Providing Inspiration

Morning all.........hope you likeee my photos today???? If I say so myself (and I am honestly a modest soul), I think they are quite gloriously fabulous :o)

All of the above hooky items reside in my downstairs living/dining room, spread about the place you know. Draping here and there, snuggling and nestling amongst the various bits of rather worn out furniture that we own. Because the room is large (and very untidy), I think I can just about get away with this much colour and pattern in one place, and like i say, it is quite spread about really. But it does give the room a lovely colourful, homespun, cosy vibe which I adore :: I just love to see handmade things in a room, things made with care and love and happiness. And if those handmade things are colourful and vibrant, then so much the better.

I had a great deal of fun taking these photographs, piling up my crochet creations on the sofa, seeing them all come together in one big heap of Colourful Hooky Happiness. It really made me smile to myself in my own little dizzy world, hopping about from foot to foot, arranging and styling my very own personal photo shoot. Such fun! Such delight!
There is a point to all of this though....yes, honest there is. I promise you this is not just eye candy for the sake of it (although nothing wrong with pointless eyecandy at all).

Today I wanted to chat to you a little about the business of Providing Inspiration. You know, the way in which us creative types use one another to spark and generate and create new ideas and projects. I think it's one of the most fabulous things about being a part of this online community :: the sharing, the inspiring, the creativity and the spirit which happens daily in Blogland and Flickrville absolutely knocks me for six. I think it's blooming marvelous, I really do. 

So are you all familiar with Flickr??? I just love Flickr. Absolutely Love it. For someone like me who cannot survive a day without drinking in some sort of visual inspiration of one kind or another, it is a godsend. And most especially for me in recent months, when I've been keeping very odd hours with myself, I know that Flickr is always there to feed my soul, 24/7. Like this morning, when I was up drinking tea and browsing through photos at 4am, I was so glad that I could tap into that place, could spend a happy hour or so perusing such inspiring pictures. The group pools are amazing resources, chocka-block full of ideas and inspiration. There are some fabulous group pools for crochet, if that is your thing. If you are not already familiar with them, please do go take a look at a some of my favourites ::

Granny Along

Granny Squares

Ripple Along

Crochet Afghans

Crochet Bags

The Happy Hookers

Attic24 Inspired

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you notice that last group pool there in the above list??? Did you see it???

"ATTIC24 INSPIRED" indeed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As the title suggests, it's a cololurful, wonderful little group for you all to come and be a part of. For you to share pictures of anything you've made that has been inspired by my patterns and crochet creations. So if you've been up to anything hooky that has Attic24 Inspiration behind it (bags, ripples, flowers, summer garden squares, garlands, cushions, blankets, jam-jar covers etc etc), I would LOVE for you to join this little group and share your hooky-goodness with us all.

I confess that this group-sharing thing was not in fact my doing, although I have been meaning to do it certainly. It was in fact created by the lovely Steph who writes the Lovestitches blog. Cos she obviously got fed up waiting for me to do it myself, she very kindly took it upon herself to do the job for me, and I couldn't be more grateful. I am honestly thrilled from the top of my head (around my big belly) to the tip of my toes. Thank you Steph.

I would also like to send a big hug and thanks to Kate, the Garden Bell, who wrote me this fabulous post yesterday, and I know has been very excited by the thought of all this lovely inspirational stuff coming together. Thank you Kate.

So.........am hoping you are gonna be as excited by this as I am. And I for one shall continue to Provide the Inspiration. Whether you want it or not haha.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ps managed to add a little linky Flickr badge thingy for the group in my sidebar so that you can always find the group easily....oooo happy browsing!

xxxx

Comments

[Jennifer]

I just love all of your blankets and cushions. I bet your home is perfectly cozy. Thanks for sharing it with us and for sharing the flickr group as well. Will have to spend some time there when the children go to bed.

[Steph]

How great to be an inspiration to so many ..a real accolade if ever I saw one. I dream of starting some Attic 24 inspired crochet someday when I less up to my eyes in freeform ! Well done, the photos are lovely.

