life is full

April 3, 2012, 6:23 am

≫ Next: grey sea town

≪ Previous: a day with friends

$

0

0

since I last wrote we've had a really cold spell (Friday and Saturday)

brighter with some sun but still very chilly (Sunday and Monday)
today (Tuesday) it's overcast and grey one minute
and sunny and spring like the next ... quite typical for April

brrrrr ... such a rapid change in the weather and outlook

everything was very grey and really quite cold
as I walked down into town on Saturday morning

our exhibition finished Saturday
and so Jo and I met to dismantle our work

and then treated ourselves to tea and lemon cake
at Cafe Art in The Drill Hall
and admired the lovely textured paintings by Doris Lindemann

on the wall in Cafe Art

"seascapes"
1-31 March 2012

much of her work features these blue and rust tones
which are very heavy with texture ...

I love them and find them very inspiring

I was glad to get home as it felt so cold to be out
and happily I spent the afternoon playing with textures
on those very boring grey photos at the top of this post

it's feels like ages since I had a moment to do this

I've added two textures to this one ...

it now features colours that are more pleasing to me
a few added birds and some pretty bokeh light on the horizon
now the sea is ethereal, wispy and ghostly

on the second one there is a big silvery moon
and the birds are more defined

♪ we were sailing along ♪♪

on moonlight bay

pretty bokeh lights lift this, otherwise grey and drab, scene
enhancing the ochre lichen on the rooftops
across St. Ives bay to Hayle and Godrevy

the time just flies when I'm playing textures

on Saturday evening I went to my friend Sally's open party
for her joint exhibition with her son Sam

Sally MacCabe "two flowers"

it was a pleasure to see Sam's work
which was interesting, quirky and very detailed
I loved his use of materials/media

Sam MacCabe "balaclava"
I adore Sally's work and bought her book of paintings
and to see so many friends in one place was really lovely

Sally MacCabe "half circle"

thanks for a lovely party Sally ♥

Sally MacCabe "MMXII"
I would highly recommend a visit to this exhibition
you can see some of Sally's and Sam's work here

Sally and Sam MacCabe
"Mother & Son"
The Crypt Gallery
1 - 6 April 2012



life is full just at the moment ...

I walked down to the Monday afternoon art class
at St. Ives Arts Club yesterday

we were using beads and jewellery for still life
and after a couple of more detailed efforts, my beads
inevitably turned into pebbles like rounded gemstones

it was very "freeing" just playing with colours and not
worrying about what it was going to be when it grew up

and I have another play day
tomorrow as Jo and I have our Crow Day
we are beginning a new project which I will share in May

before that ... I will be sharing some things I did in Jan/Feb
next up will be my erosion bundles

hope you have a lovely week ahead
Carolyn ♥

---

grey sea town

April 6, 2012, 3:30 am

≫ Next: The Erosion Bundle Project 2012

≪ Previous: life is full

$

0

0

brrr brrr brrr

it's has been bitter cold here the last few days ... around 5°C
but with a wind chill factor it's felt freezing
and we've had blustery rain ... hailstones ... the lot!

so with the weather turning so cold again

it seems the right moment to share some things
from earlier in the year when it was wintery
and cold enough to snow ... but didn't

harbour lights

January started off lovely
I met up with my dear blog friend Julie, and her husband,
who came down to St. Ives for a week at New Year

we managed to meet up a couple of times in the week

the first time we had lunch of cheesy crumpets
lovingly prepared by Julie's DH
(which has become a bit of a custom for us now)
and then Julie and I had a walk
and went beachcombing in quite heavy rain

Julie found a lovely old bit of boat which she couldn't really justify taking home in her suitcase so she gave it to me
but it was hard to photograph

however, the boat piece has gone in one of the erosion bundles
so I may be able to photograph it later

the second time we met up at one of our faves galleries
The Millenium Gallery in Street an Pol

here are a few works of art that interested me
and that I most enjoyed

firstly, the inimitable style of Tim Shaw
Tim Shaw "Silenus"
this piece by Tim Shaw was made using
burnt paper and masking tape

with such fine details

and this is the work of artist Simon Allen

12 carat white gold on carved wood

beautiful lines
and forms that change shape
depending on the angle of view
so very interesting

I loved all the texture work on these paintings
such depth was achieved despite the pale pallette
my photos, of course, do not do this artists work justice

lovely textures on this one too

after our gallery visit, and to warm ourselves up from the January cold, we had toasted teacakes and a pot of tea here ...

and talked about the erosion bundle project which we agreed to do together on a seaside theme with our beach finds
seaweed and St. Ives inspired ephemera

once Julie got home she put together five erosion bundles in total and I managed three. Our bundles have been outside in our respective gardens since the first week of January and we have agreed to open our bundles on or around 1st May 2012

Julie's erosion bundles

I will show some photos of mine ... next up ...

