2010 2011 Mobile

Just when you figure out what to do with 2010 a new 1 comes along.

Pillow Cases -- from Drawing

Took a drawing that my niece had made, stitched it on pillowcases for her parents.

Oh Boy!

Top one is by my niece, second one started by me, then had some loving little hands to help super adorn. The gingerbread itself isn't too sugary, but those clothes he is wearing...tsk tsk.

Croque en Bouche / Cream Puff Tree

15 minutes with Costco Creme Puffs. (Yes, the sugar trail could be absent -- maybe needed to spend 20 minutes.)

2013 Update:  Just saw a show with baking contest and Pate a Choux for Tree (croque en bouche).
Granted I didn't make these cream puffs, but they were super simple to put together to make the tree.
The sugar/water hot syrup is plenty sticky and sets up quick enough that you can build the tree with no internal supports.

Steps:

a. Cream Puffs
b. Hot sugar/water (sugar, water...some use sugar, water, corn syrup...I forget my formula, but it was sticky and very hot...1 cup sugar, a couple tablespoons water).  Stir constantly, through boiling, until it turns amber.
c. Dip the bottom of the puff in the hot sugar water, place on tray you plan on for serving.
d. Make a ring, with the puffs touching each other. (of course, you need to eyeball circumference to make sure you have enough cream puffs to make it to the top).
e. Next row, same thing...hot sugar on bottom, this time stuck onto the puffs below.
f. Repeat until you reach the top.

The globs on here are from the end when my sugar wasn't as hot -- after the tree was assembled. . Perhaps if I had re-heated or worked on "spinning it" (make sugar trails on rods that I could transfer here) it might have looked more professional.  Picked some flowers from the winter garden to add decorations.

Solvy Lace

My first attempt at using Solvy this way....need to be brave and dissolve...but, for now I will keep it like this in case I decide to add on....form a garment or whatever. Technique thus far has been multiple over-stitching with the machine...hoping that it is interlinking enough to form lace.

See January 6 2011 post for instructions.

The Book of Harold

Put together the collection of stories begun many years ago -- spurred by the telling of a story from my friend Sandy, about her friend Harold. I enjoyed the story so much, that I started recording things I came across in life in written form....snippets from life. Years might go by with only one story added....probably a mix of fertility (of my mind) and the time I devote to it. Found pictures in my personal files that related to the stories somehow, and tethered them together in book format. I have another project developing in some part of me to relate aspects from life....though this time in fiber. As I say...we shall see.
(12/22 comment: gingerbread boy is nieces from ly..refer to 22 Dec 10 post decoration arrangement as she grows older)

In theory (of electronic communication), if you click on link below, you can get to the book. But, I kind of doubt it.


http://www.bookemon.com/book-profile/the-book-of-harold/68280

Sculpture

Has meaning, but I don't think I will share "in writing!"

Buche de Noel

Practice makes perfect? A few more weeks to go..we shall see.

Weld

My first weld !

Accessories -- wool

Friend shared some of her abandoned knitting projects as well as some wool sweaters she had washed with the intention to felt them. I had fun re-engineering them with some needle felting and stitching. The cuff (extended bracelet?) is a bit odd...but picture it with simple all black (long sleeve top) or all charcoal grey outfit....with just a touch of the avant garde (or just plain weird!).

Table -- Granite

Used granite scraps picked up from the dust bins of kitchen/bath counter fabricators to create a 8' by 3' table top to be used as a planting table. The array of "stone" that nature provides continues to amaze with beauty...the colors, the weight, the properties of shine and layer. I shall add "sequence of steps" photos soon, but basically, here is the outline for you to follow when you create your own table or bench: Start with the remnants, lay out the pattern, cut to fit (as necessary), glue in place, grout the "seams," sponge, cure, enjoy.

Travels -- but what did I make?!

Using this blog to capture my handwork rather than details of my everyday life, but feeling remise about so many days without a blog entry! Just back from visit to Madrid, working on special project for kids clothing line (super cool)...lovely time, worked lots, enjoyed lots. Ok..so what did I make? Hmmmm. a). Progress b). Insight c). Time will tell.

Pillow from Scarf

First time making pillow with flange back -- used a scarf from my Auntie for front.

Medals

Took some unused dated "completion" medals (2007) leftover from a charity cycling event I am involved with and created some pieces. A group of us attend quite a few meetings, create and used quite a few spreadsheets, and overall spent quite a bit of time on the event. Used our super long task list as confetti, wove a rest stop food donation excel sheet, and spliced a portion of a board used for displaying raffle item. All this is fresh on my mind because we just held 2010 event this past weekend...added bonus was that I cleaned out my files before storing them away until we begin planning again in January 2011!

