3 things...

Thing 1:
Oh, I need a  picture of thing 1 and thing 2! Never mind! Thing 1 on my list is the giveaway!
Congrats to... ....drum rolll please.....JASMINE of Nature's Whispers! Jasmine won my Blog Action Day giveaway of a Water themed fabric collage. Congrats! It will be on it's way to you soon.

Water themed fabric collage from 99% recycled fabrics.

Thing 2:
I signed up for LaWendula's ephemera swap...and here's what I am sending her.

Fabric bits (lace, vintage lace flower, teeny-tiny daisies...) Paper bits ( hand made paper,nest lino print, vintage cigarette cards, bird book pages...) Odds and ends (Round discs from an old kids game, hero buttons, bottle cap, brads...) The butterflies are fabric and cut out from the print of an old pajama top. Too beautiful for the rag bag! I made the card (with the bird of course!)  from an old photo album page, cigarette card, fabric and papers all either recycled or gifted to me.This will all be on there way to Eliza from Druga Szesnascie very soon.

Thing 3:
It's PULP REDUX! I spent 5 blissful hours buried in the pages of Kim's book yesterday and my final page is not only 99% finished the whole lot is all glued into place in the book. Wahoo! This book is being posted to Debrina's .
Here's a sneak peek of what I did...

My representation of the British flag. I opshop trawled for months looking for the right image for Kim's book. I found souvenir tea towels, scarves and tablecloths from nearly every country but Britain! In the end I conceded and stitched something instead. You know what I will find now I now longer need it don't you? haha.

 

It's been very productive in the land of Pulp Redux lately. Alicia has finished her stunning pages in my book....

A small part of Alicia's contribution to my Labyrinth book.

Artwork and photo by Alicia Caudle.

Lisa Jurist has also been working on pages for Alicia's book "The museum of forgotten things." There are fabulous peeks on her blog and you can see all the work Alicia's done in my book here. It's a bit of a maze to find it all...Alicia decided to keep in with the theme when she posted!

Next post....The big reveal!

Pulp Redux Chapter #3 Alicia's book

I've been busy working on my blue 'Charlotte' page. When I last posted about this page I said it was unfinished and I needed to work out what it needed. I sensed it was somethingewhite..but it turns out it was white, blue and brown! Here's how it's looking now....

I created two fabric pockets that fold back like doors.

The cross lifts up to reveal a pocket which contains some 'exhibits' from Hesters life...and loves!

Exhibits: buttons left behind by a Military lover Hester gave shelter too, a pen nib, a piece of chain from a necklace given to Hester by the Military man sits along side the dolphin teeth (yes those are real dolphin teeth...strange but true!) he gave her.....who is that boy? That secret's still to be revealed!

The flap on the pocket lifts up to reveal some diary pages and the secrets they contain.

Both flaps fold back to reveal Charlotte who you no doubt remember as being Hester's secret daughter!

The following is an entry from Charlottes diary, whose just discovered her real identity. Charlotte's diary pages are kept in bottom pocket (visable in the 4th photo.)

Dear Diary, the reason for my lack of entries here is most unexpected. I recieved a telegram telling me of my Aunts passing. This however, was not a great surprise to me as she was old and some-what unwell.When I heared that Aunt Hester had passed on I set off to take care of her affairs. My own mother was poorly and unable to do so herself. I noticed her great reluctance for me to attend to the estate and I was left with the feeling that there was something I didn't know...as if for a moment she wanted to tell me but then pulled back and could not. I know now what it was she would have said had she found the courage to do so. I was in for a great shock. A surprise of the most confusing type. It was the most unexpected thing and I am still reeling from the shock of it! Oh, diary! What shall I do? I don't know who I am anymore! It would appear my life is a lie! What is it that could cause me such unrest? Oh diary, I write this through my tears for I've just foiund out that my Aunt Hester is not my Aunt, she is my mother! I was a secret child, born from an affair! The shame, dear diary! I cannot begin to describe. Me! Born out of wedlock and hidden away for a year! How could she? Oh faithful diary, if there's any hope that I cling too now it's that I will discover who I am through the exhibits left here, in the house that has become a museum  of forgotten things...

