Beach tote from old paintings
So, I guess I don't have enough to do with organising the house for Eugenia to take over while I'm in Mexico, and besides, I'm not leaving till this afternoon and I needed an excuse to spend more time with my flowers, I decided to make myself a beach tote to take to Mexico with me.
Now I've been meaning to do this for a while and finally got around to it. I have a collection of old paintings. Either ones I've painted which I no longer love, or thrift shop finds, (because I get some idea or other in my head). In this case, because, as usual I have very little idea of what I'm doing or how it's going to turn out, I used two thrift shop finds and leather straps from a thrift shop purse, (which was bought for the straps and purse was recycled.)Total cost: seriously under $10.Ran the paintings past C and we both liked a West Coast mountain one and a rich Mexican colours one. A sort of yin-yang balance.
I'm sure you all know that my sewing skills are very limited by now, but a basic tote pattern is easy as pie and there are loads of how-tos out there. I winged it somewhat. No paper pattern, very few straight lines, and my wonderful little Bernina sewing machine chugged away straining a little to get thru the thicker parts of the canvas, but I managed.C and I took turns sewing the handles back on by hand. The wonderful thing about re-purposing leather is that someone probably already made convenient holes in it for you. :D
And, so here you are, our wonderful new beach tote is all ready.
I'm glad I used cheap thrift store paintings because all paintings aren't made the same and all canvas isn't the same either.The thick, chalky "Mexican" side is sturdier canvas and a better quality of paint and didn't peel or crack, (although some of the heavy bits did break off), but the "West Coast" side was probably painted with thin acrylics and maybe not a great quality, and in the turning right side out, a lot of the paint powdered and fell off.
Not that that bothers us in the slightest. We love the well used/aged/loved to death look, and want this tote to show its wear and tear.Next stop: THE BEACH! :D
Ok, one more shot of those amazing flowers before we go. :D
Spring is in the air
There's such an immediate rush to right now. Like things can't wait another second longer. It could be because spring has sprung and everything is flying, springing, greening, swimming, hopping and generally rushing head long into the season, or it could just be me.
On this wonderfully perfect first day of spring we opened all the doors and windows and let the house freshen a little.The mailman brought a sweet and most welcome letter from my pen pall Laurel. I love good mail!
My cats are going a bit crazy. Morgan is hissing at Milo or at us if she doesn't like something, and generally being a miserable cat form hell and Milo seems to have two settings these days: dead to the world under a blanket or running up the walls, tearing thru the house and jumping out of windows just for fun. He does this thing where he jumps out the window, runs around to the back door, runs thru the house to the open window and jumps out again. And he'll do that over and over and over. What's all that about?
I got the most beautiful bouquet of flowers as a gift from some friends who came for supper. It's so giant and so fragrant, and has roses and orchids and hyacinths and proteas and all sorts of beautiful things. I'm feeling so lucky.
Actually, I love the flowers so much I've been moving them from room to room with me.
I'm leaving in three days and so will enjoy them every second of every day before I go.
Sharing with Nancy and looking forward to everyone's random days. :D
Trying the lost wax method of silversmithing...it's a long one.
So this has been a very interesting experiment in yet another thing I knew absolutely nothing about.This two day process isn't as easy or as straight forward as all that and I can tell you right now that I've had a more epic fail than success with it, but the success is so astounding, (to my little butterfly brain anyway), that I'm not giving up. No way! I will find a way to make this work. :DI'll try to describe it to you here although I can only tell you the basics.Day one:To make a silver cast I used organic matter, two sea shells and a branch, plus a wax ring form, understanding that all of this will be destroyed in the process.The first step in the process is to fill the bottom of a rubber cup with a bit of wax. I did this by heating up the little sharp tool and touching the aqua wax buds till they melted.Then the organic pieces are glued to a piece of wax stick with a tiny bit of yellow sticky wax, (peeking out of the upper left hand corner), using the same heated tool. Then they are weighed to determine the quantity of silver needed.
Then a small part of the aqua wax is melted and the organic pieces stood up inside it.
Here you see the organic pieces, the outside metal cylinder and a small lamp for heating the tools in.It's very important to keep the organic pieces away from the sides and well below the top of the metal cylinder and they mustn't be touching each other. This is a bit of a juggling act.
