Donating

Last week, I had done a donation to a local organism.  It was two painted woodburning pieces.  It was quickly done anyway.  The hardes was the design.  Of course, I am not totally satisfied with the drawing and how I did the woodburning.  Next time, I am thinking of doing just the woodburning and no painting.  It would be a good occasion to show how it look like without the painting.  I am used of the woodburning without the painting but it is not the case with everybody.

For the drawing, I should find a solution.  I would like to have better skills when it comes to draw.  There was a small period of my life where I draw a lot.  I was able to do a few things.  I had my way to draw birds.  I had also learned how to draw faces.  I had a few basic knowledge but I forgot a lot.  I stop practice the little I knew.  It is the kind of skill that need to keep practicing.

Giving the two pieces was nice.  I don't know if it is really appreciated because I know it is far from perfection.  I doubt it will give me more requests for this kind of art.  Well, in the end, anything goes.  i wanted to show something really different.  It gives me the desire to do another piece but without painting.  It would show how it look without the colours.

Ebroidery

With the heat waves, I decided to to some embroidery.  Here is the two projects I had done lately:

This one is the first one I have done.  It is where I learned to do embroidery, not long ago:

This one was the second one that I made.  I decided to have a few variation on it.  The border line is green.  This one was quicker to make.  I guess it was because I knew what I was doing:

Now, I cam concentrationg on three baseball caps.  Two of them will be for me and the third one will be a gift to a child.  I had already done one for someone else and I forgot to take a photo of it.  It was nice to do those two little bags.  I am thinking of doing a third one with an owl on a branch, just to make different.  I also start considering trying cross stitch.  The confidence have built up enough for me to consider getting a step further in difficulty.  If I don't try, I won't know if I have the potential of adding another string to my arc.

The ugly tree trunk have returned!

Last week, there was the returned of the ugly tree trunk.  The leaves covering the trunks had been cut.

 It had leaved a lot of branches on both side of the trees:

I don't know if there is something that can be done to those poor tree trunks.  They aren't totally dead yet because there is still leaves that grow on them.  Something have to be done to hide the trunks, at least.  The leaves were doing the job until they were cut.  Would be nice to have a creative solution that would hide the distorted bark but not hide the leaves.  First thing I think is a crinoline attached to the trees with a frame.  The frame would be wooden hoops with a water proof fabric.  I don't know if it could be done.

Inventing a device

I am not really a morning person.  I am not totally a summer person.  I don't like when it become too hot, this is my main complaint when it come to summer.  I also don't like being under the sun in summer.  It makes me feel heavier.  It is as if the sun's heat didn't suit my body.

As the saying goes: a need is the mother of invention.  What would be nice is a device I could have to keep cool outside, a kind of portable pool or a portabie shower.  Would be nice.  What would be nicer is at home.  Beside the usual cooling devices, I would like to be cool but not being in a bath tub nor in a room with a cooling unit.  A bath tub is inconvenient when trying to cool and doing something artsy.  Both water and crafting materials aren't always go well together.  A cooling unit had to be install and removed during the summer.  I want to have something practical and small.

I still have my fantasy of being is a cool pool of water with some ice in it.  But it is just a fantasy.  I haven't found the solution or the invention that could be of any help for me.  I didn't have any ah-ha yet.  I want to be able to stay at home, be refreshed and be able to work on my various projects.  I will have to find an idea or make some research for the perfect solution.

Sparkly Glue

Here what I have done with a glue gun and glue with sparkles:

It is only a sample of what I had made.  Seeing it on the computer, I am thinking that I may have to redo this picture.  I thought I was close enough when I did it.  I did a lot with the sparkled glue.  It was a test and I found it was a good test.  The glue gun do a great job with the sparkled glue, better than with the mod melts.  I wonder if the glue guns will do well with the mod melts gun?  I will have to try it.  The only bad part that I foresee is the lenght of the splarkled glue sticks.  They are way shorter than the mod melts.

The sparkles glue forms hold well for now.  I don't know if it will change with time.  I don't have any project with these but I may glue them on some photo frames if I have to do some new again.  Sticker goes well too on photo frames.  Well, in both cases I tried them on wood photo frames.

