Wednesday 25 April 2012

Another Book?

I made these pieces following the instructions in Maggie Grey's new book mentioned in my previous post.    They are made by applying acrylic paint onto felt, then adding embossing powder and heating it, adding more embossing powder and more heat, then adding a third layer plus heat before pressing a stamp, or moulding mat into the molten powder.   I painted the impressions to tone with the cover of my book and like the way that they resemble ancient fragments of some sort of decoration.  I cut round the felt close to the embossed design and then went round the edges with a soldering iron, making one or two holes with the iron as well.
  I don't quite know what is happening with Blogger at the moment and seem to have no control over where my text is going.   Yes, I have used the alignment button and it still does it's own thing.
In order to integrate my fragments with their background, I placed each piece onto water soluble fabric and free machined all round it.   Having dissolved the fabric away, I will  attach each piece to the cover and may use water soluble paper casts to further integrate them.  I will have to hand stitch them in place as the covers are not flat and the sewing machine won't stitch properly on an undulating surface.
The colouring here is quite inaccurate and the machined edging tones very well with everything else and doesn't look as dark as it appears here. 


There are regular sessions of lettuce boiling going on at present.   A friend has told me that tadpoles like boiled lettuce and as there are so many of them and they are growing like mad, I am having to feed them daily.  Nothing fancy - just five minutes in simmering water.

You can see that there are dozens of the little blighters - when they have all grown into frogs I'll be rearing slugs to feed them all!  They have eaten nearly all the surface pond weed and are eating us out of house and lettuce.   They are in a deep cat- litter tray on the edge of our garden pond and we have to keep covering them during heavy downpours in case they overflow!   It's nearly time to clean them out again and I have to be very careful to whom I say:  'I must go and strain my tadpoles'!!   It's a two-man job requiring a large plastic tub or bucket, garden sieve and piece of muslin, and it's  impossible not to tip some of the silty gunge back into the clean water with the tadpoles when they are returned to their cat-litter tray.
I shall be very glad when they are safely reared and we can put them back into the pond to fend for themselves.

I have noticed that when posting photos onto my blog they are now in the right order instead of being reversed.   No longer will I have to chant my mantra: 'The first will be last and the last will be first'!!  

10 comments:

Ro Bruhn said...

Love your aged 'relics'. They look like metal. I hope your tadpoles survive and appreciate all you do for them, they are certainly pampered. Ours have to fend for themselves in the centres of the bromeliads.

The Bug said...

I always love your projects - I'm AMAZED at what you're able to create!

I can't wait to see your tadpoles turned into frogs. Although I must say that I'd rather boil lettuce than raise slugs!

Carol Q said...

ooh, I love what you've done here Heather. you've given me a reason to neeeeeed the book. lol. hope your tadpoles thrive and grow.

Anonymous said...

I have never known anyone take so much care of their tadpoles, you deserve a medal m'dear.

I like what you have made too.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hi Heather,
The embossed patterns do look like metal, amazing.
So many tadpoles, look forward to seeing all the frogs!

Jane said...

You are welcome to help yourself to some of our slugs, Heather - they keep sneaking in and getting into the cat's food bowl.

Diane said...

These pieces are absolutely beautiful.
:D

Jackie said...

Fussy little beggars! I think they should be grateful for what they get!
I once had some and gave them bacon. as I was cooking liver with it for tea I threw some of that in too. It fermented in the water and made them drunk and they were spinning furiously in the water teh next morning.
Thank you for your words of encouragement. Good luck!
Jackie

BT said...

Wow Heather, you are still doing such wonderful things. All that work - incredible. I had to laugh about your tadpoles, it read to me as though you were simmering them along with the lettuce! Isn't blogger just awful now? I've a good mind to change.

Linda Vincent said...

Tadpoles in a cat litter tray?!! Did I read it right? :-D
What a great 'mother' you are to them, Heather.
Love your embossed pieces.
XX