Concertina notebooks

I made a couple of concertina notebooks this week, starting them when I went over to Janet's; appropriate as it was she who encouraged me, showed me hers & gave me tips on folding in the middle & folding back on itself etc. You end up with a shape dictated to you by the length the paper started with, which was fine as I was using up some old marked watercolor paper torn in half. I'm sure the formula for measuring & ending up with a square, if that's what you want, is out there somewhere!

I painted the insides with a wash of the base colors I'd used on the papers (I hadn't put them away yet, oh the mess that needs to be cleared up! on my list, of course ;) Then I used thinned a little gesso to make an area to write or draw in, just using my fingers to paint & going round & round, so gentle & theraputic. No fingerprints left anyway!

I've never made these before so I attached the ribbon behind the back 'end' paper just by glueing & pressing down, it seems to work well. There are many inspiring ways out there & Janet has a couple of mouthwatering tomes on bookmaking, but I wanted to start simply.

Can't wait to make more papers or fabric for further books. One day I'll have the courage to make beautiful mixed media pieces in themselves like Kim at Letting in the Light has. She's just opened an Etsy shop, too & that  will surely encourage me to open mine, I've been talking about it for long enough!

I also made myself another earing after I lost the one I was wearing when I went to my first Zumba class. I knew as soon as I'd made it I'd find the lost one so now I have a spare. I haven't moved so fast at the class since running after my toddlers 15 years ago. It seems all the rage & the class has come to a village near me so why not? I've never done any Salsa either, but the teacher said if you're moving it doesn't matter. The more you wiggle your hips, strangely, the easier the steps are & when you're zooming right for 4 steps & you don't move back left in time you'll be sorry otherwise it was a great laugh...when I could get a breath! I gave it 110% & feared for my neck & back just after the class but having streched out well, no problems. Next week I'll try 90% & work back up gradually ;) I do look forward to Yoga starting back next week & I'm sure my body will benefit from the combination of these 2 classes.

The next page in 'Straps' was some lovely work by Janet Crowther on pin tucking, using a twin needle. Can't find any of her work but came across this you may aleady know about where you can read some of the articles, very generous!) Can you believe I have a twin needle from the 'old' days? ;) Unfortunately, when I inserted it I could see that it wouldn't be able to go down into the hole in the plate as the needle holding shaft has bent again. I think it's time for a service but not until I can find a machine in the loft that I was given in 1976....

Anyway, I skipped along to making a 'felt motif' These are usually made from black felt & colored with a wonderful mix of metalic thread with zigzag & embroidery thread couching them down. then you cut round the thread, snip out the center of the pattern & stitch down to more felt. You can then stitch inside all the shapes. Motifs can be attached to anything, a wall hanging, handbag, book cover. The best way I think is Maggie suggesting getting a sample  or piece out of the 'failed experiments' box & 'just' adding  the motifit creatively to the found piece , & adding lots more lovely stitching & that's what can be made into the above. Therefore, nothing has failed! I used a piece of ground which is the base of my cuffs & I grabbed the first 4 aged pieces of felt in the colors of sweets ;) Maggie had clematis flowers inspiring quite abstract motifs but I thought I'd start with the petal shapes, very much in my comfort zone. When I added the first pieces to the felt I thought I'd make a reverse applique effect on 3 petals so you could see a suggestion of the ground as well as the base felt, before stitching into the space. Another enjoyable experiment.

Welcome to my new followers, I think I found you in the grey picture area at the back but no links, do comment then I can visit, thanks!
 

A brand new year

Well, how wonderful is that, a brand new year? We had our first new year's eve without our Youngest at home - first time he's looked old enough to go out on the razz (shhh! he's legal next year - will I get arrested now? I didn't say he could...) Anyway a sign of time passing, so, so quickly.

We watched the local hotel's fireworks thru the open French windows, a foul night but the dog wanted to smell the wet air & didn't mind the noise a mile away. We decided the world was our oyster, & thought it terrifying, but exciting at the same time.

 cards from last weeks background

I've enjoyed reading  some resolutions, plans, promises here in blogworld. It was making my own committment 2 yrs ago that took me to making over 360 daily squares & then to a saleable piece of work each week last year, which was the only way I got a body of work ready for my first show in September.

My first promise to myself this year is to find more balance  - I still have a small body of work & plan to add to one or 2 of the different series, so I can afford the time to recreate my neglected garden, take more walks, not just because it's healthy but to explore this wonderful place we live in. I need more yoga time to unwind from the hunching over stitches or leaning over the painting table (not to mention the stiffness & tiredness caused by the day jobs!) If you take care of yourself first, you are more able to do all those things that you want, that's my excuse, anyway ;)

heart background

So each week I will be working towards our show in June, but not just a saleable collage a week, I may take 2 weeks ( or longer) to work on a large wall hanging. It might be a selection of textile jewellery or notebook covers. I may try some sketchbooks or accordian books - my friend's been telling me they're just up my street. I would love to learn to draw/paintsea birds like Claire Harkess look at the bird 4th pic along. I first saw her seagulls a few years ago at an exhibition in Plockton & I never thought I could be so moved by a simple seagull.

 heart cards

of course I need to keep the studio full, too. I want to make more scarves so the place feels warm. I used to decorate lampshades to go with the driftwood lamp bases we made. I've sold all the ones we had, why not make more just because the driftwood's run out?

squares background

Photographing these backgrounds & cards without getting them wet in the rain or muddy dropping them on the way is a nightmare - I use the greenhouse where there's some light & to get out of the wind but it in itself is full of mud! So, I plan to make a permanent space in the studio, up against the sunny back window where I just store stuff, with my trusty college tripod for the days there isn't any light - I mean, hardly a week went by in the last 2 years when I didn't take a photo. I could at least keep the things flat! I might also install a white roller blind in the greenhouse for bigger things but it would probably go green or be eaten by mice within 5 minutes!

Square cards

I've really enjoyed the freedom in these cards & collage backgrounds. This week seems to have been a card week but I found time to make a couple more samples from that wonderful book Stitches Straps & Layers by Maggie Grey.

This a sample using silk carrier rods split into a few layers, no mean feet with my broken nails! I chose to use  them flat (instead of wrapping them round the side/bottom of a piece) My sample is based on a pic in the book of a beautiful bag made by Anna Nowicki using 'flat knitting tapes' My interpretation of that is to use ribbon... maybe that's what it means ;) Have a look at her blog thru the link - she's doing amazing things with bits of thread...!

The next sample, above, was to use foiled grounds with needle felted things on top. The sample in the book had me & my arty buddies drooling so I've tried my best with my sample. The first 2 strips are machine & hand stitching & using the embellisher machine over the silk & the stitches. Then Maggie used sumptuous silk velvet ribbon & lightly felted it down. I've had a meter of this purple velvet ribbon for ages & finally I've used it! The next strip is a skeletized leaf under black organza - you needle felt all round the leaf then on the leaf for a bit distressing it as much or as little as you want. I don't think my fabric was sheer enough, but that's the whole point of having a sample book, of course. I missed out the lutrador bit & tried the puffed & purple painted scrim with an added bit of fabric (Maggies was purple) I had hard scrim to hand & just stitched it. The last strip is painted tissue paper & painted with acrylic wax AFTER embellishing to stregnthen. Well, I didn't read the instructions & used wax before felting - lovely holes in stiff paper! I love this learning lark, what would I have achieved I wonder if i'd loved learning at school? These little samples will look so lovely in my samples book; wish I could show my teachers.....

I'm sure I could go on about all I plan or want to do. Despite my schooling ( the best was done for me at the time!) or maybe because of my schooling (!) I find myself doing something I absolutely love, even tho I haven't managed earning a full time living yet, but I know I will never be bored in my life, there's always something exciting I can be doing (hence the yoga/balance thing!) I took time to join the Middlest & Youngest watching 'Coach Carter'  before the M went back to college & even tho I'd watched it before I hadn't remembered  the lovely quote from it - got to say I'm delighted that my teenagers so enjoy the uplifting family film - the basketball that they both play might have something to do with it. Anyway, here's the quote!

edit - this is the version by Marrianne Williamson from her book 'A Return to Love'. Coach Carter left out a few lines, I think.

Our Deepest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Happy New Year!

I've been playing with color on this the last day of the year. The first thing I always need to make is my wonderful Sister in Law's birthday card for the 6th & that generally becomes the 'birthday design' for everyone thru the year. It might be a bit similar to last years card, bright scribbled color, but I'll tweek it as I go.

first few layers on 2 pieces of A4, 3 blue/green acrylics with a few pieces of paper from my bits box, gold paint added here & there then carmine ink (carmine, what a color! thought it was red from the bottle as i hadn't used it for years, what a surprise!) sprayed thru one of those small thin spray bottles using a found cardboard 'stencil'. I used to dislike circles, in the garden or in my work, maybe they're too perfect? But since watching Ro Bruhn & Roben Marie Smith over the last couple of years inspire me with accessible messy circles I thought I'd have a go. The 'grownup color' of Burnt Umber is Chinese ink, brought back by  my SIL from China a few years ago & i finally had courage to open the tube! More colors to explore if the courage holds ;)

I didn't want to be precious or anything but i did scan the right one in to the computer before i carried on.