Westcotts beach
and then, once again, we braved the biting buffeting winds
to have a little walk in the harbour

also during January I made this heart for Sarah
it was a custom order for one of my seaside hearts
which came out in these soft greys
as I was in wintery mood

"grey sea town I know so well"
I really love the soft tones of a beach in winter

winter shells and an icicle dangly
my shop
I shall be listing new things over the weekend
and I have sets of my winter cards available too

... all year round ... I love the soft tones of winter whites


thank you for visiting me
I hope your weekend is a lovely one

I'll have "bundles" for you next time
Carolyn ♥

The Erosion Bundle Project 2012

April 8, 2012, 2:53 am

≫ Next: a day of colours

≪ Previous: grey sea town

$

0

0

the Erosion Bundle Project is not officially running this year but,

as mentioned in my last post, my friend Julie and I
thought we would have a go on our own this year
and have both created bundles with a seaside/St. Ives theme

I thought I would share some "before" photos
of some of the things I've placed inside my three bundles
this is mainly to remind myself how things started off
at the start of the project, so that I can record change

but they also make quite good still life arrangements

I used white cotton for the bundles (an old sheet)

and these are some of the things that made it inside:

ephemera from St. Ives such as local newspaper clippings including gallery reviews from the week Julie and I went to The Millenium Gallery, art brochures, pictures of artwork, seaside inspired images from magazines, coloured tissue papers, my own painted papers/vellums, paper lace doillies, textured papers and sand paper

beach finds (all unwashed and as nature intended) such as soggy seaweed, wet and sandy limpet and mussel shells, St. Ives pottery pieces (including a piece that I found with "St. Ives" on it) tangles of fishing net and wire, scraps of fabric and coloured plastic

I also included things that might fetch colour or create colour runs such as rusted objects or things that I think will rust when wet, tissue papers that bleed when wet, little drawings made with water soluable pencils and fabrics (cotton, silk, scrim) which I dyed in seaside colours of blue, turquoise, aqua, seaweed green, ochre and sand ... which I placed inside the bundle while still wet with dye

other fabrics included lace and cotton and
crocheted lace doillies given to me by Julie

so there follows a gallery of photos
without too much more chat from me ;o)

there are many paths to take
the choice is up to you

this is a moment in time
this day will never happen again
document it's passing ...

the blue ribbon parcel bow was found on a wet pavement
a left over reminder of new year festivities

new year is HUGE is St. Ives

this is the boat piece that Julie found
I thought, later, that it would make a good book board

paint with beach sand mixed in

all these things were layered up in the white cotton
tied with hand dyed ribbon
and placed in my garden around
the first or second week in January 2012

the bundles will be opened on or around 1st May 2012
which is not all that long to wait now
only 23 sleeps

meanwhile
I will continue my catch up posts
mixed in with current things
till I am back on track

thank you for visiting me
have a lovely weekend ♥

a day of colours

April 18, 2012, 7:17 am

≫ Next: Catching dreams

≪ Previous: The Erosion Bundle Project 2012

$

0

0

hope you had a good Easter

we had a very nice Easter week with mixed weather
but Good Friday was especially warm here in St. Ives
and we enjoyed a day of colours
a day of stripey deckchairs and vermilion windbreaks

a day of spring flowers
enjoyed on my walk down the coast path
and saved and pressed for a rainy day

I popped in The New Craftsman Gallery
to see Emma Jeffryes new collection of paintings

this one was my fave
it's called "boatful of daffodils"

I also love the work of Shirley Foote
and was thrilled to see some of her original work


Shirley loves this palette and most of her paintings and prints feature these soft but warm yellows, ochres, oranges, olives and browns
 

her paintings call to me ... they make me want to paint
and sing and dance all at the same time!

do you have a favourite artist that does that to you?

next up ... I revisited the Crypt Gallery on the last day of my friend Sally's and her son Sam's "Mother and Son" exhibition for a proper look. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many friends at the opening party, which was very busy, but I also wanted to spend some more time looking at the paintings



it was lovely to have some time to chat to Sally and also leaf through her latest sketchbook ... such a wow! If you are in St. Ives locally or on holiday this year ... Sally's studio is just wonderful and magical and directly opposite the Malakoff with gorgeous views across the bay

 

Sally's studio is open most days and I would thoroughly recommend a visit if you are interested in textured paintings, textiles, sketchbooks, art dolls, jewellery, altered art boxes and tags etc.

if you are not likely to get to St. Ives for a while
then you can make a virtual visit instead as
Sally has a blog and a website ... all gorgeous!!

