Books Galore!

Last week I finished this book which I started in March while I was in Arizona. A few members of the AZPCGuild and I worked on some book techniques in polymer clay and this is the result of my efforts. I seem to have a lot of "blue" books in my present repertoire, so this pinky one is a bit of a diversion. I also am getting pretty proficient in the Coptic Binding Stitch, thankfully, and that makes the books open nice and and lay flat. This particular one has five signatures and the interior pages are parchment (archival) so they can be used for journal entries, sketches or keeping favourite photographs.

One thing about the books that I keep forgetting is to make ENOUGH beads for the side details. I try to make them when I am working on the covers, but don't realize that instead of making thirty or so beads, I really need about fifty or more. So this one has a few glass and metal beads included in its fringe.

This particular book is located at Medea Gallery in Osborne Village in Winnipeg, and I have a few others there too. It's a co-operative gallery and the people there are so supportive of my work. There is a real range of art there, and I love going in to browse. Lots of exciting artwork!

Presently I am working on some books using faux ivory with transfers on the front cover. I hope to be finished one or two this weekend, so may have an opportunity to post then.

Reflections on Quilt Reflections

Whew! Now that is what I call an exhausting nine days! Five days of super -intensive work making buttons at the clay table, and one day in kindergarten, followed by three very long but superbly satisfying days at the Quilt Reflections Seminar and I am spent!

The good things? There were many, but to list a few...Transporting a whole lot of buttons to the show was easy. The containers were small, very portable and with minimal display fixtures our set-up and take-down was a breeze. Working with a partner whose work was complementary and whose demeanor was compatible made for a very pleasant time when there were no visitors to the booth. We talked about everything from cuteness, to categorizing certifiability and Icelandic Tenors and their roles.

The great things? so much about the week end was great...In particular, meeting all the wonderful people, rekindling friendships with everyone from Grade Four School chums, to former teaching buddies to snowbirds from the same commune was terrific. Seeing all the wonderful, innovative, colourful, incredible quilts that were overpowering that the colours that registered on my brain wouldn't let me fall asleep for three nights; even though my exhausted body was pleading for rest. Above all, the organization of the show was probably the most efficient I have ever seen...Several standing ovations go to the Members of the Prairie Quilters Guild and all their volunteers...white gloved or not. And to all those supporters who "liked" my buttons ...thanks big time.

The down side? It's over and now it's a two year wait for the next big quilt show around here. Needing sleep and no time to "fix" unruly hair seemed unimportant.

Epilogue: After a good night's rest tonight and the day to unpack everything, I hope to post more tomorrow, including a few pictures of some of the memorable quilts that were there!

More buttons to push...am I panic-stricken yet?

We arrived home from our snowbirding to a ton of snow and work to do! It just never quits, but I guess I am happy to be busy.

I really wanted to post more, but not having a computer handy it was not that easy! And one hour a day at the library just wasn't enough to even keep up with email.

All is back to normal now, and of course, I am in the throes of getting ready to strut my buttons this weekend at the Quilt Reflections show here. It's a big deal and I am so lucky to have a space there...didn't think I'd be in it because when I had applied last fall, all the major spots had been allocated to big enterprises and the few small vendor spots were already assigned. Well as luck (good or bad, depends on how you look at it) would have it, there was a cancellation and we were next in line for the spot. Sooooo...guess who has been madly pushing buttons into the oven and working like crazy getting the labels and pricing done.

There must be four hundred buttons on my kitchen table now...Good thing buttons aren't that hard to carry around. The ones pictured above are just a wee sample of the variety and colour mixes in the buttons box...Let's hope they go well with the quilts at the show.

Pushing the Panic Button

Yes, it's that time of year again. The race to be ready!
Here on the grove, it's a little busier as we will be hosting the annual Christmas dinner on the 25th. For the first time, niece Hilary and her hubby and two kids, aged five and seven will be in town at Christmas. Since we have a slightly larger dining area, the gang will come here instead of gathering at my sister's.