Next time I will go to one of my crafts store,  I hope they will have mod melts in the metallic colours.  I like working with them.  It was nice to use the golden and silver sparkles glue sticks!

Card making

A few days ago, I sit down to make some cards, like in cards for anniversaries.  It been a while than I havem't made cards.  As long as I remember, I had been making cards.  When I didn't know how to write, there was someone who would makes the writing in the cards and I would do the rest.  As a child, I liked doing those cards.  I know at least one person that liked to receive my homemade card.  That person wasn't interested in store bought cards.

For my recent sit down to do cards, it was nice to sit down and make those cards.  It was just not as magical than when I was a child.  It was different too.  As a child, I would do the drawing.  Last time I did the cards, it was drawing but there were other material like ribbons.  I didn't wrote anything in my cards.  I wasn't ready to do the writing.  When I will know to whom I will sent those cards, I will write something.  I will do another session of card making in a few days.  I think I will bring a little something to put on cards.  I was thinking some mod melts and maybe some plain stickers.  It will be a little show off of what I am able to contribute in the card making domain.

Now, I would like to add more therapeutic art therapy.  Well, in this case, craft therapy.  I do have many project that I want to make.  It it time for me to have some more time to do that at home, not just outside home.  It is the time of the year where I have a bit more time to do what I want to do.  I should use my time better than I am doing now.

Game Plan for the Heat Wave

Being busy doing various craft in various tempareture, I learned a few things.  Knitting is usually better in the winter.  Wool is kind of warm and is very warm when knitted.  So, I avoid knitting in very warm temperature.  In the summer, I also avoid wood burning, even if the smell can be easily dismissed by open windows.  Well, maybe it can be done in a cooler summer evening, after some thought.  But a good ventilation is important.  The mods melts (https://www.plaidonline.com/learn-about-the-new-mod-podge-mod-melts-mod-molds/194/video.htm) is along the same idea of the wood burning but more importantly, I think it is easier to do it in a team of two.  Especially wen the mold is in limited quantity.  I haven't try free hand pattern yet but it is the kind of activity that is always nice being made in a team setting.  The same is true of soap making.  Both soap making and mod melts is not something I would do on a hot summer day.  It involve hot material.  They both have to cool.  So, high temperature doesn't help the cooling time.

Thinking of that, I started to think what to do during an heat wave and in the summer in general.  Writing in the summertime always been with me in the last few years.  It also can be done anywhere.  If too hot, I can go to a cooler place like a library.  I am thinking of adding taking photos too.  It has the same positive effect: it can be done in various places.  I could go to a cool place to take photos like near a body of water.  I think it will be a good time to come back to painting and do it in the summer.  The paint would dry quickly in warm temperature.

What is my brightest idea is in a heatwave.  I wonder why I haven't thought about it sooner.  It is an simple idea: go shopping for needed supplies.  Usually, many store are well cooled down.  I don't think of staying in one craft store the whole day looking around, I am thinking of visiting a few for their specialty, that have items that aren't found in other craft stores.  So, it would be time for me to make list of needed craft supplies again.  I would then take that list in days of heatwave and hit the store.  I think it is one of my brightest idea I had in a while.  Now, time to do that list...

Smell and Scent

I don't know if it is summer but some scents float around.  Most of them are strong.  Many trigger some memories.  Many are also a no brainer as the scent of pools, well, I should say the chlorine smell.  I am not fond of the chlorine smell.  It is quite strong.  I like the smell of heated sand.  It is less strong.  It makes me remember when I play in the sand with my Tonka dump truck (https://www.amazon.ca/Tonka-93918-Classics-Dump-Truck/dp/B000PEHDFG/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1468203575&sr=8-12&keywords=tonka)

It is amazing that scent can bring back memories.  It is a strong link between the two.  Some scents are disgusting and some that are calming.  Some that makes us hungry and other that are woodsy, flowery or musky.  Humidity can be in the air and we can pick it up.  I am not a nose (a person that specialize in smell and work for the perfume industry) but smells are everywhere and it have some caracteristics.  It is a no brainer to put some descriptive to scent.