Next pulpy posting I will reveal the secret of the boy in the photo, as discovered by Charlotte. Watch this space!

There's a lot more pulpiness to come as we near the final weeks of round three. Debrina's ahead of all of us and has finished her spread in Lisa J's book. She even managed a video clip of it so we can all see how the pages fold and reveal and change and move...it's great! Please click on over to the Pulp Redux blog to check it out! Way to go Deb's! My book is now in her hot little hands but if you wondering what's been going on with it and didn't catch Kim's posting here it is! I can't wait to see this in 'the real!'

Pulp Redux Update # 2 Lisa J's book.

It's that time of year again where being busy seems to take on a whole new definition! End of year everythings, christmas celebrations, school finishing and 7 weeks of school holidays just beginning!
One thing I like about working with fabric and in particular hand sewing the fabric is that it's easily picked up and put down again. Even 5 minutes in the car while waiting for kids can be used effectively, or should I say can be used to provide a few minutes of 'me' time before the inevitable busy afternoon!
Here's what I have been up too...

The second piece of my addition to Lisa Jurist's book is now complete. The lace tie is undone to completely remove this fabric 'scroll' and reveal what's inside...

The scroll opened up reveals a pocket which holds another piece to remove and open...

...and the 3rd element of the scroll is revealed! I love the way the fabric maintains some of the shape it's been given from the process of rolling it up and tying it, it is ofcourse suitably nest like! I could hardly believe my luck when I found these embossed egg shape beads while out Christmas shopping, I wasn't even looking for beads but they were certainly a nice suprise. In my labyrinth book I started playing around with the idea of moving pieces in my book. Being able to physically interact with the pages and to touch, feel the textures and hold them in your bare hands really appeals to me. I've added net curtain material to the selection of fabric's I am using as well as pieces of a 2nd dismantled doily, it's a little bit squashed after being rolled up but when you gently unfold it, it reveals a little crocheted flower. How sweet is that?

So, now you've seen what I have been up too and now it's my turn to go and visit you all, I am looking forward to catching up with blogs over the next few days so *see* you soon!

Library Issue

I have been busy secretly working away on a small set of collages to celebrate/commemorate  the Pulp Redux collaboration!  Being an Altered Book Round Robin I couldn't think of anything more appropriate than a 'library issue card' and a special edition lino cut! All of the background papers are recycled or from the paper stash that I got from Deb.

Collage 2, if you look closely has the words 'tatters patiently rewoven' in green. The poetry was mostly obscured under the layers but it said " All our raveling tatters patiently rewoven, I surrendered pipers cadence for children's moans. Ungazed my mirror was mazed with frosts" thanls Deb for including that cool piece of text!

I've shown them here in the order that I created them and all though I wanted to keep the continutity I didn't want to make them the same! I have my favorite of course but overall I would have to say I am quite pleased with them. I also discovered why thimbles were invented! I havn't done that much sewing in ages!

In true LUCKY DIP style I have wrapped these all up in brown paper with a few other goodies and each player will randomly pick one to keep. It's not a swap, it's a heartfelt thankyou! This swap has already exceeded my hopes and wishes for it and we're still working on our own books!  Mine will be going postal to Alicia of Altered Bits tomorrow or the next day.

I made 5 collages so I could have one too, I even made myself do a little lucky dip so I couldn't be biast...and I got collage number 4. It's actually been added to my book but more on that tomorrow!

 The technique I used for the linocut print was the 'happy accident technique" which will be forever dubbed the h.a.t print (atleast in my mind!) unless someone can tell me if it actually has a name...they're made my wetting the inked lino cut and pressing serviette/tissue paper into them. The serviette's absorb the ink from the low points and wider high points and the water gives it that aged look. I discovered it by accident but that dosn't mean it's original!

Pulped!

Title page and my 1st altered page. The woven page has had moving beads added to it and so has the Labyrinth title page. It's a little more "domino effect' than abacus but it's fun to play around with the beads and really interact with the page. Labyrinth means "maze like, entangled, intricate" and the woven page is a little bit of each definition.

