Monday 31 December 2012

Day 57: Party like it's 1912


You're probably thinking that the photographs look a little similar, besides how the surface looks. They are indeed the same photograph, just edited differently to look older and older. My personal favourites are the first and the last. One unchanged (other than lighting and shadow) and other drastically changed to look like the photograph may have been of a relative from a hundred years ago. 

Before I continue, I'd like to say... Happy New Year! My brother and I discussed that it's quite arbitrary to put the end of the year and beginning of the new year in January. Personally, I think having it around one of the Solstices would make more sense. Nonetheless... Happy New Year! Just a few hours and it will be 2013. Can you believe it? 

Today, I spent the last day of the year by running errands and going to a thrift store. A friend and I met up and went to Value Village. I picked up a couple of ceramic and glass dishes for melting and mixing waxes and essential oils (I'm so excited!) and I found a couple of neat things. I found a shirt and skirt combo for $10, and boy, is it a great one! It's very 1910s-1920s. Cream, with nice lace detailing, and a sailor style collar. I also found the coolest belt in the men's department. While I was planning to make something (and probably will before the day is out), I decided to deck out in fine clothing and set up a steampunk-esque/Victorian/Edwardian photo shoot, featuring the new garments. That is what I am wearing in the photographs. In addition to the top and skirt, I am wearing the corset and over skirt that I made last summer for my Autem outfit. For those not keeping score on my other blog, Autem is my 1864 Montana Territory-based steampunk character. Hers is a tragic story, but I am pleased with the clothing that I made for her. Oh, I miss Bannack.

I digress. 

Instead of actually making something, I decorated a corner of my bedroom with fabric and a couple of oddities, and created my own photo studio. The only reason it was really possible is because a while ago I had put one of those friction-grounded curtain rods. You know the ones that adjust to the size of the window and then its little rubber stoppers help to hold it in place? That's what is holding up the white eyelet fabric.

Oops, am I ruining the mystique? 

Any ways, I really enjoy doing things like this. I even donned make up to make myself paler and added red lipstick. I'd like to think that I look quite regal. Then again, apparently it is in my blood. Mind you, that is from 12th century and earlier, ranging from French Marquis to something involving Sanskrit regalia, and I'm still confused as to how it is. Still, I trust my grandfather's research, as well as genetic testing, and I like the idea of everything he tells. 

And, again, that doesn't really have anything to do with anything. 

Or... Does it?!

Nonetheless, Happy New Year. May this year of 1913... I mean... 2013... be everything that you hope. May it be full of love, wishes coming true, success, and all other aspects of positivity that helps make you all that you can be. See you next year!

Sunday 30 December 2012

Day 56: Medical Corset


Back in Calgary. I miss dogs and the prairie already. Nonetheless, I'm back to work at the sewing machine. Thus far, I've made the majority of a corset. It is medical corset inspired, and I'm having a bit of trouble with the back, but it's going pretty well. I have a specific back in mine. One that uses elastic. This makes it a little bit more complicated. Otherwise it's going really well, and it's the first corset I've made that uses steel ribbing. Thanks Santa for the ribbing! 


Also, it's a pattern that I made myself. Skill! I'm planning to finish it tomorrow, and then try making a dress. Maybe. I'm just really itching to try out the patterns in a dress making book that my Mum gave me for Christmas. I have such a great family!

Saturday 29 December 2012

Day 55: A lovely day out

A friend of mine invited me to her studio to have an art day. With tea, of course. I went there today, and we spent a few hours drawing and making art dolls. She has the most exquisite taste in music, as well as tea, and it was just a nice quiet afternoon. It's really nice to just hang out with someone, and just be able to be in each others' presence and creative atmosphere. Also, her studio is just a nice space.

I did make the body for an art doll, but I didn't take any photographs. Instead, here is a picture of my socks.

I didn't make them. I just like them. That is all.

Friday 28 December 2012

Day 54: Tired

Today I was really tired and sore. From the wood cutting yesterday. I also went to bed really early, and this time it caught up with me. I got up at 10:30, and still I was exhausted and almost fell asleep at the breakfast table. Due to my being tired, I wasn't terribly motivated. I wanted to attempt this recipe for small tea cakes with orange-scented butter cream. However, it seemed like more work than I wanted to do. Instead, I took the idea of infusing butter with Earl Grey tea (my favourite!). I made icing with said tea infused butter. It tastes really good. I used the icing to put on top of brown sugar cookies. I have come to swear by the recipe, and it seemed like a good idea to put tea flavoured icing on top instead of just browned butter icing.

