Tag: Mail Art

Posted on by — 1 Comment

No Brilliant Reason.

I made a book!  One of my mail art groups wants to have a journal swap so I made a journal.  It’s full of mistakes but I’m good with it.  I learned a ton.    It was so fun to do; I see more journal making in my future.
 
I used Coptic Stitch Binding (I’m sure that doesn’t need to be capitalized but it somehow seemed appropriate). I learned about it in How To Make Books by Esther K. Smith.  I used a cereal box for the covers and embroidery thread for the binding. 
 It also gets two pictures because it’s an awesome technique.  It was the first time I tried it and it’s a little loosey goosey.  
What’s that you say?  Didn’t I just buy a binding machine?  Why am I binding this by hand?  
I got nothing.  No brilliant reason.  Leave me alone!
Sorry.  I know you’re just looking out for me.  
I used paper bags to make the pages.  I used this technique to make them look cool.  I also added some envelopes as pages.  The idea of the swap is that everybody adds to the journal and then passes it on, so I wanted to make different options for people.
 
One of the cool things about this binding is that the book lies flat and I hope that will make it easier for people to add their art work.   It’s a long term project but I will post some pictures of it here when I get it back.
Posted on by — 1 Comment

This Is What Can Happen

I went to the thrift shop to buy more jeans for my unintentional quilt.  I got ten pair (I have nine to work with since one pair fits my son).  But, that’s not all I brought home.
For, you see;  I have a dark, thrift shop secret.
My love of horrifying ceramics.
I cannot pass this kind of stuff up.  Look:  That girl is totally orange.  And, that’s not only a  pastel train it’s also a glaring, hypnotist bunny.  And, someone thought it was a good idea to stick a huge hole for a candle in the head of a cloying cute little girl.
But, wait.  There’s more.
I have more than this.  I took about this size of a pile to the library in the hopes that someone would use them for garden art but they were passed up.  Probably too terrifying.
 Here’s a small portion which, for my family’s sake, I’ve put in the garage. I don’t know which one I love the most, the dolphins swimming in water made of glitter?  Maybe the prairie girl with the bonnet that hides her enormous alien brain?  No, it’s gotta be the tall headed girl in jammies carrying her evil puppy overlord in her arms.  The part that’s even scarier is that I’ve only just begun taking them home.  This collection is the result of only two thrift shop runs.  …blush..
 This came home with me, too.  But, somehow, this lives in a different kitschy section of my brain.  It’s added to my odd bird corner of the basement.
 The collection I only realized was a collection during the last time I cleaned up my studio and found I had, like, a million stupid bird things.  This is what can happen when you strive let the unconscious, creative part of your brain take over.
More birds.  Just sayin’
On the other hand, I got some pretty paper
and some fun and interesting stuff to collage with (Wartburg…teehee).
SHE CAN SEE YOU THROUGH YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN!
Posted on by — 1 Comment

Quilt Expo

I went for it.  I entered this quilt into the Madison Quilt Expo Quilt Contest.  
  
When I look at their gallery of past winners, I realize that it’s a major long shot that they’ll even let me in the contest.  All of the quilts shown there are super detailed, highly patterned and technically brilliant.
But I figured, as I often do: What the hell. 

The self addressed stamped envelope looks like this, too. That way I won’t be so sad when they send me the rejection letter.
I had to send in five bucks, a completed entry form, a SASE and two photographs, one whole quilt and one detail shot.  So, yes, I made quilted envelopes.  Now I wish that I had made them out of denim.  Maybe next time. 
Posted on by

MAGMA!

Mail Art Guild of the Madison Area (MAGMA!)

What is MAGMA?  An all ages guild that meets once a month to create art that is intended to go through the mail. Meetings are two hours long. Members need to help clean up at the end.

What is mail art?  Simply put:  Mail art is art that is sent through the mail.  If you want a less simple description, check out the Wikipedia article on mail art.

We meet at Sector67
2100 Winnebago street
Madison WI 53704


Upcoming schedule:  
Third Tuesdays:

June 19, 5 – 7
July 17, 12 – 2
August 21, 5 – 7
September 18, 12 – 2

Questions?  Contact:
Jennifer@AnotherJennifer.Net
Posted on by

For Some Reason I Can’t Logically Explain

photo.JPG 
Just a quick post to say I think I’ve finished this patch.  I might add some yellow, I might not.  It’s the kind of thing you can just add to any time because you’re sitting on the couch anyway, ya know?
photo.JPG 
Here it is “in context”.  I’m looking forward to more spots wearing out. 
photo.JPG
Remember that square I was compelled to work on for no good reason at all?  
Well, it’s moving slowly.  Good thing I’m not in a rush to finish for any reason.
photo.JPG 
I got a little bored with the same old stitching but more, I’m really  inspired by the beautiful work of Christine Mauersberger and so tried a different orientation of the stitches.  I like it.  I was trying to decide whether this was enough or if I should add more areas of this kind of stitching when I remembered that I will probably cut it up and mail it out as postcards so I guess it doesn’t really matter.  
It’s too bad that I picked a piece of denim with lots of stretch in it.  I just don’t like them for a bigger project so whatever this ends up as, it’s destined to be small. 
For some reason I can’t logically explain, I’ve started a Doctor Who scarf (My second).
 
