Number 9 and 10

I've done it! A little scary, yes...resigned from one of my positions out there in the real world so I can focus more on the business end of creating my art.

I'm working on the 9th and 10th pieces in my "hands" series. I wish I had a title for this collection, but unfortunately, it just hasn't come yet.  As I post more images and the adventures connected with these, if you have any ideas, please post a comment!

The ninth one is in honor of my dear friend, Bobbie, and will have the image of her hands on it.  It started out as an olive green batik to which I discharged some areas with a floral stamp.  I then did a paint wash with emerald green Setacolor and highlighted some of the "wisps" with a mixture of emerald green and turquoise Setacolor.  There's a little stitchery shop in Rockford that I go to for specialty threads, loving the Caron "Watercolors" 3-ply floss. In the photos below, you can see the dark gold/olive/bluish purple floss that I chose...

The tenth one is a little different - this was actually a fat quarter with a design that reminded me of a large apartment building in a downtown area.  I saw windows, and I saw "dark."  I had this black leather-like trim with grommets in my stash for awhile, but just didn't know what to do with it.  I knew it needed RED stitching!  It's reading "HOT" now - bustling activity (not all of it good, maybe?)...





Getting back to my headline, yes I have resigned my position at Emmanuel, to be effective after Easter.  I know it's not a great time to leave a position, but I'm ready.  The church is ready, I believe.  Now it begins, devoting more efficeint time on the computer. Getting my butt out of bed earlier in the mornings when I'm not at the store.  Photographing my work - I did finally get a new camera, so now I have to learn what it can do.  Going for a couple more art fairs, which I love doing.  Teaching, teaching, teaching. My studio is trashed, too, and desperately needs a major purge.

Chocolate as Inspiration?

Well, maybe it was the chocolate truffle egg that I enjoyed earlier today...

I've found myself looking away from the batiks for my "hands" series.  I was in a strange mood today and not sure why, and now it's too late in the day for introspection.  So, I'll describe what's going on with my 8th piece...

Can I finally say now that I'm in my 50's that I'm into "leatha?" 

The background piece is actually polyester suedecloth with this incredible texture, and was surprisingly pretty easy to hand-stitch through.  A smaller piece of copper home decor fabric on top makes a nice contrast to the dark brown suedecloth, and my "hearts in hand" stamped image on the black lexus vinyl finishes the stacked look that I was going for.  Now that I've photographed it, is it just me, or do we see CHOCOLATE?

Detail shot!

I'll be anxious to hear what Sherrie Loves Color! -  thinks, since she is the ultimate chocolate-holic AND the dear friend that got me addicted to iced mochas...Sherrie, are you listening?

The Beautiful Hands Series: Update

Delving into this latest series, I've realized this project IS a good one.  I'm focused.  And...unlike  my winter addiction to crochet where I was probably close to a intervention, I've actually kept up with a little housework, and to that end, I'm feeling less guilty.

This one has me fascinated.  I'm looking at every pair of hands that I shake, and I want to touch them.  No worries, I am asking first.  Then, of course, I have to photograph them.  Thinking about the caring, healing hands at Emmanuel started me thinking about who's fingers I wanted to have in my collection. 

The first on my list was Millie, 90+ years old.  There are stories in those hands...

I started on my 7th piece a few days ago.  This one is not a batik, or even a hand dye.  It was a cheap cotton print (read - 13" for 85 cents), but I was intrigued with the pattern and I think it will be good for including some masculine hands on it. Oh. Now I realize that that I can't upload a pic of it because I had to re-charge the camera batteries.  I'll share the next time.  I do have some others though...

This last photo is of my first experiment with a Stazon Stamp Pad.  I spied something copper, and my heart starting racing.  What I didn't know was that these are 19.99 each - ouch!  Thank goodness they were 40% off at the store, so the sale price combined with my team member discount made it much more appealing. I like the fact that since it is solvent based, it does dry fast and you can use it on more than just paper. Other metallic stamp pads do not dry very well, and always tend to rub off.  This is a sample of some very nice fake leather (vinyl) - it's name is "lexus" - go figure. I wonder which of my series this "hand" will be included on...

  Late night realization here: I like how my "hearts in hand" stamp has been doing something interesting here, depending on what I stamp it on. I know that, I guess I needed to post the photos for it to sink in.

Castaway - Not for Fabrics

I thought I had in mind where this new series of 12x12 pieces was taking me.  I was wrong.

From mixed media paper application and color to hand quilted squares of batiks, some commercial, some that I'm creating with thiox and stamps.  I think what happened was when I photographed my "Book of Repose" where I had embroidered the front with variegated perle cottons, the gears shifted, the planets fell in line...and I read about  JACQUARD Castaway Stamp Pad
- sounded perfect - a way to create small intricate designs on hand dyes, kona solids and...paper.  I ordered it and when it arrived, I tore into it and grabbed bits of everything to try it on. IT DOES NOT WORK ON FABRIC, JULAINE.
Who needs to read the instructions, I mean papers are natural fibers, fabrics are natural fibers. The info on the package says that it works on non-glossy papers, so I figured as long as the fabrics were washed well, it would work on them as well.  No luck.
If any of you have tried this and had success with fabric, please let me in on the secret!  Thanks...

So I give you some images of my pieces so far.  The 5 that I'm working on are in different stages of completion.  I'm looking for some interesting hands to photograph to add to the pieces, so I will try at church on Sunday - one of the dear ladies, Millie, is in her 90's and her hands tell a lot of stories...
and...that's what I'm going for - what our hands have done...how they ache sometimes...how they become gnarled with age and arthritis.