Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Textiles and Tea, cardboard carving, Billy and cherries

Yesterday's Textiles and Tea featured -- macrame! Not the plant hangers we all made way back, nor the bracelets we taught little kids to make. Take a look.









 He's a retired law professor, and though he says he sees the accuracy required here as similar to the accuracy and thoroughness of writing a brief, he also works freeform 

He doesn't plan his designs anywhere except in his mind, then lets the twine lead him -- I'm quoting.  These are about 18" - 30" across, depending on which board he sets them up on .  

Interestingly, he's been invited into a regional tapestry guild, because they see the similarities. It uses some of the knots and turns used in tapestry work. He's in weaving guilds too.

Meanwhile, cherry blossom just starting on the three patio bushes, so maybe this year I'll get fruit. Some years I get as many as a saucerful.


 Last year no blossom, so this is looking better.

And a beeping puppy play bowing next door, emitting sounds like a guinea pig -- meep, meep.

Meanwhile after a day off from carving on account of an encounter yesterday with the lavender bush, which got me in the eye while I was tipping the pot upright, I'm back. The eye was tearing and gritty feeling but no damage done, and today it's much better, emergency resolved 

So I was able to get back on this work and get a bit of progress. I need to wait till tomorrow for the next stage, because this really makes a person tired.

It needs a raking light to see it best, so here's a few attempts.




Seen here with her friends. Well, a handy thumbtack to use.


This often happens with my work, either black on black or white on white or all about texture needing a better camera. It's what the art wants. I'm just a helpless prawn here. Quite a pleased prawn though. 

This is a new skill. I had to learn to plunge the blade in to lift just the right amount of layers to expose the corrugations without going in too far and removing them. They're quite delicate. And they varied in adhesion in  different parts of the cardboard for some reason. 

Anyway I may be applying some of the tiny curly scraps I removed,  to form foliage on those trees in the mid ground. I'll try it tomorrow after the auto dealership trip.

And now Gary's installed the hallway light for me, and taken his puppy off to his granddaughter's dance class by special invitation. I got to play with Billy, the functional equivalent of cuddling a bundle of eels. Warm Puppy!

Happy day everyone, hope your lights are on in both senses.

You up for a puzzle?






29 comments:

  1. It amazes me that is the cardboard insert from the Misfits box. You did good! We are not going to see any blooming for awhile, so I'll just enjoy yours. BTW, LOVE what was done in front of the Russian Embassy.

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    1. The road painting was done on the first anniversary of the invasion.

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  2. That is definitely not your grandmother's macrame! I made a hanging plant holder once and that was as far as I wanted to take the art. But who knew that these sorts of pieces could be done with knots? Very lovely.
    Your cardboard piece is coming along. I can see the vision and how it is being created.
    I'm so glad you did not truly injure your eye. Luckily, they are fast healers, these eyes of ours.
    That pup is just a darling, shiny package of love.

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    1. I'm glad you can see the carving. It's a devil to photograph with a low level camera. I don't think I could carve around Billy the Pup!

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  3. I never knew that macrame could be done so creatively! I gave the puzzle a shot, but it fell on stony ground indeed.

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    1. If I'd seen it without a label I'd have been wondering what to call it.

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  4. Wow love the macramé. It’s so different and beautiful.
    Gardening can be lethal at times. Constant vigilance as a character from Harry Potter says
    Your cardboard carving is looking great can’t wait to see the final product. I’m sure it’s going to be magnificent
    Warm puppy cuddles are so good for the soul

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    1. The only consolation about getting lavender in my eye is that it's a healing plant! Ironic.

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  5. Two astonishments today (what one can do with knots!, and what one can do with corrugated cardboard!), one sympathy on the lavender jab, and a squeal of delight at BillyThePup.

    Chris from Boise

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    1. He's lovely! And the cardboard adventure is one I've had in mind for ages.

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  6. The “cuddling eels” image is a great one. It brought smiles!

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  7. Oh, I love the macrame sculptures. And your cardboard carving is very cool. I also love the peek at a different perspective of what appears to be a wall in your living room. Am I correct? Regardless, I love it. Going to go back a few posts and see what I need to get caught up on.

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    1. Yes, that's the back wall of the living room. Enjoy reading back!

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  8. Isn't it great to see old crafts re-imagined?
    Billy is a lovely pup. So sleek.
    The puzzle had me scratching my head - something about it reminded me of last century.

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  9. Today's post has provided two inspirations. Macramé definitely needs to be revisited (ideas for hardwearing floor mats are binging around in F's head), and that cardboard carving looks really rewarding.... something to try on a 'rainy day'.

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    1. The cardboard is the ultimate low-cost art. Corrugated cardboard, xacto knife, graphite stick to draw your design, design ideas. Go for it! The macrame also needs muscles, he said over 25 pounds equivalent of lift in every knot.

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  10. That was macrame on steroids … or something like that. 😎

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  11. I would never have recognized that as macrame. Remarkable! Billy the pup is adorable. Bravo on the cardboarding! (I think I just made up that word?)

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    1. I like the word! Billy has stolen my heart. Also that of Gary's daughter's Golden, who's bonkers about him, plays gently, lets Billy climb on him!

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  12. Now that's the sort of macrame I can like! Although I tried it back in the day and made some plant hangers I never was enamoured with it. This is a far more artistic form and much more interesting.
    I'm liking the cardboard art piece - to me it's reminiscent of some Asian paintings and I'm envisioning cherry blossoms on the trees (although that could be simply because they were talking about them on the news today)

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    1. Thank you for the observation on the art. Yes, it's a version of a Japanese vertical landscape, one of my favorite shapes. Well spotted.

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  13. Replies
    1. Isn't he great! I expect he revived all your puppy hunger.

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  14. just scrolling back, I didn't realize I had missed so many of your posts. the macrame work is fabulous. I'm very familiar with the half hitch. Used it a lot during my boating days and still in the yard, tying things up, a half hitch holds but is easy to undo.

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    1. It's a universally useful knot, beautiful as well as useful.

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