Here’s my first one; it’s only about 10 feet long but way too wide. It was one of my very first knits and I didn’t really understand gauge. The second one will be longer and thinner.  …sigh… I’ll try not to post process pictures of that one, it won’t be very exciting.

I guess that wasn’t a quick post after all, sorry.  🙂

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Still here Update

I know.  No posts for a month and then two in a day.  What could I be thinking?  
Look at all that floor.  And, look! A table top that hasn’t been seen for months and months. 
I’m just so proud of myself.  It’s not done by a long shot but it’s so much better.  Now I know that I have way too much linen and have to make something out of it really soon.  Also I have lots of awesome IKEA print fabrics that I completely forget about.
We got the giant cork board up and hubs is busy hanging art still; check out what he did with my denim quilt back there is the guest/game/workout/storage room.
I got rid of lots of wool and some pretty linen clothing that I was going to cut up but then I decided against it.  So…whaddaya all say to a crap craft swap? 
The going away pile.
I think I’ll ask if Sector67 is willing to host one. Would you (local folks) come?
I might even give away some of my baskets – I haven’t used them in forever.  I do love me some baskets.
Posted on by — 4 Comments

Deep For Someone Who Uses The Term “Duh” So Often

 Remember this?  
 
It’s that learning swatch that I started for no apparent reason and had no goal for.  
It was fun to work on, though.
Once I started quilting this really big quilt together using meandering lines of embroidery thread, the urge to work on the smaller, more pointless piece with meandering lines of embroidery thread vanished. 
The swatch sat neglected and was increasingly getting in the way.  Getting in the way because I’ve been making so much mail art that I am running out of room for other projects.  
The answer to my dilemma has become wildly obvious to you already, isn’t it.  
It smacked me right in the face yesterday morning.
This was destined to become postcards!
DUH!
So I cut it up into nine pieces – the first cut was really scary.  But once you start, the committment is made and there’s nothing to do but move forward.  Deep, huh?  Well, deep for someone who uses the term “duh” so often.
Last gratuitous macro shot of the stitches.
 So, let’s call this a tutorial, shall we?  After cutting up the fabric, I cut up some light cardboard to match the size of the fabric square.  I used a little bit of glue just to keep the cardboard from slipping around while sewing.

I sewed them together, using the longest and widest zig zag stitch settings on my machine.  I shortened the stitch later when I felt more comfortable.  The key is too keep the stitches long and wide enough to avoid perforating the cardboard.  If the holes from the needle are too close together, it all just falls apart.

     

I sewed with the cardboard side up first because it was easier to control.
Then I flipped it over and sewed around the edge of the fabric side.  I followed  the edge of the cardboard the first time around and then the edge of the fabric after I flipped it.  That way I was sure to keep it all lined up and minimize the fraying.  They didn’t always line up exactly, which I really enjoyed the look of and didn’t want to lose.
   
 Ta-da! 
Repeat nine times.  If you biggify the picture you’ll see more variety in the stitching than I described here.  I became more experimental as I became more comfortable working on this.  One postcard became totally biased and I think that’s my favorite one.
 
Then you just need to address and send them.  I added a pretty stamp and used some pink poster board for one, again, it’s that variety I love.  
OK, this is the last gratuitous macro shot.  I loved photographing this piece up close!
 The only downside is that they were so expensive to send.  The lady at the post office loved them and was very friendly and smilingly charged me $1.95 each because they aren’t paper.
  
Oddly, the one I sent to Germany was only $1.75.
Posted on by — 3 Comments

Mail Art!

It’s a big pile of mail art!  Already on the way to somewhere else.
Posted on by — 2 Comments

What I’m up to lately


I’m still working on the running stitch quilt squares.  I’m just not sure about my next step. 
I’m pretty sure that if I just sew all the squares together, the detail of the embroidery will be lost.  
 They need some kind of solid border.

Right now, I’m intrigued by this technique.


I’ve also been inspired by this quilt.
 I also like the idea of putting them in a sort of path formation. 
For now I’ve just set it all aside to think about something else.  
I’ve been having a great time making post cards.  They’re small and you can either stick with a theme and really explore it by making a bunch or make one of something and move right on. 
And you get to make a mess with glue and scissors.
They can really pile up, though.
So I joined Postcrossing, which I really like and recommend, but not everyone there appreciates a handmade card.  
 
It’s so much fun to make postcards, I really wanted to 
send some out to other people who enjoyed them, too.
  Luckily, I found the International Union of Mail Artists.    
I’ve sent a few out including this one: 12-12-12.  I’m really looking forward to getting something in the mail from other artists.  I’ll post some here when I do.
Here are some that I made recently 
but haven’t sent yet.
 
I also made some that are drawings.  They are just from photographs but I changed the faces so you wouldn’t be able to recognize them if you saw the drawing next to the photo.  In fact, the first two are from the same face. 

I love drawing older faces.  They have so much more going on than young, perfect faces.
 
 
 I had so much fun drawing again.  I really haven’t drawn much at all since having the kids.
A couple of nice stacks.  It makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.
 
 
 PS.  Yes, I had a way better time putting the pictures where I wanted them this time.  Thanks for the ideas!  Still not perfect, though.  That Blogger is always fighting me!