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Altered Book Round Robin

2011-11-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

The theme for this book is Show Your True Colours. I began with the floral fabric and used hot fix crystals for embellishment. I used thin black satin ribbon on the top and side borders and a sequin border on the right. The images were stamped and embossed and then painted with Perfect Pearls. Various threads and beads were also added. Click on the photo for more detail.

Altered Book Round Robin

2011-11-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

A group of us are involved in a round robin altered book exchange. The first book arrived and its theme was opposites. I chose to illustrate it with a city/country page. The city page had a napkin adhered as the background. I then added a foiled piece of bookboard for the skyscraper and used holographic squares and a mirror for the windows. The roofline was composed of 3 silver sequins.

Just as someday I will be an accomplished calligrapher I will also be an accomplished draw-er. Until that time I am always happy with a needle in hand so I chose canvas and threads to portray a rural scene.

Tyvek Book

2011-11-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Tyvek is an interesting manmade material which accepts paint and gesso beautifully. In another recent workshop we painted, splashed and slopped on both tyvek as well as Arches Textwove paper to our heart's content. Afterward we cut and assembled the Arches Textwove into 3 signatures and inserted them into the cut and folded tyvek cover.

Although I only used 2 colours of paint + black + gesso it never ceases to amaze me the variations that are achieved.

Some day I will be an accomplished calligrapher but in the meantime it doesn't really get much better than this. The busy-ness on the left page seemed to need the quietness on the right page.

Tinfoil Book

2011-11-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild offered a one day workshop and in about 2 hours we completed this tiny book. It was made with raised letters beneath some heavy duty tinfoil and then texture was added with a stylus, after which it was painted so that the paint settled into the depressions. We rubbed off most of the paint and then added some alcohol inks on the surface.

Sandra Spagnuolo's Class

2011-08-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

Earlier this spring I took an art class with Sandra Spagnuolo. We collaged and played with Golden Paints, Gels and Mediums. I created a couple of canvasses and then borrowed Princess Bubbles' idea and created another book.

While I was visiting my sister she loaned me one of her books and I think the single thing I took away from that book was a long overdue nudge. I am one of these people who buy supplies and then find it hard to use them. What if I can't replace them? Maybe it will look better in another project? Of course the result is a growing collection of "stuff". Beautiful as it may be nobody else will ever see it if I don't use it. The point the author was making is that there is always more beautiful stuff to be found.

That really found a receptive place in my spirit so when I created this book I used some of my coloured, dessicated leaves, glitter, fabrics like ultrasuede and quilting cottons, and the boldest move of all was the use of some of my treasured beads. I used a couple of flower beads with Swarovski crystal centres as well as some others that I did not have in great supply. I only had 6 of these beads but after using them I came across more of these beads and in several other colours. Naturally I bought them!

My canvasses were not the same as hers so my 8.5"x11" papers did not fit perfectly. When I went to buy more paper I bought some letter sized paper but it did not come in the colours I wanted so I decided that there was no reason that all the papers had to be the same size.

Double click on the images for a more detailed view of the beads, glitter, etc. I will add some photos of the interior when I've had a chance to finish them up.

2011-08-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

My sister, Princess Bubbles Creates, made herself a rather unusual book:

She painted a couple of canvasses and then bound them together with paper into a book. It obviously impressed more than just me because it ended up being published in the gallery of a book by Sue Bleweiss.

I liked her theme and the ephemera complimented it quite nicely.

2011-07-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

A few more beads finished off this summer journal. I used a silk cocoon for one of the flowers and used a whipped spider stitch for the calyx. Double click on the photo for a close up.

Fabric journal

2011-07-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Whilst waiting for inspiration to strike she began working on another journal. Her beloved husband of many years spied fabric he did think she would like and insisted she buy it. Not wanting to disabuse him of adding further to her stash she did oblige him. In fact, since there were coordinating fabrics she bought 2 and began to fashion them into another journal.

Woe betide her though. Whilst making it she did encounter myriad problems with her sewing machine that predated even her and must have been from the monolithic era. Was it the top tension that did cause all this jamming of thread on the underside? Nay. Was it the fact that the spool thread was wound around the pin and kept breaking? Hmm, that might indeed have been a factor but it was not solely responsible. She fumbled on. Might it be the bobbin tension? Ah, I will tighten it. Nay, that bore no fruit either. Then how about loosening the tension? Perhaps that was the problem? Well no matter whether she tightened or loosened the thread streamed off the bobbin like lemmings running to the sea. The screw must be stripped she surmised and went to replace the part.

You can only imagine her disgust when arriving home and installing the part she found it did not resolve the problem. Not wanting to concede defeat she persevered and chose a different method for putting the book together and arrived at a satisfactory result.

The journal had a summery light feeling and so she embellished it with beads and silk ribbon and heat-set crystals. She selected colourful papers for the signatures and then used some scrumptious machine embroidered paper from Paper Ya on Granville Island to make pockets. Then using an ultra cool technique for adhering napkins and kleenex to paper she added some of those with varying degrees of success. For while it didn't crinkle up as when using gel medium it did have a few other minor probems.
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hpqpeljWd4) Then she did spy some perfect washi tapes on Etsy and ordered those. The polka dots, tiny ginghams and lace patterns would be perfect details for the book. Alas she will have to wait for the arrival of those. In the meantime she will add further beads to the spine of the book.

2011-06-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

Not really having a fully thought out design in mind she adhered china pieces to the cover. Then, thinking that it was a little lacking in texture, added some lace thusly:

Not liking it at all she began to experiment. She added some painted tendrils and being displeased, discarded that idea. She tried one thing and then another but lo, the cover grew uglier and uglier. "Well," she pondered, "I must leave it then and when the time is right I know that the perfect solution will present itself."

But there was then nothing to post on her blog. She knew she was disappointing her eager readers and so her heart was heavy.

Selecting papers for the signatures met with greater success for The Paper Place in Toronto stocked such goregous handmade Japanese papers that she availed herself of many of them. She selected colours that were on the china mug and varied the values to add greater interest. She knew with the Coptic binding that she planned to use that the lovely papers could be viewed from many sides so ordered papers with wanton abandon. She selected laces, tissues, chiyogamis, inclusions, momis, metallics and more. Here then are some of her choices:

And so progress was made, if only in small degrees.

2011-06-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was a lovely bone china tea cup sitting on a shelf just waiting to be purchased. A mother and daughter happened along and the mother commented favourably upon the cup but passed it by.

Later her very sweet daughter, sensing how much her mother admired this cup and deciding that the cup needed a new home, purchased it and gifted it to her most appreciative mother. The cup lived a long and satisfied life but eventually it went the way that most fragile things do - it broke into many pieces rather like Humpty Dumpty.

Now the mother had grown fond of this tea cup and was loathe to toss it into the trash thinking that there must be a way to prolong its shattered life somehow. Before very long she chanced upon an idea, "I know," she declared, "I will make it into a book and thus preserve its memory." And so she began her task.

Hand Bound Journals

2011-03-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

I have read to my children and now my grandchildren since they were babes in arms. One author we have particularly enjoyed is Virginia Lee Burton. She wrote for her sons and some of you may be familiar with Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Katy and the Big Snow, and one of my favourites, The Little House. I think one of the reasons that I like it so much is that it is, in some ways, a portrayal of the life our family has led here on the farm. Our children swam in the irrigation canals, tagged along at harvest and played endlessly around the farm. They were fortunate enough to be home schooled and so had the advantage of "helping" their dads as they filled grain cars at the local grain elevator. Those old wooden elevators are now a part of history and I am pleased that our children will have vivid remembrances of them. The most striking similarity to The Little House is that 3/5 of our children have now grown up and the lights of the city are brighter and closer. We are only 4 mi. from the city limits and when the new Stoney Trail was opened 16 months ago we also noticed that "the lights of the city were bright and very close and the street lights shone all night." *The Little House wasn't sure she liked this and I guess those same thoughts go through my head.

I am witnessing the incessant consumption of irreplaceable farmlands by the city of Calgary and it is alarming. Once paved over and smothered with houses this land will never again grow bounteous crops. My husband's grandfather arrived in this area in 1887 and began farming then so I feel a particular connection to the land and observe this loss with concern. I am translating this concern into an art project which will be called Number One Soil. It will eventually be a cityscape of hand bound journals which will surround a fragile farm.

I have completed the first journal in this series. I went to downtown Calgary armed with my camera to take photos of some of the buildings to use as inspiration. Here is one that provided some stimulation:

I used some Golden Coarse Pumice Gel to simulate the building and added mirrors of various sizes for the windows. I varied the texture on my building for more interest and used pale blue parchment paper for the signatures. Because I like journals to lie flat for ease of writing I use Coptic Stitch exclusively.

