Learning Saori Weaving...

I have not abandoned my painting, journaling, etc, but learning to weave is taking most of my attention lately. In researching on the web I came across Saori weaving,  http://gingerbreadsnowflakes.com/node/352 , which is a kind of freeform weaving using scraps of yarns and fibers to make different projects.

 

This is the beginning on an oval shape that I configured out of my Martha Stewart Knit/Weaving loom kit, which hubby got me for Christmas. I used some fun yarn from an old stash of yarns, plus some new yarn yarn that I picked up at Wal-Mart to practice with.

 



This is the finished piece as a wall hanging. It is approximately 24 inches long, including the top and bottom fringe. I am thinking that I may add some beads to the bottom fringe. My mama just loves the colors in the piece. I don't know how well they show up in the photo, but there are several different textures of yarn included.

 

This is actually the first one I tried, and it is on a handmade cardboard loom. I tried different textures and stutches on it. The yarns wrap all the way around the loom, then are cut and tied off to make the fringe. Here it is still on the loom. 

 

 

This one is about 10" x 12", including the fringe. I'm not liking the fringe much and am thinking I might trim it off some. These can be used for coasters (smaller weavings), mats, journal covers, embellishments on tote bags, etc. Whatever I want!

 

Both pieces hanging against a large mixed media WIP painting that I have redone so many times it's not even funny. She is about to wind up in pieces for art journaling, I think. Anyway, Saori weaving is a lot of fun, and I think I prefer the handmade cardboard looms over the MS looms. They are easier to handle while weaving, at least they are to me. :)

What I'm Working On This Week...

 

 

Hi there! I haven't posted in a few weeks and just thought I'd show you some of what I'm working on.

 I worked on Dollie Doll's facial features some more and added some hair. She's the 36" bed doll I'm making with a cloth body and a paper clay head. I also put a layer of black gesso on the head/ shoulders before adding the first layer of flesh ochre acrylic paint. She is now sitting upright in a drawer waiting for me to put her makeup on and attach her limbs, before dressing her. She's being very patient with me. :)

I decided to make another attempt at paper cloth making, and, using stuff that was handy to me, this is what I came up with. It's about 12 x 18", white cotton, with tissue paper, tea bags, napkins, ink blots, magazine words, and a written "to do" list, among other things, glued on with gel medium. This is my third attempt, and I haven't sewn on any of them yet, but I've discovered that if I want to use them as book covers I need to put the most interesting part on the right side of the cloth, so that it will be on the front of the book instead of the back. :o Anyway, it's fun to do! :)

I also got the bug, for some reason, to learn to weave, and in my research on the web, found out how to weave with yarn on cardboard, with instructions on making a cardboard loom. I tore the bottom out of a sturdy card box, measured 1/4" increments, dotted them, then cut them in each end of the board, then, using a skein of variegated crochet yarn and a yarn needle, I proceeded to weave a bookmark using a very basic weave. I enjoyed it immensely. It's very meditative. Above is while it's still on the board. I had to do more research on how to get it off and finish the ends.

This is the finished bookmark. I didn't leave the end threads long enough for longer fringe, and that also made the knots hard to tie. I would have also liked the bookmark itself a little longer, but, I'll know better on the next project. I learned what not to do next time, plus I enjoyed doing it, so it's all good! I'm thinking now I'll make one of thinner yarn with beads on the ends. I'll have to make another loom though. I have some mat boards upstairs that should work nicely for that! :)

I've also made another bunch of prints using my Gelli Arts printing plate. Love that thing! I haven't maade pictures yet though. And I've been working on the huge Contrary Angel painting some more. She's getting there! If I could ever work more than a few minutes at a time without being interrupted I might get her done. But there's really no hurry to see the final outcome. The process and the learning is what counts, and she's been one heck of a journey for me. :)

Things I've Been Playing With This Week

I'm thankful that I like to dabble in a lot of different things. I never get bored or lack for something fun to entertain myself with. I've been dabbling with several things since I last posted. Following are a few of the works in progress that I'm working on.