Spent Earl Grey teabags used to infuse butter. I don't drink Earl Grey from bags, so this was a good use.

Day 53: Ooops... Late

Okay, I'm posting this really late. I was going to do it last night, but I forgot after I learned that I had messed up my schedule in thinking that the first Friday of January was the fifth. WRONG. It's amazing how much difference the mix up of one day can make. Any ways... hopefully that's solved, but I'm still unhappy about it.

I didn't do a lot yesterday, because I had been helping cut and move wood all day. A cord of wood. That is a lot of logs. My brother and I started before everyone else, so we were out there the longest (about five hours). A lot of work, but we managed to get it all done before sun down. I am now really sore, and have a mysterious bruise on my arm. Needless to say, I didn't get a lot done creative wise.

However, I did finish the first layer of Marie Antoinette's clothing. Everything is made from found or recycle materials, and modelled after 18th century clothing. I tried to stick to colours that she wore, as well as styles. However, these are the undergarments, and I'm taking a lot of creative liberties, so it is a bit different from true Marie Antoinette. But then again, Marie Antoinette was not pink haired with words on her chest. 

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Day 52: Hats and Heads


For a while, my mum and I have been planning to a photo shoot where a table is set it items belonging to grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and great-great-grandmothers. The idea arose from my mother's idea to have her nana's hats be arranged on a table as food, such as on plates and on cake stands. Today, we did it. We arranged the table with jewelry, coats, hats, gloves. The photos are quite interesting, and I think some day it would be neat to have something like it arranged in an actual gallery space. 

I also started my second art doll. This one is Marie Antoinette, whom is a historical figure that I have a weird obsession with. I've been wanting to do some 18th century French Aristocracy artwork for a while, and what better place to start than with the penultimate symbol of the era, Marie Antoinette. 


I still need to make her garments and adornments (I'm planning to stitch some tiny feathers and pearls into her hair), but so far I'm really pleased. I returned to my roots of stuffing dolls with spices (I love potpourris. I'm planning to make some for my house, and I have now become interested in maybe attempting to make my own perfumed things. Mostly because the blends of scents that I like do not exist as commercial items. Um... I digress.). This doll is stuffed with orange- and lemon zest, Earl Grey loose tea (to get the smell of bergamot, as well as the other scents involved), and rosemary. I basically researched the scents used by the 18th century French aristocracies and courts, to get a similar scent. I actually really like it, because with the tea, it smells so nice and woodsy. The doll is embroidered with the phrase which is famously attached to Marie Antoinette, yet a phrase that she likely never said. Nonetheless.. famously attached. Finally, she is beheaded (of course). The doll is an abstraction of Marie Antoinette, which is why it's white and pale pink. Though I have to determine what colour to make her dress. Probably pale blue, since that's what she's depicted as wearing, though I want to use brighter and bolder and non-18th century colours. 

I like history. History is interesting.

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Day 51: Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas to all! If you don't celebrate the holiday, I still hope that you had a wonderful winter-y day! I'm hastily writing this before supper. I didn't do much today, because it was Christmas (which is way more fun), and I'm exhausted because I've had insomnia recently. Not fun.

Basically, my mum gave me a gopher skull (cool! I love rodent skulls), and I decided to draw it. I paired it with a verse of a poem that I stumbled upon in a 1914 grade school book. La la la... that's it.


Isn't it beautiful! Natural death and everything!

Monday 24 December 2012

Day 50: Christmas Eve


Happy Christmas Eve! Today I was actually productive as far as making things. First, I made a backup copy of Twas A Night Before Christmas (I printed copy off of gutenberg.org and bound the pages using the Japanese-style technique), since we were worried that we had lost our traditional copy. Later, I entered into an amazing project that made me feel really proud and happy to be working on it. It's taken me several hours, and I'm still working on the outfit and adornments, but thus far...

