Just Weave Me Be

What a crazy time for me this past month has been. I've had more custom orders for books than I can keep up with at the moment which in part is because I have 4 halloween costumes I do every year for our grandkids. They never cease to befuddle me when it comes to their choices. I know it's been many years since I've had children in the house parked in front of a TV but seriously...Phineas and Ferb? Princess Peach and Bowser? Thank goodness for Google! Yesterday I delivered Phineas and Ferb and now I'm on to the other two...pictures will be posted this weekend when the kids are wearing them. 

I've also had to get out 2 ATC's (I thought I was going to quit doing them for awhile...I may need a 12 step program). The first is for a Weave Me Be swap, the ATC was to be woven with something...anything. I rigged up a loom and used raffia and then embellished it with glass beads. It took me a good part of the day and I know I won't be getting any awards for my weaving or beading talents but it was pretty fun to put together. Don't think my partner was very crazy about it but there is not much I can do about that I guess.

For the second swap you had to use a tape transfer. I used one of the stencils I cut for the man (it's actually my Puccini stencil) and used a vintage image of a woman for the transfer. The scan is terrible because I put a gel medium over the entire piece and unfortunately it got a glare from the scanner so the colors are a bit wonky. I titled it Letters Home. On the background I lightly stamped some text which is also hard to see in the scan and added a postage stamp from India. 

I have 6 more books that were ordered to bind plus a smallish painting I owe a friend from a bet I sadly lost - not that I mind making this painting for him but the bet was on the Cleveland Browns playing the KC Chiefs and my Browns lost! If you read this - It's coming soon, Stew! Promise!

This video is Carole King & James Taylor singing a song she had on her Tapestry album 

Going mad crazy..........................at the Shores

Book Binding and San Marino Daydreams

Sadly, San Marino is the last in our World Tour swap series, there just wasn't enough interest. I, however loved it, I learned a lot about some of the lesser known countries. It was fun while it lasted. I did a piece if what I think is a TITANO ceramic (left) which stands for Monte Titano, the mountain San Marino was built on. A little tidbit for you:  San Marino is the world's oldest and smallest republic.
As a kid growing up in Germany I remember a smallish souvenir type bottle containing wine either at my grandparents house or ours, my memory is a little unclear as to ownership and it looked much like the picture on the right. No idea as to why I remember that bottle so clearly - the texture of it was fantastic to me! Silly huh?

I've been crazy busy binding books. Here are a few custom pieces I've done recently:

For my husband the lineman




For Joann





Teacher's Journal



Pirate Art Journal
I've got one more to bind then hopefully I can get some made for my Etsy shop as it's getting even more bare and a lot of good that will do me during the holiday season.

The following video has no relevance to this post but it makes me smile to watch Sugar Chile Robinson play...genius! 

Already missing the warmth of summer.........at the Shores

I Read Banned Books

I just did an ATC in honor of banned books week which was last week. My friend Susan has a button that says "I read banned books" which was my inspiration for it. The idea for this particular swap was 7 different people indicated what the ATC had to include: 

1. 3 circles
2. something torn, ripped or shredded
3. something that moves, opens, spins or dangles
4. something metal or metallic
5. an element - earth, water, fire or air
6. something tactile

7. graffiti writing or marks

Here is what I came up with - it's not a great scan since the book lifted it from the scanner bed. The 3 circles are the metal eyelets up top, I used torn text for the background, the miniature book opens and closes, there is a piece of copper that tops the "firepit", I painted some fire, used "brick" fabric for the tactile part and "I read banned books" is my graffiti. 
I'm always amazed at the number of classics that have been challenged and or banned all together - I've read many and don't think I've turned out too bad! Pretty sad really, some of these works are pure genius. By the way - Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was banned for passages that were considered "sexually offensive," as well as for the tragic nature of the book, which some readers felt was a "real downer." Well, I for one will not bury my head in the sand and try to pretend such an awful time in this world's history never happened. As George Santayana once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Stepping off my soapbox now....

I just purchased some new pencils, I got the Derwent Graphitints and the Inktense sets (24 in each set). I've been working on breaking away from my trusty acrylics and thought they'd help in my quest...plus I was in a swap where you had to just use colored pencils so of course I had to buy some, I mean after all, my huge set of Prismacolors just wouldn't do now would they?!? It's a simple design but kinda pretty, yes? It was done with the Graphitints, I love the subtle colors you get when you brush water over them.  

An Anne Frank video tribute, music by the Goo Goo Dolls

  

It's a shivering cold fall day...........at the Shores

Where Have I BEEN?!?

Nowhere, really. I've just been a slacking blogger I suppose. A few things have been going on but nothing earth shattering. I got THE most wonderful shipment of fabrics for my handbound journals - aren't they just a gorgeous bunch of colorful lip smacking YUM?!? I'm just wild for batiks. 

Of course I had to make a journal right away for my shop from one of the pieces. It's buttonhole bound and has acid free kraft cardstock pages, a dream for one who does art journaling.

I got a little wild and did a funky "purse" writing journal and just got it listed.

Thanks to my super amazing friend, Susan who put my shop link on her FaceBook page I also got 4 custom orders....need to get moving on them! 

Update on my virtual trip across the US, I am about 12 miles from hitting my 300 mile mark but the weather has been so lousy with wind, rain and just plain cold! I'd best get at it soon because I think the weather will just be getting worse before it gets better.

 I don't write 'em but I do make 'em!

Color me happy..................at the Shores

Painting Completed My Life

This blog post title is a Frida Kahlo quote and it's pretty much how I feel, there is very little I'd rather be doing than paint, or at the very least creating - anything really. I've been working on some more books, my poor Etsy shop has been untouched for quite awhile. I feel guilty in a way but have always refused to "make" myself do something because I think I should (with the exception of going to the doctor or paying bills). So, I'm ready to get more books bound and for my first one I put an image of Frida Kahlo done with a handcut stencil I'd done and added the very quote I just spoke of. I was inspired by a piece of fabric someone sent to me, she knew I loved street art and Banksy in particular and thought it'd be perfect for me - she was right! It's Frida meets street art! I have a second sketchbook I am binding with the same stencil but on an VERY happy yellow floral. 

Yesterday I the weather was cool and I decided to hit the bike trail for a nice long ride. It was almost too long, I was a little concerned halfway through it if I hadn't bitten off more than I could chew. I rode 15 miles from home and the legs were beginning to ache and the lousy seat was starting to get verrrry uncomfortable. I'd though about calling home for Tom to come fetch me at one of the roads the bike path crosses but decided I went that far, I really needed to suck it up and get home on my own. Well, I did and I did. I woke up at 3am to some aching legs so with the help of some Tylenol PM I went back to sleep at about 4. I'm now 258.4 miles out on my virtual Trans American journey. Still not even halfway across the 737.7 miles across VA!

I hope you had a great holiday weekend, our warm days are numbered up here but I'll take as many as I can get. 

Now a sweet song I was reminded of when it came on my iPod while I was writing this. I had a secret crush on Joshua Kadison when his Painted Desert Serenade album came out in 1993! 

You got me talkin' to the moon you got me walkin' in the rain................at the Shores