Dreamy dreamcatching...

I did want to get some more sewing done this week, but as Xmas is looming and I want to be prepared, and the call of beads was getting too great, I decided to get busy with some of my dreamcatchers... Over the years I've made them in all sizes; for car mirrors, wedding decoration/presents, window decs, anniversary pressies and  decorations... but this year I thought I'd expand my Christmas collection a bit. I've got a fair selection of charms that I've not used yet... so that's what I'm using...

Wiccan; sun with opal, goldstone and beads

General; heart, jade,coral and beads

Wiccan; pentacle, amethyst and beads

Xmas; flake, tourminated quartz

Xmas; deer, amber and beads

I've listed a few on my shop on Etsy, already packaged up, but I also make commissions using requested gemstones, colours and charms, whatever your needs, just email to chat about it- no obligation!

Sun, Sand and Cement

I've been meaning to make some stepping stones for my garden for a long time- just not got round to it due to other projects... but with hubby off for 2 weeks and nowhere to go I thought I'd use the time to do "my" projects and have a holiday too.

As a test run for the cement mix I did a sun and moon using molds from Ebay, but I think they won't be strong enough to handle foot traffic so I painted them up and decided to make a wall plaque for each. As I'm heavily into the Elements alot of my work is tied in to them, either just by colours or reference to the actual element, I thought it the perfect theme for the garden.

 

Acrylic paints cover cement beautifully, but I did paint a sizing layer of diluted PVA on first. Because I used a cement mix of 1 part cement; 2 parts fine sand and 1 part sharp sand, mixed with water and a splash of PVA to plasticize the mix, it settled into the mold nicely and I only had 2 air bubbles, despite some vigourous tapping to dispel any air!

The sun had some fine detail, the moon very little, and the celtic knots are shallow but with lots of detail. Even the knots came out well using that mix. These were also painted with acrylics. Once it's all together it will be waterproofed and sealed.

I laid out my pattern on a table to gauge placement and scale, then set up a trough using one of my silk-painting frames covered with thick plastic. This allows the concrete to be poured into a former that will be easy to remove and remain clean. I also used two straws to create holes at the top for fixing later- it would be impossible to guarantee drilling wouldn't damage the plaque or chip a section out.

I made up a stronger mix for the concrete; 1 part cement, 1 part fine sand, 1 part sharp sand and 1 part fine aggregate. I added PVA to this mix too. This was poured into the former, leveled with a trowel and the sun placed in the centre. With a little wiggling and pushing she settled in nicely and then there was the big rush to add the celtic knots and all the glass nuggets in their respective places. It set a little too quickly so I ended up gluing the tiny mirror tiles in some places. 

I think the overall effect worked out well enough, although I love precision and accuracy, sometimes it's nice to be rustic and natural, especially once it gets a bit weathered and mossy.

 

The coloured nuggets were sunk into the mix, but the clear were added later using an acrylic polymer medium. Once it was completely dry I used a Gedeo waterproofing liquid all over the plaque, and sealed with an acrylic gloss varnish.

This is the sun plaque finished, onto the moon soon... and then I will have the concrete mix perfected for the stepping stones. I'll be using the sun and moon molds again, but the glass will be sea glass that I've been collecting for the last few years.

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

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!

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....

Zentangles and Doodling...

Wow- I've been doodling for years, but never once realized there was a whole cult thing going on with them...zentangles, with courses and instructors...

Here's one of my favourite sets, I usually work in sets of three. I don't always use colour after, but these just begged to be played with....

Doodling is great when I'm struggling for inspiration, or putting off a bigger project. I must admit though, even my doodles have to have a certain amount of  organisation and tidyness, guess I'm a chronic control freak after all...


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