Testing, Test Prints...

I finally finished a few of the carvings for my corgi book. Still getting the bugs out regarding paper size, trimming of linocuts etc. I'm thinking about how to fit it all on the page without too much overlapping. (some is good, though!).

In the first photo I cut the paper a bit bigger just to see what it would look like. It doesn't work. Much prefer the lower photo's layout. Back to carving! Happy almost Memorial Day weekend and the kick-off of SUMMER! (hello white linen :)

Book and Flower

I finally printed some of the pages of the book I've been making about our corgi gone missing on Boxing Day. Yesterday I sketched in some rough ideas in the dummy book to think about scale and subject matter. A person could sit forever... about to draw an idea... when it comes to putting images together with words. It must be similar to adding music to lyrics.

The violet water soluble Daniel Smith ink was super impossible to clean up. It seemed like it was oil based... finally was successful with paper towels and Dawn dish soap. Very strange because the other colors clean up quickly with warm water. Go figure.

The middle photograph is a peek at the beautiful paper flowers my daughter gave me for Mother's Day! (she made them at pre-school) They are made from magazine paper and sewn with a button in the middle... pipe cleaners for stems. So cute... a great craft idea.

Egg Dye

All the kids and I colored and decorated eggs on Easter Sunday a few weeks back. It was so much fun! Later that night, all the stuff was still sitting on the kitchen counter... stinking of vinegar. My daughter wanted to dip some of the eggs again to see if they'd change color and it was then I remembered I had a 'ready to dye' packet of silk fabrics. So, I cut them into small strips and we started dipping.

The fabric turned out quite pretty but, now that I've read a little more about dye, fears are coming on. The water was not boiling hot and we did not soak overnight. So, they probably will run like crazy if we use them in a quilt and wash it someday.

Does anyone know how I could set the dye? Or is it set? (the solution was just one egg dye tablet and equal parts vinegar and water.)

PS still carving on the linocut book... on page 9 now.

New Lino Cut Book!

I've been wanting to make a book with text in it for so long... as well as illustrations. So, this has finally come to the work table! The story is of our naughty little corgi who ran away in the dead of winter and found his way home on New Year's Day.

I've written most of the story and am on the 3rd page of carving the text only. (none of the illustrations have even been conceived yet... but, the drawings will be driven by the space and context of the words on the page. Very exciting to take on :) I've had to get out my dusty graphic design hat and think had about that golden rectangle and how to make the most of it. The book may not be perfect, but I'm having a wonderful time with the process.

Will report with more progress :) Happy almost weekend.

PS

I've added a few mini art quilts to my etsy shop. They are the ladies from the 'Saintly Women' series.