Sunset - Let's Do 52 - Week 18

My Beloved Cherokee Marsh at Sunset
One of my favorite places in this wide world.

This one is a little lighter.

Photo Processing :

Layer 1 : Background photo of Cherokee Marsh

Layer 2: Kim Klassen's Serious Magic Texture - Soft Light Blend Mode at 39%

Layer 3: Black Box-2 Texture by Jerry Jones at Shadowhouse Creations - Soft Light at 17%

Layer 4: Crane Brush

We did see cranes and other birds there, flying into the rook for the night, bit not caught on camera.  Hence the magic of PhotoShop to capture what we did not in real life.  

It's amazing how the black textures "develop" the light, and make the light pop!

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Big and Burly Woven Alpaca Throw Finished

 Big, Burly & Beautiful Alpaca Throw

Kit purchased at Yarn Barn of Kansas

Just finished this last weekend, and made myself cut it off the loom and finish it properly this weekend.  Just a few small repairs -- completely do-able.

There were a few sections that needed to be evened out.  This was easy to do as I worked along on the top layer.  Much harder to see and re-distribute on the bottom layer.  So I had to wait until it was off the loom to even things up again.   Easy enough to do with a blunt chop stick.

I did this as double weave, since that's what the loom was set up for the last project.  This time, there was no lump at the fold (unlike last time).   This was a much looser weave.  There was however, 2 warp strings at the fold.  Not sure how that happened, as I didn't have any extra warp strings, and none broke in the process of weaving / warping.  This was easy to fix.  I just took my long afghan crochet hook and pulled through a new warp strand--after it was off the loom.  In the photo above, you see the new strand already woven in in the gray part, and still needing to be done in the taupe section in the top half of the photo.

I used a very simple temple hack -- 2 jumbo paper clips tied to a string tied to an empty Penzy's spice jar hanging over the side.   This helped keep the edges straight and neat.  Worked great!

Twisted Fringe
Something new for me on this project was to twist the ends.  I had purchased a cheap twister -- made for hair.  But I couldn't quite figure out how it worked.  Save that for another project.  This alpaca yarn is soft and thick enough, that I didn't mind sitting out on the porch, listening to The Celtic Music Podcast, as the snow melted twisting these strands together.  (We got a foot of snow last weekend in a freak spring storm.  Not unwelcome, since we didn't have much snow all winter.)  It didn't take long, and they actually look nice!    If I'd have known better, I probably would have left more of the warp strings allowing for a longer twisted fringe. These are pretty short!

Wet Finishing
Next came the wet-finishing.  Fill the washing machine up with water, melt the Quilt Soap (I get it at Fleet Farm, made for washing the coats of sheep -- wool).  Put in the woven, push it down so everything is submerged.  Then let it sit for 20 minutes -- NO AGITATION.   I had to pull it out while the washing machine went on to the wash part of the cycle.  And put it back in when it started the Spin cycle.     This gives the fibers a chance to set into their new positions, to get comfortable, and to come together as a cohesive fabric.  Once it dries, the alpaca fibers tend to "bloom."

I did put in in the dryer for about 4 minutes to help steam it a little, and bring it together a bit more.

According to the directions, it was supposed to be 3.5 lines per inch for weaving.  That amounts to 58 lines per 16 inches.  The white sections came out to be almost lacey.   In the photo at the top of this post, you can see some "thin" parts in the white color blocks.  I spent a fair amount of time re-distributing the weft strands already.  Looks like I could do a little more.   I may even need to fill that in, and add a few more weft strands by hand.  We'll see how it comes together.  I'm glad I stuck by my instincts and wove the rest of it more densely.

Detail of the weaving.  Some parts could be pushed together more, spread apart more, to even it out a little more.  But still--this is great progress for me! 

Overall, I'm really happy with the way this came out.  A little sad summer is coming, and that I won't be able to use it much until next winter!

Now the question is what to do next?
     > Rugs, I think.
     > Gotta get some more cotton warp for the duration at Great Northern Weaving Supply.  And dye up some of the wooly worms from Pendleton Woolen Mills.

Just because those little pig tails are so cute!

 And here is my sweet husband holding up my woven goods for photographing.

It kind of makes me sad spring is on the way.  This would be perfect for winter snuggles!