For me, it's rather a nice change, as I love to make the meat and potatoes part of the meal, and um, yes the hors d'oeuvres. I don't make desserts well, so fortunately, my sister has graciously offered to bring the sweets. I have all the food shopping done and the menu is ready. I've made whatever could be made ahead of time, so no worries there. It's just that part of having all the meal elements ready at the same time that gets to me. I really am not that great at doing big birds in the oven, so will have to rely on the meat thermometer and peoples' patience so that it all gets to the table in a relatively warm way.

As far as gifts wrapped and decorations done, I have completed nearly all I intend to do. Regarding party-type events, I have a few things up my sleeve, and of course one can always count on the impromptu actions of the little ones to help the festivities remain joyous and we'll have cameras ready for those unexpected moments of frivolity. We may even have some highly original organ music (they'll PLAY) to accompany any of us who feels like singing carols. Pushing the right keys on the Hammond is not important...they'll have the beat tho!

As for pushing panic buttons, I am really no more concerned with that than I am with the little ones hitting the right notes. What's the point. It will all come together and if there are a few bits that are a little fragmented it's no big deal. I have the worrying department all taken care of. I have this little polymer clay thing I made a couple of years ago as the result of a workshop I took. It was at a very "down" time. I kept the thing in my pocket for weeks, rubbing it and pressing on the button from time to time, whenever I felt stressed, or something around me was "out of control". I called it my panic button and maybe it was just the "action" of pressing it, but it helped me to realize that pushing it got about the same results as going into a wild panic would.

More playing with blends

In a previous post I alluded to the quilting patterns possible with the extrusions made from blends with polymer clay. Here are some other possibilites for having fun. The blue-toned pendant on the right is the one I received from Violette last year as a Winterfest Gift. I think she may have used a similar technique. Qu'en penses-tu?

The one below is unbaked and is just a combination of the small canes as they came out of the extruder. It could be the basis for some quilt pattern.

It's surprising because it's hard to predict how the canes will exit the the extruder. It all depends on the colours that are used and how you stack them inside the barrel. I suppose if one really wanted, they could prepare a master's thesis on the probability of the extrusions, but I prefer to leave these things up to chance and let the random colours play as they may. Did someone talk about permutations and combinations? Oh no, more Math!

Playing with Clay Blends

Quite a while ago I received the Makins Pro Extruder. I had wanted to play with it but just never did and I regret having made that decision. It's FUN! I've been admiring several Klimt-like Canes that I've seen recently, and wondered how they were done. I had even received a pendant from one of my Clayamie friends with this marvelous work in it. Well, finally, the time came where I could play again, so I picked up a rainbow blend and folded it up accordion style. Then I cut the folded part into four sections and loaded them up in no particular order in the tube of the extruder. I placed the square shape disc in, and then started the extrusion. The outside was almost all one colour...and I hoped it wouldn't be mud.

But then when I cut the extruded part in a number of small pieces to see what was inside, I LOVED the unexpected results. Of course, I put them together in almost what one might call a quilt pattern, and then began to take slices. The patterns change very gradually, but I suppose if you started with a large enough blend you'd have enough to make an exact quilt pattern if that is where you want to go. I like the randomness of the results.

And the beautiful tones of blue pendant is the gift I received last year from my Clayamie amie, Violette. Voilà!

Button, Button

Yesterday was the final sale of the year for moi. It wasn't supposed to happen; originally I had been scheduled to teach a workshop this weekend, but the drive was very long and the temperatures have been so frigidly awful, that the organizers and I figured we should wait until spring.

The sale was poorly attended...can't blame people for not wanting to come out, but sadly, the cause was good and there were tons of cars in the mall we passed. The sale was being held to assist Africa and there were some excellent visual presentations.

I did well with my buttons though, and a lot of people commented on my womanakin....whom I have lovingly named Herdy Gourdy. She has no face, and not much of a life as she only comes out for show; but she is dressed to kill! She sports a black organza skirt and iridescent sequined bodice and she is bedecked with a lavendar boa, beneath a shock of pumpkin coloured hair. She displays the buttons so well. Because of her wire frame, the pinning on of the buttons is somewhat akin to sticking pins in a voodoo doll, but she so far doesn't seem to mind. And of course, we don't stick them in with ill intent.

The button sets are displayed on a table...perhaps one day I will get some prongs for them to hang them up...if I ever find a suitable backdrop! And since it's the last sale of the year, I have some time to think about that!