geraldine newfry

christmas goodies

finally, now that folks have opened their gifts, i can show you what i've been working on.

i knit a crow for my friend debb.  i got the pattern from natty knits.  here's her ravelry link.  i think it came out really cute.

 

for her husband, greg, i painted a small canvas using gear masks.  he likes gears.

i'm not sure why i took this picture sideways.  the clock goes on the right, not the bottom.  i was kind of rushing around making sure i had everything wrapped.

i painted the canvas with black gesso, placed the masks/stencils, went over it with white gesso and then painted with quinacridone magenta and deep purple.  i can't wait until it's warm again and i can use my spray paints.

happy boxing day!

nanojoumo pages

for me, the nanojoumo commitment has been a big fail.  i find i just have to think longer than one day to finish a spread.  plus there's time waiting for paint to dry, etc.  i'm still working on the prompts, but haven't finished a page a day.  still, i've gotten back into the habit of journaling, and that's great.  here's some recent pages i've finished.

it was so nice yesterday, i got to spray paint.  and i learned that my favorite pens don't write over spray paint very well.  especially when you apply too much paint, which i tend to do.

i also took a picture of my journal, almost full.

i love the way it's bursting at the seams.  it doesn't stay closed anymore.  but the binding is holding up well.

it's a beautiful day again today, in chicago.  i've done some more journaling and am getting ready to knit some more christmas presents.  i hope you enjoy your day too.

new books on etsy!

i spent the day yesterday photographing, editing, uploading pictures to etsy and facebook.  i have yet to upload the images to flickr.  i'm always surprised by the time commitment needed to list on etsy.  but books are up!  i added several polymer books which were on exhibit at the morgan conservatory.

key to travel 

tulle dress

tree of life

i also added some lower price point items.  the first, a book made with painted board covers, still sewn with a coptic stitch.

hidden entrance

the second is made with a simple accordion structure.

spring sunset

there's something for everyone!

i'm working now on some more  books with painted board covers.  they will be the next books i list on etsy.  oh!  i do have a few supplies to list too.  would you be interested in the rusty bits that i use on my polymer books?  they've been a big hit in the past.  i also have some mendhi stencils.  i'll have to spray paint my sample so the stencil effect is clear.  i guess it's back to the photography studio again tomorrow.

more acrylic fun

my friend really liked the acrylic technique book i was making for myself.  so now i am making one for her too!  my hands are covered in paint!!

the first techniques are from try it tuesday.  i was beginning to get frustrated that there was no link to the individual techniques in their side bar.  i was just about to make my own list when i found their link.  duh.

i already showed you karyn gartel's acrylic background.  this was week 1 and i liked it a lot.

week 2 was a transparency alternative.  it was basically a packing tape transfer.  my example is really not exciting at all, so i didn't even scan it.  i skipped week 3 because it was making paper from other paper.  i don't even make paper, but i think it should be made from fiber, not from other paper.  eep. how can i be a paper snob?

the torn paper background i showed previously was the technique for week 4.  i enjoyed this one more than i thought i would, but it was a lot of work.

oh, i guess that's the end of their list of previous techniques.  week 5 seemed to just be a recap of the 4 previous weeks.

i still have to try week 6, easy rusted backgrounds.  week 7 is altered postcards with transfers. hmmm.  then it seems to stop.  i have to say that the most interesting seemed to be week 1, and then i have just been playing along hoping for some surprise.

anyway, i moved on to some other sources for techniques.  first i tried the background technique that misty mawn wrote up in cloth paper scissors.  this was a ton of fun!!  my background is a bit more busy than i usually work with, but i got some great ideas.

then i moved on to claudine's first book.  i made sample boards for glazing paint

peeling paint

textured paint

and peeling paper.

after that i moved on to her second book.

so far i've tried elmer's glue crackle

plastic wrap crinkle

and layered masking tape.

i tried to do the contact paper shape technique a few times, but couldn't get it to work.  the tissue paper technique is currently drying.

and what will i do will all these sample boards?  well, i thought i might begin to make some painted covers.  i thought they might be less time consuming, and therefore i could place them at a lower price point.  i have a show in chicago the first weekend in august.  it's a small show, and i think that lower priced items are going to be the key.  so i'm gearing up.

i also have some exciting news about an exhibit for illinois arts week.  but i need to find some more details before spilling the beans.