Artwork Monday: Shamble No. 128

This drawing was part of the Discworld craft swap parcel I sent to Noctua. At first I intended to use it as the usual post card but decided to make it part of the gift when I realised that this was one of the best pictures I’ve ever drawn and coloured (and used 70s stationary with owls instead).

This shamble is made of three kinds of yarn, owl feathers, tuppence, dried nasturtium seed, wild rose hips, a pencil stub, mussle shell, bleached-out violet embroidery yarn, a driftwood stick and an owl egg as the “living” component. I chose 128 as a number not because I’ve already drawn this many shambles (this is my first one, actually) but because it just felt right.

Discworld Swap: The Black Cat of Nanny Ogg

As I have been asked eagerly already, here’s part two of my Discworld craft swap posts: What I got.

I had been wishing for a bag I could use for university, a spacious one with an adjustable shoulder strap. I had also brought in the idea of Greebo, Nanny Ogg’s huge, scarred, awesome cat in the style of Théophile Steinlen’s famous Le Chat Noir poster.

And because Caro who had drawn my name from the hat is awesome, I got both. And tea and a chocolate éclair, because she invited me to tea.

The bag is huge (and comfy to carry). I can easily fit my folders, pencil-case, a water bottle, a bento box and a book or two in there, it has one big and one small compartment and a really small one in the lining for my keys (which I always have to dig around for when I need them). And of course it has a really, really great print.

And have I mentioned that the lining is yellow gingham? That’s so pretty, and useful too when I’m searching for things.

Complete with Art Noveau name stencil and cute button detail.

But that’s not the end of it. Knowing of my addiction to everything artsy, crafty and Art Noveau Caro also gave me the linocut sheets she used to make the front print so that I could make my own Greebo Noveau items whenever I want to (I sense at least one t-shirt coming up…)!

And of course there were goodies, too, sweets and a great certificate tag:

And do you remember my last giveaway? The one with the floral buttons? Caro told me back then that she had some wrapping paper that made her think of me, and now she included it into the swap gift. I’m already thinking about projects involving these prints.

This is one of the most thoughtful, beautiful, useful (!) and awesome swap gifts I ever received. Thanks again, darling!

Discworld Swap: Of Stamps and Witches

Early this week I finally went to the post office to send my Discworld craft swap parcel to Noctua who had been eagerly waiting already – deadlines and I don’t mix well, I fear.

Noctua had stated that she’d like something for her new flat and that she especially liked the Discworld witches and Going Postal. Also, as you might deduct from her blog and even nickname she is a big fan of owls.

The whole package.

I decided to make coasters for the witches theme. I love working with layers of felt, and it also doubles as “something for a new home”.

Bees for Granny Weatherwax.

A mouse for Magrat Garlick.

The Chalk with the white horse and the shepherd’s wagon for Tiffany Aching.

And a pair of scandalously red boots for Nanny Ogg.

As Going Postal is one of my favourite Discworld novels, too, I simply had to make something related to it. The lower two envelopes on the T-shirt feature the Ankh-Morpork Post Office’s motto:

NEITHER RAIN NOR SNOW NOR GLOOM OF NIGHT CAN STAY THESE MESSENGERS ABOUT THEIR DUTY.

Also, I printed a small postage stamp onto the back neck part of the shirt, sporting an owl because making something for Noctua without any owls would be downright wrong.

Skirts and Books – What I made

Of course, as it was a swap, I made something, too.

First, the skirt swap.

The demands were fir green, silver and black in colours, a dislike for patterns but love for butterflies and in style something between Alice in Wonderland, military and Steampunk. The girl I was fairy godmother to also wanted the skirt to end above her knees and told me that Lolita didn’t suit her. This is what I came up with:

The elfin one was so nice to model for me.

And here are the details:

(photo not by me but by Schiriki who got the skirt)

clock embroidery

And the accessoires I made, too:

The clock-alike thing is a hair clip.

At the book swap, I decided to make something matching to Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures, one of the books that were given as favourites of Ravna, the girl I was a fairy godmother to in this case.

She also had given black as her favourite colour, maybe with red accents, and a liking for second-hand fabric and some sort of grunge in the design – not too perfect, after all – too. Plus, she wished for a sweat jacket, something I never made before. But I like a good challenge and so I went to the thrift store and got some old sweatshirts and this is what I made of them:

Front with open collar

Front with collar closed

The hero of the book, Rumo, is named after a Zamonian card game, hence the card inlays. I like the grungy effect on the symbols.

