A Bunch of Stuff that Needs Finished

Hello Readers!

Murray cat came to say hello to me the other day when I was sitting in front of the computer...It appears I was watching something on YouTube. Probably a British Crime Documentary. I was into those hot and  heavy for a week or two. I've moved on now to watching BBC History series. I've learned a great deal about the evolution of the house from Medieval times to now. As you can see, Murray was not interested in watching anything but me. She usually finds a spot and makes herself comfy. This day she wanted me to pet her and give her lovin's. I grabbed the camera instead. That look of consternation on her face is because she doesn't really like to have her picture taken. I didn't have the flash on this time so she was truly none the wiser to what I was up to!

I don't have but a few things to show today and I think only one of them is something that is totally finished. Now that I think about it, there are two finished things. Maybe more. I'm not sure. I should know these things! I JUST took all the pictures you're about to look at. Like, ten minutes ago!

Anyway, there's some art to see.....

At the moment I'm working on some new handmade books. Only one of them is near enough done to call a book at this point.

I've cut the page block, punched all the holes needed (in the book cover and the page block) and have sewn in three signatures thus far. I cut one of the signatures wrong so I'll need to cut pages for another signature before this one is done completely. It needs another five signatures sewn in and a clasp of some sort added to the front.

The pages have a row of holes along one edge of half of each signature. I could have done away with all those holes when cutting these pages but that would have meant I have two more cuts to make on each signature and I wasn't up to standing in front of the paper cutter any longer than I absolutely had to when I cut this page block. The paper used for the pages in this are the old style computer paper with the holes to feed it through the printer.

All depends on the old back and legs as to whether the other five books in the works will have holes in the pages or not.

You can see the inside of the covers look pretty much like the outside of them.

When I paint at the kitchen table I always have a single sheet of newspaper down to catch any drips and to clean my brushes (and fingers) on. Over time this sheet of newspaper becomes covered with paint and you can no longer tell it's newspaper unless you look really close. There are spots where the newsprint shows through.

The book I'm sewing is bout 5x7 inches or so. It is being sewn in the figure 8 stitch. I don't know if that's really what that stitch is known as, but that's what I call it. Each signature is sewn in separately with crochet cotton string. 

When I decided it was time to make some books, I hadn't planned on making six new books. I was already cutting at the paper cutter so I went ahead and cut down enough covers for six books.

Here are the outside covers 

and this is what they look like inside. The two small ones in the front are about 3.5 inches square and about an inch and half thick. The two in the middle are 4 inches square and about 2.5 inches thick. Those middle ones are going to take a lot of paper! The big one at the back is about 7inches tall, 5 inches wide and an inch or so thick.

All of those little book covers were made with recycled chipboard food packaging. Some of it is better than others for making book covers. This is how I keep it organized...in a cardboard box that sits on the floor in front of the window in the cutting room. The paper cutter is just to the left of this hodge podge. The whole boxes on top of those two baskets need broke down and put in with the other chipboard. The stuff in the baskets is paper ephemera from magazines and junk mail. There's also a brand new package of construction paper sitting in that mess. 

I had quite a few sheets of painted newspaper before I made the book covers. Now I have this one above and bunch of little pieces leftover from the book cover making session.

And there's another one in the works on the kitchen table as we speak.

I also have three postcards in the works on the kitchen table as well.

In the kitchen is where 90% of painting takes place. Occasionally I will paint in front of my computer or in the cutting room, but normally...painting takes place in the kitchen.

This is the cutting room. I love how the sun comes through that window late in the afternoon. Yesterday I needed a box to mail off something someone had bought from my etsy shop so I went out to the burnt house and brought in a case of presentation folders (the blue things laying on the table). There are 65 folders in each box and I don't have room for those folders unless I cut them down into manageable thickness. The folders are three part and one part is made so it is about a quarter inch thick. It's that section of the folder that needs to made into manageable thickness. 

Here's about half of the folders cut down and stacked on the top shelf where they will stay until I need more.

These all still need to be cut down to be one sheet instead of a sheet with a thick pocket. I'll be selling some cardstock in my etsy store in the near future!

This is the back of the envelope I painted for my sister. She doesn't know I am sending her package in a fancy envelope. 

This is the front. I spelled HUTCHINSON wrong but nothing to be done about that now! We'll see if sis even notices! I'm really hoping that 404 is right! I got her address wrong the last time I sent her something. I know where she lives, am I expected to know the address as well? :)

This envelope was done in waste paint just like the newspapers except I had a concept in mind when I did this one and I didn't really use waste paint at all. I went through my little bottles of paint, seeing which ones were worth keeping and which would be done away with on the next fish picture. 

Sis loves cats so she'll enjoy getting this envie in the mail filled with goodies. This envelope is huge! About `13x17 inches or so. It's done in acrylics and black marker.

Another grosgrain ribbon basket. I still have one spool of grosgrain ribbon and will make another basket just like this one. This one is cream colored. The last of its kind will be snow white in color.

I've been harvesting copper wire. Sorry for the blurry picture. I took a picture of this basket of spools at least six times and this was the best worse I could come up with, I guess.

What you see in the picture above this one is the result of unwinding the copper wire on this thing. Each spool holds about 50 feet of wire. I didn't actually measure it.... I guesstimated by counting how many times I unwrapped the wire on the wheel to get it onto the sewing thread spool. 

I stole this hard plastic wheel covered in copper wire from my brother. He hasn't missed it yet so I'm not in trouble yet. There's a boatload of copper on this thing and he was probably all pie eyed about it when he took it out of whatever the devil he took it out of. I found it in his electric motor bucket out in MY garage. It was too good to pass up. It will take me some time to unwind all that wire and get it on spools. Hurts the old arms to do more than one a day.

I see a copper wire basket in my future.

An  update on where the copper wire came from:

Brother said he got it out off a front loading washing machine. It was connected to the drum of the washer. He said he knew I would steal it! :) The boy knows me well! He wants it back after I'm done taking all the wire off it. It isn't just a plastic wheel. Under that plastic is steel and he wants to put it in the junk pile after he removes that plastic covering. That happens with fire. 

I found these sitting on the shelf in the hallway. I think I made these little books a couple years ago! I'm going to send them to Lucas and sell them in the gift shop.

the books are sitting in a box that holds about an 8 inch stack of that computer paper I'm using to make book pages. It is 17x11 inches. I will get gobs of page blocks for handmade books out of it! I couldn't leave it at the thrift store. It was only $1.50

And another felt embroidered ball in the works. I have several of these in the naked stage, waiting for their felt covers and embroidery. I'm thinking this one will get some felt applique as well as the embroidery already on it. You will see this one again when it's done.

Fred's not feeling his chipper self these days. He's been sitting on the front porch barking most of the day. I can see no apparent reason for his barking. I've given him an aspirin and a benadryl so he should be doing alright. It's rather warm and humid out so he might just be hot. Poor old dog doesn't take the heat like he used to.

The soybean field to the north of the house. Thought you all might like to see its progress. There's a bit of a breeze today but the humidity cancels it out more or less.

Gotta go! Something's up down the hallway!

Thanks for reading to the end. 

Remember....

Be good to one another!

It matters!

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