Barbara's Beautys

June 2012

About Me
When I was 8 years old, I learned to crochet - a potholder out of yarn first, then a doily out of thread. I was mesmerized by the idea of creating something beautiful. And thus began my creative journey. Since then I have tried many crafts. Some were fads whose popularity (and availability of supplies) came and went. Many are traditional crafts and variations on them. All are self-taught. Among my favorites: crochet; counted cross-stitch; Christmas ornaments and decorations; and quilling, the most artistically satisfying of them all.

Copyright
Š2011. All rights reserved.
Content included on this site is created and copyrighted by Barbara Rose. Feel free to use my original design DIY kits or tutorials for your personal projects or any of my published designs for inspiration for your own designs. If using photos or commentary found here, please give appropriate credit and a link back to creative.bcdenterprises.net.

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Blog Archive

6/30/2012
June Treasuries
Etsy treasuries are collections of 12-16 items based on a theme or similarity. They are created by Etsy members (called curators) featuring their favorite selections from other members' shops. In June items from my shop were included in a few treasuries (click on a photo to see the treasury):

	One of my Father's Day cards was picked for a treasury the curator called simply Awesome Tuesday.
	Another card, Blue Cameo surrounded by quilled, off-center circles, was in Handmade cards for everyone!!!!
	My card with Blue Delphiniums was featured in a Quilling treasury curated by another quiller
	This Quilled Daisy Box is often "favorited" and was in a cute treasury that made me smile! Lots of daisies: Love Me, Love Me Not
	My purple quilled "beehive" earrings were included in a treasury appropriately called Purple Delight

6/23/2012
Brainy Fun
While researching the chambered nautilus for last month's team challenge, I came across something that intrigued me. Although all my creative work is, well, creative (right brain), I also enjoy intellectual endeavors - I love things that tickle my (left hemisphere) brain cells. And so I share with you the Fibonacci Nautilus.

In 1202, Fibonacci of Pisa introduced Arabic numerals to Europe. He also developed a sequence of numbers to solve a problem involving the growth of a population of rabbits based on idealized assumptions. This sequence later became known as Fibonacci numbers - each number in the sequence is the sum of the previous two numbers. The following sequence begins with 0 and 1:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987...

0 + 1 = 1
1 + 1 = 2
1 + 2 = 3
2 + 3 = 5
3 + 5 = 8
and so on...

Consecutive "Fibonacci numbers" divided by each other result in a ratio of about 1 : 0.62 or 1.62 : 1, depending on whether the higher or lower number is the divisor. Higher up in the sequence, this division approaches what he called the golden ratio (approximately 1 : 1.618 or 0.618 : 1)

233 / 377 = 0.61803715
377 / 610 = 0.61803278
610 / 987 = 0.61803444
and so on...

This ratio arises in nature in several places. It can be used, along with a logarithmic spiral to construct a shell of a chambered nautilus out of right triangles.

Reminder: A right triangle is a triangle in which one of the three angles measures 90-degrees. The side opposite the right angle is called the hypotenuse. The relation between the sides and angles of a right triangle is the basis for trigonometry.

I started with a 6-inch by 3.75-inch rectangle - the length of the long side of the rectangle is about 62% (61.538% to be precise) of the total length of one long and one short side - that is, 6 / (6 + 3.75) = 0.61538. I then cut the rectangle in half diagonally to get my starting triangle.
That triangle is cut along a line drawn perpendicular from the hypotenuse to the right angle, resulting in 2 triangles.
Both of these triangles have a long side that is 62% of the total of the long and short sides.
The larger triangle is rotated and cut along the line drawn from its hypotenuse to its right angle, resulting in 2 more triangles. In each step, the smaller triangles are saved for later.
Repeat this procedure on each remaining larger triangle until there are 11 pieces, each successively smaller.

Starting with the largest triangle, glue them to a background in a counterclockwise direction by placing each successively smaller triangle's hypotenuse next to the previous triangle's longer side. The 11 triangles make nearly one complete revolution. The short sides form the outside of the shape, which makes the spiral.

6/9/2012
Etsy Team Challenge
As described last month (see Archives), my Etsy team had a challenge, just for fun. This was my entry and is now available in my Etsy Shop (click here). Check out all 4 entries on the PaperTwirlies blog.

I like this design so much that I made one in more natural/neutral colors and mounted it on deep turquoise cardstock. This one is also available in my Etsy shop (click here).

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