Here’s another journal I made for my very good friend and neighbor who is a budding photographer.

Below you can see that it is made with two separate covers like an album instead of a one piece cover. There are 12 photo sheets (enough for 24 pics) and one signature filled with drawing and watercolor paper.

I needed to give her a boost so I put a pic of her in the front of the journal album with these words: I Believe In You….cause I know that she will succeed.

The juicy bit in this is I got to use my Crop-a-Dile II Big Bite eyelet and grommet setter. Most setting tools are single manual tools that you hit with a “specialized” hammer. Been there…Done that! This BIG baby (and I am not kidding bout the big part) is cool because it can set an eyelet that can be as much as 6 inches away from an edge. It is a scrapbooking tool but hey….we also took the pizza cutter, changed the name to rotary cutter and made it ours right? So what else is new?

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: Art, Christmas, mixed media, paper art by k grace howes
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I love to carve my own rubber stamps.  I have some great commercial stamps in my stamp drawer but it’s so very cool to be able to draw something, carve it and stamp right away with it. I have a small notebook full of ideas for stamps to carve.

In a much earlier post I wrote about how much I love learning new words (has been a favorite pastime of mine since I was a young girl but heck if I can explain it). Well now I carve words.  The last few stamps I’ve carved have been words that have an impact or significant meaning to me and others.

Remember this journal I made earlier this year? First I stamped the word with foil adhesive onto my jounal then ironed gold foil onto the word.

This next stamp I just finished carving over the holidays so I have yet to use it but love the idea behind it. There’s much you can do with that one.

Another word that’s caught my eye is ” FRAGILE“  but for this one I need to find the fight font to use to denote the meaning of the word.

I have now decided I want to carve my own alphabet so I am looking for the right font with a mix of caps and lower case letters. I keep looking at the commercial alphabet sets but have yet to find one that resonates with me.

Here’s a mission for you, what other words should I carve to use in my art? Let me here your ideas.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: Art, monday posts, patterns, stamp carving, surface design by k grace howes
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Earlier this year, back in January, I began hearing about Christine Kane. First from my FAB friend, Judy, then on a blog I read quite regularly, Lisa Call. I admire both these women and trust that they knew what they were talking about when it came the inspiration of Christine Kane.

They were right.

She is very inspirational.

Word for the Year

Around this time of year we all go thru a regular and uninspiring year-end ritual of choosing  our New Year’s Resolutions. Christine Kane has a new take on New Year’s resolutions….

CHUCK the darn things out the window!

Really…cause none of us ever really follow thru with any of them anyway. Instead, she suggest we pick a word for the year.

Just one word. That’s all, she says.

“Then hold that word in your mind throughout the year, and let your word guide you to take action” (feel free to read more about it here and here).

I had all intentions of doing that this year, 2008, but obviously my life and mind had other plans. Next year though, in 2009, I intend to follow thru. I might need reminding from time to time but the INTENTION will be there.

Ah…you have just read my first word.

INTENTION

In order to start the year off right one should prepare beforehand. A few days ago I wrote down a few words and phrases that I thought might work for me: being present, choice,  discipline, focus, presence, allow…nothing resonated. I closed my eyes and got in touch with my goddess soul.

She picked: INTENTION and SELF-DISCIPLINE. (didn’t she realize that it was only supposed to be one word?).

No matter how I tried over the next few hours I couldn’t shake that 2nd word and kept coming back to it time and time again…..so I’m going with it. Enough of letting things slide (business or personal). State my intention, live my intention and be self disciplined enough to get the work done so that it can be completed.

At the end of the previous 2 years I found I could label each year. The first was the “Year of Me”. In looking back I saw that I did things that pleased me as concerns my artwork. Obviously I needed to find out more about me,, the artist, now that I had nerve enough to call myself one. The second year I labeled “Finding my Muse” cause boy did she ever talk to me …even though she did disappear from time to time…the nerve of her!

INTENTION

For 2009 I intend to begin at the beginning….at the beginning of this new year instead of the end of it.  I intend to start how I mean to finish. Wish me luck on my new journey.