Dollie Doll's paper sculpted face is coming along slowly. Can't wait to see her in hair and makeup! She will be a 36" cloth boudoir doll when she is finished.

A granny square afghan that I started around 15 years ago, hated sewing the squares together, got bored, and left laying until last week. I suddenly decided to finish it. I now have half the rows completed. I still HATE sewing the squares together! lol This is my first, and probably my last, granny square project. :/

I watched a paper cloth tutorial by Diana Trout and decided to give it a try. The bottom one is my first attempt and the top one my second. The cloth I used on the first one was a little too thick, but came out ok. I also used paper towels where I had wiped paint up, tissue paper, a phone book page that I had drawn a face on, a cut paper flower, and some rice paper on them. Now I can hand sew or machine stitch on them and use them in other projects. Since I was learning, I just used materials I had in reach, but I look forward to making some more using better materials.

 

I did a quirky doodle sketch just for fun! It took a while for the image to show itself amongst the pencil lines!

 



Playing and experimenting with my new gelli arts gel printing plate. These are a few of my trials, most of them are on toned card stock. I used stencils as masks and stamps on some. The browns on most of them is actually metallic copper, and I used mostly fluid acrylics and some heavier acrylics, whatever I could reach at the time.

Can you see the little copper stars in the blue around the butterfly above?

Metallic copper in the background on the butterfly above.

Metallic copper and turquoise. The stars are from the sole of an old house shoe, hence the footprint look.

A page of text that I had drawn a doodle face on with a marker. I used the stencil, after I pulled it from the plate, as a stamp to make her a mask. She looks a little wonky doesn't she?

Metallic copper, blue, and magenta in layers above.

Metallic copper and ultramarine blue above. The heart shape is cut from a clean piece of turkey netting.

 

"A Time For Tears" is a few layers of turquoise, yellow ochre, olive green, and it picked up some color and line off the previous print, which gave it some added texture and depth. I collaged the text with the title on top. I'm thinking I may add a layer of wax over it. I'm not a great photographer, and it looks better in person. I love it!

Hope you've enjoyed seeing what I'm playing with as much as I've enjoyed the playing!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it, safe travels, and enjoy your family and friends!

What I'm Working On Part Two

Here is the rest of what I'm working on (playing with actually). I couldn't get the pictures to upload yesterday! :/

Learning to use my Gelli Arts gel printing plate. The harlequin prints at the bottom were my first attempts. The others quickly followed. It's hard to stop, once you get the hang of it. These are a few of the ones using stencils and acrylic paints (the ones in arm's reach) that I've made. They can be used to journal on, as a base for mixed media stuff, cut up and used in collage or art journaling, or whatever other ideas one can come up with. Fun!

This is a mini booklet using one folded sheet of paper that I learned in Dina Meyer's workshop in this session of 21 Secrets. These would make awesome poetry booklets. I made the white one in class, the the blue one the other day. I discovered this morning that not only are there two covers and six pages to journal on, but if I paint both sides of the paper before folding I will also have two 3-sided pockets and two 2-sided pockets between the pages to hold stuff. How fun is that?!!

What I'm Working On Part One

Hi All!

Praying for all of you in the path of Hurricane Sandy. May you all stay safe.

 I also want to apologize for having to put the word verification back on my comments. I hate it too, but spammers have to ruin it for everybody it seems. I guess they have nothing better to do. I took it off, but had to put it back, because I was bombarded with spam every day it was off. :/ Your comments really mean a lot to me and I appreciate every one. Sorry it has to be so much trouble to leave one. :(

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of what I'm working on this week with ya! OK? :)

This is a page where I used up leftover paint. I see a cowboy boot in there! I like it! :)

She has the beginnings of a nose!

These two pictures should be reversed, but the bottom one is a 36" bed doll that I have sewn and stuffed. Her arms and legs have not been sewn on yet. The top picture is the beginning of her paper clay face, using techniques I learned in a cloth and clay workshop with Jane Desrosier. I made a much smaller doll in the workshop and it turned out pretty good, so I'm trying it on a large one now. Fingers crossed that it works! For now I'm calling her Dollie Doll.

