WOW- mayhem!

Three tries and they are still not right!  :(  What am I doing wrong???

Aha!  These two patterns look the same but on closer examination it seems they are not the same. duh! 

I knew the two examples were different sizes so I was working with the 12 inch block.  The six inch is for a pillow case and has the actual layout I want.

Then add to the mix, overlapping templates that span three pages.  I can see I was sunk before I even began!  :O  (I went back and double checked- I think they have the wrong template letter.)

I did notice that the first pattern had an easier set up; the four handles are appliqued on one piece and the baskets are built around that centre.  I could make up for lost time here.  :)

So I drafted up my own full page block with the easier layout of the first and the size from the second.  I do believe the darn thing will now work.  If I can just pay attention to what colours go where instead of thinking one basket at a time this will actually be more visually pleasing.

The bad news is that I have made hash from a lovely white tone on tone fabric. vbsigh.  I chose a LENGTHY piece of white tone on tone for this next try and won't have the worry of fabric requirements for the border.   I only have a couple of coloured triangles to re cut because it was the smaller size of the white squares that were the ones causing trouble.  I even have enough handle to make another basket.  yay!  I'm so glad i hadn't got those handles done as planned.  phew!

MAYbe I'll have something accurate to show for next week.  ;~)  Darn it anyway;  why can't I just follow a prescribed pattern instead of trying to be cute!!!  LOL  I guess that is the nature of  'what if...'.

I'm sure my fellow TNTNer's are all successfully filling their May baskets with lovely projects.  You may want to check that out! 

Re:

Goodness sakes!  All this fun I am having is starting to get a bit out of hand.  What a crazy month! But honestly, it isn't this month it is this life!  So if I want to continue to do it all:

RE: evaluate-
I need to go back to those words for the year- focus, find, fine tune, finish...  What exactly do I want to do?
Well,  I want to make things using fabric.  I want to journal.  I want to make art.

RE: Fabric-
 I like to support The Needle and Thread Network.  It motivates me to have something related to my first luv, fabric, on my worktable for Wednesdays.  I hadn't really planned to do a wall hanging a month but again, the focus and the making of something for my home quite fits in with my overall goals.  This month is a challenge time wise and I'll be happy just to get a top done.  Twelve focused projects just resonates with me!  I do better with a theme.   I am a tad exuberant so I try to not to stick my hand up for every quilt a long.  I have a few smaller commitments but I need to be focusing on fine tuning my skills not fiddling with those fun projects.  :O  I think the fabric part is good, I just need to rein myself in a wee bit!

Re:  Journal
I do like the Document Your Life Project (DYLP).  I need to fine tune my method. As I try to deal with all my stuff (clutter)  that overwhelms this designated workspace area I could combine my out of control lists, and bright ideas into this journal.  I swear, one extra big creative spark and everything will go poof! 
I  signed up for Sketchbook Skool, a six week course,  knowing this would be a crazy month.  So I am way behind on the practical although I have read all the theory  which, the truth be known, is my problem.  Just do it, don't study it!  sheesh  But I have made journals, used journals, and worked in journals.  This isn't too bad and again I can pull in the parameters a bit and get the daily practice more consistent. 

RE: Art
Which leads me to art and the whole mixed media realm!  It fascinates me and I so badly want to create stuff.  It is also the area that I need to get a grip on.  I am a technique junkie.  I never saw an art supply I didn't need to replenish or investigate!  My clothes budget has been hijacked!!!  I keep telling myself to take the free tutorials!  vbsigh   I am committed to a project this month involving Lutradur and the ...and then we set it on fire blog... .   It has been a bit time consuming but I am liking it and I'm thinking I may need a designated 'art' day for the blog so I can stay focused and actually produce something. The memory box will take several more weeks and then I should think of another series.

My finishes for the week are quite motivating as well.  awk!  Just finish something!!!!

So I need to do some readjusting, some reorganizing, some redeeming (time), some readjusting, some re... Well, you get the idea.  I could do mixed media Mondays, fabric mid week and finish up with journal projects.   That leaves two days to procrastinate.  Another REally big problem!  

Okay, time to RE turn to regular scheduled programming!  ;^)

In the mood for a Royal Weekend

God save the Queen.  Thanks for the old ones and a special blessing on the current one!  And btw, thanks for the long weekend!  :)

Mother, may I have some help?

