Create Whimsy

Inspring makers and sharing their stories

Ashley Potts + Profile picture

Ashley Potts

Austin, Tx

A little more about Ashley . . .

 

What kind of creative projects are your favorite?

I love all sorts DIY…as long as it’s colorful and makes me smile. I lean towards home improvement at the moment as we remodel our 1975 generic home into a fun, colorful space!

When is your most productive time for creating?

It seems to hit me at the inappropriate times..I rearrange rooms before work and always start painting projects at night when the kid goes to bed!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

 

What is your favorite storage tip for your creative supplies?
I love old cracker, sugar and flour containers – the metal kind from my grandmothers. They are colorful AND have special memories associated, so it’s a double whammy!

Tell me more about your home dec projects. How often do you move your furniture, art and accessories around in your home?

I move furniture, artwork and accessories around every week! Why not, if it doesn’t work..I move it again. It’s a never ending process ’round here.

When you are in your creative mood, do you listen to music, watch tv or do you prefer a quiet spot? If it is music, what types do you listen to? If watching tv, what kinds of shows?

I always have TV on in the background..the usuals are HGTV and the cooking channel. I judge the people remodeling and wonder what I would do in their shoes and when listening to the cooking shows I wonder what it would be like to actually cook!!

Finished bookmarks

Quick Beaded Gifts

If you have beads and some basic tools, you can be ready with a unique and personal beaded gifts in minutes. I made all of these projects with beginner-level beading…
Chardel's Dad

Dad’s Heart, My Art

We often relegate dads to the back seat when we talk about our early creative influences. “Mom taught me to ______ (insert sew, knit, cook, etc. here).” And she did,…
Samples of 3 tubular herringbone ropes

How to Make Tubular Herringbone Beaded Jewelry

Tubular Herringbone (sometimes called Ndebele) stitch creates sinuous beaded ropes that await your creativity to design bracelets, necklaces and more. It can be a fussy stitch to get started, but…
Herb Hand at Cairo Airport

Thanks, Dad

So many creatives refer to how their mother influenced their creative journey, but few refer to their Dads. And, yes, my mother was always making something - sewing clothes for…
Spring Trio

Spotlight: Jane Sassaman, Quilt Artist

Jane Sassaman has a distinctive artistic voice that speaks clearly in her art quilts, the fabric she designs and her workshops. Her whimsical, graphic and colorful designs require a vivid…
Gemstone Embellished Right Angle Weave Bracelets

Embellished Right Angle Weave Jewelry

Starting with two size 11 seed beads per side, it’s easy to stitch a base of right angle weave in comfortable proportions for Gemstone Embellished Right Angle Weave Jewelry.
Larry Calkins School

Spotlight: Larry Calkins, Mixed Media Artist

Finding inspiration in the world around him, Larry Calkins creates art that provokes laughter and emotion. In his hand-built studio/home, and sometimes outside it, he works with paint, fiber, metal,…
Painted Hills art quilt completed!

Design Challenge Art Quilts

For a number of years, I have had the privilege of gathering with a talented group of fiber artists that studied with Lorraine Torrence. The "Off Grain Stitchers" continue to…
Cellini Spiral Detail

Peyote Stitch Cellini Spiral Basics

Peyote-Stitched Cellini Spiral looks really complicated, but it’s just a glorified peyote rope. The stitch is even count tubular peyote with a step up. It’s the change in bead sizes…
Kathy Seaman Shaw Crazy Quilting

Spotlight: Kathy Seaman Shaw, Crazy Quilter

Give Kathy Seaman Shaw a plain seam, and she will transform it with fancy stitches and beads. Kathy is a prolific crazy quilter, constantly designing new embroidery combinations and sharing…
Bobbie and Ma

Creative Mothering

When I was just seven, our father accepted a position in Iran that brought a big move and a big change in our lives! Our family of four (there would…
Barbara De Pirro Sea Anenome Detail

Spotlight: Barbara De Pirro, Mixed Media Artist

Barbara De Pirro translates organic forms and patterns found in nature into sculptural works of art, often using reclaimed plastics. Because she is using the materials for a new purpose,…
Brian Haggard Close Up

Spotlight: Brian Haggard, Embroidery Artist

Brian Haggard has a gift for seeing vintage items and reimagining them combined into a cohesive work of fiber art. He artfully blends old with new to create an entirely…
Double Edged Love

Spotlight: Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Quilt Artist

Victoria Findlay Wolfe is always busy making something, especially colorful quilt tops with a modern esthetic. In demand as an instructor, Victoria balances creating, teaching and owning a retail store…