Jacob Marley! Of the infamous tale by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. In case you're unfamiliar with the story (but seriously, how can anyone be unfamiliar with A Christmas Carol?), Jacob Marley is Ebenezer Scrooge's dead partner, who is the first ghost to visit him, in an attempt to change his ways. This year has been the year of Charles Dickens, and I've been enjoying it quite a bit. I read the original story of A Christmas Carol, and learned that all of the film and play adaptations have been incredibly true to the short story. But oh my... Dickens' descriptions are wonderful. They cause utter yearning for food and light and Christmas-y surroundings of all kinds.

And so, Charles Dickens was my influence to create an art doll for Jacob Marley. Marley has always been my favourite part of the story. I like A Christmas Carol in its entirety (in fact, I love it. Ever since seeing the stage play, I've been in love. Incidentally, their depiction of Jacob Marley was what caused me to love it), but Jacob Marley... Wow! I'm thinking about doing art dolls for the other ghosts, but for now... Marley.

The body is made out of vintage linen, and embroidered with cotton thread. His hair is a mixture of colours, his face is fully embroidered and stitched in such a way that it makes contours and scrunched gauntness. His body is embroidered with the famous phrase 'I wear the chain I forged in life'. The scarf around his neck is a piece of aged lace, which acts as an ascot. His jacket and outfit are still in progress, but those will definitely be weighed down with chains and all of the ghostly forged metal. This doll is influenced by the 1951 film adaptation, the book itself, and the Franklin Exhibition mummies. 



Only one more sleep until Christmas day!

Sunday 23 December 2012

Day 49: Knitting


Ah, the holidays! Fun movies, 3+ hour long feasts full of delicious food and good conversation, dogs sleeping under Christmas trees... And everything just makes me even more excited that it is now Christmas Eve day! I was a little late posting today because my family watched Arthur's Christmas, which was terribly lovely and entertaining. During this, I decided to try my hand at knitting with circle needles. When I finish this, it will probably be a headband or something. We'll see. The circle needles were a little bit big to be leg warmers like I'd hoped, but it will be a start as far as practice goes. I hope to eventually knit socks. Of course, I should probably just buy socks, since I will never actually get around to learning how to knit socks. I'm really not that motivated when it comes to learning knitting techniques, even though I really want to. I mean, I haven't even learned how to purl yet. What kind of madness is that?
Ooooh I'm so excited for Christmas!

Saturday 22 December 2012

Day 48: I made a fire

Today was busy busy busy. I was helping my mum get the house ready for the arrival of my siblings and those sort people, and then I made a chocolate cake for our mighty welcome home feast tomorrow. Not much creativity today... if any. However, I did successful build, start, and maintain a toasty blaze in our fireplace. This prompted me to create this cheery holiday greeting-
Consider this your paperless and heartfelt Christmas card.

There. The first official Christmas greeting I've made and posted to Facebook. I'm amaaazing. Fortunately, the fire has already pleased my family, and one of our dogs has already had her fill of laying in front of the fireplace.

This dog has it pretty good.

Friday 21 December 2012

Day 47: The End of the World

 
Today is December 21st 2012. According to many, the world is going to end today. A lot of people exclaimed that midnight that the world didn't end, but that's a whole 24 hours of potential world-ending time. Even though I never believed the world to end, I decided to keep a book all day. Every hour I wrote down whatever I thought of. Now, if the world does end in the next two hours, thirty four minutes, and however many seconds, a collection of thoughts will be left behind as documentation.

I've been thinking about end of the world prophesies, and how they are not well thought out. How do end of the world prophesies factor in time zones? Does the world end earlier in the Eastern hemisphere where it already 12+ hours ahead, and the Western hemisphere has to wait to catch up? What if the end of the world prophecy didn't factor in daylight savings? People should ask more questions before wishing the world away.

Thursday 20 December 2012

Day 46: Grimm's Fairy Tales

Today was a great landmark for fairy tale lovers. December 20th 2012 marked the 200th anniversary of the fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. In honour of this, I did a photo shoot. Before you see the photos, I will say a couple of things. First, snow is cold on bare feet. It might seem like a grand idea to have bare feet in a wintery photo shoot, but it's not practical. Secondly, even when it's nice out, a winter coat is a welcome source of warmth. Yes, I went outside to take this photos in the winter. It was really nice out, but even then it can get a little chilly. I had this great idea of having bare feet, but I quickly gave up on it when I saw that you can barely tell in the image. Another time, perhaps!

