Craft Therapy

Inadvertant Creativity

So I'm still rabidly e-baying.... cleaning out hankies, stamp pads, roller wheels, and a some more Longaberger stuff... and in the process, I came across some old inks that I had in my cabinet. Some are Bourges inks, some are Dr. PH Martin's... and since they're old, I thought maybe I'd sell them as a lot on e-bay. (You never know!) I figured I should put some ink on paper as samples to photograph for the listing.... so I got all happy and started drizzling ink on paper, staining my fingers, spritzing with the water.... and THEN--- I remembered the silk blanks I'd run across when cleaning out my hankie drawer....!!!!!! So of course I got to staining that, too. Then I added some salt. This is what I came up with:

Now, I don't know if it'll be color fast, but I did heat set it for a while.... I took some extra "detail" photos to put in the photo album. I love some of the random shapes and textures I got.  I guess the inks are staying in the drawer!!

Spring Cleaning....

OK, so it's July... but better late than never. I spent last week teaching a ceramic drum-making class at Lake Erie College, so I spent a lot of creative energy on that.... and my hubby needed one of the tables in my studio (yipes! It had stuff all over it!!!) ...so I've been cleaning out. Decided to put some Longaberger stuff on e-bay, as well as crafty supplies I'm not using.  It's amazing how much of my creative personality is HOARDING.... and collecting... and amassing.... until my studio pops at the seams. So, off it goes to e-bay, and some to set aside for the Stamplistic's "yard sale" in August. Then whatever doesn't sell there, I'll try again on e-bay! Gotta squeeze some cash back outta that stuff..... so I can go get new, more exciting stuff!

More purse-y goodness

I found some pre-quilted fabric in my stash, and whipped up this Batiked number. I altered it just a little by making the "neckline" a little lower, and I used pre-made binding in a contrast color. Like it alot. I realized, though, that these slouchy purses might feel better if worn over the head and across the body, so that's my next one....(!)  I also liked the idea of a little coordinating sunglass case, so I did a couple of those, too. My mom came over yesterday and hinted that it would be a nice gift....hmmm....maybe it's time to get moving for Christmas!

New kick a-comin'---purses!

So, I got to cleaning out my studio a little on Tuesday... and, of course, I run across stuff I forgot I even had. I told my sister we could toss out half of all of the "stuff" in my studio, and still have twice as much as I could ever use in my lifetime. Really. So I got to cleaning out, and somewhere needing a present for my sweet friend Nicole's birthday, and running across a purse pattern I bought 6 months ago, I got a-sewing. The pattern is called "The X-Bag" and it takes 1 yard of 2 different fabrics. Now, once upon a time, my sweet friend Nicole got me into Longaberger baskets (evil vixen) and I was a collector for a couple of years. Even sold 'em- and as a consultant, I got to buy the fabric when it was discontinued and a PHENOMENAL discount. And.... of course.... I still have it in my stash. So I whipped up this little beauty for her yesterday. I just have to add the decorative button, and off it goes! But, like me with many things, I feel a few more coming on.... maybe in cherries? Batiks? Or maybe I could reduce the pattern a little.... it's a tote-y size, and I'd love it a little smaller, too..... so, I think I could be on a kick. Again. But maybe this time, my stash will shrink instead of grow!
   Oh... and one of my CPS sisters sent along this site for a similar bag- only 2 pieces with one compartment, vs. the four you get from the X-bag..... but it's also cute and a good way to use up scraps. Check it out here: http://www.kristinlaflamme.com/musings/?p=119

"Work" for today....

