Byzantine Bracelet

Byzantine Bracelet  I made this bracelet, in February 2013, at a workshop run by Sandy MacFarlane at the Art School of Peterborough.  I made and sawed the links and then followed a pattern to end up with this lovely Byzantine Bracelet.  I made this one in copper, but would like to try it in silver!  I especially enjoyed making the clasp.  It’s fun to hammer the metal.  Hammering metal is actually “forging”, like a Blacksmith!

 

Owl Linocut Print

This is my Owl Linocut Print!Owl Linocut Print

This pas Spring, I sat in on one of Harbourfront Centre’s School Visits workshops.  This particular day, they were visiting the Museum of Inuit Art (a terrific, small museum full of great work, and which I’d totally encourage you to visit), and taking inspiration from the exhibits on display there to create their own linocuts.

I chose this guy as my inspiration (an owl sculpture by artist Joe Talirunili):

Owl Linocut Print

 

Then I tried to sketch out my own version of an owl (inspired by the Inuit carving, but differently cute), and transferred the image to the linoblock (you press your drawing against the block, rub vigorously on the back of the drawing, and the pencil lead leaves an impression in reverse that you can then re-trace):

Owl Linocut Print

 

Then you cut it out with a carving tool; I hadn’t done anything like this since I was in high school, so was re-learning how to carve the rubbery lino as I went.

Owl Linoblock Print

 

Once you’re done carving, you use a brayer and ink to ink the linoblock, and then press it onto paper very carefully. I don’t have any photos of that part, since I needed both hands.  In the end, I was pretty happy with the end product, and I’d love to get some more materials and work with this medium again.

Owl Linocut Print

Can-Can Dancers

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I painted this based on a very far off, very zoomed-in photo of Can-Can dancers in the Operetta “La Veuve Joyeuse” which me and Candace saw at the Palais Garnier.

I was trying to loosen up with details and paint a little more freely.  Unfortunately (or not) I didn’t do anything to prepare my rough piece of wood, so it wasn’t so relaxed as I would have liked.

Hand-Spun Knitted Hat and Scarf

I dyed the unspun wool with Kool-Aid, and then I spun it in rainbow order.   Then I knit the scarf.  I thought I would make a hat to match and knit it from the pattern in this Pattons knitting book.  The pattern is actually a Fair Isle pattern, but I just knit it all from my rainbow wool.

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This is the same pattern (with the Fair Isle pattern).  This hand spun wool was dyed with Black Walnuts, Onion Skins and Goldenrod.

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hand-spun knitted hat and scarf. 

 

Embroidered Sampler

Embroidered SamplerThis is an embroidered sampler that I created from a pattern.  Generally I design my embroidered pieces myself, but this one was kicking around the house, and so I started working on it.  The main change that I made was to re-work the colours, which were originally in some super-gross pastels. I (obviously) prefer the colours in the picture.

I think this design was called a ‘Jacobean’ sampler, but it looks to me more like the 1980s than the 1600s.

You’ll notice that there’s space at the bottom, which is where my name and the date is supposed to go; it’s the one part I can’t seem to get around to finishing.  The rest of the sampler has been done for years.

Here are some close-ups:

Embroidered Sampler Embroidered Sampler Embroidered Sampler Embroidered Sampler Embroidered Sampler

Fiddlehead Mittens

Fiddlehead MittensFiddlehead Mittens

Fiddlehead Mittens - Sammi wearing mittsMy sister bought me a kit for Christmas one year to make these fiddlehead mittens from Tanis Fibre Arts.  They have a knitted lining and are super warm.  This was my first attempt at fair isle knitting or knitting with several colours.  I love the result, but found the pattern for the lining to be a challenge because it was too big.  I re-knit the one mitt’s lining several times, but didn’t redo the other, so it’s a bit bunched in the end.  I wear them anyway, I love knitting!

Silver Cat Head

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I recently attended a “Lost Wax Casting” workshop at the Art School of Peterborough.  First I sculpted the head in hard wax.   A plaster cast was made from the wax and then the wax melts.  Silver is injected into the cast and when it is put into water the plaster explodes and you are left with an exact silver replica of the original wax.  The silver is then filed and polished.

Hand-Sewn Felt Flowers

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Created using a template I found online, these felt flowers each have barrettes attached to them so that you can put them in your hair, but could also be worn as a brooch or grouped together to make a bouquet.