Travel Map on Safari

A friend of mine went on safari to Africa a while back, and her photos from that trip are glorious.

The patterns in the hand-dyed fabric, the bright colored glass handmade beads.

And bracelets made from copper wire, hand fashioned and wrapped. Carved wooden masks and handmade baskets from reeds and grasses.

Beautiful reminders of that trip. And she sent me some things. From KENYA.



When I started making these travel-inspired tiles I noticed that the word 'KENYA" appeared in several places on the maps in the background.

It made my imagination run away, creating stories about where the tiles came from, and who collected and saved them.



The colors remind me of antique hand-colored maps, with the faded and folded areas from wear and heavy use, hand drawn during a time of exploration of the world.

Like old globes with areas of wear and scuff marks.


The colors remind me of the dusty earth when it's dry, the color of the muddy slow-running rivers, the dusty air during a sandstorm.

These travel tokens remind me of the old subway tokens you sometimes find in flea markets. From trollycar lines that no longer exist.

Or old bus tokens, train emblems, that you would get when you traveled, in the days when train travel was romantic and leisurely. Pampered. With a dining car, and sleeping compartments.

People sometimes collected the tokens, putting them into scrapbooks with photo postcards and drawings of the places they visited.

I promised a chance to win one of these little tile sets. I'm thinking a set of magnets maybe, to decorate someone's file cabinet or refrigerator.

Dreaming about travel to go on safari, longing to see the pyraminds in the desert ... or thinking about an asian trip to see the Great Wall of China?

Want to go to Paris for the delicate pastries and crunchy french bread, or maybe just driving the back roads for antique shopping in America's small towns?

These are the things these little tiles I've been creating make me think of when I look at them.


Travel Theme, Asian Accent, Paris Bistro Style.
Blues, Greens, Earthtones, Tuscan Red.

***Tell me which is your favorite and which color theme you like the best.***

What do they make you think of? Do they bring a story to mind?

Next week I'll draw a name out of the hat for the folks who post, and you'll get a set of six magnets in the style and color you said are your favorite!

Armchair Traveler's Souvenirs

CHINATOWN MEMORIES

I've been to San Francisco a couple of times. My favorite part is Chinatown.

It's got an ancient, old country feeling, and traditions of asian culture. The architecture, the colors. Even the scents of spices, the kites and carved pillars.


Someone reminded me today that the Chinese New Year is coming up soon. I need to check, I think it's the year of the ox?

There used to be an asian market at City Market in Kansas City, I don't know if it's still there. You could find all kinds of special dishes, fish and seaweed, unusual eating utensils.

In the history museum in Kansas City, deep inside the building, they have transported an old asian temple building, intact and reconstructed. The carved pieces with hand colored and rubbed finishes facinate me.

So in that mood I created this set of asian-themed tiles. Some are round, some oval, some square. One set might be good as a group for magnets. The large square one, with the geisha face design, reminds me of a lacquered antique box I saw once, in a special store in New York. I could only look longingly.

There's a painter whose work I've admired, I need to look up his name. He takes the carved wooden type face used by tibetan monks to print prayer books, and incorporates them into his paintings. They are textural, a visual treat. I have to go and find my journal from the trip to Santa Fe where the gallery with this work was located, to find his name again.

These little tiles and pieces remind me of the feelings I had when I stood in front of those paintings.

I tried to reproduce the well-worn look. And the carmine reddish brown color that I remember.

The lanterns are a fun look, combined with the kanjii characters.

I don't know what they say - they may not be right-side up. But I like the way they look.

Winged Hearts

Take Heart - Take Wing

I'm headed quickly out the door to start the regular day, but wanted to do a quick post to show some of the tile designs I'm working on right now.

These are made to be just charms, hanging from a wire wrap or worked into a beaded design, through their eyelet holes.

The single birdwing design is a beautiful azure blue color.

Since the big 'heart day' is coming up in February I guess I was inspired to make some hearts. These have a fleur-de-lys pattern on them.

I slipped one of the hearts onto a hanger, pulled on a ball-chain and have it around my neck now for a 'test wearing' - this research and development phase is my favorite part.

- someone must do it, right?

Test Tiles And Crazy Notions

A few days ago I posted a group photo of the 3/4" tiles I made recently, playing with images and colors. I've been thinking a lot about how to put them to use, different ideas about that.

Here's what I've done so far - what do you think?

