Framed leaf collages... (oh yeah, Friday cat blogging!)

How in the world did the year pass by so quickly? The older I get the faster the years go. Oy.

I have a show on Sunday afternoon - a shortie, from 1pm to 4pm, but sales have been brisk in the past. I hope that tradition carries on this year! I'm making some of my leaf collages for this show, although I stopped making them for other shows; I am trying to use up some of my frames, which take up much needed storage space!

I gather leaves in the fall, dry and press them, and then carefully sew them onto paper. I've learned which leaves just crumble and which are more hearty to being punctured. They are then incorporated into little ensembles or single images, with Japanese papers of varying textures.

Some of the maple varieties here in Montreal have been infested with a type of fungus the past couple years, that results in icky black "tar spots" - even framing cannot help those poor leaves! I do like some of the leaves with little spots and imperfections though - makes for interesting images and contrasts...

Voilà! Here's a finished one. I'll try to take more photos of the other ones I complete for Sunday.

My poor neglected cats... Well, THEY're not neglected, but since I haven't been blogging, Friday Cat Blogging kinda went down the toilet. Sorry about that. Here are some shots I took last month, of the world's most beautiful calico kitty, my Chibi. (yes, the backdoor window is rather scuzzy)

Look at that face.

And here is a cat haiku that my sis-in-law's friend sent to me, among many others - thanks Leanne!

This describes Chibi perfectly:

You must scratch me there!
Yes, above my tail!
Behold,elevator butt.

One craft show down, two great purchases (^_^)

Off to a good start of the holiday season craft shows! It was my first time as a seller at Art Etc. show in Montreal West and it was a lovely two day show. Thanks to everyone who passed by! And I have to thank my booth neighbours who sent over so many customers, merci Cate and Josée!

Having two good days of sales allowed me to make two purchases that I am so totally thrilled with. My first is this sweater-vest that is great for layering now, but will also be perfect in the spring and summer over short sleeves or sleeveless tops. I met Colette van Haaren, the maker, a few years ago at another craft event and we've kept in touch ever since; at every show I try on her beautiful things but have never made a purchase, and then regretted it afterwards. So I decided BEFORE this show that I was going to buy a piece from her!

I've gotten into the layering thing lately, but most of what I have is cotton or jersey knit, and very casual - which is actual ideal for me since I'm not a dressy kinda gal. This sweater though, makes me look just a little more put together even if I'm wearing my usual uniform - t-shirt and jeans. I got it in a deep plummy aubergine (photo by the artist) that I love and that suits me, if I do say so myself. And it is surprisingly forgiving for many body types! Colette's amazing sweater collection can be found at Boutique Katrin Leblond at 4647 Boul. St-Laurent.

My second purchase at Art Etc., and new discovery is Red Sofa, by Montreal jewellery designer Joanna Szkiela. She makes gorgeous wearable art, substantial pieces that are nature-inspired, versatile and comfortable, yet edgy and fun.

I fell in love with these solid sterling silver Twig Hoops and had to have them (please click on the image for detail; photos by Anthony McLean). They are now dangling from my earlobes. Happiness.

I am sure that creations by either of these artists would become a much-loved and often worn gift!

I will spend the week preparing for my upcoming shows. Am feeling a little more at ease since the first one is over. Hah, ask me how I feel as the week progresses!

Upcoming craft shows...

Been busy making and trying to stay healthy despite a sick spouse who is now relegated to the bedroom - poor guy, sitting in bed with his laptop watching J-dramas. My hands are so dry from washing them so often.

I'M DETERMINED NOT TO LET ANY MICROBES ENTER THIS BODY. BACK OFF GERMS!

Gotta get to work now on some new seasonal cards, like these.

Here's where you can find me in the next couple weeks:

Friday November 20th, 11am to 9pm
Saturday November 21st, 10am to 4pm
Art Etc. 2009
Montreal West Town Hall - 50 Westminster S. at Avon Rd.
Live chorale from 6:30pm to 9pm on Friday eve, and lunch will be available for purchase on both days at the Café des Fleurs.

Sunday, November 29th, 1pm to 4pm
Holiday Craft & Bake Sale
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal - 8155 rue Rousselot, metro Jarry or Fabre
Crafts, baked goods and Japanese fooooood! More info here.

Hope to see you at one of them. More shows to come in December!

Happy Hallowe'en!

My "look" for Hallowe'en 1974. No one bought costumes back then... don't think there were many to buy. You simply poked around the closets for something to throw together. I think I was aiming to be a "hobo", whatever that is (hope that's not too offensive). Always wore my North Stars (running shoes)!

Happy Hallowe'en everyone... brush your teeth :)

New in the shop!