I've had this 5x7" gallery canvas painting started for a while. I worked on it some the other day, but it's still very much a work in progress. This was an image that emerged out of paint, and she forgot her neck, I think. Hope I can fix that! :o

One of my favorites! Three old friends!

 

It had been a while since I did any doodle sketches, so I've been doing one a day in my 18x24" sketchbook for a few days. These are a few of them.

 



 

This a doodle sketch in its beginning stage. I close my eyes, make several marks and swirls on the page, then let an image immerge. Nothing has stepped out in this one yet...but it will. Sometimes the images are a bit shy and it takes a while for them to show themselves. :)

I can use these images as a base for drawings, paintings, journal pages, tear them up for collage, or just enjoy them for what they are. They help keep my drawing/painting looser, plus it's good brain exercise and fun.

I was going to show you some more wips, but I had trouble uploading the rest of the pics, so there will be a part 2 to the blog. I'm kind of like a butterfly flitting from project to project. :)

The next part will include some prints from playtime with my new Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate. I've been wanting one for a long time, and thought they were too expensive, but I finally broke down and ordered one. Love it!

I've worked some on all these projects, plus I put ANOTHER layer of paint on Contrary Angel's wings (Remember her? the very large canvas/mixed media painting I started months ago), wrote a poem draft, and brought down a Granny Square crocheted afghan that I started years ago to finish. The poem will be on my other blog when it's finished.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing what I'm doing. I'm sure having fun creating and learning stuff! :D

Wisdom Circles/Mandelas

Wisdom circles/mandelas inspired by Dion Dior in her workshop Wisdom Circles in 21 Secrets. The one above was supposed to be on a black background. I didn't have black paper or gesso, so I used a dark sheet of scrapbooking paper. I learned a whole new process for creating mandelas, which changed my thoughts about making them from negative to positive. I love making them now!

This one went a little wonky on me, but that's okay, it's freehand and about the process, not about a perfect outcome! It was actually my first one. The one above it was my second and a little better.

 

I painted a few layers on the paper then created a mandela over it on this one. I want to do one and paint the different design elements in too.

 

I could add a lot more to all of them, but decided to stop where I did and move on to the next class. :)

 

My father-in-law has been very ill and I've been spending a lot of time in waiting rooms lately. I always have a sketchbook and pen in my purse, and I've found this and found words poetry to be great time passers to get my mind off things.

Hand to Heart journal page spread

 

Sorry, I couldn't get a really good pic of this mixed-media journal spread. There's a lot of metallic pen stuff on it and it didn't pick up well. It's a spread inspired by Nolwenn Petitbois and her class Journaling Our Heart Out in 21 Secrets.

 

Negative thoughts are written under the paint and hand on the left and positive thoughts are written in the heart. I took a bunch of layers off, because I hated the way it was looking, then added a bunch more back. Still not happy with how it looks, but moving on...for now. It was a fun exercise!

Broken Hearts and Scars journal page

Remember this?

A bunch of shapes drawn and colored onto a journal page? The image that came out to me is on the finished journal page below. The words in the the heart say, "Broken hearts and scars teach compassion and build character." The page is built up with many layers of paint, writing and different techniques that were inspired by Dina Wakely's class on Intuitive Painting Layers in 21 Secrets 2012 (see sidebar for link). I believe registration closes Oct 1, but the classes are up until Jan1.

I like her a lot. Just wish the gold leaf pen marks on her clothes showed up better on here.

I have a double page spread inspired by another class almost finished that I've been working on this week too, despite life happening. Plus this morning I watched Alma Stoller's video on making a cereal box journal, which turned out very cool. That's on my list to try!

