late to the party again!

 I always find myself behind the trends it seems.  When I saw sashiko boro patches (Japanese method of mending) show up on Pinterest, it sparked something in me.  I've been doing small sashiko projects for years but never thought of pairing them with fabrics to create small pieces of art ... art that could enhance clothing actually. 

The last couple weeks my arthritic fingers have been super busy producing these pieces for my sharny etsy shop . . .

The denim pieces are ones that can be applied with a simple running stitch to jackets, jeans, etc. The other two can be applied as well or hung from chopsticks as a wall ornament.

And a table runner that got me started . . .

Wish someone would tell me what the next big thing is so that I could get a jump on it!  Anyone?

Dashed off a greeting card

 Thinking it's easier, cheaper, and much more personal to make a little card for a friend or relative than to go out and buy one.  So I quickly made this one for my granddaughter this morning.

What takes the most time is going through my stacks of papers to find just the right ones!

It's a long slog 'til April

 Snowing again! Looks like a long long winter and being stuck at home, my options are limited.  Either I clean house 'til it sparkles and shines or I go up to my craft room and while the hours away.  Guess which one I usually choose?

I have a huge stash of fabrics in all sizes and styles (mostly scraps).  Lots of cottons so I'm digging in and making small quilts and pillow tops and anything else I can think of to use up some of it.  Been working on a little quilt this past week.  Just enough vintage check with tiny roses for the squares along with other mostly mid century cottons.

Then there is always my stacks of papers. I will never use it all!  Time flies when I'm cutting and pasting them for my gluebook, notecards, greeting cards or tags.

I guess I'll make it through but it's a long way to April

Collage Artist Extrordinaire!

The last few years, I have been dabbling with paper collaging and love this form of art. Pinterest has exposed me to a truly great artist in this form of creativity.  Usually when I post unknown and unrecognized women artists, they are from the distant past. Kanchan is working today and putting out these gorgeous pieces . . . 

Kanchan Mahon is a self-taught artist using the medium of hand-cut paper collage.

Her art is quixotic, vibrant and otherworldly. Images are combined with intricate pattern, rich texture.

The qualities and concepts embodied by butterflies, flowers and birds infuse these pieces with the rich symbolism of the natural world. These women dream of flight, like the birds they see, They long for change and to transform themselves, as do moths and butterflies. There is a flowering of self.

In these couplings of myth and psyche, her art celebrates the loveliness and liveliness of women. She calls these images of vivid color and intricate detailed patterns “Dream Images.”

What I was playing with in 2018

 My latest obsession is decorating small tins. This one began as a Whitman candy container. I have transformed it with ephemera (old and new) buttons, lace, glitter, faux flowers, jewels and pearls making it a little work of art. It stands on four faux pearl buttons.

The lid is covered with a perfectly fitting paper doily upon which is a vintage carved button with a jewel atop, picture of a Victorian lady, some silk flowers, pearls and more. The tin is just 3.5" x 3.5" and stands 1.25" tall including lid and feet.

 Couldn't stop at just that and had to decorate the bottom and inside lid as well!

Happy New Year

 It has to be better than 2020!!

One small bright spot in my year was meeting and trading cards with an artist from Santa Fe, NM. Each month I look forward to one of her beautiful cards, notes and paper goodies in the mail.

Dropped this one, from me, in the outgoing mail this morning. It expresses my feelings and hopes for the new year. My wishes for everyone is more peace, civility and graciousness in everyone's life for 2021.

Found a trading partner in Santa Fe

 So much fun (and motivating) to find someone to trade art pieces with.  This is my November trade with Carol.  A once-a-month greeting card.  No messages inside and free to create in any genre.

So happy to find a way to use the old 1940s photos from Ireland.  Isn't she adorable?  Wonder if she's still alive and would recognize herself.

Dorothy, Tommy & Margaret

 Here is the first newly added page to my old album. The photo is from a lot of tiny (1 1/4" x 2" and smaller) 1940's era pictures I picked up at the Thrift Store. I have plenty more to fill this "gem of an album" posted earlier.