* The Little House by Virginia lee Burton, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 2002, pg. 86

Bookbinding

2011-02-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

I recently sold my first (!!) journal. It was the perfect sale. The buyer sought me out, didn't dicker over the price ($150.00), insisted on paying cash and came to retrieve it. I reasoned if one sold others might too so began making some similar covers. I used numerous Golden products (glass bead gel, mica gel etc.) to vary the textures. I also added some slivers of mica as well as some beads. Double click for a closer view.

I foolishly neglected to wrap them in their usual waxed paper covering before I weighted and pressed them. Thus when I removed the weights I now had 3 pieces firmly welded together. The two bottom pieces were originally going to be back covers. Hmm, what to do? If I tried to pry them apart I knew that would result in a horrible mess. My usual journal size accommodates folded 8 1/2" x 11" paper but looking at my 3 covers that were now one I decided that there was no reason that it couldn't be a larger journal and so began the hunt for 11" x 17" papers that would grace the interior.

Finding paper for the signatures was not difficult but I was looking for some special papers with which to wrap the signatures that would add a touch of elegance and/or texture. I found these: flocked floral paper, braille, vellums, Japanese lace papers as well as a few others.

I will probably bead the spine in coordinating beads before I call this one complete.

Art Journal

2011-01-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

Strathmore Artist Papers is offering a free Visual Journal Online Workshop Series. Go here to check it out: http://www.strathmoreartist.com/vjworkshop2011.html

Today the first lesson was posted. The challenge is to recycle and collage. I bought a Strathmore's Windpower Watercolour 140 lb.cold pressed paper on which to work. It should support painting and collaging. I went through my stash and found suitable colours and subject matter. I used a watercolour wash for the base and then collaged paper, paint chips, and photos from a magazine. A tiny rhinestone highlights New Direction, both the title of the piece and the goal I plan to take this year. I restrained myself by using minimal texture this time. Double click to see the beads used - bugle, seed, matte, etc).

What I learned: use waxed paper beneath the first page so the rest of the journal is protected. Next time I will apply a border of lift-off masking tape around the perimeter before I begin. I think it will make for a more attractive presentation afterward. The flowers become the focal point when I view this photo. The text could have been highlighted more effectively so it would clearly be the focus. Matte Gel Medium made taking a photograph of it easier since there is no glare produced and finally an adhesive that really keeps all those beads in place is Ranger's Glossy Accents.

Art Journal

2010-12-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

This art journal is now complete. To fashion the covers I used various Golden Products to produce the different textures. I also added some pearl mica powder to the medium. I had some broken mica bits so sprinkled them onto the cover in a line of sorts to become the focal point. There are ten signatures and each is wrapped in some exquisite handmade Japanese papers that I found online at The Paper Place (http://www.thepaperplace.ca/). Since all the paper and the covers are in white it becomes a study in textures. I added a variety of beads (bugle, seed, pearls) in differing sizes to the spine.

The papers, which include glassine, laces, metallics, and other Japanese handmade papers did not photograph well with my limited skill but if you double click on the pictures you will get greater detail.

Pere Noel Framed

2010-12-14T14:38:00.000-08:00

I began this piece years ago and although it was finished in Feb. of this year I only brought it home from the framer this week. I am more than pleased with both the stitching and the framing. It will have a place of honour in our home at Christmas time.

My framer suggested the variegated mat and the delicately carved frame. They echo the tiny metal heart that hangs from Pere's belt to make an attractive and cohesive piece. I love it! Double click on it so you can see the detail.

If I were to change anything I think I would use some alcohol inks to alter the colour of the holly leaves somewhat. They are quite bright for this piece.

Cityscapes with Betty Chen Louis

2010-12-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

The Shining Needle Society offered this as an online course this past summer. I think the stitching was supposed to be complete by Sept. Mine is finally finished, even if it is long passed the finish date. The pieces are not identical but very similar. I haven't decided if they will be framed since black and white are not really my colours.

Book Arts

2010-11-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

I write extensively in my handmade journals daily so I need a paper that will accept pens and inks. To that end I mostly use copy paper. White paper, day after day, would get too boring so I add not only coloured paper to my journals but have taken to using signature wrappers and interesting papers on the insides of the signatures as well.

I use a variety of papers for the signature wrappers and am especially fond of the delicacy of paper doilies. I also like handmade Japanese tissue papers because their colour appears altered by whatever you place behind it. This tissue paper appears lighter in value because it has white paper in this signature. Vellums have that same characteristic. This is advantageous when you are trying to coordinate all the papers.

Book Arts

2010-11-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

I went shopping with my sister and found some strings of beads priced at 10/$10.00. The flower focal point is one of those beads. I filled it with some other beads so it would be mounded and give just a little more texture to the piece. The paper is quite textured as well. Although this journal is similar to a previous one it has a few differences.

I made 2 pockets for this journal. One was a signature wrapper and was made of a glittery cardstock. I used coloured eyelets to keep the pocket's crease in position.

I added the second pocket to the inside of another signature. It is a beautifully stitched handkerchief that I folded and then stitched the sides closed. It seems to me that this is a more worthy use for it than its intended purpose!!

Book Arts

2010-11-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

I completed this journal and opted for lots of vibrant colour. I used matte gel medium to adhere torn tissue papers to the covers of the journal. I love texture so made certain to let the tissue paper crumple. I also wanted to have some of the papers overlap for even greater variety in colour. I added a little extra metallic paint for a bit more sparkle.

I didn't think that was enough texture. It was okay for the back of the book but for the front cover I added some micro beads, Martha Steward iridescent stars glitter as well as the iridescent tinsel glitter. A cabochon wrapped in a frayed ribbon became the focal point.

Plain white signatures would have been inappropriate so I sought out the perfect colours. I have not added any closures or beading but that possibility remains. As ever double click for greater detail.

Using Copper

2010-10-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

I pierced a few holes in a design around the rose. I wished I had more copper because I would have liked to pierce some holes along the top of a piece and then do some needlelace. That could have been quite effective too but I ran out of copper. I added a few beads for a little more interest and balance on the left of the design.

The second one has a crumpled background.

Using Copper

2010-10-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

I experimented with embossing as well as cutting. Some cuts were random and others more carefully planned.The one on the right has some tiny strips of copper that I curled around a pencil.

More Copper

2010-10-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

On some of the copper I gave it a few simple folds.

Using Copper

2010-10-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

One of the paper shops in town is hosting a techniques sample exchange. If it weren't for that pressure I would be getting no art done at all but when I give my word I intend to keep my word. My husband had a heart attack in the spring and things have not gone smoothly. Between him and a few other ill family members I have had my days swallowed up in one medical appointment hot on the heels of another with no let up in between, hence these embarrassingly long spaces between posts.

When I was deciding on a technique I had a few criteria that needed to be fulfilled - firstly I didn't want to do something that others would probably do. Next it had to be something that could not be really labour intensive (see first paragraph!) so that pretty well eliminated any of the hand stitching that I love so passionately. Thirdly, it had to be visually appealing. Lastly, since I have to produce 18 samples, it had to be cost effective.

After giving it some thought I decided I would try something I have never done before - working with copper sheeting. I think it would be too boring to produce 18 of the very same thing so I decided that I would experiment with background techniques. I settled on 6 techniques in addition to the basic heating of the copper.

I used a heat gun to heat the copper sheets. This resulted in some spectacular colour changes in the metal that are reminiscent of metal leafing but without near the mess or time it takes.

After cutting it to size I decided to leave the background as it was without any further changes and then embellished and mounted it. It seems a bit plain but then I guess not every piece is a masterpiece.

On several others I decided to emboss the background. For this one I put the thin copper against the delicately patterned glass of my French door and rubbed it until the pattern was reproduced.

On the second one I embossed a stem and a few leaves with a blunt embossing tool.

Techniques Binder

2010-09-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

A technique binder swap is being planned at Paper Pastimes in Calgary (http://www.paperpastimes.com/)

I am trying to prepare for it and was pondering what might be something a little different from the usual paper crafts. I especially admire Beryl Taylor's work so thought I might borrow some of her ideas.

She applies heat to metal. I had two types of metal on hand - some thin copper that looks just a bit more substantial than foil paper and then I bought this at a quilting shop:

I used a heat gun on high:

and these were the results:

The top one was copper and had the more spectacular results. The bottom one was less exciting. The colour thinned and then disappeared in spots about the same size as the end of the heat gun nozzle. The copper one bears a striking resemblance to some of the variegated silver leafs that are available but with the advantage that it is easier and a little faster to create the colour. Be advised that you should do this technique outside and avoid breathing the fumes.

I used the copper one and decided that it needed some texture. Rubbings or stencils or even just crinkling it up work just great. I added a little fimo face that had been painted with some Perfect Pearls and then added some beads and glitter for a little oomph. I finished it up by using some Kreinik metallic threads. As always double click on the photo for more detail.

Mrs. Echidna's Dilemma

2010-09-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Years ago I visited the Textile Museum in Toronto and while there stopped in at the gift shop, where to my delight I found some children's books either about the needlearts or illustrated by needleart. Not being either willing or able to resist the temptation to purchase I did the only sensible thing I could think of - I yielded to it and thus began my growing collection of children's books.