My second page is 'Entanglement' which was quite litteral at times! I've tied on some little Pearl like beads with copper wire to add a bit of interest. The rest of the entanglement will come as this book  nmoves around the globe! My 3 page is "Intricate" (yes it's a nest! what better example of intricate could I have found?)  and I've created a window to sit the lino print behind and then enclosed parts of if with nest like stitching. The string was dyed first with coffee. The beads on the cross over copper wire free flow from top to bottom of the strand and make a lovely little tinkering noise. I am definately going to explore this moving pieces idea further!

My part in my book of this RR is almost done. All I have left to do now is the last signature which I am turning into some sort of niche/folder/accordian thing that will hold some papery bits and random pieces looking to find new homes with the other artists working on this book. We are getting close to our goal posting date now of November 15. Wahoo!

In addition to this book I've also started on another ICE collage and a small piece for an Art Swap. If your interested in playing in this swap (and not already doing it unless you know loads of people!) please leave me a comment and I will forward you the details! Watch this space!

Labyrinth Cover.

I am always hesitant to use the word "finished" because it almost challenges me to find something else to add or find something that could be improved. That said it takes a real tuning in with your artwork to know when it is actually finished! I think this cover is, although I will listen a little longer just incase!

The some-what wonky photography is due to the fact that I was trying to hold my big Nikkon with one hand and not take my eye off the hot wax at the same time!

Photo one shows the niche before wax

Photo two shows the just poured wax (which I did in 3 batches)

Photo three shows the circuit board set into the cooling wax

Photo four shows the' finished' cover.

I scored the little plate thing for free because no-one at the 2nd hand shop knew what it was! It's a labyrinth thinge-me-jig of course! I thought about several options for setting the circuit board into the niche for several days. Not sure what to use I thought about plaster of paris or silcone. In the end the remnants of our homemade candles (which are on there 3rd cycle of recycling now!) was chosen because I wanted something that would set quickly, firmly and not be too heavy at the end of it. Just before I poured it into the niche (and with just lunch paper protecting that woven page if it all went wrong!) I realised this was one of those situations that would either go really well, or really wrong! Thankfully the latter didn't happen. Wheeeew! The whole cover is constructed out of the original cover, foam board and various wet mediums to create the look I wanted. I am pretty pleased with the results! Speaking of results, if you havn't been to the Pulp Redx blog recently then your missing on some great covers! There's even been one person doing a little book burning...

Pulp Redux/ Labyrinth Update

Here's a few glimpses of what I have been doing with my Labyrinth book for the Pulp Redux Collab. I've added a piece of foam board to my cover and created a niche for a 'dead' circuit board to go in. You can see the cover and the story about it here.

I love the way the green side of the circuit board looks so jewel like (it also reminds me a bit of pac man! lol) and the maze like pattern is perfect for the labyrinth theme. My son came home from school the other day and was quite impressed to see Mum's been dismantling a circuit board and I had to tell him I'm not all paper and nests ya know!

I havn't been blog cruising for a few days, my Dad's been staying with us and I got a new nephew this week but things are settling down again and I hope to be 'out' and about visiting you all soon! Thankyou for your visits, they are very much appreciated!

Pulp Redux

I am so excited to be able to share this project with you all...Pulp Redux...is an Altered book, round robin collaboration between myself, Deb's of Debrina's diary, Andrea from The Artful Eye, Alicia from Altered Bits and Kim from Merlin's Musings. We are at the 'just begining stage' but I hope you will be able to come along for the journey via our new blog "Pulp Redux"

Redux means "Brought back; returned. Used postpositively" and it was Andrea who came up with the name. The best I could think of was "a rockin round robin" so it's a good thing Andrea was able to do better! lol

There's a sneaky peek of my book above. As yet there's only half a spread and no cover...but it's a start! My theme is Labyrinth....not David Bowie labyrinth but Labyrinth as in something that is 'intricate or tangled, windings, entangled.." sounds like fun to me (and just a little nest like....) Watch this space for more!