images of nature

Very few words, but a little bit of paradise on a grey and cloudy day out in the country.  A garden, home and nursery carved out of nature.

Delphiniums, of course!!! I couldn't get close enough to some of the other colours, to get a good photo.  Rats!! 

A surprise pond!

Crazy Daisy!  Don't you love the name?

I don't know if these are Heliopsis or Helianthus.......they confuse me!  Very tall and prolific with yellow daisy type flowers.  I made the mistake of planting some of these in a city garden once and believe me, it didn't take long for them to outgrow their space.  Good cut flowers though and the bees love them!!

Daylily triplets!  The pink are my favourites!

Every once and a while, you need a trip to the country, just to re-charge the batteries.  I feel refreshed!!

bjp 2012 - 1st 6 months

Not much to say, but I thought you might like to see the first six months of my numbered row houses.  Now all I need to do is figure out how to make them larger.  I think that they look pretty nice together, don't you?

I've been sun printing and painting fabric with textile paints this weekend.  No photos yet, but I'll try to take some to post later in the week.  I even painted one of my eye glass cleaner papers (wipes).  You know, those ones in the tidy little package that contain a large amount of acohol.  I purchased mine from Walmart!  BTW I rarely shop at Walmart, but my sister introduced me to these wipes and they're just the perfect thing for greasy glasses.  BTW, the paper took the paint very well and the paper is really very strong.  I may need to do more of this.  What I'm going to use it for, I have no idea, but it's nice to know that they have a second, useful purpose.

bjp 0612 - royal and rich

Purple is the colour of wealth and royalty!  It's also my older sister's favourite colour...so it does have a natural place in my work.  I've twinned the number six this time, with the copper 'ruler' bit from a set of charms gifted by said sister and a black one from an old work calculator that was well past it's prime!!  Silver, copper, light purples and violets were added for contrast.  The lovely art deco silver button is from my vintage collection.  The copper wire 'spring' was hand wrapped by me on a metal mandrel, that had been gifted to me in a beading class. No, I've never held glass to a flame to make beads, but I'm destined to do that one of these days.

I saw an article in the Cloth Paper Scissiors magazine a while back, that showed how to cover old buttons with paper to use in mixed media work.  Well, of course, I had to try it, but instead of using a solid piece of paper, I collaged several bits of Japanese paper I had in my stash.  I used matte acrylic medium for the collage, but modge podge would do as well.  BTW, if you're going to try this at home, remember that the buttons are not washable, so it's really not a good idea to use them on clothes!

The small white piece with the tangle of beads was sent to me all the way from Kaite in Australia!  She found it along the roadside, on one of her many, healthy walks around the neighbourhood!



The copper leaf has been in my stash for a while and the piece underneath it is another of the charms sent by my sister.  I decided to couch the piece on with floss, to add another level of texture.

Not the best photo, but I like the angle and feel that it gives the viewer a completely different perspective on the piece.  Call it my artsy photography attempt!!!

The finished piece!!!  Vintage & family button jar buttons (including the collaged one), hand wrapped copper spring, pearls, bugles, miscellaneous beads, vintage sequin, de-constructed jewelry parts, road 'kill' from Australia & gifted charms.  Stitches include stacked, back, flower, bocce/boucle, couching & a crazy kind of freeform netting.

Do you believe that I'm right on track with the project this year AND that I've completed six months of bead journals?  As usual, I have no idea what I'm going to do for next month, but I want you to know that I do have a couple of numbers up for consideration.  Ahh, you've guessed it!!!  It's the number seven......but I have three or four good ones, so I'll need to hold auditions in the next couple of weeks. Lights, camera, action!!!!!  Oh the suspense...........



update + mail x 2

"Into the Deep" is coming along nicely! The binder clips are helping to control the unruly canvas, so I'm getting a lot less fraying on the edges.  I seem to have veered off somewhere and the bottom edge is definitely not square.  I'm not going to worry about that, but will just be happy with whatever serendipity brings!!!

BTW, my friend Kaite in Australia has taken up the needle challenge and is now knitting squares with yarn bits. Hers will be made into squares and then eventually into a blanket. Isn't that a cool idea? I love projects that use up leftovers of any type!!!! Do you have any ideas?

A couple of close-ups!!! I think that I'll collage some of these together when I get enough and then print them off on either paper or fabric (or both). Wouldn't that be cool?

Remember my "Four Fabric Flower" swap on the Cloth Paper Studio, Yahoo group?  I just received these lovelies in return from (clockwise) Meri, Janene, Rachel (x 2 as she was the hostess and went overboard once she got going) and Barbara.  Thanks ladies!!  I'm not sure what I'll be doing with them, but rest assured they will show up somewhere in my work.  I'm playing with the idea of a fabric book and I think that Meri's lovely raw canvas beauty is a strong possibility for gracing the front of the book.  It won't be soon, but we'll see.............

