First, a cuff made of lambswool from a felted Gap sweater, hand-embroidered with wool. The giraffe button is a Kazuri bead, a fair trade item made in Africa.
Another cuff, made from a man’s silk tie, trimmed with silk from recycled saris, embellished with ribbon and a Kazuri ceramic elephant bead.
More about Kazuri beads can be found at http://www.kazuribeadsusa.com
As some of you may know, I have not been able to work at my sewing machine for many months now. However, my hands have not been idle. Today I took some of my handwork to our local food co-op. These consist of small things I can work on (usually propped up with pillows!). In these short sessions, I’ve had great fun making “jewelry” items from unusual objects. And it’s good to use the “stuff” I’ve collected, giving it new form.
Below is a bracelet I sold today. First, using a knitting spool, I made a denim-colored cord from blue wool, then used beads and springs, (as in hardware from your toolbox), and finished it off with tassels.
Springs and Wool Bracelet
As I create these little things, I will share some of them here. Then perhaps someday they will have their own page.
Here’s a teaser. Next post: the tiny terrarium necklace.
Back in March, I promised to send photos of the altered book I started months ago.
Earth, Water, Fire and Air ~ what you see below are the Earth pages. The book is made from an altered child’s board book, with stamping, collage, painting, chalk, and more. The tabs on the right are part of the original board book; they’ve been perfect for labeling each page. The photo of St. Francis was taken in the garden of a place I stayed near Asheville, NC.
The Water, Fire and Air pages are almost complete, so eventually you’ll find those here as well. In the meantime, backed-up custom orders absorb my time.
If you have made altered books, please leave a comment with a link. I’d like to see your work!
A tree, leaves, spirals, fruit, human hands – this is a detail/close-up photo of a banner I’m working on for a church. After it’s been presented (November) I’ll be able to post a photo of the entire banner.
This has been in process since May. It makes my heart sing to work with colors I love and symbols that are important to me.
Made of cotton fabrics via applique´.
Today I was awarded the Crow Worthy Award by the blogger and needle-arts wizard at Whimseytopia. For a larger view click the crow image on the right sidebar (scroll down).
She wrote:
“The Crow Worthy Award: It’s not just about attracting attention, though it is distinct enough to be identified in a crowded sidebar. Rather it is more about complimenting you who have shared your stories, photos, knowledge and, most importantly, kindness with your heartfelt blogs. It’s a way to say thank you for the funny stories, the friendship, and all those words of wisdom sent as comments and emails. . . .That’s it; just a way to say thank you, I like you, and I hope you keep writing your wonderful posts.”
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And many thanks to you, for thinking of me! Visit Whimseytopia to see the marvelous creations there.
Ever wonder about this thing called “creativity?” How people actually get ideas, do the work, and share it with others? Today I came across this blog post that has some spot-on daily-living advice for creative people. It’s by Austin Kleon, and it’s worth a visit.
Here are a few quotes from it:
So let me (and AK) know what you think about what he has to say.
While working on a tunic, the Temple of the Cosmos, and planning for a chasuble and preaching stole, I have been sneaking moments here and there to work on a book I’m creating.
Above is the beginning of the “Earth” page. It is made from a repurposed children’s board book, assembled with a collage of maps, a salvaged library pocket, paper napkins, ink-jet images, stamps (rubber and postage), and more. The page is not done yet, so watch for another post - I cannot guarantee when that day will come. It’s a busy time in the studio!
And for fun:
