Sketchbook 2012

A couple years ago I started seeing online all sorts of gorgeous pages being put together for the Sketchbook Project. I was inspired and finally decided to take the plunge and sign up for the Limited Edition 2012. Deadlines and challenges work for me, in that they push me to do something I may not get done otherwise. So this project was to push me in the mixed media area. Technically I do mixed media as I work in clay and fiber but I wanted more push so I signed up. 

I took the 'sketchbook' part seriously and didn't aim for perfection but instead for the learning experience yet at the same time I didn't want to send in a piece of junk so of course there were a couple pages that got redone. You can check out the sketchbooks in person or have a look at them online. You can find mine here. There is an unlimited number of inspiring sketchbooks to look through!

This one wasn't a stretch but is somewhat of a signature piece for me, teabags with dried petals.

 Above is my husband's favorite. It is a more personal piece. It was done at a journal workshop.

 This is watercolor paints stamped onto fabric. Done at one of our Odd Tuesday play dates. 

 Handmade paper, also made at an Odd Tuesday get together. 

Tea Time, Lack of Time, Time Flies, The Puzzle of Time

I just finished adding the little extras to some pots that came out of my last kiln load of 2009. Above is one of my little teapots and below a couple of clay baskets.

  As time marches on the life of this once beautiful Christmas arrangement fades but that's when I get excited as I wait for some dried petals and leaves that I haven't used before in one of my organic fiber studies. Here I've taken apart the drying arrangement and wait for everything to dry nicely so I can start mixing up the new with what I already have dried.

Sometimes the waiting projects get overwhelming. I've decided these three postcards need to be made into a wall piece.

Plan is to paint a background, perhaps adding some additional rectangles and then stitching the cards in place. When will I do it? That is the PUZZLE. And speaking of Puzzle, I signed up for the quilt challenge which has started out with 'puzzle' as the first prompt. After reading the definition several times I started sketching. Of course crosswords and jig-saws came out and then I started thinking what is my biggest puzzle and that is TIME. I don't have enough and don't know how to make more of it. My quilt will be created with that in mind. Hopefully I find the time to get it made before the deadline!

Fitting in Some Creative Time

Wow, December is flying by! Perhaps it's time I learned that it does that every year and that yes, time does pass quicker every year. Will I remember that next fall? Probably not. But there is always a chance so I will try.

I have more than a bisque load of clay work to be fired. I'm hoping to get it bisqued, glazed and fired before Christmas.

Whenever I get a chance I go gallery hopping between blogs. I 'ou and aww' (?? how does one spell that expression??) before I continue with my day totally inspired. One such gallery day led me back to my sewing room where I decided I'd make a set of cards for some dear friends who have a LOT of my pottery and baskets already.

 I started several years ago stitching petals, seeds etc together with fabric to include in my clay work. But I also love the combo without clay. This one is a simple combo with petals and rosemary. The rosemary scent adds a nice surprize. Below lavender adds a nice aroma with a little glitter from the angelina fibers.

 

Here is one of my clay wall boxes with a 'natural fiber study' with some candy wrappers. The clay hand that was cut from the box makes a fun piece for a studio wall.... in this case my sewing studio.

Hope everyone is enjoying a creative and fun holiday season!

Oh if you are searching for a quick and easy gift here's an easy tasty one. No shipping cost or wait as it is a downloadable cookbook. This illustrated & colorful digital cookzine includes 26 yummy vegan and vegetarian/easily-made-vegan recipes. All proceeds from the sale of the ebook will benefit Farm Sanctuary , a rescue for abused and neglected farm animals victimized by factory farming. At only $3.50 it makes an excellent stocking stuffer or little hostess gift.

Weekend Fun

I had time to just have fun in the studios this weekend. One of the paper samples I made this summer was stitched to an upholstery scrap and zig-zagged onto a card.  I see my machine skipped a few stitches so it must be time to change the needle. Or perhaps I should have checked which needle I had in before sewing through paper and fabric!

My cousin is a quilter and had a birthday on Sunday. I left it late but on her birthday tried out a couple stitches I had never used on my machine to finish off a quilted postcard.  I think I'll use those little daisy like stitches again.

In the clay room I threw a pot upside down. The bottom is the top in the photo above. I opened the pot up to the bat and collared the clay in as it rose, closing in the top which later became the bottom. This left no trimming to do and it was easy to roll this little vessel into a sloped shape before adding some legs and stamping in some texture. It's drying and should make a fun little vase or tool holder.

Hope you all had a fun Halloween weekend!

Three Cups

I decided on a more subtle suggestion of the origins of this piece by including the wrapper writing upside down along the bottom. Part of me argues 'not so subtle' when the word coffee is printed in the lower right corner and 'freshly ground' along the left edge but my original placements were definitely not subtle. My hopes are that others may also see the aroma of fresh coffee coming up through the cinnamon sticks from the whole beans. Whether this piece suggests coffee or not I'm happy with the experiment.

For those wondering about the making and finishing of the piece, I machine stitched blanket stitched the foil binding in place along the inside edge, then blanket stitched the whole piece to my fabric along the outer edge. I discovered something I really like about working with coffee foil; it doesn't stretch out of shape as you stitch it! So there were no bubbles as I reached the end of stitching even though I used only a couple pins to hold each side in place.

I serged the edges of the fabric and stretched it over a 12 x 16" canvas frame after debating whether to add batting and backing and create a traditional quilt. Finally I stitched my clay embellishments in place.

I emptied a package of coffee this morning but of a different brand. Another discovery; not all coffee foil packages are created equal. This mornings package had a lot more glue holding it together so it ripped as I opened it out. Also the plastic freshness 'port' is permanently in place and I could not simply lift it off the foil. So if I want a full package of foil with no holes or rips I need to be careful which brand I choose at the store. This may become difficult as I try to please both my husband's coffee taste preference and my foil preferences!

Teapots!

If you live or are visiting near Rockville, Maryland this weekend you may want to visit Visart's 'The Art of Tea 2009' for an incredible exhibition and sale of one-of-a-kind teapots. Check out some of these teapots!