Landscape, Lace, and Long Ago

When I'm not working, I'm generally found in my studio...working!  Lately I've been obsessed with fiber.  My fiber guild decided to show some of our work at Saline library next week, so I've been up to my ears in fiber, fabric, and thread!  Here's a couple of examples of what I've been working on step by step......

Landscape

Did you notice the onion bag I incorporated?

Lace

Long Ago

This piece you might remember, was for the Paris Challenge.  I called it "Paris 1940's"

I Finally Learned to Felt!

Since discovering the 212 Arts  Center, I have been soaking in the camaraderie of fellow artists and some amazing classes.  I have finally taken a felting class after falling more and more in love with the material.  What fun!  I have definitely found a new passion! We cut out shapes from sheets of felt (NOT the cheap crafty felt you find in the craft section) and arranged them on a backing piece.  We pinned the shapes in place then wetted our designs with a mixture of water and Murphy's Oil Soap.  After gently rubbing them in circular motions with a wadded up plastic bag as they were sandwiched between bubble wrap and rug backing material, we removed the pins.  Then we then rolled and unrolled them providing different types of agitation.  Finally, if we wanted extra texture (which I did) we dropped/tossed them over and over onto the table surface.  To finish, we rinsed them in cool water to remove the soap and we blotted them dry.

Here are a couple of photos of the two pieces I finished today...

New Year, New You...

I am excited about the prospect of new beginnings, trying new things, and freshening up my living areas.  Normally I don't make New Year's Resolutions, because they seem to peter out before the month of January ends.  This year I started some resolutions before January 1st!  Sounds weird?  Maybe, but I found that I focus on what is important to me, rather than what I think I "should" focus on.  There are two things that I began; one well before December and one in December.


I finally prioritized my artwork!  December was a great jumping off point for this, as I prefer to give handmade gifts rather than something purchased at an overcrowded store.  The time I spent creating each gift fulfilled my need to create and gave me some beautiful quiet time during the busy holiday season.  I still don't understand how I let housework, laundry, and the never-ending to do lists take precedence over my art.  Here are some of the pieces I created for Christmas gifts:

These Short story bracelets are made from recycled materials like dog food bags.

The containers to give the bracelets were made out of toilet paper holders and sprayed with Glimmer Mist and stitched closed.

Homemade tomato juice and dilly beans for my dad, complete with 50's/60's retro labels.

Potted Amaryllis and PaperWhite Narcissus for the neighbors.

Potted bulbs wrapped and ready to go.

Now I find it easy to spend five, fifteen, thirty minutes or more to work on a project or at least one step of a project in my daily life.  This has brought great peace and joy to my life.  I will not let go of it!  The laundry and housework will always be there....waiting!

The project that I started far before December was something that I struggled with for a very long time....my weight and my health.  I prayed for years, asking God to remove this burden from me.  I did not want my fat to be the cross I had to bear!  I recently realized that He answered my prayer in an unexpected way.  I got a job at Curves in Dundee this last April.  At the time, the company was promoting a new weight management program to it's employees before releasing it to it's members.  I had no choice, or time to prepare.  I was an employee and had to get on the program.

62 pounds later, I am grateful to God for answering my pleas.  I still have 38 pounds to go to reach my ultimate goal, but this program is a lifestyle.  There is nothing to count, measure, or journal.  I do not have to focus on food each day, the way I did on other programs.  I shop at my local grocery store and I don't ever have to eat processed, packaged food.  I have already been keeping off the 62 pounds now for several months.  I maintained my weight through the holidays, not even trying to lose, so that I could enjoy select treats.  I did not gain!  Here are my before and after pictures...so far!

Pysanky Season

Since Easter is late in April this year and I have only one class to teach so far, I have only just gotten out my Pysanky and supplies.  I took advantage of the fruit tree pruning I've been doing and brought in three budded branches that I secured together and placed in a vase along with water and some beach glass-looking stones for weight.  I had to learn to do this the hard way; last year I broke one of Shelby's first eggs when the top heavy "tree" fell over.  Then I covered all the branches with eggs the girls and I have made over the years and several eggs I have collected as well.  In a week or so all the buds on my branches will bloom a pretty peach-pink; since I used peach tree prunings!

