14 March 2017 - One Million Stars

Helping to create stars for the One Million Stars to End Violence project.

Details here  http://www.onemillionstars.net/

27 July 2014 - Kumihimo Sunny Spiral

 

Another braid design from Beth Kemp's book

"Twist, Turn & Tie 50 Japanese Braids"

 

I had difficulty keeping the tension right so the spiral isn't even

but this is better than my first effort that came out mostly flat.

26 July 2014 - Kumihimo in Key Pattern

 

Another kumihimo experiment, creating a traditional key pattern

that's found as a design element in many cultures around the world.

 

It was sunny this afternoon, creating rainbows

through the crystals hanging in the window.

20 July 2014 - Kumihimo (Japanese Braiding)

 

Beth Kemp's book "Twist, Turn & Tie 50 Japanese Braids" is really excellent.

 

It was a bonus to find the card Kumihimo disk

supplied in a pocket at the back of the book.

 

I used DMC cottons because I already had some.

5 July 2014 - Rainbow at Glenelg Beach

A cold, windy, drizzly day to visit beautiful Glenelg beach - rewarded with a rainbow :-)

26 June 2014 - Learning Fingerweaving

 

I love the interlocking arrow patterns that can be created with fingerweaving.

 

 

 

I think it's the slowest rate of production activity I've ever tried.

 

I'm learning from books:

 

Fingerweaving Untangled by Carol James

Fingerweaving Basics by Gerald Findley

A Manual of Fingerweaving by Robert J. Austin

Fingerweaving: Indian Braiding by A. R. Turner

 

and Carol James's videos

http://sashweaver.com/videos.html

31 May 2014 - Indigenous Weaving Workshop

Not much sun-inspired creative activity these days, but at Saturday's introductory Indigenous Weaving Workshop I chose sunny yellow and orange beads for my woven bracelet.

The workshop was presented by Stephanie Gollan, Ngarrindjeri Cultural Instructor and organised by Adelaide City Council at the Box Factory Community Centre.

There was lots of talking, helping each other and eating lunch, so not so much time for weaving a basket, nice to get started learning the techniques though. They are planning a follow up workshop.

 

25 February 2013 - Derwent Metallic Pencils & Water

 

All this time I've had Derwent's Metallic Pencils

and hadn't read on the tin that they are also water soluble.

 

 

http://www.pencils.co.uk/product.aspx?mid=720

 

 

17 February 2013 - Inktense Pencils

 

Derwent Inktense Pencils on rough-grain watercolour paper.

14 February 2013 - Pencil Outlines

 

Pencil on rough-grain watercolour paper.

 

(Delayed post due to hot weather.)

13 Feb 2013 - Inktense Pencils Swatching

 

The joys of having a new tool to experiment with : - )

 

Derwent Inktense Pencils on rough-grain watercolour paper.

 

(Delayed posting due to hot weather.)

11 February 2013 - Inktense Blocks (watersoluble)

 

I splurged in the art shop last weekend :-)

Trying Derwent's watersoluble Inktense Blocks

and a waterbrush - it has water in the handle

that you squeeze down into the nylon tip.

 

When its dry it's fixed, so you can add more drawing/painting

over your original layer without changing the original layer.

You can also use these on silk - but I haven't yet.

 

Links to Derwent's webpages for Inktense Blocks and Waterbrushes

http://www.pencils.co.uk/product.aspx?mid=1338

http://www.pencils.co.uk/productlist.aspx?mid=1302

 

There are lots of demos on YouTube

 

 

4 February 2013 - Painter Circle-flowers (Carla Sonheim inspired)

 

I have a new pair of glasses.

They have graduated lenses (which I've not had before).

I can see long-distance OK and reading-distance OK,

but I keep losing the computer-distance.

I figured playing with Painter would provide

some happy practice learning to focus on the screen.

 

This is based on one of Carla Sonheim's free on-line tutorials

http://www.carlasonheim.com/abstracted-flowers/

 

I'm grateful that I live in a time and place

where I can have glasses.

 

 

3 February 2013 - Sugar Sticks

 

Having coffee with my sister at the cafe at the Museum today,

she asked how my sun project was going,

I said I'd been slacking off, so

she shuffled some sugar sticks into a sun for me.

 

Thanks April!

 

 

26 January 2013 - Gel Pads (& Avacado Stone No 4 update)

 

The gel pads are for sore spots on feet (from new shoes).

 

Avacado stone number four has finished drying out.

 

Happy Australia Day :-)

 

 

25 January 2013 - Watercolour, Texta, Colour Pencils

 

Sloshing around with watercolours,

then watersoluble kid's Texta pens,

then some China white watercolour,

then a bit of coloured pencil,

then a little more watercolour.

 

Hooray, hoorah! Can again upload pictures to Blogger

straight from computer without loading to Picasa first.

What a relief to not have to go the long way around.

I'm glad Google sorted it out and hope

anyone else affected is back to "normal" too.

23 January 2013 - Zucchini from Walyo Yerta

 

I went to visit Walyo Yerta Community Gardens

in the south Adelaide City Parklands

http://www.walyoyertagarden.org.au/

 

They generously gave me this

mega-huge organically-grown zucchini

which I made into veggie & cashew curry

with a Herbie's spice mix

http://www.herbies.com.au/ 

 

Meanwhile my friend Mawarini has embarked on another collaboration

"creating stories that aim to help children understand

about staying true to oneself and learning to accept others

despite differences in looks, cultures and personality".

http://babasheepblog.wordpress.com/ 

22 January 2013 - Stuck on Carla Sonheim!

 

This "sun" is really the eye

from a Carla Sonheim inspired

drawn-with-eyes-closed

Seahorse

 

 

 

 

But wait - there's more...

 

 

21 January 2013 - Draw With Eyes Closed (Carla Sonheim exercise)

 

An exercise from Carla Sonheim's blog

http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/2013/01/07/drawing-class-starts-thursday/

or find it on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Lv2P38-EGUY

 

19 January 2013 - Scribble Jigsaw (Carla Sonheim exercise)

 

The sun is in the background for this one.

It's an exercise from Carla Sonheim's book

"Drawing & Painting Imaginary Animals"

which is a really fun book!

 

This is part of Exercise 7 - Scribbles Galore

 

Cartridge paper, Copic Sketch marker (the "brush" end),

watercolour pencils (dry) and Staedtler pigment liners 0.1 and 0.7

 

http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/