Baby It's Cold Outside

Our wish for a white Christmas with enough snow to ski has been granted. Going out for my third cross country ski of the year today. My favorite form of exercise! If I have to live where it's grey so much of the winter I want lots of snow & out door activity.

On to artistic endeavors.  Been working on FABRIC BOXES for gifts. Using black & white images printed on muslin for part of the embellishment. 

I have a couple gerat old book with flora fauna & landscape images I scan then print on fabric (or hand made paper). Iron the fabric to freezer paper, shiny side against the fabric, and run through your printer.

Here are a couple in the works. Using pellon "ultra firm stabilizer" Peltex 70 as the substrate. First I cover the inside with fabric, I zig zag or free stitch each side to the pellon to anchor it.  Then stitch each of the outside pieces to the substrate before zig zagging the sides together.

Here are a couple finished versions:

As you can see I incorporate everything form stencils, calligraphy, embroidery, extra fabric pieces, or anything that seems appealing at the moment. It's all about the process!!!

Winter Wonderland

There is a township park just outside my door and down a hill. It's interesting that whenever you get out in nature on a holiday the people you run across are more engaging than on other days of the year.
One young man was on his telemarking skis. He seemed to be one with them as he whisked up and down the narrow trails on the hills.One of our favorite things do do is go cross country skiing on Christmas day when there is enough snow.  From the looks of it that will be possible this year.

My husband and I were solo this year with 2 grown sons being at other venues for Thanksgiving. We did a 12 lb turkey & fixins. This may be the year I break down and get a new hand mixer....

It's now on my Christmas list.

The Beginning

This is the beginning of sharing my artistic world with anyone who cares to venture here. 

My current focus is book binding and print making in order to create edtions of artist books. 

Welcome and join the fun! I encourage questions and comments. 

Coptic binding is an ancient method that is challenging and rewarding. This is an older travel journal 

Making book cloth from fabric is a newer skill I have learned, The possibilities are endless. These are examples of the shibori technique for dying.