Make a paper book!

Just to let everyone know, if you would like to make a paper book that is totally gorgeous and inspiring then Pauline has volunteered to show us how to make them! The book can be used in any way, you can add pictures to it -drawings, paintings, collage- and you could also add stitch or applique.
Pauline has generously said that she will bring all we need - thank you so much! - but if you have any bin liners or hairdryers then that would be useful. Also if anyone has any large paper clips (I think I have some!) could they bring them.

So lots to think about and do on Saturday! An amendment to the book covers that Mel is doing is to bring something that you could use to add texture to your gesso and flour. She suggests sawdust, sand, old beads, pieces of fabric, tiny pebbles whatever you think will add more texture or dimension to the book.
Mel has also asked if anyone has a paper making screen she could borrow...????

Sounds brilliant, hope to see everyone there on Saturday! I'll leave you with the penguin of positivity~! I just love him!

interesting link for paper and stitch

Have just found this on Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's blog.....
I like the basic idea, she uses stencils but you can create your own designs.
Just a few ideas for a week Saturday, there's plenty of room to spread out paint, stamp and stencil. Might be worth a go just to see how paper works with the machine, you could also use different papers bonded to fabric and then stamped and painted....

Have a look at the blog post

http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/2012/02/paint-paper-stitching-valentines-day-cards.html

Inspiration Wednesday

I have been noticing that we are including much more mixed media in our work of late and I signed up for a course this year which has been quite interesting. I joined Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesday course earlier this year but have only just got going on it. It consists of a new video every two weeks which is basically about playing with different materials and layouts for a journal. Some of the ideas probably won't translate to fabrics but most will. I have only just got going on this year's classes as well time is always a challenge isn't it! 

But I've signed up for next year as I think the different techniques that she demonstrates are quite fun and worth a look.

It isn't that expensive I only paid £29 for next year (it's in dollars so you have to pay attention to the exchange rate). 

Here's a link to her web if you want to see what she's offering. I do like Donna, her stencils are fab and her outlook and way of working are really down to earth and inspiring. If you want to do something on mixed media that isn't so intense but much more about playing and fun then have a look.

http://donnadowney.typepad.com/

She also does a find out Friday feature which features different artists creating pictures using limited materials and the Artist's Gang is also worth a look. Both of these features are free. 

Just thought that I'd pass on the info, if you know of any good courses or exhibitions then let us know and I'll post them for you ! 

November meet - idea to try!

Further info on the meeting

Mel has a very intriguing idea about making a book cover. It looks very interesting and lots of fun. I sense a messy session or is that just me! I like messy sessions!

Here is a list of what we will need if we wish to have a go...

 you will need: piece of fabric the size you want to make, can be anything but cotton or calico is a good standby – it will be a good way of using up stained fabric.  Flour (Mel will bring some) PVA glue or gesso, hairdryer, table cover, newspaper to work on, bowl / container to make mix in, something to spread the mix with a credit card or flat knife that sort of thing.  Rubber gloves if you don’t like getting gooey hands, apron and paints.  Paper to decorate to make inside cover.  

That should be everything but apologies if anything has been forgotten- you can add your own bits and bobs I am sure! 

Sounds good. I'll definitely have a go! 
If anyone else has any project ideas then let me know! 

November meeting

Our next meeting will be on November 5th!

We will be looking at using paper or stationary to create pieces of delicious-ness!

It will be an opportunity to use different papers to create backgrounds or motifs to use within designs or to stand alone.
I am sure we have lots of different types of papers in our stash and don't forget you can get paper tape or yarn now too.

I have started a Pinterest board with some ideas on- just search paper in textiles on the site and you will come up with my board. I will try and add more to it before our meeting.

I have had a go at creating a paper collage to add to a piece- I am working hard on making faces of late. It is something that I enjoy doing and after many an online course- see the Life Book button on the right - I am hopefully getting better at it! I was going to stick my pieces down with bondaweb like applique but it was far too fiddly so ended up using the trusty gel medium and have stuck it all to a cheap canvas. I am hoping that I will be able to take it off the frame and sew it to a background which I am hoping to make a week on Saturday. I might break a few needles though! Best bring goggles!

Then again you could try finding some of Cas Holmes work on diaries and fabric books. Her work is wonderful if you look it up. She makes a diary or joins pieces together made out of fabrics and papers. Remember you can add and fix your pieces with different things- wires, string, clips anything we are not necessarily sew! There's also Becky Adams who is based in Penarth. She makes wonderful things from paper and might be one to look up for future workshops. We also have Pauline and her wonderful paper ideas and books that she showed us at the last meeting..... would you like us to bring anything Pauline to try things out ???

Hope that everyone will be able to attend. I'll bring lots of paper with me and I am so looking forward to seeing how we all take using this material. I have lots of ideas but putting them on or with paper (ha!) might be another thing!

I'll let you know if we need any further materials although this is a bring what you like day as we have the hall to spread out and help each other! 

Here's my face from paper although with the amount of gel medium I used it might take the machine out on Saturday !

Mash up!

I have finally finished my mash up of different pieces that I wasn't that happy with. I kept looking at them and thinking, well I like them but.... so decided to cut them up and mash them together. Have been thinking about the theme of cracks so decided to try and put spaces between the pieces as sort of cracks!

But it didn't seem to have any focus so made lots of circles out of wire and wrapped them with paper tape that I found in a bargain store. I spent ages sewing them on and that made it all go a bit wonky so had to readjust! 

I added some metal circles as well just to get different textures and sizes.

Then added some paper pieces and lots of texture. I added lots of jewelry findings, cogs, beads, washers- anything really just to add some interest to the places where there was very little stitching and it was quite blank. I used gel medium to add all the extra bits. I also added some texture paste through a stencil and covered the glue bits with art stones from Prima. I then made the scary decision to cover the entire thing with black gesso. This was pretty scary as I didn't know if I would ruin it all and end up having to just start again! I did leave some of the circles clear so you could see the stitching and shapes and also to provide a focal highlight going through the piece.

I then brought the textures back by mixing mica powders with a small amount of gel medium and with more or less a dry brush, brushing it over the black gesso. I love this technique it picks up all the textures from the metal pieces to the stitches and the fabric textures beneath. 

It still didn't seem to hold together or have any flow to it so I added some long stitches from all the circles to make them look more spiky. This I am much happier with. So all I have to do now is add something to the back to hang it up! It has lots of holes rather than cracks though! 

will have to get a photo of it finished now! 

If anyone would like me to document the making of their artworks then let me know or send me photos!