Paper Swap.

Badge designed by Egmont van Dyck.

Lawendula of Woven Letters organised a paper swap on her blog. Thanks Lawendula!

Here's 2 of the 4 envelope pages I did in a book for my swap partner Deb of Dryadart's Weblog.

I made the pages from old book pages. The thread is entirely decorative and I left the 'bad' side of the stitching exposed because I liked the rawness of the mark making. Each pocket of the book has something papery inside and I also tucked in a few things between each page. You can see pics of the contents below! The idea was to send 7-10 things in a regular sized letter envelope so that we didn't have to spend a small fortune on the swap. As it turned out I made mine too fat (by 3mm I kid you not!) and it became a small parcel instead of an envelope and that made it $5.30 more expensive to post and required a customs declaration form. Needless to say I came home and repacked it with the same stuff, just flatter!

The contents....French to English dictionary pages, colour plates from old encyclopedias, embossed leaf on handmade paper, bird image, nest print, gold serviette, NZ ephemera.

The ephemera includes some postal things, a Tiki playing card and a found shopping list.

Below: The book closed as my partner will first see it. The string reminds me of the parcels wrapped in brown paper and string that my Nana used to send. It took me a while to realise where the string binding 'thing' was coming from (you may remember my Disco postcards) and then one day it occurred to me! It was a connection with my Nana and my childhood. I am sure I won't be the only one to remember those parcels though!

Laying out the pieces.

Will it be this one?
Or this one?
Or this one?

Or that one?

Laying out the pieces of a new collage can take me quite a while, even with only 3 main pieces to work into a background! For me this 'laying out' the pieces part is a process to be done slowly and thoughtfully and preferably without interruptions. It's my first chance to see the idea that's been in my head and to start to bond with it. It's the school holidays...I am not doing so good on the 'without interruptions' part so I asked the kids for their opinions too and after that they were quite content to let me and my papers be for a little while at least:)

This collage will be the 3rd in my ICE series "Chain Reaction" and I was playing with the concept of 'connections' again (collage 2 if you missed it) and interaction. Our interactions with each other and nature set in place a chain reaction. I've chosen an embossed leaf, the word tree and of course...my nest print here to represent a cycle of dependency and life. The tree needs the leaf to feed it, the leaf needs the tree to grow it...which in turn provides the leaf the means to do what the tree needs.

The nest needs both the leaf and tree but in turn the tree needs the bird (who needs the nest) to eat the seeds and disperse them elsewhere so that the cycle of natural regeneration can continue. No one part of that cycle is more important than another because with out each other they don't exist. Unfortunately, us humans, sometimes see fit to interfere with that cycle and cause a chain reaction of a different kind yet we have an equal opportunity to purposefully make choices that set in place a postive chain reaction.. and like the leaf and the tree it will also sustain us and our future generations. That's my take on it anyway!

This collage is now well under way so watch this space! If your creating a blog action day post and missed my invitation to play please go here for the details!

Chain Reaction. ICE 2010. #1

Title: Chain Reaction. Collage #1

Kowhai dyed, handmade paper, coffee dyed paper, nest image embossed on a serviette, painted paper scrap, 2nd handshop thread, pencil, indian ink, gesso. Mounted with brads onto A4 watercolour card.

I have just started working with a new theme "Chain Reaction." For every action or inaction there is a chain reaction and this is the legacy we leave. The nest symbolises the environment in this particular collage. What we do on this earth, to this earth, has either a good or bad consequence depending on the original action or inaction. Through out the 13 collages made for ICE 2010 I am sure I will be able to explore the ideas fairly thoroughly!
I have to admit that I am loving this collage! These embossed prints are made from a wet lino cut block, the happy accident is now most definately intentional. I especially love the aged look of this one. I was actually tempted to use only the nest and handmade paper on the background, it looked so simple and clean and reassuringly old all at the same time. It didn't really express what I wanted too though so out came a pencil and collection of lids to draw around. I am learning to do simple, usually I have so many ideas and potential supplies and I really have to struggle to decide which ones don't belong there but this time it all just fell into place. I love it when that happens!

When I sat back and reflected on the finished work I noticed that some how I had tapped into a part of me that is looking for peace and calm right now. Tomorrow is my daughters hip and knee surgery (no cancellation so far!) and there's a part of me desperate not to go...to wish this all away, trade places or something. Anything but what is taking place. The other part of me knows that this is what has to happen and its happening like it or not. It's funny how despite the chaos my artistic self new where to find the peace even if I didn't know I was looking.
So....fingers crossed for us please! I will be away for a few days and will definately be looking forward to seeing what you've all been up too.
Be well!

Winter Hedge- AB and Poetry

Nest photo copied onto tracing paper, Poem by Ruth Dallas (see below) Leaf/ink rubbings, Small cheque book calender page, string, childs playing card, scrap handmade paper and brown paper, twig, buttons.

As part of the 'Off the Page' Round Robin I get the chance to work on other people's Altered Books. This board book arrived in the mail the other day with the theme of 'Poetry.' I already had the poem chosen and the page came together very quickly even though it wasn't pre-planned. I love the way it turned out!

Here's the poem by NZ poet Ruth Dallas.

Winter hedge

How like shells they are, these deserted rain-bleached nests

half filled with small black leaves;

the green leaves that summer- long sang like waves

have left the now as shells on sand

are left for anyone to find.

To lift them from the tangled boughs

of theses deep sleeping hawthorn trees

would be like taking shells away

from all that gives them colour-

sea, sun and sand.

How sad they seem

and faded when you take them home.

Marvellously as they are made

with moulded earth and moss inlaid

with woven bark and straws and

warm with thistle-down

half their charm- even when the trees are bare

is in them being where they are.