Mission accomplished! I finally listed a couple of new pieces in my Etsy shop yesterday. Sure took me long enough.

These new necklaces are a little dressier than my regular chiyogami pendants; the added dangle and sterling chain add a little movement and sparkle, dontcha think?

I'll be making more of those this week!

Having a little bit of hard time with scattered energy this fall... I so enjoyed that glass lampworking class a couple week-ends ago that I had a hard time getting back to my production for the coming months (I'm easily side-tracked, and as many of you know, the QUEEN of Procrastination). Oy.

My lampworking intensive scheduled for this coming week-end has been postponed, so I'll probably do it in the new year since they're supposed to have two choices of dates. I was so disappointed when I got news of the cancellation yesterday, but I got to the bright side right away, in that I would not be distracted yet again from my work at hand, which is definitely more important.

Here's my finished ring that I worked on in the intro to jewellery making class. Most people opted for a highly polished look with the heavy duty polishing weel, but I used steel wool to finish mine, which gives it a kind of dull, matte finish. Pretty clunky, but I like it.

Off to heat up some soup and I'll then get back to work.

My intro to lampworking...

Yesterday's post had lots of pics of the process of lost wax casting; I was free to take photos of that whole process since there wasn't time to learn how to do all that in a mere 20 hour jewellery basics class.

This past Sunday I took my first lampworking class, learning the basics of how to make lampwork beads. With the heat of a propane and oxygen torch, glass rods are melted around a mandrel to form little works of art that can strung up and proudly worn. Well, uh... the "little works of art" will come with tons of practice, along with proudly wearing them! Right now I'm still working on how to get the perfect flame from the torch. Yup, the basics.

I am so glad I took this class, after having become totally obsessed with looking at and buying these handmade beads. After just one 7-hour class, I can totally see how you can get obsessed with MAKING these beads too.

So I'll get it over with, I present to you... my first homely beads (didn't clean the holes out yet, so they're a little dusty from the plaster from the mandrels).

hee hee heeeee! Ok, stop laughing. Stop.

I have go back and practice making evenly shaped beads first. Since this was just a one day class, the instructor wanted to give us the basics on a few embellishing and decorating techniques that we could try right away so we didn't focus much on getting a good evenly shaped bead form. Hence the wonky shapes. Yes, yes, and ugly, I know.

One of the wonderful things about working with glass is that it is so forgiving, which is great particularly for a beginner, since you can totally transform something you're not happy with or make a mistake into something not so knee-slappingly hilarious. The way the glass melts in the flame is truly hypotic.

I'm taking another lampworking course next week-end at a place called Espace Verre, which, like the place where I took my metal working classes, offers a college diploma in glass work. I'm looking forward to this week-end intensive, 17 hour course that includes beadmaking, small sculptures and glass blowing. Can't wait! After the holidays I want to start renting studio time and practicing the beadmaking.

Ok, gotta get to my present production now. There's still the holiday hump to get over!

Making a ring...

A couple of posts ago I wrote about taking some jewellery classes at the Ecole de joaillerie de Montréal, an excellent school that offers a college diploma (CEGEP DEC, here in Québec) in jewellery making. The facilities and teachers are wonderful and they offer open studio time for students, even old adult students like me ;)

In that other post I showed you the first step of the lost wax casting technique, often used in ring making, where you shape your ring from a block of wax that is then melted away, with plaster taking its place. Rather heartbreaking when you've spent so much time working on the ring's design. There are ways to make molds too, if you want to make a series of pieces. Lots of info and videos on this technique on the internet.

Here is our instructor, Jocelyne, at the centrifugal or spin caster, preparing the crucible for the silver that will soon be dropped in.

Melting the silver...

Pushing the silver around a bit...

And we let 'er rip! The molten silver is pretty much flung into the container housing our plaster molds.

The molds are cooled in water and then the plaster is cleaned out with picks and small brushes.

These black bands are actually sterling silver! Can you see mine?

Ummm, not sure how they got from black to white, but they did...

Here's my ring with the leaf carved into it. It weighs a ton. Silver is a lot heavier than wax!

This is after the last of the plaster has been cleaned off - it still has to be properly cleaned and smoothed out. I think I might leave it kind of rough looking for a more natural look.

Taking this class has given me a real appreciation of all the work the jewellers put into their pieces; I'll be looking at handmade jewellery with a different eye now. I'm also really glad to have learned how to use many tools of the trade, that can also be applied to my clay work. Yesterday I bought some files that work great with polymer clay, so I'll be filing everything I can get my hands on - outta my way, unless you want your edges smoothed out!

I now want to take a class with metal clay, so I may do that in the new year. Lots of ideas a brewing, but I need to focus on holiday season production now. Too much stuff in my head, must-turn-it-off...