Then the pieces are sprayed with an alcohol coating to prevent bubbles from settling. A better coating process, though, is described here. Remember, the trick is to force molten silver into a mould and it'll go into any bubble spaces.
The metal cylinders are fitted into the rubber bowl around the organic bits and wax.A white powder, called an investment, is mixed with water in a rubber bowl to the thickness of something like pancake batter...remembering to not mix in air and create bubbles, and the mixture is slowly poured down the side of the cylinder. Here Walt is demonstrating.
The cylinders are filled to the top, or at least a 1/2 inch over the organic bits and the cylinders are tapped all around to dislodge any air bubbles.
And now we wait overnight or so for the investment to harden.
Day two:This is a good way to use up all your silver scraps. The silver is measured out to the amount needed for each mould. Oh yeah, did I mention that one needs to keep a journal of this? One does. :D
This is the machine which will deliver the molten metal into the mould. It winds up clockwise and is held by a pin and, at the right moment, the pin is released and the metal is forced into the mould thru a centrifugal force.
This is the bucket of water for the finished cylinder and for any emergencies.
The crucible which will hold the silver is heated to make the melting easier.
Heat proof tools are at the ready.
The metal cylinders, with rubber bottoms removed, have been fired in a kiln to burn and destroy the organic matter leaving a mould.
Now they are removed one at a time and placed into the machine.
The silver scraps plus some fresh silver nibs are heated till they melt and are a red hot liquid. This is one of the most beautiful sights.
Here it is puddling already, I know, not a terrific shot. It's really hard to get the molten silver to pose for a portrait.
When everything is red hot and glowing, the pin is released and the machine spins the silver into the mould.
Then the cylinder is removed. Here you can see the molten silver in the space left after the rubber bottom was taken out.
The cylinder is plunged into the bucket where it fizzles and spits and generally does its best Vesuvius impression.
The water turns milky white with the melting investment and the silver pieces are released.
Here in the first cylinder you can see my branch...which broke into three pieces...and the shell which failed to break down in the kiln process, and so failed to act as a mould.
The process was repeated with the remaining two cylinders with epic fails each time.Oh well, the silver isn't lost and can easily be reused, and a lesson well learned so all good.
Not willing to give up on my branch, I took it to the jeweller's desk and placed it on a fire brick.
Made a jump ring, fired up the torch and soldered the broken pieces back on, and threw it in the pickle for 20 minutes.
Then, three hours later, it was time to go home.So here is a rough silver branch. Unfiled, unpolished, (that's all to be done still), but I think it's rather spectacular.
I love how this process made a one-of-a-kind silver branch complete with lichen and moss. I love the delicate simplicity of it, I love that I made this...with Walt's generous help. I can't wait to try this again.So there you have it. If you ever wondered how this is done, it happens something like this. Pretty cool, isn't it? Hope this has made some sense, and at least given you a small idea. :D
Hello from Sunday night
Hello from a wonderfully lazy Sunday night which resulted from a wonderfully lazy Sunday. Isn't that how Sundays should be?Every time...OK, it's rare, but I try hard...every time I get a Sunday like today, I sink into it and enjoy every moment.I think it has something to do with the rain...and stillness...and lack of energy after an all out Saturday and very late Saturday night...but what ever's done it, isn't it wonderful and decadent to have the time for a Sunday like today?Actually, tonight is the full moon, isn't it? Shame the night is so rainy and overcast, otherwise I would be tempted to put the crystals out onto the window sills into the moonlight for a clearing of energy, and grab one of those crystals to help me tomorrow.
It's been a hectic week with loads of unpleasantness all round, but I've done well. The notices in my Quo Vadis are checked off and everything is accounted for, and generally I'm on top of things. And seven days and counting till Mexico so lucky me will not be complaining.Balance, it's hard to find it some days, isn't it?
Like today, I decided to get a lazy start on the bunting for the Art in the Garden show. Now I know, I can swear, that I have a rotary cutter...somewhere...but for the life of me I couldn't find it. Don't you hate it when you so feel like getting into a project but lack the raw materials you know you have somewhere? Oh I hate that. It takes me so much energy to organise a project that I hardly have any left for the project itself!!!So no rotary cutter, plus the old cutting board I have is cracked and definitely not self healing any more, meant a drive down to Michael's to see about replacing the mat and rotary cutter. But then, bonus number 1! Don't you love Michael's perpetual 40% off on-line coupon?