Two of my children were still young enough to enjoy those stories and in 2003 I became a grandmother and now have 3 grandchildren to whom I can introduce the art of needlework through these engaging stories that I have purchased, the latest of which is Mrs. Echidna's Dilemma by Betty Johnson.(http://mrsechidna.com/)

After perusing the book I found it difficult to believe that she only took a refresher course in embroidery before beginning this undertaking. She has used a variety of techniques (blackwork, stumpwork, cross stitch and quilting) to masterfully create an award-winning quilt which was followed by this stellar book which features embossed images.

She also includes patterns for making finger puppets of Australian animals as well as a DVD of a reading of the book by a professional storyteller. This book is a winner and I am more than pleased to have added it to my collection. So, might I add, are my grandchildren.

Book Arts

2010-08-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

It is embarrassing to see the date of my last post however it has been difficult to find even a smidgen of time to do art of any kind. Between caring for my husband, who has been recovering from a heart attack with a few hiccups along the way, and minding 3 grandchildren night and day while my daughter has been ill this summer I have had precious little time to pursue my interests. I think I would compare myself to a shaken pop bottle just waiting to be opened. There are all these ideas just waiting to be unleashed!

The last few days have given me some time however, and since I needed a new journal I began work on this one:

I used a variety of papers which had inclusions:

I also used some unusual signature wrappers, such as a delicately embroidered handkerchief, given to me as a gift from a treasured friend -

as well as a paper doily.

I also used a piece that my sister (http://princessbubblescreates.blogspot.com/) did for me. She has a program that makes kaleidoscopes. This one originated as a photo of a pansy and since the colours were appropriate I included it.

I had a 6" square of origami paper that I thought would also be an attractive addition so in it went to the centre of a signature.

A piece of pretty stationery I found also wanted a home on one of the pages so I obliged.

So in this journal I used the following types of papers - inclusions of botanicals and mica flecks, vellum for the first signature wrapper, origami, doilies and because white paper is so boring I also used both red-violet and pale purple in the signatures. It was Coptic bound with matching pale purple waxed linen thread.

Next in Line

2010-07-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

The second cityscape Betty designed is similar but not identical to the white one. Some of the buildings differ in a minor way and the thread colours are a little different. Primarily the buildings are rectangles with flat rooftops. I am hoping to modify the rooftops to add a little more interest to the piece. I have only stitched this much so far:

When I look at skyscrapers there is a lot of light reflected off the windows, which are usually square or rectangular in shape. It seems to me that sequins would really represent those windows very well and to that end I have been on the hunt for some interesting and proportionately sized sequins. On the congress cloth I think that 4 mm. squares would be large enough for windows, at least on these pieces. The right colours have been elusive in the size that I need for this project.

I have however, found some irregularly shaped ones that would make some great asymmetrical rooflines. The black holographic triangles are my favourite and I think that the DMC antique gold thread would make a fabulous combination for a building. Framed stitches with a sequin in the middle would make an appropriate stitch for the actual building. The triangular-shaped sequins could be played with until a pleasing roof has been formed.

The sequin on the upper right has some interesting possibilities. It is quite large but could easily be cut to make a flat bottomed sequin that would fit more snugly on the rooftop. I like the five points better than the three but again it all needs to be proportionally sized for the piece.

I found these sequins at Cartwright's. They have an enormous selection. If I plan to use these sequins I will have to make my buildings larger. I am not sure that the precut cloth is large enough to accommodate this so I will have to keep looking for tinier sequins.

One Small Finished Project

2010-07-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

The first of the cityscapes is finished now. I had finished stitching the buildings and then added overstitching for further definition and to create the focal point. It is a very tiny piece, not quite 3" x 3" and it certainly pales in comparison to the larger cityscapes that Betty Chen Louis has done of San Francisco, New York and San Diego but if you can't actually attend one of her in-person classes this is as close a substitute as it will get so I am pleased that I was at least able to take this class online. As always, double click to see the details.

Art Quilt at Frank Slide Interpretive Centre

2010-07-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Last week my husband and I took a long overdue break and ventured down one of the world's most scenic highways - the 22 South. It skirts the edge of the Rockies through southern Alberta and some of the best ranching land anywhere. It emerges onto Highway 3, The Crowsnest Pass, at Lundbreck Falls. We visited the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre, a site that documents the tragic mountainslide of Turtle Mountain over a hundred years ago. Nearly 90 people lost their lives about 4:00 a.m. when the top of the mountain gave way and obliterated everything in its path.

The area of southern Alberta and B.C. is coal mining country and the residents made this quilt to honour their community. You can see some of their heritage when you look at their costumes and culture. The presence of Ukrainian and native Canadians is evident.

If you double click for detail you will notice that the Ukrainian dancer has loose braids and the door of the teepee is actually made of leather and really opens as does the flap at the top of the teepee.

Book Arts

2010-07-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

There has been precious little art time lately. Being the caregiver of a recovering heart attack victim and an ailing daughter has placed even greater demands on my time and reserve than ever. And for the first time in my life I have lost my glasses, which means I can see distance okay but anything close up is a wasted effort so I have to work within those limitations until the new glasses come in.

It won't be anytime soon because I prefer glass lenses to plastic since I find that they resist scratches far more effectively than any plastic lens or coating that I have ever tried. I must be one of the few diehards that do use glass lenses because they are now special order items that take 3 weeks to come in.

I did find time to cover some bookboard with paper and I have selected some of the paper for a new journal but when I began to fold the signatures I noticed that I couldn't see well enough to line up the four corners accurately so I guess I have gone as far as I can go until the new specs are in!

The cover paper is a gorgeous lacey paper I found. I am using tamarind flower paper for the inside front cover. I have a couple of colours of violet and red-violet 20 lb. paper for the signatures and I found numerous interesting papers with which to wrap the signatures. One has mica chips in it and one has floral inclusions. There is also some glitter paper that should appeal to we magpies who love sparkle and shine. I am toying with the idea of adding a reinforced lace pocket somewhere. Double click on the picture for greater detail.

Cityscapes with Betty Chen Louis

2010-07-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Betty Chen Louis has been teaching her cityscapes classes for years at EGA. They really are quite magnificent. Earlier this spring she decided to do her first ever online class with Shining Needle Society. She is teaching Cityscape Hearts which are two tiny heart shapes that have miniature cityscapes within. One is done on black congress cloth and the other is done on white. Though similar they are not identical. Although she recommends working on them simulataneously I recognize that I am a concrete sequential learner so I make fewer mistakes when I start one and work on it till it is completed and then do the next one.

The white one has one more building to be "erected" on the right side and then there are some finishing overstitches to be completed. Since I am not enamored with the heart shape outline I have decided to omit it.

Cartwright Sequins has some incredible sequins that I thought would make fabulous windows in some of these buildings but sadly all I have are a) not the right colour and b) not the correct proportion so maybe I can order some and use them in my buildings that will be done on the black congress cloth.

I have been toying with the idea of making some journals that could represent some buildings and/or cityscapes so if I can carve out some time perhaps I will get started on those when the needleart ones are complete.

Another Envelope

2010-06-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

For a slightly different, more feminine form of envelope begin with a doily of any size:

Fold in half:

Fold the edges back a little:

Fold one top edge down:

If you spray paint one side it will look like this:

You can add tags, punch outs, photos, a lock of hair, a love letter, movie ticket stub, or ... or ... or ... ? They look especially pretty added to a journal or scrapbook page.

Envelopes

2010-06-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

Using any square piece of paper, fold it in half to make a triangle:

Then take the top point and fold it down to the bottom:

Next take the right hand point and fold it over to the left side, approximately in thirds:

Then take the left hand point and fold it over to the right side, again in thirds:

Next you once again fold the top point down to the bottom:

Open it back up again so it looks like the photo above and to the right and then grasping the bottom point of the triangle fold it into itself in the centre to form a diamond:

Finally, tuck the top point into the diamond and it will look like this:

Or this:

Gel Pens

2010-06-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

What do you do with recalcitrant gel pens? You know the kind that work for a short time and then all of a sudden they skip or simply quit working altogether? I thought I would experiment and see if an old trick for ballpoint pens would work. We used to run the nib through the tip of an open flame to heat the ink and restart the flow. I tried that with the gel pens and it was unsuccessful. Then I wondered if putting them in the microwave might work. I knew that the metal in the nib could cause sparking and potential ignition so I covered them with a bowl and tried that. While it prevented a fire it did not have the desired effect on the gel pen. Then I began throwing them out. After all what is the point of keeping something useless around?

One of my more creative friends has found an artistic use or two for them. First, dismantle them. Remove the cartridge from the plastic and using pliers pull the nib out of them thusly:

Next using a huge intake of air blow on the end of the ink cartridge(s) and you can get something like this:

The blobs can be interesting in themselves or you can use an old credit card and get a smeared effect like this:

Be aware however, that there is oil in the ink and you can get an unpleasant effect such as this:

Sadly this was on the back of one of my journal pages and it necessitated a problem-solving approach to fixing up the mess that occurred on the back of the page and so this is what I came up with:

It was only partially successful because as you can see directly beneath the envelope, which is a folded 12"x12" (or any square paper) there is a shadow of the blue ink. Still, it is an improvement.

