Leftover Fun - "Frank"

With all of the classes that I sign up to take in willow baskets, it's still not enough for me. Most people that work with willow, have access to grown their own.  This is eventually my goal, but in the meantime I purchase willow from a few different places, and I look at it as my opportunity for practice and little experiments.  Normally I just grab a bundle of whatever looks good and soak it up for the correct amount time (sometimes a bit over) and I just attempt something.

The Handle and rim of the rib basket (above) were actually made from a wild rose plant that I found in the woods near where I live.  Late in the fall I was getting antsy to experiment with making handles, and it's to my understanding (could be totally wrong here), that fresh willow is made into hoops and handles, then dried.  So I decided to try the process with my found rose branches.  I had been letting them dry for a few months when I finally figured, why not give it a try now.  I was super happy with the results.

Then I made up two of these little willow nests for my sisters wedding.  She is getting married in the forest in upstate NY this summer and she wants her ring bearers to be holding these little nests as they walk up the isle with the rings.  I was totally excited with how beautiful they came out.  Once we get closer to the wedding, I plan on visiting a spot I know grows the most beautiful moss to line the bottoms.

Lastly, I wasn't sure what I was going to accomplish when I started this basket.  I was at the end of my bundle supplies and figured I could possibly make a small tray.  I started with a round base and then this just sort of happened.  I can't get over how cute it looks with eggs in it.  

So for future reference this bundle of willow came from Howard the Basket Farmer. It was labeled "Frank" and the color is a beautiful combination of Green-Black-Dark Brown-Light Yellow

Howard is my main supplier of willow.  He is in the USA and he ships in very large boxes, that I normally have him fill to capacity.

And I'm writing all this in hopes that in a few more years I'll be sitting on my own willow farm, scrolling back into my archives saying, "Oh look at when I had to purchase dried willow" ;) 

DREAM BIG MY FRIENDS - ALWAYS!!!