Wedding Invitations

I've waited to post about this project, but I do believe all the invitations have been mailed and have reached their destinations. My son and his fiancee had the notion to make their wedding invitations, paper and all!
After the first attempts with various screens and not too attractive gray and misshapen bits of paper, many people, myself included, told them to go buy some handmade paper!
I give them credit, they persevered and came up with some very original invitations that can be planted--(there are seeds imbedded in the paper!)
Improvements were made along the way:

A blender purchased from a thrift shop and yellow office paper ready to be recycled,

a better screen and deckle set up, thanks to their friends who made them. The wider or deeper deckle catches more pulp, making a thicker paper,


a little strip of felt along the very edge, to help the paper release from the screen onto the larger piece of felt. It does make a ridge, but I had to do something to get that paper onto the felt and this worked most of the time.

I don't have a picture for the next step, but I found out it's an important one--to roll out the paper. After getting the paper onto the felt (which was the tricky part), We laid another piece of felt on top, placed the paper and felt sandwich on a folded towel and with a rolling pin, rolled it. This flattens the paper and also rolls the water out, to aid in drying.


Peel the dry paper off the felt. (notice the cat prints on the closest paper) I then pressed the dry papers under a pile of books.

All the invitations were decorated and written out by hand. We had a few marathon paper-making days here--I learned a lot, and now I'm making a few screens in the hopes that I can create paper with my granddaughter's class at her school. Yes, for those who've followed this blog, you know that I've stayed away from art teaching for quite some time, but it felt right to volunteer some art lessons to her class. So far, I'm enjoying being in the classroom again and most importantly, I'm embarrassing my granddaughter--(in a good way) If I get the chance to click a few pictures, I may post about the lessons.

A Dream Dragon

Funny how dreams sneak up and around and even jump ahead of you...
Flipping back through my dream journal, I found this little drawn dragon-like creature. I must have stored him in my subconscious, because months later I made these little clay creatures for party favors. After finding my drawing, I just had to put the two together. I like how dreams and dream images work their way into our lives.

A Friend, a Feather, and a Feathered Friend on a Friday Afternoon

Last Friday my granddaughter asked to use my camera--she had a friend over who also had a camera--these pictures were taken on the fly--here's a little photo essay.

Doll Repair

This is my oldest daughter's very first rag doll--this doll has been through quite a lot. She was even kidnapped when my husband, who, for some reason, (maybe the doll was left behind after a father/daughter day?), kept her on his electric cart at work and one morning found a ransom note in its place. I wonder what he had to do or pay to get "Mr. Man" back from his fellow worker---that's what they called her at that time, "Mr. Man", how humiliating!

My daughter asked if I would fix both dolls. The monkey, (who's foot you can see), I had made for my son when he was about 9. My daughter loved it so much she traded one of her dolls(?) for the monkey--but mice eventually found the rice I had weighted his feet with and nibbled holes in the toes.

For dolls, both are old--the rag doll is close to 30 and the monkey, close to 20. As luck and thrift would have it, I actually found some scraps of the very same material the monkey was made from, so I could simply replace his feet! The rag doll, on the other hand...well I could have started over! I took one little step at a time--new skin--a little more hair--turned the vest inside out to reveal the now brighter underside and then a new embroidered face, based on the old painted one.

A final wash--good as new!?

My Aunt, Grandmother and Mother

I played with my granddaughter's Shrinky Dink jewelry making kit last night and stayed up a little too late, drawing these little portraits from a picture that I love--I was curious if a little portrait with pencil and Sharpie marker would shrink and still be recognizable--I think so!

Happy 2012

Our finished Calendar---I still have more to make!

A Birthday and then Christmas!

Blowing out the candles in a tent on a cold and windy day--the tree on Christmas morning, (after being decorated the night before!)--and a new shawl.

A Fairy and her Dragons

What to do for party favors? I just can't buy those crappy cheap party favors in the stores, but then what do I put in their party bags? Even if a well made nice little toy cost a dollar, well then, times that by 12 for just one party bag gift?
But now you're talking time--it takes time to make a number of little things--why do I always forget that! In my mind, I can whip up 12 cool little toys in a day dream.
I used some left over Sculpty clay--kind of dry, so I had to soften it with my fingers--my fingers are red and sore today--made, not enough dragons, but I like them and so does the fairy, made by my granddaughter.
I need more clay and more time!

Production Mode

Painting, gluing, punching holes and crunching eyelets--another peek at the 2012 calendars.

Nutcracker

Time once again for the Christmas dance recital, gifts for the dance instructors--and a sneak peak at the next year's calendar.

2011 Total Eclipse of the Moon

My granddaughter set her alarm for 4am--We rode to Windy Cove and sat on a log, all wrapped up in coats and blankets. There were wispy clouds and haze, then the sky was clear--the moon a dark coppery orange with a bright crescent smile. I was amazed that the moon really did completely vanish at the moment of the total eclipse--no sign of it at all! At that moment the clouds or the marine layer moved in so quickly that we knew we wouldn't see the moon's reappearance. Back home for some more sleep.

Planning for a Birthday!

I feel like there's lots to do, but the invitations are about done--I love my granddaughter's drawings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What do you have for breakfast on Thanksgiving? Why turkey pancakes of course.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Pressed Flowers

My granddaughter was given this little flower press and ever since, we've had flowers pressing. We can press about six at a time. What I find fun about this project, is that you have to wait about three weeks before opening the press, then it's something of a treat to see how the little blossoms were preserved. They're very fragile!!

November Tomatoes

I've tried to grow tomatoes here in Morro Bay for a few years now--all goes well until the marine layer socks in for two or three months, then hardly any fruit takes and if it does it never turns red. So I decided not to even try this year.
A volunteer plant started during the foggy months, I ignored it except it did get watered along with my spinach, swiss chard, lettuce and other plants that can take the lack of sun. Now in our sunny time of the year (also shorter days and the start of our rainy season), I found these!!

Harry Potter Characters

Our completed characters so far--(click on picture to see them closer), there are so many more characters we'd like to make...

I hot glued some stands together--cut out, from boxes of soy-milk--the boxes have a great silver inner lining.

More Ghosts of Hogwarts

From left to right: The Gray Lady (ghost of Ravenclaw), Moaning Myrtle (the crying ghost in the girl's bathroom), Professor Bins (the history teacher of Hogwarts) and Peeves (the poltergeist who throws chalk and ink bottles at everyone)

A New Friend

This is my neighbor's chicken. There used to be two until what must have been a very frightening night for both chickens and only one survived. Now she comes over every day--into my house if I'm not careful! Of course, I feed her, so that seals the friendship. I just wish she'd hold in her poops till she's out of my yard!
If I'm not outside, she'll fly up to my bannister and look in the window.
I sit in the sun and watch her peck away at crumbs--I think she's lonely and likes my company.
(that's what I'd like to think--but chances are she likes the food)

Halloween 2011

Very scary!







Happy Halloween!