Sally MacCabe

also on Good Friday I met Colin Birchall

showing his work in St. Ives Arts Club

 I do love his work
his paintings are full of colour, shapes, interesting lines
and wonderful textures that are so very inspiring
especially of interest to textile artists

Colin was exhibiting in the Arts Club for just a week
but his work is permanently on display in his own gallery

 Colin Birchall
The Harbour Galleries, Wharf Road, St. Ives
(on the seafront)

the entrance to Harbour Galleries
is between Jus' Desserts (ice creams)
and Fat Willy's Surf Shack

website:
Colin Birchall Gallery

these wonderful textures would look fab
stitched up in felt or on painted calico
with machine embroidery and hand stitching

 

 

 and these lines and rust tones interest me enormously

if you like what you see here ... 

pop in and see Colin's work in his gallery this summer

 

it was very, very busy in St. Ives over the long Easter weekend

we had many more visitors to the town than usual

 the weather was really lovely some days ... warm and sunny

and every now and then ... a surprise downpour

that seemed to come from nowhere

the rest of my Easter weekend

was spent preparing for a visit from friends

having a much needed clear up in my work space, etc.

I will share some of what we got up to in the next post ...

Catching dreams

August 9, 2012, 3:15 am

≫ Next: dreaming of the sea

≪ Previous: a day of colours

$

0

0

catching dreams

Things I love Thursday

fine art, embroidery, textile design
oysters, pearls and blue mussel shells

this is a mosaic I curated from the very fine work of some of my flickr friends and faves. I hope you may follow the links to see more beautiful work from these artists

1. 22 2. kaptilo al la okulo 3. 23 4. insulators1 5. oyster shell 6. oyster shells 7. shared inspiration 8. Untitled 9. Untitled 10. 8 11. untitled 12. bagpiper 13. Untitled 14. pearls 15. a pocket 16. steenmerz

catching dreams
catching up
taking small dolly steps ...

It's been far too long since I shared anything on either of my blogs but today I took those first few little steps towards getting back to things. I want it to be the start of something

There is some catching up to do, naturally, but I'm far more focused on what I want to achieve than I have been in a long while. Taking some time out really helped me to find my direction again

The inspiration never left me ... but I did ponder the big picture and where it was all going. I've been trying to find that elusive balance of time and what can actually be achieved alongside other things that are very valuable to me. It felt right to spend a lot less time on the computer and more time surrounding myself with beauty and simply being ... simply doing

thank you so much for visiting ♥

dreaming of the sea

March 4, 2013, 7:15 am

≫ Next: inspiring St. Ives colours

≪ Previous: Catching dreams

$

0

0

dreaming of the sea

1. beach finds 2. ♥ harbour view ♥ 3. life cycle 4. ++ 5. the nap
6.seaside shells ... 7. running into the diamond sea
8. light sea storm 9. amour 10. leaving the circle 

11. 04232702 12. a midnight green gift 13. 16 pebbles

a sunny monday

a fresh start perhaps

and hoping to post a little here again

inspiring St. Ives colours

March 6, 2013, 6:58 am

≫ Next: rainy days and mondays

≪ Previous: dreaming of the sea

$

0

0

my most favourite scene

with vintage handwriting texture

this week ... I love these colours

which have worked their way into some mini newspaper journals

and this week's photo for my jar project

rainy days and mondays

March 11, 2013, 4:33 pm

≫ Next: St. Ives spring tide

≪ Previous: inspiring St. Ives colours

$

0

0

rainy days and mondays

1. good morning 2. goodbye February! 3. drop cliche! 4. porthminster rain 5. mixed signals 6. too ripe 7. it's raining... 8. vintage spools of thread 9. . 10. blue eyes (Jeanne) 1917 11. . 12. after a spring rain 13. pussy willow

I'm having a spring sale in my etsy shop

Monday 11 - Thursday 14 March

for 25% off - quote SPRING2013

I would love you to visit my shop
and I hope you may see something you like ♥

---

St. Ives spring tide

March 16, 2013, 1:20 pm

≫ Next: the last mosaic of winter

≪ Previous: rainy days and mondays

$

0

0

the spring tides in St. Ives this week have been absolutely awesome

I am sure you will enjoy this little clip ... 

have a great weekend and thank you for visiting

the last mosaic of winter

March 18, 2013, 1:30 am

≫ Next: first steps back

≪ Previous: St. Ives spring tide

$

0

0

the last mosaic of winter ...

