with natural cane on a mold.  The base and rim are cherry.  Denise Bendelwski from Magnolia, Delaware conducted the class.
The bell is 5" high by 3" diameter base.  

Friday and Saturday I took classes lead by Candace Katz from Springdale, Arkansas.  Both baskets started on a wooden base and use space dyed reed and natural reed. 


 The round basket is woven with  a 1-1-2-3 twill pattern forming the sides of the basket.  The top band uses two pieces of natural round reed in a four rod wale pattern.  It is 8" in diameter and the sides rise up 6 " before the handle is inserted.


The large oval basket is woven using a 2-3 twill pattern.  The top natural reed band is woven using Ti twinning and reverse Ti twinning.  The finished basket is 10" wide by 14" long and 7" high.

On Sunday, I shifted to using waxed linen to cover a small glass jar with a cork stopper.  Linda Scherz Allen from Rome, New York lead the class.  The twinned pattern creates a spiral as it goes around the 3" high bottle.

Market Basket

This long, thin Market Basket begins around a 9" x 14" handle.  Both natural flat reed and blue dyed reed make up the spokes.  The sides  are woven with flat reed and flat oval with a wide band of burlap over reed.   Burlap flowers are added to one side of the finished basket. 

The finished size is 21.5" long by 9" wide  by 8" high sides.    This is a variation of a market basket pattern by Sharon Klusmann.

Mixed Media Woven Vessel

Using a hand-thrown ceramic vessel as a base I inserted round reed splints to form a round frame around the vessel.  I created a random tapestry weave pattern using  yarn, round reed, flat oval reed and flat reed. 

The variety of textures and colors creates a contrast between the smooth ceramic base and the woven assortment of fibers.
















The ceramic form was provided by Marla Helton.

Gourd Workshop

I spent Saturday morning with Suzi Nonn (www.gourdlady.com ) learning about gourd decorating with dyes and vinyl. 

She provided a clean and cut gourd for everyone.  Vinyl cutouts were placed on the gourd in whatever pattern we desired.  I used circular gear-like shapes. 

The second step was to apply color to the gourd using alcohol inks and felt pads.  Once the color was applied over the whole gourd the stencils were removed to reveal the natural gourd surface. 

A row of small holes were drilled along the edge of the gourd.   Several rows of seagrass were attached to the rim using sinew to complete the gourd.

Common Ground on the Hill 2016

I spent the past two weeks participating in Common Ground on the Hill at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD.

The days are filled with art, music, laughter, and discussions as people from all walks of life come together to learn, share  and grow. 

Week one I taught a group how to weave a Key Basket.  The students took the basic design and made it their own by adding colored reed as they desired.  Everyone completed a lovely Key Basket that they were proud of.













Week two I taught another group how to weave an Egg Basket.  Many had never woven a basket before the class.    Student had a choice between a 10 inch or a 12 inch hoop to begin their basket.  They also could select the color combinations  of their choice to weave their basket.  They also were taught a variety of decorative handle techniques from which to wrap the basket handle.  Two women raised chickens and intended to use their baskets for collecting eggs.

All the completed baskets were displayed as part of the final day's Student Art Show. 

It was a great two weeks and I'm already looking forward to next year.  Consider joining me in 2017 at Common Ground on the Hill!

Rice Gallery Opening

 

Common Ground on the Hill 2016 Instructors Art Show opens today. 

Come see the art by this years Common Ground art instructors from 4:30 to 5:30 in the Rice Gallery at McDaniel College.  Drawings, paintings, digital art, photography, mosaics, jewelry, wooden sculpture, wearable art, puppets and basketry will be on display.


Traditions Week 1 classes start tomorrow morning and run through Friday.  I will be teaching how to weave a key/wall basket this week. Tuesday evening I will be part of the Gallery Artist Talks beginning at 6:30.

Studio 1330

I am joining three other CCPS secondary art teachers in an exhibit at the new Studio 1330.


You can learn more about Christine Wenderoth's paintings and the studio at the website  www.studio-1330.com


I have three vessels in the show, an Alaskan cedar bark vessel, a copper and watercolor paper plaited vessel and a low pine needle and copper bowl.


Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think!

Small Square Rib Basket

The square rib basket is a six inch square.  The color pattern combines violet dyed cane on the handle and the initial rib insertion weaving, black reed for the handle and God's eye, with cream flat reed filling in the remainder of the basket.

Art in the Park

I will have a booth featuring my baskets at the festival.  

Come by and say "Hi".