The cats didn't move even once today. Milo has switched allegiance. He used to sleep on my bed but these days he's on C's bed; or rather, under C's Hudson's Bay blanket. I tried to call him for supper but he gave me the look as if to say, "you can't mean me; I had the night shift."Morgan...well...Morgan is very good at ignoring everyone...all day.
But I did hit my closet today. Mainly because our friend Eugenia will house sit for a week and, also, I need to organise some warm weather clothes, so my closet got the overhaul. This photo is from about midway thru organisation with a serious "not sure what to do with" pile on the shelf.You know, sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person who hangs art inside her closet. If you do then let me know; I'd love to feel like part of a pack.
C's major focus this weekend has been on homework; on submitting two term papers ahead of Mexico week so she has peace and quiet, and evidence of study is all over her bedroom floor.
I'm back to the lapidary club tomorrow with Walt to try to cast the silver things. I'm a bit trepidacious about the process, but feel like I'm in good hands with Walt, so feeling so very excited as well. I just want things to work out...you know? Want things to turn out perfectly. I know... the big I...the capitol "I"... ego talking. (But it's all such a one shot deal...you know...such a long process of preparation and casting and one of a kind materials, which will be destroyed in the process and gone forever if it doesn't work out.)Later tonight when I speak to Robbie he'll remind me that if I think I can control even 10% of my life I'm being arrogant. I love that he grounds me.
I've been cooking for two lately. NO, DON'T GET EXCITED! I meant for two suppers...sheesh...I have three children too many already...and they keep multiplying!No I meant I've been making larger suppers in order to freeze a portion for Eugenia while she's here. Tonight I made the most delicious pork tenderloin a la Cordon Bleu; a left-over from my Cordon Bleu days. I'll share the recipe. It's been a most welcome family favourite for near on 30 years. Do you have family favourites?We should do a family favourite cook off. :D
Pork Tenderloin a la Cordon Bleu2 lbs pork tenderloin1 cup stock, (chicken or beef)6-8 medium tomatoes, quartered1 onion, slicedbit of oil for fryingmarinade for the meat:2 Tbs soya sauce4 Tbs ketchup2 Tbs honey1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce1 tsp salt1 Tbs fruit chutney type sauce, like HP sauce1 tsp Dijon mustard1 tsp pepper- cut the meat into 2 inch slices- mix marinade in a bowl and put meat into it and let stand for at least an hour. (I've left it overnight, frozen the pork in the marinade...all sorts of shenanigans.)- pour a little oil into pan- heat the oil and lift the pork slices from the marinade and brown them. Work in small batches and transfer the browned meat into a pot.- After the meat is browned, add the onion to the pan, brown, and put into the pot with the meat and deglaze the pan with some stock and the rest of the marinade. Pour the stock into the pot over the meat.- Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.- Heat oven to 450 and, after the 30 minutes, lift the pork out of the pot reserving the stock and place pork into an over proof baking dish. Place cut tomatoes on top.- reduce the stock by half and pour over the meat. Bake for 20-25 minutes.Oh so simple and so yummy. Sorry for the not exactly precise directions. It was a sort of invented on the fly thing, and it's been ages since I bothered to measure anything...but it's safe to say you just can't go wrong with this tangy/sweet/savoury dish.I usually serve this with mashed potatoes, (mainly because I really love mashed potatoes), but it's just as fabulous over pasta.I hope you give it a try.In the mean time, I hope you keep your balance this next week and please cross your fingers for my Great Lost Wax Method silver experiment; this next step on my silversmithing journey. (Sounds so mysterious, doesn't it?)Much love and big hugs. Keep your balance this week and I hope you start it off on a lovely positive note.
Sharing with Mary at Mosaic Mondays and Dwellings-the heart of your home, and Create with joy.
Connections, Kristen's wonderful challenge
It's funny sometimes how a spur of the moment though...actually, maybe it's more accurate to say, a mind empty of thoughts, a mind in the present, how that inspires the perfect action.I knew that the challenge word for this week is connections. I knew this for a full week and everywhere I went, everything I did, I saw connections in. But then, you might be saying, you can hardly help that, can't you? Well, it's true, but rarely do those connections inspire a meaningful piece of art.Yesterday at the beach, it was gloriously warm and bright. I picked up a piece of orange nylon rope thinking I would recycle it properly, and, as I sat looking around me at the sunshine and the happy dogs I decided to save that piece of rope and weave it into something which connects.
