Spent my free time this evening organizing my altered books supplies and refamiliarizing myself with what I have after my nearly year-long hiatus. Got about 3/4 the way through the cutouts. Haven't touched the bought ephemera yet, really. I also want to organize my stamps and take pictures of them, so that I can quickly flip through what I've got on one or two index pages.

Metalsmithing took a back seat in the run up to Christmas since I'm not confident enough with it yet to give projects as a gift. Plus so much of it is better done outside that it's really a warmer weather - along with longer sunlight - craft. (As opposed to altered books, which is better indoors on these long dark and cold nights.)

Besides downloading Ahnenblatt, genealogical research has come to a screeching halt. Which is a shame, now that Luke is using Geni more and I got a little access to a large database. Perhaps because it is such a huge time commitment? I should think about spending one of my free Saturdays a month compiling the information I have and clarifying what I want to look for next.

In lieu of pictures of my own, let me direct you to my flickr galleries; there are several arts and crafts related ones.

ponderment

I've been pouring a lot of time and effort into my altered book lately, and I think I need to take a step back. One of the strengths - and weaknesses - is that there's never an end product. Or progress to show. Or anything. So all this time disappears into the book and there's nothing - except a partially defaced book - to show for it.

I love the process, but I think I need some product, too.

craftmania

I started using Google Reader (a wonderful service, btw) last year around April, and have been starring all the crafty diys and tutorials I want to try. Not even a year later, I have 346 starred items. Granted, this includes the occasional lolcat and xkcd comic or two, but when you consider all the projects in my queue on Ravelry, you realize I could create a different thing a day for a year without any further input. Even from current ongoing projects or my various inspiration files.
Unfortunately, these days it seems I can't even get time to go to the bathroom by myself, so the backlog will continue to multiply . . .

At least it's fun to scroll through.

appetizing appetizer

My first attempt at baked brie, loosely modeled after this recipe. Instead of jam, though, I used cranberry salsa. It was fantastic!

ornament with artist

deck the halls

black hole of creativity

thankful

Thankful trees:
- Katrina's Thankful Tree
- Mary's Thanksgiving calendar

different but still autumnal:
- leaves ornament
- fiber leaves wreath

extreme altered books

I so totally want to do this.

pennies to some, copper-plated blanks to others . . .

Been playing with my new doming block and metal punch sets. It's so much fun! Unfortunately my craft time is usually when Elliot's sleeping, making hammering straight out.

Metalsmith's Delight

So. Much. Fun.

Granted, an entirely different kind of fun than the altered book class. But fun all the same.

Clearly, they didn't have too hard a time getting along without me while I was at the class . . .

other books (not mine)

so it finally occurred to me that craftster would probably have things about altered books - which of course they do - and one of the first (and prettiest) completed projects I found was this

in an unrelated note, the Scrap Exchange's annual fabric sale is next Saturday! must . . . not . . go . .

more altered book goodness

these are pictures from the book I altered in my class in September - some of the pages have changed significantly since these photos were taken!

the outside

the popup

the honeycomb

the butterflies

the pockets

in progress

Playing around with the technique demoed at the last altered books club meeting.

vascillation

Can't decide: if you're not good at something, should you still 'waste' time with it? especially if there are other things that need doing? is art for its own sake worthwhile? is it still art if it sucks? if it's pretty? if it's derivative?

I don't know.

musing

One of my many problems with creativity is that the image in my head is almost always miles and miles from what I actually am able to produce.

Also, I might get more posts up if I didn't have a computer trying to actively sabotage communication with the outside world.

Montreat clay class, August 2009

brie baking dish, glazed with emu blue. class taught by Anne Stone.

hoopla the necklace

Finished my hoopla necklace today. Picture to follow whenever our camera battery gets charged. Now I just have to figure out what to do with the other one.

Going out of town at the end of this week for what will essentially be two weeks of travel. Heaven help us all.

At least I'll have some time to work on my crafty to-do list. Hopefully.

paper beads

In looking up altered book things I came across this nifty bead tutorial from A Storybook Life.

Polymer Tuesday

In the midst of my metalsmithing frenzy I happened across this and now am aware of the very great lack of a small clay dragon in my life.