Being a Maker

 I hadn't done any bag making for awhile, focusing more on Mail Art and knitting, but during the chilly be-in-the-house-all day weather, I decided to sew.

I have lots of vintage linen dish towels with the plan to make them into little bags.

Here's what the most recent ones look like.

 I have to find some BIG colorful buttons for them.

A Maker has to make, anything, something, always. I first heard the term Maker at a ceramics gallery in London in 2011. The woman explained that it's the term that is being used now for crafts people. I loved it. It's so encompassing. When I returned home, I had a new rubber stamp made - Maker in Residence USA, replacing my Artist in Residence stamp. I'm hearing this word a lot now and am happy that it's become THE word. Maybe you'll use it, if you don't already, to describe yourself.

My sister had sent me a souvenir towel from a trip she'd made to Spain many years ago. I was able to make 3 bags from the towel, one of which went to her. This one from the center area with the figures is the one I sent her.

Here are the other two bags plus a few of my purses for change made from a vintage linen napkin. I gave my Spanish teacher friend the one that "says" ESP (on the front) and AÑA (on the reverse.) This was the only way to get the design on the bag and it makes me laugh.  My friend liked it very much.

Here's Bizoo, He love sleeping on the radiator in my studio, tucking himself under the shelf. The little figure behind him is watching him!

I have to share our grand girl with you. She looks older than her 11 months, with the fluffy jacket we got for her, and which she likes a lot. She's holding her "baby head" which was a piece of Mail Art that I received from someone. It's laminated and was sent through the mail just like that - Zinn even likes the reverse with the postage stamps on it. She says Baby very clearly. Bay-bee! Okay, so we're smitten.

A snow day off - a maker's heaven!

 I rediscoverded my merit badge! I earned it all over again for completing my third 365. I'll have to find a good place to attach this badge!
Or just display it in my studio to remind myself of my own merit! ha ha ha

Our snow didn't amount to much, maybe an inch but it is very cold and so it's VERY icy out in the world. I decided to stay home and make stuff.

My older sister had sent me a vintage tea towel awhile back and asked me to make her one of my pocket purses.

Here's my trusty old sewing machine, with one completed purse ready to send to California.

 Here are the other two purses plus two purses for change made from vintage fabric - love the fruit print. I didn't get a photo of the one I sent to my sister, as I was eager to package it so the mail carrier could pick it up at my door this afternoon.

This is the scene looking down from our bedroom window this morning. Overcast and cold.

Later, the sun came out, though it didn't help much to melt the snow, since the temperature is below freezing.

Here are a couple more of my altered vintage postcards.

It was a perfect day, staying indoors in flannel clothing and warm slippers, in my warm studio, making stuff. Bizoo would wander in and out, sometimes sleeping on the chair with the pillow, or just checking on what I was up to.

A perfect maker's day.

Hot Saturday!

 We awoke this morning to the news that the air quality was ORANGE ALERT, which is not good. The fire is still burning in the Great Dismal Swamp and the wind blows this way. 

Aaagh, I decided to stay indoors and make mail art and work on my Etsy shop.

 This is one of the Pockets (small purse) that I made for the festival. I decided to scan it and see how that turned out. I took photos of some of the pieces to post in my Etsy shop but I do like the way the scanned piece looks. I didn't have anyone to model a bag for me, wish I did. I think that shows how cool they look on the body.  I'll get one of my friends over one cooler day to model.

 More of my minimal mail art; old paper, circle and line.

 I'm finally making use of the brush tip ink pen that I got awhile back.

 This morning, I used some of the tracing paper that I'd been practicing line work on, as collage bits.

 I like the way these turned out. The transparency works great with the old paper and circles.

Friday, I brought a basket of my bags to my Spanish meet-up at the Science Museum coffee shop. One of my amigas wanted a bag but didn't have cash the day of the festival, so I brought that for her. Another amiga asked if my little Purse for Change could hold a passport. We thought it was too small but she bought one, then later sent an e-mail to say that it fit. Wow, now I can tell people they can be used as passport keepers. Cool!

Post Festival resport and some mail art, of course.

