Walkie Talkie Doll

Walkie Talkie dolls were all the rage in the 1960’s. My one special present was a gift from my parents.

Adorned in meticulously stitched garments made by my mother she had something for every occasion. She was my cherished companion and I still have her.

She is in great condition after 60+ years, just a few tiny cracks and stiffer joints than she used to have. (Sounds like me.)

When I had my long hair cut, my doll received a new hairdo, a lasting reminder of the colour of my hair. I could brush it and style it. She can still walk and sleep but sadly has lost her voice.

She serves as a reminder of the beauty and wonder that can be found in the simplest of companionships, and the enduring magic of childhood imagination.

A Floral Symphony

I embarked on a journey of embroidering on spheres with flowers. The process involved felting, stitching and sewing. The daisy is a universal symbol of happiness, as well as a symbol of life, and that has been my beginning. As a visual artist and florist I love the intricate beauty of flowers and the profound connection they offer to the cycle of life.

There is more to create, a sanctuary where happiness can bloom.

Our Family

My heartfelt journey to bridge the gap between generations, leaving an indelible mark on the pages of family history.

Through these unique handmade books, I have embarked on a quest - 12 books in total so far. These volumes tell a story of love, dedication, and an unyielding commitment to family.

In a world where distance and circumstance can keep families apart, these books serve as a living testament to the strength of family bonds. They are more than just collections of pages; they are portals to the past, gateways to the future.

I want my grandson to know that he is part of something special, something bigger than himself. These books are my way of ensuring that he knows his family, even if we haven’t been allowed to be part of his life.

In the pages of these books, the story of our family unfolds—a family determined to ensure that our history remains alive for Joseph.

Some pages are adorned with intricate paintings and drawings, capturing the essence of family adventures. Others display fading photographs, faces of ancestors, and places that hold the secrets of generations past. A treasured guest page from his late Grandfather whom he called Boompa.

There are writings that convey wisdom, values, and lessons learned. And throughout, there are thoughts and reflections, all dedicated to my grandson Joseph.

Eye of a Needle

In 2022 I took up the challenge of hand stitching an icon a day for a year. That's 365 icons, many more threading the tiny eye of a needle.

It's been a lot of fun and along the way I have learnt a few things. I decided it would be full of happiness, things I had done, people who interacted, my garden and of course my cat Bizzel is there too. When I look at it now it is colourful, cheerful and full of memories.

I used a 10inch hoop.  Would use a 12 inch if I did it again as small icons are hard to get detail. The wedges for each month are small so detail is difficult.

Keeping a drawing and story of each icon was invaluable in catching up

Always having needle threaded and embroidery handy to just pick up and do.

I decided in February to make the icons all face the same way so the finished piece when framed didn’t need turning to view.

December 31st has a happy face icon as I finished what was a challenge. In New Zealand we are the first in the world to see the New Year in. 2023 a new project underway.

So many happy memories tied up in stitch.

Tiny Scraps

Do you have leftover pieces of paper and fabric?

They can be made into something unique and special to you.

Start saving the offcuts of anything you use. Its a rather nice way of remembering snippets of what you have made, sold or given away.

Recently I tutored a group to teach them how. It was a fun day of ripping, glueing and of course chat.

The finished collage can be photocopied and used for pages or book covers many times over.

Lucky Dip

What is a lucky dip? The Keirunga Book Arts group had brief instructions.

A game in which small prizes are concealed in a container and chosen at random by participants.

Now my ‘prize,' was the words peach and light blue.

Some small black safety pins and an adjective ‘Colourful,’ to be used somewhere in 3 books of 6 pages.

That got me thinking.

Colourful was no problem as I have often had that label. Safety pins I could accomodate but the thing that was missing was a theme.

It made me realise that the work I create starts with a title and things just follow along as I create with no plan at all.

After weeks of thought I decided on a topic that I know a lot about, children.

I had been a teacher for 25 years and that included from 5 year olds to teenagers and I had learnt the stages of my era.

I have always loved children's art so made my own colourful childlike portraits as a beginning.

My progress is in pictures. Not quite completed with a container but I have plans for the fabric I made.

Spine

Your spine is your bodies central support structure. At some stage in life everyone needs support. The spine that helps you get through.

Determination, character and courage. Having a backbone in life needs willpower to achieve and accomplish.

Book spines are a bit like people. They can be supportive, all shapes and sizes or limp.

Some of my handmade books.

Buttons

Buttons have a special place in my world. 
My mother was a milliner and a great sewer too, so any garment needed just the right button.

She had the best button box. Sometimes we were allowed to play with it. It was a heavy wooden box housed down in the tall, hall cupboard. 

To me it was magic. Brass, leather, fabric, shell and even handmade ones. You could sort by colour, style or just count. 

One day she had a clean out and it went to the dump. She regretted it for the rest of her life. 

When I got married I decided to make one. Mine was a rectangular handcrafted and larger than her square one. 

It brings me a lot of pleasure to rummage through to find a suitable adornment or fastener for something I’m making. 

In my own handknit business I made matching buttons and baked them in the oven. A kitchen has many uses when you are a maker.

A Place of Happiness

“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.” Gertrude Jekyll

Spring in my garden is over and has it displayed some beautiful flowers. Later rain than usual has fed their feet and brought many happen moments enjoying the scene.

The bees have been busy and I love that they fly in and fertilise my tomatoes, cucumbers, beans.

The blue sage flowers have been humming with activity. 

Sometimes my garden is very unruly. The birds feed and bring seeds of all sorts. Some useful some not. I believe if a plant seeds, it can grow.  I have a different view on weeds.

