cloth.paper.string

small is beautiful

I'm a big fan of keeping it local and supporting small family-owned businesses.  Like the CSA from which we get fresh vegetables throughout the growing season.  And the nearby farmer who raises cows, one of which we split with neighbors and friends this winter and will feed us through the year.  And the farmers cooperative that brings eggs with the richest of yolks to our food cooperative each week.

Last night I happened upon another way to support a small farmer.  The Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm is offering shares of the first-ever wool CSA.  Buy a share and you get a portion of this fall's shearing.  How amazing is that? 

I'm taken by this concept for many reasons.  The small part, of course.  But also the fact that I'm currently knitting the tangled yoke cardigan with yarn that is from sheep that grazed in pastures next door to my parents house.  Each stitch seems to have a bit more significance, as I wonder how it will feel to go back to knitting with the equivalent of 'big box' yarn.  And too, while the Fiber Farm isn't local if you consider my current location, it is located on the island where I grew up. 

But as much as I really want one, I'm not going to buy a share.  It's beyond the current budget.  And I know that there's more interest than the farm will be able to accommodate, as they're receiving some well deserved press, and selling the limited number of shares like hotcakes.  And I know that I'll be able to purchase some of their yarn when I visit the island this fall -- I'll be able to meet the farmer, pet the animals, touch the yarns, see their colors and hues.  And too, I know there are probably plenty of fiber farmers (though not CSAs) in my own backyard that I could support through the purchase of their yarns.  I just need to find them.

welcoming

The image that leads a blog is as important for me as a blog's content.  It serves as a welcome to each post, to each page.  It sets the tone for what is ahead.  As the seasons change I'm always itching to share a bit of the inspiration I find in my environment.  An image to come back to, to reflect upon.

But each time I make a new banner for cloth.paper.string, or see another blogger adopt a new one, I can't help but feel a pang of sadness.  For it seems that old banners are only archived in memory once they are replaced. 

Today, as I switched winter moss for the beginnings of spring thaw, I realized that I can hold on to that image which served as the introduction here through the winter.  And also those images which have graced the masthead through the recent seasons.  And so, I've created a banner archive.  You can see it here, or get to it through the link on the sidebar. 

If you don't already, I hope that you, blog friends, will be inspired to share your retired banners as well.  I'd love, especially, to see once again those front door embellishments that greeted me the first time I paid a visit to your 'homes' on internet.

winter tracks

My prints for the gocco swap are finally in the mail.  As the organizer, it's a tad embarrassing to admit that I was eight days late in sending off my goods.  I was set back by a self-inflicted bout of last-minute-itis paired with technical difficulties.  Despite the delay, I'm pleased with the results.

I originally set out to make a print with multiple screens.  I hadn't ever done this before and wanted to stretch myself a bit with the swap.  But the image I had in my head I couldn't wrestle onto paper. 

Then I happened upon the tracks of pigeons near a bridge I often cross on my morning walks with the dog.  I knew I had found it. 

I snapped a dozen or so photos and somehow figured out the very most basics of photo-editing to invert and clean the image for the screen.  Then I ran into some problems.  I printed the image on my HP inkjet which, according to many, works just fine.  But I couldn't get the image to burn onto the screen.  I ran through all of my bulbs and still a blank screen.  A panicked order was placed with Wet Paint for more supplies and I set out to find a photocopier so that my image would be ready when the delivery arrived.

A few days later I burned the screen without incident and started on the printing.  My inks are stored, with most of my craft stuff, in my mostly unheated attic.  I quickly learned that the inks aren't as cooperative when they're cold, which really should have been obvious.  While I was frustrated by this at first, it ended up adding an unexpected element to the printing process. 

The shimmering blue I mixed from silver, white and konjou blue ended up relatively solid for the first part of the print run; but when I reinked the screen, subtle variations of blue became apparent across the following prints.  The more I printed, the more I imagined the prints to be like those actual tracks.  With time and temperature the snow would melt, revealing more and more of the surface beneath.  Fitting too, I think for the mid-winter theme.

If you haven't yet, check out the flickr group for the swap.  The creativity of the group continues to amaze me.  While I imagined that there would be a range of things produced and shared, I didn't expect that so many would also share their processes in making their items - in many cases the photos have links to their blog posts about the inspiration and actual crafting of the images.  Be sure to check these out too.

Many have asked if there will be another gocco swap.  I'm planning on it.  There won't be a seasonal theme though -- I now realize that the notion of mid-winter was the last thing many wanted to think about, especially those in the southern hemisphere!  I tend forget that winter doesn't last for six whole months in much of the world...  I'd love to hear feedback on this swap and also suggestions for the next one.  In the meantime, many, many thanks to all of the swap participants for making this swap a success!!

folds and freezer paper

It's been a long time since I've made a book.  Too long.  But tonight that changed when I started on a  small book for a collaborative project.  I couldn't have been more pleased with the cutting and folding of paper, the assembly of flat into three dimensional form. 

I'll share more about this project in due time, but for now here's a little of the folds and the freshly freezer-paper-stenciled (yes, that's now a verb) book cloth.  The colors are all funky since I haven't gotten around to making that light box just yet; but rest assured, they're good.  Chartreuse and inky black-blue good.

And the leaves?  They're traced from the vintage fabric that is still in the midst of metamorphosis from skirt to bag.

catch and release

Recently caught bits of light released out into my new favorite flickr pools:

Peels and peeks for Six One Way.