So I walked along the beach to find the perfect branch and some other objects and took them home.I was going to wait till this morning to do something with them, but the evening was so lovely that I decided to start right then.
I wove the nylon rope around the branch and thru itself.
I found some ribbon and yarn and wove that in to symbolise seaweed and the reflection from shells.
And then I went to get my other found goodies to add those on, phoned Robbie and went to bed.Sent photos for the weaving to R and he said, "you've made yourself a talking stick. Even more connections. I like it!"This morning my newly proclaimed talking stick lay on the dining room table.
It sparkles in the harsh morning light, with its beads of birch bark, its combinations of man-made and natural elements, discarded and wanted, saved and used. Offers, connections, from the ocean and from my hands to your heart.
I took it outside to greet the day and held it up against the sky.
When you have a chance, the list of participating artists is here on Kristen's site. :D
Randomness, here it comes:
Clover and I went for a walk in the old hood this week, (only a few minutes drive). It's so beautiful in Vancouver when the sun shines! Every time I find myself on a day like this, in a place like this, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world...and there are hummingbirds displaying.Actually, walk is a loose term, always remembering that if you go down those stairs, at one point you have to actually hike up those stairs to get back to the car...but we can't help it. :DBriefly wondered what those mysterious white spots could be on my African violet leaves, then it dawned on me: potato starch! I started to peel the potatoes over the sink right beside the little plants...DUH...lol.
I'm starting to really love this boho, floopsy, gypsy, layered clothing look.
The more I get into silversmithing and begin to understand the how-to of it all, the more I: a) appreciate innovative designs and craftsmanship, and b) shake my head at the unbelievably high prices some craftsman ask...especially when I know that a certain piece with the $300 price tag has about $50 worth of silver in it and took about one hour with simple techniques. What gives? Maybe it's me.I started a Pinterest board of the most beautiful jewellery just for inspiration. Don't you just love Pinterest?
I want a boat!I really want a boat!
Sharing with Nancy and the random bunch. :D
Something old, something new, something borrowed and blue skies
Does anyone feel like spring cleaning? Oh boy, oh boy, do I ever. I feel like sorting everything out and giving so much away.So today I started with some stored boxes of material. I don't know why I keep all this material. I suppose I always plan on that quilt...you know, the one we all plan to make one day.In the boxes I found a pile of beautiful vintage napkins and brand new French linen tea towels.Lovely surprise. It's amazing the stuff I stash away. :D
So first a pile of material I no longer love.
I think I'll put it on Craigslist.
Clover found a large amount of glazed chintz and fell in love with it and is trying to persuade me to change all the fabrics in the living room.
Morgan found the keeping it box.
Then Morgan found the give away pile. She's so helpful. :D
Then a pile of bright, cheery cottons. I've decided to use them to make long ropes of bunting and hang them across the garden for Art in the Garden. Wouldn't that look so lovely and festive? And, after all, I made all that heart bunting, so how hard can triangles be?
I know they're all so different, but, to me, somehow they all work together.
While C was dreaming of a life with glazed chintz, I remembered that I bought Robert a wonderful leather jacket at a car boot sale...
...and remembered that I forgot to tell Robbie about it, so I requisitioned C to model it for a few photos.
Lol, he loved it...and the photos made him laugh.And for something borrowed, I borrowed Walt's silversmithing supplies at his lapidary club to learn how to do the lost wax method of casting silver. Nothing to write home about yet, and I have to wait till next week to see how it all turns out, but I'm so excited for this. I'm making two silver sea shells, a branch with lichen on it and a ring form.Not sure what I'll end up making with the finished silver pieces, (except for the ring...which will be...er...a ring), but I'm so excited! I'm thinking a pendant out of the branch, but not sure what else.Hope it all works out!PS. Sent some of the photos to R who sent back "Ooooh , we could make steam punk switches for medusa.... like little medusa heads !!!!" (Medusa being his new amazing bespoke car he's building with twin Jag engines and a five foot long bonnet) Lol, he's always thinking. :D
Hair, Nadine's wonderful challenge
You know, I'm one of those persons who knows her art limitations. Really I do. I do but, as you probably suspect, I tend to ignore them.Last week my friend Nadine invited me to take part in a weekend drawing challenge. Just like last time, the challenge was to take a word and depict it in an image. This word was "hair".Now I feel that I can draw almost anything, but believe I'm absolutely naff at portraiture. It's true! But the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to draw some beautiful hair on a beautiful girl. Growing up, I did the requisite copies of my favourite album covers and people's images, (there's a whole portfolio dedicated to Bowie somewhere at mom's house I think), and I also remembered drawing mermaids.