Hearts

Spades

Diamonds

Clubs (my favourite)

Collar detail

Collar with label

Back

In the first part of the book Rumo is also in search of a “silver ribbon” which actually leads him to “his” girl. Well, anyway, I had lots of fun painting the ribbon:

Ravna also collects fairy tale books. When I found the Anderson book at the book store across the street, I instantly thought of her! Also, I usually pack something sweet into the swap boxes, but Ravna had written before that she didn’t like sweets so much and preferred tea.

All pictures were taken in our front yard, the light and scenery were  just perfect.

The parcel arrived and Ravna was really happy with her sweat jacket. She even allowed me to use her pictures for the blog. I’m so glad it fits!

I must confess that this jacket was he most difficult piece I made for a swap as yet. At the moment I’m in a pirate themed swap until May, but after that I’ll need somewhat of a hiatus from swapping. There are so many things I want to sew for myself, after all!

Skirts and Books – What I got

I already told you that I was taking part in two swaps during the last month, one about skirts and one about favourite books, that is.

First, the book swap. I’d given Anne of Green Gables, The Mice of Brambly Hedge, Going Postal, Northanger Abbey, A Little Princess, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Secret Garden and Awful End as favourite books to draw inspiration from. My fairy godmother decided to go for Brambly Hedge, and here’s what I got:

The main piece, a lovely tunic

The front print

For those of you who don’t know the books, this is one of the mouse homes built into an old tree. I love Jill Barklem’s detailed illustrations, maybe that’s worth a Porclain Sunday, too.

It's a brooch! And it reminds me of Anne of Green Gables very much.

I even got two Beatrix Potter books my fairy godmother found at chance at a thrift store! I love those books since one of my father’s pupils gave me Peter Rabbit as a Christmas present.

Last but not least a pearl pendant that will perfectly match the jewelery I’m planning to make.

And now for the skirt swap. Here my wonderful fairy godmother (a different one, of course) sent me this:

It’s a steampunk dragonfly corduroy skirt! The picture was kindly taken by Jules who visited his prince charming here in Marburg just when the swap presents arrived and stopped by at our home. The next one was shot by him, too.

I guess I should send it to my grandparents…

The details are awesome!

Dragonfly embroidery

Button.

Even the lace's got dragonflies!

 I also got some great accessoires here:

Another brooch...

... and hair pins

I hope I didn’t forget anything… Anyway, I was incredibly happy when I got the parcels and those swaps were two of the best I’ve had yet. Thank you!

Cherry Blossoms

Dear readers!

I’m sorry about the recent lack of the weekly features! But I’ve been feverishly lying in bed last week, only able to sleep and read for more than five minutes at the screen made my head ache. But my cold is over now, I still have to hold back a little when it comes to training, but at least I’m able to move again!
But this week there will be a Porcelain Sunday and a Matching Monday (well, that’s next week), and I hope some other posts, too. I’ve been working on two swaps recently and the deadline is coming up, so I’ll be able to show you the results quite soon!

As for the cherry blossoms, the Scoundrel gave them to me and put them into my still-wet hair when he came to pick me up from training yesterday. Today it’s been one year since we’ve found each other, and I’m still glad that it was him who found me and nobody else.

Black for Me, Green for You

Some weeks ago a parcel arrived here in Marburg, containing a swap gift for me from sweet Rogue D’ Arcanto. I once made a hat for her (she was named Cuore.Lacrimante then) and now she was the one who made my top for the Natron & Soda Community shirt swap. She kindly took care for my love of crows and old rose colour and made the loveliest back I’ve ever seen on a T-shirt.

Please excuse the quality, but I couldn't just get it right.

I love how many shades these sequins can have

Oh, and Rogue sent me a Jack Skellington brooch, too!

I myself made a shirt for freudenkind who once sent me an adorable pair of gaiters and a skirt from the Discworld swap. She told me in her notice that she liked military styles, bats and cats, so I let my imagination fly and made this one:

I’m happy to be able to say that she was quite delighted with the shirt.

10 Things I Love In September

1. Rose Hip Tea. I drink that stuff by the gallon for I love the slightly sour flavour and the dark red colour. And wild roses. It’s way better than the tap water here, at last.
   