There is no colour matching to my garden.  Whatever lives is allowed. Consequently it’s sometimes a source of mystery as to what might come up this year. 

It’s also full of memories. Gifts of iris’s, snowdrops, roses, lachenalia, hostas, cinerarias, lilies, all make for a year of memories. 

Somehow when the lawns are mowed everything looks neat and tidy. 

I recommend a garden to work in, sit in and watch nature grow and flourish. 

Brooklyn Art Library

The digital world is a constant but Brooklyn Art Library has both. You can create a book and it will be digitised for others to see anywhere in the world. It also has a physical form where people can touch and read the books creatives have made.

It was a fun process to fill the 27 pages. I rebound the book and gave it a spine as it started yawning. I’m not against yawning books. I have made a few myself as they get fatter with collage additions.

“Wearing Out” is available to view online.

https://www.sketchbookproject.com/library/S2628949

Flip through the pages and leave a comment if you can or click favourite so I know you’ve seen it.

Junk Journal

What is the purpose of a junk journal?

It can be anything you turn it into. As I enjoy bookbinding I'm stitching my own book.

Over the years I have kept ephemera so have plenty of supplies for gluing in collage, old drawings, memorabilia, old books and photos.

I have often been told I can't draw so I’m using it to doodle and paint in. My skills are improving and I’ve found I like using a fine black ink pen. I'm on a junk journal journey so who knows what it will turn out like. I’ll keep you posted.

Who's up for a Challenge?

Me.

I took on the task of embroidering a “Puzzle."

The outline is done first with double cross stitch and then all the shapes filled in with whatever stitches and colours you choose. As I’m new to embroidery I chose the colours I had most of.

Cream, variegated cream and fawn, white and brown.

I darted all over the place filling in random shapes. It was fun to pick up and complete a small square.

At the end I added the lighter green as felt it needed that with some black and sparkly thread I bought.

This way it became more balanced with the colours spread out. I’m not one to plan a process. I make it up as I go.

The sparkly threads don’t show up well in the photo but in real life they dance across the canvas.

Sheaf stitch, Amadeus,sprats head, triangles, diamonds, Rhodes, Jessica’s, eyelets, smyrna’s, double cross stitch have now been handed to my vocabulary.

I used various thicknesses of thread from single DMC to Perle 8 and 5. Any thread works and can be layered for a special effect with texture.

The basic pattern can be found here but as I say I made up many other patterns.

https://www.stitchers-paradise.com/Canvas_Embroidery/JHI/JeanHiltonBooks.html

Small Treasures

Birds have always fascinated me. In my garden there are 4 bird baths. I have frequent visitors to them.

Their nest weaving is an exquisite creation. So much intricacy. I have a collection of fallen nests. The materials used are amazing. My latest find is a wax-eyes nest with its filigree weaving. It has a small piece of plastic woven in it. Sadly a sign of the times and available material.

My most prized nest is a goldfinch with its delicately lined inner of what looks like thistle down.

All are such clever birds.

Start at the Second Page

Bookmaking has its challenges. After spending time cutting pages, stitching a cover and binding that bundle, the first page often poses fear and anxiety.

What if I make a mistake?

I don’t really know what to write?

Shall I just leave the book blank?

This blank page is daunting.

Start at the second page. A quote is always a good way to start as someones else's words can give you inspiration.

Randomly paint a few pages.

Colour on a page can give you objects or patterns that you can make out. It's called pareidolia. Just like we see the ‘man in the moon.’ In some dyed paper I saw a blue splodge as an eye and so embroidered a few stitches.
Give things a go. There are no mistakes.

Joseph Books

I last blogged about the Joseph Books I make on 27 August 2018.

I’m still making them and every page is filled with memories for Joseph my Grandson. One day he will be able to read about me and all his family who love him dearly. He lives in Cape Town but we are still denied contact.

I write in them, draw in them, glue photos in them and hope that one day he will treasure this insight to the other half of who he is. He was 11 last month.

Today I chose ladybird paper as I love the outdoors and I see many of them while gardening. The other cover is shells. New Zealand has many shells and I love the beach.

Happy reading Joseph.

Exhibitions

Entering an art competition for the first time is daunting. Your work is judged and your soul faces interrogation. Rejection and vulnerability is always on the cards.

There are many things to be learnt from entering though. Your confidence grows, you gain more inspiration, you evaluate your work and your portfolio is updated.

It takes time and thought but the satisfaction and joy of putting your art out there is rewarding.

You never know what the judges are looking for or how your work will contribute to a cohesive exhibition but entering is worth it for your own development.

My work is a bit different and weird.

Being selected for Changing Threads in Nelson in 2014 was a thrill but came with some anxious moments. How do you ship a work that is 6 feet by 7 feet? I hadn’t thought that through when I entered. A quick call to a friendly builder and ‘Gladys’ was created. A rather coffin like box that fitted in everything including detailed instructions of how to put it together.

This year being selected again has made my year.

Give entering an exhibition a go.

Invisible Threads

Every year Nelson showcases the Changing Threads National Contemporary Textile Art Awards. It is organised by Arts Council Nelson and held in the fabulous new Refinery on Hardy Street.

I entered my artwork 'Invisible Threads' and was thrilled to be a finalist and attend the opening.

The exhibition runs until 20 March 2021

"The scars tell the story and the stitches replace the words.

The emotional scars of surgery, the fear and the bad memories all remain invisible.

It’s about survival and strength, the mending and knitting together to build a relationship with art.”

The exhibition runs till 20 March 2021