After three weeks work..........

.....finished at last!!  Some lidded picnic baskets and egg baskets.

Taking a break from the serious side....

..........of basket weaving.  I've been working on those lidded picnic baskets and egg baskets for near on three weeks now and decided it was time to have a little fun time with some colour and shapes and these are the results.  I will do more of them when all the hard stuff is done!!

I must apologise for the poor photo quality - promise to try and do better next time!!

Doing Prep Work...............

........and getting ready to make miniature splint woven baskets in both 1:12th and 1:24th scale.  It is time consuming and sometimes tedious - but it has to be done!!  The end results are always well worth while and I will show the results when they are finished.

A batch of shallow baskets....

...just completed.  Now I can move on and finish some picnic baskets and such!!

A few more pieces to share..........

.......first, a bird feeder made with a WA gum nut - Rainbow Lorikeets made by

Audrey Hughes from New Zealand.  And a batch of wicker trays.

One of the row boats painted..........

.....but not entirely complete.  Still working on the rollocks and oars - but they are on the way.  In the meantime, I've finished painting one of the boats and put some of my fishing paraphanalia on and around it - and it looks not too bad.

What do you think?

Raven's Cage Update

I was sent the following pictures by (I hope) a satisfied client!!

Sorry about all the images but believe me - these are less than half of the images I was sent.  I just think they are pretty awesome!

Something on my wish list.............

finally coming together very nicely indeed.  I wanted a boat on which I could display

my miniature fishing paraphanalia and asked Peter if he could oblige.  And this is

the result so far - not finished yet - rollocks to be made, oars to be made and then I

have to paint it - but I was so excited to see it this close to completion, I just had to share!

For interest's sake, it measures 280mm long and 84mm wide.

I am one happy duck!!

I will post pictures again once I've painted it!!

After three days off making baskets........

I have managed to finish one!!

Not too shabby, methinks!!

Some well deserved play time.............

from the serious business of basketry!!  And this is what I played with today.  I know it's still weaving but there you go!!  Tomorrow I will start playing more seriously with some paper clay etc and build myself a little fishing shack!  I need to have a break from the continuous weaving of baskets!!

As someone said - the fairies can live here!!

A Raven's cage.................

............. just completed for a commission.  The raven needing a home measures 45mm high so the cage had to be a little larger than I would normally make.  However, a fabulous challenge and I'm glad that I managed to complete it.  It measures 80mm long, 60mm deep and 75mm high.  The perch is free standing, which would make it a lot easier for placement of the raven.

I'm quite happy with the result.

A swing cradle completed.

I haven't made one of these in quite a while -

I'm quite happy with the outcome.

More bottles finished...........

.......at last.  They were half completed for a while, waiting for me to get my act together - and I finally managed to finish them.

Shopping trolleys...............

.........recently completed.

I was very happy with the results!

Dome Lidded Trays.......

The trays are lipped with a two-rod, three stroke plaited border and the lids are both woven with a Japanese diamond weave, one with an even number of stakes and the other with odd.  A little bit of play time for me!

A batch of bird cages

These birdcages are the result of this week's work.

I must apologise for the poor quality of the pictures - makes it hard to see the blackbirds housed in the baskets - made by Audrey Hughes, New Zealand.

.........and the work continues!

A selection of bird/fowl carriers,  a couple of "vintage" bottles, some bird cages with love birds by Audrey Hughes of New Zealand.  These have kept me busy for a little while!