Bookmaking...part deux

You might remember the little squashy book I made for January's prompt, I posted a tutorial in the how-to's books section above. It was great fun and will be a little photo album pressie...

This month February's   prompt was posted for an accordian/ concertina book. I've just finished mine and will post the tutorial shortly in the book section, but I couldn't wait to post it now!

I'm doing a zodiac wall hanging, and with my memory being so appalling I get fed up of getting my books out to check on the signs/dates etc, so I decided to use this as a small reminder to help me out.

Here's how it turned out...

Finished book covers and ties

Symbols and names, shall be adding dates etc...

Poetry and art...

I read this on Facebook;

She is a wild one
Who turns her face to the wind.
Her eyes glow in the night...golden..
As if the Sun lived within her.
The aroma of the earth as it receives the falling rain
is her perfume.
She laughs--Oh! How she laughs
in the presence of turmoil and bluster!
For deep in her soul...
There is a summers day. 

It was written by an arting friend Jerene B Dunn and since reading it I've had an image going round in my head... to the point where I had to sit and play quickly in Photoshop to get something down on virtual paper. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but the colours and layout are right... will work on a painted version sometime soon, then I will get the feeling right.

Here she is...

Digital compilation of a number of pieces of my artwork, played with in layers on CS5

Machbox revival...

I know with smoking numbers being reduced, call for matches must be dropping in numbers too, but at Milliande's we keep finding a reason to find a box, or make one. Last month was Botanical- where I did my pop-up crystal tree. This month we're going for Rituals... simple ones, like getting ready to meditate, having a special soak in the bath, or setting up for some arting... we often find patterns in our behaviour if we stop and take notice...

Here are my matchboxes for the  swap..

Creating art, setting up and getting laid out... need to add paint tubes though. As a matter of scale- the pencils are 1/2 cocktail sticks.

Learning to fly... Meditating, not something I'm very good at, but I like to try! I've got to add tiny candle, incense and music.

Relax... My ritual of a good soak, candles,lavendar,bath salts,wine, strawberries...lovely!

Why not pop over and join the fun? Use up those boxes lurking in the drawers...

Wordle doodle

Oh I love this.... Anybody else seen Wordle? You choose your words, it lays them out... fun, fun, fun!!!
Wordle ...might be doing this for a while!!

These are words generated from my blog.. I could use one of my degree essays next... hmm...

Challenge- another prompt completed...

I've decided it's better for me, as I don't keep up with Book of Days prompts on a weekly basis, if I just complete prompts as my muse dictates... and thinking on from Acceptance comes the Challenge to face things that are holding me back... so here are my top 3 challenges- for the moment at least... probably the same as many others, but no less difficult for knowing that, sadly.

I played with gesso, gel medium, acrylic paints, colour cards, doileys, embossing, pastels, gel and technical pens.

February.. the month of hearts...

This is my February heart for the Heart Journal project in my previous post. This month the featured material was air-dry clay- something I have plenty of... already rolled, stamped and some painted for just such a project.

It's all in the heart...

I forgot to post this earlier, slap my wrist, it is my January piece for a Heart Journal Project hosted on Thealie and Lilibulle's blogsite. Each month they choose a material/ technique to decorate a heart page, culminating in a 14 page book of hearts. Who could resist?

The first was masking tape... here's how mine turned out...

I used; masking tape, acrylic paints,gesso, paper flowers,glass nuggets, beads and wire on a mountboard base. These will all be @ 20 x 20cm.

Acceptance..of most things really, but mainly my art

Continuing in my Book Of Days with Effy at  wildprecious.com   I caught up with another spread today. One of the prompts was "Accepting", and I decided to work along the lines of accepting my art for what it is, and isn't, and learning to fly with my wings, not others... here's how it turned out

I haven't done any gel transfers in a while so thought I would use them for the text. There's alot of texture gel in here, both in the transfers and as deep texture as several birds, bird cages and shapes... The birds were a treat from my  arty friend in Bristol- she knows who she is!! I'm not sure it's exactly how I wanted it.. but as it's all about accepting- I guess I'll have to!

Equinox dolls

Having finished the dolls for the Equinox swap on Milliande's , I finished my own equinox doll last night.. both sides, so she's now hanging up pride of place over the tv. Here's how she looks... I even managed to find some relevant little charms hidden in one of my bead boxes- I love not having to buy stuff for projects!!

 Remember those fimo faces I sculpted and then cast for a beading project? They're in the craft tutorial section if not... well, I decided they weren't what I wanted for that project and set them aside for later use. Perfect for this project, the resin plaster takes acrylic paints really well.

I'm going to make a Summer/ Winter doll to match, but I shan't start her until nearer the time... I need to gather my materials up first... can't wait though, these 3 were so much fun after 40 years since the last one, my how time flies...

