Patty Van Dorin

cluck

 
The fabric book I am working on right now. I have no idea where it is going or how I am going to bind each single page. I am just kind of winging it...
 
These fabric transfers of hens and eggs have been sitting in my studio for a very long time. The same with the neon and bright little fabric samples.

 
All of the pages are assembled with hand stitching and then embellished with more stitching and a bit of beading.

More to follow soon.

I added a new category over in the right column called "currently reading".  Are you reading something good right now? Something old or something new, post a comment or email. I love reading a book as much as I like making books.

Belle de Crecy

 
Belle de Crecy
a member of the Gallica family
but appears more like a China-Gallica hybrid
forms a nice arching shrub about 5 feet and sends runners
3" blooms are a cerise pink that turn a smokey violet as blooms age
strong old rose scent
a David Austin recommended rose
in my garden the aphids have a love affair with this rose
they are easily controlled and this rose is worth the little extra effort
probably one of the best of the Gallicas

 
a little later today, a bit more open

longboards

 
up early for a morning swim and stayed to watch the longboards

I have got to get me one of these

 

little gypsy mice

 right now, I love drawing little mice in overalls
 
a wild rose that I started from a cutting
I call it Fang
no explanation needed
the leaves have a strong pine scent

how to fill a sketchbook

 

 
 step one - take a picture
step two - blog about it
step three - sketch it

it doesn't have to be great, it doesn't have to be detailed
just sketch it
sketch out the little things that make up your day
give it 5 minutes every day

and soon you will have a filled sketchbook
 

optinal step four - blog about the sketch of the previous days blog post

antebellum white

 
white antebellum rose
a found rose that I have not been able to figure out it's name
I started this rose from a small cutting I took from an abandoned house
a nice little climber with small 2 inch blooms in clusters of 10 to 20
it blooms continuously in pom pom type clusters
little fragrance but it is one of my favorites
this rose speaks of antebellum debutante balls and mint juleps
a rose of hopeless romantics

part three: when I drag other peoples junk home

After I cut the covers off books, I am left with quite a few book guts. These pages can be taken to the paper recycle bin.  I keep a stack of book pages on my studio table. After a project is finished and I have left over paint, I spread the paint over the book pages that I have set aside. Since I keep them on my table it doesn't take any though or searching. It's all quite handy.
 
The pages are a good place to put spread paint that has become thick or a color you don't use as much. I will even dump old nail polish on the pages as I am not particular about types of paint. I don't mix wet oils and wet acrylic. Once the layer is dry, I will spread any kind of paint over the dry layer. Sometimes it flakes and peels but that can even add to the character of the junk paint paper.
 
Set the pages aside to dry. Add more paint if desired. I like to stamp, spray paint and stencil on these papers. They are then perfect to use in a project or journal.
 
  
and you can even bind them back into a book to use as a journal
 
 

part two: when I drag other peoples junk home

You know those Readers Digest Condensed Books that seem to be everywhere. Those books that no one reads and can't seem to get rid of. Every thrift store has a quota that they are unable to sell. I think some places will even pay you to take them off their hands. You don't even have to look that hard, they will be next to the shelves of National Geographic.
 
Have you ever pulled off the dust jacket?  Well do try as the older ones from the 50's and 60's have very nice patterned book covers.
 
I like to use the covers to make sketchbooks. Using an utility knife cut off the cover. Make signatures from your choice of paper and bind with a coptic stitch. The guts of the book can then be taken to the paper recycle bin or come back tomorrow to see what I do with the pages from the inside of books that I cut covers off.
 
You will end up with a cheap sketchbook in paper that you like. A sketchbook or journal that isn't so precious that you are intimidated to work in it.

Plus it's a good green craft because we all know those books are heading to a landfill some day. I wonder who had the not so brilliant idea to condense books down to an abriviated edition of it's former self. But it goes to show what I know about publishing because these books are everywhere and were kept. I am willing to guess there is not a single place in the US where you can't find at least one stack of them that someone is trying to unload.

dumpster diving and when I drag others peoples junk home

It actually wasn't a true dumpster dive since the only effort involved was looking through a box of books set out to the curb for garbage pickup.
 
And I probably wouldn't have stopped had it not been for the tattered little book on the top.  Well worn books make my heart skip a beat.
 
A lovely broken in 1827 edition of Byerly's Spelling Book.
 
A treasure in my estimation with pages that feel like a supple leather with just the right amount of foxing.
 
Makes me wonder why it was tossed out with the Readers Digest Condensed Books. No matter as this book has found a new home. If I ever find my scanner (still unpacking), I will get some pages from the book up on my blog for download.

And tomorrow, I will show you what I am going to do with a couple of those old Readers Digest Books that were also in the box.

color palette

 
kind of like Christmas in April

currently blooming - bottlebrush tree