Monster

Created a component monster...all pieces separate, using ribbons to tie together however one wants. Experimented with spray adhesive and ceiling glitter (retro), and may perhaps adorn the tree here. Took pictures without his sparky eyes/fangs/horns (they are interchangeable), because "plain" is version too. Monster is a bit floppy, but I like him.

Have idea to create tinker toy type set using soft components.

Extra Circular Project

Boards made for raffle portion of next weekend's charity bike ride...thank you to all donors!

Arrangement of Bird Elements

Used yarn to create knotless net over bird pieces I had sewn. The idea of a bird in net came sideways, but can be interpreted as having freedom diminished -- which was a topic on my mind when I started knotless netting. The thought of being encumbered by something that one doesn't really want to do/be influenced by dovetailed (pun intended) into a bird being caught in a net.

The bird figure itself arose from the pervasiveness of birds in craft work. Seems that a bird is almost the poster image of craft nowadays, reminding me of painting eras of still life fruit, sailing ships on vast oceans, and portraits. So, I sketched a bird that likely couldn't fly (body too big for wings), translated into cloth, and used hooks on the elements (tail, wings, head) so that one could arrange the pieces any way they desired...to create a bird they envision with the elements provided.

Copper Basket -- Knotless Netting

Tried technique of knotless netting with copper wire to fashion this basket.

Web of Lies

Playing with knotless netting. Can't say that it is my favorite thing to do, lots of strings that fall back on each other...keeping the tension even has proved challenging. I was kind of forced into knotless netting via an assignment, and that made me not the happiest I have ever been -- which made me start thinking of one's heart being in a noose (a future piece?!)...your "love" is restrained, as I couldn't do what I wanted. That made me think of things that weren't very pleasant, and combining that way of thinking with of what the knotless netting looked like itself, I came up with the concept of "A Web of Lies."

Thought of some lies, typed them up, printed them on cloth, then wove them into the net. Netted it around a piece of plexiglass, mainly because I liked the color, not because I think it is the best for getting the "web" part across. I was going to make the netting itself out of the printed lies, and attach it to various plexi thin rods, so it looked like a "spider web" but that would have required a bit more work than I was game to do on this for now....though I may do it in the future. A companion piece to this will be "A Den of Thieves."

Maparoni

Granted this is silly.

Assignment was to take a recognizable symbol, object, etcetera and cover it with a single material -- a material not usually associated with the entity. The alternative title to this is "And called it Macaroni" (or perhaps ...called it Maparoni") as in ditty "Yankee Doodle Dandy."

Took a balloon, one of my favorite happy things, paper "mache-d" it, painted it, and then covered it with dyed macaroni. Used a bit of rubbing alcohol and food coloring with uncooked pasta. Drew the world on the surface, which is a bit tricky....so used to seeing continents/countries flat, the perspective is different, as is the scale of a single country versus the globe. Yes, it did take some time, especially since I used tweezers at the beginning.

Put the USA in "natural" color pasta to highlight this nation we hear all about. For being only 5% of the population, we sure do get around!

Stitched by Hand, Hand Printed on Silk

Took a print I had made of one of my childhood drawings, and hand stitched "hightlights" on the print. Print was made using gum arabic, printers ink, and water. Basically you make a toner based copy of the artwork (or photograph), apply a gum arabic/water solution, roll on printer's ink, sponge it off to a degree, and run it through the press on silk (or paper). Is washable if you use printer's ink. Don't know what else I would do with this...framing it in flat frame doesn't seem to the be answer. Have stuffed the "merely" printed ones, which you can find on earlier blog entry.

Stitched Drawing

Took drawing from my niece, and stitched on linen. Need to figure out display idea for it..turning it into a pillow is an option, but perhaps that makes her drawing seem less than art, which I don't want to do...the freedom and imagination in it is something to elevate.

Used sewing machine and hand stitching.

Book

Saw results of long term project -- self created book of the art of my father. I started this a couple years ago, taking photographs, writing and organizing on Shutterfly. Found the site cumbersome for words, and limiting in formats. Moved to a Google "blog," which I formated as pages of a book, front to back entry by entry. Blog format was much easier for me to maneuver and edit. Became relatively easy to move from blog back to book. Tried Bookemon, but went back to Shutterfly, as a lot of the book is pictures, and Shutterfly seems better for that, and the paper stock is heavier.

The above shows some spreads from the book...12" x 12", 100 pages in total.