Would be fun to get a functional scent maker that could evocate correctly what we have in mind.  I also would like to put a save on some scents, to commit them into memory for the future.  Would be fun to put some scent for posterity...

Trends -- It is a vast topic

I try to be up to date with most recent trends.  I don't personally care about trends, but it can be inspiring.  I thought that receiving various magazine would help me to know what will be trendy in colour, materials and what to look for for each season.  Well, it seems it's not enough.  I just saw this article on ear climber: http://jewelry.about.com/od/famousjewels/ss/How-to-Wear-It-Ear-Climbers.htm
It goes up the ear, on it's outer rim.  It can be one piece or many separate parts.

I don't like all the example they gives in the slide show.  I am tempted to create some for my own pleasure and to know how to do it.  I like to master that kind of project and gain insight on how it is done.  I also want to see if it can be applied elsewhere.  I am not a professional jewelry maker, so each project is a learning experience for me.  I guess I could do it with some limited tools.  I am not fully equiped but it is fine with me.  I do what I can with what I have.  Maybe later I will able to do more with more tools.

I realize it's not always easy to get on the top of the game.  I am not good at foreseeing trends.  It can also be time consuming, it is my feeling.  I am not a trends follower.  I want to know just for jumpstart my inspiration.  If I was a professional, I would notice it more and go from there.  I think it is more important for professional jewelry maker.  It is their livelyhood.  They have to cover the demand of the trendy pieces.  I am just a casual jewelry maker.  I am not to the point of selling my creation.

Thinking of it, I learn what I can on trends.  In addition, trends tend to go in cycle: what was popular in the past comes popular later on before dipping into obscurity again.  It goes and it comes.  At most, I would be ready for the next popularity phase of an items.

Learning everyday -- throat singing

I thought that throat singing was only made by Inuit women.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnGM0BlA95I for an example.  It is quite rhythmic and it makes me feel a bit trance like.  It is diffenrent than the music we are used to.  It is impressive what they can do with only their voices and throats!   There is a monotone element but with some variation that add on to the singing.

Seems to be more common than I thought.  There seems to be more to it.  I discovered than there are other place than northern Canada that have throat singing.  Men seems to be at it too.  I wish I could be able to do it.  Here are a few videos on some men doing throat singning.  There even seems to have some more modern touch to it too.

Tuvan throat singing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx8hrhBZJ98
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTCJ5hedcVA in duo

Mongolian throat singing, with some techno element:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW7uvYz9yjA
Another one in the same vein but in a rap style:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuVLjAhsw-w

So, I learned something new today.  In addition, throat singing seems to fit with other genre of music, as long as the blend is well made.  I find it is a nice discovery, wish have discovered it sooner.

Tree shapes

I think I am developing a fascination with tree shapes.  It goes with how the branches head in the air.  It seems to go in various direction.  It can have a nice effect like a sphere or a cone.  Other times, it look more twisted.  It is those who have a twisted branches path that I like the most.  I have taken a lot of those trees.  Here are a few examples:

The first one seems to be a head with the hairs in the wind.  The second photo makes me think of a glass of wine because of the form of the branches.  The final one makes me think of a ballerina stretching.  This is as fun as looking forms in clouds!

A field of seeds-connecting the dots

I find it interesting when there is connections.  Putting ideas together, connecting words with an images, putting two materials together.  Recently, I took a photo and got a idea for the title of the photo.  I decided to call it "Field of Seeds" and here it is:

I am thinking of trimming the top part, to concentrate the photo on the dandelions.  I know the connection between the photo and the title is a no brainer.  I just had the envy to do it.  I was walking by and I had my point and shoot camera.  I found it would be a nice photo to make, being there at the right time.  I think that dandelion who had turned into those tiny balls of seeds are worth the photo.  They are quite a view when they are gouped together like that.  I took that photo just beside the two ugly trees I talk.  It is the first I took:

Here is a more recent one:

 The ugly trees trunks are now hidden.  The first top photo had been taken beside this place.  It can be seen on the two below photo, at the left side, where there is the telephone pole.