Reference, inspiration.

 

I often speak about how past work inspires and informs and consequently am a big advocate of never throwing anything away.

The books, ledgers, sketchbooks here are old, some older than others.

The red one for example was made 30 years ago.

These pieces and others are referred to regularly.

Having references like these is invaluable and I feel fortunate to have resources like these literally at my fingertips. 

 

two from France

Two of these little stitched and titivated artist books made it home with me from France. If you want one they are now in the shop.

It seems I am consumed with all things ''ledger'' at the moment. We are working with ledgers, books, illustrations in ''stitching a story'' and I have plans which excite me regarding ledgers in another form...same principle, different presentation, different approach. It's quite possible I will begin work on that idea later today.

To all of you amazing, wonderful, patient people who have stuck by me through my silence, my non response to e malls and comments through the hectic weeks leading up to France....thank you. I am hoping to make a start on replying to you all later today. If I don't get round to you today it will definitely happen this week. Thank you a million times over for your willingness to keep turning up when all you get in return is zero...zilch....it's appreciated and then some.

Finally...if you are registered for Stitching a Story you should have received sign in information etc this morning. If you didn't receive that will you please let me know.

- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.C3XMERcy.dpuf

beads and labels

I was worried last week that as I am focusing on getting ready for France and have also been consumed by making lace cloth that I wouldn't have anything to put on here to keep you interested. What didn't occur to me though was that I was still working, finishing things and those could be shown on here. So, last night I burnt a little midnight oil and completed two little artist books. ( I also put Suffolk puffs into little packets but I figure you don't want to see plastic packets every day) 

Back to the books. These two are completely finished, crammed with embroidered samples, scraps of painted paper, buttons, Suffolk puffs, graph paper, plain paper. One has dangly beads....I like those, I may do that to another one. They both have labels at one edge, (as do the other as yet unfinished three). There are three waiting to be finished....that's tonight's task. If you go here, to my Instagram there is a little video (16 seconds) which flips through one of these.

I am still quite a way from being ready to travel on Sunday. I had planned to make more lace cloth, white lace cloth but I doubt that will happen now, more buttons were planned too. It's OK though.....I can only do what I can do. I have reached the point now where I am content that I have done all I can....and will accept that it's enough.

Just a reminder too...I didn't make these little books. I bought them from here, a friend, who is more than happy for me to use them in this way.

And, as we are talking books.....''stitching a story'', my new class. Please take a look.

- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.dkA8D0D6.dpuf

pages

These little books are filling up gradually...there's no rush, a few pages here and there as I get time. Well I say no rush, next week actually, around ten days left to make sure each one is crammed. It may be that next week I will need to make space for a ''book afternoon'', finishing these, adding more snippets of cloth and doodled paper. I plan on painting some paper scraps this afternoon to be added to these.  I will be taking an hour out from this and making little marks, floral marks with watercolour paint onto a blue speckled background. You will get to see my efforts when those little scraps of painted paper appear on these pages....

Stitching a story. New class. Read more here.

- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.SdPzd89l.dpuf

five pages

As promised yesterday...more pages, five to be exact. ''A few pages here and there'' books....they're taking shape. There are little scraps of stitched cloth with small pieces of torn, painted paper...a few puffs for texture and interest along with rolled cloth and painted cloth.

I do think I need an afternoon playing, just painting more papers, creating little textured scraps of cloth and paper before these books will be sufficiently crammed....that's not a chore, in my opinion that's a win win...

- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.C4DFEnMu.dpuf

Bling on paper

More work on the same theme as yesterday, the same collection, another piece. There are beads on this one....In case you missed my explanation a while ago..... the ironing board...it features heavily in my life as I'm sure it does in yours and in my case in a negative, groaning, moaning, awful task kind of way. So why not make it into something special? Why not transform it into something pleasurable just as I do when I use it to press cloth for embroidery or to piece cloth for a project. This is me turning my ironing board on its head, turning it into something I love to look at as opposed to something I dread getting out. 

Some time ago, for a project when my children were small I asked them to name everyday items they associated with me, with mummy. They said cups of coffee, the radio, a particular favourite trinket box I own, needle and thread.....and the ironing board! From that moment I have been determined to turn the ironing board into something pleasurable, for me at least. Hence the stitched ironing boards and the paper ones too.

You can see an embroidered ironing board here and here....