Still being less-than-creative I would have thrown out the by-product, which is the empty housing of the cartridge. Further suggestions for it were cutting the plastic into smaller lengths and then plugging one end of the barrel with a bit of hot glue and adding glitter, micro beads, sand, or ... ? and then plugging the other end with another bit of hot glue. Or perhaps a bit of plasticine or fimo clay would work? Now you have a unique bead. Or it could be a longer bead and then used as the stick in a piano hinge book?

Book Arts

2010-06-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

Bookbinding is one of my loves and I enjoy making them for people who a) journal and b) appreciate the time and effort that goes into making a handmade gift. One of my sons has a special friend who fills that criteria and happened to have a birthday last month. I invited her to select some paper that she liked and with which I would construct another journal for her. She has had a little longer wait than I would have predicted because ~~my husband's recent heart attack~~, life, has a way of intervening.

The paper is a gorgeous handmade green and blue streaked with black and gold. I used the colours of the cover to determine the signature colours so there are three values of blue and one of green with a total of ten four-page signatures. White signatures are a little boring in comparison. I used a waxed teal linen thread to stitch them together in a Coptic binding. I placed her black initial on the lower right corner and inserted a rhinestone in the lower right quadrant of the B. I used Glossy Accents to both set the rhinestone and give the B a raised and shiny finish. The brass closure is elasticized for easy on/off access and is deliberately placed to highlight the focal point. I also used some perfectly coloured seashells to accent the spine.

Golden Paint Demo

2010-06-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

I was first introduced to Golden Paint products a few years ago at one of our Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild meetings. Our presenter, Jason Broach, is a working artist who contracts to Golden to present these tremendously informative and entertaining workshops. He lectures anywhere from 1-3 hours and manages to pack a near-encyclopedic knowledge of their products into this time period.

Fearing I could be called a groupie, I admit to attending four of these workshops to date. Why? Why would I go again and again to listen to him? One reason is that every group he addresses always asks different questions and he tailor makes his presentation to target the audience's need so each group presents him with a different focus and he addresses each question at length.

Secondly, he is very entertaining and humorous. It can be rather dry listening to somebody, however passionate they may be, when they speak for hours on end but if you can add enthusiasm and coax a few chuckles or hearty guffaws from your audience you must be on a winning streak. Jason capably fills the bill.

A third reason that I attend these sessions is that they have never cost me more than $5.00 and at every session you are given print materials that enrich your knowledge. There are hand painted colour charts as well as a materials and resources booklet that describes the products and answers questions. Additionally, a "Just Paint" newsletter or two is included.

Finally, they provide samples at every workshop and the samples change from time to time. Here are a couple of different goody bags that I have thus far received.

They also have an outstanding technical support team available to answer any questions and provide helpful advice with their products. After having used their services I can positively state I am more than impressed with this company and will continue to attend these workshops and add to my reservoir of knowledge.

Paper Making

2010-06-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

The day of our paper making class dawned, however the day was not filled with promise. Here it was May 29th and the snow was coming down and the roads were slushy. It was really hard to work up the enthusiasm to drive into town to learn paper making. We worked in our instructor Brian Queen's heated-but-still-cold garage, which is his studio. He is a dedicated and enthusiastic paper maker and began by giving us a brief history of paper making and then showing us his equipment. He owns a Hollander beater, which is used to beat the various pulps until they are fine and soft enough to use in the paper making process. When he told us these machines cost between $7,000.00 and $10,000.00 I could immediately see that this will not be a skill that I can afford to indulge in. And that was only one of the pieces of equipment that he has.

We made paper out of cotton, abaca and kozo fibres with kozo being the most memorable. It comes in curled strips of bark which have to be cut into tiny 1" pieces and then cooked for 45 minutes. Kozo produces a rather unpleasant odour so it was cooked outside on a hotplate. After it is cooked it is then beaten with a wooden mallet and then a recipe is followed to add just the right ingredients to produce a fine strong paper. Some of the flecks of dark bark are evident in the photo. Brian tell us that Japanese women sit and pick out these flecks. Making this paper has given me a far greater appreciation for the process and resulting cost of these papers.

I had a selection of dried flowers from my garden and thought that they might make pretty inclusions so brought them along hoping we could use them. Brian tells us that usually fresh flowers are used as inclusions but he told us to crumble these up and give them a try. You can see that the rose petals bleed a little into the surrounding paper but it is still pretty. On the second one I had one sheet of paper on the deckle and then dipped the edge into the vat with the flowers thus giving it a floral border. Again, the flowers bled a little into the surrounding paper.

The colourful one is called pulp painting and drops of pigment are added to the paper after it has been formed. It is then left to dry and the results are a little less distinct when dry than when first applied.

The heart is made of abaca pulp and it was actually put into a cookie mold to get the heart shape. I could have used a little more of the pulp to get a nicer edge on the side and bottom but it is okay for a beginner piece.

Shining Needle Society

2010-06-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

It may have been quiet here on my blog for the last month but it has been anything but on the home front. A month ago today my husband of 32 years had a heart attack. He is on the mend but I can see that this is not something that you just bounce back from.

I belong to the Yahoo group, Shining Needle Society, and they periodically offer online classes. I am currently finishing one with Beth Robertson and Suzanne Howren. About every 3 months they offer a class that teaches 12 stitches that are suitable for use in depicting skies, water, baskets, etc. This class is called Haute Couture and is an exploration of 12 different stitches that would be suitable for use in clothing on painted canvasses. I looked forward to these classes because of the additional and inspirational pictures that have heretofore been included in each lesson. There were lots in the first class, fewer in the second class and so far there were none included in this lesson so for this reason I will probably not take any additional classes. It is not difficult to stitch a sample and I felt that the extra pictures made the class worthwhile.

I had never done a plaid stitch before and thought that it looked quite difficult. I was amazed by how easy it actually was. You begin by selecting 4 colours of thread, in this case, and stitch 2 vertical rows of each colour. The number of rows can be varied. Then using the same sequence of thread colours stitch 2 rows, this time horizontally. Again you can vary the number of rows you stitch. You can begin to see the plaid forming in the second picture. It is finished in the bottom right of the third picture and several of the other stitch samples are pictured as well.

Double click on each picture for greater detail.

Book Arts

2010-05-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

I always have several projects on the go. I like to have some big projects (20+ hours) and some that are smaller. So while the book about my mother will be a big project I have this smaller one on the go. I am making another journal and these are the signatures. I haven't yet made the covers. I am considering making them out of fabric again. Double click on the picture to see the texture and patterns on the papers.

Ma Mere

2010-05-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

My mom will be 80 this summer. She was one of 17 born to the French Canadian couple Wilfred and Emma Doucet in New Brunswick. When she was in her late teens she moved to Toronto and worked at Swift's. She tells me she made the fantastic sum of $86.00 weekly and her apartment rent was $12.00/month. She has always had a keen fashion sense and I love this old picture of her. She wore cashmere and angora. I will use this photo as the basis for one of the pages in my fibre book.

I have made a drawing of this and added some ideas about the stitching that I plan to use.

I would like to use some blackwork stitches and some toned blue threads and linen. These are some of the possibilities and stitch samples.

Aging and Dementia

2010-05-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Last month I went back to Ont. to visit my family. I hadn't been for 6 years and sensed an urgency to go. Many of my loved ones are into their 80s and some are into their 90s and four of them are suffering from dementia so it behooved me to go and see them now while they are still alive. I would rather see them now than go to their funerals.

I went to see my mom who had learned to sew in the sixties. She knitted and sewed a lot of our school clothes and did a fine job of it. I don't ever remember feeling embarrassed about them. She has always had great colour sense and I have often thought that if she hadn't chosen to be a homemaker she would have made a notable interior designer.

That was then though.Things are quite different now. I was reading my sister's blog (http://princessbubblescreates.blogspot.com/) and she posted this picture of one of the quilts our mother had made. She also remarked that Mom had given her sewing machine to her and that Mom no longer needs or wants it. Perhaps living 2500 miles away and only seeing her so rarely has given me a different perspective but after observing Mom and all her difficulties with short term memory loss (and a few other concerns) it is my conclusion that my mom now realizes she can no longer follow the sewing patterns and that is why she parted with her sewing machine. Mom told me that her granddaughter had asked her to sew some things for her new baby and she just can't do it any more.

She used to knit sweaters, afghans, socks and some lace scarves. Now she only knits toques and mittens. She tells me that the heels are hard to turn. She doesn't seem to be able to judge sizes accurately any longer. She knits toques in toddler sizes and mitts in any other size even though both may be intended for the same recipient. I see the past and the present but only have inklings of what the future holds.

