AEDM day 19 - found poetry on a spoon

I love rummaging through old books and finding quirky sentences that make me smile.  These snippets of 'poetry' were a little more controlled in that I just hunted for descriptive words relating to my chosen topic!  

I started making these spoons earlier this year after seeing something similar by the hugely talented Kelli Perkins.  It wasn't 'til I just checked for the link here that I realised how similar - oops!

I've got a few more inked up, it's the word hunting that takes the time!

Prompted by Gwen's lovely flower yesterday I got started on some felted flowers that have been in my head awhile.  I added some merino wool and snippets of fabric to a piece of yellow felt, then free machined some flower outlines before cutting them out.

It was the container that gave me a bit of trouble.  I bought five pepper pots from Dunelm Mill the other day for just this purpose, inspired by Sue Pelletier's wonderful snowmen.  I just couldn't decide what to put in the jar!

I tried buttons, beads, even tiny stones, but went for snippets of fabric in the end.  It still wasn't looking right until I added some snippets around the base and some cotton around the rim.

Just to show you the back - I stitched the felted piece to some old net curtain as two layers of felt, one of which was felted on top, was a bit think for the sewing machine!  Ok, off to write more poetry.  Thanks to all for the advice yesterday, much appreciated :)

AEDM days 17 and 18 - more of the seahorses!

I've moved onto the next step with my felted seahorses, mounting them on a background.  I used my dumfing machine (that's an embellisher for those unfamiliar with this wipso and twiglet term ;) ) to add merino wool and some other bits n pieces to a piece of cotton fabric.

I then moved over to my sewing machine and added some bubbles and texture lines.  I started adding some french knots and tiny beads the other night, then realised I'd struggle to sew it onto the background with them there so stopped!

I've placed a second seahorse behind a rectangular mount.  This actually took longer to do as I felted and sewed this piece without an embroidery hoop.  Now to work out how to attach it to the mount!  Any tips gratefully received :)

I'm not selling them framed, just thought I'd try one in a frame to see how it looked.   I can't decide which type people will prefer though, the funkiness of the embroidery frame or the safety of being able to put the image behind glass.  What do you reckon?

AEDM days 15 and 16, WOYWW 128 - nice parcels and some drawing

Line drawings on my 'workdesk' today (the arm of the sofa!) of a hosta leaf and a hydrangea flower.  I'm working in a large-ish square kraft notebook from Paperchase for a change (and also as I wanted to work in a sewn journal rather that a spiral bound one!).

These pages are part of an online course I signed up for called 'the art and design of surface pattern' with Beth Nicholls and Rachael Taylor.  I came across this via another AEDMer's blog and it just tugged at me 'til I signed up!  Beth's blog 'do what you love' is fab, and she mentioned how great the latest BBC documentary 'Frozen Planet' was.  So, with plenty of time in front of the tv today...

... I did some blind contour drawings of some of the penguins.  You just hAvE to watch these guys by the way, who knew there were criminal penguins!!!

My owls are coming along too...

And I'm pleased with yesterday's journal page playing with circles.  

This is based on a photograph I took a few days ago of the bubbles in my bath water!  I printed it out A4 size, cut out the larger bubbles and sprayed gold paint through this stencil.  The other 'bubbles' were traced onto the page.  Yesterday also brought me some goodies in the post...

... so now I can peruse your article Kate :)  I also received the prize I won in a raffle at the Great Northern Contemporay Craft fair.  These are so pretty!

And today's post brought these stencils I ordered a couple of weeks ago now from the US (and had forgotten about!)

Antibiotics are kicking in so feeling a little better, thanks so much for the well wishes :)  If you'd like to see more work in progress head over to What's on your Workdesk? Wednesday at the Stamping Ground, and you can keep up with the 'Art Every Day Month'ers over at Creative Every Day.

AEDM day 14 - suffering with bronchitis :(

I've been suffering with this cough for almost a week now, whilst on antibiotics for sinusitis, but it turns out you need different antibiotics to get rid of bronchitis!  Up until today I've managed to get bits n pieces done, but today I slept the morning away and have just felt filled with lead for the rest of it :( 

So today's AED is images that were discovered blog hopping which are heading for my inspiration journal.  This was featured on Artful Interiors and is wallpaper by Ferm Living.  I adore toadstool imagery.

I love the texture in the ceramic work of Michael W Moses.  I discovered his work by searching 'ceramic art' on youtube!

This was also part of my 'ceramic art' search.  I love circles, and the contrast between the grey circles and the fired colours is fab :)

I've been asked by the school I'm teaching in at the moment to do a whole school art project after Christmas, culminating in a display of some kind.  I have no idea how I found this image but it's prompting ideas for the final display, which will incorporate felted pieces :)

AEDM day 13 - Grayson Perry at the British Museum

We watched a fabulous documentary on Grayson Perry's "tribute to craftmanship at the British Museum" this evening.  It was shown last week, but the wonders of digital tv meant we saw it on i-player after Harry Hill mentioned it on his show!  I just LoVe that Perry's teddy is called 'Alan Measles' :)

What a real, honest, fun guy Grayson Perry comes across.  Mad yes, but why not?  And he made some great points about what real art is.  And he's amazingly talented.

I've been sewing little owls today from felt for a craft fair I'm doing in a couple of weeks.  After blogging daily for a couple of weeks now it was starting to bother me that I flit about so much between media.  Would I accomplish more if I focused on one thing?  

No, I think is the short answer lol.  I am who I am for a start, and moving around different things keeps my attention better.  Then there's the opportunity for combining them.  I'm sure my work room would be tidier though, there'd be less in it for a start!!!

So today's 'art' has been mainly study and thinking :)  Like a proper student ;) !!!

Thanks for all the comments.  I spent this morning working through yesterday's entries over on Creative Every  Day.  I can't do it every day, I don't have time, but I can highly recommend it, I've come across so many blogs I otherwise wouldn't have done :)

AEDM day 12 - clay seahorse!

I brought a piece of clay home from my class on Tuesday night and it's been calling my name since!  So this afternoon I decided to translate my seahorse design into clay.

After creating a paper template of the seahorse, I rolled out the clay, cut around the template then added the stripes across his body.

I then added texture to his various sections.  In some areas I've pressed a shape in eg rubber stamps, pen top lid, a bizarre metal something..., and in others I added bits.

My favourite additions are the tiny bits of stamped clay which feature numerals!  I then went on to play around with the clay a bit.  I was intending to make an angel based on a cone shape but ended up with a slam pot! [that's what gives it the wrinkles down near the base, a good slam on the table]

It's a bit odd looking, but I like it :)

There's all sorts of great work going on for Art Every Day Month and you can find the links here.  I've met lots of new people already :)

AEDM day 11 - felted seahorse

What Art Every Day Month is doing for me is focusing my attention on following through an idea.  My 'emergency' tags on which to make something if all else fails are still in their packet!  I used one of yesterday's  as inspiration for my felted seahorse.

I started with some curly locks and used them to 'sketch out' the outline of the seahorse using my needle felting tool.

I then added in various colours of merino wool before felting in bits of felt, organza and old scarf!

Next stop, the sewing machine ;)

edit:

oooo, just love it :)  Now it will sit for a while whilst I decide what to do next!