Monday, March 31, 2014

Mark Making with Nature Video Series

Mark Making with Nature Video Series
Beyond the Ordinary in Surface Design


Digital Video Series 

This video series is available as a digital download from Vimeo.com!

Part One:
  • Getting Started
  • Painting with Natural Dyes & Gutta Resists
  • Creating a mono chromatic painting with Natural Dyes
  • Bound Resist

Part Two:
  • Other Resists, using tape as a resist, etc.
  • Monoprinting with objects.
  • Screen printing with Natural Dyes
  • Stamping and More with Natural Dyes

Part Three:
  • Bundle and/or Compost Dyeing
  • Other Bundle Dyeing techniques
  • Mixing Surface Design Techniques (painting, resists, etc.,) to achieve gorgeous cloth!

Part Four:
  • Making the Gum Tragacanth Binder
  • Using textured brayers to make marks on the cloth
  • Screen Printing using resists and non traditional techniques (a variation on deconstructed screen printing)

  • Monoprinting with found vegetation such as grasses and leaves.

Friday, March 28, 2014

WIP Red Crow



The madder lac dyed silk organza is much darker than these photos depict, the stencil sketch of the crow barely peaking through due to the lighting.  I managed to stitch an outline of the crow in a coordinating reddish heathered wool thread from Aurifil Threads.

I've decided that this smallish piece will now become part of a larger piece I'm working on for my upcoming solo show, as crows and ravens have always been a prominent icon out here on the western prairie and plains.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

A Crow Project


Crow Stencil  from StencilGirl Products outlined in Pitt Pen with Shiva Paintstiks in iridescent copper and white, on madder lac dyed silk organza layered over white silk dupioni fabric.  Timtex core with white cotton backing.  Machine and hand stitching.

The paintstiks don't show up well in this photo, will take a photo tomorrow using natural light.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

On My Sewing Table


Thinking, contemplating my next move, lots of ideas rambling through my head seemingly too many some times, but then it occurred to me that I can marry several "themes" I've previously worked on for a greater continuity.

More to come later.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Some Bird Art


Little medallions with featuring Black Birds in Tree, alcohol inks to the left, shiva paintstiks to the right (prussian blue)


Experimenting with copic markers and gelli pens on scrap booking paper.  Barely noticeable at the bottom are three of the washi tapes I purchased last weekend.  This will probably end up as the cover for my "new to me" journal.  Crow is from my Three Crows Stencil.

More birds to come, I'm working on a major project (all new work for an upcoming solo show) the big reveal will happen and soon, until then here's my latest samples to see how the various mediums work with the stencils.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Journal Makings


I was planning on making a 4 x 6 inch journal this evening but my block of 4 x 6 solid color papers seems to have gone AWOL!  So maybe tomorrow evening instead?

Mark Making with Nature eBook Combo!!!

Tired of waiting for Spring? 

Itching to drag out those Natural Dye supplies?  

Then wait no more!!!


Mark Making with Nature eBook Combo
$9.95
Add to Cart

Friday, March 21, 2014

WIP All Beaded Up


Now with more beads, and definition.

Today's Haul

Today's haul from JB Knacker in Gilbert, Iowa.


Five inch brass numbers, need the "3" and the "0" still.


Vintage jello cup to experiment with.


Some millinery bits.


Thimbles: one metal one silver.


Wasbi tape from Pixi's in Gilbert, Iowa.  She has every color and pattern imaginable, plus several sizes, in stock.


Pearl white wasbi tape.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Auditioning Fabrics





Found some folded points, etc., in a box of vintage fabrics I picked up along the way and am now auditioning them to use in an upcoming body of work. I think I may rust dye some of the red and white gingham as it's too clean and too cheerful.  

The netting and metallic mesh was in a box on my shelf. 

Monday, March 17, 2014

Mending


A bundle of sleeves.


For some reason the first wife's mother kept the sleeves from several shirts, I unrolled the bundle today (What you think I'd throw away all of those textile treasures??? Bite your tongue!) mostly because this bit of madras type fabric was peaking out, looking all spring like.



Love the way she butted the torn edges together, adding some matching threads and stitched them together with the skill of a surgeon!


  Imagine my joy when I discovered that it had been mended, and in several places.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Weekend Finds



Now that I'm feeling slightly better, I picked these yummies up at JB Knacker this past weekend, my favorite vintage shop ever!!!  The tureen will hold my vintage bead and bauble collection.  The calligraphy and fountain pen tips, well for lettering of course.

Sunday, March 09, 2014

WIP - All Beaded Up


I started this piece about a year after mom passed away in 2005, it's cigarette papers layered atop digitally printed cotton fabric and interfacing.  Machine stitched, hand stitched, beaded.


I have a lovely greyish black glass bead that I'm using to outline her shirt and arm.


Bead detail.


Interestingly enough I didn't have any grey threads in my collection, and wanted some for working on this piece so ventured over to JoAnn's and found these lovely shades of grey, in both pearl cotton and cotton floss.

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Studio Notes March 5th, 2014


I'm not sure why I'm having so many issues with Blogger of late, but it's interfering with my ability to post, well whenever I like!

Monday I went to Cherokee Iowa with my BFF Brenda to help with hanging her show at the Sanford Museum, help might be a bit of an exaggeration but I'm sure she was happy for the company as it's a long boring drive there and back.  


While on the drive we talked about my upcoming solo show, and why I still didn't have any work produced  yet for said show.  After six hours of beating a dead horse I'm back to these niches I created last spring for another show but always felt like I could have done more.  I love the cut outs in these pieces, I love the birds, the stitching, etc., and want to pursue this further, pushing the limits and see what will happen only with digitally printed and rusted fabrics.

Since I found out my show isn't being hung next month but rather in May I have extra time now to explore the possibilities.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Sunday, March 02, 2014

Irish Rose Sample



I haven't decided upon the orientation yet, I found this Irish Rose medallion in my stash and decided it needed to have it's story told sooner than later.  Off to add more stitching.