I have been home for a few weeks now and pondered these things a great deal. I would like to produce a series of artist books about my mom and dementia. One will be done in fibre both to honour her and the strengths she once had and to work in my strength too. I can envision a couple of others as well. Her mind is like a house and one by one as she loses her abilities it is like the lights in those rooms are extinguished until I suppose there will only be one light left burning. Although it needs more thought to flesh that idea out I like the imagery that that idea presents. The other idea I have is that gradually her world is growing smaller and smaller and a tunnel book would be a graphic representation of that.

So in between all the responsibilities I have as a mom and grandmother I plan to start work on those books in the near future.

BVCG Workshop

2010-05-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was another workshop day at the Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild. Our instructor Christine Ahmad taught 2 workshops. In the morning we made a small booklet out of 11"x17" paper folded lengthwise and then folded in half horizontally and pamphlet stitched to a cover stock (or scrapbook paper in this case). Inside we did samples of Rennie MacIntosh lettering and coloured them in various ways.

I only consider myself to be a beginner calligraphy. My hope, when I initially took a one week course, was to learn beautiful lettering that I could use when I write daily in my handmade journals. I use copy paper primarily in my journals and I have found that it is not a paper that readily accepts calligraphy nibs. They seem to scratch the surface of the paper and cause bleeding and so the only lettering that I have really learned are alphabets that can be done with markers, gel pens and instruments that don't bleed.

In the afternoon she taught us how to do fabric letter collage. We used a Golden matte medium to adhere the fabric letters to a painted canvas and then outlined them with India ink in a ruling pen. I haven't used a ruling pen much and made such a hideous mess that I would not bare my soul by showing you the result. A very accomplished calligrapher, Renate Worthington, sat next to me and produced these two lovely pieces:

Recipe for a Memorable Afternoon

2010-04-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. I am sinfully envious of my sister (princessbubblescreates.blogspot.com) If she hadn't invited me to one of her artist play days I would never have realized what I was missing. It was the kind of day that made my soul sing.

The ingredients for such a magical afternoon appear to be 3-4 wonderfully talented lady artists, who not only have artistic talent beyond measure but possess inane and hilarious senses of humour. They meet together regularly and take turns hosting these art play days at each others' homes. The laughter is unceasing and creates a carefree and open atmosphere for creating and sharing.

Each person, between these dates, apparently keeps an eye out for bargains in supplies, and when they find something they think the others might enjoy buy enough and generously share with all. The day I was there the gifts ranged from, gulp!!, diamond chip earrings (clearly this lady was in a different league than I presently find myself in!) to packages of mixed threads, paper samples, slide mounts, beads, pens, markers, slide mounts, sequins, charms and even a pocketed and zippered fabric case in which to tote these treasures.

My sister brought tiny cloths such as you would get from an optician and which you would use to clean eyeglasses. One of the other artists looked askance at it and innocently inquired what it was and what it could possibly be used for. My sister then remarked that it was a cleaning cloth at which point the first woman's jaw slackened and fell open and a look of incredulity and abject horror crossed her countenance. I could see precisely what was going through her mind - what could I possibly want with ... a cleaning cloth? Me clean? Not on your life! I do art. I make beautiful things. I only do enough to keep the board of health from shutting this place down. My sister then took it upon herself to patiently explain that it could be used for cleaning microscope slides which are used in their altered books or it could be used for removing stray dust particles and lint from delicate surfaces. Personally, I am not sure that her friend was convinced.

Each person also comes prepared to teach a technique that can last anywhere from 5-30 minutes or so. They bring all the supplies needed to do the technique and one even made a sample complete with written instructions and the recipe for, in this case, bubble prints. My sister Angie taught us a technique using Citrasolve and National Geographic magazine pages. You generously squirt the Citrasolve on the page(s) of the magazine, wait a few minutes and then using a Q tip or cotton ball begin to rub the page. It removes and blends the inks. You can leave part(s) of the image intact and blur the background as much or as little as you like. Google Citra Solve Artists' Site and you can see how others are using this technique.

Another showed us a technique using fixative sprayed into a puddle onto the paper and then used chalk pastels and shaved bits into the puddles ending with an added coat of the fixative to hold the chalks in place. It gives a very cool texture which is not apparent in the picture.

I have foolishly been tossing out gel pens when they skip or stop working but I should have been saving them all along because one ingenious woman removed the refill from the housing, removed the nib from the refill and then blew on the other end of the pen until a blob of ink landed onto the paper. Next she used an old plastic credit card and spread the ink around like so:

After exhausting ourselves thusly we needed a little sustenance to keep forging ahead with further experimentation. After all, we can't grow weak and faint now can we? Fortifying ourselves with chocolate, lemon bars, chocolate cookies, nuts, Nairn's oatcakes and a socially acceptable stimulant (coffee) we revived our flagging spirits and carried on until such time as we had to wrest ourselves away to resume other less pleasant but equally important responsibilities of life.

I've Been Away

2010-04-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a little quiet around here for some time. I haven't seen my mother and sibling in 6 years and since so many loved ones are now aged and suffering from dementia I felt compelled to take a trip to southern Ontario, the land of my birth. It was without doubt, the best trip back I have ever had.

One of the reasons it was so much fun was that my sister (princessbubblescreates.blogspot.com) who shares my love of art, fibres, calligraphy, bookbinding and the like) and I took a trip down to Queen St. West in Toronto and had a blast shopping in all of those fabulous stores. It is the delight of fibre lovers' hearts.

This is an arresting piece of art on the side of the CTV building:

I can't count how many bead stores we visited. They all sell similar products so Toronto must have a lot of beaders to support that many stores! There were at least 2 stores that sold nothing but buttons. It was really hard to restrain myself and in truth there was only one deciding factor, one niggling little detail that prevented me from fulfilling my every desire, that being, you gue$$ed it - limited fund$.

The very first store that we walked into had the leaf sequins that I was hoping to find so I threw caution to the wind and bought one of every colour. At $1.70/pkg. it wasn't going to break the bank.

At another store I found these little beads that in Calgary would have cost me $.25/bead but I found the entire package for $1.80. What a bargain.

A trip to Queen St. W. is not complete without a stop at Mokuba Ribbons. I could be mistaken but I think that they have 20,000 rolls of ribbon from which to select - satins, grosgrains, suedes, florals, stripes, organzas, laces. Every size, colour, width. It is a dream come true. This is a shot of their window. I couldn't resist some of the ribbons so these were what I purchased.

I did have to resist purchasing some of their ribbon flowers. They were $1.70 for one tiny 1/2" flower and that seemed a little too expensive. As it turned out I was glad that I had resisted that temptation because across the street and down a bit we found another shop that sold what appeared to be the same flowers but they were attached to pleated organza ribbon and at $5.00/metre were by far a better bargain. If they had had additional colours I would have purchased more.

In one sense it is a shame that Toronto is so far from where I live because Queen St. W. merchants would be seeing a lot more of me.

Travelling Book Arts Exhibition in Alberta

2010-03-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Awhile back one of my beaded fabric books was selected for a traveling book arts exhibition that tours small Alberta communities, usually at libraries or schools, for the next year and a half. For the month of March it is in the Drumheller Library and since that is the closest that it comes to my home for the foreseeable future I decided to drive down and have a look at the other books in the exhibition. It was not a wasted effort!

There were quite a few binding styles represented - accordion, star, Coptic, Jacob's Ladder, box presentations, in addition to art books, journals, altered books, sculpture etc. It is always inspiring to see other artists' books.

One in particular caught my eye and it was by Charles van Sandwyk. He illustrates his books, does the hand lettering and then binds them all by hand if I am not mistaken. His work is truly masterful. On the front cover of his book Afterglow is a reflective circle. The person who hung the show recognized the potential of it and put it directly behind my Papaver Orientalis where it reflected the colours and as you moved your position the reflection changed. I thought that was very clever.

Here are a couple of other photos. As always double click for detail.

These books were under lock and key and I was especially relieved to hear that once I had learned that 2 of the artist books had been stolen at the previous exhibition in Stettler. I am truly sorry for those artists who lost their work and can only hope that at all future locations the books will remain in a secure display.

Next Up

2010-03-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

Well, with Pere Noel now complete it is time to move on to the next UFO. I hate to admit how many from which I have to select but since this one, Still Waters, which was designed by Francye Farley, is so far along it seemed like a good choice. It should work up fairly quickly. I like having a selection of pieces to work on. Some take at least 20 hours or more to complete and others can be done in 5 or 6 hours. Pere was one of the former and this is one of the latter.

Francye used overdyed floss done in a chain stitch to form the foliage of the trees. You can see it in the picture of her finished piece. While it is acceptable I thought that I would like to use Arctic Rays by Rainbow Gallery instead. It will give a realistic look of hoar frost and I think I will call my piece Frosty Morn.

This is just one of the changes that I will make. I also painted the canvas and changed some of the colours/threads. On pieces that are not of my own design I really enjoy seeing if I can make a change(s) that in my mind at least, will improve the piece.

