finally finished

from time to time i've had thoughts of this painting i worked on last year; never feeling that it was finished. but i figured something would come to me eventually and when that time came i could hang it knowing it was done.

over the weekend i acquired four new pictures, three of which i decided to hang in my art gallery (a.k.a. bathroom-hey, good lighting and white walls). this required rearranging of the other pieces, and suddenly a space opened up which was in need of some art. so, i hung this octopus painting temporarily as a space filler. then today as i was gazing at it i finally saw what it needed: a funky umbrella.

out came the paper collage drawer and a print was chosen, cut, and glued to the painting. a good coating of satin glazing liquid after all was dry to even out the surface and protect the paper, and i can finally sign it and call it done.

gifts to exchange

at the last fiber guild meeting, we did a little handmade gift exchange. as i didn't have anything on hand, i needed to create something. and, as so often the case, i waited till the last minute to do so. so, the evening before, i got out the sewing needles, buttons, and small scraps of cloth, and decided to make a cloud pin with a raindrop embellishment. i kept things simple, and took an idea which i had worked on in japan; to line up the button holes with the holes on the pin backs i use, and to sandwich the button between two bits of cloth which can be trimmed to whatever shape one likes.

when gift wrapping, i like to repurpose, as it makes things more interesting that way. so the paper i wrapped with was packing material used to cushion glass, and the bow was made from candy foil.

the button sandwich pin needs more development, but the clean lines you can achieve is quite nice, and the simplicity lends itself to minimal embellishment. i quite like the look of the aerated paper as well, and luckily, i need to order another beaker, so, yay, more wrapping material!

lovely outsides

now that the intended has received their present, i can post photos of the wrappings! i really like that by using a monochromatic color scheme it makes you focus on the different textures. again, i'm using the curricula silk; these little pods are just so beautiful, i have an overwhelming need to use them.

natural elements

using nature as inspiration is something we all do; its diversity and beauty is breathtaking, ever shifting, and at times unattainable. but using nature as the working medium sometimes works out even better then trying to capture its essence.

ever since i bought a bag of curricula cocoons from habu textiles i have been continually amazed by them. there are so many projects i find myself incorporating them into. my latest creation uses them as a main element; a pair of silver earrings with the cocoon wrapped around a creamy pearl. i made this pair for juyeon kim, the artist on the installation project i've been assisting with.

no, it's really the outside that matters

there's a simple joy to wrapping a present. not with the tradition box and a bow, but something special and unique to each gift; i think it's as important as what you're giving.

i like to reuse tissue paper, i seem to always get it when buying clothes. to add decoration, strips of material that i trimmed off a project work very well, as does the washi tape that comes from japan. sometimes i will use pretty papers or origami paper sheets and cut out images or shapes.

one year i used square images of flowers which i cut up from a postcard mailer to write the to and from on. it's interesting to find creative ways of recycling images and "scraps" to make someone a pretty package.

handmade presents

for the past few christmas' i've been making gifts for close family instead of the conventional buying of gifts. i don't know, it makes it feel more like giving; taking the time to think of what each person would be charmed by, then spending time in the creation.

plus there's the added benefit of not worrying about returns, "i already have that", or spending lots of $. i know, completely selfish on my part, but giving gifts is not about me buying you something you want just because it's what this holiday has turned into. it's about giving you something from my heart as a way of saying "i care about you and am glad you're a part of my life and i'm choosing to show you this in a material way".

so, this year i needle felted a bird ornament for my mother; she collects them and it makes her happy as this is her favorite time of year.

for my brother i'm giving him a fiber wall piece that i had made earlier in the year when inspiration struck. it has a gold embroidered skeleton on it; charming, i know.

i painted a field of mushrooms with a sky blue cloudscape on brown paper framed in an antique glass frame for my sister. for her two children i crafted a 2-d spongebob out of paper for my nephew (who has an overwhelming obsession with all things spongebob), knitted a blanket and sewed three decorative pillows for my nieces' dollhouse, thankfully they're only 4 and five years of age.

the only member of my family that i break the handmade code for is my father. he received a 12 pack of beer. he's really bad about getting gifts, something along the line of "what do i need that for?" and "if i need something i'll go out and buy it for myself". ah, the joys of family.