Creative Blog Resurrection & Trying New Techniques

I started this blog to give me a place to ramble about and record my various creative works. I'm sure there are many reasons I quit posting as much, but I think one of them was the idea that my posts had to be perfectly worded with optimal layout and multiple angles of photos of the same thing - you know, like every other crafting and recipe blog out there. But see, that's not the point of this blog, and I don't need to let some internalized imaginary standards keep me from this. I want this blog to be a record for me, and secondly, a way to share with those interested in my art.

So here goes. I've recently spent a little time experimenting with new techniques in some of my favorite mediums. In sewing, I tried out 'confetti quilting' which I had seen in some art quilts a while back. It's often used to create leaves on landscape quilts, like in this image from craftsy:

I wanted to try something a little different with mine, so I decided to use it as a background for applique. Then I just needed to find the right image for it. I scrolled through tons of my digital photos and finally settled on this one from my garden a few years ago.

I don't have a green thumb, but bulb flowers are pretty easy.

I traced out that front flower on freezer paper and used it as a pattern. I gathered a bunch of earth-tones to cut tiny pieces for the confetti background, and found some butterfly print cotton in my stash to use for the flower petals. The finished result turned out better than I'd hoped and became my dad's Father's Day gift once I found a mat & frame for it. Those gold bits in the middle to represent the stamens? Those are part of the butterfly wing print. I positioned the pattern pieces for each petal to put those in the right spots.

The next new thing I tried was 3D collage. Now, I've done some 3D collage before with fabric and thread. The only paper involved were some tarot cards I attached. (examples below)

 

and I've done collages that were just paper and glue, like these:

  

But I wanted to do something in between, and had the idea of creating art around a photograph of a person. I started with a canvas and some paint. I had no real plan in mind here, but I wanted a background for the finished product. I did a few messy, blended layers of acrylic paint, trying out different things to get a splotchy, interesting background. Then I started gluing on texture. Some torn bits of text from old books and magazines, pieces of sheer ribbon, a few bits of old lace doilies, even random snippets of frayed cotton thread. Some of that got painted over again. I pulled out the hairdryer to dry parts of it faster.

Now here's where I wish I had taken process pictures, but I didn't. Once the background was dry, I cut out the photo - this one happened to be my cousin because I had 2 large prints of this photo available. (How and why my mom ended up with 2 16x20 prints of my cousin's 1 year photo is beyond me, but is not the most confusing thing I inherited.)

So, I cut out the photo, attach it to the canvas, and start covering the edges with flowers I cut out from various magazines. There are random bits of ribbon, some paper flowers by her head, a collection of buttons and shiny bobbles, and a few tiny mirror squares. I found the quote "you've come a long way baby" while searching for flowers and decided it was the perfect thing to put  on here, too. 

Response from the cousin in question when I sent a photo was "wow" further clarified as "good wow with a little wtf?" I know it's a little unusual, but hey, so am I. I think I like it, but I'm still considering. And like, what other ideas could I use here? I think I want to make some more, with different materials, but that's the trouble - finding materials for this kind of work isn't easy.

Of Petrichor and Amortentia

Petrichor - the smell of dust after the rain. Yeah, I admit I hadn't heard the word until "The Doctor's Wife," an episode of Doctor Who where it was used as part of a psychic password. The idea of a psychic password based on scent is really ingenious, much like the Amortentia potion from Harry Potter that smells differently to each person based on what they find attractive. There's really no shortage of blogs, websites, forums, articles, and books out there about the power of scent, so I'm going to focus mostly on my own experiences here.

taken from my front porch after a summer rain

I've long been aware of the power of certain scents. I have both asthma and migraines that are triggered by most perfumes and chemical smells, so I spent a lot of my young adult life discovering which scents were okay for me, and which would cause blinding pain or extreme coughing fits. Those latter ones I still like to stay away from. Still, there are so many lovely scents, and they do trigger some powerful feelings at times. I'm sure many people have this reaction, but the smell of freshly baked bread makes me feel at home no matter where I am. Citrus-y smells always make me smile and feel more cheerful.

herbed Italian bread - I really should make this again soon

The smell of the rain - that one is harder to put into words. It relaxes and energizes me. It calms and excites me. It soothes my soul and stirs my spirit. I associate it with all things Mother Nature, and creation, possibility. Petrichor is only one scent associated with rain, but I love them all. The freshness of it, the ozone from storms, even the days when it's been raining so long that you can't smell anything but "soggy" don't seem that bad to me.

 

Over time, I learned that the more natural the scent, the more likely I'd be okay with it, and as I got a bit older and more aware of environmental issues, I quickly learned I preferred the natural products in most cases. I guess this is what led me to using essential oils. I think my first time consciously using aromatherapy was around 2000, maybe 2001. I had learned that peppermint oil could help with headaches. I would mix a drop of it with a dab of unscented lotion and rub it on my forehead when I felt the ache coming on. It was kind of amazing. Eventually, I decided to add some lavender oil to help with relaxation, and over time, it evolved into my "Clear Head" oil blend which we still use around the house all the time. It helps with headaches and mild congestion.

Clear Head Oil Blend

It's really kind of incredible what scents can do for us emotionally and mentally. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that they could help physically, too. I started studying herbalism and aromatherapy, even looking into certification a few times. I amassed quite a collection of dried herbs and essential oils, carrier/base oils, vegetable/plant butters, and more. I started out by reading several sources from certified aromatherapists, and received a most excellent reference book from my friend Koren. When I had a problem, like a blister or sore throat, I played around with several combinations and trials based on recipes recommended in the book or on a couple select websites.

I ended up turning this blend into a spray as well. It's very relaxing.

Of course, like all my "recipes," they start off as suggestions, and then the creative switch in my brain flips and suddenly I know I need to add a little more of this, or I wonder if I should try some of that instead. Ultimately, I discovered there are things I prefer not to make. I'm not fond of making body butters, though I did get some good reviews from them while I had them. Now I stick mostly to the bath teas, rooms sprays, and oil blends, plus the occasional custom order here and there.

  

I still learn something new about it all the time, and try out different oils for different things here at home. Between the herbs and oils and all the different applications possible, there's a lot to experiment with, and that's half the fun of Making anything.