1. beachcombing 2. frozen sycamore leaf 3. snow on the moor Zennor 4. sea washed 5. sheep detail in the harvest scene 6. lace motif 7. fossil collection I | 27-02-10 8. pieces of the collection 9. old lace trimmed curtains 10. running with sunbeams... 11. french knots sheep 12. vintage lace napkin and chair 13. french knot sheep button

 a nod to the coldest winter we have had in St. Ives for yonks

and all the sleety showers and hail stone storms this weekend

perhaps that's why the spring tides have been so awesome!

thank you for all your kind comments left here

and on my facebook page, flickr and twitter ♥

projects that I'm keeping up with at the moment include:

 mosaic monday

tag tuesday
wreck this journal

the jar project on wednesday

monthly crow days
sketchbooks and work for exhibition in November 2013

and ... updating my shop

I've started making hearts again (but sold out over the weekend)

I am working on more ... with a St. Ives theme

and some new ones for Spring

I've recently enjoyed some Crow Days with friend Jo

making faux chenille samples and a newspaper journal

again, very much with a St. Ives theme

and using pieces from my erosion bundle ... remember that?

lots to share ...

as you can see ... I am trying to get back to blogging again

but I have a bit of a backlog of photos to sift through ...

it all takes time ...

wishing you all a very creative week ahead ♥

first steps back

March 24, 2013, 7:03 pm

≫ Next: winter through jar light

≪ Previous: the last mosaic of winter

$

0

0

the first few steps to achieving most things are often the hardest

but they begin by putting one foot firmly in front of the other

and trusting that you are going in the right direction

and, more importantly, for the right reasons

I took those (very difficult) first few steps back in January

by deciding that I wanted to write on my blog again
 

I was away from my blogs for a very long time ... 

I now realise, in hindsight, that I was still getting over
some family things and I believe that, subconsciously,
I was also aware of the deteriorating health of my darling Daddy

who passed away just before Christmas 2012

I don't want to go into it all here ...
it's all too painful ... and always will be

but I acknowledge the past few months have been difficult

and now I'm trying to get back to many of my art projects
that were shelved ...but not abandoned

it's very true ...
that spending time creatively can help the healing process

time to lose oneself in an all consuming project or

quiet time to think and process thoughts and feelings

so ... I've been doing just that ...

at my own pace ...

walking on the beach ...

playing with textures on my own photos ...

pushing the pieces around for a still life shot ...

posing tiny little shells ...

enjoying joyful yellow flowers ...

with subtle scents of spring ...

finding inspiration from beautiful words ...

 high above ... the clouds parted for an instant
and a watery gleam of sunshine broke through
the wet streets threw back the reflection of this light
and stone and slate were washed in gold           

anticipating springtime in mosaics ...

discovering a clump of snowdrops on a wintry walk  ...

 enjoying the sprinkling of snow we had

on the Cornish cottage rooftops in January ...

and enjoying new challenges and ways of looking at things

one word wednesday jar project

am inspirational photographic group that looks at refraction,
reflection, distortion, opacity, light, bokeh, colours, textures
and subject matter through the medium of a glass jar or vessel ...
with focus on a title containing only one word

week 1 of the jar project
23 January 2013

we are now on week 9

and I will share some of my jar photos here in coming weeks

I'm finding it such a joyful project

inspired by the snow and ice we had in January

I made a crystal snowflake to go in my first jar photo

I love the refraction through the glass and the pebbles behind

 

also in snowy January ... I had a lovely day with my friend Jo

she took me over to Sally Snape's shop at Perranarworthal

a most wonderful patchwork/fabric emporium

Coast and Country

where I indulged in a little retail therapy

although I can justify most of these purchases as they will be used for work I'm producing for an exhibition of textiles in St. Ives in Autumn 2014 ... yes ... I've started early for once!!

beautiful lace and soft pastel linens

fabrics with seedheads and starry shaped notions

these are a few of my favourite things

and if you can get down for my show in 2014

you will see that these tones all fit in nicely with my sketchbooks

on a seed pod and seed head theme

 

other "extravagancies" included beautiful batik fabrics

in shades of wintry moon and ocean blues

 ... and lunch at The Olive Grove

where Jo and I exchanged gifts and had a very lovely time

pottering round the nurseries ... looking for snowdrops

in January the moon was beautiful ...

