printing on leather

Enjoying a Saturday morning working with my new heat press printing on leather for some new projects....including labels and hang tags from recycled leather.

Latest Project:

Placid Waters

Deconstructed Screen Print, Watercolour and Pigment, embroidery.
2 pillows and a 1950's Waterfall Vanity Bench cover.

Catching Up!

Well, it appears to be a whole summer since I have posted...lol, how time flies. I am unable to find my camera leads but I am sure they will surface in the pending household move over the fence at the beginning of October.
I am excited to be returning to Cap in Sept to complete the Advanced Certificate....I am focussing solely on Deconstructed Screen Printing....pure Joy!
Since I last posted I have been deconstructing several vintage fur coats in order to turn them into woven rugs.....as always when you take a creative detour its a huge education.....thinking perhaps I will write a thing on identifying vintage fur as I seem to be unearthing all sorts of information which is really interesting. And surprisingly enough I am finding the linings as thrilling as the fur!
Im approaching this fall with much anticipation, it is always my favorite season and again many live changes are expected amid the chaos of throwing all my worldly belonging over the fence to the roomier (can comfortably set up my loom) house next door.
I promise pictures of my current works and such soon......stay tuned.

Through The Looking Glass

wooooohooooo.....
I just got confirmation that my piece "Mastectomy" has been accepted in the THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS show at the Seymour Art Gallery in Deep Cove on Sept 6- 18.

Sheep to Shawl

It is really over

Possibly the fastest and most intensive 2 years of my life. I am at work today quietly pondering the changes in my life over the last 4 semesters.....I am truly awed at the increase in my skill set....especially coming from a place where I thought I knew alot......how terribly arrogant....it makes me laugh.
I have truly been privileged to be part of a cohort of very creative and receptive women and had the benefit of being taught by very talented instuctors. My brain is literally bursting with projects that need out.....top on my list are...more on crows and tarot and aprons.....lets see what the next few weeks bring.
Here is a short video of my final project for Ruth Scheuing.....Divination By Crow.http://youtu.be/b6aaANa7PFI

In Celebration of Life, Death, Scholarships and Friendship

Last night was the awards ceremony at Cap. A curious combination of emotions for me the strongest possibly the slight nervousness/terror of having to speak publicly which kind of amuses me because I really never stop talking.
I had a realization in the last week thinking about my father and how no one really gave him credit for being his own person, we all viewed him as an extension of my mother and saw him only how he related to his paternal role......the memorial scholarship he set up in my mothers name lo those many years ago was really a very wonderful way of honouring her and her passions, I never really saw that until today. I guess all this pondering comes about as my own maternal role changes, as I try to prepare my last little birdies to leave the nest.......truthfully, the sooner the better.......I have more in common with the old goat than I realized......
So I had a nice mental visit with the parents while I waited to get up and say whatever it was I said which of course I dont remember...lol
The best part of the evening though was the chance to spend it with my dear friend Janet . Janet and I have had colliding lives many times over the last 2 decades.....the most significant being that shortly after doing the DIY show in LA together we were both diagnosed with breast cancer almost on the same day. Janet is terminal, I am in the remission......I guess its the luck of the draw......seriously if you have a 64 percent chance of winning then buy that ticket....it worked for me.
Janet and I spent the evening reliving our friendship, poor Mary Lou stuck between us! I had forgotten what it was like to talk to someone with a similar humour and experience.....we laughed and laughed and talked about the cupboards of tea that people bring you when you have cancer and how everyone tells you how brave and strong you are when the fact is you are just doing what you do. Janet and I both marveled at what a gift breast cancer had been to both of us. I cant think of when I have enjoyed an evening more.
At the end I took her on a tour of the textile department, we walked slowly because of the blisters on her feet but i remembered and totally understood the need to keep walking and living through and past the effects of chemo......Cancer takes and gives.......kills the body but somehow frees the spirit......I knew she would love the rooms and she did, feeling that tables full of marks from many students.....the positive energy in that space is incredible and she added hers to it. For me it has been a healing space and I am so glad I got to share that.