To answer the questions I have been getting about this paper collection, this paperwork is being created in the current class ''patched pockets''. Reinventing the page begins on Monday. That class does not include this paper technique but does include other fun things to do with paper in order to create sheets of work or to enhance your ledger/sketchbook work.

- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.rwFYFuNN.dpuf

three more

Another three pages, following on from these that makes 27 minimum still needed but who is counting! Mini compositions, scraps of paper, little snippets of stitch, tiny doodles....all of which could be enlarged, used as inspiration for fabric pieces....inspiration....food for my brain...

There are more artist book related ramblings for you to pore over here, here and here.

 If you like these, if you're curious then ''reinventing the page'' begins next Monday, yes...next Monday.....

I must also say that I didn't make the books. I bought them from this amazing place with her consent to use them in this way, to titivate and pass them on.

- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.76kw3ftZ.dpuf

three pages

Slowly, slowly I am putting together five little artist books. Three pieces of paper have been stitched and doodled and I now have another three finished pages. Stitch has been extended on to the pages...cohesion.....

My best guess is that I need at least another 30 pages minimum, spread over the five books. It sounds much more of a task that it actually is.

Reinventing the page. Begins Monday March 7.

- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.M5G0Y2Uc.dpuf

a five minute page

Thursday, wet and dreary Thursday. What to do? What to do to make the world seem brighter? Play....so I did. Five minutes, a little scrap of paper and a tiny scrap of snippet cloth and hey presto another page ticked off the ''to do'' list. I reckon if I have a few  more of these five minute play times over the coming weeks I will have my little books crammed in no time at all.

the ironing board

It isn't evident in this post, in those images but my ironing board is present on this piece of embroidered silk. Why? Well...why indeed....a long finished ledger referencing my domesticity just has to have an ironing board in it. I spend too big a part of my life at the ironing board. If you take note of the shape though it's ripe for a pocket or two isn't it? A sleeping bag even? That's how it found its way onto this silk piece which may well find its way onto a pocket.

Ironing board as a pocket? My brain is ticking for ''patched pockets''. I have planted the seed......

This ledger is from 2004....it still inspires. It's a certainty that these will also inspire in the future. How could they not? So gather, gather doodles, gather samples, gather those things which inspire you and make you want to pick up a needle and thread.

doodle part two, adding colour

As promised yesterday.....

the removal men are booked....

I have been packing...in a technological sense. I am working on the typepad blog. I have signed up and I have had a good look round my new place. I still can't find where they keep the coffee and I am having trouble deciding which wallpaper I want but that's all part of it isn't it. Actually I am in danger of becoming so confused that I will never recover but I want to do it, I am determined, I will not be beaten. It will be at least two days before I actually say goodbye and don't worry...I will leave a forwarding address....

An Embroiderers Ledger finished today....allegedly. You will not be surprised to hear that one person is holding everything up...me. I get so carried away, want to do extra, more complicated stuff so on we go for another few days. I really must learn the art of restraint.

Last night I was on the computer until around 9 pm visiting my new place...I just about lost the will to live. Solution? ....embroidery of course. So I picked up my 'cameo' piece and gave it a little edge which I will show you tomorrow if I manage to get it damp stretched.

***a little update***

To answer a few queries I have been getting...I feel Typepad would give me a better platform in terms of things I may wish to add to my blog. That may not happen at first as it could take me some time to ''feel my way'' but for the long term I think it would be a good move.

same old same old.....

I showed you this spread the other day with full layout images...here.. I have so many images on my computer and was going to add others today but you have already seen those too....here....I had to look back and check. I am on a bit of an organisation, sorting out mission and don't quite know what you have and haven't seen for sure but my best guess is that these actual images are new to you. Again these are practising pictures, getting into the swing of things after a long time away.

(to my ledger girls...I talk a little about these pages in one of tomorrows videos)

I am planning changes...for some time I have wanted a Typepad blog but couldn't seem to export this over there. This blog is now such a part of me that I didn't want to leave it behind but now I'm thinking..''it will always be here'' and it also seems that if I have patience and time a lot of the stuff from here can actually be copied and pasted over there so that's half a plan. I am in the early stages of composing my latest newsletter and any changes will be on there so watch out for that dropping into your inbox over the next few days. If you want to receive my newsletter when it's ready then please just drop me a mail to contemporaryembroidery(at)hotmail(dot)com then you will be certain not to miss anything.