Tulle, tulle, tulle...[WOYWW175]

Need I say more? I buy it by the bags full. People get married...decorate their celebration spot...scrunch the yards and yards and yards of tulle into bags and donate them to the thrift shop. I buy the bags for $1.49 and $2.99 or thereabouts. People also stuff their entire wedding veil (these are always white) into bags as well. I buy those as I cannot resist. Here is what I make with the materials:

Birds, birds and more birds. These are the beginning of my seasonal 'batch' (stores order them at this time of year.) I am particularly in love with this little beauty. A yellow bird with black beak and who will have sparkly black legs/feet. He is a special bird that I am making as a birthday gift for a friend that I met on line:

This darling is the sole bird left over from last year's season. All of the rest have flown away to live with folk. I always keep the one bird to just remind myself of what they really look like. So that when I begin the marathon, I don't have to strain the brain about questions constructional:

The wee thing has not yet been banded. All of my birds get a banding on one of their legs. Every bird I have ever made has got its' own number. Really, I put a number on just as I am making it. That way, each one is an individual. I am up to in the 80s. The number is pasted onto heavy cardboard and given the 'Tim Holtz' treatment, and is hung on the ankle area with a little ring.

To see more lucious work areas, visit Julia where she will link you to well over a hundred folk who show what they are up to today. It's eye candy galore, and a ton of fun.

Thanks for popping in today. See you soon I hope. *smiles* Norma

Tiny Bird Book on my workdesk...

On my front lawn (was on my workdesk!) lays a tiny bird book in the process of being made. It's about half complete and so for photographic purposes I inserted the covers for the original prototype that I started making last Christmas. I've only just now got around to it again. Here is a close up of the cover which was 'winter' themed. My new cover will be fall themed I bet.


I joined up to play in a paper swap and it's my first so I'm not completely certain about what I should be making but this will be my contribution as it is made of paper. Here is a photo of the pages loosely stacked along with the front cover of my prototype. I'll do a new watercolor painting for the swap.


Two pages from the actual book I am making.


Two more pages below.


First page with front cover. Notice the tea bag paper being used! I adore tea bag paper.


Front and back cover. The back cover features a cut paper scherenschnitte composition. I may use this actual piece or do a new one.


Well this gives you an idea of what I am working on today and these days. Much more work to go on this project. It'll need a Tim Holtz procedure for sure!

Well thanks for dropping by! *smiles* Norma

To see more fabby artwork and what people are up to go here.

Making Wings

Every morning for days now, I've been making wings!


These are for a set of fairy doll prims that I hope to submit to a magazine for consideration.


The delicate little things take hours and hours to make as they feature found text which then gets applied to the tulle and fashioned into removeable wings. I am also working out the finer points in the doll construction. They are slowly getting there...one step at a time. Hope to see you again soon! *smiles* Norma

TRUTH OR DARE

TRUTH!
This is my drawing table/light table/work table. It sits on my bathroom counter directly on top of my sink which I now don't use.
Truth: In the photo below you can see my laundry pile. It is truthfully towering over my work table.
Question: I ask myself "What is more important? Laundry or Art"?
Truth: Art


On my workdesk this day of What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday, are wings I am making for my artdoll prim fairies. They have removeable wings which tie on, made of tulle, with found text applied and made fancy with sequins, beads, etc. I cannot describe the enjoyment I get in making these. Hours of enjoyment. They take hours to make if you can imagine!! Finding the text is what eats up the time.


Here's a closeup of a wing with text. I am imagining a face in the style of Suzi Blu for this doll.

Thanks for dropping in! *smiles* Norma

Grace Under Fire

Found words on her removeable wings read:
"she still wore her black hair in an old-fashioned bun at the nape of her neck.
Because she had been complaining, between tight-pressed lips to express her feelings.
People would shout and wave right in front of the old lady.
and because she was certain
All will be lost but for the dignity of the black intensity,
she sat transfixed for the first time.


Well I am coming closer to what I wanted to do with this artdoll prim. She has all limbs and a decent dress (needs tweaking at the neck) and her hair is way scaled back but I think still too bold. I am going to try a more subtle color, or if I use this wild red then the hair 'do' needs to be more controlled I think. I am very pleased with her face. It hasn't had the 'encaustic' treatment yet and while I was working with it I managed to tear the left (her right) eye in two. Such is the fate of artdolls I guess. She stands a grasshopper head above six inches. Her dress is seersucker in a pastel polka dot. Her wings are tulle with sequin trim and with found words applied to used tea bag paper and then attached to the tulle.

Well I'll call it a day as it did take me all day to make her. Every stitch was done by hand with a needle and thread and I love not having to worry about sewing machine tension or threading the bobbin, etc.
Nice to visit with you, and we'll talk soon! *smiles* Norma

Heart Rocks

In the mailbox an interesting looking package sat~a lovely surprise from Firusan, who is an artist friend that I met on line. I'd contacted her to ask if she might be able to send me a heart rock. Her art contains that element and I wondered if heart rocks might be more prevalent in her corner of the world. I've not found even one, here, in the years that I've been looking. So I thought that the heart rock had arrived.
But the package looked bigger than one containing just one heart rock. I carefully opened it and found a bundle of magic wrapped in deep burgundy tulle tied all together with a thin length of ribbon.


Inside I found a necklace art piece and a ladybug bracelet made by Firusan, FIVE heart rocks, and scattered throughout, lovely color images of leaves edged in gold glitter along with an image of a saint (my idea of a saint).
Firusan thank you for your generous spirit. You touch my life in a special way and I am honored to call you a friend. *smiles* Norma


p.s. Firusan's art necklace is made of a combination of very cool elements. The central focus is a stone with a natural indentation containing an added crystal, and encased in a hand crocheted wool cocoon of folding petals. The cocoon is embellished with impossibly tiny sequins hand stitched on to it, and with more crystal decor as well. It has a hand crafted clasp at the top on which to attach a necklace chain. I've got my eye out for the right chain.