Current Creative Endeavors

Believe it or not, it’s not all marbling around here!

I’ve been taking a couple of classes – a bit out of my comfort zone. One is an online class, Story Threads, with Cat Caracelo. This is my first collage for this class.  The cat is my Sidd who came to me in the guided meditation.

Story Threads Collage
Water and tree collage for Story Threads

As many of you know, I’m not much into collage. Right now I don’t have any magazines to cut up since I gave them to my best bud, Barbara Stahura for her collage work. Barb works with brain injury survivors and their caregivers and does some great work. If you know anyone who is suffering from a brain injury or their family, check out her blog.

Barb gave her groups journal eggs recently so when we met for coffee, she gave me one too. They are like miniature journal jars. I pulled this word today. Hum… interesting. Looks like a good word for me to journal today.

Journal egg
Word I pulled out of “journal egg” today

Then I’m taking a class at the East Branch Library with creative Connie Walts. She’s teaching “Paint it, Make it, Stitch it.” It’s really hard to describe this class and I have no idea how this project will end up but so far, so good!

We used wax pastels on sketch paper and then painted them with fiber reactive dyes. Here is one of mine. The other two are still at the library. I love the deep colors you get with dyes.

Dye painted sheets
Dye painted sheets

And this is the project in progress.

My project in progress
My project in progress

We watercolored a sheet of drawing paper, cut out areas in it and then adhered it to our background fabric with Wonder Under. Then the watercolor cutout was covered with a sheer material. That’s as far as we’ve gotten. Really looking forward to what happens next!!

Otherwise, I bought Jane Dunnewold’s Art Cloth. I gave this away on my blog almost three years ago because even though I thought it was a great book, I didn’t think I’d ever get into dyeing! What was I thinking? Anyway, I bought it and then one of her favorite tools – A Speedball Textile Squeege only I bought a smaller one – 6 inches.

Art Cloth and squeege
Art Cloth and Speedball Textile Squeege

Meanwhile, I’ve been organizing my lotions and potions notebook, getting ready for some new stuff for the spring. I got rid of a lot of information and Ace was there to help me.

Ace and lotion and potion folder
Ace and my lotion and potion mess!

Now that’s its all organized I’m almost ready for some new goodies. I’ve got three infusions going on right now – Calendula in almond oil, Plantain in almond oil and Nettle in fractionated coconut oil.

My current herbal infusions
My current herbal infusions

It won’t be long and they will be ready. More about that later.

Well, today we’ll be making another batch of soap and I’m hoping to squeeze in another round of marbling. I know – I just had to mention it! Hope you’re having a great Thursday.