These photos are inspired by Red Riding Hood and Snow White. Also Snow White & Rose Red, which is one of my absolute favourites in the way of fairy tales. I would like to mention the things that went into the wardrobe for the photographs. Borrowed silky warm red scarf, a white rabbit fur muff, a 19th century beaded and embroidered mesh shawl, vintage leather gloves, a vintage fur collar, a replica flintlock pistol. All put together with some black garments to create something that I quite like. Though the Snow White photographs hardly relate to Snow White or share a similarity. Still, it is what inspired it. Mostly the evil queen, to be honest. Still, some Snow White-ness shines through. 


 


I'd like to do more like this. By the way, I think I could make a great model. My reasoning is mostly because I already put myself through silly things like taking photographs in the winter without a coat and laying down on the snow. Fun times! Just... not practical.

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Day 45: In which I return to a normal blogging schedule

After my two night holiday in Saskatoon, I am back home and back to some type of schedule. I'm kind of tired, so I won't be doing anything of the cleverest creativity. However, today we picked up this box full of unwanted doilies and lace from a thrift store, and my mum and I had a ball going it through it. My mum had asked the thrift store to set aside any lace things that could not be sold due to damages. The box is a banker box size, full of things that would look flawless until you take a really close look.

ALL OF THE LACE!
Some are really interesting pieces. My favourite is this really weird one that doesn't make any sense. My mother described it as 'a happy disaster'.


This had been a pattern for those covers that you put on back and arms of an armchair, so that you can protect it. The fabric was printed in spots, so that colour would show up after you embroidered it. It apparently also had all of the lines for where to cut. This person had embroidered EVERYTHING, including the pattern number (chair set no. 530), and all of the cut lines. Strange... furthermore curious that they embroidered a full flower in between two sections, and over top of where they had already embroidered one of the 'chair set no. 530'.

Day 44: Tuesday

Tuesday, the 18th of December. Nothing creative was done, besides more writing. It was a nice day spent with family, and we went to the Western Development Museum. I took photos in two places. I took said photographs with my phone, which was a bit of a process in itself. Why did I do such a thing? Well, I forgot my actual camera at home. Necessity is the mother of creativity, I suppose.

 

The one to the left is me being super stunned and excited over A TRAIN! ERMAGERD! The one to the right is the inside of a turn-of-the-last-century city tram from Saskatoon. It was spooky. Ghosts!

One week until Christmas!

Day 43: Monday

As you know, I was off on my travels, and now, I have returned. Now, to catch up with the days. First- Monday the 17th.


When I'm away from home, I can't offer much in the way of creativity. However, I did write quite a bit. It is definitely a form of creativity, and I feel really productive when I write. Especially when I write in my decomposition notebook. It's a great type of notebook- check it out if you can. Recycled materials,too.

Sunday 16 December 2012

Day 42: Cookies!


I like baking, and recently I've taken to always trying new recipes. Admittedly, I also made cookies yesterday (Greek honey cookies- very good), but they were for our Church's 'bachelor boxes', and I forgot to take photos. I also made pudding today, but it was consumed long before I thought about writing a blog featuring it. And thus... I am going to attempt at making you salivate over these delicious brown sugar cookies. I had found the recipe on Pinterest quite a while ago, but only now did I try them. And boy... gooood cookies. Even without icing they're phenomenal. Fresh out of the oven, they're light and spongy, and so nice. I didn't have enough sour cream, so I used yoghurt and a bit of egg nog. Result is overall tastiness. I highly recommend the recipe, and it's super easy.

In other news, I'll be leaving for Saskatoon tomorrow morning, so I won't be posting again until Wednesday. Naturally, I'll keep up with my daily creativity, but none shall be revealed for a couple of days. 

Saturday 15 December 2012

Day 41: Winter Coat


This is a new-old winter coat that a friend of the family (and friend of mine) gave me. It's such a great coat. Hemp, recycled polyester with a weird printed pattern on it, faux fur trimmed hood, goose down, and all around a cool military look about it. It's really cozy and I like it quite a bit (though I enjoy my wool pea coat just as much and will continue to be faithful to it). While taking my dogs on a nice long walk, I decided to model it, only in a way that looks dead serious. I've had this thing about American Gothic recently, and the idea of looking dead serious in any given situation, especially those when you should be delighted.