I captured it ...

 

and printed it ... and made a card

I was amazed when it received 240 "faves" on flickr (thank you)

 

I love moons and mussels

in that particular shade of denim blue ...

moons and mussels

1. sky bubble 2. bubble bokeh 3. california mussels 4. drop cliche! 5. earth dandelion 

 6. La Javanaise 7. bulles 18 8. beach bubbles 9. arrivederci inverno 10. a blue moon 

11. IMGP3855 12. blowing bubbles in Torquay 13. sweet nothing|s 14. beach butterfly 

15. ying/yang 16. 20091101-_MG_9115 17. turnstone 18. untitled 19. untitled 20. rain on window

and curating beautiful mosaics ...

those winter blues

1. braving a blizzard 2. brrrrr ! 3. promise 4. in the bleak midwinter 5. frozen fingers

6. vintage - snow in September 1959 7. sculpted doily 8. lagerstroemia indica 9. untitled 

10. natural dyed pouches 11. beach pebbles in January curonian spit national park, Russia 

12. haiku stash 498 13. untitled

more misty blues ...

1. willow 2. among snowy mountains 3. a delicate world 4. waning lines 5. | 6. untitled

and during very cold weather I love to make these ...

they are so pretty ... I have them hanging all year round ...

to enjoy their sparkle and reflections

snowflakes

 well ... this is all for now

as I say ... it's a start

 and life is "full on" at the moment

with making for my shop and the other projects I'm working on

not to mention my show later this year

"sew ... a needle pulling thread ..."

so there will be a bit more on that later

thank you for visiting

♥

winter through jar light

March 30, 2013, 6:23 pm

≫ Next: mish mash

≪ Previous: first steps back

$

0

0

towards the end of January ...

I was particularly aware of the tone of winter light
a soft greying mauve ... of a late afternoon
no matter the time of day ...

driving in snow in Manchester

and towards the end of January ...
I was in Manchester for a very sad family occasion
far too soon after my own Dad

snow in Manchester is always very nostalgic for me
for it reminds me of my childhood days
 growing up with special and very close cousins
when every single winter holiday it snowed without fail

it's the reason I love snow and snowflakes so much ...

driving in driving snow

 and there was a beautiful winter light ...

in the skies
in the trees
in my studio
and in my jars

week 2 of the jar project

30th January 2013

twinkle lights always cheer ... don't they
I've had mine on a lot lately!

the twinkle of fairy lights add a little magic to my display
of pebbles and fossils
and things on my studio windowsill

 

 for week 2 of the jar project ...
I used one of my own photos of St. Ives harbour
curved round inside the jar for distortion and then I
wrapped some iridescent snowflake garland around the photo
and around the top of the jar to finish

it made quite a delicious little piece ... which I'm still enjoying

"iridescence"

 

 I'm really enjoying the jar project this year ...

it's a weekly photographic project that
explores refraction, reflection, distortion, opacity
light, bokeh, colours, textures and subject matter
through the medium of a glass jar or vessel

what was meant to be a "moment in art"
turned into something I will enjoy for a while ...
sitting amongst my pebble and fossil treasures collected

as often happens ...

the colours inspired a mosaic

winter light

1. cherish each moment 2. . 3. diving (a bird a day: 13) 4. winter symphony 

5. bridge 6. mr. roboto 7. closing circles 8. illustrating nature 9. cozy memories 

10. untitled 11. heavy light 12. transcending 13. print on wool scarf

 

week 3 of the jar project
6th February 2013

I began by experimenting with some acorn cups I'd found
that were brown with a soft pinkish hue
the soft light in the jar was amazing

these were photographed at Mum's
on a very wintry day

 this jar is called "projects"

it represents the way I often combine projects ...
sitting the jar on my "wreck this journal" project
in which I'm working my way through the prompts

(it has a red white and blue London theme and
I'll share it on Love Stitching Red when it's nearer completion)

I love the light and wintry tones
the soft reflections in the glass and
the opacity of the delicately embroidered flower

 and looking through the jar at the changing winter sky
of dark clouds and a peep of sunlight ...

a jar perspective

winter trees through jar light

with soft reflections

it's a beautiful world seen through a jar

why not have a go ...

place an object of your choice in an old jam jar
(nothing fancy needed here for this project!)
photograph it from different angles through the glass

notice the distortion and refraction
notice the way light, edges and shapes change

lay the jar on it's side
or photograph your object through the bottom of the jar

hold the jar up ...
and photograph your background through the jar

fill your jar up with water ...
how does that affect your viewpoint ...

is your jar reflecting light from your environment?
record what you see and how it makes you feel

photograph, draw or collage a shape from your jar ...
there are many directions this project may take

inspire yourself ...