Unexpected mail from Kaite in Australia.  Well she actually told me that she was sending something, but I didn't know that the little wooden birdhouse would be included.  Roadside pickings (from her walks) for my bead journals, a knitted flower to yarn bomb my balcony railing and a surprise package that I'm not allowed to open until July 23rd (I wonder why??).  Oh yes, missing from the photo are cards & brochures, plus a couple of numbers for future bead journals.  Of course, I couldn't let you see those yet, could I??  BTW, the wooden spools were from a recent yard sale purchase.  I thought it was a nice way to show off the little house.  Now I wonder what type of birds would live in a collaged house of stamps?



into the deep - betwixt and between

I always like to have an in-between, hand stitching project on the back burner, for those times when the muse is not being cooperative and I need to keep my hands busy.  This piece is my homage to the daily stitchings and scratchings of Judy Martin and Penny Berens.  I greatly admire the work of both artists and while, not committed to working on my piece daily, I'd like to think that I'll throw a few stitches on every time the mood strikes!

A long narrow piece ( approximately 6 inches wide by 4 1/2 feet long) that's gentle and very soothing.  I admit that the rolled up canvas is a little awkward, but I'm getting used to it.  Narrow strips of cotton batiks & commercial fabrics have been stitched into machine wrapped braid and then couched onto the artists canvas background, with two strands of embroidery floss.  The original machine wrapped braid technique was taught to me by Penny B. many, many years ago, so I thank her once again for her invaluable instructions.

Detail of the braid and stitching.

Mostly straight and tidy, but I do need a way to corral the canvas while I'm working on it.  Perhaps long safety pins!  Any other brilliant ideas?



The threads are clippings from other projects and mostly live in a big old jar!!!  Don't they make a nice background?

Now enough of this, it's time to start my June bead journal!!!

bjp 0512 - a little bit of sunshine

With the fabulous weather we've been having, I decided that my May bead journal should be painted with the colour of the sun.  May is for bountiful blooms, the promise of lazy summer days, sipping cool drinks and basking in golden rays!!  It also helps that I still had the yellow beads out from my earlier brooch making projects.  Why waste a perfectly good, messy work area?

My five was snatched from an old computer keyboard and then distressed with Baroque Art, Guilders Paste in German Silver (which really looks like an antique gold).  I'm sure that there are many suppliers, but I found mine at Bead Fx in Toronto. Like a true technique addict, I spotted the product on their website and decided that I needed some for my stash!  Now I have five or six colours and will probably, eventually, end up with the entire line.  It's waxy, like shoe polish, easy to apply and a little goes a long way!  It's meant for antiquing all sorts of things (including wood), so I'll be playing with it more in the future!  I wound sock yarn around the base of the key, to fill in the empty space, as it really wasn't suitable for bezelling with peyote (the wide key was on top of a fairly narrow base).  I love the look of the soft yarn against the black key and the hard beaded textures!

Did you spot the dragonfly?

Components in this section include buttons and a bronze buckle from the family button box, an old clasp and metal beads from a deconstructed necklace.  The star was a fairly recent purchase, but I thought it added to the effect! 

I used a smaller vintage button this time and to my surprise, it seems to be a horseshoe! I'm not exactly sure about the significance, but it has some sparkly bits, other carved sections at the top, down the centre and on both sides.  My eyes are not good enough to figure out what they are, but it's an interesting piece.  Perhaps it's telling me to buy a lottery ticket before the month is over!!!

The small shell button at the top is a fairly new purchase, but I think that it fits the theme quite well.  It reminds me of a wee window, sitting prettily at the top of the house.  I wonder who peeks out from behind that window?  Any thoughts?

The finished piece in all it's sunny glory!!!    The belt buckle reminds me of a garden gate and the dragonfly is flitting here and there, looking for the perfect place to land.  Do dragonflies land, or do they just flit about endlessly?  Perhaps I should have included some running water, to add to the ambiance!!  No, you say? It would be too hard to control, you say?  I say, never say never!!!  Water coming up in some future piece.....  I think.........or should I say I promise?

Odds and sods of beads, attached with back, stacked, wildflower and boucle/bocce stitches.  The cool little wildflower stitch can be found in Robin Atkins "Hearts to Hands Bead Embroidery" book. 

Now on to June.................

double swap

I've been swapping again on the Cloth Paper Studio, Yahoo Group (CPS).  A creative, sharing group with interesting swaps and just the right amount of chatter.  The focus is mixed media and they offer a varied range of interests (fabric, paper, beading, dollmaking, stamping, etc).  It suits my off-beat, eclectic nature, but don't let that stop you from joining.  There's something for everyone!

