Nature Inspiration

My favorite Etsy team, Blogging Business Artisans, hosts a monthly challenge.  Team Member Sharla of beadedtail.etsy.com  has challenged us this month with:  "Your challenge is to incorporate your favorite inspiration into a project of your choice."

I always look to nature for my inspiration.  For me, just one look out my window into the tree tops is restful, calming and invigorating! It takes my mind away from the mundane and transports me into the infinite possibilities.  Ever really looked at a tree branch?  In one tree, there is a myriad of ways that the limbs and leaves attach to the branches, never to be redone in that exact same way again.  Ultimate creativity! And you thought a snowflake was really something!!!

So, I took my inspiration from the tree and created nothing as elaborate as God can create, but a tree none-the-less, a simple one!

 
This is my embroidered tree on muslin and homespun.  It's a button down pillow cover.  This is the first in my line of primitive country products for wholesale only.  Not available in my Etsy shop, at least not at this point in time. 

Thanks Blogging Business Artisans for the monthly challenge!  It keeps me creating!!!
P.S.  Visit  the blog link between the 26th and the end of each month to see what other members are creating and find out more about our team!

Sunday Afternoon Avatar

Many of my customers and blog friends may have wondered about the avatar that I use for my Pruitt Creations Etsy shop.  We (Etsyians) are usually told to make our avatar representative of  what we sell.  We are encouraged to do this to increase our brand presence. Although I believe this is good advice, I have taken a different path.

My avatar is representative of who I am.  I am my brand.  My crafts and creations are all inspired by my own favorites--things that I like.  Maybe that is not a good selling tactic, but it is true to who I am.   It's not so unusual; people in my circles know when they see quilter, Alex Anderson's picture, what she does and the quality of her work. She is her own brand.

I love the outdoors, and, at my age and stage of life, I cannot get outside enough to be pleased.  So my avatar helps inspire me.  It's from a picture taken on a Sunday afternoon when hubby and I went for a drive up the canyon to Mt Hood.  We stopped creek side and spent some time.  Hubby snapped this picture  while I was sitting on a log looking up at the winter bare treetops. He cropped it into a panoramic view, which I really like. It is also now a part of my shop banner, if you look closely.

I have cropped it further and use it for my avatar.

Maybe I will change it someday, but I like it. 

A blog friend of mine once said: "I'd know that chin anywhere!" 

P.S.  Here's a sample of how this day has inspired me:

Winter Twig throw pillow

How do you keep yourself inspired?

Clematis Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday - Nature's Patterns

Benefits of My Day Outside

I'm still so excited about having a camera again and look what I saw today!

 A Red Tail Hawk!

We were down by the rivers (where the Willamette and the Clackamas Rivers run together) and saw him right in front of us--not 15 feet away.  I was in my car, so I snapped some pictures!

Wordless Wednesday - Leaves

Love Photography?

Here's one of my photos from vacation. Besides the beautiful butterfly and flowers, you can see the water beads from the recent rain on the foliage. I don't always get my pictures this clear; I guess it's trial and error . . . mostly error . . . with me, but I love trying! It's the creative adventure!

If you love good photographs, you will also enjoy seeing everything that is posted a fellow etsyblogger team member's blog. She's an awesome photographer! Maybe she will have some tips for your own photo taking!

Photography anyone?

Yesterday, my husband and I went out on a walk. Since we're house sitting by the Cedar River; we walked up the road and then on to a little public park by the riverside. I took my camera and snapped a few pics. It's fun trying new things with your camera! With the new digital cameras there's no more worrying about running out of film--just make sure your camera is charged! I've had plenty of friends get to a possible great shot and their battery was dead!

Anyway, I thought I would share a few of my pics. I plan to use some of them as the inspirations for a new quilt. They are also good for studies in color, especially winter day subtleties. Enjoy!