Cristina and I were so inspired after the first day of Lyda Rump’s complex bag workshop that we continued working after Lyda went to bed and both had our bags finished by 1.45am on Sunday morning! We really enjoyed working together and somehow the time just seemed to fly. Although my photos aren’t the best here goes with the final reveal!
Front of my finished bag
I had a great piece of driftwood which made the perfect handle, Alan says I need to cut it a little shorter but I am happy with the length myself and let’s not forget it is me who will be using the bag! Friend and fellow felter Nancy Schwab (hope to see you at Urban Fauna Studio in October Nancy!) throws out the question on her blog ‘do we have to use a felted handle for our felted bags’? My answer is a definite no. Obviously a felted handle is perfect for some styles of bags but other different materials and found objects can just be so exciting and unexpected. That is not to say that many designs don’t suit an incorporated handle (more of that in my next post), just try and think outside the box sometimes and experiment with other types as well.
Back of my finished bag
To answer a question from another friend and experienced felter Dawn Edwards yes, it is actual fish skin inserted into some of the ovals!
And finally ……
Underneath the flaps
Nicola Brown Fine Art Textiles 
Wow ! Very Inspiring.
What a stunning bag! I love the driftwood handle. The inclusion of real fish skin made my eyes widen in wonder.
Great bag and a wonderful array of fibre and colour, and flaps and pockets even, all very practical and a piece of art wrapped in one…great work, and til the wee hours of the morning. Obsession can be a wonderful thing lol
Wow! A bag full of surprises. Its amazing and I bet you had lots of fun making it! Love the craters and the driftwood handle too.
Penny
fantastic – really beautiful – love all the textures, colours – super detail – what a bag!
Good morning Nicola,
Well, if anything could have kept me up until 1:45 a.m., finishing a bag such as this, would have been it! It’s a feast for the eyes! I still can’t get over the fish skin…Who’d have thought! Your creativity and always “thinking out of the box” never ceases to amaze me and always inspires me.
Hugs,
Dawn
oooooooooooooo a striking bag that is so unusual yet it has a sensibility about it, which is always a nice desirable combo. Good work Nicola.
I could not leave the site without a question. What are the tiny white dots on the front? I sense that tiny detail is what sets the bag apart.
Amazing, stunning and such a lot of work with so many details. I can definitely understand staying up to finish this bag. Your work as always is a feast for the eyes and takes us on a journey of creativity. Thank you for sharing your adventures. Inspiring:)
wonderful texture and mix of colors 🙂 It really is a great piece of felted eye candy!
The bag is just an absolute piece of art! Beautiful colors and surface design. It is obvious you put a whole lot of thought and work on it… love how those little glittery “thingies” (dunno what they are!) look as if they are floating on top of the green.
And the driftwood handle just finishes the whole thing off. Beautiful!