"the winter ended"

and then finally ... the winter ended

this is a textile art heart I made for my shop recently
the final wintry white one for quite a while

I loved stitching this one with melted sheers and crisp white satins
silver snowflakes, clear Swarovski crystals and other seed beads
layered over silver fabrics

 

I was pleased with the layers ...

the look I was trying to achieve was one of snow piled up in drifts

to finish I added a very pretty Swarovski crystal heart

I'll be back again soon ...
I'm spring cleaning this weekend
housework, windows, garden ...

the flowers and daffodils are blooming
the birds think it's spring
they are very busy to and fro with nesting materials

the clocks went forward in the early hours
and it's now British Summer Time ... hurrah!
now all we need is some warm sunshine
have a great weekend ♥

mish mash

April 1, 2013, 7:48 pm

≫ Next: a bit about the jar project

≪ Previous: winter through jar light

$

0

0

the thing is ...

most of the time I have many projects on the go

but I do like to complete everything I start

even if, frustratingly, it's not as quickly as I'd like and

sometimes there may be no apparent semblance of order

things may appear to be a muddling mish mash

a collection or mixture of unrelated things; a hodgepodge

but this can be a very refreshing way of working ...

refreshing

1. || 2. living at Canteras Beach 3. stitched 4. Noel Betowski - painting detail 5. tTextiles & fabrics & cloth 6. the EZ 7. white brown and blue vase (4) 8. . 9. dream of cool summer stars 10. . 11. petit dessin 6 12. St Ives Cornwall 13. free texture 14. sailing day 15. cold waters 16. raindrops

it's the way I work ...

and I'm sure many of you do too ...

quite often I have a specific train of thought going on

but one thing leads to another before the first thing has met fruition

and, before you know it, there's a big pile of UFO's

(unfinished objects)

 the only way to manage this way of working

is to accept that some projects serve their purpose at the time

and reach completion

and others are either best left to be revisited at a later time

or, perhaps, will never be finished ...

they may be cut up and used in a new project

 and this can be a very positive thing

... a way of connecting your work

especially if you work with recurring themes

acceptance is liberating

this happened to me recently on one of my Crow Days with Jo ...

 when we  met up for our usual monthly get together to "play"

we decided to have a go at making faux chenille samples

so I prepared my painted papers the night before

choosing to work with the colours in my photograph above

(my usual St.Ives/seaside colours)

 I used pages from my local paper - The St. Ives Times & Echo

in particular the art pages about

William Scott's exhibition at The Tate

  

as well as some pages from a daily tabloid and some bondaweb

 I coloured the pages so the text can still be read and enjoyed

and ironed some of the bondaweb onto the painted newspaper pages

 the painted papers were then mixed with layers of chiffons

on top of a base of stiff interfacing/pellon

and machine stitched in straight lines through the layers

then cut with a pair of scissors through all the layers

except for the interfacing base which holds it all together

 then I fluffed up the edges with a rough nail brush

to distress the chiffon fibres and reveal some of the text

although I really enjoyed playing with these samples

and was pleased when assorted St. Ives and sea related words

were serendipitously revealed ...

I can't, ultimately, see a purpose for this technique in my work
(that's just my own personal opinion)

so I'm not sure the exercise was wholly successful ...

and I came to this conclusion rather quickly

so I only stitched and cut up a small piece of faux chenille sample

you can see some good examples for end use
in Kim Thittichai's book "Layed Textiles"

so ... what to do with the rest of the layers? mmm ...

leaving the newspapers, chiffons and pellon in a random order

I folded them over and double stitched down the middle

to make little newspaper books

I only made two as my sewing machine decided to have "attitude"

and refused to stitch through the ironed on bondaweb

(something you may find of interest before you attempt this)

anyway ... when I opened them ... I was surprised at the
serendipity of them ... of the randomness of the papers and text ...

this pleased me very much

(and when I got home I began working into the pages)

 on my desk

preparing the base layers and beginning to decorate the pages

using pieces of fabric, scrim, lace and paper from my erosion bundle

the next stage is to embellish the pages with things I love

such as St. Ives related things, words I like and hand stitching, etc.

 this is how the front cover is looking ...