I added a thin wash of white poster paint rubbing it in with my fingers a la a confident approach, then colored all over round & about with oil pastels but only the caran d'ashe (sp!) actually smoosh well. The above pic is with flash & it's highlighted the earlier gold, oh for some daylight! I ruined, temporarily i hope, 2 thin black markers, then tried a biro till that stopped working then used a pencil for circling & doing a kind of backwards writing/scribble with my left hand, just an opposite move of how right handers write 'normally' I'm lucky to be able to write both ways with both hands, Leo de V I am not! But I can do a scribble ;) Some stamping with a coffee cup heat protector, too. Love the texture when using bits ofskelatised leaves.

So, i'll cut these up, reassemble & make cards & collage, & look forward to the freedom of making more next year.

Heres's to a fabulous 2012, hoping for a wonderfully happy new year & that we all get a little of what we wish for.

Lots of Love

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Wishing all my Blog Buddies a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Hoping  you get everything you wish for in 2012 ;)

Inspired by Rustic Vintage country being inspired, I took the above pic of our tree, great fun!

Christmas came early with my giveawaty win at Silvermoonbird - wonderful lime green dyed velvet, cotton, lace & embroidery thread, can't wait to use them in my shoreline pieces next year, thanks Jan!

Better go light one of these

We've got the village coming for a drink in an hour if they can brave the weather, it's blowing a real hoolie!

Warm Wishes x

The gift of giving

OK, I admit it, my two arty buddies are my guinea pigs! I'd seen a scarf made of some diaphanous material with strips attached & as I'm a strippy sort of person I decided to have a go myself & give the results of my experiments to my buddies at our 'studio staff party' We've been working together thru the year to either carry on where the printmking class left off or to just 'knit & bitch' - well, I didn't knit I was just working towards the exhibition & both of them were so helpful with ideas for it & stuff, I felt the least I could do was give them something for their efforts ;)

 So I gathered some bits & pieces, no mean feat, that as my corner of the Eldests room is becoming the second B&B room & an 1/8th of the Middlests room will turn into the sewing corner in 'our' room, as he's away at college/sea now. I think I'll have to suspend things from the ceiling...!  It's been great stitching in the studio but it's too cold to do much in there in the winter & anyway I can't store fabric as it gets damp despite the heating, yes we need some insulation which finances didn't run to when we built the studio & house, 11 years ago last week we moved in! Never mind it's on the wish list along with a sink & tap! I remember our builder laughing  when I suggested using sheeps wool - the amount of Country Living etc awards I've seen since then!

They like purple & turquoise

& turquoise & terracotta

I sliced up the stripped pieces very thinly & stitched them on, there were 16 each scarf & it was tricky stitching satiny fabric onto silk, I even had to resort to pins & even then it slid about in a higgledypiggledy fashion, but they won't notice & if they did I know they wouldn't mind. As for going into production with them, I'm not sure!

Here they are bundled up together. 

It was interesting seeing them against their clothes, one wearing dark grey & one deep purple,  the scarves looked a little pale - I hadn't thought of 'trying them on' & stepping back to look. I guess it's a question of taste & more experiments!

Made some labels & stamped the brown paper the presents came in, for wrapping. I'd love to have my own carved stamps for next year, like the glorious ones on Letting in the Light's blog - I just 'found' her again, hiding on the dashbord thing I forget about ;)

This is the first Saturday I've had in ages to myself. Last week I joined in to a community jam & chutney day - I've made jam once & chutney never (I did see our Kirsty making a ready to eat chutney in her last year's lead up to Christmas craft show, now that looked good, as for comparing crack cocain to fme...again,  I'm not too sure!) I'm not a foody, you'll never see a recipie here & yes, I'm one of those awful peple who forget to eat but boy, when I smell food, am I hungry! (I'm so lucky to have my own Maser Chef in the kitchen ;)

The pear & walnut we made is something else. What do you mean it has to sit for a month? It's nearly gone already!

I'm off to decorate the tree, it's been anchored & covered in lights that work by the DH & Youngest - he could hire himself out as the best untangler of lights in the country. I'm so lucky to have them here, get all nostalgic with my lovingly collected & handmade decorations (I've always collected one decoration per child each year, how delighted am I to now be able to make them myself!) by a warm fire, with the somewhat confused by it all dog at my feet, looking forward to the rest of my little family arriving next week.

Have a peaceful & enjoyable lead up to Christmas, this week!

Giveaway results & a slightly bent garden

I drew the results the old fashioned way, by writing down the names on little bits of paper & getting the Youngest to close his eyes & pick one - he's helpful like that. You won't believe it but  Jan from Silvermoonbird won.....& I've just won part of a giveaway from her!!!!! It's not a fix, promise! Now you can send me your address, please ;) Hope you enjoy the pendant.

