characters and colours

Making their way onto my wall.

Today I am liking, this, this and this by Xavier Ness.

cards for the mums (and a nanny)

Not entirely sure which direction they are heading yet, but at least it is a start. Will have to be in the mail by Wednesday.

(untitled)

Happy Saturday!
On the agenda: paper-making.

pulp

Eb gave me a mold and a couple of deckles to make my own recycled paper. Very exciting! It is a such an enjoyable process and i can see that the experimentation will be endless. Above is my very first sheet, still needing a final press and dry. Next time I have to make a lot more pulp. Before it had been couched, this piece looked like a vaguely rectangular portion of rolled out dog food, yummy.

making

... and completing.
(tba)

this is a work in progress

I am making a fabric covered file pocket as part of an architect friend's birthday present. I feel an architect needs one? I know this doesn't show much except the cute fabric, I will show and tell when complete.

Thanks to kept in a jar for the theme.

perfection is for those who kid themselves

So it was good to pull out the screen to see the day away with cutting and printing. In the end I have to do it all again, but the experimentation was worthwhile. My impatience ruined the second round of printing, as the screen was still wet and resulted in wobbly paint. However all wasn't lost as I enjoyed smudging it with my hands, and because I'm partial to mess I saw some potential in the mistakes.
(There is always tomorrow anyhows).

making mood

Today I was in a making mood and it felt good because it has been a long time. I decided to do some screen printing and was testing out my textas on some smooth transparencies. You know the ones that are rough on one side for printing or drawing are impossible to find. I guess the days of overhead projectors are numbered. Hope you are enjoying the weekend.

does this doll have soul?

Trying to sketch out ideas for an entry in a dolls with souls exhibition. Everyone is invited to submit something.

school chair, goodbye school yard.

I love old school chairs. This one I picked up randomly wandering home when I was at uni. Back then I started to"collage" on it, and it got stuck in some tacky limbo for years. Finally I have began stripping it back, to be stained and waxed. This is it in a halfway state, it is taking a long time to sand back.

Monday I start my new job, (wish me luck), and therefore it was my last day working at primary school today. It was an extremely insightful and rewarding experience. Human behaviour is a curious thing and I had never realised children were such individuals. I will miss being in such a refreshing environment, and a space that has so many honest and imaginative thoughts floating around. (I hate goodbyes).

One of the boys asked me yesterday if I was going to be a normal teacher when I grow up? Just because half of the students are taller than me doesn't mean I haven't grown up yet does it?

any advice - bathroom art and compacts?

He isn't a knitted balloon, but that gives me an idea...
He is waiting to be sewn to his body and appendages. The suspense is killing him, hence the furrowed brow.

Anyone still reading the blog after the hiatus, thank you.

I wanted to ask for some advice if I may.
We are in the market for a digital compact camera. I have two film SLRs, which I will continue to play with, but having borrowed a little digi for a while we have discovered the joy of a camera that can be carried around, not lugged. I had illusions of getting a compact with a range of manual adjust-ability, but they hardly seem to exist? Would anyone recommend a particular compact, with quality shots and adaptability. (For example it would be used to photograph crafty objects so macro is important, slung in our jackets at the snow, for happy snaps, or capturing anything that takes my passing fancy).

Second question is about framing prints in the bathroom. Any neat tricks so the damp won't get to the paper? The house came with a hideous print in there, I am talking geese with bonnets, but it became a good excuse to search for something new.

Hope I haven't been too demanding.

tighty whiteys

No it isn't underwear but I like that phrase. My friend Ab is having her birthday/house-warming party on the weekend so I thought I better begin on the pressies. A knitted cushion cover for the house and a bag for her. I cannot get away with anything white as I am such a grub, but am using her as an excuse to play with it as it suits her well. Above is the beginnings of the bag, with some lovely white fabric from eb's grandmother as the main component. Think I might use white more often.

library bag in progress

Have just printed base for g's library bag, i will be adding felt next for some textural fun. I must expand the colours of my fabric-paint. Does anyone use a really nice (and safe...) fabric paint?