LIFE MAKES SENSE WHEN...

"Life makes sense when we are centered in our hearts and embrace our unique journey"

I have a problem in finding balance. If I could learn to be more centered, and work out from there, maybe that would come. I was thinking that blogs seem to be a bit of rambling, and I'm pretty good at that. As I have been working with this blog it is so easy to get off onto different paths. I have a rambling spirit and love to search and learn. My problem comes when I have to document where I have been and how I got there. I need to focus.
     As I was searching online, I found a skill I would like to develop, called marbling. I found that the Turkish do some superior marbling called ebru. I went on YouTube and discovered some astounding videos of  masters of ebru.  I have done a bit of marbling in the past, in school and on my own. I also have a book I picked up along the way.  A few years ago Brad (my husband) and I did a little marbling on paper with spray paint, but it did not stick to the paper well enough. 
       As I learned this time, you have to treat the paper or cloth you want to marble on with a solution of alum and water. Then after you treat the cloth with the alum mixture you have to use it within 24 hours or the alum starts to eat away at the cloth. But when you put it on paper it does not have to be used right away.  I also learned how you get the paint or ink to do what it does when you put it on the surface of the water. For some mediums of paint you need to add some ox gall. It has something to do with the surface tension. Also you have to add something to the water to thicken it.       Some of the different things you can thicken it with are starch, carrageenan or methocel. It gives a surface for the ink or paint to float on. 
    Some of the other tools necessary, are rakes, brushes, or whisks. You apply the paint or ink with brushes, whisks, eyedroppers or various small sticks. Some people use small screwdrivers dipped into the paint or ink and dropped onto the surface of the treated water. The rakes are for drawing through the paint to make different patterns. The first paint applied is called putting down stones. It is so wonderful to see how the different mediums react together to make endless patterns and designs. You also need is a tray to hold the water and paint mixture,for whatever you  want to marble.  If you want to try, there is a lot of information out there.  The book I have is called Marbling Paper & Fabric by Carol Taylor. This seems to be a great book  from what I have looked at to get you started on your way to learning this beautiful technique.   I have gathered some supplies and am looking forward to taking a journey of marbling. Here is another task ahead. 

     As I have thought about how to find my center in my journey, I have learned I really feel part of that center is tied up in knots. I like tying knots.  I also, love using stones and beads. Part of my journey to my center will include string , thread, cord, beads and stones.
      I have quite a varied background in knots, and lace making, and bead work. I also like paper and clay, so don't be surprised if some of those show up too. 

      Here are some of my works from the past two weeks.  First I knotted a little lampshade for a light that did not have one. 

      On this little shade I used a metal frame that was for holding a votive candle and a little dish to heat up oils to scent the air. It had a ring so I could attach it to the lamp.  I knotted cotton string to make a shade. I also did some simple wrapping of the cord around the frame. It turned out looking like a quaint little wildflower.  I think it will do the job. 

    Second, I made a necklace and bracelet set, using  a poker chip with an added embossed paper added to it for the pendant. Then I tatted a little back for it and beaded  around that to hold it all together. Then on the necklace part I did some macrame knots and beading. The bracelet was made in a similar fashion. 




   

Then I made a little card for a friend using tatting , and tenriffe lace, and a few beads. 

  



   I next finished a bracelet that I had started awhile ago. I finished the needlework then I did some beading around that and then attached a button and loop to hold it all together. 

   


  Last of all I made a necklace with a favorite stone donut and some stones and beads made of wood jasper from my stash, also I used a really old bead that I bought on ebay on top of the donut.  It turned out to be a bit off center. I need some practice with that. 


     












      I hope you enjoyed this little side trip. See ya next time.
Enjoy the journey wherever it may lead. 
       Check out YouTube and search for Ebru or marbling and be amazed as I was.  I always marvel at how some simple shapes, knots or dots of paint can turn into a 
composition of beauty and unsurpassed detail.

A Journey of Re-creation2

"If you don’t have time to do it right,
when will you have time to do it over?" - John Wooden

This is my dilemma. I want to start from the top or have things right the first time. That is sort of a silly expectation, don't you think? I find myself focusing on what I can't do and not on what I can. It gives me a lot of grief. So I, like everyone else, have to start where I am right now. Such as it is, here I go.

This is made with paper beads,a bone cross piece, glass beads, black cord with Chinese knots, and an old poker chip with a woven paper heart attached.

This is a reversible necklace made on an old poker chip base. It has a dragon fly on one side, and a vintage brass button on the other, with a needle tatted frame; some glass beads around, with stone and acrylic long beads between.

  These two necklaces are made with polymer clay and Chinese knots.

Of these two bracelets, the one on the left is needlepoint with seed bead edging and two vintage green buttons. The bracelet on the right is knotted macrame with a center motif on an old poker chip.

These three bracelets are made with needlepoint. The red and white bracelet has some new and vintage beads, and an old button. The middle blue and white one is made with a Japanese border design. On the far right is a black and white one, also Japanese inspired design, with a large vintage mother of pearl button and a small iridescent button on top of that.

The butterfly necklace is made with an old poker chip and beaded around with iridescent glass beads and some purple acrylic accent beads.

This night owl is made with an old poker chip with a felt backing and seed bead enclosure . Large blue glass beads and metal star beads are scattered around. It is hard to see, but I put some purple glitter in the acrylic covered owl and a small rhinestone.

This necklace is made with a poker chip pendant and a Chinese knotted neck piece with cream colored Indian glass beads.

These two also have something that reminds me of my childhood. The picture attached to the good old chip changes as you move it. These came from a puzzle. I think they are bright, lite, cheerful, and fun.

Tree of Life

This is wire work with a piece of an old CD for a backdrop. The beads are vintage , old and pearl-like. The base is a poker chip with a brass wire outside ring.

So what have I learned thus far.

• I learned working with epoxy is tricky. It's hard to judge how much you will need for a particular project, and you have limited time to work with it. So be prepared to use the extra epoxy if there is any. 
  

  

  
  
• I learned Chinese knotting takes time and practice. The end result is quite beautiful, and so worth the effort.
• If you put yourself “out there” someone might want more of you. I took some of my things to a craft fair and now someone asked me to be a guest artist at the Arts Council. I didn't even know we had one around here.

There are almost endless avenues to explore, so I hope you will enjoy some of them as I go on.

I learned a new technique to transfer images to the poker chips or other objects you might be interested in, if you want to try it yourself sometime.

Let me explain. You take an image you want to transfer and copy it, and print it out with a copy machine that uses toner. I use my laser printer. You can use color or black and white. Make it the size you want to fit the object you want to apply it to. Print it out on regular paper. Then take some clear packing tape and put it over the image and smooth it out so there are no bubbles or air pockets. Then comes the fun part. Get a bowl of lukewarm water and put it in and gently rub the paper part until no more paper is left on the tape. You will have a image of what you printed transferred to the tape. This is what you apply to your project. The great thing about it is, that it still has some sticky to help hold it in place and you don't have to reverse the print on words because they show up right, not reversed as in some other processes.

Here are some examples of things I have transferred.

Notice the words on the right side have blotchy white spots and a little yellow dot. The blotchy things are where I did not get all the paper off, so be sure to check that. Sometimes it is hard to tell there is still paper on the tape when it is still wet. On the left is the example of the words before I took the paper off the back and on the right is after. (The yellow dot was paper on the scanner bed, oops.) Pretty fun thing don't you think? Happy transferring.

Well, that is about it for this time. Take care and enjoy the journey.