Assemblage - Component of the month (Art Elements)

For the component of the month at Art Elements, we got wonderful runes made out of bronze by Niky Sayers. The one I got was strength.

She also send a note with all the different meanings: Strength, sacrifical, animal, the Aurochs (bos primigenius) species of wild  ox

It took me a while to decide what to create with it. Also I got a really bad cold, some hardcore drugs with heavy side effects and was "out-of-order" for about two weeks, so also not the best starting point.

But there comes my wonderful/horrorful work table with so much stuff lying around. There is an order from time to time but I am not the one to keep that during creation... or when I only have limited time available, I prefer to use it for creating and not sorting.

This time it was a blessing because in one of the boxes were a lot of book covers I made last year (I showed you them over at Art Elements here). I took the rune and hold it against different book covers until I settled for the ones covered in dark brown leather (it was too thick for book binding but I still like it!).

Then I had a look what else was lying around me and started to create an assemblage of mixed materials to put on the front cover. So no way you can put this little book in a shelf but as an art book, it was never meant to be!

So, there is a branch with roots I found in the park and had to take with me, wonderful snail shells as well as broken shell pieces from Formentera, a hand I made with polymer clay (yes, body parts are also lying around ;) ), tiny semi-precious stones, and then some mixed media kind of paints I made myself (there will be more about this soon over at Art Elements):

I used some wonderful brownish/grayish sketch paper to sew the leaflets (110g/m2) and glued it in with a wonderful green paper with golden dots. Sadly it was too thin even though it didn't appear so.

Last but not least I attached a bone game pieces I got from a secret santa. I made the dangles in the "Use your stash" challenge at Art Elements and was not sure for what to use it. My ideas were earrings or necklace but Jenny (also at Art Elements, see below for her blog!) gave me idea to use it with a book. Thanks again for the idea! You see, I used it :)

And Niky, thank you so much for such a wonderful component that challenged me in the best way!
Please have a look what all the other participants made with Nikys runes.

Guests:

Kelly Rodgers

Deb Fortin

Art Element Members:

Laney Mead

Lesley Watt

Caroline Dewison

Jenny Davies-Reazor

Susan Kennedy

Cathy Spivey Mendola

Jennifer Stout Cameron

Claire Fabian (you are here)

Lindsay M Starr

Niky Sayers

On my worktable.... body parts again!

Since I seem to start more new projects than being able to finish them... again a blog post about what is on my work table right now. Oh, I am okay with all the projects since the main reason to create is to "keep me sane". If I have an idea, I try to follow it. Sometimes there is not enough energy left in me (the beginning of the dark time of the year makes this always worse) but at other times my head is overflowing of ideas and images. 

I made a little comic style skull again. The last ones I made at the same time of the year in 2012. Still love them! I also had this etched piece of brass lying around and decided they would go perfect together. This kind of ideas just develop in the total chaos that is surrounding me ;) But really, I have to see everything to keep my brain working. Still not sure how some kind of order with this desire to have everything in sight may ever be combined. I am open for every idea!

The brass piece still has to be sanded (I love gently and smooth edges!), pickled, and oxidized and sanded again... and before all this maybe solder some prongs to hold the skull. That was also the reason why I stopped working on it. Soldering... would take to much time to set up everything. Next week is full with work even in the evenings (one symposium, one conference and guests from Korea at the  institute) as well as we have family staying with us the whole week. Did I mention the chaos...? ;)

The arm was first wrapped in a cut piece from a metal flower (these scrapbook "stuff") and wrapped it with copper wire. Will oxidize it for a darker look.

Last but not least: I got little felt balls from Tine (Belle et la Bête) and started to play with them. I stitched a little bit, put some seed beads on top and finished them off with bead caps. Still, not perfect but I do love them!

Just look at the bright colours and the beautiful shape!

They are really light weight. Not sure what to do with them... ;)

On my work table: Body parts...

I made some doll parts with a Staedler mold to be used as cabochons, earrings or pendants. Actually I won this new mold together with a fimo set to create different skin tones from Kellie at "Make it with me". Thank you again! Now I just have to start using them to create jewelery ;)