2. Warmer Blankets. When it came to September this year I noticed that I needed some. At some days during the last weeks I was really tempted to turn on the heating. The Scoundrel was so nice to bring one of his woolen blankets here (when he stays over he wanted one of his own), so I don’t have to be cold anymore.
   
3. Chilly Air. Even though it demands thicker bedding and woolen pullover and socks, I love the weather here at the moment. The air is filled with that certain scent of falling leaves and cold water from the river and the fog rises in the streets in the evening…
   
4. Our New Spice Shelf. First I wanted to build one myself, but when I went though some of the old stuff in our attic I stumbled across one and now our spices don’t have to crowd the working surface in the kitchen anymore.
   
5. The Instrumental Parts of Black 47′s Funky Céilí. I’m having a folk phase again at the moment. Ignore the text, ignore the weird hair of the singer, just mind the instrumental parts. Did I mention that I want uilleann pipes? No? I want uillean pipes.
   
6. Henna. I dyed my hair back, of more precisely, Teli did. Finally, I’m a redhead again! The henna is incredibly great for hair care, I even had my hair tips cut before and the hairdresser was baffled how strong and healthy my hair was after two years of no cutting at all.
   
7. Velvet. I definitely have to extend the velvet bodice part of my closet. The heavy fabric is just so lovely when the weather gets colder!
   
8. Beatrix Potter. I read through my copy of Peter Rabbit again at the beginning of the month, as the Scoundrel didn’t know it yet. I love the way Beatrix Potter illustrated her world, it’s just so full of details but not too brimming over. There is a quite new biographical film about her, too. I think I should watch it some day.
   
9. The Fabric For My New Curtains. They are to be sewn yet, but the fabric is covering my door at the moment where I hung it to dry.
   
10. Cover Buttons. Isn’t it nice to have buttons that match your clothing? I made some for the planned Honoria costume and think about using some more in upcoming projects of mine.
    

A Mad Hatter’s Work

Finally, the note-book is working again. And as my swap parcels have arrived at their destinations as well I may present what I made for the Hats & Headdresses and Alice in Wonderland theme.

Hats & Headdresses

For Cuore.Lacrimante who wished for something a little morbid in black and purple.

Front

"Profile"

Back

Materials: Black felt, purple embroidery yarn, purple trim, white polymer clay, black feathers, black dot tulle.

Swap Card

Alice in Wonderland

This one went all the way north to anti.mensch who likes to see the mad hatter as the key figure of the (filmed *cough* ;) ) story.

Front

Price Tag

Materials: Green & black felt, black trim, white polymer clay, acrylics, old keys, cogwheels, white rocailles, black and white embroidery floss, white organza, black dot tulle.

Well, that’s it for now as I’ve got an x-ray date tomorrow and should definitely sleep more. ^^

Contented Solitude

I really love these moments when I’m all by myself, without the urge to do something for university or the like. Right now, there is such a moment with Bambi and the Satyr being at the Celtic Studies tertulia/ regulars. I thought about going there, too, but I didn’t feel the need to do so.  After I returned from the garden with Teli and we stopped by at the supermarket I got me half a pineapple. That’s quite decadent for a student like me, but sometimes I just have to do something like it. It fits the thought of doing myself something good.

Most of the seminars from another faculty (Ethnology, to be more precisely) I wanted to attend don’t start until the end of April (and I don’t even know if I can attend them as a module and therefore if I can get any credits for them), so my “working week” was pretty much over when I left the Ireland during the Middle Ages course this evening.

The day tomorrow will be spent entirely (harhar) on the making of the re-swap gift for Hats & Headdresses and the start of the real stuff for the Alice in Wonderland- swap. Well, the problem is the usual: *zombieesk countenance* Need… more… YAAAAAARN! Embroidery, that is. I can’t tell too much, as always, but anyway I’ll show the results, I promise.

Admittedly, I’m pretty tired as I didn’t sleep too well during the last nights due to various nightmares and the bad habit of thinking things like “Well, I’m awake now and I’ve got to get up in about forty minutes anyway and falling asleep again would make getting finally out of the bed even more frustrating and insufferable!”. Well, thank you very much, common sense and logical reasoning. Anyway.

Good night unto you all.