[RichesStitches]

Wow, some more places for hooky inspiration. I am definitely joining your flickr group when I have a free moment. The majority of my crochet items have been inspired by you.
Thank you
Jane 80)

[Carole]

WOW what a fab collection of crocheting goodness and the colours are sooo lovely as i keep saying.
I clicked onto lovestitches and Steph has a nice blogsite, never seen it before.
Oh and by the way next time you are in town go to that shop where you get your lemon muffins and treat yourself to a raspberry or lemon cupcake. I bought some today and the colour of the icing made me think of you,ha ha!
Love Carole xxx

[Petit Filoux]

I can't crochet but I was inspired to give cross stitch a go after reading one of your posts!! Got one of the starter kits from Jolly Red - you can have a look at the finished item on my blog! So thank you ;-)

[Shannon]

Love, love, LOVE this post. Thank you.

[Shelley in SC]

Oooh, there can never, never be enough visual inspiration out there!! Thanks to all who made this happen!

[Catherine]

I'd love to be in the room where these live! You would never feel dull!

[Diana Chiew]

I have been following your blog for a little while and with this colourful post, I just can't help myself but to write a comment...I just love it!! Each and every one of them. They are so colourful and I love colours. You are wonderful too for sharing...thanks!

[Eileen Gamache]

Lucy~Lucy~Lucy....I have spent the last day practicing the Ripple and it finally sank IN!!I posted on my blog today about your inspiration! Thanks for the great instructions and photo tutorial!

[Eileen Gamache]

Oh~my blog is robinhillquilts.blogspot.com~stop by and check out my progress!!

[Isabelle kessedjian]

I love your blog

[Gill Short]

Hi Lucy - hope the tangle is unravelling a little. Thanks for your beautiful colourful pictures - they warm the cockles. My first 'baby' has just been delivered to University for his first year and I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms!
PLease can you tell me where you got your lovely stripy crockery? My boy would love it. Thanks Lucy.

[Kim]

Well done Lucy your colourful world is spreading out to all of us. I have just finished a version of BB - just have to sign up to flickr to see if I can display it!! Have a lovely colourful day

[Jacqueline]

What a feast for the eyes, the colours are gorgeous. I especially like the granny sqare cushion with the flowers on it. Look forward to more inspiration tomorrow.

[Zorana]

There is something magical about what you do. I use a lot of color in my art, but other than that I dress in black and have a house in very 'safe' colors. But the absolutely love the way you combine colors and pattern and love and I can't get enough of your blog. Have a happy day!

[valerie]

how very very cool off to join up now

[Delphine]

Your works are so much colourfull that it is a real happiness to contemplate them. You are really true when you say that it is a great pleasure to see handmade thing in a room. I share this point of view and attach more importance to handmade things than to bought items.
Colour makes life happier !!
Thank you

[Jody]

Goodness, all I have to do is get that crochet hook going. I've done one afghan, inspired by you, I can't stop now!

[George]

Hello Lucy, just discovered this, have you seen it? George
http://sarahlondon.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/seamless-symmetrical/

[Sarah]

Gorgeous colours, I'm so jealous! I've yet to get to grips with crochet. I've tried a few times but it still seems like witch craft to me!

xxx

[Jen]

Oh Lucy, how gorgeous they all look, piled up together! I have a confession to make: until I spied your creations, and some of Yarnstorm's, I never ever liked crochet. No sirree! But your stuff is so gorgeous I'm itching to pick up a hook and start some myself. I'm afraid it'll be too hard though :( Anyway, thank you for all the colourful and inspiring pictures :)

[Rachael]

How fabulous, I am sure when I started reading your blog you had just started your hooky hobby.......what a lovely pile of confections! Rachaelxo

[KK]

love to see all of the colorful crochet all in one pic! so pretty!

[Amy - parkcitygirl]

How very fun! I love perusing flickr as well - I usually subscribe to the feed and go there first in my reader, for a quick pick me up! I'm inspired to start - Thank you!!