I am leaving alone those frames that were already filled when I bought this album.

Pages are only about 4" x 5" so call for tiny photos

Found a little gem

 at the Thrift Store a couple months ago.  It's been sitting on my drafting table ever since waiting for some collage inspiration.

just 4" x 5 1/4"

some pages have old photos mounted in them

edges of all pages are gilded

inside flypage

sepia photos are faded but I will save them in their places

inserted was this pattern for cutting size to fit in frames

I love this little clasp

This is going to be FUN!  

 

Out of the Blue!

 Yesterday I received a big ole manila envelope filled with paper ephemera, sheet music, playing cards, a whole book and some rubber stamps!  Even though I don't deserve, a good friend sent this just when I needed some crafting mojo!

So ... I quickly put together page 25 of my glue book using only items from her gift.  No theme, no rhyme or reason.  It got me off my butt and into collaging again.

Inspiration from Scotlynn

I've been AWOL for two months.  Kinda down from all the bad news of late and trying to get my creative mojo back.  Finally this morning I had a light bulb moment while thinking of my sweet little great granddaughter rarely get to see.  Why don't I collage the feelings I have when I think of her and that smiling face.  Luckily her mother and grandmother send photos as she grows and changes.  She is nine months old now, starting to think about walking and getting around one way or another!

Thank you for the inspiration Scotlynn.  Created this collage for just for you.  Hope we see you on your very first birthday ~~~

Happy Find, Happy Easter 1928

One perq, and there aren't many, to growing old and forgetful is that you can find something put away years ago and be delighted by the finding!  Happened to me yesterday.  Buried on a shelf in my craft room were two very vintage tattered and beat~up magazines I forgot I had.  One was a Ladies Home Journal from April 1928 and the other was a Journal from May 1948.  Couldn't wait to tear into them for a page in my "glue book.

Appropo to the moment ~ ~ I am so old, I can hide my own Easter eggs!

Learning new techniques

I recently joined a wonderful Yahoo group and have learned more than I ever knew about collages and techniques.  This past week I was introduced to a paper technique called "masterboards" wherein you take a 12" x 12" scrapbooking page and paste, tape or glue pieces of interesting papers randomly to the whole page.  Then you can cut it into postcard sizes (perfectly makes six) or tags or whatever you need.

Here is the postcard that I liked best so I made it page 3 in my glue book ~

With this group's inspiration in mind, I have also started what they call a glue book.  Take a regular book, journal or whatever and collage over the pages.  Here are my first pages in a journaling book I've had for years.  Now ... this is just what I've been saving it for!!

And I can use all the paper ephemera I've been hoarding as well.  Like this cancelled check written out in 1913 ~ in pencil no less!

Happy Valentine's Day

In many past years I hand~made Christmas cards for friends and family.  I gave that up two holidays ago and decided it would be more fun for me to make Valentines ~ ~ ♥

Which is what I have done the last two years.  Here are just a few of this year's cards

Left an opening to tuck a little note into each

Repost from Christmastime 2011 ~ memories of Shauna

Finished the second crazy quilt wallhanging for my daughter yesterday.  She will be gifting it to one of Shauna's best friends for Christmas.

You would have to have known my granddaughter to understand these t~shirt colors, stripes and especially the significance of the mac and cheese.

This sweet girl was eclectic in her wardrobe choices, a total artist in the way she put colors and textures together.  She always lived in her own little world of wonderment and joy.

Homage to Calder

I have collected postage stamps for years and love adding them to my ATCs.  Usually do that in the middle of my creating or, if a space needs to be filled toward the end, I can always plunk one there.

While digging around in one of my stamp boxes, I found three Alexander Calder stark and beautiful 32~centers.  Almost all my old stamps are cancelled but, with these, the cancellation stamping only added to the designs I thought.

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I hope Mr. Calder would be pleased with my interpretation of his artwork as Artist Trading Cards.