Lughnasadh is finished. Hang out the bunting.
I will miss working on it.
I decided to gesso the back and add printed words about the Myths connected to harvest time.
I will put it away now, looking at it occasionally and hoping I dont find any glaring fault.
I will present it for a juried exhibition by EDGE in Aug 2015 " between myth and ledgend"
Fingers and toes crossed it gets in (Fairy Magic is crossing hers as well)
Two books waiting for the third.
I plan to make a third book " Winter God" but I have put that on hold for now.
So Bye Bye books.
Tidying up all trace of Lughnasadh. I like to start with
a clear desk to begin a new project. Only time it is clear. ( tell me about it, says Fairy Magic )
No yellow anywhere but spot the Red bird. A wonderful surprise when it flew into Scotland from America.
Work is now for exhibitions in 2016.
First one is Jan 16th in Aberlady ornithology center.
Plan to fill my wooden shelves with pieces about sea birds. This exhibition is by a group named Kalamkari
So watch this space
Second exhibition is with a group named Fusation and will be on August 13th Title Coastlines.
I am going to be busy.
Will be using a larger workbook this time A3. 30cm. + 43cm.
Have begun playing (Fairy Magic reminds me this is designing) with some ideas but need to start gathering source material.
No idea where this is going yet but look in next Sunday to see what I am up to
Some supplies, just because they were being tidied away.
See you next week.
Bye Bye
These are 39 + 70 cm. and I had them made by a joiner. He decided my measurements would make them too small so he added 15cm.
Steam coming out in all directions.
I will have to look at them for a while before I make a decision ( without the joiners help) about what I want to do.
Hang them vertically or horizontally?
Will I get them reduced to original size ? (by another joiner)
Decisions
What do I want then for?
Well thinking ahead. I have an exhibition to prepare pieces of work for and my plan is to transform these units into two interesting, intriguing curio cabinets.
So watch this space.
Book is almost ready.
The last few weeks I have been dragging my feet (fairy magic says" It should be hands")
Whatever, it has been dragging on. So big push to get it finished and start next idea. See above
This is how the spine has looked for a number of weeks, waiting for me to make a decision.
Back to the embellisher to make a strip then hand stitch with wheat shapes.
Added to spine.
Painted to match covers. Glad this is now complete.
( so is fairy magic) In the end it did not take long I just needed to get on with it.
This page is almost finished. I have tried several times this week to make a stencil of oats to echo barley stencil.
Disaster.
Just comes out as blobs, cant even show you as all attempts ended in the bin.
Might draw the shape using ink and a fine nib pen.
Dyed interfacing to attach to back of pages but might use gesso with some colour added instead.
Nearly at the end. Quite pleased with the results but one is never really 100% sure if work is alright.
I have enjoyed the research and the problem solving involved with the construction.
Hope to be able to say next Sunday "It is finished"
Bye Bye
Sorry no blog this weekend. Have not managed to move the book forward at all and I am away for a few days. Will be back next Sunday and hope to have book almost finished.
So see you then.
Bye Bye
Earth poems 1 and 2
I decided when I began this blog it would only be about recording the trails and tribulations of my work. It would not cover personal issues.
Today - dishwashing machine leaked and leaked. I did not know they held so much water. The kitchen floor flooded and still the water came. Lino began to rise as water crept underneath. Pulled the machine out from its casing, with great difficulty, and underneath on cement floor was horrid gunge, and even more water.
At that point I wanted to lock the door and go outside - escape from the mess - the smell - and all the problems the flood would cause.
1st Pouring rain
2nd Sick husband
3rd Only me to deal with problem
Put down lots of old sheets and towels to mop up water. Newspaper over gunge to help dry up and stop smell.
Very strong cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit. 2 chocolate biscuits, lets be honest here and I was ready to tackle anything, well almost anything.
Spent the rest of the evening watching rubbish TV to recover.
Pathetic really.
Hope this will be the one and only time I rant about a domestic crisis.
On with the book
Oats in the bottle at long last. Collected from Crop Research but as it was a holiday weekend everyone I had arranged to meet had left early. Will try to get there next week. Main thing is at long last I have oat seed. It is hard to tell from photo but the 3 types of seed are different.
Gerst - Monath Old Anglo Saxon for September Barley Month
Have added to front inside cover,
Have finished attaching cords to front and back of book. I have the blisters to prove it was hard to sew them on but I am pleased with the result so worth it I think ( Fairy magic thinks so too)
Have repeated the tie method on end of cords. Just finishes them and ties the book together.
I finished the ends with a little paper fastener. I have used then to attach pieces inside the book. Again it just neatens the ends.
This is the last page to be worked on. Hope to have it finished next week. The songs I have used are all old farming songs, once sung at Harvest Time.
An elderly local farmer told me, up till the 50s these songs were sung at Barn Dances held at Harvest time.
Plan for next week
1 Finish page
2 Still to work out idea for spine
3 Find a method to finish back of pages
4 Crop Research visit
End almost in sight.
Hope you will look in next week and I promise no more rants.
Bye Bye
I like to use sewing machine made cords as a way of fastening my books.
This is the fastening for a map style book, recording some walks round my local area.
Fastening for the 1st book in the Farming series
I dye the piping cord before sewing as it helps to disguise any spaces missed when machining.
Threads, piping cord and spools ready for an afternoon at sewing machine.
I like to fill a number of spools before I begin. Nothing more frustrating than a spool running out and everything stops till you locate and fill a new one.(fairy magic hates it as well)
One can buy, one colour, ready to use cords but I like my cords to have a variety of colours as I think they are more interesting.
This is how the front and back of book 2 will look. Not quite finished yet .
Next week!!!!!!!!
I sewed the cords to the linen strip then had to resort to my curved needle and pliers to attach to cover.
I plan to close the book in the same way as the scrolls 3 cords intertwined.
Really making one work to get into the written word.
The story secreted away.
A quest to open the book?
Another page finished. Can you spot the stitched sheaves? This is my take on Wheatsheaf stitch.
There really is an embroidery stitch of this name. I had to use it.
Added another scroll. A theme of 3 is in this book. I know it is a lucky number and we have the Trinity and all that but I must look up meanings of 3.
Still no visit to collect Oats. Had to cancel again. Unforeseen circumstances. It is now left I phone when I can make it. Perhaps next week?
Really see the end in sight now.
1 more page and finish covers.
See you next week
Bye Bye
At long last a decision has been made for inside back cover. I have tried so many different photos before deciding on this one.
I used all my silk inkjet printing sheets (must remember to order more) but at last I am happy. Other photos were interesting but didn`t work with front inside cover.
I now have a variety of printed sheets waiting for another project.
Inside spine changed. If you recall I was not happy with first attempt.
Decision made and now happy as is (fairy magic)
Images of Oats, Wheat and Barley throughout the book. Childrens action song.
Oats and Wheat and Barley grow
You or I or nobody knows
How Oats and Wheat and Barley grow
There are about 4 verses
Decision made about 2nd page. I changed the layout.
Another page almost finished.
Pages 2 and 3 almost finished. Just 5 to get working on.
Have added a poppy to the 1st page. These pages are now definitely finished.
Decision made about adding gesso to outside covers.
(fairy magic said "just get on with it") so it is done.
This has muted the colour a little and added some protection to covers from handling.
O.K. What do you think ?
Plan for next week .
1 Get to Crop Research to make postponed visit.
2 Work on remaining pages
3 Think about outside spine
4 Make machine cords to attach to covers. These
will close the book.
Look in next Sunday to view progress.
Some of my art supplies. A certain make of coffee jar makes great pen holders.
Bye. Bye.