I made a series of bezels out of copper sheet, one horizontal for a two-tile set, one vertical for two tiles, and one vertical for the trio three-tiles that 'go together'.

I antique patinaed the copper to make it look aged. Antique. Like something in a desk drawer, a souvenir of a trip long ago. Like those divider tabs you see in 1940's file folders, with the blackened creases and worn spots.

The copper has a beat-up, well worn look to it, not a shiny bright copper look.

Like the kind of metal dividers you use on file cabinets, with an eyelet for the holes on the horizontal version.

They could be used as a pendant or attached to purse as a charm, something like that.

The vertical two-stack has a round bezel at the top for a chain or satin rope to go through.


I made one for the triad series that's vertical, stacked on top of each other. With two eyelets in the top corners, to use a wire wrap or jump ring through for hanging.

Some of the little tiles have faces, some have words. Many are about Paris or have french street addresses.

I want to make a bezel for a single tile. Just a copper bezel wrap with one tile inside.

I can't wait to make some necklaces using these, with a simple copper chain and clasp.


And I have an idea buzzing to make a similar design only round, with holes to sew onto things. Like buttons only larger and decorative.

During a knitting session I was trying to figure how to turn them into stitch markers, so I could move them from one needle to the other while I'm working on an afghan. They're smooth and shiny, so fun to look at and handle.

Thanks to all of you who gave me such great suggestions! I will be making up some sets of magnets, too. They will be great on the fridge...

Charm Swap Beauties

Folks are starting to use their charm swap goodies, and it's so nice to see the variety of creativity!

Lorelei Eurto made this great bracelet using elements from the swap.



Erin at Every Heart Crafts made this great design titled 'Home Address.' Isn't that quaint, it tells a story using several charms and beads from the exchange. She used the stamped number brass link I created, along with the key charm and blue number disk.

Cristi at 2ifbysea put together a story using the heart charm from Gaea, my golden vial with the word 'GOOD' on it and calls it 'The Good Heart' necklace.

I love the lampwork beads she used in the necklace, be sure to pop over to her blog and read the story that goes with it.

When I made the little vial with golden flakes in it, I was thinking of the old phrase - 'as good as gold' - and Cristi has combined it with the heart bead, to make a heart that's good as gold.

Can't wait to see what Gaea will come up with! And Heather! Too much suspense...

Mosaic

Sometimes I have some specific project in mind when I head to the studio.

Other times I just try out new ideas, bounce things around and see what happens when I do this-and-this together.

Yesterday was more experimentation than re-creating any prior project.

I don't know why I'm thinking in mosaic terms, but I found myself making these little square tiles.

Now I'm at the phase of figuring out what they are, how to use them and what they are meant to become.

I know it sounds backwards. I should have a step1-step2-step3 process in mind when I go into the studio to spend time.

But sometimes it's just not that way.

I'm there, having fun and being creative. And not really thinking ahead to what the final steps will be, what the outcome of the session looks like.

So I have a bunch of these 3/4" square tiles. Most are in pairs by color, some are in triads.

I'm thinking I might solder a setting for them and turn them into pendants.

Or wrap them in metal with a bunch of connector links and make a bracelet.

I could drill holes for the links, or I can solder them together.

For right now it's fun looking over the various images, colors and how they look in a big lined up group.

If you have any flashes of inspiration on how you see these little tiles turning out, please let me know!

Lion's Share

The traveling and the festivities are over now. The family is back in Louisiana and I'm here, back in Saint Louis. I'm just not ready to take the decorations down yet. Maybe one more weekend with a fire in the fireplace, a cup of hot cocoa, and sitting next to it knitting on the afghan for my daughter.

I feel as full of good things and as fortunate as this lion, licking the cream from the plate.

For now, even though I'm nursing a head cold and cough, I'm headed back down to the studio to try to re-connect with what I was working on when the season turned, the hello kisses started and the fun began.

It seems a lifetime ago. But I'm sure once I get down in the basement, the rhythm will swing for me again, and a new year of inspiration will start. And I'm sure the work I do will have elements of those days of fun, happiness, food and tradition in them.

Have you been taking a break during the last several weeks, enjoying the special foods, music and visits from family and friends?

Ming Pale Blue To Golden

To celebrate my blog-i-versary, I sent zephyr connector beads to folks who had replied to one of my earlier posts.


