Monthly Archives: August 2011

Pacific West Quilt Show

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Wonderful day today spent surround by fabric,quilts and fabulous people !

Yes I did indulge a little but with purpose.

I brought the two small batiks on our trip to DC from a wonderful artist Owino Martin (kowinobatiks.com) We talked about me wanting to make a fabric traveling journal for my trip and I thought his pieces would be be perfect for my folded book form.That said these have remained being pressed under my cutting mat since we got back.

We arrived at the show today and I quickly found Maendeleo (maendeleoimports.com) I had promised to be very restrained but these batiks were just perfect to complete the project.

The fibers were from Janet (tenajcreations.com) thanks to her for the help and patience.Have to thank Karen for inviting me.

The other thing  realize during many conversations is that I hadn’t linked the blog to my old Flickr feed

http://www.flickr.com/photos/essexdebs/sets/

This originally was where put my gallery pictures pre-blog .Enjoy

Foundations

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We have a crafty family but all explore very different media.

I have “stuff”,hubby has photography, and the teen paints and builds models in the basement.

Not sure the teen fully understood the fact that we pieced his first crazy quilt.We then took it to the tactile workshop and cut up to make fabric books and business card folios.It was a small class so I still have plenty to play with.

Flat packed girls

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So I send a lot of crafty creations and my biggest challenge is writing customs form and not scaring the mail clerk too much.

There are rules around content and thickness of packages so I try to craft according.

My flat pack girl series is my response to this.It means no buttons (!),no beads(!!).

But what it does do is challenge me to use those hand sewing skills (see Sherbert) to add fine detail.

This is Fleur who lives in Norway.She is one of four.It’s been nearly 10 months since her creation and now I find myself wanting to go back and explore….

Good Advise

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when the storms of life come… adjust your sails.

These were words sent in a surprise crafty package earlier this summer.I’ve sat down a number of times to try and formulate a reply in words and failed totally.
Instead I’ve sailed out the other side and created “Sherbet”

She’ll be heading to join her Sister in Norway any day soon-minus the needle.

PS if hubby really does read this thread “Stuffed” subscription would be perfect 😉

Altered Journal

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Time to share.Lo’s brief was to create a journal where she  create and explore her own  poetry.This was a fun project and something that I had done previously.I’m glad to report that this swap has safely arrived in Canada into safe and welcoming hands.

Pile of Paper or memories ?

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So I’ve just been leafing though the papers and ephemera (stuff) from the DC trip and trying to find a way to make it into a usable form for the teens studies next year and my personal reflection.

I treated myself to a copy of Rebound by Jeannine Stein while at the Renwick Gallery and am looking forward to creating an travel journal loosely based around her Game-board travel journal.More pics to come. Time to play.

End of an Era

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Time to share that idle play.
On our trip two major things happened.I received the news of my place on the u course and the last shuttle flight occurred.We visited the National Museum of Air and Space a number of times.
Somehow when we came back this two ideas merged to form the creation of a new altered book.
“Fly me to the moon” “let me play among the stars” just seemed appropriate text for this blue-theme star inspired tactile book.

The cover has watercolor, metallic crayon ,acrylic paint, silver pigment stamping and of course the heat gun applied- I still have lots of learn about surface work !

This book now lives in AL with a very crafty lady who does amazing things with bottle caps.

Still here

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This is such a simple image but it has such a great story to tell.During our DC trip we went to the Textiles Museum on a very hot,humid Sunday afternoon .The museum was amazing and had cards for www.loopedyarnworks.com.

The teen and I struggled back the 4 blocks to the Metro when we saw a street sign for the shop.I couldn’t resist and we were up the stairs in search of fiber to bind books as fast as our hot legs could make it.

Here I came across a wonderful site.In the front room three knitters,including a guy were hanging out .In the back room two girls were exploring a first knitting lesson.In the corner the women’s world-cup soccer final was in the last 15 minutes of play. I picked up needles and enjoyed some free-knitting while the teen behaved just like his Grandad at any Arsenal v Tottenham “friendly”.Some things are truly genetic !

The game went to extra time and bless the staff they closed 15 minutes before so we squeezed into the door way of the Sportsbar next door to watch the final moments of the penalty shoot out.Gary Neville’s name was eventually remember as I dropped off to sleep that night.

Thing’s with stories are definitely more fun-time to explore that bag of paper from DC