It's Sprout time at Ornament Thursday

Prediction: Brussel sprout handbags all the rage this summer!

‘Sprout Month” is my first foray into Ornament Thursday. I admit to struggling a bit – I wondered if I could just grab some sunflower sprouts and glue them to jump rings for a short term earring/necklace combo, all the time hoping that salad wasn't on the menu that day. Then something Jean Yates had said once came to me, it was along the lines of every piece you design should have a story and everything in it should be interrelated. She must have known sprout month was coming up. What else but a brussel sprout handbag fits the bill? It’s called a sprout, the little cabbage head opens up like a purse, and the sprouts are carried to market on a stem. A quick trip to the refrigerator unearthed sprouts ready for the pan – they taste great tossed in olive oil and salt and roasted at 350 degrees until their outer leaves darken... but I digress.

The handbag base was shaped on a metal form and covered with Kato Polyclay leaves. My "real" sprouts were a little old and their outer leaves were turning brown. True to form my sprout was aged using a skinner blend of green and brown clay. The brussel sprout stem handle (complete with you guessed it… sprouts) is a thick wire armature covered and decorated. It has to be strong enough to take some weight when shopping at the local market. I like butternut squash and a flimsy handle just won't do!

Art school to the Rescue

Like Michelle I agonized over this project. I tossed around ideas for weeks until it finally came to me the morning of my deadline for making it. Why I worry about things I don't know. My imagination has never seriously let me down but I have a hard time trusting it on new projects – I kinda like to agonize and over think things instead of sitting back and letting the creative process happen.

This ornament combines my photography with an exercise from art school. At art school we had to render a single 'thing' in a number of different ways. Then I drew my riding boot 25 times, here it is 9 sprouts rendered in different techniques from quilling and embroidery to paper and fabric. Each sprout is assembled on top of a photo - it seemed amazing to me that almost every plant starts as a little shoot with two leaves. After that, they diverge, ultimately becoming trees, vegetables and flowers. The panels are tiny ¾ x 1 in pieces of matt board with photos attached. The embroidery pieces are done on transparency and everything else is just glued on. I had a blast making it - I put Vin Diesel in XXX in the DVD player – I really get inspired by that movie (tragic huh?) and before the movie was over, the project was done!

Here's the wonderful handiwork of all the other OT team members, enjoy!:

Alexa Westerfield - a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Now that's it's time for spring, ideas are "sprouting" all over the place. Alexa creates this eye-catching notebook to keep them in order.

Art Bead Scene
Some good karma is sprouting up at the Art Bead Scene with Heather's Lotus Flower Bracelet

Cindy Gimbrone aka The Lampwork Diva
The Brooklyn National Anthem sprouts every year when Cindy's in Spring mode. See what it inspired this year!

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Melanie giggles and remembers a furry friend, brings back an old mold, and sprouts up a beaded LOLhammy ceramic ornament

Humblebeads
Humblebeads celebrates spring with a Berry Good bracelet inspired by some juicy disk beads.

Jennifer Heynen of Jangles
Jennifer has come up with a cute little necklace to remind you of spring.

Katie's Beading Blog
Create some spring flair of your own with this easy bead embroidery idea from Katie's book, Hip to Bead.

Kriss Cramer - Spring Is In The Air
Not much of a horticulturist? Me neither! But I love flowers and I enjoy growing these ones with some paper, paint, and rhinestones.

Linda and Tea at Make It Mine magazine
Tea decided to join the fun this month. Check out her quilt blocks and Linda's purse.

Melissa J. Lee - Strands of Beads
What do Korean playing cards have to do with a sprouting spring? Check out Melissa's blog to find out.

Michelle McGee - S-P-R-O-U-T
Michelle just can't stop creating in green! A little wooden birdhouse becomes a beautiful palace!

Savvy Crafter
Candie shares some happy spring memories with a cheerful felty flower idea!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean tells a touching, poignant tale of some beads who help one another, and after a small amount of sturm and drang they get it together and help each other! In fact, they prettify whatever YOU choose! Go see! It's fun!

Spring is Sprouting for Joolz by Lisa
Even without a green thumb, Lisa managed to "grow" a garden of sorts this month.

Sprouting Up with Beading Help Web
Lynn Kvigne's used wire and a lentil bead to create a "sprouting" pendant for wire workers who want a bit of a challenge!

The Goddess ROCKS!
Inspired by a river rock shaped like an ancient goddess statue, Hali paints, melts crayons and adds glitter to create a sparkley celebration of Spring.

The Impatient Blogger
How does your garden grow? With metal mesh, Czech glass beads and vintage French images all in a row! Margot just returned from Paris where she discovered a treasure trove of vintage paper. This scanned and sized postcard image fit the theme of sprout perfectly and the necklace was in search of a new home...add some teal metal mesh bows and accents and voila...a design sprouts forth!

Vintage Girl Teams Up With Her Vintage Momma!
What does a gal do when she finds herself far from her crafting supplies? Why, she raids her mom's basement and then puts dear old mama to work! Stop by and you'll see why mom's basement is fertile ground for things that sprout!