Elves at work on Seneca Lake

Gail and I and the elves have been busy at work at the art studio in the last few months. Unable to post most of what we made as they are gifts for the holiday season. I promise fun was had by all. I will show off some of the pieces that I made and kept for myself.

Upcycled book bag from Becca's room with dirt spots artfully covered with dreidel patches. The kitten is a drawing modeled after Kit Kat Sarah's rescue cat.

This is one of the beaded pieces I worked with Karen on while Steve was in surgery. The ceramic piece had a broken pin back so I got it for 25cents at a flea market in Gaithersburg, Maryland a year ago.

Gail had seen a very cute burlap tote in a fancy gift shop we made our own in different sizes this is one of three at my house. They are lined with linen and have embroidery hoops sewn inside at the top to keep them open. I supplied the burlap, hoops and an antique crocheted pieces and Gail did the labor

 This was my crow bag for the fall festivals. Hand drawn crow with freestyle machine embroidery. The bag is upcycled from Salvation Army.

Lastly is a bird print that is multidimensional printing the artist used natural components to make up the bird, the tree is a piece of toile cotton that was cut and layered and sewn freestyle machine embroidery onto the paper. The one on the right is Gail's print and she thinks she will write a Robert Frost poem onto the piece in the blank are between moon and bird. 

Snow People of Hector

The large snow woman was an ugly $1 doll from the Bargain Bin in Montour Falls. Working in Gail Walker's Studio I deconstructed the jacket and scarf- added a ruffle,  4 Jewish stars free embroidered on the sewing machine to make the scarf into a tallit. I made a flower rosette for the cap-the stamens were re-purposed from the beads that had been her smile. She was missing her nose hence the $1 price tag- so Gail whittled one for me and colored and covered it in orange glitter. Her jacket button is an old military button with an eagle and an anchor.

The three snowmen are made of Crayola paper clay seed beads for eyes and mouth. They sport brass military buttons with eagles. The large one we made a striped stocking hat with a pipe cleaner center so the stocking cap can be positioned. Base was a re-purposed plaque we removed the wire hanger. The bottom of the snowman has heavy glitter and it was added to the base as well. 

The last snowman although the tiniest took the most time to make. He is in a handmade wired cage the base has book print paper and black glitter around the outside. The body is paper clay with pipe cleaner arms and legs, the scarf is wrapping string. His hat is hand made with paper cone fastened with a jewish bard, then glittered. The small tree was mod-podged and glittered. It is amazing the smaller one took as much time as making two of the big snowman.

Wednesday Wild Women of Hector

Gail and I had art play last night. We both worked on seperate projects.
My goal was to cover some very ugly large plastic dreidels with tissue paper paper mache and then glitter them all over.
Gail was working on her snowman and made a black stove top hat with wiring in the brim so she could shape it. We figured out the front of the snow woman Gail had found some wonderful trim in black cord with pearls down the middle and after her snow woman's bariatric surgery she needed a whole new outfit!
The removed skin and stuffing made a small snow person...so was it bariatric surgery or did she just deliver a baby......
Hopefully Gail will post some finished product pictures of the snow people!

Review: We tried Lucy's gluten free pumpkin cookies.....not good no taste, seriously do not buy these. They printed on the box "little spice so the pumpkin taste can come through". Sorry I do not want to eat straight pumpkin I like mine with spice-make me feel like I am having a slice of pumpkin pie......

Challenges, Bring them On!

ClothPaperScissors has had two recent challenges one time consuming and one quick one.

The multi-media 6x6 inch square involved stamping with paint on linen using hand-made stamps by Gail Walker onefinepencil@blogspot.com, pencil eraser tips, a clay tool we used for dots and dashes. Then machine free hand embroidery a new skill for me. This was not as easy as it looked I sat frozen in front of the piece begging Gail to just let me put down a few lines. She is infinately patient and reassuring and when I finally put the needle through the piece I was off. Then hand embroidery a skill taught to me by me maternal grandmother on Woolworth cotton pillowcases in the 60"s. Grandma Hazel Koplin would of been proud my back was as neat as the front. As  my preferred media is still beading I included myself as a tiny bee bead.

MEANDERING THROUGH THE GARDEN

The second challenge was a 4x4"  Mulberry paper face drawing only using markers, pens and pencils.

SHE PAINTS 

As a bead artist these challenges stretch my skills and doing them with a friend makes it just that much more fun.

Yeti-dom

Here lives a couple

In the land of Yeti-dom 

He's green and she's gold

Reclycled J. Crew sweater with wool felt face belly and claws. Attached eyes and animal noses. Pattern from the imagination of Gail Walker and made in her Art studio. He is an older man made last week and she was just born yesterday. They are so soft and so cuddly!!