Cards are thoughtful and wonderful happenings to give and receive.  I have often thought a stash of homemade cards would be the right thing to have.  This past week's Mother's Day  and an upcoming gathering of the clan to celebrate a cousin's 85th birthday were the impetus to do it.

I had a package of bought blank cards and matching envelopes.  I gathered my supplies.

The first card is a light weight Lutradur stamped with permanent ink.  I use a double sided tape (1/4 inch) to hold it down.  The coloured lines are stripes from card stock and again adhered with double sided tape (1/2 inch).

I did not use anything but the white card for the background as I kept the look simple.

Next I used a scrap of Lutradur that I'd practiced drawing with crayons on.  The grand kiddies luv snail mail.  It needed to have the colours deepened and I used a variety of markers.
I would rather 'draw' on a scrap and then fiddle with placement later.  Takes the pressure away from that commitment to a blank white square, don't cha know!   ;}

 It looked a little forlorn in the centre of this card as the Lutrador didn't cover the whole surface so I added some washi tape borders.  Remember  when you fuss over the process that it is the thought that counts and the journey is progressive.  ;^)

I had a piece of medium weight Lutradur that I had embossed on the Bigshot.  I wet it and used Distress Paints to create a soft wash of colours.

 When it dried I positioned a stamp I'd prepared and cut out.

 This is more sophisticated and I think pop dots should hold the flower.  Very quick and satisfying.  

My thoughts turned to some dark Lutradur.  I wanted some glimmer.  The Radiant Rain nozzle was plugged so I just brushed some on.

 After it dried I ran it through the Bigshot.   I'm thinking I can get two cards with this particular process.

This is okay but...  I need to bump up the glimmer, perhaps a more opaque one.  Two works if the die is a bit smaller sized for the card and if I hadn't thrown away that wee bit between the branches.  ;)

 Next I stenciled a feather onto another piece of Lutradur that had a swipe of some kind of acrylic paint on it.

To show the translucence of the Lutradur I fixed it to patterned card stock.  Fun!

Lastly, I had another piece of Lutradur that had some spray on it and I masked off a flower and sprayed again.

A little addition of some washi tape and another card for the stash.  I try to keep them plain so I can use them for most occasions.  I could have done a few more but it was time to quit procrastinating and finish up the primary project for the week.  :)

Now I'm asking for help because the 12 inch square pages for the portfolio book each tell a story.  The current page is about helping with chores and needs to include past and present.  At some point I'll give a nod to the future. It also needs a wee bit of data.  Everything I put in has a purpose, at least to my mind.  But that is a lot for one page.  :O

 I started with a sheet of Lutradur that had photos printed on it.  They were too faint so I gessoed, painted, stenciled and sprayed the Lutradur.  The large piece wasn't going to do it so I divided it up, divided some more and spread them around to act as a corral for all the wildness in the middle.  Trimming and shuffling things around and taking stuff off and putting stuff back. ???  I thought about it while I fiddled with cards.

 "He who hesitates is lost.", to quote my dear ol' Dad!  It is what it is.

Ah, a final tweak.  I'll be adding a wee white "photograph' border around the page.  This one will finish 12 1/2 inches square.  Good enough.   Ten more to go.    Mother may need some more help!  :~)

wow a mid course correction

I have all the little stems ready for applique and all the pieces cut.  Ready to show the prototype!

Ahem.  I need to check my math measurements.  Something is off and I kinda knew that as I allowed a wee bit for squaring up. The templates are some eighth measurements as well.  :(   Irritating as I could have used some that 'extra' white fabric for finishing!  :O

I will hope to have things corrected for next worktable Wednesday!

Upgrading!

 

We had two nice days before the grey settled back in.  Grey really makes these wee flowers pop!
I had moved a few clumps but even so these are happily spreading  all over and their upgrade is welcome.

Speaking of up grades,  I am using Windows XP and I've been wondering what I should be doing.  I see that my emails in Outlook Express are becoming questionable.  I am getting a lot of new e-mails that have already come in and sometimes even for the third time.  ???  When I began blogging I set up a gmail account and it has really become my primary account.  I not sure the Rooster wants to give ellendacoop as his email addy so I might need to make a new family account and move those who do use Outlook over. 

I am pretty happy with the Dummy book for my tablet.  In talking with DS#1 I am thinking it is time to order another couple of books so this dummy can upgrade her grey matter.  Clouds?