it will have a gorgeous blue mussel shell attached when it's finished

it's just placed there at the moment so that I can work on the pages

 now these I can see will have a purpose

one will be a mini journal filled with thoughts of St. Ives

the other will be a comments book for my show in November 2013

and I will share the pages later ... as I work into them

 anyway ... my point is that the faux chenille will always be a sample and will not progress to anything other than a sample which I will stick into the newspaper journal ... that leaves me with the newspaper journal ... an "as yet" unfinished project ... but an ongoing one ... as you know how long hand stitching takes ... and it will be revisited on an "as and when I get time" basis because I've got more pressing projects to complete first ... such as things for my shop, custom orders and tags ... so this is how it goes ...

you will be getting a mish mash of stuff from me ...

meanwhile ... back to our Crow Day

it was a Wednesday so it was time to photograph my jar

week 6 of the jar project

27th February 2013

[my jars for weeks 4 and 5 will be on Love Stitching Red]

I took my jar to Crow Day at Jo's studio at Krowji in Redruth

I used the mussel with the barnacles as my subject

and placed the jar on some of the painted bondaweb

through the glass it looked like a "watery" beach

and then I placed the jar on some of the painted pages

about the Tate exhibition ... love those distortions

William Scott and Peter Fraser

and then looking at the same page through the bottom of the glass

  mmm ... lovely colours and distortions and light

if you read down to the bottom ... thank you so much!

I  hope it may have inspired you a little to "play"

thank you always for visiting

and for reading my rambles ♥

a bit about the jar project

April 4, 2013, 4:28 am

≫ Next: Tag Tuesday

≪ Previous: mish mash

$

0

0

 I began the jar project in January 2013

it started as an idea that I mooted with my sister in November

... that we collaborate on a photographic project together

a project that allowed each of us to work within
our usual styles, colours, themes, etc.

whilst exploring new ways of looking at things

6th March 2013 - week 7
the jar project

each week we explore  refraction, reflection, distortion

opacity, light, bokeh, colours and textures through photography

by photographing objects/subject matter

either in or through our jar or glass vessels
you start to find there are so many other things gong on
there are beautiful reflections, light bouncing, colours changing
shapes bending and distorting

as well as noticing and capturing interesting backgrounds
the jar itself can be interesting
the photo above is of the thread of the jar

each week the subject matter of my jar has been either
connected to something that I'm working on at the time
or something on my desk ... 

which serves as a kind of diary thought 

as all of my jars reflect my thought process for that day

here I used my oldest and most faithful paint brush

it's the brush I use a lot for painting backgrounds

painting tyvek, fibretex, geospun and collages

it's a sadly neglected brush ... I do wash it out (of course!)

but it's rusted with bristles splaying ... and does the job

so my one word title for this jar is ...
"neglect"

also on my desk you can make out William Shakespeare
and some other papers that I'd started to gather
for a paper swap with mixed media artist Brian Kasstle
organised by FM of Lawendula

my parcel of things was posted to Brian in Long Beach, California
a couple of weeks ago and I'll share more on that another time

William Shakespeare in my jar huh?

who'd have thought he'd be that famous lol ;o)

Tag Tuesday

April 9, 2013, 1:45 am

≫ Next: something lovely ...

≪ Previous: a bit about the jar project

$

0

0

 

some of you may know I am the silent host of Tag Tuesday
silent ... in that I quietly attend to the blog's needs
but, sadly, don't find myself with much time to make tags

we are currently working through the letters of the alphabet
and are already half way through ...

I'm still hoping to catch up with my alphabet series as
I went to London in February and have in mind to give
my series of tags a London theme

they will work well in my "wreck this journal" project
and I'll share them on my other blog - Love Stitching Red

meanwhile ...
I thought you may like to see we have over 1700
beautiful little works of art being created at
Tag Tuesday

I've been feeling a lot better about things lately ...

for being at home and slowly catching up with things

so here's a little "heads up"

for anyone who may like one of my seaside hearts

there will be some new ones in my shop later today

thank you always for visiting

---

something lovely ...

May 6, 2013, 10:23 am

≫ Next: a poetic blend ...

≪ Previous: Tag Tuesday

$

0

0

just popping by to let you know about a giveaway

that my lovely friend Viv is having over at Hens Teeth Art

of course I am hoping to win this beautiful needlecase myself ;o)

but thought I'd share the love with you all

I'll be back here soon ... 

I have my Mum staying with me for a little holiday :o)

a poetic blend ...

May 16, 2013, 3:28 am

≫ Next: imaginings and lost thoughts

≪ Previous: something lovely ...

