Innovations

Helen and I are very fond of taking things to the next level, so to speak. Since Helen has no traditional training in kanzashi-making, she's had to learn everything herself, except for a few online tutorials. There are precious few books, at least in English, about kanzashi. The most well-publicized one just doesn't look that good to us. We'd love it if someone with a lot of experience wrote a thorough how-to.

But in any case, Helen likes to make up her own way of doing things, and there's nothing wrong with that. She and I also admire the innovative work of others. Here are some neat things we've seen lately!

Inna Stradomska from Innagoldfish on Etsy www.innagoldfish.etsy.com has created this wonderful spirally petal that we've only seen from some of the Eastern European kanzashi makers....

Maegan from Mountain Musings on Etsy www.mountainmusings.etsy.com has a trademark petal pictured here that we just love. It reminds us of meringue peaks on the one hand, and elf slippers on the other.....

Cathy from Designs In Blooms on Etsy www.designsinblooms.etsy.com has created an unusual shape
which reminds us of liatris flowers.....

 

The Monkey Moos on Etsy www.themonkeymoos.etsy.com has also come up with not only an unusual shape and an unusual way of gluing petals together, but also an innovative way of layering petals...nothing traditional about this one!

 

 

Elizabeth K from ImlothMelui on Etsy www.imlothmelui.etsy.com has gone to extremes with long, long petals that form these ginko leaves...

 

 

And also from Elizabeth is this unusual rose....

 

 

Lastly, I can't resist showing you this wonderful tiger lily from Regina of Little Cookie on Etsy www.littlecookie.etsy.com . The petal types are certainly recognizable, but the way they are used is an innovation, for sure....

 

 

So you see, kanzashi is a fascinating art. Artists are limited by the kinds of petals they can produce, but the variations in the ways artists use those petals is their real genius. Gosh, this was fun. I'm looking forward to more.