Dusted driftwood for ::fleeting::

three by

I've been a big fan of Six One Way since Stefani and Eren started chronicling the weeks with three photos, each one telling a small piece of the story of life as the mama of three young boys.  Their simple yet stunning photos speak for themselves, both separately and together. 

I was thrilled to see that they've invited others to play along in sharing a week in the life of the family in the form of a photo triptych.  I was looking for a photo-making spark and I think this might be just the thing that prompts me to point my camera around my house, despite the lack of good natural light this time of year.

That said, I've found the mosaic maker to be a bit addicting.  I couldn't stop with the one for Six One Way tonight, but instead had to piece together two more crazy quilts of images from the weekend. 

Between liquid and solid on the calm grey lake.  Special thanks to Nana and AJ for the babe-sitting that allowed for the slow and carefree meander along the beach with my sweet.

At the start of the John Beargrease sled dog marathon - the 400 mile race honoring the man who delivered mail along Lake Superior's North Shore by dog sled in the early 1900s.  Once again, I'm amazed by the outdoor happenings in my hometown.  And, I'm so grateful for the recent gift from E -- Jan Brett's new book featuring Aloo-ki, a Inuit musher.  My little one was thrilled to have a chance to ride, chattering about Aloo-ki and the huskies all along the kid's track.

the inspiration...

There's so much of it around me these days.

The almost-frozen but always changing lake and those resilient birds that must know that the days of floating are few.

My inspiration wires.  They have finally made their way onto the wall upstairs.  I first saw one years and years ago in Pure Style Living and was immediately taken by the idea.  Since then I've seen them popping up all over.   My new favorite spot to see that which inspires others and how they bring it into their spaces is the inspiration board flickr group.  Definitely worth a visit.

That special embroidered piece from Marnie, now framed thanks to Ikea and a little creative mounting (colored canson paper, a few stitches in the corners).  I'm certain it's not archival in any way shape or form, but it works.  I'm so pleased with having a little handmade inspiration next to my sewing table.

And the gocco swap -- I'm amazed by the turnout.  Simply blown away.  Check out the list of participants!  And in the coming weeks stop by to the swap's flickr group to see the gocco'ed goodness that is being shared.

sharing the love: mid-winter gocco swap

It seems that there's a bit of the gocco bug going around.  The symptoms I've observed run something like this:  discovering the wonder of the simple japanese screenprinter, wanting one's own device, thinking that they're no longer in production and than they can't be had, realizing that one can actually have one (found used or bought new), overcoming one's fear of messing up a screen or wasting bulbs, and then the falling in love.  Complete love.

I've been thinking lately that I want to share the gocco love.  And I'm wanting to experience a bit of the love affair others are having with their goccos.  And, I have a hunch that others too are looking to have and to hold more gocco inspiration (or to have that one thing that pushes them to finally get that gocco they've been dreaming about, or to use the one they recently received).  So, I'm proposing a mid-winter gocco swap. 

Here's the skinny:
Create a mid-winter-themed image (or, if my winter is your summer, an image that you're excited about sharing), print a run for the swap (it could be a single print, a small set of notecards, bookplates, stamps, stickers, a notepad, a fabric printed something-or-other, really anything gocco-ed that suits your fancy), send one of each of your creations out to each of your swapmates (you'll have 10-12 folks you'll be swapping with), receive a gocco-ed creation from each of your swapmates.   

The swap is open to anyone, anywhere with a blog and/or flickr account. 

The sign-up deadline is January 15th.  Sign up by sending me an email at clothpaperstring AT gmail DOT com with the subject Gocco Swap - be sure to include your name, mailing address and a link to your blog and/or Flickr account.   I'll send out your list of swapmates later that week (again, you'll have 10-12 who you'll be committing to sending your gocco-ed bits out to).

Mail your gocco'd bits to swapmates on or before February 11th.  Don't forget to take photos of your creations and post them to the mid-winter gocco swap flickr group.

Feel free to spread the word (and the love).  Cut and paste the HTML in the box to add a button to your blog or sidebar:   

<a href="http://clothpaperstring.typepad.com/clothpaperstring/2008/01/sharing-the-lov.html"><img src="http://clothpaperstring.typepad.com/clothpaperstring/goccoswap.jpg" border="0"/></a>

Happy gocco-ing!

Update:  The swap is now closed, with 49 gocco'ers on board!  See who's participating here.  And, check the swap's flickr group in the coming weeks to see the gocco goodness shared.  Participants have received a list of their swapmates -- if you signed up and haven't received the email, please let me know.  So many thanks to all for such enthusiasm for the swap! 

so much better than a chain letter

I'm continually reminded of why I love this community of crafty bloggers.  Today I happened upon an invitation to receive a handmade gift from Siri Anne Marie (oops!!) at Life in Yonder.  The hitch?  Pledge to give a gift of handmade goodness to three others who will make the same pledge.  So, to quote, "I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this Pay It Forward exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."  Who's in?

home :: in season

Each week, for the last seventeen weeks, our sun porch has served as a little hub for food that is organic, local, fresh and community-supported.  Every Friday a dozen or so boxes of just-picked vegetables and fruits have been carried to our home by our CSA farmer and stacked on the porch for members in the area to collect.  Each week a selection of the farm's bounty.  Each week a great variety of amazingly fresh local food.  Each week a sampling of exactly that which is in season. 

Just one week remains.  I know that as I sweep the porch after the last box is picked up next week, I'll also have to sweep away the great denial I have about the growing season really coming to an end.  And about the trucked-thousands-of-miles lifeless selection of 'fresh' vegetables that will grace my plate in the months ahead.  And about the very long winter that is right around the corner.