What a faithful dog. Don't worry, he got lots of  pats after this, and didn't
seem at all concerned by my serious demeanour.
I also edited the photos to look old and quirky, as an homage to the fact that I had been taking several photographs with my lomography fisheye camera. I also managed to get this weird candid photo:


Look at us, the three prairie walking musketeers! Oh, fun note- see that little bit of greenish-brown boot at the bottom of the photo? That is legit ranch wear. The interesting fleece lined galosh-winter boot hybrid. They're great, for real.

Friday 14 December 2012

Day 40: O Tannenbaum


Home at last! After taking the bus, my parents picked me up and I was able to help decorate our tree. I really do adore everything about Christmas. The food, the music, the joy and celebration. Everything is so bright and cheerful, and I'm always so happy to be with my family. And so... Here are parts of our beautiful tree! 



Thursday 13 December 2012

Day 39: A vlog?!


Whoa! Instead of writing a blog I recorded a vlog? And yes, in the video I say that I'm not a vlogger, not blogger. Just clarifying, since on the video vlogger sounds like blogger. Also as promised in this drastic twist of events, I have included a couple of songs that could be blamed for why I chose to add clapping, or doing an a capella version in general. Though beyond that, mine song and their songs have no relation whatsoever. That I can tell...




All of these musicians inspire me. I haven't listened to much of Son House other than the song posted, but it's just brilliant. The last video is by a friend of mine, and she's wonderfully talented. I suggest checking her out.

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Day 38: Exquisite Corpse

 
A brief project with a friend of mine. It seemed like a good idea to do something extremely different, collaborative, and traditional. This is a drawing project or exercise called the exquisite corpse. Basically, two people draw a figure, not knowing what the previous person has drawn. They can only match it up using notches that end the previous lines. The paper is folded while being drawn, and at the end, you unfold it to reveal a very curious creature. We made two. The one to the right is my favourite, but both just work well. 

Off to wild adventures on the morrow! But first... sleep.

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Day 37: My collection


 

In my bedroom, I have a lot of small things that would make a lot of people question what kind of person I am. It seems that I surround myself with strange objects because they inspire and captivate me. They allow me to explore a million hypothetical stories. The photos above don't even cover all of the things in my room.

I didn't make anything today. I finished painting the blackened baby doll (it's still a work in progress I think, but it was my first attempt at making a demonic scary messed up baby doll). However, I think that my rearranging my prized possessions is a creative process in itself. It also prompted a great deal of writing, and even more ideas.

Monday 10 December 2012

Day 36: Forgery!


I really wasn't sure what to make, and I didn't even really feel like making anything,  other than practising suture stitches on my pants. 

Lock-stitch suture. Boom.
Still, I convinced myself to sit down, and start a mummified finger. It's a forgery, obviously (or is it?) but making things like this are one thing I'm good at. They're fun to make.

 

Sunday 9 December 2012

Day 35: Fleas and sutures


I can't say that I really did anything extremely creative today, but I did make some interesting finds. I also had a reflective day, full of powerful conversation and thought-invoking ideas. All in all a good Sunday. A friend of mine and I went to the Hillhurst Flea Market, and the result was an antique that I've been wanting for ages. A straight razor! I've been eyeing a few for a while, but they're on Etsy and really expensive. This one is estimated to be circle 1910s-20s, and came with a handmade leather case. It's so beautiful, and was only $20, which decent for any straight razor from any given time period. The man who sold it to me also tossed in this photograph that I fell in love with. Isn't it odd how I can be absolutely enchanted with the image in the photograph.

In other news, one thing that I've been working on is learning how to make sutures. Recently I was reintroduced to the opportunity to follow a career path that has been in and out and in of my mind since I was 12 or so years old. Since I can't do it  yet (due to the fact that I need to finish my BFA), I am preparing by doing lots of reading and learning how to do various types of sutures. This is also allowing me to follow a form of Laura Flook inspiration, only in reverse order.

Even if I didn't make anything, life is really good right now.