Sketch Book

I was away from home this weekend...
following my husband around in the mountains.
I did do some sketching,
some embroidery and some book making.
I completed the sewing of the signatures in a book that I am making.
I used 300 pound watercolor paper for my pages.
Instead of sewing on linen tape, I used leather tapes instead.
I really love book making.

Really.

I have a couple of finishing touches and then I'll post pictures of the finished book.
This isn't the book that I was talking about, the "DJ Book"
but another one that I am making.
I posted photos of the painted pages a while back.
This one has blank pages that I have painted and no other inserts (at this point...).

Here's a scan of the sketching that I was doing.
My inspiration was a journal page that I did. It all began with a simple poppy seed head sketch...
you can see that it certainly didn't stop there,
now did it?

More Signature Wrap Art

Well, I finished the main signature wrap for my mixed media book.
The photos are out of order
but I think that you can figure out by the background fabric
what is the outside and what's the inside.
You won't be able to see the front of the back until the end of the book...
that sounded funny, didn't it?

Anyway, this is the front of the signature wrap. It will be one of the first things
that you will see when you open the book.
I added some beading to the edge, right next to the lace trim.
I love the deep dark red on the fabric I used.
The fabric on the very back is coffee stained light weight muslin.
I found it among my grandmother's doll making bags.
It smelled like my mom's house when I opened the bag.
A wave of memories hit me along with the scent of my mom's house.
The next two scans are of the inside of the wrap. I used post cards from my friend DJ Pettitt to make fiber/paper collages.
I love to repurpose vintage fabrics, linens and clothes for collage work.
Nothing is safe in my studio...
Nothing.


Here is the back of the outside of the wrap. I embroidered the stem and leaves and then added a little crocheted flower that I made. Oh and some beads for a bit of bling.

For the Love of...

Thread.
Linen.
Outlines.
Color.
Oh- and Colonial Knots!
I love French Knots but I have a mental/physical block when it comes to actually making them.
A friend of mine (Waving to Mama Crow!) heard of my agony and frustration.
In a matter of a minute or two, she had me making a knot
that looks very similar to the French Knot but was So Much Easier.
So.
Much.
Here's some of them on a little stem.

I've been loving hand embroidery here lately.

Just a piece of linen, some of my mom's embroidery floss and a tiny little needle.

So soothing.

I just draw my image on the linen with

a water soluable pencil and start stitchin'.

Easy Peasy.

And here is the WOTD (Word of the Day).

Bloom.

For a couple of reasons - I look out of my front, side and back windows and what do I see?

Blooms.

A bunch of budding blooms breaking the barrier of the brown soil.

(spring fever caused me to type that...)

Or you could Fly.

You could Be Brave and let your tiny wings carry you towards

your most secret dreams, desires and wants.

Those things that you hardly ever allow yourself to even think about cause you want them so, so bad...

But you're scared to death that if you speak them out loud

you'll jinx them.

Do you have any of those dreams?

Maybe it's the one you've had since you were a little girl (or boy),

sitting in your boring old English class...

dreaming that you're this Awesome Artist.

One that everyone loves and wants to buy your work.

Or wants you to teach them how you do what you do...

You could think about those hidden (or not so hidden) dreams today.

Write them down.

Send them out to The Universe.

And Fly towards your destiny.

Dancing In The Moonlight

I have wanted to begin doing more hand work in my fiber art.

After seeing Susan Sorrell's detailed work,

I started this piece.

I don't know if you can see the beading very well

but I have added quite a few beads already.

I have been doing free form embroidery as well.

And lovin' it!