Here's a previous post about this project:

Sing a Sleying Song Tonight

Highlands ... In the Distance - Let's Do 52 - Week 17

In the Distance - View from The Old Man of Storr - Isle of Skye, Scotland

Same image as above but made black and white

with Silver Effects Pro - "Wet Rocks" Filter.

Which do you prefer?

I think the reason I love this landscape is because it reminds me of a whale coming up for air, and the hump in the middle in it's dorsal fin breaking the water. 

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Wooly Worms from Pendleton Woolen Mill

Wow! Did I really just order 4 pounds of trash to be shipped across country to me?

One person's trash is another's treasure!
I do like the idea of recycling, and keeping this out of a land-fill for a while longer.  

Someone on one of the Weaving Rugs on 4-Shaft Looms FaceBook groups made a rug out of wooly worms from Pendleton Woolen Mill in Oregon.  They couldn't say enough good things about them, or the resulting sturdy and long-lasting rugs.  The prices can't be beat, and they are already cut into strips, so I won't have to deal with the lint from stripping them myself.

$1 per pound for wooly worms
$2.50 per pound for Strips from Merino Wool blankets
        Shipping was$10 for a good-sized box
$17 total for this order of decent wool for making rugs.

I bought 2 pounds each to try them out.  I'm interested to see how much rug you can make for 2 pounds of wooly worms.    You can't choose colors -- They just dip into the bin and pull out a pound for you.  If it's gray, I thought I could dye some strips to the colors of my choice--deep purple!

Makes me want to make rugs on the next warp.  I still have lots of velvet to use up, too.  Rug weaving goes fast, once you have the warps set, and the rags lined up. ;-)

Now to get some suitable warp ...  or do I dye the wool carpet warp I already have?

Messy - Let's Do 52 - Week 16

Messy

Beautiful Walnut and Oak Wood Shavings, from back when I was making a Tri-Loom.

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!

Liberate Your Art 2018 Blog Hop and Post Card Swap

Rain Drops on a Scottish Pond

This is the card I sent out for my official LYA 2018 Postcard exchange.

You can read more about the making of this image.

For the past 5 years (or so), I've participated in Kat Sloma's Liberate Your Art Post Card Swap.  The project encourages Creatives to PRINT and reproduce our artwork (bringing it into the world in physical form) and to share it with other Creatives.  Every year, I am amazed at where my post cards wind up -- as if they are my own children with lives of their own.  They see things and go places I've never been, yet they are a part of me making their own way in the world ...  

At the same time, I am pleased to connect with people I've met in other years as part of this exchange.  I recognized some of the names of the artists.  ;-)

The card at the top of this post is the one I sent out this year: One of my favorite images from the past year.  It was so neat to see it professionally printed on nice paper with a shiny finish.  I had a WOW moment there when the cards came back.    I used Moo.com to get them printed.  They always do a fantastic job, and their interface seems to be improving in terms of usability each year.  Get the SMALL postcards for the exchange.  The large ones look gorgeous, but they are too large to be part of the exchange due to extra postage costs.

This year, I decided to send out 5 copies of the same card, as I thought that would make them easier to track out in the world. 

So far, I know that my cards landed in :

1) Flagstaff, Arizona

2) Victoria, Canada

3) Salem, Oregon

4) ?

5) ?

Cards Received in the official swap :

Kat asks that we photograph each postcard in it's new environment, to give an idea of where it landed.  

Birds in Ink - Paradise Parrot from Diane McWhirter 

"To be an artist is to believe in life." -- Henry M.

This textural beauty came from Anne Stuer - in Norway, ME.

"May this year bring you peace of mind, a joyful spirit 

and an abundance of time to create beautiful art!"

Glass Bird of Paradise from Lynne Foerster in Pennsylvania.

"Add a splash of color to your Life."

From Gail Foster in Calgary, Alberta.

"In the woods, we return to reason and faith." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

From Dorothy Louise in Corvallis, OR.

The Cat Dancer Lady strikes again!  

I thought this one looked very familiar.  

Turns out, I received one very similar to this last year.  

This time, she added the 1/2-face stamp. 

The official card from Kat Sloma, the wonderful organizer of this event. 

"Creativity takes courage" -- Henri Matisse

Framed in a blue heart to show my gratitude for Kat continuing to organize this swap every year.