What I wish for you, however, is a year of intention and meaning…in your life and in your work. I wish you peace, abundance, focus and clarity. Finally I wish you JOY and the courage to find your word for the year and let it become your guiding force.

BTW, the tag line on Christine’s blog reads:  Be Creative. Be Conscious. Be Courageous.

I love it…why not just BE!

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: life etc., my muse, New Year, ponderings, word of the year, year of me by k grace howes
6 Comments »

May

the Joy

and Spirit of

of the Holiday Season,

and the Love of family and friends,

fill you heart and home with Happiness,

P E A C E,

& HOPE

Tags: Christmas, community, family, life sayings by k grace howes
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For those of you who might have thought I gave up the goods when it comes to my art quilts…..

…uh uh…

….you would be wrong. I still love to create pieces with my handdyes and batiks fabrics.

Above is my latest piece called “Red Moon“. My daughter saw this and commented…..”you seem to be working in circles lately Mummy”.

Wow!

A series and I didn’t even realize it! Thanks Ms. Cheney, my darling only daughter.

Here’s another…

…this one is called “Planetary Spin”. It was originally made for the recent SAQA auction but I missed the deadline for submission (naughty girl!).

You be that won’t happen again.

And NOW, the one I can finally show  you that won Judge’s Choice in the “My World in Black and White Revisited” exhibition put on by Fiberarts  Connection of Southern California. This one is called “Mother Love“, with detail shot below (blue border is just to show clearly against blog background).

This quilt will be traveling for two years as a special exhibition and one of the venues it will travel to is the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton, Virginia in February (which is very near where I live…whoopee!) . I hope to get there to see it hang in person. How very ,very cool!

I have a few more circle quilts that I’ve made but don’t yet have pics of them. Soon…soon.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: circle series, fiber art, juried quilts, monday posts, road trip by k grace howes
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Today, 17 yrs ago, my hubby Dave and I got married in a beautiful garden full of lush tropical foliage, plants and flowers in my hometown in the Bahamas.

It was magical day with our family and friends surrounding us. Our get-a-way car, if you could call it that, was a dune buggy (I kid you not!).  Dave surprised me with is as he drove us, with my wedding dress fluttering in back, to the small reception we had at our apartment. Later that night we danced the night away at our big to-do party. What a night!

Tomorrow we start on year 18….Wow! Eighteen years with a person who makes you feel so special and loved.

Thanks honey for 17 years of wonder, some tough times and loads and loads of love.

Happy Anniversary!

Tags: family by k grace howes
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I had to let you see the journal that started it all.

The one I made a for a very special friend. She was my pick for the FAB secret Santa gift exchange (BTW, this one measures 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″) .

For the journal’s cover and inner lining I used two different rust batik fabrics that cover hard binder boards on the inside.

Judy’s journal contains 4 signatures ( see I know bookbinding speak now…cool huh?), filled to the brim with beautiful writing paper, 90 lb water colour paper (cause I know she loves to paint), 70 lb bristol drawing paper and funky scrapbook papers.

The signatures are hand sewn to the spine and, for fun, I tied a fringe of colourful ribbons to the stitching  and glued down four large beads  on the front.

The journal when closed is wrapped with a caramel coloured suede cording attached at the back cover. Love this kind of closure!

I so hope she enjoys using it cause I sure had fun making it for her.

Happy Journaling !

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: Art, FAB, fiber art, mixed media, paper art by k grace howes
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When I read a book (I’m still into historical English fiction) I inevitably run across some obscure never-heard-of-word I have no clue what the meaning is. Same when I read some of my art books, there’s usually notes I need to make to try to remember a technique or idea for when I need it later as I’m working.

I decided to use my friends as guinea pigs again and give them these little bookmark notebooks, embellished with their initials of course, as small gifts this year (yes I know I am really into the paper thing right now…bear with me okay). Each is  filled with 3 strips of folded paper stitched into a small signature and are 1 1/2″ wide….enough room to write almost anything.