An Heirloom for James

2010-03-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

My grandson Jimmy was up visiting me the other day while I was working on Pere Noel. He has been watching me work on this piece sporadically for at least 2-3 years. While watching me work he confessed, "I can't wait to have Pere Noel."

I then asked him if he remembered that I had to pass on before he can call it his own. "Yes, Gram, I remember," he sadly admitted, "But sometimes it is hard to wait." He later added that he was going to give it to his children when he dies. At six years of age I hope that that is a long way in the future but it is heartening to know that he values the piece and it will be an heirloom for him and his progeny.

After several years of intermittent work on him, Pere is finally complete. The only thing left is to add a tiny Christmas stocking to his sack. Thus far finding such a little stocking has eluded me. I am bound to find one sooner than later, I hope.

Handmade Buttons

2010-02-27T08:15:00.000-08:00

Years ago I was fortunate enough to find 2 cards of handmade buttons, one of which I purchased for its obvious charm and delicacy. They have found an appreciative home in my collection of needlework tools and assorted treasures. Aren't they lovely?

So when we were visiting the textile department at the University of Alberta this week and we were shown handmade buttons on one of the "Jane Austen" style gowns I expected to see the same type of button. How wrong I was! These tiny buttons were made of fabric wrapped around wire. Click on the photo for details.

What is interesting about this delicate fabric is that it is woven and the pretty pink pattern is stamped onto it afterward.

Stumpwork Photos

2010-02-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

Stumpwork Caskets

2010-02-25T12:13:00.000-08:00

I have seen many pictures of stumpwork caskets over the years and all of the ones that I have seen have been in museums in England. It came as an enormous surprise to me that the University of Alberta in Edmonton has one in their textile collections. Yesterday the managing curator, Vlada Blinova was kind enough to show it and many other fabulous textile treasures to a friend and I while we were visiting in Edmonton.

For those of you who don't know - a stumpwork casket is not a casket in the sense of a box for burying someone. It is a wooden box and was equipped with many drawers, some of which were hidden. These caskets were used to store such things as stationery supplies, needlework tools and that sort of thing. The embroidered panels were set into the casket for display and were usually done by very young girls to display the culmination of their embroidery skills. They were embroidered with many techniques and often the subject was biblical. In this case it tells the story of Joseph. It is interesting to see that Joseph and his brothers were clothed in the current fashions of the embroiderer's time. If you look carefully on one of the photos you will be able to see Joseph emerging from the well, down which he was cast by his brothers.

If you double click on the pictures you will be able to see the details more closely. This work was exceedingly finely worked. The flora, fauna and people were not worked to scale, thus you will sometimes see an insect as large as a person.

Sadly the faces, which were mounted over carved wooden pieces, have deteriorated very badly. There could be two reasons for this. Firstly, wood is acidic and that could cause the deterioration but also since the faces are dimensional and stick out they would be more prone to abrasion. This casket was embroidered sometime during the height of stumpwork, 1650-1675.

Ever Closer

2010-02-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

Pere's chapeaux is now complete with the addition of a couple of pointsettia bead leaves and a few French knots.

I have only the collar and one more cuff to stitch in Turkey Work and then a few finishing details and he is complete.

I was not happy with the blue handle of the bag of oranges. It was too rough so I did a whipped backstitch around its perimeter and that neatened the edges considerably.

Book Arts

2010-02-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have been working on Pere so much lately that my bookbinding has been at a standstill. Until yesterday. My grandson helped me to complete this journal for somebody we both care about. She is, in the next few months, about to wade into four years of university so the sandals heading into the water seemed to be an appropriate symbol for this time in her life.

The cover is a piece of scrapbooking paper that I decorated with puff paint, glitter and some pearl type beads to simulate the waves. The beach is made of layers of sandpaper. The spine was decorated with beads and a plastic seashell while the inside covers were cut from a map of Mexico. The text paper is Xerox #24 Brights in a colour, which I think is the recipient's favourite.

The End is in Sight

2010-02-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

I contemplated what I would do for Pere's sack and finally decided to do a tent stitch in embroidery floss for the bottom layer and then added a secondary layer of knotted double buttonhole stitch in the same colour (DMC 816) perle cotton to suggest a net bag in which to carry the packages. The top of the sack is open but the sides and bottom are attached so something very tiny could be slipped inside.

The only difficulty that I had was the angora that I used in the girl's coat and the wool I used for Pere seemed to shed and I had to use tweezers to pluck out the errant wisps that managed to work themselves into the buttonhole stitches.

I am currently planning a trip up to Edmonton in the near future and I am certain that there is a dollhouse miniatures store in the West Edmonton Mall so perhaps I will find a tiny stocking that I can add to this piece.

The wrapping and ribbons on the gifts are next on my to-do list. The collar and cuffs are going to be Turkey Work and they need to be completed last.

A Little More Progress

2010-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

I don't suppose many of us has as much time as we would like to devote to our stitching. Lately I have managed to carve out a little time to work on Pere Noel, a.k.a. Crystal Santa by Joan Thomasson. I have now finished the patterning on his coat. I stitched his satchel and thought a tiny brown button and little gold buckle would make attractive embellishments. I am trying to finish up the trim on his coat and will then tackle the Turkey work stitch for his collar and cuffs. I am sincerely hoping that I have enough of the Medici I need to finish it because I have learned that it is no longer being produced by DMC. I am sure, if necessary, I can find an acceptable alternative.

I belong to an ANG group on Yahoo and one of the ladies suggested something quite different for the bag. Joan recommended using a weaving type of stitch using Rainbow Gallery's Ultrasuede. The other suggestion was to "basketweave the canvas and then throw some long stitches across the open area and weave them to form a dimensional basket that hangs out from the canvas. You'd anchor the bottom of the basket to the canvas, but leave the top open. Pat" If I did that then there would be the opportunity to add tiny packages inside the sack. If I choose that option I hope that my framer has something that could accommodate the depth that would be necessary. That much depth certainly limits your framing choices.

Joan added a tiny dollhouse Christmas stocking to her piece and it looked cute. I googled it to see if I could find something that I liked and I found a really sweet little plaid stocking in the same colours as the packages I have stitched. Sadly I forget to bookmark that page.

Click on the photos for detail.

Pere Noel

2010-01-12T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have made some progress on Pere Noel. His sack of oranges is now stitched. The satchel is nearing completion and I have worked some of his coat at the top right and centre.

I am considering adding some felted balls in orange to his sack of oranges. They would have to be tiny and I think that a nice Smyrna stitch would make a realistic bump where the blossom end of the orange should be.

Unfinished Projects and Resolutions

2010-01-06T15:54:00.000-08:00

This being the beginning of a new year seems like an opportune time to discuss stitching and resolutions.

I have five children and chose to commemorate each of their births with a sampler. Each one was done in a different pattern and/or technique. When my last child was born I selected a gorgeous cross stitch sampler and worked on it sparingly in between all the other responsibilities I found I had. The years sped by and my guilt increased as the project grew achingly slowly. I thought at its (then) current rate that I might have it complete by the time he graduated from high school and I remarked about it to a friend who gave me this sage piece of advice. I repeat it here for your potential benefit.

"I sympathize with you over uncompleted projects you have outgrown. However, where does it say in the invisible fine print in your contract that you MUST finish it? Will Andrew mind? Could you start a new birth commemoration project in your current style? Could you stash it in your bottom drawer, tenderly wrapped in tissue paper, with a note to future generations about moving on? Maybe, in a few more years you will have moved back toward handwork, or enjoy returning to the memories of early motherhood. Anyway, life is far too short to spend either riddled with guilt over uncompleted projects, or chained to a project for which you have no longer any enthusiasm. You have my complete support and permission (as if you needed it) to set cross stitch aside, and seize the moment now, working on what your heart tells you to, not what your guilt thinks you should.

And that is quite enough about all that!" Kristen Dibbs, 1999

She offered some suggestions for unfinished projects but there are others - could it be cut up and used in a collage piece of work? Could it be mounted in a binder, box or other storage and labeled with the technique and what you have learned from this project? Does it have to be a stitch learned or is there some other valuable lesson you gained? Can you give it to somebody who would like to finish this particular piece? There may be somebody who would, for a $um, finish the stitching for you?

My birth sampler was finally complete when Andrew was about 8 as I recall. One of my nearest and dearest friends, who was retired, took pity on me because I was ~~overwhelmed with all my responsibilities~~ trying to home school and told me to bring it in to her and she would complete the final parts, which if my memory serves me correctly were the rest of the baby's blanket and his face and hands. Everybody should have such a friend!

As with most designs that are not my own I add my own touches, those being the silk ribbon flowers and bows as well as the metallic thread added to the baby's blanket and pillow. Click on photo for detail.

Oh, by the way, Andrew graduates next year so I/we managed to beat that target!

Slow Progress

2009-12-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

There has been precious little stitching or art time of late and way too much time spent on bookkeeping and form filling!