Oh, and I wrote one poem while sitting in the Dr.'s waiting room while hubby was gone in to see the Dr. with his dad, and a second one while I was sitting outside at my brother-in-law's house watching him and hubby work on his latest toy, a bobcat. Same day! I'll post them later on my Scribbles From Rabbit Hop blog. Right now, they're still scribbles in my Moleskine pocket sketchbook.

I guess I had a pretty creative week after all, and I'm very thankful that I have creativity to keep me sane and soothe my soul.

Have a happy and creative week! Thanks for visiting! :)

SELF ACCEPTANCE (journal page)

Life has been happening here the last few days and I have not had a lot of creative time, but I did manage to get this journal page done from the "15 Minutes to Sanity" class with Gina Rossi Armfield in 21 Secrets. She inspired me to make this page. I wrote large words and a poem in the background, but I used too much paint and stuff over it so the letters don't show through like they're supposed to, but I know to watch that the next time. So I learned from it and I had fun making it. It's a message to myself! :)

The one below is only in the beginning stages, but I already see the image I'll pull out for the finished page. Do you see it? Will show you when I'm done. This one is inspired by Dina Wakely in her class "Intuitive Painted Layers."

I also wrote two poems using found words while listening to music. I had some time to kill while  staying at the hospital last week. :) They here http://scribblesfromrabbithop.blogspot.com/ if you'd like to read my attempts at found poetry.

I have lots of catching up to do chore wise and the ac has decided to freeze up on us on a really hot muggy day. Hoping the repairman gets here soon. We're thinking we may have to have a whole new unit since this one is old and running on a wing and a prayer. We were just hoping it would make it through this summer though. I guess the extreme heat has overworked it. Small aggravation compared to the big picture though. :)

Thank you so much for visiting, and I hope you saw something that made you smile!

This Week's Creative Endeavors

Life is happening right now, big time, but I managed to get in a little creative stuff last week. This week, not so much. You can go to http://creativeeveryday.com/creativeeveryday/2012/07/creative-every-day-check-in-july-23-29.html and click on the links to see a lot of wonderful inspiring work from other much more creative people than me. :)

Sunday: I blogged and posted on my blog and was inspired by other peoples' blogs.

Monday: I wrote down a list of words that spoke to me, wrote them on a seperate paper, then cut them apart and rearranged them into a poem. The words on the right are the ones I had left over. I put them in a box with other word blocks for future use.

I decided to glue the words down to the left page, then wrote it out below in gelly roll pen. The page still needs some work, but here it is for now. I also used some spray inks and a doiley stencil on the right page after writing the beginning line to a story, but I forgot to take a picture. :/

Tuesday: I gessoed two pages and added some fluid acrylic paints before taking my father-in-law to the doctor out of town.

Wednesday: I added handmade and found stamps with fluid acrylics to the  above pages, before taking my mama out of town to pick up her new glasses, and I got a haircut. The word Hope is written in green and needs a little more work to make it show up better. Anyway, I like the pages.

Thursday: I gessoed two more pages, using gesso mixed with fluid acrylic paint smooshed together by closing the pages together to add texture and pattern, added some homemade stamps, some rubbing plate/ink images, some spray ink, and some pencil accents and writing, and gessoed two more pages before taking my Mama out of town for a scan to check her arteries. This one is a reminder to myself. Not sure it's done either!

Friday: The above pages are a note to myself, and you can tell I was a bit frustrated. I wrote and doodled on the pages with water soluable crayons, pastels, and pencils, then rubbed them into the gessoed pages with my fingers, then I went over the pencil writing again to sharpen it back up and sprayed a sealer over them.

Saturday:  I know I've already posted this one, but I used an water soluable oil pastel over the whole thing, then rubbed it in with my fingers. Some of it came off the dried acrylics, some didn't. I like it better than the white background. It doesn't look so stark. I still need to bring out the images, so it is still a wip. I also gessoed two more pages.

I also experienced Chinese food for the first time. I loved stir fries already, but the restaurant was a whole new experience, and I loved what I ate. No raw fish though! :)

Hope you are all having a wonderful creative week, and thanks so much for stopping by my little corner of the internet! :)