An experiment

An experiment, originally uploaded by jckirner.

This idea has been lurking in the background.

When I started making a few of the covered buttons it was evident that 2 layers of fabric were needed to prevent the metal button from glistening through from underneath.

But what if the bottom fabric could peek through?

Resetting - again...

I've been in a creative lull this week. Things are percolating in my mind, yet I don't feel like producing anything. Instead I've been clearing off my bulletin board (and more significantly the ironing board which tends to hold a pile of what-ifs and on-goings).



It feels like the end-of-year clear out. The post Xmas reset for the New Year. I suppose with the new school year coming up that makes a bit of sense. I still feel that old rhythm of new starts in the fall. I've just signed up for my classes in the fall term and the school supply purchases for my daughter have begun.



But I don't want to live in permanent planning-for-the-future mode, got to enjoy now more!!



I enjoyed this!!

Leilani - who blogs at Studio Gypsy kindly gave me a blog award... (many thanks, Leilani).

I'm happy to pass it along to some new bloggy friends and hope you enjoy their sites too ...

Gina

Serena

Dolores

CrimsonCat05

In turn they can copy what is below and pass onto other favorite bloggers. The wording for this award is as follows:

The Karma Award: These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kinds of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to some bloggers who may choose more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Little swaps

Cloth Paper Scissors Studios, summer 2009 issue slipped into my shopping basket last week. Inside Normajean Brevik's studio was featured along with a mention of her mail art group Fiber Art Traders. Oh, I was curious indeed about that trading group! So, I signed up and inbetween kid playdates developed a set of PSI's (plus-sized inchies - each 1.5" square) to trade in the Summertime Activities swap. (for the record my activities are: bestseller catchup, beach & pool play, covered button play, mini-quilt play, and stargazing.) (Normajean blogs at Sew Nordic)



Here's the full set - 4 sets to trade and 1 set to keep. I'm curious to see which trades I receive!!


Afterwards, more button play - drawing on the covered button and deciding how much "edge-play" looks interesting....

A Practical Needlecase

This impromptu needle parking spot was functional, yet impractical since I kept stabbing myself everytime I grabbed it to pick up a needle.


Time to remedy that - establishing some simple guidelines: use stash on hand, self-design rather than follow a pattern, have a closure, don't go overboard with fussiness.

And this is the result - a covered felt roll. Machine cording (batik strips) on the outside in a loose pattern, inside lined with used 'Color Catcher' sheet from the laundry. Functional, not overtly beautiful or fussily crafted.

And the most important thing - its creation was pure fun!!!

Now in other fun stuff...my new local friend Gina (we linked up on the new Quilting Arts forums where we discovered we shared Florida, Brazil and singing God Save the Queen in school ) has her workspace shared on Jennifer Cameron's open studio Friday blog feature. Way to go Gina!!

A touch of aqua

A touch of aqua, originally uploaded by jckirner.

Scant moments of time today stitching some aqua crosses against this evolving piece. I've stared at it from across the room for a week or so - flicking my eyes from the rack of sewing thread to the over dyed square. The grid was popping out at me - created from a plastic canvas overlay in the blueprints-on-fabric process. Cross-stitches added in reminiscence of times past in counted stitch work.

And with giddy kids around, the elapsed time for making these blue crosses took in surplus of an hour.

Later after a trip to JoAnn's, some play with covered buttons - with the blueprint-on-fabric motifs. I like these!

Reuse and play

Reuse and play, originally uploaded by jckirner.

After the momentous paint color selection had occurred, we have a pile of paint strips left to reuse. Dressing up this ugly cardfile box is first up. Kids play tic tac toe with their polymer creations.

Play is what I have in mind when doodling with pen and paper, or pen and fabric. It is practice with controlling line, yet a lot of freeform work too. And sometimes it's just total nonsense!!

While working through a drawing class at college I stumbled across the Youtube tutorial videos of illustrator/author Mark Crilley. While I don't have the intention of becoming a manga comics illustrator, I do find his narrated videos to be helpful. And anytime you can watch an artist create you absorb all types of hints - from how to hold tools, move hands to get different effects, composition considerations...

That reminds me, class registration is coming up soon. Looks like figure drawing is in the works this term!!

Backgrounds

Light or dark?, originally uploaded by jckirner.

The driving intention for this week has been this earth shattering decision.... what shade of blue to paint the bedroom?

I've had a multitude of paint sample strips pinned to the walls for the last several months. With the holiday paint sales this week, it's time to make a color choice! What will be the background of my room for the next decade? Something soothing, something refreshing, yet not insipid as though there was a fear of commitment to color.

I've played with changing (back)grounds in my creative work too. Jude at spiritcloth noted my play with Pitt pen on fabric. (And Hello to those who've clicked through from her link!) I was fascinated with how the same mark maker and hand motions could create such a different feeling to the motif just due to the grounds. (Above the difference between pen on paper and pen on cotton fabric.)

And the big decision on color? The lower swatch, the bolder "Jetstream" color!