Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Motivational Monday - Upcoming Art Shows

Here is to getting motivated for the upcoming festival season! Whether you are an artist soon to be displaying your beautiful creations, or a festival go-er out to enjoy and hopefully purchase some of that awesome art!

The festival season is upon us very soon!  May is the start of the season for me?  Are there any other artists reading this, and if so when you do you usually start doing your shows?  I wish I was in a warmer climate and could do them all year round.  It can be difficult getting motivated and energized after taking 3-5 months off from the circuit.

May

My first show is always The Delaware Arts Festival.  This year it will be their 41st annual show and it runs on May 17th and 18th.  I hope some of you locals will make it out.

I will be in Booth #93.  It is a good location by the looks of the map they sent me.  : )  I am not in front of the parking lot that when it rains sends a river 3 inches deep straight through my tent.  I had wet feet for the entirety of this show a few years ago. : ) All for the love of art!

www.delawareartsfestival.org

June

In June I do the Granville Art Affair & Wine Festival.  The dates for the show this year are June 13th and 14th.  It's actually a Friday and Saturday (which is different than the usual Saturday, Sunday shows).  So keep this in mind if you are going to visit.

I absolutely love this area, the people, and the artists.  It is a great show full of community.

www.granvilleartaffair.com

July

I just signed up for the Westerville Music and Arts Festival.  This one is new to me this year.  It is also their 41st annual, and I have heard many good things about it.  This show runs on my birthday!! July 12-13th.
Hopefully I hear good news soon and am accepted so you can come hang with me on my birthday!

August

Still looking for a show for this month.  Local artists reading this ( let me know if you know of any that would be good) : )

September

The Old Worthington Market Day is a show I have done every year for so long I cannot even remember when I began.  Probably at the very beginning 7or 8 years ago, maybe longer.  It is an amazing 1 day show that only last about 6 hours.  It is not easy to get there and set up as so many artists and vendors are showing up at the same time.  It is tight and I always feel as if I am going to run over someones artwork trying to get in and set up.  :)  Never have though. Whew!

I didn't do it last year as I took most of the year off because I had a destination wedding that sucked all the creative energy out me.

I have not signed up for this yet, but as soon as the application come out I will.  I have not been turned down before, so I am almost positive I will be there.

Peace, Love, and Handmade Paper,
Erin

Fiber Frenzy Friday - Corn Husk Cover Progression

First of all, when cooking down corn husks you need to cut the material into approximately 1 inch pieces.

 Soda ash is needed to help break down the material you are cooking.  Soda ash is commonly known as baking soda.

Here are the corn husks as they are cooking down.  I let each back cook at the highest setting for 5 hours.

Once the corn husks are finished cooking they must be cleaned until the water run clear.

Once they are clean, soak a few handfuls into a 5 gallon bucket of water.

Next, it goes into the blender for about 15 seconds.  You want to do small amounts at a time so the fibers don't wrap around the blade and burn out the motor.

The mixture is now thinned out and ready to be poured into the mold and deckle to make the book covers.

I usually just pour the bucket of fiber straight into the mold and deckle and play with the fibers until they are even across.  I take a sponge and screen and hand press lightly some of the water out of the book covers.  

Once I have a number of covers made stacked onto white felt sheets they go into the press.  This press  exerts 2000 pounds of pressure.  

 After about 20 minutes in the press I then put the covers onto dry white sheets of watercolor paper.  Watercolor paper is very sturdy and thick.  A cover will get sandwiched between to sheets of the watercolor paper and then those are sandwiched between to pieces of cardboard.  I have a fan that blows through the corrugation of the cardboard and dries the sheets with slight pressure.  This way the sheets are less likely to dry wavy.  

 These are the covers dry.  I will still put a layer of varnish on what will be the exterior of the covers for increased durability and water-resistance.  I am excited to show the students these at our upcoming lecture on next Friday. 

I hope you found this informative.  : )

Peace, Love, and Handmade Paper, 

Erin

Wordless Wednesday

Motivational Monday - Happy St. Patrick's Day

Praise the ripe field not the green corn.

                                               ~Irish Proverb

This is an old garden of mine from many years ago.  I tilled each section by hand, as I did not own a rototiller at the time.  I would lay grass cuttings on the pathways each time I mowed and the grass slowly turned brown and soft to bare feet.    I even collected rocks to line my pathway!

In the top photograph I placed an old wrought iron head board and called it my "Flower Bed". I will most definitely do that again.  Little pathways lead you to a comfortable place to sit and enjoy a mason jar full of sweet tea in the sunshine.

