Fran's Project for Feb 13th
Details to follow!!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Fabric Beads - From Susan
Making the fabric beads with glue was not a good thing for me because I'm so messy. So I devised a way to make fabric beads that I think is a lot simpler than gluing. And it works great with the silk from men's ties which is definitely too thin to glue.
Go to Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby and buy a yard of Wonder-Under. It is the paper-backed fusible web. It's not too expensive and one yard will make many, many triangles for your fabric beads. If you've never used it before be sure you feel it carefully so you know which side the web is on and which side is the paper backing.
Fuse it down by ironing it on to your men's tie silk or to cotton (or maybe even thin paper, like rice paper). Don't peel off the backing yet; draw your triangle grid on it, cut out your triangles and then peel off the backing as you do each bead. The easiest way to get the paper backing off is to fold a corner of the fused backing down, fabric side out, paper side in. When you let go, the fabric will spring back up faster than the paper and you can start the separating there.
You must be using something metal for your dowel/roller. I used a metal knitting needle. An awl might work, it just needs to be something that won't melt from heat. A wooden dowel might work but you'll probably wind up fusing your bead to the wood.
Starting the bead is always hard, especially with the silk. I sat the iron up and pressed the start of the bead to the tip of the iron to start the fusing, then rolled a little more and touched it again. Sometimes I could actually just roll the bead down the surface of the iron, fusing as it rolled. With the cotton, after I got it started I could put it down on the ironing board and just gently roll it up with the tip of the iron. It was VERY VERY fast to do. Also, because you are fusing you can fuse in wrapping yarns/thread near the end and they'll be anchored in place.
In the picture the brown-yellow beads are made with the tie silk (buy them at Salvation Army, half price on Wednesdays, thrown them in the washer and wash them, then pick them apart). Because the fabric is so thin I recommend a very long triangle, as much as 8-9", if you want to get the rounded effect in the center.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday
At lunch we talked about this Friday and it's going to be BEADS and more BEADS!!! Bring demo stuff to show us how to make your favorite handmade beads! If we have time we can try a few! If you need any supplies let me know and I'll see if I have it......never know I might, heehee!
I think it might be good to have a material list: a rotary cutter (for those who already own one-we can share), tacky glue, scissors and different papers you might want to use for the paper beads (I will bring some magazines) and fat quarters of fabric or fabric scraps at least three inches in width (can be plain muslin--we are just practicing the technique).
It's going to be fun! I will bring my samples to show--I made some into finished jewelry pieces. I'll pull out some of my NG's that we did with the citra sol. I've also got some different papers to try these beads with!!
I just got a new package of round toothpicks also. Wei-Li also talked about using Styrofoam to poke the bead into for drying......if you have some bring it......it might be a good way to take your beads home with you!! I've got some wax paper.....that would work as well!!
It's going to be fun! I will bring my samples to show--I made some into finished jewelry pieces. And I'm working on a copper bowl I can't wait to show!!
See you Friday. Don't forget to RSVP.
I think it might be good to have a material list: a rotary cutter (for those who already own one-we can share), tacky glue, scissors and different papers you might want to use for the paper beads (I will bring some magazines) and fat quarters of fabric or fabric scraps at least three inches in width (can be plain muslin--we are just practicing the technique).
It's going to be fun! I will bring my samples to show--I made some into finished jewelry pieces. I'll pull out some of my NG's that we did with the citra sol. I've also got some different papers to try these beads with!!
I just got a new package of round toothpicks also. Wei-Li also talked about using Styrofoam to poke the bead into for drying......if you have some bring it......it might be a good way to take your beads home with you!! I've got some wax paper.....that would work as well!!
It's going to be fun! I will bring my samples to show--I made some into finished jewelry pieces. And I'm working on a copper bowl I can't wait to show!!
See you Friday. Don't forget to RSVP.
Shed a Little Light
Just what DID you think you were going to do with all your old doilies? Click here to see what other clever people do. Or maybe it just looks ratty???Monday, January 26, 2009
Warning! Customer Beware!
On Saturday I was all set to take the tote bag workshop up at Ready to Sew in Cedar Park. And because of it, I didn't sign up for the Calligraphy group's bookmaking workshop on Secret Belgian Binding (picture below) and Mongolian Binding. I would have loved to have taken that class and as a matter of fact, I heard it turned out to have been a great class, both Susan and Beth took it.
WELLLLLLLL you are NOT going to believe this.......BUT they changed the date of my workshop to NEXT Saturday without telling me!! No one called, emailed or ANYTHING!! I was soooo depressed and disappointed, because I would have gone to the bookmaking workshop in a NY minute BUT NOOOOOO I had signed up for this bag class and REALLY wanted to take it.....sooo guess I'll be going up there on the 31st!!