I'm always curious and excited to see how folks use the beads, and here's a perfect example of using them in a way I would not have thought up on my own.



Lorelei uses stranded links in her designs, I've seen some beautiful ones she makes with colored strands of seed beads. So I sort of expected she might do that with the two connectors - five-to-two - with maybe some chain.




Well, look how clever she is! She used the connectors on a chain linked bracelet at the clasp! I suppose if you made it longer you could use them the same way on a necklace, too.

I'm AWESTRUCK and AMAZED!

New Monthly Challenge

Over at the Art Bead Scene blog, there's a new monthly challenge.

The inspiration is a famous painting by one of my favorite artists - if you create a completed jewelry design using the picture as an inspiration, you could win a nice prize.

Check out the rules and instructions - and the artistic design to start off your new year!

Celtic Annum Chant - New Year

Listen and Read - History on Tap

Chants were learned by viva voce, orally learned through example. The notation is a graphic form of signs, called neumes. They are based on a musical gesture, and eventually changed to become the five-line staff we know know for music notation, first used in the 16th century.


Traditionally sung by choirs of men and boys in churches, or women and men of religious orders in their chapels, there are Gregorian and Ambrosian chants, and a Mozarabic chant used in Spain.

Gregorian chant was promoted across Europe by Charlemagne, when he became Holy Roman Emperor, and spread as far as Scandinavia, Iceland and Finland.

There was resistence in displacing the Celtic chant in Brittany, the British Isles and Ireland with Gregorian chant until the 9th century.

Irish monks formed monasteries throughout Europe such as the Abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland.

To hear a chant
sung by
Rick Dechance in German Latin, go to this link.

READING LIST -
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR WINTER NIGHTS

~~~~~~~~~~

If you are interested in history, the Dark Ages or Ireland, and looking for a good non-fiction holiday read while you are in front of the yule fire sipping hot toddies, check out 'How the Irish Saved Civilization' by Thomas Cahill.

He tells the tale, all historically true, how Irish monks maintained the records of Western Civilization to prevent their total loss and preserve much of western culture. This is the first book in a seven book series by Cahill on Western history, called the Hinges of History series. (256 pages, published first in Feb. 2996)

~~~~~~~~~~

If you're in the mood for something lighter and more in fiction, try any of the Sister Fidelma Mystery series by Peter Tremayne. I suggest 'The Haunted Abbot: A Mystery of Ancient Ireland' or 'The Subtle Serpent: A Celtic Mystery'.


He tells the story of an irish woman, Sister Fidelma, who is a both a 7th
century nun and a dalaigh (or advocate) authorized to practice law in the courts of Ireland.

There are celtic political intrigues, historical details and a murder mystery to be solved. The historical background includes sites of geographical details in Ireland, castles such as Cashel and hills of renown that still exist today.