Well, Diane the Yarngoddess (and fellow CPS blogger) said "It's work to be creative" and that I'd better get back into my studio. Well, almost. I "worked" in the dining room while the electrician was re-hanging the chandelier. So I WAS taking care of home matters....AND getting crafty. I accomplished 3 pieces today: I made the bookmark to go with Jen's daughters' charm, soldered my kids picture charm, and soldered my little altered collage. The latter started a few weeks ago as a jenny-come-lately project: I had signed up for the Joggles soldering workshop done by fiber goddess Sue B (another fab blog). But I didn't have time with our traveling schedule to actually DO all of the lessons. So, better late than never, I stared a collage in a little matchbox. I just wanted to use some of the pages torn out of a book I'm altering, so I didn't have a particular direction. (I've noticed that some people just make art because it's pretty. No theme, no hidden symbolism, no sacred memories. Hm. Gotta try that someday!) Well, like things do with me, a theme emerged.....burn out! And I was using a matchbox filled with music paper...and some know that I just "retired" as a music therapist after 15 years in the field, and 10 1/2 at my last job. I didn't really see myself as "burnt out"....but, well, maybe I really was. I dug out an old canceled stamp ("voided"), some watch parts ("cogs in the machine" "my spring has sprung") and some tin that I punched out with a heart shape as negative space ("my heart was in the right place.")  I also found some text to use, as a serendipitous touch- the bottom line reads "there is good reason".... I also found the line "he will probably fail"-- and I wasn't sure that it fit in with what I was doing, but the quote felt right and needed to live in the collage as well. So now it's on an inner wall and isn't readily noticeable. Anyway, got it all soldered up....and now I'm just deciding if it needs to be in a bigger, sculptural collage, or if I'll just wear it as a pendant. But that's enough for today, I guess. I'll let it talk to me some more later...after the grocery shopping. Oh, the life of a desperate housewife!

Some more bead-y love...

My friend Dawn came over today, and we made a field trip to Grand River Beads to pick up some sundries.... I got silver beadcaps to finish off my "cool tribal" necklace I've been working on. It's got 3 doubled strands on each side, into which I've woven horn, wood and crystal beads. I've never done this type before, and I really enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, I'm going to experiment with making my own focal components from polyclay (something I'm developing to possible teach at GRB this fall) and maybe weaving in some pearls, too.  I also helped Dawn design and construct a necklace to wear at her brother's wedding... and there are pics of that in the jewelry folder too.

In other news, I started a small matchbook shrine yesterday- I just started adding "stuff", and the theme of "burnout" came up....so I went with it. I didn't exactly leave my job due to work burn out.... maybe company burnout... but in any event, it's in progress.  More on that to come....

Altered book, page two!

Got another layout done.... I focused on some tissue-paper collage background, and added some stencilling....I also decided to try out my new metal stamps, which worked well on the thin metal I had on hand. (Unfortunately, it dawned on me that they are way TOO BIG for jewelry work....time to start trawling e-bay for 1/8" size...) I finished my embellishments off with an "inchie" from a swap, and a set of 3 polyclay buttons I'd made for a swap last year. (Detailed pictures of them in the "Misc" photo album.)  Not as inspired as the first layout, but I'm feeling a little stuck. Spent the bulk of my day today painting and scrubbing the back hallway. Not artistic work. But I'm still having a hard time giving myself permission to go play in the studio.... it seems I'm doing less in the studio since I've been at home, not more. Curious.....

New journey, new book started-Weekend Zen

Woke up this morning in a funk... had a dream last night reliving my departure from work, where I had been for 10 1/2 years. I know it's going to take a while to settle into my transition from "working mommy" to "home mommy", but today I really felt it.  As it would happen, I was watching DIYnetwork's Craft Lab, and the episode was on altered books. Now, I've done an altered book, but it's been a looooong time.... and I've been so consumed with "projects" lately- mostly gifts- that I haven't made any spontaneous artwork. The show was just the reminder that I needed to get me cracking open a new-old book to alter.
     So how is this a Weekend Zen? I'm glad you asked! I was so anxious just to START, that I decided to limit myself to the left overs on my studio table. Those who know me will vouch that I am NOT a neat-nik, and frags from old art projects live in little bowls on my table... you know, scraps of paper, buttons, trims, stickers- really just stuff that I can't bear to throw away. So that became my starting point: use the junk on the table. It gave me a really great base of some painted paper, some gold paint, and some trim.... and then I gave myself permission to use some rubber stamps I bought 2 months ago but never opened....so there's the "J" and "journey." So appropos to today's theme.   
    Bottom line: I woke up feeling funky, but I feel better now.... and I've got a new place to put my funky feelings in! Detailed photos in the Altered Art photo album at the right....

Soldered Art, Part Deux...

Just got some photos uploaded of my soldered art & Jewelry, and put them in the folders.... now off to enjoy the holiday weekend!

...and speaking of baby crafts....

....I whipped up some of my trademark burpie cloths for Baby Ben. I also made some for our newest neighbor next door, Ella, but gave 'em away before I could photograph them. I also got a request from my sister's sister-in-law for another batch. It seems her bouncing baby boy uses them as loveys and goes through up to 3 a day! (That's quite a habit!!) It looks like I gotta go shopping for some new diaper cloths and get my machine hummin'.  Might even consider listing something like this on e-bay or etsy, now that I'm semi- retired...