About six months ago we bought a laptop that was on sale.  It has Windows 8 on it and I have it in the sewing room and play music and my workshop dvd's on it.  There is no Internet access in that room.   The home computer worked fine so ... if it ain't broke, don't fix it.   But now XP is broke. :(  It looks like time to learn Windows 8 and how to let my fingers walk all over the mouse pad.  :O

I could put my old Photoshop Elements 10 program on the laptop.  I can get another Dummy book and start all over with the program which won't be hard 'cause I have forgotten everything. :)  I do need to get some photos spiffed up for my Mother, May I project.  I am also noticing that my old camera is taking an awful lot of blurry pictures.  I am hoping to wait till fall to upgrade the camera and after I have a better understanding of how I'll be using Photoshop.  But in the meantime...

Dummies for Tablets arrived with a traveling companion-  Intentional Printing by Lynn Krawczyk.  lol  I'm anticipating a speedy upgrade for my barn workroom and warmer weather to make my own fabrics.  She has great instructions for the process of printing but it was the intentional part of the book that made buying the book so gratifying. 

I quote:

"This book is meant to help guide you toward your own kind of understanding about your art. Yes, there are techniques and there are projects to refine your skills.  But there is more than that.  I can teach you techniques until the cows come home, but I am doing you a disservice if I don't help nudge you toward assimilating these new skills into your personal vision. 

Intentional printing is about slowing down and looking beyond the mechanics of how to print pattern on fabric.  It's about discovering your intention toward your art by slowing down, getting to know what you love, and embracing the techniques that you learn to create your own art.  It is permission to go inward and focus on the aspects of your art that speak your truth the closest."

Interestingly, my last sketchbook class teacher is all about- slow down!  :O

The good news is that I am somewhat moving in that direction already but it is good to have that reminder.
The monthly wall hangings are a certain size and are my interpretation of the month.  If I haven't the right fabric I try to just get what I need.  ahem
I am a technique junkie but the focus on Lutradur this month is geared toward making my memory box on mothers and daughters and only four specific techniques.  Deadlines are wonderful! :)
The DYLP helps me try things in one specific journal.
The finished project a week keeps me scrambling to get something done.

The bad news is that I am a tad exuberant.

So here I am already to gather up print materials and yardage and PLAY!  And she says what...

"I only print fabric when I am making a project.  What?  Let me say it again:  I only print fabric when I am making a project.  I save every bit of leftovers for collages and other projects, but to keep my resources, time, and stash in line, I work with a purpose."   

With a slap up the side of my  head and a hard sit down;  I thought, DUH!  I have pages of gelli printed paper and fabric, odd tries with stamping and scribbling on fabric, and  a whole shelf of odd novelty prints.  Why do I want to rush off and make more!  FUN, but does it have any purpose?   sheesh 

Lynn has figured out her own preferred colours and imagery.  Then she has a plan for what she calls Quiet Layered Printing and another for Intense Layered Printing.  Intentional!   And might I also add, Brilliant!

So the final upgrade will be cataloguing my preferred colours of which I am steadily gaining an understanding.  I once read a home dec lady who said that we each need our own personal colour palette.  This is a bit contrary to earlier advice that said buy everything, especially uglies which will force you to grow.  Good grief, life is too short to overcome a shelf full of camouflage khakies .  I say two FQ's will do and only one shelf of the interestings!  ;^)

Then I need to isolate the shapes and images that I gravitate to.  I like sketchy circles, not thick donuts.  That in itself is a serious demarcation line.  I'm learning I like the fine outline in rubber stamps so I won't be buying those solid guys.  I also really like stencil masks and will look for more of those as opposed to the more common stencils.  It is a good and purposeful start.

I shall make up something similar to a recipe file for favourite techniques/ methods/plans. Basic steps with options.  I am thinking that the way life is zipping along here I better start being more intentional and a little less slap dash spontaneous.  I suspect there will be lapses and one wants to always be up for a few what ifs...

The Rooster will help me.  The focus this weekend was fertilizing and pruning trees and shrubs.  He caught me putting out some of my garden ornaments and chased me and my clippers back to the job at hand.  Which, thanks to his singlemindedness, we got finished.  lol  Mind you. thinking about this upgraded little vignette makes me want to upgrade more!  It can't rain all summer.  Anyone know the upgraded weather forecast?

