Saturday 30 June 2012

Let me explain

I've sort of fallen off the internet for a while. The main reason is that I was trying to be too fancy with writing up a good blog post, so I didn't do anything at all. Remember a previous post's complaint about the problems with a stamp I made? Well, though that use didn't work out, I still think it is an interesting way of making a mark, and I wanted to give a better impression of the technique. So I decided to do a proper tutorial post, letting people know how to do it and what the finished result ought to look like. But that would mean writing proper instructions and taking proper photos (maybe when my nails weren't stained green from dying yarn), and using the stamps to decorate something, proper like.


That just didn't happen, possibly because I was properly intimidated. However, because I wanted to write the tutorial, I didn't write any other posts. And because I wanted to use the stamp, I sort of stopped doing other stuff in the art journal. This morning, I decided to just skip the tutorial and get on with doing stuff again. The tutorial may happen someday, but for now I'll just show the art journal pages with a better use of the fabric-plus-plastic-confetti stamp, making the red hearts in the upper corners:
Scanned Image  0127

I'm sort of tired of these pages, but they don't feel full enough, so I'm going to spend a bit more time on them. And hopefully just get back into the habit of doing stuff in the art journal just because it's fun.


On the bus, I have finished taking apart the cushion covers and started reading Ways of Seeing.



Sunday 10 June 2012

not so exciting update

I suppose it is fitting in a way, as the second pages at the start of this art journal are sort of boring, that the second pages at this other start are looking a bit boring as well:


Scanned Image  0125
I don't get what's wrong. There's exciting stuff: ships, woman with sea shell, clock face jellyfish. But somehow I've put them together in a very boring way. Hmm. Maybe there isn't enough interaction between the different elements. I don't really know what I'm doing, so I'll just keep working on it.


Making a habit of working in the art journal after my daily Wii-Fitting seems to be working fairly well. In fact, I've been thinking about trying to attach a drawing habit to the art journalling. I routinely whine like an adolescent about how I want to draw, but I've never stuck to a plan for improving my drawing skills. I'm not sure how I would combine drawing practice with the art journalling though. Hmm, again.


In quilt related news, I'm still working on unpicking the third pillowcase. I did a bit more while waiting for the Manchester Day Parade, so I feel like I'm still making progress with it.



Saturday 9 June 2012

fabric street art

According to yarnbombing.com, today is International Yarn Bombing Day 2012, and on my way home from the fabric shop I spotted this:
tassled fencing
Is decorating fencing with textiles a new street art trend? I ask because I've recently seen this:
woven rainbow
And this:
fabric on fenceYes, that is a recent photo, despite the snow. It's from April but in Helsinki, not Manchester.


I don't follow the street art scene, so I'm not sure if this is up-and-coming or ancient history, but it got my attention.



Sunday 3 June 2012

stopping before it's too late

I've decided that this spread is done, because I'm worried that any more work on it would move it from the 'mess' to 'total mess' category: Scanned Image  0122


Looking at it again, it's not bad, and I do still like it, but the additional background colour didn't really work out. I found a plastic dove shape from some wedding confetti and tried using it as a stamped image. What you do is put the plastic shape on a smooth bit of wood, then wrap cloth around it and use it like a rubber stamp. I've done this before and it's worked well, but it was a bit messy this time, probably because I was a bit tired and not concentrating well. Then I tried painting over the stamping, which made things even messier. So, time to move on to this: Scanned Image  0123


I'm actually looking forward to starting on a fresh set of pages, trying out new ideas and using up some of the stuff I've collected. My problem with adding to the stash has been especially bad this weekend. I picked up a bagful of fabric and yarn at the guild meeting yesterday, then made some lovely marbled paper at a workshop at Victoria Baths  today:


bright paints on a dull day


Only one of those is mine, but I made 2 more before heading home. Marbling paper is fun, but what am I going to to with it? I have trouble finding space to work in, and stuff just gets lost in piles in my craft area. But I can't bear to get rid of stuff, and I can't resist getting more. Yes, I have a continuing problem.
Note: the workshop was run by Sue Shaw, who can be contacted at Hot Bed Press.