My Empty Womb

A celebration of menopause.

Beer Can Armour

Devore Silk Kimono

some more portfolio pictures

this is the silk fusion journal that was one of my surface design projects.....a prototype for more to come......bookmaking is one of the techniques I would really like to explore.

Pictures of the NEW STUDIO

I have shamelessly stolen these pictures from Tamara's Blog. This is the new studio....it actually feels quite a bit bigger than the pictures make it seem.....none the less here it is. We well have a studio openhouse when we are organised.....and you are invited.

Janet Collins Textile Arts Award

I am feeling doubly blessed tonight. I just got notification that I have won the Janet Collins Textile Arts Award. Janet and I have been friends over the years. We both participated in the DIY network show Uncommon Threads a few years back and we flew to LA together for the show and were room mates. Janet and I got breast cancer at the same time and unfortunately she is now terminal. She set up a scholarship for mature students of the Textile Arts program and I am honoured to have won. I am reminded how precious friendship is, I will hold her memory in my heart. Thank you Janet.

Super Red Letter Day

Red Letter Day
haha wasnt that tricky...

I am waiting for shift change which due to the daylight savings time maybe later than usual and then Tamara and I are heading to the new studio to paint! woohhooooooo stoooodio time. I need to find a rug for the loft, pretty sure all thrift stores out here are closed on Sunday,actually pretty sure most things are closed on Sunday out here. Also I caught Jared in a happy mood and he has agreed to paint huge wall, which is great as he is used to hanging off tall buildings and bridges and things....I just wont watch......so just sitting here foot tapping waiting til 10 which might be 11 but really 10...you know what I mean.
Pictures of studio and painting to follow :)

field trip to Jay Rudolf's Studio

Yesterday at the end of business class we all trouped to Jays studio with Anthea Mallinson. It was quite an exciting little excursion with Tamara and Hilary giving me conjoined directions....turn....turn....TURN.
.....Jays lace was very inspiring.....she teaches workshops and just as soon as we get the studio organised I am going to have her come and teach bobbin lace......so excited. Sorry there are no pictures but under the circumstances I thought it was better to leave my camera in my purse.

Jay Rudolf's Lace

Its a monster mash

I am trying to come up with a product that can use up bit and pieces and samples and that can be sort of portable so that I have something to work on while working in the group homes I work in.....so monsters were born.....I dont know that this is something I will do alot of but they are fun and something that will sell around the $20 price point.....

more documentation

This one is another mink rug in the series (is 2 a series?) of All Minks Go To Heaven.
One of the unexpected results of weaving these 2 rugs of old mink coats was that when I began cutting the deconstructed coat into strips was I became aware of all the little mink bodies that made up the coat.......hence the name All Minks Go To Heaven. I want to make more of these and I think they would be a good product for sale......such decadence from recycled stuff.

Crazy Crazy Day

I started out the day with being towed not once but twice....so by the time that was sorted out it was to late to train it to school and I was so not in the mood for the party bus.......so its a snow day of sorts and I am catching up with other school work.

I went again to the audio visual department and did some documentation. I will be using some of these for jury pics for whistler farmers market and other venues.

The first set of pics is the mink rug. I was worried how this would photograph but Im pleased with the way it looks and especially the closeup. The closeup picture i think will make its way onto some moo cards.

ramblin rose

this is a shawl made in weaving class.....the hat was made with thrums.

tie dye onsie

indigo birds

I worked out a bird pattern using the samples from last term.

Ebb and Flo

Ebb and Flo....cotton dyed with indigo and potassium permangenate.

Cropped Granny Bag

Granny Bag Documentation

Yesterday I spent a few hours in the audio visual department taking documentation photos...wow turned out better than i thought. So here they are......

Portfolio Documentation

Ok, here are the first pics done in 124 with my camera......not sure about the lighting and the clarity but it is a place to start.

first post

this is my first post.