The red and the gray

It is a cold January day, as I look out my window I can see little flurries of snowflakes swirling to the ground. Alas, once they touch down they simply disappear, much to the disappointment of my girl and myself. Just enough of the white stuff for playing in and making a mini snow-person would be wonderful.

Instead I am inside playing with pots of paints and managing to avoid the laundry altogether.

It might be some time before I can set myself up with some screen printing equipment, so I'm going with what I have on hand. I'm taking some ideas from my sketchbook and bringing them to life.

Testing, testing... 1 2 3

Oh yes, I like that!

Some days it is good to simply enjoy the process, have fun with experimentation and not worry too much about the end result. You might be surprised where it leads you. In fact, I now have a completely new direction I am thinking of taking this experiment. How unexpectedly grand!

What are you up to today?
Is it hot or cold where you are?
Had any surprises lately?

Braving the Elements

I have been experimenting, creating and culling new elements. Trying to be brave. Learning new techniques. Fitting the pieces together.

Starting a new sketchbook, drawing on ideas from the past, and playing around.

Expanding on recurring themes - vintage elements in a brave new world.

Still uncertain, still wondering what it will amount to, but going along with it. I am enjoying the journey and braving the elements and hoping for a little sun.

What are you up to?

Call Me

It seems 'blogger' was having a few hiccups the last couple of days, let's hope it's all sorted out and we can get back to business!
And speaking of...I got down to the business of finishing up my cushion for Vic's - Punky and Me swap. I have to tell you, I was completely stuck for ideas for a while there. I was a wee bit worried until I just got over myself and decided to have fun with it. I had fun for sure with the theme of 'communication'!

and graphic prints, bold color play, and stitchery.

Hopefully, the recipient will enjoy it too.

If you want to see some more cushion goodness, check out the links at the end of this post.

I wish you a joyful weekend my friends!

'Ta Da!'...It was fun, it was hard, I learned a lot...or the trouble with photographing an eclipse

and on with the reveal...
You'll just have to believe me when I say that this looks different in person...and by 'different', I mean better. This little art quilt is a trick and a half to photograph. I just couldn't seem to capture it's 'trueness'.

I'm calling it, Eclipse.

a patch of antique kimono silk, that was patched itself - long ago by distant hands.

When I see it hanging on the wall, it makes me smile and jump ahead in my mind to the next one, and the next one after that; for that is how much I really and absolutely like it. There is a good heaping helping of the 'journey over the destination' appeal here.

the print was made using a hand-cut stencil and detail masking with custom mixed fabric inks.

It was meant to be primitive, simple, and an experiment just to see if it might work, this long mulled over idea of mine. Oh yes, next time there will be less impatience, more care and a few different choices but, there will indeed be a next time.
What I learned for the future was:
1. A less loosely woven fabric for large prints would be much better, making for considerably less shifty infuriation, seeping inks, and nasty cursings.
2. Use fresh inks - I used some that were a bit past their prime and paid for it.
3. My embroidery skills need a little polishing up.

Oh, I do like it though, so does the engineer by the way. And I'm just going to pretend that the smaller wonky embroidered circle is not driving me batty! (I pulled out the stitches twice and on my third go it was still askew - so I figured it was best left to it's heartbreaking honesty.)

Well, that's all I've got for today. I think for my next unveiling, I might go for something a little less nerve wracking, a safe recipe perhaps...

Making

Now that the small one is busy in school, cramming her wee head full of knowledge, I have my week days to potter about in the little green cottage. So anxious was I to fill up my days with the long overdue tidying and organizing, that my daily lists have become long treatise on herculean tasks. Alas, the number of ticked boxes in relation to un-ticked boxes has become a bit disheartening. I have been bit over ambitious and to be honest, each task seems to open up a whole new can of worms in the process. So...

I've been making a few somethings instead.

Hand printed cotton Treat Bags, perfect for the season and not just for the kiddos. I had a grand time making these fun, sturdy and washable totes.

With school on the brain, I also sewed up some gorgeous hand printed linen into pencil cases like these...



This morning I popped them all into the shop! It was such a good feeling to be putting some new stock up on the shelves after the summer hiatus. I think now I might just reward myself with a cup of java and a home made brownie, and go visiting my favorite blogs!

So, what's new with you?