Monday, September 19, 2011

The Muse Took a Turn

 I was happily carving away on my speedy cut stamps making all manner of pods and seeds for printing on tea bags and handmade paper with the hopes it could become a book.  I was going to call it Seeds, Pods and Papavers. Actually I did call it that. It was almost to completetion when the muse ran through the studio giggling and laughing with excitement.  She excitedly showed me how to use the printer to put my photographs on my very own handmade paper as previously decribed in the last blog. Well, she totally twitterpaited me. See what more came of it:
The wood round on handmade paper is unbelievable to the touch.
What will become of these I have no idea,
but what I do know is... the Muse...
she totally bumped me off my carved stamp track.
Now, Seeds, Pods and Papavers, poor thing, waits for final approval.
It seems to need a little something more.
I loved carving the stamps, and printing them on the tea bags giving me that
luscious brown I love - especially as autumn draws near.
I was pleased that adding Golden Gel Medium over the back
didn't make it sticky like Modge Podge would have.
But there's just something about the light colored
 handmade paper printed sheets inside
that makes me pause.
And there's something about the back too
that needs a little more - hummm... but what?
And where is the Muse?
She's not helping at all!
She is off  printing more of my photographs on more handmade paper. 
This time the paper has cattail fluff in it. (Gorgeous, even if I do say so myself!) 





I have added some more tea bag pieces to the white areas on the back and cover since these pictures... mostly I am still waiting for the muse to return.
She will return, right?
If I am patient, right?

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Handmade paper meets photographs

I got brave. I put a tiny amount of rubber cement on the edges of my handmade paper and placed them onto  a sheet of card stock. Then with hands folded in prayer ran the whole works through the printer. It worked!!! Soon pages of my photographs on HANDMADE PAPER were forming up on my work table.
I could hardly contain myself. I couldn't stop there! I had to create a book.




It is due in part to Velma Bolyard of Wake Robin blog.
She came out from New York to give a lecture
and workshop for the Puget Sound Books Artists in Tacoma. 
I so clearly remember the excitement with which she shared her joy
at being able to make every aspect of her books -
the dying, the paper making, the shifu spinning, the weaving, the binding.
She shared her knowledge and joy with others and they in turn shared later
all the beautiful papers and projects they had
made in and as a result of the workshop. 
May the ripple continue to travel outward.