Every year, I've had the good fortune to do some additional post card exchanges in "side swaps."  Some of these people I met the first year of the exchange (like Snap Lane in Houston).  Others I met through the FaceBook Group, or the blog hop--(like Janice Darby).  Some have stayed on the side swap list every year since.  Some are new this year ...   It's easy to set up a side swap through the FaceBook Group, especially if you like that artist's work.  Many artists print extra postcards just for side swaps.   Want to be added to the list?  Just leave a comment ... 

Additional Cards sent in Side Swaps this year :

These extra side swap cards went to :

Janice Darby in CA

Tammy Wilson in GA

Sheila Delgado in AZ

Sherry Harmes in AK

Lisa Comperry in TX

Terry Owenby in OR

Patsy J. Lawrence in KY

Snap Lane in TX
Val van der Poel in British Columbia, Canada
Anne Stuer in ME

Louise Mamet in France
Chandra Lynn in AL
Kathy McIntire in SC

Additional cards received in the Side Swap this year :

This beautiful "Winging It" Angel came from Janice Darby in California.

She continues to practice art with mixed media.

I am always impressed with what she creates!

 Snap Lane in Houston, TX, is doing mixed media, and sent this lovely cat.

This kitty definitely has presence!

This little bird flew all the way from Oregon.  Rebecca Cozart received one of my cards in the official swap, and she was kind enough to share one of her own with me after we connected.

 "Look to nature for inspiration" -- Green-inspired collage / mixed media card from Sherry Harmes in Alaska. 

From Christine Brooks in Arizona. A perfect languid lagoon response to my Scottish pond at the top of this post.

From Terry Owenby.  She works with vintage handkerchiefs and linen tablecloths.  The actual piece is a work in progress, but makes a lovely postcard.

This last one is from Lisa Comperry in Houston, TX. 

"Friends + Coffee = Happiness"

Plus a little buffalo check plaid!

 From Val van der Poel in British Columbia, Canada. 
"A Veranda for Summer" watercolor.
This looks a lot like a house we lived in in Madison, even from the angle of the hill from the sidewalk.

 From Sheila del Gado in Arizona.

From Tammy Wilson in Jonesboro, GA.
You can visit Tammy's FaceBook page for more photography gems like this one.  

Turnip Greens from Chandra Lynn in Huntsville, AL.
She said there's a garden on the college campus where she works.
This particular week, they had an abundance of turnip greens. ;-)
I had seen this one posted in the FB Group, and I liked it so much I asked Chandra if she had any left for a side swap.  She did!  Reaching out is a wonderful way to widen your community.
Thank you, Chandra!  You're part of the family now!

Mixed Media from Kathy McIntire in Little River, SC.
There's a lot going on here!  She said it started with a magazine image that was Citrasolved, then layers of oil pastels, acrylic, stencils and gelli prints.

Louise Mamet in France sent a photo from Porto, Portugal.

Want to see more?  Kat created a video showcasing the artwork in this year's exchange :

I am always so inspired by the artwork involved in this project.  Enjoy the video!

There is also a Facebook Event Group.
Or use the social media tag #lya2018.

Check out my LYA blog posts from years past.
Thanks for stopping by my corner of the web!

The Blog Hop is happening April 13-15, 2018.

See where your art landed ...  It's kind of like tossing your cards up in the air, and seeing where they landed around the world.  Join us!

Have a wonderfully creative year!

An InLinkz Link-up

Lonely Tree on Skye

Lonely Tree on Isle of Skye - Summer 2017

I added a texture for the blown-out sky, 

then ran it through Topaz Impress with the Degas Dancers filter.

Love that painterly feel!

French Hay Fields - Looking Out - Let's Do 52 - Week 14

French Fields - with Topaz Impression - Van Gogh filter

French Fields - with Topaz Impression with Cezanne filter

Both treatments give it that pastoral, painterly feel.  

Here's the original for comparison, after minimal cropping and a few touch-ups.

This was taken "looking out" the car window in drive-by fashion on tour through the French countryside.

Once again, I am participating in Denise Love's 2018 "Let's Do 52 : 52 Weeks of Photo Prompts" to kick start the lull in my photography.   If you'd like to join us, find out more at the link above.  The more the merrier!