I decided that I did not like the block of background stitching at the very top of Pere Noel. It was too stripy looking. So I altered it. I think I prefer it this way.

I have had a little time to work on his sack of oranges and it is nearly complete. I have been giving thought to the knot on the top of the bag and would like to experiment with a few options before I settle on something.

Here is to more time for art and stitching in the new year!!

I'm a Winner

2009-12-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

For those of you who follow Tim Holtz' blog you know that every December he posts the 12 Tags of Christmas. It looks to be quite an undertaking just to make the tags but they all have to be photographed at the different stages of completion and then blogged about. He really makes an enormous effort to please his blog followers.

This year he invited folks to comment each day on his tags and then he would draw the names of a number of winners and mail them a package of his products if the winners contacted him within a certain time limit. Against all odds I was actually one of the favoured recipients of his generosity. The day my name was announced I happened to have all of my grandchildren here so was more than busy and never even thought to check his blog to see if I was a winner. A friend and one of my most favourite artists, Yogi G. sent me an email and asked if it was me or a different Nancy McElroy who was one of the winners that day. I checked and lo and behold it was me!

My package arrived yesterday. There was an unmounted collage with a Santa, BELIEVE, snowflakes, NOEL, a tree and a calendar on it. Very nice. There was a package of unmounted clear stamps with old fashioned children in a photo parlour, "the journey awakens the soul", a flock of birds, a column of text, "not all who wander are lost." and an empty film strip that you could stamp over images. There was also a package of silver glitter letters, some with flourishes. I bet I could colour them with alcohol inks. There was also a package of large flourish masks with a positive and a negative as well as a package of die cut punch out tags. It should be fun to use. I didn't have any of these products before so they are well and most gratefully received.

So my thanks go to Tim Holtz for the gift, Mario for packaging it and making sure I received it and lastly to Yogi for her timely email to me alerting me of my win.

Christmas Blessings

2009-12-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

Before I went to bed last night I listened to the news and heard that another Canadian soldier lost his life in Afghanistan. What a pall that will cast on his family's Christmas both now and likely evermore. As I was reflecting on that it made me all the more appreciative of the three precious sons that I have. They are all in good health and have not been called upon to give their life. It also gave me pause to once again thank God for the supreme sacrifice of his beloved son Jesus, who was born so humbly, lived sinlessly and died an undeserved death so that we might know forgiveness and eternal life. If I were never to receive another gift that alone will be enough and so I thank my Father in heaven for the birth of his precious son on this day so many years ago.

Change Can Be Good

2009-12-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Years ago I stitched this Catherine Coleman design, "Tea At the Empress Hotel". It too reflects liberties that I took to change the design. Originally there was supposed to be a beaded single rose and leaf motif in the lower left corner. She did not include shading in the rose and I thought that that did not do justice to a rose so opted for something completely different - the star filigree with a beaded centre. Her background was stitched in gold thread and beads and resulted in a slightly heavier looking design. I selected a different thread and stitch
for a lighter more open look and was pleased with the result. I think that as needleartists we should feel free to adapt a pattern to make it more accurately reflect our preferences.

My framer Edie Nielsen is an artist in her own right and I count on her for her innovative framing strategies. She cleverly continued the strong diagonal lines of the design into the matting by carving a groove and then laying some of the gold threads into those channels.

Not wanting tea or milk to ever seep into the edging I took it to a glass and mirror shop and asked them to caulk it with a nearly invisible sealant. This should keep the piece in pristine condition throughout its life.

Making Changes

2009-12-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

When I stitch another designer's pattern I have no hesitation making changes that I think will enhance the piece. Thea Dueck's work is truly lovely, feminine and delicate but I thought that the wisteria vines could be improved upon. I believe she recommended a back stitch. The actual flowers and leaves were done with silk ribbon so there was already some texture there and I thought that a bullion stitch would better complement it. Click on photos for greater detail.

The Instructor's Exposed Spine Books

2009-12-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

The instructor for our class, Nancy Dormer, produced these exceptional books. If you want more information contact her at nansgone@gmail.com

Christmas Decorating

2009-12-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

I remember years ago that when I was a new bride my mother-in-law didn't put up a tree. I was surprised since I thought everyone did. Fast forward thirty-one years and I am now in a similar position.

I really like Christmas trees especially the fru-fru ones like this:

http://www.debrajustice.blogspot.com/

Perhaps if I had one like that I would find a way to make it fit but as it is there is just no room on the main floor for a large tree. I could go for a small tabletop tree but I don't think anybody else shares my enthusiasm. The only other place we have would be the basement and since it is generally cold we don't spend much time down there so it seems a waste of my time to put one up. Instead I put up my seasonal needlework. I have three stitched pieces, two of which are shown above. Eventually these pieces will be joined by Pere Noel. (See Nov. 9th blog)

Photography is not my strength so my apologies, especially for the white one. The stitching is definitely better than the photography. Trust me.

I also bring out what are supposed to be wise men. Really they are Santa patterns (not original) but I didn't want to stray from the real reason we celebrate Christmas so in my mind they became wise men. These poor fellows have been a little battered over the last fifteen years so are long past their prime. I have never completed the rest of the manger scene so they remain alone.

I wonder what they will look like after this season what with three grandchildren and a cat in the house and all that tempting hair on their faces?

Exposed Spine Book

2009-12-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Sunday of the workshop was not quite as productive as Saturday's session. At times I find myself in a spot where things aren't coming together quite as I had hoped. Rather than endure endless frustration I have learned to change tacks and work on something else. I find if I return to it later I come with fresher ideas and things seem to gel better. So instead of painting and stenciling I learned to carve stamps and do packing tape transfers, neither of which I had done before.

On Monday I dug out the paints and continued so long that my shoulder muscles cramped and I am still enduring those effects. I did however, manage to complete the tiny book. The cover is made of Tyvek and was actually the drop sheet. It was one of my favourite of the art papers completed. We cut a tiny hole and I have yet to add the focal point to it. Beads were added to the spine.

Another reason I didn't want to complete the book during the workshop was because I had papers at home which I wanted to add to the signatures. If you double click on the photo below you will see that I have used a gossamer paper which although pretty does stretch so it is not the easiest with which to work. I am not sure that it shows to its premier advantage with the paper that I used behind it. A darker value would have set it off much better.

The next photo shows some of the stenciling and spattering techniques.

It Will Get Finished in Due Time

2009-11-30T08:43:00.000-08:00

I was at a workshop on the weekend and theoretically I could have finished the work and then sewn the tiny art book together. However, some of the techniques weren't as effective as they had been the previous day and I still wanted to do more so my work remained uncompleted. I also had some other papers in my studio that I wanted to include in the art book so I decided to leave it till I got home. It seems that no matter how prepared I am for a workshop there is always something in my studio that will complement the project, which means of course, that there are few projects finished in class. On the other hand, the finished projects are always a little different than those of the other students.

I returned from class thinking that I would have some quiet time to work on the project. The guys were busy watching the Grey Cup so it was a good opportunity. But by then the creative juices had apparently dried up; I was going to measure and cut some paper and noticed that although I had planned to write down 6.5" x 10" measurements for the signatures I wrote instead, 6" x 5". That was an immediate clue that if I couldn't even write the correct measurements I didn't stand a chance of properly cutting the papers. Prudence told me that my day was done.

I had harboured hopes of getting up and doing more of the art techniques I had learned over the weekend first thing this morning. Alas ... that was a vain hope. Today is a professional day at school so that means that I was ambushed by all three grandchildren, one by one, commencing at an ungodly hour. It was an onslaught I was both unprepared for and hoping to avoid. By degrees one has hit the other on the head, one has thrown a dolly, one has an injured foot out of all proportions and all of them have been yelping and whooping, seemingly at the tops of their lungs. The unimaginable mess of course accompanies everything they do. Naturally the lone teenager in the house will look less than favourably since he went to bed after midnight. In fact, we grandparents haven't exactly greeted all of this with any rousing enthusiasm either. I suppose the only one who is in full support of this is their mother, who I suspect, is lying blissfully asleep and totally unaware of all this.

I tolerated all of this for a couple of hours and have just reached my limit. Off they go the one hundred feet to their own abode. Maybe by day's end I will have some photos to post.

BVCG Workshop

2009-11-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

Today was workshop day at the Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild here in Calgary. Nancy Dormer is our instructor and she guided us through a number of techniques for decorating Arches text wove paper with acrylic inks. We painted, stencilled, and stamped to our heart's content. It doesn't look like much yet but by tomorrow night I believe all of this is going to be combined into one very cool little book. Check back.

Stamping and Shiva paintsticks

2009-11-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

I wondered what would happen if I stamped an image with VersaMark water mark stamp and pearl white embossing powder and then used Shiva paintsticks. I rubbed them in with my finger. The first one is silver and for the second one I was trying to simulate a sunrise so I used yellow, orange and red. After I blended them with my finger I used a tissue to buff it up and remove any excess paint from the embossed image.