 These are more of the eggs we've made over the years with the exception of the eggs in the left carton which are from Romania and made by monks.  I bought a whole dozen on my last visit to Romania.

I heard about the Relay for Life that my local Curves chapter is supporting.  They are accepting donations for a silent auction.  I decided to put together a little Pysanky kit which includes: one of the Romanian eggs, a porcelain egg holder, one medium kistka, a block of beeswax, 9 different colors of dyes, 2 egg lifters, a box of Polish matches, a sheet of instructions and design ideas, and a basket.  Here it is...

Here is a little note of interest; in all the different countries that create these beautiful Easter eggs, like Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Hungary, and the Czek Republic, each of the design elements and each color have special meanings.  So although an egg might be pretty to look at, there may be great significance attached to the egg by it's maker!

Sold!

I am so excited!  I sold my first piece of artwork!  In fact, it was my first collage called "Proverbs".  One of the gals at the bank where some of my work is currently displayed fell in love with it and bought it.  (Basha, if you are reading this, take heart.  I have not forsaken your request!) 

I still have not made that giant leap into Etsy yet.  I need to be able to nail down how to figure postage costs.  I will have to commit to get this completed this week.  If the weather turns, I KNOW where my priorities will be...outside!

Finished and framed

Before framing and a bit of a yellow hue.  My lighting must have been off.

Right detail of "Proverbs"

Left detail of "Proverbs"

Garden Journal

I generally keep a garden journal that I start each spring and continue through the seasons. It always seems to evolve, however, into a wildlife sighting pad, diet and exercise register, and prayer journal as well! It doesn't matter, I use it frequently to document successes in the garden, and the dates different birds return home for the spring. I can't seem to throw these little buggers out when they are full! Some of my favorite Bible verses and bird sketches are within the bent and well worn pages. In a way, they are like scrapbooks that were quietly finished and sit unnoticed in a drawer. Here is one of my favorites from 2006...                                                                                                                          

Layer: Illustration Friday Theme for this Week

What great timing to have this word as a theme for Illustration Fridays' website this week.  After all, the collages I am currently absorbed in are all about layers.  I chose this one that I named "Orange Marmalade" particularly because of the rows of layers nested horizontally down the page.  I love the different textures of the scraps of fabric, bits of paper, and the found objects; like the recycled metallic layer from a bag of oranges.  One word for all this...Yummy!

If you'd like to see other examples from this series go here.

A Passion for Recycling and Collage

Here is my next series of postcard-sized collages.  I even incorporated the metallic foil from the bag that my oranges came in!  Most of the sewing in this series was done before the piece was cut into smaller sections.  In fact, if you follow this blog, you might recognize the several "Winter Frost" themed pieces from a previously posted piece from Illustration Friday here.  I loved the color and texture of the piece, but it had a bit too much of a "scrapbook page" look.  So I incorporated it into my newest collage and separated it into some very interesting pieces.

The following images are the finished pieces with all the stamping and embellishing added.  At this point, I added mats and frames.  Half of this collection is currently hanging in the lobby of my local bank.  I plan to push this technique a bit farther this week.  I will be making some tote bags for my Children's Church Teachers in appreciation for the time they volunteer educating the kids at our church.  I will be using recycled dog food and bird seed bags as a base and fusing an interesting collage on the side panels.  I'll keep you posted.

This is from the previous Illustration Friday projects here

Valentine Collages

I read about this technique to use up scraps of paper and cloth and bits of recycled ephemera.  I decided to jump in head first to really get my hands dirty in this fascinating genre called mixed media collage.  Wow!  I think I've opened a sort of Pandora's Box!  I am completely addicted.  In fact, just two days after finishing my "Valentines", I started a whole new series with even more recycled materials and I love it!  In fact, I've framed 7 of them and my local bank hung them in their lobby.  I believe it is time to enter the world of Etsy.

This is where I started cutting my large sheet into postcard sized collages

A close up of one of the postcards before I added embellishments

Let the sewing, stamping, and embellishing begin!

All ready to iron on the backing fabric

Examples of the finished Valentine postcards