Footed Yarn Basket

This rectangular basket is perfect to hold your yarn and fiber projects.   The stained oak wooden legs raise the basket three inches off the ground. An inner rim row is added after six inches of woven flat reed to allow for the hand openings on two opposite sides.  Two more inches of 1/4" reed raise the sides to eight inches.  The basket is topped with an oak stained rim row.    The overall size of the basket is 13" x 16".

Oval Basket with Decorative Band

Starting with a oval wooden base I wove round reed and flat reed in a continuous twill pattern for several rows.  The decorative band began with a row of twining with round reed, followed by a row of wide cream reed, three rows of narrow blue reed and brown round reed and topped with another row of twining.   Small brown reed was overlaid to create an X pattern.  The basket measures 10" x 7" and 7" high.         

The basket is adapted from a pattern by Char Ciammaichella.

Bicycle Tote Basket

I joined the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild for their May Weave - a  Bicycle Tote Basket.  The tote features dyed overlays, smoked weavers, a wide painted strip embellished with  floral duck tape and natural weavers.  The strap is one inch wide cotton Shaker Tape.

The basket is designed to be attached to a bicycle with velcro straps.  When you reach your destination, the tote can be removed from the bicycle and carried as a shoulder tote for shopping and reattached for the return trip.

The base is 4" by 9" and is 10" high.  The front side bows out slightly while the back side is flat to lay against the bike frame.

Weaving with Flo

I spent Friday evening and all day Saturday at the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild annual "Spring Fever" retreat.  Flo Hoppe, basketmaker, author and teacher, shared her weaving expertise and experiences while teaching three different baskets during the workshop. 

 

The Leaf Scoop is a traditional Japanese basket used for serving pastries and condiments, or as a flower container.  The weave is an over 3/ under 3 twill and is held together at the back loop with a traditional Japanese butterfly knot.

My basket is 11" long by 7" at the widest part.

The 4 Sea Wave Basket is the first basket many Japanese students learn to weave.  It has an open grid base and knotted groups of spokes forming open sides.  

My basket has a 5" diameter by 4" high.









 Flo Hoppe calls this tall, round reed basket Athena.  It is a sampler of various weaves and surface decoration techniques: insertions woven with a figure-8 pattern, braid weave, ridge weave and a Chinese diamond weave.  The 3" base is a woven 5-over-5 overlaid base with number 2 round reed using Japanese weave. The sides are shaped to a diameter of 7" and a height of 9". Cane is used for contrast.  The decorative rim is round reed worked around a band of flat oval reed. 







To learn more about Flo Hoppe go to her website: www.flohoppe.com

Double Magazine Holder Basket

I spent another Saturday weaving with the Central Pennsylvania Basketweaver's Guild.  We each made a large magazine basket adding our own individual touches. I choose to weave a band of burgundy reed for accent against the natural reed. 



The basket is woven with a 5" x 14" D handle at each end of the basket.  The 18" long basket can hold magazines side-by-side or be used for numerous other functions. 

Market Basket with Burlap Accents

Market baskets are very functional.  They can be used to hold and carry a wide variety of items. 

This basket also serves as decorative piece with smoked reed and burlap accents.  A 2" band of maple covered with a burlap strip is woven in the top half of the basket.  Smoked flat oval reed is woven in  a decorative overlay on top of the burlap band.   Burlap formed flowers and twine tendrils  were attached the to front side.

The finished basket measures 10" by 15" with 8" sides.  The handle is 14" high.   
*The pattern is by Sharon Klusmann.  www.SharonKlusmann.com.

High Country Basket Guild

  I spent an enjoyable day leading a basket workshop for the High Country Basket Guild in Annandale, Virginia.

Each participant wove an 8 inch square rib basket.  The basket featured a triple braid decorative handle using fine cane.  The basket and God's eye was woven with dyed flat reed. The ribs were inserted and woven with can for several rows  for an accents.  

8" Square Rib Basket with triple braid handle

Mini Williamsburg Basket

With Spring around the corner, it is time to weave some baskets with bright colors.  

This mini Williamsburg Basket  measures 3" by 3.5" at the base.  The sides rise to 4" and flairs to a 6" by 7" oval at the top. 

The handle features a triple weave using fine cane.

February Guild Weave

What better way to spend a frigid February Saturday than at a basket weave with Central Pennsylvania Basketweavers Guild members.

The Raisn'Cane basket pattern by Jeanne Dudley features three  woven sides and one open weave side with cane inserts.  I chose to overlay the cane on smoked reed.   The brown is visible on the inside of the basket.  The basket has built in handles on two sides.  

The over all size is 12" x 12" x 12"