Totem Animals spread

I've had Louise's scrummy journal a while now, trying to gather the courage to get going in it... finally I did. I knew how I wanted it to look, and it's always a challenge so I tend to do anything but... and now I've done all my swaps for the month...

here it is...

Journey with my animal totem

I used acrylic paints, gesso,photos of mine, white gel pens and black technical pens. The cat doodle is embossed from a linocut and over-inked to highlight, gold/silver and bronze on black. Hope Louise likes it....

Flip section with cat doodle

Embossed and inked print/ linocut

Too old for dollies?

One has to ask that question occaisionally, and I'm not sure of the answer anymore! Regarding playing - maybe, but a return to creating them after 30+ years... well, maybe I'm not too old for that.

Lois is hosting an Equinox doll swap ready for the Vernal equinox on march 22nd. I couldn't resist... it has been so many years since I created a doll of any kind, and not having an interest in them generally I never felt the need. But to have a handmade doll celebrating the equinoxes seemed like a fun and relevant thing to do. In fact I'm going to do the Summer/ Winter solstice doll too to create  a matching pair.

I had a quick look online for inspiration, and set about re-honing my ability for pattern making. I rough sketch first and then work out the details like positioning,tucks etc. Although these are very simple flat  dolls, I am also going to make a doll with arms and legs while I have all the materials to hand- I'll be keeping this one as half of my celebration pair.

Here are the finished flat dolls... ready to be posted off... and a half finished proper doll ready to be embellished. I'll post pics of it when it's done, but in the meantime I'll be putting the tutorial over in the how-to's textiles section.

Goddess pattern, spring side

Goddess pattern, autumn side

Leggy doll ready to embellish

Seed Journaling again...

What with all the yucky weather and ice outside I decided Sunday was a day for catching up in my seed journal. I hadn't been working in any particular order, but I had drawn and inked out my sketch for "Vessel" last week so that needed finishing. I'm staying with the same materials for the time being- a novelty for me, who's usually flitting between projects to vary my addiction, so again I'm using acrylic inks and technical pens. I'm also staying with a limited palette to emphasise the theme of seeds/ nature, although I may use one new colour in each spread.

This is "Vessel" completed...

I also chose to do the "S" words prompt

I spent some time thinking about seeds, growth, how it all relates to my life and made a list of appropriate words. I wanted to work in a precise way rather than just plop words over the page, so I began with a central seed, and created radials  to separate the words. After that it was all impromptu, choose a word and find a relevant visual symbol to accent it...

I used the same materials and colours as before, but with alot more emphasis on contrasts and shapes rather than natural shading...

Four more spreads and I'm up to date... yay!

Under the sea....

Following on from my red textiles collage, which was created as a base for further projects, I used a similar technique for another postcard swap, at stitchin fingers.  

The theme for February is "Under the Sea" and there are some beautiful postcards being posted, and while I'm a competant chain stitcher, my imagination doesn't stretch to a decent rendition full of wonderful stitches and  sealife. So I did what I'm comfy with... got the machine out again...

This is the base complete- there's alsorts in there, curtains, organza, medical gauze, bra lace,felt, angelina, mulberry bark.... and as usual I made the piece alot larger than I needed, so there's plenty left for new projects later.

But this is what it was for in the end.... The fishies and starfish were extra goodies from a friend, I'm glad I found a use for them, I don't do fishy things much and I'd hate that they sat in my box of bits without hope of life. (Hope you like what I've done them them, Mary!)

 So these will be swimming their way to the States shortly... hope they arrive safely.

Release... another prompt

I was really on a roll yesterday, I caught up with 2 prompts.... My word for the year BELIEVE, and the prompt RELEASE- what would I like to discard this year... I could go on about how I fluctuate between manic depression and mild hysteria, but it's not what I like to post about- everyone has their own demons... but I know that I really would like to make this year lighter and brighter, especially after my health scares over the last year.

They always say it takes a life-threatening experience to find God, well I guess it's true- only I'm not a God person in the slightest- I believe in what I can see- trees, birds,earth, moon ... so I promised myself I would actually begin to research deeper this year, and stop prevaricating. I'm on my spiritual journey at last...

And so... instead of a dark, broody, scary spread full of fear, self-loathing and dark, dark dreams I went for the complete opposite! Why should I dwell where I don't want to be? I choose to remind myself of the brighter possibilities and lighter way. Light is in everyone, it's just a case of finding it- we all have the potential to fulfill our dreams, we have to believe it, and release the negativity... off soap-box now!

I'm not sure it's finished yet- I feel some doodling calling, but in the main she's ready. Believe in the impossible to make it possible!

Sorry guys, not sure why, but it's bugging me more and more- perfectly focused pics are showing fuzzy here lately, not crisp at all... not sure if Blog put them though a filter like Flickr were? Not sure what I can do to remedy that... they're crystal clear on my pc....
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BELIEVE...oh I do! I do!!