Here are the first batch I came up with. Real cool little gift huh!

Funny story, I was in the bookstore and started talking with a lady next to me in the craft books section and told her about my little book marks (hey Ellen if you’re reading this). She was looking for an idea for a small gift she could give to the people she’s helping and this idea really sunk in with her. Glad I could help and hope they love them too.

I can’t wait to make more of these especially since when you cut paper for journals you end up with leftover strips that would be perfect for this.  No waste here and great way to recycle the extra bits.

BTW, today is my brother’s birthday…the one who was the bane of my existence…back then that is. Today my younger bro is “Cool Uncle Andy” to my kids and the one who we all look to for some sane reality…..when he’ not acting the fool that is (wouldn’t you say Gar?)

Happy Birthday Bro!

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: Art, artful creations, birthday, Christmas, paper art by k grace howes
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This year one of my art groups decided we’d make something for our secret Santa gifts instead of buying something for that person. So I decided to do the same for the girls in my other art group as well.

I thought and thought and thought, and thought some more then racked my brain even more before I finally came up with the perfect gift. Can you tell I find it hard to shop for people? It’s my own fault because I feel the need to get (or make) something for that person instead of giving a generic gift that anyone can get.

So off I went to the craft store to buy my supplies like I minded doing that right?. Full disclosure here,  we picked names back in September (did I just reveal that?) but, as I obviously like a challenge and seem to work more effectively when there is a deadline in play (like the true procrastinator I am), I only decided to start making these gifts last week. They were due Monday and Tues of this week……HA!

If you knew my friend Lu’shorn you’d know anything pink with ladybugs would fly with her.

Susan’s loves anything turquoise and this one includes a small bookmark notebook in one the journal’s pockets.

And this one is for my esoteric, Bohemian-like friend, DeLane, who makes fantastic art. Loved making this art tag for her!

I read my books on technique (I do have a few and I feel NO shame in admitting it, so there!) and put my own twists on each and came up with some beautiful pieces, even if I say so myself.

The fun part is these gifts utilize my new re-discovery (?) of PAPER and I get to assuage my guilt by using some of all those wonderful fabrics I STILL have in my stash. Didn’t I tell you I’d find creative uses for them?

I have wanted to make a couple of journals just to try out different techniques and see if I really like making them. And if I did, I’d finally have something I wanted to make on a regular basis for my Etsy shop which I set up oh-so long ago. I found I’m not one for mass producing things and didn’t want to get stuck in a rut with whatever I sold on Esty.

DID I EVER HAVE FUN!

First of all I love, love, love buying the paper…..remember I said I’d drift into the scrapbooking aisle first to look at all the gorgeous papers? Now I have a legitimate reason to buy them (oh no you say…heck yeh I say!)

And what about all the new gadgets I’ll have to I may be purchasing (hubby is ready this blog now so I have to be careful) like the guillotine. Oooh la la. Every respectable bookbinder needs one of those babies!

I have now found a local source for paper and bookbinding supplies (thanks Susan) cause I like to see and touch and lollygag over what I want to purchase. I can’t tell you how it frustrates me when I can ONLY purchase something online…the waiting does me in.

So I am off and running….as soon as the hip mends that is (that’s for another posting for sure) and will be making up some more journals.

See ya next time “In the Hayloft”,

Tags: Art, Christmas, mixed media, paper art, working small by k grace howes
4 Comments »

This is Logan, our dog. We got him almost a year ago and he is now so very much a  part of our family. I took these pics over the weekend and had to post. He’s a really good looking fella, dontcha think?

Now c’mon tell me….can you say no to this face?

He’s such a good dog……….well, except for the truly bad case of separation anxiety he has and the destroying chewing  he has done in order not  to not be confined.

Here’s a pic of Logan’s particular type of ARTwork he’s been creating around the house.

Told ya he hates confinement. We have 2 thresholds that look like this. Needless to say we’ll be changing the carpets at some point down the road but for now there’s just lovable…

L O G A N!

See yanext time “in the Hayloft,

Tags: family, life etc. by k grace howes
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