Saturday, November 22, 2008

Felted Bangles ~ and a raffle

It really surprises me that I have evolved into a "morning person". I remember when I was young, my mother had such a hard time getting me out of bed every day. I was the classic sleepy head. Now after several years of struggling to get my own children out of bed, I found that I just love being up and about in the early morning hours ~ Simply to enjoy the quietness of the house and a bit of time to myself.





This picture of the sunrise was taken yesterday morning when everyone in my family was fast asleep. I am so sorry they missed it, but it is just another of my treasured morning moments.

Morning is also a time that I have some of my best ideas. My lastest involves a new and improved felted bangle pattern that I have been testing the past few weeks. I am using plastic bottles as the base and honestly, cutting them up with a nice straight edge is probably the most challenging part! My husband tried helping by using the table saw... which totally turned out to be a disaster. Scissors are not the best, either. I found that a nice sharp razor blade works the best after measuring the lines on the bottles with a sharpie.

I cover the plastic with knit or crocheted designs and then put them through the felting process. Soda bottles work well for smaller wrists (2.5 - 2.75 inch inside measurements) and flavored water bottles work best for larger size wrists (2.75 - 3 inch inside measurements). My plan is to list these on etsy in the $10 - $14 price range (depending on design, materials, etc)

Here are a couple of my prototypes that are not listed on etsy. Both of these are size small and I am going to raffle them to two lucky winners on Monday December 1. Please leave a comment with what colors and designs you would like to see in the future. Include your etsy or e-mail address so I can notify the lucky winners.







Good luck to everyone!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

They're awesome! Love the dark colors, black, brown and so on!

Mary Ann said...

I can so relate to your post. I used to sleep until noon. Now my teens do - on Saturdays. I love to be up early with my coffee and have the house to myself.
Love the bangles.
I would love to see some thin ones in complementary colors ie. navy,denim blue, off white, that can be worn together.
http://www.morningskyjewelry.etsy.com

Hippie Dippy Designs said...

What a beautiful sunrise! I love those bangles, especially that they are partially upcycled with the use of the plastic bottles as the base. I am an earthy girl so I would love to see some earth colored bangles.

http://hippiedippydesigns.etsy.com

Anonymous said...

Cool recycling idea, Val! And now I'm thinkin' about how the heck (and how many prototypes you went through) did you figure out the shrink to not be too much or too little?...but, obviously - you did it!

New England Quilter said...

I like the shape of the second one better. As far as colors - I would start with traditional blues, reds and greens and maybe add some seasonal flare. You could crochet designs on the wider bangles too such as snowflakes, clovers, kitties, the list goes one :)
Amy
http://newenglandquilter.blogspot.com

Melanie @ Whimsical Creations said...

I have always been a morning person. My kids seem to be also. I am sure as they get older that will change.

I agree with Mary Ann with the thinner ones that can be worn together. I am not sure on how much of a hastle that would be to cut out though.

melanieadey at hotmail dot com

Allie said...

Really beautiful! I love the colors you have chosen! Both look so warm. I also love that they are a bit wider than the set I have. Great work again, Val! That morning time is precious, isn't it!? :), allie
alliemac119@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

You bangles are really looking great Val. I'm glad you've been able to make the transition to being a 'morning' person. About the only time I see the sunrise is when I'm going to bed..

http://crochetgal.etsy.com

Bella McBride said...

Oh, these are fantastic! I think they look perfect! Of course anything in a soft fluffy pink would be nice! Great job!

Momma J said...

I think a purple and black combo would be pretty.

Marianne
mjackson(at)wwhgd(dot)com
www.crochetbymommaj.etsy.com
http://crochetbymommaj.blogspot.com

Homemade Zen said...

This is beautiful! I love bold colors for fall winter and soft pastel colors for spring/summer.

Doris Sturm said...

What can I say? Valerie's work is top notch and very professional. I love everything you do, Val, and I'm really beginning to want to try needle felting one day...your bangles are so smooth and comfy looking and you seem to like the same colors I do, so I wouldn't change a thing ;-)