Loved my day off on Tuesday, enjoyed the light smattering of snow, ambled about a bit, started making our Christmas cards & caught up on some tv programs. Wednesday made some more cards while chatting with my Arty friend over lunch, a beautiful calm day.

By Thursday, all hell broke loose! I'd spoken to my parents, they weren't worried, I'd told them we had a full tank of oil for the Aga, (thank goodness an Aga doesn't seem such an extravegance in a power cut!) 3 bags of coal just delivered & a wall full of logs. The power went off at midday but we were warm. The Eldest rang to say it was pretty breezy in Edinburgh but he'd been out to get supplies & hoped we weren't blown away. The Middlest rang to say college was closed in Glasgow -t he didn't know why as there was blue sky ;) Just had to wait for the Youngest to get back as school was closed & they were travelling thru the mountains in the worst of the stom, great! Being a bus moniter he'd had to yell at the screaming & crying girls to sit down keep quiet & put seatbelts on, it was all he could do - poor driver, too!

Quite exciting watching the sea & listening to the roaring outside (once the boy had got home)

The spindrift was amazing.

We had a tricky moment taking a pole off that was flapping about on our screen/pergola. My imagination ran a little wild thinking of it flying off onto our heads but altho we could bearly stand up in the wind we were fine. The pergola wasn't ;( Compare the pic below with the one above in the snow.

A repair job using stronger wood & screws in the spring, I think. We built it so the kids didn't fall into the river, a sheer drop. Perhaps we'll stick to something shorter now the kids are older but I do enjoy the hight of clematis, rose & honeysuckle all in a heap, there.


The bird table fell, snapping the pole, the table bit was in my grandparents garden & has been replaced, bit by bit with found wood; we found the post, we'll find another one on the shore.

The Eucalyptus fared badly too, see the evergreen in the middle back above? Not surprising that the only non-native in the garden didn't make it, too many lovely leaves & it was as tall as the house - should have kept it shorter! I'll have to get my India Flint book out & dye with the leaves!

You can see the roots are right out so we'll root prune, take the lower trunk off & lop just above the branch fork on the top 2 & try & stick it back in....or is it a new planting opportunity?!

It got dark pretty early so I did a little filing of my photos, while the laptop had battery power, read thru a few mags to sort them into the get rid of bag, worked on the Christmas cards & watched the Youngest make a wax finger, didn't you love doing that as a child? Nice quiet evening round the fire, baltic anywhere else in the house!

Friday I got some painting supplies in while I could see in the studio - so cold in there! - but of course by the time it was dark the power had come back on, not bad only 28 hrs bearing in mind the damage we saw on the news. All I did was paint some scrim & fabric, lots more work to do & that was in the light!

Wonder what next week will bring?

No more arty crafty obligations this month! oh, & a giveaway!

Just did my last craft fair & got anothr 'reasonable weeks shop' worth of sales. It was shorter than last week, perfect weather (I saw 2 stars last night & hoped it wouldn't freeze!) but I've decided I'll get what I'm given, they're only small fairs & as long as I enjoy making the 'smalls' I'll continue. My stuff made more than it would have done in a darkened studio & it helps to get yourself seen.

 A few more christmas cards

I'll just have to learn to ignore the people who don't bother to even look at my table. I've learnt that it's not that they don't bother, they're just so distracted & all they really want is...coffee & cakes! If I had my time again I'd be a baker of fat free cake ;)

 I enjoyed trying out some hair clips, I'll keep working on these.

 But I'm quite excited about my new pendants, below.

.

They're both about a couple of inches long/wide. I sold a flower one today, delighted to sell something hot off the press.

I'll be working, of course but I feel I'm going to have a holiday from the pressures of making for a fair/exhibition/studio & I shall really just enjoy myself, making. I plan to finish off samples from the books I borrowed, make a few presents, play with experimenting, TIDY my appalling mess of a studio - it's beyond creative mess, go thru magazines I've had for too long (not my CPS & QA, I'll keep thoose!) & file at least a million photos on the computer. Then I'll start all over again in January, but having had a bit of breathing space, i'll look forward to it.

I realised that I had my 2nd anniversary of my blog mid week so if anyone would like a rectangular pendant, let me know by leaving a comment. It's the least I could do to say thank you for being here for me for another year.

Best of all this week I received a Christmas card, swapped with Sue  I'm sure I was allowed to open it even tho it arrived early, that way I can enjoy it for longer! We've both used last year's chopped up christmas cards, what thrifty people we are ;) Thanks Sue!

Hello to my new follower - you have no link on your profile page & I'd love to visit. If you comment I can visit thru that, thanks ;)