Four Fabric Flowers Swap - Original fantasy flower background, cotton batik, free motion quilted, heat distressed  organza (using a candle flame and not a heat gun). The flower centre is machine wrapped braid, coiled and then stitched by hand).  More details to follow:

Flower # 1 - this one is very calm and appealing!

Machine wrapped braid ------------tear three strips of narrow fabric (a little less than 1/2 inch). Tie them at the top and drop the feed dogs on your sewing machine. Twist the strips and place under the presser foot. Take a stitch and draw up the bottom thread. Set your machine to zigzag and then just stitch!!! I use one colour of rayon thread in the bottom and another colour on the top. Stitch backwards and forwards to get good thread coverage. When you get to the end, zigzag in place to finish the end. Without cutting the thread, zigzag backwards again until you return to the top and bump up against the knot. Zigzag in place again, then switch to straight stitch and take a few more stitches. Cut thread! I use a machine braiding foot for more control, but you can use any free motion embroidery or quilting foot. I haven't tried to do this with a darning foot, but have found that it works quite well with my large quilting foot. You'll need to experiment with the accessories that come with your machine. If you like the technique, then I suggest that you invest in a braiding foot. It's worth it!!

I started with the braid spiral, but thought that the flower was too plain, so I added a couple of layers of organza and then heat distressed. (Note: the melted organza is toxic, so protect your lungs by ONLY doing this in a well ventilated area with the proper ventilation mask (not a dust mask). Check out your local safety store and ask their advice!  I am not responsible for your lungs, you are!!!). I was a little happier, but thought that it still needed something, so I decided to add a quilted flower. The design was drawn on the dull side of freezer paper (FP), cut out and then ironed to the quilt sandwich (cotton batting sandwiched between two layers of cotton batik). I free motion (FM) stitched (dropped feed dogs) just outside the edges of the FP and then removed the paper. I then FM stitched the quilt design, cut just outside the stitched edge and assembled the flower with a tiny tacking stitch.

Flower #2 - this one is actually a yummy pink and orange, but you really don't see much of the pink in this photograph.

Flower # 3 - I originally thought the blue organza was too dark, but it grew on me! 

Flower # 4 - my sunny flower! 

The whole gang!  No particular flower in mind when I designed these, but for some reason they remind me of water lillies.  Am I crazy?

Lessons learned! 

• Check your stash before going to the fabric store.
• Don't buy the expensive organza in the drapery section.  It doesn't melt properly! Good for drapery sheers, but bad for mad fibre artists!
• Test before you stitch!

BTW, you need synthetic organza, not silk!  The flowers are approximately 4" wide.

****************************************************************

Playing By The Numbers Swap - torn masking tape background, acrylic paint, text on computer paper (torn,  FM stitched on watersoluble and then dissolved), collaged text, hand carved stamp, Stazon ink, straight stitching. 

The textured background was made by tearing small pieces of masking tape and attaching it to cardstock.  Painted with acrylic, left to dry and then rubbed with Stazon ink.  If I use this techniqe again, I'd probably use distress inks instead of the Stazon for a more muted effect.

Torn paper sandwiched between two layers of H20 Gone, watersoluble stabilizer.  FM stitched  and then dissolved in water.  Warning!  Not all printer inks are the same, some will wash away (dye based) but this technique works great with Epson DuraBrite pigment inks. I don't know about toner copies. 

The background for the stamp is just text, collaged onto cardstock and then painted with a watered down layer of gold acrylic.  The stamp was designed and then carved out of a dollar store eraser (the design needs to be transferred backwards) with Speedball Carving tools and stamped with Stazon ink.  The last time I carved a stamp was in high school!!!  Back then we used potatos and real lino flooring tiles.  From what I remember, the eraser was easier to carve, but the lino held the lines better.  The potato was just plain weird!! I think my stamping technique needs work!  The stamp kept slipping on the acrylic.  I should have attached it to some type of handle or block.

I was going for a graphic, grafitti or comic book type of look......did it work?

I decided to carry on the theme for the back.  I cut a styrofoam meat tray into ATC size (2 1/2" X 3 1/2"), used a pen and carved 7's backwards all around the edge.  I stamped with distress ink!  It's not a polished look, but interesting!  I will be doing more of this in the future.

Lessons learned:

• my stash items need to be better organized.  Where is that nice, thick block of carving material I purchased several years ago?
• practice makes perfect
• Stazon ink smells nice
• small stamps need a firm background to stabilize them
• acrylic paint is a slippery stamping surface
• a larger surface is better for fledgling carvers (the eraser was too small)
• I want to do more of this, but next time with the proper carving material and a combination of the Speedball tools and an Exacto knife,

I really enjoyed these swaps!  I hope that you did as well



swap results

I've been swapping again!!!  Isn't that naughty?  Instead of working on some serious art pieces, I've been playing with my internet friends.  Too bad, I say!!  Sometimes a girl just needs to have  fun!