I'm on a roll, it feels good! I just finished another spread (having done the background yesterday). One of our prompts for the Book of Days  was choose a word to signify your year, or at least the current situation. I struggle with typical artist/Cancerian insecurities, and whenever I get brave and feel better I'm usually self-destructive. Sad I know, I do try to be positive but you know how it goes... up and down, round and round...

So... as a mantra, affirmation, reminder, whatever... I choose BELIEVE as my word for the year. If repeating it over and over, and arting it in my books doesn't do it, well, then there's no hope for me- shoot me now! But I'll be having fun in the meantime...

mixed media, acrylic paints, pastels, picutres, embossed papers, gel medium, gesso, stamps/ stencils, sharpies and technical pens

Moments....

I sat down yesterday with the full intention of completing a few spreads for my Book of Days running over at effywild.com

With lots of projects on the go I try to allocate a certain amount of time to specific (largish) projects, while sneaking in plenty of impromptu little gems... and yesterday was no exception. I'd settled onto my sofa with trays and boxes of materials and goodies alongside... I'd done a couple of backgrounds and was just thinking I'd overdone my red/ white and blue spread- patriotic colours do nothing for me so I was just going to add plenty of turquoise... when the postie delivered my mail. 

Along with the usual junkmail were 2 parcels, one with the cutest little glass vials for sand, gems, oils or other tiny keepsake that I'd ordered to complete my wand and accessories. The other was unexpected "Happy mail" from Pippa in Somerset. Lots of lovely little arty treats, which instantly resolved my colour issues... and gave me a focus for the spread... moments; special moments, moments in time, living for the moment and living in the moment.... something I'm endeavouring to do this year.

So here is the finished piece...

Valentine's Day is on it's way...

Woohoo! I spent yesterday on my machine creating a piece of textile collage in reds... an eclectic collection of threads, organza, angelina, fabrics, sequin waste and mulberry bark dyed with silk paints. I had a number of postcards, ATC's and artpins to create so I thought I'd do them altogether.

Once I have got to a certain point I have to let Zac inspect it for interest and usability. Usually he'll just sit straight on it, indicating it's finished and now his! But not this time....

With further materials gathered, I stole it back and escaped to the comfort of my sofa to cut, print,  embellish and complete, with a few extra for later on...

 The postcards are for the Birthday Club that I host on Milliande's, and the ATC's are for the Birthday ATC  on Stitching Fingers

These hearts are for the February Artpin swap at Milliande's. The partners haven't been posted yet so I don't know where these will be going....

BOS adventure continues....

It's been a lovely couple of days... sitting with piles of paper, beads,gel and ribbon up to my elbows around me, I'm totally- literally- immersed in my bookmaking!

Having finished the cover, which I decided to make rather than a whole book, simply because I know I'll fill these up quickly and I'd like to keep the same cover for a while.. (maybe a new one each year as work continues) rather than spend all this time creating it and needing a new one in a few months! 

So yesterday I worked on the section headers, the front page and dedication pages etc.

 I also managed to get some better pics in daylight....

 

 I'm happy with the outside now...so onto the insides...

  The front pocket and endpage. I saved lots of birch bark over the last few years  and loved including it in the book. I also used the soft lino cut I did a few days back to make an embossing for the centre.

 

 The first few pages are inked and are for my dedication, goals, index etc....

 In my many hours of searching and learning I came across some rather nice backgrounds, which I'm sorry to say I can't refind to add a link (thankfully I'd saved the PDF's as I found them) . Being me I didn't want to use them as unchanged pages, I always add my own work, so I collaged them with some lovely textured heavy papers.

This is how they are all laid out. I inked and stamped the titles the same as the front pages. The main area will be for detailed indexes...

Now I need to get all my notes together and start to add them in... and begin the long journey...

Can't wait, but am kinda nervous too!! Having spent so long making it just right, I don't want to mess it up... and I'd better dedicate it first.... Oh, just thought, I need to add a feather in there somewhere... a work in progress indeed!!

Materials used;

Felt, leather, ribbons, angelina, brass beads, silver beads, semi-precious crystals, cord, wool, bone,bark, vinyl, plastic, papers, cards, inks, stamps, book pages, wire and probably a few things I've forgotten!

New Year, new plan...

It's taken a bit of planning and time but yesterday I spent a day with my sewing machine... it's been a while. I promised myself  that this year I would do what I've been thinking about for a long long time... and actually start living by what I believe, rather than just float on through in a vacuum.

So having performed my first blessing for Brighid, and a little self contemplation, I got my stash of bits I'd been collecting for my new BOS and began making it. 

Here it is finished, well the outside anyway, I've got more ideas for the inside.

Now the fun of making entries and filling it up....