 Here I am, at my table. I got a good spot partially under a tree, which was helpful when it started to drizzle (twice.) I had my four baskets full of stuff, including one with my wool mitts. I wasn't sure that was a good idea on a hot day, but I sold one of the really nice ones made from Japanese yarn (a silk mixture.) I'd brought with a plastic cloth and when the drizzle started I put the display board against the tree trunk and three the cloth over the table. It worked well. I did about the same in sales as I did the previous year, when there was no rain, so I'm quite pleased. And I was, also, QUITE tired. We packed up at 5h15 and went for some dinner but I could barely eat, got home, unpacked the car, brought stuff to my studio, then crashed into bed, fully clothed. I slept for 5 hours, woke and had some tea, read a bit, did the accounting for the sale, then back to bed for another 6 hours. Today, I'm just chilling. Tomorrow, I'll start to post some things in my Etsy shop.

 Here's a photo of the street, looking towards the band area. The band was good, and loud. Note the guy doing a headstand in front of them.

 This is from Friday's time at the pool. Ducky was hanging out by the "cave." 

#256

 I recycled the front of one of my birthday cards. It's one of those very detailed illustrations of a French shop. I was happy to find this gal (from a painting) to alter it with, and give it a French title. I'm sending it to the person who gave me the card. She speaks French. The title: "Quand Suzette a rendu visite à sa mère, elle lui a toujours apporté quelque chose spéciale du Cremerie."

#257

This is today's card.

My fatigue from yesterday prevented me from doing anything that required much thinking or a catchy title. This one is called: "Void-Filled."

Mail Art and catching up

 Yesterday morning, the Duck appeared to be seeking shelter in the "cave" by the side of the pool. The water was, naturally, quite warm. What's new?

 I sent this off two days ago but it returned to me yesterday. Why? I forgot to put postage on it, which happens infrequently, fortunately. Now the ladies are on their way again.

 I altered a couple more of the Utrillo city view paintings using two figures that I cut out of a Renoir painting. I wonder if they'll make it through the USPS, or there'll be some censorship. Prurient art?

 The first card said something about the residents of Tiny Town waking to find a large model was present and the second one said something about when the second large artist's model appeared they knew something was happening. (I'm paraphrasing myself.) I have such fun with the titles.





The other morning, the light was coming in through the glass blocks and causing a ripple effect on the floor of the shower area. So pretty, my own space and I really enjoy the way it looks

I went with a friend to have lunch yesterday, and we tried out a new little cafe, The Franklin Inn,a few blocks away, in what's called The Museum District.  The owner brought the space back to it's original 1930's look. The food was good, they have Stella Artois and Amstel on tap (lately I'm enjoying an occassional beer) and we got to speak with the manager about ideas for their menu. Cool!

Okay, back to the sewing machine. I've been busy making purses/pockets. I wore down my needle! Just changed to a new one this morning, and am set to go again.

Fritzi, my Etsy shop

Skull-a-Day fabric

 I've let Fritzi, my Etsy shop go bare for a bit, while I concentrated on my Mail Art.

Vintage tea towels

Today, I decided to re-stock with some of my small purses, which I call Pockets.

I started making them because most of my clothing doesn't have a pocket and I needed something to keep my phone in while I went between my studio and the kitchen or garden, voila, a pocket, aka small purse.

I am making these a bit bigger than my original pocket, so they can hold more when I go out to the grocery store, or take a walk. Check out my shop and see what's there. I'll be putting more on when I get back from my brief holiday.

Purses for Change & Three Cups of Tea

Here are a few of my new change purses, which I'm now calling Purses for Change. If you check my shop, Fritzi, you'll see that I'm donating part of each sale of these to the Three Cups of Tea foundation. If you haven't read that book, I recommend it highly. Here's a photo of Greg Mortenson and some of the children who are benefiting from the schools built by the CAI foundation.
I had a basket full of these for sale at a fundraiser (for Obama) bake sale and sold all but one of the 15! Yay. People seemed to like that they were made from fabric that was "recycled" meaning remnants, cut-offs, sample swatches, etc. would have been tossed in the landfill fabric, which made me feel good and that I'm on the right track with them. I do not want to buy any fabric, missing out on cute current images, but I want to "recycle." I'll stick to this even if sales on Etsy are slooow.