My sunny cloth, is a lovely bead embroidered piece that I received from Dr. Amy over at the Cloth Paper Studio (CPS) Yahoo Group.  It was for their "Embellished Rock" swap!  No, we didn't swap rocks, but I do need to find a nice one  to wrap with this serene piece of sunshine.  Of course, it's particularly approprite for me, as I was born under the sun sign of Leo! Nothing serene about this cat though, but perhaps the piece will help to encourage a calmer outlook!

Now on to my paper swap!  Well, actually it appears to be a paper and fabric swap from Beth R. in South Africa.  Thanks again Beth, for an interesting array of items.  I'm not sure where they'll end up, but I assure you that they are a welcome addition to my stash!

The African fabrics are just lovely! I believe some, if not all of them are called Shweshwe fabric.  I'm sure that Beth (or my sparkly friend, Beth in Pretoria) will be able to tell us when she reads the post.

 

One of my favourite items is this ink and bleach piece that was made by one of Beth's students many years ago.  The writing on the back, indicates that it was made by Suiyen S., Gr. 9.  According to Beth, Suiyen is now married!!  It was apparently made by coating paper with ink (Quink ink, I believe) and then removing the ink with bleach (using a Q-tip or brush).  I'm not sure if we can get that type of ink over here, but I assure you that I will be looking for it.

I truly appreciate it when people send stamps!  I haven't done much with them lately, but the images on those little pieces of paper are amazing!

These paper swaps are fun and everyone is welcome.  Instructions for joining can be found at the Paper Swap blog.  It's the brainchild of LaWendula in Germany.

Thanks to both Beth and Dr. Amy for a couple of very successful swaps!

Stay tuned, because I have two more swaps in the wind!  I just mailed my "By The Numbers"  ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) and "Four Fabric Flowers" swaps.  I'll post after the swap hostesses have received them.

It's a statutory holiday up here in Canada, so I'm aiming for a very creative weekend. 

Happy arting everyone!

gifts from the garden

A few gifts from Marilyn and Rain's garden.  Above, a magnificient pink tree peony!  So elegant floating in my crystal bowl.

Next, a detail shot of a lovely white bleeding heart.

Elegant in a simple pottery vase!

A few sprigs of Lily of The Valley.......oh, so sweetly scented!!!!  It was my mother's favourite flower.  Okay she loved pink carnations as well, but who's telling?

The perfect flower for my Wedgewood vase. Don't you just love the simple black/white combination?  The vase was given to me by a friend for my 21st birthday.  Isn't it amazing that it's survived for oh so many years?

Please excuse the various dings in the medium grey backdrop.  I think it's time to go shopping!!!!

turn back the calendar to 2011

I'm late, I'm late.......for Kaite's 2011 birthday!!!!  Okay, I was over-the-top busy last year, so as a reward for her patience, I wanted to give her a little something special.  A side result from my renewed beading interest this year, are these little brooches (there's another in my previous post).  I expect that I will be making more of them as the year progresses.  Hey!!  Perhaps I'll even make one for myself!!  I wonder what colour that will be?  This one is lemony and quite delicious! 

Buttons from the family button box, a few sequins and miscellaneous beads.  Stacked, back and boucle/bocce stitches.  The stick in the background is an honest to goodness, chewed by a beaver, stick!!!  Picked up at Skookum Lake in Northern Ontario (close to Sault Ste Marie) a couple of years ago.

You might not know this, but I have a weird and wonderful facination with handmade books.  No, I've never taken a lesson, but I've purchased books to teach myself a few techniques.  Some, of course, are far beyond my fledgling capabilities, but this one was fairly easy and fun to do.  I found the instructions for it in Making Handmade Books by Alisa Golden.  I've played with a few of the one-sheet-of-paper folded type books and am happy with the results.  I hope to do more of this in the future!

Back to this book!  It's heavy watercolour paper (I forget the weight).  I cut and folded the book first and then proceeded to paint and embellish.  I made it a while ago, so actually forget exactly what I did.  However, I will tell you that it included acrylic ink & paint, watercolour pencils & crayons, regular pencil crayons, distress ink, pearls, gesso, acrylic matte medium.  I also pasted in some of my citra solve paper and a folded origami envelope, made out of that same paper.  I distressed the edges and then finished it off with some of my machine wrapped braid, a leaf and a few beads.  A little obsessive, but all-in-all a satisfying exercise.

The final result in all it's fresh green colour!!!