Winter Themed Book

2009-11-20T10:49:00.000-08:00

I am working on a series of books with the theme being seasons. This one is winter and I selected the papers,which if you click on the photo, you can see are glittery. They had a cold and wintery feel to them. I wish I could remember where I bought them because I would love to have some more.

I have always loved Holly Hobbie and when a friend sent me a card it was too sweet to throw out so I cut out the front and added it as well as a Canadian snowman stamp. I borrowed some of the words from Frosty the Snowman and lettered them. Click to read the words.

I couldn't resist using some of Tim's enchanting Ranger products and techniques to make this tag.

I have been lettering verses or quotes in the book that relate to winter. My calligraphy has a long way to go before it is acceptable but you have to start somewhere.

Altered Books

2009-11-18T10:41:00.000-08:00

I was at a sewing and craft show with my sister(Princess Bubbles Creates) years ago and we happened upon the Kreinik booth where he had an altered book. It was my first exposure to it and I was smitten by the art form. I only had to get passed my reservations of "defacing" a book, even in the name of art. Books are a treasure of inestimable worth on many levels so it was difficult to overcome that resistance.

I was finally persuaded to use one and have done a few things. This one was painted gold and then I used some puff paint (the white). While heating it to make it puff it produced the following unexpected result:

I have just been doing my own thing and making a book that reflects my interests - gardening, flower fairies, family and needlework.

I still have a long way to go. I chose an outdated textbook to alter!!

Dressforms

2009-11-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

I have begun a collection of decorated dressforms for my studio. I first saw a wireform one when I was on a trip to San Francisco at the E.G.A. seminar in 1996. At the time they didn't have a small one so I ended up buying a largish one that is about 12"x20". I have stuffed it with two colours of tulle that coordinate with my studio. It wasn't until a year or two ago that I chanced upon this smaller version while perusing the Somerset Studio online shopping page so I immediately ordered it and have decorated it. I am pondering whether it needs anything more.

This second one is I think, my favourite. It is so feminine and frilly. I like the spool of thread and tiny bobbin, scissors and buttons.

The third one is destined to be a hula-girl dress form. I was thinking that raffia might make an appropriate grass skirt but it is somewhat fragile to work with so may prove too difficult to wrap around the form. Perhaps a fringe of some sort? Any other ideas? I am open to suggestions.

I am hoping to find some sunglasses that are proportionate to the dressform and possibly a tiny lei can be fashioned to accessorize it.

Other Priorities for the Moment

2009-11-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

It has been quiet on my blog but it has been anything but around home. My daughter had a six day holiday so Gram and Pa were holding down the fort and caring for the three grandchildren who are six, four and three. So to sum up the week - it was noisy. It was busy. It was exhausting. I think we all had some fun though. Of course there were several incidents that couldn't exactly be classified as fun but were notable for different reasons. Care to read a few?

At one point I noticed my four year old grandson was pantless. Upon my mentioning that obvious fact he looked at me and stated innocently, "I'm okay with that," all the while looking at me with a what-is-your-problem look upon his sweet little face.

My three year old grand-daughter is a real girlie girl and loves to be a princess. When she wanted to play dress up she needed one of my dresses so she could go to the ball. All of my dresses were too long so I thought maybe a short nightie would do the trick. The nightie was purple so that was a point in its favour. Thinking she would love to wear one of my hats along with the dress I suggested a hat with a cute rolled up brim. It was black however and that should have been an immediate clue that it was definitely not going to cut it. She was game enough to try it on but cast me a disparaging look when she glimpsed her reflection in the mirror. "Awwww Gram, I don't want to look like a cowboy," she wailed in disgust. Right. My little fashionista certainly knows what works and what doesn't.

I have always thought of myself as a good grandma. I read to the kids. I take them for walks, to the park and on outings. I volunteer in their classes. I play hide and seek and other games with them and we even wrestle on occasion. My granddaughter took it upon herself to enlighten me to the actual state of affairs when I noticed she had found some matches and I promptly pried them from her arc-welded grasp. "Mean Gram," she stated with authority. So I stand corrected.

I know it is a gross and inaccurate generalization but it seems to me when my children were younger that they never, ever vomited during the light of day. Nooo, they reserved it for when you are at your most unprepared, that being the middle of the night. I can only tell you that my hypothesis was proved correct not once, but, lucky me, twice during the last few evenings. Don't get me wrong. I am not completely heartless. I know it is no picnic for the kids either but it is not exactly my premier choice for being awakened.

Anyway their parents arrived home safely last night so back to more regular blogging.

Next Please

2009-11-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

Now that the sampler project is complete I am going to make a concerted effort to finish up this Joan Thomasson design. I call him Pere Noel and haven't exactly followed Joan's directions. I like to make each piece my own by substituting threads and/or stitches. Click on photo for detail.

My 6 year old grandson has been admiring the progress of this stitching for longer than I care to admit so eventually I will leave this piece of needlework for him upon my eventual demise.

A Thea Dueck Sampler Completed

2009-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

The feeling of completing a project is almost exhilarating. I began this project at least two years ago and the finishing stitches were completed today. It is a Thea Dueck design with modifications by moi. Instead of using her suggested stitch for the wisteria vine I thought that varied lengths of bullion knots would more effectively represent the vines. It didn't seem out of place since I was using the silk ribbon for the flowers and foliage. I modified the hardanger at the bottom somewhat. It will soon be off to the framers.

Sakura Pens Workshop

2009-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

This was another technique class using Sakura pens as well as peel offs in a book format. I think I like the effect of a bunch of threads tied together in one spot as on this book compared to tying them randomly as on the book in the previous post.

Ranger Products Technique Class

2009-11-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

I took a class in Ranger techniques last spring. I didn't think of it till yesterday when I met a fellow classmate who inquired whether I had finished it or not. I realized that the only thing I had left to do was to tie a few ribbons onto the coiled spine. It was an embarassingly easy thing to finish. I am ashamed to admit it was only today that it was completed. Although the techniques were done in a new book they certainly could be adapted to an altered book.

Selecting Colour Schemes

2009-10-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

Some years ago I took a correspondence course in colour and design. The instructor had a method for choosing pleasing colour combinations. Her recommendation was that you find a photo or an object that has colours in it that you like. You then determine all the colours that are in the picture. For example, I found a photo of a rather striking colour combination of yellow-orange, red-orange, blue-green and black. From those colours decide if you have light blue-green, dark blue-green and medium blue-green. Do that for each of the colours. In other words, determine how many values of each colour you have. Then decide on what percentage each of those colours and values are. Your total will be 100%. Once you have determined that you can take a piece of white cardboard or heavy cardstock and wrap that with correspondingly-coloured threads with which to stitch. I stitched a bargello sample for the course and am now thinking of using these colours to make another new journal. I found some papers that will work suitably and hope to get this new journal stitched soon.

By Hook or By Crook

2009-10-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

One of the disadvantages of rural life is that sheer distances from town limit the classes that I am able to take. We have a terrific local store, Paper Pasttimes by name, that carries an enormous selection of art supplies and they regularly run classes to teach you how to effectively use their products. I really wanted to get in to one of their classes on making pocket cards but twice was thwarted. Not wanting to admit defeat I went to their website and looked at their gallery where they had very clear pictures of the cards. I was able to determine how to make the cards by looking at their photos and these are some of my results.

My problem is that I find it hard to part with art work even if it is "just" a card. It is not quite as difficult to give projects away if I know that the recipient will value it and not toss it out but that effectively eliminates many people. So I just make them and keep them and enjoy looking at them now and then. Shallow?

Paper Piecing

2009-10-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

A stitcher I am. A machine stitcher I am not. I love quilts. I love textiles and textile art but I do not think that I will ever be a quilter. I thought I might at least give it a try and do a small paper pieced quilt. I didn't want to do a usual pieced quilt because I thought perfectly matched corners might be too elusive for me. I actually had more fun embellishing it with beads and hand stitches for the pansy centres than I did stitching it together. Were I to do it again I think I would use a finer thread for the hand stitching. Click for detail.

2009-10-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

And a couple more.

Gong Book photos

2009-10-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Since I can't seem to figure out how to publish as many pictures as I want all in the same blog here are a few more. Or at least one.

Gong book

2009-10-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

As with many projects this book evolved from the preconceived notion that I first had. I wanted to make a gong book. Initially I had thought it would have an attractively shaped wooden rod from which it would hang and the book itself would represent the gong. I have now dispensed with the idea of the wooden rod. The book is made from the inside cardboards retrieved from frozen pizzas. I used Golden products on the front and adhered an Oriental-themed fabric to the inside of both covers so that once the cardboard had been scored and opened innumrable times it wouldn't break. I then added Oriental-themed scrapbook papers cut to fit and bound the whole thing with chopsticks and waxed linen thread. I envision calling it Friend and writing that in embossed brush lettered Chinese characters on the front cover. On the pages I will letter quotes about friendship and give it to someone who holds a treasured place in my heart.