$

0

0

another gorgeous giveaway ...

this time from my very dear friend Cathy Cullis

there is just time to pop over and put your name in the hat

to win a copy of Cathy's latest poetry zine

a beautiful blend of Cathy's paintings and words

Cathy Cullis

imaginings and lost thoughts

September 1, 2013, 11:55 pm

≫ Next: SEW ... A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

≪ Previous: a poetic blend ...

$

0

0

I'm imagining I can find a little time to write here again

it's daunting to imagine I will ever catch up with everything

but the first step is to write something ...

I can't remember where I got to ... with blogging

thoughts are lost

it's time to start again ...

 life continues to be busy on all fronts ...

I continue to work on projects close to my heart

textiles, paintings, sketchbooks and photographic projects
and working on many new pieces for a show in November

over the months ...

many shells have been gathered
on inspiring beach walks

 many new hearts have been stitched ...
seaside stories sewn ...

many fabrics melted and textured

many tags made

many shimmery
beads have been lovingly created



there is so much that I would like to share
over the coming months ... bit by bit ...

I've had the honour to be invited to give interviews
to Textileartist.org and also Artizen Magazine
both of which I would love to share more about next time

and you may be interested to read of the inspiring art shows
visited and viewed both in St. Ives and London
and work that came from these shows

so many beautiful gifts received from and swapped
with some very inspiring creative artists and blog friends

old work ... new work ... work still in the making

and many interesting photos from the jar project
yes ... I'm having so much fun with that!

 it's almost the end of the summer holidays ...

I'm taking a bit of a break from other online places right now
to work on my show pieces, have a few quiet days with my hubby
in Torquay and write here on my blog ...

yes ... I've made a start today
I'm imagining it ... I'm dreaming it ...
and I thank you for visiting ♥

SEW ... A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

October 28, 2013, 10:56 am

≫ Next: SEW ... A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

≪ Previous: imaginings and lost thoughts

$

0

0

an exhibition of mixed media and textiles
in St. Ives, Cornwall
3-16 November 2013

SEW ... A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

St. Ives Arts Club, Westcotts Quay/The Warren

St. Ives, Cornwall, TR26 2DY

3-16 November 2013

Jo and I have been working very long hours to bring together a selection of our textile art and mixed media works for exhibition.  We will be offering a range of textiles, wall art, wearable art, cards and gifts for you to enjoy

In addition, Jo will have a wide selection of textile goodies from her mobile shop "Textile Treasures" and I have been putting together some creative textile packs which include yarns, threads and fabrics as well as samples of my melted fabrics, painted bondaweb and my special hand made beads

There will be a great many hearts from me too and a few snowflakes hanging on wintry branches and our show will display a mix of autumn and winter inspired pieces alongside work inspired by the many elements of our home town of St. Ives.  Jo and I will be there to talk "textiles" and share a bit about our work.  Jo will have one of her weaving looms ... and will be happy to demonstrate how it works

Please come ... the show runs for two weeks and we both hope to see you if you can make it down to this beautiful part of Cornwall

SEW ... A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

November 1, 2013, 1:07 pm

≫ Next: a cold and frosty morning ...

≪ Previous: SEW ... A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

$

0

0

a day at purple bay

a new textile piece created for the show which starts on Sunday
it called "a day at purple bay" and was inspired by a shell that my friend Julie found on the beach at Hayle Towans a while back ... 
(it sat in my box for a while waiting to go on just the right piece)

it also features waxed papers, silk, hand stitching and shells
and the piece comes framed ready to hang

I now have the dates when Jo and I will be attending the show which is open from 10.30 till 4.30 pm each day including Sundays.  We very much look forward to meeting you and sharing our work

SUNDAY 3 - Carolyn and Jo
MONDAY 4 - Carolyn and Jo
TUESDAY 5 - Carolyn
WEDNESDAY 6 - Carolyn
THURSDAY 7 - Jo
FRIDAY 8 - Jo
SATURDAY 9 - Carolyn
SUNDAY 10 - Jo
MONDAY 11 - Carolyn and Jo
TUESDAY 12 - Jo
WEDNESDAY 13 - Carolyn
THURSDAY 14 - Carolyn
FRIDAY 15 - Jo
SATURDAY 16 - Carolyn and Jo - show ends 4.30pm

SEW ... A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD

St. Ives Arts Club, Westcotts Quay/The Warren

St. Ives, Cornwall, TR26 2DY

show runs from 3-16 November 2013
daily from 10.30 till 4.30

it would be lovely to see you!