More collecting Pine needles

I have a small stash of the long plastic newspaper bags in my car. When I collect the pine needles, I slide them into the bag for the ride home. Nothing gets tangled, no 'critters' leap out of the needles and it keeps everything neat and tidy. Don't leave the needles in the bag, because they may mold if some were damp.

I also keep a plastic bucket, a pair of gloves and a good hardy pair of clippers for stubborn vines for collecting expeditions.

Collecting tips

It helps being a yard waste queen to find weavables, because I am always on the lookout for things to weave with. Friends don't like to ride with me because I am looking at trees and locations for philodendrons instead of the road.

The trick, I learned when I was collecting herbs for the herb farm was to look at the height that they grow when driving. With yard waste, you just have to look at the end of a driveway where they are thrown.

The palm inflorescence sticks work well when wet and pretty flexible. I was going to cut the spindly ends off, but they add to the work. It helps to have a heavy armature to work around, such as an old basket with a steel frame. Reed does work, but you must constantly be holding it down, with clamps, rubber bands and strong hands until the shape is set.

More Florida Baskets

I picked up smoke colored reed to blend in with the palm inflorscence sticks. Also, I have been working with the finer 'male' sticks to create a beginning of a birdnest.

FLORIDA BASKET

Finally, I am beginning to visualize and create the Florida Basket from palm inflorescence sticks. The only way other artists will be able to use the sticks are to think outside of the 'Easter Basket' box.

Palm sticks don't bend and weave like other medium. They must be soaked for a few hours to become flexible. The older the stick, the longer the soak.

I used a typical basket start with 3.25 reed. I had to form and mold the frame over a jar with rubber bands to hold everything in place. Since then I am am weaving the palm sticks around a metal, copper or a smoked reed armature.

Now my ideas are endless. On a 2 day trip to Orlando, FL; I spent time with my sisters and mother. Naomi and I gathered old palm sticks, sweet gum pods, and philo sheathes. They gave me their old bicycle. I rode the neighborhood checking out the booty. Now she is on the lookout too.She is a letter carrier and spots lots of yard waste during her day.

We also discovered we can copper plate/electroform the pods for jewelry and basket embellishments. I am going to need a bigger garage pretty soon.