Peter Tremayne is a pen name for the Celtic schloar Peter Berresford Ellis, a born storyteller with the historical knowledge to keep it true while making it interesting reading. He is still writing the series about Sister Fidelma, and you may be able to find these books at the public library - if you do, check them all out and settle down for a long, good read.

~~~~~~~~~~
Hot toddy optional but highly recommended.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy New Year - Sales going on in both shops - grab some year end specials and start off 2009 with me!

Santa And Folk Visiting

Two little ornaments.

Cast in plaster, hand painted and made to look very ancient and old.

The Father Christmas with the tree clutched in his blue mittened hands, wearing his red hat and coat. His nose is nipped with the cold.

The little Toy Soldier in his black hat and boots, gold shoulder patches and red jacket.

Headed off in a specially handmade box, nestled into red colored straw.

Going to their new home, to decorate and celebrate the holiday season and year ending.

To nestle in the branches, or peer out from the depths of a wreath.

Or maybe to perch on top of a package wrapped in gold and silver paper.

Measuring and Taking Stock

Wondering, Counting and Pondering

I've been thinking a lot lately. Here I go, sharing some of those random thoughts with you.

I make year-end resolutions, after thinking about the time that's past, and the fresh new year ahead.

I'm thinking about how to measure things.

For recipes, there are wet measuring cups and dry ones, and you should use the correct measure to get the results you want.

Is there a similar situation in life? Does how we measure things make a difference, a change in the outcome?

Is there a recipe book for success?

For fulfillment?

Those two things aren't always the same thing, I think.

I enjoy the blog and writing about what's on my mind at the time. It's sometimes a little random. The series about 'Legendary Jewelrymakers' when I find someone's work that inspires. A tutorial or two - I hope to do more series of tutorials next year. Mentioning folks that I find inspiring, whether on Etsy or other places, to share how creativity is a gift that's meant to be given away and cherished.

Do you notice that I try to match up my post topic with Etsy favorites that mirror the theme? I've found some wonderful talent on Etsy that way, I hope you have, too.

If I measure my year's success by the amount I've learned, it's been a wonderful year.

I've stretched my creativity and learned many new things. Last year at this time I didn't have a torch and had never fused fine silver, just one example. Something new and fun that I enjoy has been added to my toolbox. And etching copper, that's something I had not done until this summer, and always wanted to learn.


Do you set goals for yourself every year? I believe that goals help you find your direction, not be aimless.

And if you have them, you know when you've arrived, when you cross one of them off the list.

Something to celebrate.

Progress.

From a publishing side, I realized a long-time dream in having three articles published with my designs and ideas (with one more pending publication in spring 2009).

I didn't know if I could accomplish that, but I sent in proposed submissions and they were accepted!

If I measure by the number of new friends and connections to people through this blog and through the Etsy shops, it's been a fantastic year. So many of you I would not have known, or followed your progress as you have encouraged mine.

The replies and comments you post, the conversations you start on the blog posts, mean so much to me! It lets me know you are interested and what you are thinking, too.

The charm swap is one example of that, working together with other creative people, some I knew and some I met for the first time.

Rewarding in all ways you can imagine.

Dove Grey and Copper Sparks

In the evenings I've been working, kind of slowly, to finish this necklace. It's been over a week.

I've had the patinaed charm in a little bag, and pulled it out to match up with the hand dyed dove grey costume pearls.

They almost have a lilac or violet tone to them. When I dye the pearls I don't always know what exact color I will get. It's a surprise, a nice one.

And the pearls vary a bit in tone, so they look more vintage to me. As though they've been slightly faded, worn by time. The round textured chain links came from an old necklace I took apart, I used two of the links in this necklace. And the little dangle is a black glass leaf, with silvertoned lines on it for the details.


I found this darkened oversized chain, in two sizes, that I used to finish the necklace and use as one of the strands of the three-strand necklace. Then I opened my goodie bag of faceted fumed glass beads, to make the dangles.

The hook is attached to a long, thin glass bead and some more violet gray hand dyed costume pearls. I wanted this little necklace to look like something post-war with military medallions and watch fob chains on it.

Like something found among some saved 1940's coins and stitched patches from someone's sleeves, maybe in a wooden cigar box at the back of the bureau.

I wish I could create more quickly, but I finished this up finally, making the three-to-one connector and the clasp out of darkened steel wire and put it around my neck. Lovely.

I get a good feeling when I finish one, especially if it's taken a while.

Road Trip With an Angel Baby

I'm hitting the trail with the children (and the beautiful grandbaby) for a brief extension of our holiday visit in their home state, before I fly back after New Years! What a lovely thing to do, to spend some quality time with the beautiful baby girl.

Draping the Form - Part 3

Finishing Touches, Head and Shoulders

Years ago, in a far away place in North Texas, I used to do some theater work, creating costumes and props for plays. Among other jobs during college, I worked at a craft center in a small town in Texas. I put those two things together in kind of an odd way, to create this little shaped and draped neckline form.

This bottle is Aleene's Fabric Stiffener. Some folks who make crocheted stars for ornaments use it to stiffen them permanently, so they'll hold their little six-pointed shapes when they're hung.