I'm in the mood for cards

With Mother's Day just passed it seems appropriate to spend some time on cards and little booklets.  It is always a good idea to have some made up before they are needed!  ;^)   If the photo seems a bit blurry it is because I'm having to move a wee bit faster this month. 

Mother, may I colour...

There seems to be some artistic genes in my mother's gene pool.  She, herself, didn't draw or paint although I have this red parrot.  The parrot is actually painted on the glass, perhaps with the outline traced. The gold background is a paper. 

I do have a very vivid memory of my mum using pencil crayons on colour by number pages. The pictures looked just like the paint by number kits and were pretty involved.  I also remember her putting crayon pictures between wax paper and ironing them onto fabric. 

Crayons aren't just for the kindergarten crowd.  There are some serious artists using crayons as their preferred medium, adding them as highlights or even using the simple wax crayon as a final layer to watercolours, gouache or acrylics.  This makes sense when you realize what wax crayons are.

"Oil pastels and wax crayons are serious media in the arts and not only a toy for children. Oil pastels and wax crayons are names for basically the same type of medium. However wax crayon is usually the label for a cheaper qualities and children toys. This misconception probably is the reason why these media are not as popular as soft pastels or traditional oil color in the art world. There is a difference in the quality of the pigments and the binders that are used in the production of artists grades and more simple grades. Oil pastels and wax crayons are a very versatile and exciting media that allow creating unique artwork. Many illustrators use them in their mixed media work for special effects. Only if you want to create artwork for permanent display I would commend not to use less light fast,cheaper,wax crayons."  quoted from here

The options for colouring on Lutrador are pretty extensive.

Lutradur is transparent, even the heavier weight. Using a permanent marker I can choose which side and I don't need to worry about mirror imaging if there is no writing.
I used an old newspaper article featuring a Ruby Kim block of the week that my grandmother and my mother had saved.  Not wanting to mark on the old newsprint I  photocopied it, outlined the lines with a black marker and then placed it under Lutradur and copied the lines.

I used the original crayon colours that were in my crayon box way back when.  The sky is one layer of blue and I heat set it face down on printer paper with my iron.

The green is two layers, each heat set.  The bark is three layers as are the apples.  An interesting bonus is positioning the lutradur on the printer paper so that the image continues to be ironed in the same place.

I had done some water soluble crayons but a 12 x12 background only has so much room. :O

Then I was ready to try melting wax crayons.

I was surprised that different brands of crayons melt differently and the large child's crayon was really hard to melt and dripped the slowest.  Controlling the drips takes some practice.  In hindsight I can see that a non porous surface would produce better shaped dots if high round dots were desired.

Then I put the heat gun to the Lutradur with the wax drips.  The Lutradur melted without reheating the drips unduly.  That was a cool hot technique!

I prepared a background on white scrapbook paper, using gesso, paper images, gel medium and acrylics.

I began to arrange my story.   I am relatively new to mixed media and I must admit I was a trifle boggled by how this would all work out. The mind is an amazing creative tool.  As I began with the first thing- a commitment to explore crayons and lutradur and a few memories;  thoughts began to suggest themselves and I pursued hotly!  lol  The idea to frame my crayon drawing brought to mind the crayon box colours.  My image is a bit big so do I need all of it on the page?  How then should I treat the edge?  How can I colour things to represent past, present and future?  Gosh,  I hate covering goodness up!  lol  Layers!  I need to see covering up as necessary for layers.  Some tulle should dull the colours a bit and some stitching should add some pizazz.  And then there are those great splatters that pull everything together.

I need to spend more time developing layers and achieving depth.  In the end I didn't use the tulle.   The lovely concise wax dots got melted when I ironed from the back in preparation for putting the back scrapbook paper on for strength and to hide any stitches, brads, etc. :(  So I covered it with another try on mulberry paper.  Not as good but...  This was a good page to start with because I expect my pages to improve as I go along just as colouring inside the lines improves with the doing!

Some things that didn't make the time crunch:

-melting wax crayons between wax paper to make skins which are cut into shapes
-melting wax crayons and using a tjanting tool
-buffing wax crayon work, especially metallic crayons
-dripping melting crayons from the top of the page
-notching crayons and scraping them across paper
-using a texture plate
-using crayons as a resist with paint, even faux batik
-crayons used to antique brown paper bags
-etching

I'm so glad I asked if I could could color!!!