Coptic Stitch

I was able to borrow a copy of a book by Keith Smith which gives very detailed instructions on Non-Adhesive Bookbinding, and so, following the instructions for Coptic Binding I have produced my first attempt. The instructions are so detailed that at times I wondered if they made the whole process more complicated than it need be.
I find I learn best from a combination of someone showing me and then having quiet time to work it out for myself. Having said that I think the book is excellent and plan to get my own copy at some point. The cover is a piece of material I decorated with a faux mineral effect described by Liz Mann in Embroidery Magazine many years ago; for those of you who remember that was before they changed the magazine and cut out techniques for a more art based approach.Perhaps I should try the magazine again as my interests have moved on, but I'm still a sucker for a new technique!

Is it a bag or a book?

Here is an idea of what to do with those important birthday cards that you just can’t bear to throw away. I bound my cards into a book to remember a ‘special’ birthday. I used the carrier bag that one of my presents came in and a ribbon off another present to decorate the cover

I pasted in pieces of old envelopes to hold a series of postcards which I received,and stitched in the cards as separate signatures.

On one page I stitched the wrappers from some very posh chocolates which came from Denmark.




Of course you have to have friends and family to give you the nice cards and presents first.

Award

Thanks Mary for giving me the above award: http://maryandrews.blogspot.com/

The rules of the award are:The winner can put the logo on her blog.Link the person you received your award from.Nominate at least 7 other blogs.Put links of those blogs on yours.Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated...

http://www.feltbug.blogspot.com/ (for her Mosaic Monday)

http://u-handbag.typepad.com/ (for her tutorials)

http://pirilamporiscado.blogspot.com/ (beautiful work)

http://www.karenruane.blogspot.com/

http://foldingtrees.com/page/2/ (book binding)

http://littlepaperbird.blogspot.com/

http://www.ragandbone.com/blog/

Newspaper

I’m planning to do a recycle/reuse theme with a group that I work with, so the idea of beads made from newspaper appealed. Its is quite labour intensive but fun the first time round. I gave up on the sandpapering which I think is the clue to getting a nice even surface, as you see mine are really craggy. I think they could be useful as dangles on a bag or even a hanging. I made holes in mine using my book binding awl which was quite easy. Here is the link, in case you have not already seen it and from there you can find the person who originated them on Flickr; hers are much nicer than my first (and probably last) attempt.

I have also been playing around with close ups and depth of field, in case you are wondering what these boring blob pictures are about.
I have been posting on the I Love Haberdashery Group on Flickr which is fun if you like old wooden cotton reels and that sort of thing.

Wordle

Too many ideas.
Can’t keep to one.
A good thing or bad.
Excitement, inspiration, crazy must does.
Why? Purpose none. Just to keep going day after day.
Where do you put it all? Where indeed.
Don’t let me ask that. Don’t let me ask.
As I trip over paper, fabric and thread.
Camera and tripod. Wacom and all.
Pencils and paint. All the new stuff.
Creativity. Madness. Misunderstood.
Obsessional.
Don’t let me stop.
Let me keep going and not loose the thread.

Have fun with your own words at Wordle here.

Lemon Skin

Continuing with a theme for once, at least for a short time, I have worked on the close up of the lemon skin. I machined into the Indian rag paper, and tried some hand stitching. Eventually I added some lace and wax, and then some French Knots on top.

I also tried waxing over dress pattern tissue. It’s quite hard to get the effect over in a photo which is largely tactile due to the layers of wax.
I also did another collage using a photo of a banana plant leaf; the photo being much better than my artwork.

At the weekend we went to Art in Action at Waterperry Gardens. Some of the work was amazing, especially that of an embroiderer called Rosalind Wyatt who was showing how she uses stitched letters on antique textiles. Also inspiring was the felt work of Heather Belcher who uses a heat press (don’t ask me, I never heard of one before) to incorporate her drawings onto felt. My head was buzzing with new ideas, and of course I wanted to try them all - and all at once!!

I was quite productive last week and using some close up photos of a lemon and a houseplant leaf I started to develop some designs. I don’t know if I will ever take them further but it is an attempt to work on my sketchbook, so that I don’t feel my course was wasted.

I used part of the photo and printed onto it with Acrylic Gesso and then added some watercolour paint.
On the one of the leaf I used watercolour and drew into it with ink.

Shop

Trying to make time to update my Etsy store after many months. I have added these two small quilted wall hangings or throws.

' Raspberry Ripple'

I am also trying to ‘destash’ as it is called. I have quite a lot of dyed fabric which I was really into when I made a number of printed and embroidered book covers, so I had the idea of adding pieces of the brushed cotton fabric to the supplies section on Etsy. It was really difficult to photograph.

'Fairy Glade'

'Green Glade'

Guess What Number 2

The best guess for the last one was an Owl, could be, but can you work
out what this one is - by the way there is a clue in the last post.
I have been pondering as to whether to buy a macro lens for my Canon Powershot A710is, but I found some amazing close up photographs on Flickr using manual focus, so for the moment I am experimenting with settings before spending money, which I don't like to do.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sue323/

Had a nice surprise today as I have been included in another Etsy Treasury :
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=54159

Guess What.

I’ve been doing some felting .Just to see if I could remember how and also to use the wool which I gathered in Ireland when we were there this time last year.

I didn’t expect it to felt well so I used it for detail on top of white merino and needle felted some detail with black merino. There is also a bit of Leicester on the surface.

It’s quite hairy but I think that gives it character, but not to be used with a smart black suit!

Wax collage

Once again playing around with wax collage; this started with thinking of ideas of how to use the metal from coke cans. It has bits of crisp packet, metal, dress making pattern, lace and wool sandwiched between layers of wax. It is quite easy to stitch into and the holes can be sealed by ironing the wax.I've made it into a little book ,about 12cms high,using handmade paper. You may notice that I have spent a bit of time tidying the blog, and have put on some labels and a new profile. I’m also trying to get round other peoples’ blogs now that I have more free time

Wax Collage

I’ve never really liked encaustic art, but at the same time I’m fascinated by the use of wax on paper and fabric. Looking round the internet I came across images of wax collage and that, combined with finding a minute travel iron in a charity shop, meant that I had to have a go. Isn’t it funny how when you have an idea in the back of your mind you sometimes just come across exactly what you need without even looking; it was sold as a travel iron but I think it is really a craft iron which was never used.




Scraps of dress making tissue, old maps, drawings, thread and lace are sandwiched between layers of beeswax and then the wax is ironed smooth. On top I added some Peal Ex pigments.




The base was a piece of Indian Rag paper; you need something substantial, perhaps watercolour paper. It is quite easy to score and bend after waxing.
The surface is really tactile.

Treasury

I'm having a lucky month having been chosen for another Etsy Treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=11524

Have a look at the lovely vibrant colours chosen by debralinker, an acrylic artist living in Seattle.

Urban Art

http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=10468

DBO (we are related) has an exhibition in London in June - read all
about it here. Proud parents, the're such a pain!!

Print Paste

Cornstarch Paste (courtesy of Collage Source Book. Karen McCarthy)

Dissolve 1 cup into 1 cup of room temperature water.
Heat slowly.
Gradually add 3 cups more water, stir over heat until boils.
Stir 2/3 minutes until it is thick and forms a gel.
Let it cool completely.
Remove 1 cup and place in blender.
Add 1 cup of water and blend until smooth. This makes a thin paste.
Adjust the quantities proportionally as required. Add less water
for a thinner paste.
Strain.
Add paint or pigment.
Will keep in the fridge, but be aware that after a while it will
start to smell!
On thicker paper, such as rag paper or watercolour paper, use
Combs, end of paint brush etc. to make marks.
You can add shading with fabric paint, pencils etc..

'Bagsket'

http://foofanagle.wordpress.com/2007/06/26/bagsket-tutorial/
Here is a link to the tutorial for this bagsket. I enjoyed making this
as something of a distraction after the end of my course. It has been

such a hectic time since last September that it feels odd now to have

no clear purpose for all my creative urges. I think it’s just a

matter of going with it until life settles into a more usual routine

once again.
As requested, I will post a recipe for the print paste soon.

I think I used a thicker fabric than in the original, which resulted in the base being quite difficult to attach. The instructions are really clear but beware it takes a lot of time and concentration. The separate lining has a row of small pockets which should make it nice and useful.

Paste paper.

Just for fun I made this little accordion fold book for someone who has just moved house. I remember making paste paper when I was at school but only recently found a ‘recipe’ for it in the ‘Collage Source Book’ by Karen McCarthy.
It is called cornstarch paste in the book, which is an Americanism for what we call Corn flour in the UK. I coloured the paste with acrylic paint and after combing it on both Indian Rag Paper and some paper I had made, added more colour with fabric paint.
In the book the paper was used to make paper quilts. As you see, I stitched into it on the machine; it would be interesting to try hand stitching. If anyone would like the recipe let me know and I will post it here.