Book Wrap and Spring

The book wrap is complete. I am happy that my journal 2011 has such a nest. Warm, protective and natural. The calico cover is tea dyed, the images are transferred using a range of techniques from printing to spraying, gel medium transfer to emulsion transfer. Inks used are walnut and eucalyptus. There is machine and hand stitching of the three layers and a tie made from slubby sheep's wool.
I shall definitely make more.

The weather today is a joy. There was a honey bee on the snowdrops this morning - I have never seen that before. He has made it through the winter and is willing to try any flower available - imagine that; Snowdrop Honey!

The croci have opened their hearts too.

Aged Textile Cards (For Aged Textile Friends)

Yesterday I went to a talk at our local Embroiderers' Guild by Annette Emms who is a textile artist. She makes beautiful books which tell stories. Usually these are fairy stories or legends from the places she visits in the British Isles. She also makes exquisite tiny fairy shoes and book wraps which are very naturalistic in their appearance.

She told us about various methods of transferring image to fabric and techniques for aging fabric. One quick dying method which caught my imagination was using coffee on calico. I had to immediately go home and do that of course! I dipped the calico in coffee solution and then scrunched it up and placed it on a hot baking tray at Gas 4 in the oven for 20 minutes. It looks like the paper of those old treasure maps we used to make at primary school! Lovely.

Then today I thought well, my Dad is aged like this fabric - 81 this week in fact - I'll make him a fabric birthday card based on yesterday's talk. I hope he likes it. Here he is on the front with my Mum (married to her now for 56 years!). I used some hand made banana paper in the middle and stitched into it all. What fun. I might do some more for all my aged friends (ha ha sorry guys).