Book cover cloth

Finally pulled the camera out today and took some shots of the book cover cloth that I’ve been making lately. It’s been fun to see what the fabrics will do together. And to think of other things that could make a fabric.  Of course, it all looks so much better in person.  <g>

My love made the comment last night that it is getting harder and harder to tell the difference between what is food, what it art materials and what is garbage. I try my best to keep him straight.

One thing for sure

I’ve been thinking of you all a lot lately – just haven’t had a chance to post.

More blank journals are in process. I’ve been having fun developing the cover materials – odds and ends of fabrics that I’ve had around the house, some mudcloth, some sheers, playing with layers and what shows through or not, adding graphite for interest, ‘quilting’ the whole lot of it. I keep forgetting to take pictures – sorry!  Will need to get some posted soon.

The whole idea of making a ‘fabric’ is quite consuming right now. Even with the gourds in the way, begging to be finished. The thought of making new, reusing, recycling all the fun stuff around the house into new ‘cloth’ – I get a bit antsy to try it all out to see if it really will work. Will show some pics of the various ‘fabrics’ after a few more trials.

Some energies have been directed in other areas, too – volunteer interests are taking more time, unexpected health issues popped up in the family, last minute decisions to enter shows put me into scramble mode.

It all works out, though, in the end. Or at least I’m counting on that, since I’m not expecting to get to the end anytime soon.

The only thing I know for sure is that my bass playing is improving.

Reporting in

Hmmm, I seem to be making it to my blog about once a week.  Time sure does fly when you are having fun, or when you are busy, or when life is so dull and boring there is nothing to talk about… not!

I guess I should claim busy. (Fun has been a part of it, too.)

There have been the blank journals I’ve been making (thanks, Sue Bleiweiss, for your inspiration!), the plastic bags I’ve been melting, the family members visited who have been hospitalized recently (all well now, thanks), the knitting dilemmas I’ve been trying to un-dilemma,  the bass notes I’ve been finding, the classes I’ve been setting up, the trip to PNG that’s now scheduled, the finished work being shipped out for exhibit, the gourds that have crept into the studio demanding attention, the odds and ends around the house that always seem to call out when you have a ton of other things you would much rather do…

And of course, the hot tub that keeps calling me, regardless of the weather. Right now, there is a line of little rubber duckies sitting on the deck up to their bright beaks in snow. Which puts it at about two inches of accumulation. That’s about the most we’ve gotten at one time – I haven’t lost sight of the duckies, yet!

Back to the gourds – they are rather insistent!

Happy Hearts

I like snow days. When I can stay home and have time that I didn’t expect to have. And can play around with things with no particular deadline staring me in the face.

Actually, it doesn’t have to be a snow day if those other variables fall into place. I guess what I really like are unexpected periods of time that are free to fill as I please.

My list of things that I want to play with and try out is always growing, so it is really nice when I have a chance to cross some of those off. As I did these last couple days.
Like plastic bags – melting them and seeing how they adhere to paper and cloth.  And seeing how gut takes to ironing. And using cloth for book covers without using glue.

Some results were predictable and satisfying, some unexpected and a pleasure, some I know will never need to be tried again.

I also managed to do a couple small projects. One is a group challenge to take a portion of a picture and interpret it in some sort of fiber technique – the pieces will then be put back together to show the whole picture. My section of picture reminds me of a kimono so I  am paper folding and bookmaking to give it life. The mat board is still needed so I can’t mount it yet, but all the pieces are ready.

Another project is for a friend – as a surprise – so I can’t give away any details. It involved a minimum of sewing on my part and I was pleased with the result.

And late tonight a friend called to ask for directions for a flip book. She wanted to make one as a Valentine for her hubby. Which got me to working on one, too. Sort of funcky with hearts all over it…

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Blanket redo

For all that we did to Dan’s old t-shirt blanket, we should’ve just started from scratch and made a new one! The remake is finished and isn’t too bad.  A tad stiff at the moment, but I’m sure it will soften up with use.  A softer fusable interfacing for the shirts would have been better, but…

The holey areas got covered up today with a shimmery blue nylon sheer fabric and some stitch witchery. Didn’t need the shimmery part, but there wasn’t much in the selection of sheer fabric that wasn’t shimmery or somehow otherwise fancy. It does dress the whole piece up!

I was going to throw it in the washer to start the softening process, but Dan said “Enough!”  I think he wants to cuddle with it.  <g>