We had wanted to go out of town but now that I'm in the workshop can't go.......geez I get madder and madder when I think about it!! I'm going to ask them to comp a workshop for me.......I think that was just WRONG and there were only 4 of us in the workshop.....they 3 others knew about it because they go in there all the time.....and I was the 1st to sign up.......sooo I got screwed to say the least!!
The moral of this story here is don't trust this store to come through with a class, call and confirm it at least twice before the scheduled date.
WELLLLLLLL you are NOT going to believe this.......BUT they changed the date of my workshop to NEXT Saturday without telling me!! No one called, emailed or ANYTHING!! I was soooo depressed and disappointed, because I would have gone to the bookmaking workshop in a NY minute BUT NOOOOOO I had signed up for this bag class and REALLY wanted to take it.....sooo guess I'll be going up there on the 31st!!
We had wanted to go out of town but now that I'm in the workshop can't go.......geez I get madder and madder when I think about it!! I'm going to ask them to comp a workshop for me.......I think that was just WRONG and there were only 4 of us in the workshop.....they 3 others knew about it because they go in there all the time.....and I was the 1st to sign up.......sooo I got screwed to say the least!!
The moral of this story here is don't trust this store to come through with a class, call and confirm it at least twice before the scheduled date.
EJ
Friday, January 23, 2009
Friday's Gathering
Origami:
The second box Susan made (the more complex one) can be found here.
Click on "Traditional", it is "A Box 1". If you click on "anime" the instructions will be displayed step-by-step, you can speed up or slow down the speed.
Lots of interesting stuff here, including the fact that you can print different types of origami paper right from this site.
Doesn't seem to have Kimono instructions but there is a Garbage Bin listed under "Newspaper"....
Paper:
Good blog is Dispatch from LA. Check out her links on this particular post for more paper folding instructions.
The second box Susan made (the more complex one) can be found here.
Click on "Traditional", it is "A Box 1". If you click on "anime" the instructions will be displayed step-by-step, you can speed up or slow down the speed.
Lots of interesting stuff here, including the fact that you can print different types of origami paper right from this site.
Doesn't seem to have Kimono instructions but there is a Garbage Bin listed under "Newspaper"....
Paper:
Good blog is Dispatch from LA. Check out her links on this particular post for more paper folding instructions.
One more blog to check out here, as she does a wide variety of projects.
Cool Calligraphy
Here's a cool link from the Pres. of Austin Book Workers:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromecollins/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeromecollins/
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Wow what a great Friday we had!!
Wow did we have fun on Friday or What!! I just LOVED the dancing letters everyone painted!! Just as soon as I figure out how to do it, I'll post the photos!!
Need your help SUSAN once again!!
I've been taking some great photos of our work AND the workshops that I've been attending!
I've been working on another metal covered frame.....thanks to Nancy I've got a couple new designs to this one.... I think it will be another mirror.....I'll let you know when it's done, heehee!
I wanted to tell you about a fun company that I've loved doing business with in the past and have taken some great workshops at.......in full disclosure I also sell some of there stuff and can get more of anything you guys see that you want........ANYWAY this was not meant to be a sales pitch.......just an FYI to a funny video that they do on some of their new products and some great ideas as well!!
Possible future projects also!
Take a look and let me know what you think!
Don't forget Wei-Li and Susan will be doing our program this next week!
I'll have a report on my welding class later this week!
Go out and have fun and make some ART......life is just toooo boring without it!!
Need your help SUSAN once again!!
I've been taking some great photos of our work AND the workshops that I've been attending!
I've been working on another metal covered frame.....thanks to Nancy I've got a couple new designs to this one.... I think it will be another mirror.....I'll let you know when it's done, heehee!
I wanted to tell you about a fun company that I've loved doing business with in the past and have taken some great workshops at.......in full disclosure I also sell some of there stuff and can get more of anything you guys see that you want........ANYWAY this was not meant to be a sales pitch.......just an FYI to a funny video that they do on some of their new products and some great ideas as well!!
Possible future projects also!
Take a look and let me know what you think!
Don't forget Wei-Li and Susan will be doing our program this next week!
I'll have a report on my welding class later this week!
Go out and have fun and make some ART......life is just toooo boring without it!!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Wilma's Website
Terrific paper sculptures:
http://wilhelminasgallery.com/Wilhelminas_Gallery/Welcome.html
Wilma will be doing a workshop soon on paper sculpture with a focus on jewelry.
http://wilhelminasgallery.com/Wilhelminas_Gallery/Welcome.html
Wilma will be doing a workshop soon on paper sculpture with a focus on jewelry.
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