I used to draw a lot of beautiful mermaids. Some coming out of the water with long flowing hair floating on the waves, pearls and seashells dripping from their bodies, well, anyway, that's what I decided to draw.
So I started this morning and have my mermaid finished by lunch time. (Only one day late...lol)Well, finished is a relative term. I believe I could be shading and refining and lifting and tweaking for another four hours. But that's not going to happen today, because I hear the mountains calling my name. :D
Thanks for this opportunity Nadine. And thank you for inspiring me to bring back a skill from my childhood and give it another try.If you guys have a chance to, please pop by and visit the other extremely talented and fun artists:Barbara, Tammie, Ariane, Carole, Demie?, Emily, Joanne, Patrice, Leena, Celine, Renilde, Kristen, Roberto, Kim, Mano, Stefanie, Nadine.
Hello from Sunday night
Hi everyone.How's the melt going round the old globe?Yesterday we were at Whole Foods for a little late lunch, in the absolute pouring rain, and I think all of Vancouver freaked out and went shopping. Isn't that the way of rainy March Saturdays? :D We sat inside, (after a ten minute wait for a table to become available), and I looked outside at the indomitable Vancouverite spirit. You know that Vancouverites don't carry umbrellas and do sit outside in all kinds of weather? It's true Magoo. I got to thinking that it's high time I planted my seeds for an early showing, (for the Art in the Garden show). High time I put up my little greenhouse too, but who wants to do that in this wretched weather?
Then, this morning, what's that I feel on my cheeks? SUN!!! Oh, oh, are we all on standby for spring? :D
I walked around the garden and there was wonderful birdsong, so I hung up the little ball full of sheep's wool, to feather their nests, and look who I found in the lawn crocuses. (Yes I do use the term "lawn" liberally, and generally mean that anything growing there, which is mostly green and gets mowed, equals lawn.)
So into my garage and over to the potting bench, I tipped a bag full of seed started compost into my potting bucket and filled up the little seed pots.
In anticipation of a predicted break in the weather, I soaked some sweet pea, mange tout peas, runner beans and morning glory seeds over night. It's always a good idea to soak these seeds and also to scarify them. You should have seen me the other night with the sweet pea seeds and a pair of nail clippers trying to nick the little round things. I was ever so careful to nick each one and keep the dark purple sweet peas separate from the white ones, (because both kinds look brown), and, just as I finished and stood up, I tipped the containers and overcompensated for the tip, spilling the peas all over the living room floor, mixing up the colours. You have to laugh...what am I like. :D
So as I was planting the seeds I spied Chloe at the little bistro table having a cup of tea. I asked her if she would be happy to plant out some lettuce seeds in the cold frame.
She said she would be happy to and got the package and read the directions...
But then Morgan the Garden Inspector had to make sure the soil was suitable for the lettuce.
I finished putting together my little greenhouse and put my seed trays in it. I gave them a mist of water and zipped them up for the night.
In other weekend news, I finished my bench and established a little silversmithing studio on one side, (the sunny side). I bought some basic supplies and raided my late father's tools for some more. Mom gave me an old red tool box with a bit of a rusted out bottom, but nevermind that, a bit of cardboard and felt fixed that right up. I love how clean and red it became after I washed the grime off. I also bought a little silver and some cabochon jewels, and put them into my grandmother's jewellery box. And my ginger jar lamp, which Kerstie rescued for me from the thrift store, this little lamp which everyone loves to hate, but I love to love, has finally found the perfect home.
Adding to that a tall, comfy stool, also rescued. I loved this stool because it's heavy oak with lovely brass details and brass foot rests. Now that stool has found a permanent place in my home too.
Well, that's about it from the weekend. It's been such a busy week; I hope this next week is a bit easier.I'm getting so excited about spring.Sharing with Mary at Mosaic Monday and Sunlit Sunday, Inspire me Monday and Dwellings.