Calendar pages

I haven't published a blog post in over a year!  Not sure I even know how anymore with the changes to blogger since then.  Thought I'd give it a test drive today, see if I can get some photos posted of some work I've done with my Stitch 'n Bitch group.  We all make what we call calendar pages, 12 of them apiece, then we trade around with each other and make our own calendar using these pages as the decorative part of the calendar.  Here are some of mine from last year.  Remember you can click on them to make them bigger if you'd like.

I'll try to post more often than once every year and a half.  
Be well.

Tiny Books

I recently signed up to participate in a Pay It Forward deal that Linda at Olde Baggs 'n Stuft Shirts posted on her Facebook page.  I agreed to post on my facebook page an offer to give something free to the first five people who signed up and agreed to do the same.  Last year I participated in this and it was fun so I was happy to do it again.  I made these little folded paper books to give away that Maggi at Hand Dyes taught me how to make.

They measure 3 by 3 and a half inches. They have all these little pockets in them that I try to put tiny treasures in.

The treasure might only be a poem or a feather.  I already gave one of the books away so I need to come up with two more things to give away.

Dooleybobber  #?
 
At the end of last year I made this on my needle felting machine.  I haven't made a dooleybobber in so long that I don't know what number this one is!  I stitched it by hand using hand dyed threads that I got from Maggi.  You might like to hop over and look at her luscious threads and fabrics and  indulge yourself and buy some, they are gorgeous.  Tell her Jan sent you.  Oh and do you see that gold colored rectangular thing in the upper right hand corner?  That was a piece of a plastic tray that held chocolates.  I put it on top of my wood stove on a safe metal tray and let it melt until it became mostly flat.  It didn't even stick to the safe metal tray, just came right off.  I stamped the word "Create" on it in Stazon ink.  I was just experimenting a bit.

I put that dooleybobber #? on the cover of a 3 ring notebook that I use as my desk calendar.  I have a folder for each month and can put in my writing and cards that I receive or whatever.  I'm liking this so far.  I have some wonderful calendar images that my friends in my Stitch 'n Bitch group made for me.  If you click on the link it will take you to our group blog.

More recently I have been playing with a gelli plate that my friend Anne at El Milagro Studio sent to me.  Above you can see the gelli plate and two texture plates I made from fun foam.  Wow, is this fun or what!?!  Thanks again, Anne!

Here are some of my favorite papers I have created so far.  I have the 6 inch square gelli plate.

Here are a few more.  The dark spiral that you see is a resist I created from Tyvek and used.  It was so pretty I want to use it on a card or in my journal or something.  Bonus!

I made these papers by cleaning my brayer off on them.  Cool, yes?  They remind me of Madras plaids.  I have lots of papers to use somewhere now and I've only played with the gelli plate for a couple of hours!  I made a card out of one of my pullings already.  Nice!  They have plenty of video tutorials available on their blog, check them out here.

Well that's about all for today.  I shall leave you with this self portrait.  Until next time,

Be well.

Heading to Mary's

Last week the creativity group I am in, Stitch 'n Bitch or S&B as we politely call ourselves, met at Mary's house which is across the Columbia River in Washington state.  The bridge is very long as the river is very wide at this point near where it meets the Pacific ocean.  I believe the bridge is 4 miles long.  The photo above shows heading towards the Washington side.  Gray pavement, gray water and gray sky with the misty mountains away off in the distance.  The sea gulls like to fly along the slip stream beside the bridge.  I will always think of them as "glorious birds" since watching Harold and Maude.

I always get a kick out of this sign announcing Dismal Nitch coming up on the right. 

Mary lives on the Long Beach peninsula, where they grow cranberries.  Have you ever seen a cranberry bog?  Above is a photo of one.  They are pretty, with the red plants against the spring greens.

Below is the return trip to the Oregon side.  That is Astoria showing on the hill.  It is a small town but has most everything anyone would need including a pretty good art supply store, Dots 'n Doodles.  Also has a JoAnn's and there are one or two other fabric stores.  What else would anyone need?

Be well.