needles & vectors

I have a confession: I watch a ton of Flickr photo streams in search of crafty inspiration. I’m not someone inspired by nature or materials but by other peoples’ work. I actively seek out fun color combinations, new patterns to knit/crochet/attempt to sew, settings for finished object photos, and photos that embody what it is I like about crafts.

I’ve been lucky to get to know a group of woman via Flickr who constantly keep me inspired by showing off their amazing work (or detailing their attempts at greatness that go awry). They are witty, creative, honest, and amazing. I just hope maybe, in some little way, I can push them to keep going, as they have pushed me. They are the reason I continue to create, even when I don’t feel like it.

Chawne (cauchycomplete)

What craft does this woman *not* have her hands in? Quilting, crochet, knitting, embroidery – she does it all. A math professor by day and extraordinary crafter by night. If there was a Queen of Craft, it would be her.

(Abe Lincoln is her secret boyfriend. This picture has nothing to do with craft, per say, but her willingness to be cooky in photos does inspire my photos.)

She also does this hilarious illustrated embroidery of spam emails she and friends have received. I won’t post a photo or link from here as, well, my mother reads this, but you can search them out yourself in her photo stream.

Maggie (wwcutie)

Maggie is one of the most persistantly cheerful people out there. Even when things get difficult, she’s happy – no, thrilled – to be alive. She works in the International Studies office at a major university and shoots wedding photography on weekends. Between all of this, she manages to quilt, embroider, and sew.

Jocelyn (Jocelyn_)

Jocelyn tells it like it is. When things are going her way, she’ll tell you. When she’s super excited, you don’t have to guess. Although her crafting attempts sometimes go awry, she isn’t shy in sharing them. Her primary crafts are knitting and quilting.

(I never said yesterday that my photo post would be *my* photos, so I’m not technically breaking a promise here. I will try, however, to have some photos to post that I have taken before we head to Florida next week.)