Re-organising my craft room

I haven't done a lot of art the last few days, but I have had a huge re-organise in the room I do my creative stuff in. I finally splashed out and bought some shelving. These are so fab I'm going to buy some more.

I completely re-arranged the room so I will have space to have workshops in here for 3 or 4 (5 at a squeeze). It has been through several stages of chaos. This little corner is fairly sorted.

 The rest of is is still a little chaotic. (and the new shelves have now moved into the corner you see below).

Chaos

It's easy to sort things like 'watercolour paints', 'decorative paper' 'plain paper', 'books for re-purposing'. Filing the 'other stuff' has not been so easy. I have 3 big boxes of 'other stuff'. I'm not going to be able to find a lot of things for a few weeks!
I'm running some afternoon crafting sessions here on Monday afternoons, this is what we'll be doing this Monday (if anyone comes)

Yo Yo flowers

I also did some doodling in my diary, but it's dreadful, so I'm not going to show you!

A book of winter pleasures

I made about 5 of these as christmas presents a few years ago. I meant to make one for myself but had run out of enthusiasm by the time I'd made 5 of them! I was very pleased with them but they were quite time consuming. It would make a lovely workshop one day.
This is the one I made for my mum, she gets it out every autumn and has it on display over the winter then puts it away in the spring. Posting this makes me realise how lucky I am to have a mum who appreciates my creations.
One page isn't shown which has a silhouette of a pair of feet and says 'putting your feet up in front of a fire'

The patterns of fallen leaves

The silhouettes of trees

Looking forward to snowdrops

"Things to enjoy in winter"

Art Journalling

I've been drooling over images of art journals on the internet for ages. I had a dabble back in February here, but I just didn't get into it, I felt I need to know why I was doing.
Recently I discovered Michelle at 'Lost Coast Post' doing a "scraps" journal, and I finally felt I had permission to just play.
Some time ago ago a friend gave me a huge (32inches x 23inches when open) blank sketchbook with several pages torn out. I set to, daubing, and doodling and gluing. All my life I've been a compulsive collector and cutter-outer of images and paper ephemera in general, so it was easy to rummage through my stash and have fun. I've also long admired the work of Caatje who writes an everyday journal in her art journal, so I've added spaces to write. I dream of this writing being deep and profound, but at the moment it's just, well, stuff.
Here are some of the pages in various stages. (click on image to see it larger)

First two pages pretty well finished

A butterfly themed page in progress

Page one close up

Page two with a bit of space to fill

Page three finished

Two more pages in progress
(that's a tree from 'pixie lane' on the right)

Another two pages in progress

I started at the front of the book but I'm decorating the pages fairly randomly. I try and get the pages at the front finished, so that the writing is chronological. It's really just a highly decorated diary/journal whatever you want to call it.
Filled with new enthusiasm I've also got a couple of smaller books on the go. One is just collage and colour, the other is a book of lists. This was also inspired by Michelle's book of lists at "Lost Coast Post"
When I ran the paper play workshops I felt liberated because I had broken away from only doing book making workshops. I'd love to teach art journalling workshops one day, but need to feel comfortable doing it myself for a while.
Not a whimsical dreamy female face in sight.

Craft workshops

I ran a few workshops this summer. I did a couple for children or adults called 'paper play' The first workshop was a dull showery day and we had a reasonable attendance. They made little books

 Did printing

 and made paper bunting

At the second workshop the sun shone, and mostly adults turned up (and most of them were helpers!) They made some beautiful little collaged concertina cards. This was a much more enjoyable day for me, although not very lucrative. 

I reminded myself that I don't enjoy working with children, although I always feel I 'ought' to. I just feel too precious about my materials, even though they are only scraps of paper, pritt sticks and cheap scissors. I just find it all too stressful. I was making so little money I decided I'd rather do my own thing and earn nothing and at least enjoy myself!

These cards are lovely, and I've been inspired to do stuff like this at home

Childrens book making workshops at Bovey Tracy

Three days of teaching childrens book making workshops at Bovey Tracy Contemporary Craft Fair with Joanna Radford and the Devon Artists Network 

printing the covers

a bit of glueing

Busy teaching schoolchildren on friday

Helping someone with their  sewing on Sunday

a bit of sewing

and lots of happy children

The sunshine helped....

Paste papers

This morning I ran a workshop for people to have a go at making paste papers.

A mixture of paste (in this case wallpaper paste) and paint is spread onto the paper. Patterns are then made into it with combs, brushes etc. 

They have to be hung up for a while to dry... 

the drying rack

the drying rack full
papers spilling onto the floor

a wonderful variety of patterns

Cardboard boxes and getting organised

I'm still on a bit of a mission with my book workshops thing. They aren't always fully booked, but I love doing them and I figure if I keep plugging away then one day I'll become so well known that people will be flocking to my workshops and beating at my door begging me to teach them (perhaps?)

I have a bit of a thing about paper and stationary type stuff, and cardboard comes into that category too. Most of my workshop materials are transported around in cardboard boxes, and over the years I've gradually been decorating and reinforcing them papier mache style. Most of the time I just throw all the 'stuff' into boxes and then spend a lot of time at the workshops rummaging about for things. I've had a hankering to get organised and have been browsing through some catalogues and stores for ideas. I've finally come up with this idea of trays with dividers that fit neatly into my boxes, with a compartment for each of the different book-making supplies.

So I had a happy day cutting up boxes, tearing up paper and gluing. Here is one tray full of needles, thread, awls and tape, and an empty tray.

 Both trays full of stuff

 Tray one in the bottom of a box

 Tray two in the box..

And I have made a third one that fits in the top. I think it may have been drying when I did this 'photo shoot'. The materials cost me next to nothing, .....but they took all day to make! If I costed my time it would be cheaper to buy something, but I enjoyed myself and it beats watching telly (not that we have one, good grief I don't have time to watch telly!) I have yet to test them out at a workshop. Gosh, I might be super organised one day, but I doubt it,
...... just organised will do.

Lotus fold books

I was asked to teach this lovely book structure a month or so ago, and I'm glad I was. I've taught it to a couple of groups already now, but I haven't actually made many of them myself yet, so I thought I ought to get on and have a play.

 I call them lotus fold books because they are made up of a series of pieces of paper folded into a simple origami type shape that looks a little like a lotus flower. Depending on how you stick them together you can get a variety of different books.

 I was experimenting with different colours and combinations and came up with some weird and wonderful shapes. They almost need a video to fully appreciate them, they are very beautiful when they open up.

I haven't put anything in any of them yet, but I think they would be lovely with little quotes or inspiring images.
I also picked up a pile of miscellaneous paper doilys from a charity shop because I can't resist anything vaguely stationary-like, and I've folded up a couple to make into another one of these books. Should look pretty amazing!
My next book project is to sew some more coptic books as I'd like to teach these too, and I haven't made any for ages. Here's a close up of a coptic stitched book. Pretty isn't it?