I look forward to having a similar garden again.  the big bush in the far rear right of the photograph above are collard green.  I can remember many a "greens & corn bread" get-together.

Let nature and warmer breezes motivate you to do the things you love even if you don't own the correct tools to do it with.  

Oh do I look forward to having a back "yard" that is not all patio.  :)

Peace, Love, and Handmade Paper,

Erin

Wordless Wednesday

Fiber Frenzy Friday - An Art Show Set Up

I believe this particular set up is from my first show of every year in Delaware, Ohio.

I remember this from the brick walk way and parking lot behind my tent.  The year before it rained profusely and a deluge of water came right out of that parking lot and straight through my tent.

The water must have been 3-4 inches deep.

It was deep enough to cover my shoes.

I was soaked the rest of the day.  And if I remember correctly I went barefoot the rest of the day.  Moist socks are no fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

I have decided to switch up Wednesdays a little. : )
Instead of Whimsy Wednesday I will now be doing Wordless Wednesday.

Wordless Wednesday will feature 1 photograph and only a photograph or mixed media image. All photography/imagery will be my artwork. Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

Obviously I am breaking the rules of this first Wordless Wednesday by introducing the new change.  But here we go...

Fiber Frenzy Friday - Granville Elementary Book Project

This book, titled The Untold Adventures of Ace, was a few weeks in the making and it is a great feeling to know it is done and on time for Mrs. Newell's fifth grade class.  This book will be auctioned off at the Granville Elementary fund raiser and only one lucky person/parent may own this prized possession.  My fingers are crossed that it will make them a lot of money!  

Each child helped write a paragraph to the story as well as an illustration with watercolor.  They did an amazing job at this!

I have come to find that a book of this size is not easy to put together.

Here is a little peak at the inside of the book.

As I mentioned though, it feels good for my part of this job to be done.  Even after making paper for over ten years, to this day, I am still learning.  

Peace, Love(Happy Valentines Day), and Handmade Paper,

Erin

Motivational Monday - Dream a Little Dream

Our dreams and future goals inspire and motivate us to get up each day and at least take a step in the direction we are desiring.  

Shoot our dreams and our future goals help ensure that there is ANY reason AT ALL to get out of bed.  Especially when I have a mountain of warm and soft pillows and blankets whispering to me to go back to sleep.  

"Ahh to sleep,  perchance to DREAM…" as William Shakespeare said.  Maybe I don't have to even be awake to dream and visualize.  Hmmm, if this can be worked out and I create a grand future through napping, I will be sure to let you all know.  :)

Knowing what your goal and and dreams are will decide your direction in life, and goodness knows some of us can use a little direction.  

Do you think fish dream?  It is a thought worth pondering!

What are you current dreams? Would you be willing to share them with us here?  Feel free to share your decadent dreamy future with all us if you desire!

I dream to be a fairy and have for a long time!  Still working on this one.  

Peace, Love, Handmade Paper, and Dreams,

Erin

Fiber Frenzy Friday - Seed Bomb Tulle Favor

These are perfect for your next baby shower or wedding.  Check them out for sale at www.pulpa.etsy.com.

Peace, Love, and Handmade Paper,

Erin

Motivational Monday - Enjoy the Journey

Don't allow the end to be all you see.  

Remember, it's the journey and not the destination.  

The light at the end of the tunnel is there to illuminate your path as you live it.  

The light is not the objective.  

Unless you are ready for that long slumber, stay away from the light and revel in the shadows of your present pilgrimage.

Fiber Frenzy Friday - Present Project Path

Here are a few photographs from a current project I am working on in cahoots with Beta by Design and Granville Elementary Schools.  

The paper was pulled thickly and varnished on one side for increased durability as well as making the outside of the covers water-resistant.  

Sizing has been added to all the sheets and cover to water proof that paper itself as well.  

This ensures that if the paper were to get wet it will not turn right back into pulp!

These will be the front and back cover to a 10x10 illustrated book.  

The book will tell the story of the "Blue Ace" the school mascot.   The children are writing the story and compiling illustrations now.  I am excited to the book upon completion.  I will make sure to share it with you all in a later blog.

The embroidery thread you see here will be used to bind the book together.  : ) I wasn't sure exactly what shade I wanted so I grabbed a few.  

I decided upon the darkest one below.  What do you think?

Peace, Love, and Handmade Paper,

Erin