It's also good for putting cloth into, to create angels and Santa figures, so the cloth will drape when they stand up.

I'm using it here to give my lightweight bust form a stiff shape, so it will stand up on its own. I think it's just very thick white glue. You could probably use glue if you have that instead. I diluted this as the instructions suggested, but if you use white glue you might not want a 1:1 dilution.

I didn't pre-wash the unbleached muslin cloth before I used it. You could use an old sheet if you have that handy.

I tore the square off instead of cutting it, that way I got a nice straight of grain cut across the cloth. A pillowcase might be large enough, but I wanted to have a large open square of fabric so I could make nice drapes on the form.

If you've ever made a holiday angel for the top of the tree, it's most likely a very similar process.

It's a good idea to check one more time at this point in the process, that the film-wrapped plastic form is very steady and stable on its base.

Then wrap the fabric around the form. I started at the neck, then wrapped the corners around each side and tucked everything in nice and tight.

However large you want the finished form, bring the cloth down on the plastic shape. The stiffener will make the cloth able to stand on its own. But don't close up the bottom, or wrap the cloth across the bottom, if you want to remove the shaping form later as I did. Otherwise you'll have to cut the form open to get the shaping form out.

Mix the diluted stiffener and water together into a plastic container, and dip the cloth right into it, to get it saturated with the stiffening agent.

Then re-drape over the form sitting on top of plastic to catch the drips.

Use your hands to smooth and shape the draped cloth the way you want it.

I added more stiffener onto the cloth after I draped it, to be sure it was good and saturated. It will drip for a while, so be sure you have something underneath to catch the extras drippings, as it will harden and be difficult to clean up if you don't put the plastic or newspaper (or both!) underneath.

Leave it on its own for 12-24 hours to dry completely before you take it off the form.

Resist the temptation to move it, mess with it or change it. Just let it sit and completely dry in place. If it's dripping, wipe up the excess stiffener but don't play around with the fabric now.

It will start to dry from the top down, as the excess liquid moves down the form. Let it dry completely until the lowest level of draping feels totally dry to the touch.

If you put enough stiffener in it, it'll easily slide off the plastic shaping form, but hold the shape all on its own. Be a little careful, it's possible to crush it if you press too hard, it's not like concrete or anything.

You can re-use the form now to make another one, maybe in a different color cloth, if you want. I think one in a deep black cloth would be cool! If you're done, you can unwrap everything and put into the recycling bin and just enjoy your new draping form!

You could do something similar with papier mache instead of fabric. Tearing newspaper into strips, dipping in the glue and wrapping around the plastic-wrapped form. You might have to cut it off the shape afterward, but that might be another neat look for a draping form. I may try that method later, just to see how it turns out. I need to make an earring form, too!

I hope this little tutorial on how I made my draping form is useful to you, if you make one I'd love to hear about it, or see photos, if you'll share them!

Draping the Form - Part 2

Forming the Shape

If you're following along on making the draping form, here's where I got started.

I saved two empty rolls from packing tape dispensers. Those are the large round cardboard rolls.

And two empty milk jugs. They're what made me think of this project. I thought the handles looked like shoulders. These were saved from being crushed and added to the recycling bin.

The tape is blue painting tape, the wide kind. And a roll of plastic garbage bag liners, to put down on the table and also for covering the form later.


The red plastic container is optional, it's an empty container that used to hold flavored coffee grounds - Hazelnut, I think. The black plastic lid is still on it. If you want a bulky form you'll need it. If you prefer a straighter shape on your form, you won't need it. Slim vs bustier.

You'll need a square of muslin weight cloth, 36 inches or about a yard square. I used unbleached muslin, but any cloth that weight will work.

You don't have to go to a lot of trouble getting these exact things if you don't have them. This is just what I used -- if you have something else that's similar I'm sure it will work just as well.
Be creative -- if you find another way to do this, be sure to let me know. This was an experiment!

Tape the two wide cardboard rolls together end to end, and the two plastic milk cartons together with the handles opposite each other. Then tape the cardboard rolls to the top of the plastic milk cartons in the center.

Be generous with the tape. I used the blue painters tape so I could easily take everything back apart, but you could use duct tape if you don't mind the permanence of it.

Then enclose the entire thing in an upside down clear plastic garbage can liner. Tighten it up nicely, tucking and twisting to make everything nice and snug. If you want a thicker body shape, add the rounded coffee container to the front before putting on the plastic liner.

I had a large roll of wide plastic wrapping film, the kind that's used for moving. It's wrapped around things to keep them from sliding or drawers from opening. If you don't have that, I'm sure that regular plastic food wrap would work just as well.

On top of the clear plastic liner, start wrapping the components in the plastic film. Wrap the form up tightly like a mummy.

The film will stick to itself, just keep wrapping until everything is slick and covered and all nicely shaped. Be sure you cover the bottom also.

One last suggestion before we move on to the messy part in the next post - be sure the mummy-wrapped form sits down nicely on its bottom and doesn't want to fall over. If it's a little shaky, now is the time to fix it!

You'll be glad later if you take the time to flatten and solidify the bottom now! Believe me about that part ...