Archive for the ‘Nature’ Category

Book–Best Time to Plant a Tree

Tuesday, May 9th, 2023

Quote Used–The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.
The second best time is now.

The band is made of tree wrap, stamped with metallic silver paint. A magnet is bound into each end.

Plant a Tree

The numbers are code for the word–Plant.
Plant a Tree

Bound together two bits from a Brachychiton, one from a Japanese Maple, and one from a Canary Island Pine.
Plant a Tree

Japanese Maple Leaf
All leaves have a protective piece of tissue paper.

Plant a Tree

The Best Time
Plant a Tree

Brachychiton Leaf
Plant a Tree

To Plant
Plant a Tree

Canary Island Pine
Plant a Tree

A Tree Is
Plant a Tree

Japanese Maple
Plant a Tree

Twenty Years
Plant a Tree

Brachychiton Leaf
Plant a Tree

Ago.
Plant a Tree

Canary Island Pine
Plant a Tree

The Second
Plant a Tree

Japanese Maple
Plant a Tree

Best Time
Plant a Tree

Brachychiton Leaf
Plant a Tree

Is Now
Plant a Tree

Canary Island Pine
Plant a Tree

Code for a Period
Plant a Tree

Envelope for Notes
Plant a Tree

Materials–Monoprints, paper, tissue, tree wrap, fiber, plant bits.

Scale–7.5″ x 6.25″ x 2.5″


Book–Oak Sleeps

Saturday, May 6th, 2023

Quote–An oak sleeps in the acorn.

Oak Sleeps Cover

Oak Sleeps Front Cover Bound

Oak Sleeps Acorn

Oak Sleeps Acorn

Oak Sleeps Acorn

Oak Sleeps Cover, Code for Sleeps

Oak Sleeps Acorn

Oak Sleeps Back Cover

Oak Sleeps Cover Unbound

Oak Sleeps Front Cover Unbound

Oak Sleeps Page 1

Page 1, Code for the word An.

Oak Sleeps Page 2

Page 2, Code for the word Oak.

Oak Sleeps Page 3

Page 3, Code for the word Sleeps.

Oak Sleeps Page 4

Page 4, Code for the word In.

Oak Sleeps Page 5

Page 5, Code for the word The.

Oak Sleeps Page 6

Page 6, Code for the word Acorn.

Oak Sleeps Page 7

Page 7, Code for the symbol for a Period.

Oak Sleeps Page 8

Page 8, Envelope with notes on book.

Slip knot binding with linen thread that was hand waxed.

Slip Knot Binding

Slip Knot Binding

Materials–Monoprints, cardstock, tree wrap, fiber, acorn, ink, adhesive.
Scale–6″ x 4″ x 1.25″


Book–Pussy Willow Song

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023

The book cover is made of three pieces of embroidered hardware cloth. The code of the cover is the word willow. Three Salix cuttings were bound together and then bound to the book cover.
Pussy Willow Book 01A

Pussy Willow Book 01B

Pussy Willow Book 01C

Pussy Willow Book 02

Pussy Willow Book 03

Pussy Willow Book 04

Each page is a piece of textured paper with a slightly wider sheet of green paper.
Pussy Willow Book 05

I used a modified Masonic cipher for the code. I made the texture by rolling each sheet diagonally (corner 1) around a piece of dowel. Removed the rolled paper from the dowel. Folded it in half, then pressed the folds together. Rolled the paper diagonally (corner three), folded each direction. The result is a grid of diamonds.

Pussy Willow Book 06

Pussy Willow Book 07

Note Envelope
Pussy Willow Book 08

Pussy Willow Book 09


Pussy Willow Song Wallpiece

Tuesday, April 25th, 2023

My Salix has catkins. When I was looking at them, I remembered a song I learned in school when I was a child. I suspect the song would be banned in most schools today.

I do have a tendency to perseverate. To attempt to rid myself of the Pussy Willow song I made the wallpiece and I am working on a book with the song in code.

Pussy Willow Song WP1

I have an old version of Flash that I use for layout. I like that I can make code symbols that can easily be replaced. I printed the layout and used it for piercing and reference.

Pussy Willow Song WP2A

Used a modified Morse Code–short lines for dots, long lines for dashes. Had the ide of connecting the lines for each letter, and for each word.

Pussy Willow Song WP2B

Pussy Willow Song WP3A

Bound Salix cuttings to the background to break up the text a bit.
Pussy Willow Song WP3B

Bound the catkins to the background with the hope of preventing them from falling off.
Pussy Willow Song WP4

The only space left in my office that was long enough for the piece.
Pussy Willow Song WP8

Note envelope attached to the back of the piece.
Pussy Willow Song WP9

The notes regarding scale are a bit messy. Originally I had another piece of paper glued to the notes. I thought about writing out the lyrics, but decided not. When I removed the paper there was a bit of glue residue left. It prevented the lead from making clear marks.
Pussy Willow Song WP9

It is a bother. I suspect I will erase the lot, remove the bit with glue and rewrite the notes.

Materials–Used packing envelope, paper, fiber, pussy willow cuttings.

Scale–30.5″ x 12″ x .5″ without hanger. The addition of the hanger adds approximately 7″.


Book–Hope for Growth

Thursday, April 6th, 2023

Bound with a knitted I-cord and a large pine scale.
Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Bound Book from Above
Hope Growth

Cover is a recycled packing envelope.
Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Code is Hope for Growth
Hope Growth

Each page with bound pine seeds has a piece of tissue for a bit of protection.
Hope Growth

The majority of the stitchwork is done in red fiber.
Hope Growth

Code is Hope
Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Code is Hope in tree code based on Morse code.

Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Hope in Masonic cipher
Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Hope Line code based on Morse code.
Hope Growth

Hope Growth

For Growth in Tree code.
Hope Growth

Matchbook packet for notes on work.
Hope Growth

Pine Cone from One of the Trees in My Garden

Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Hope Growth

Materials–Paper, fiber, pine bits.
Scale–Bound 5.5″ x 4.75″ x 1.25″


A Few Things Found in My Gardens

Sunday, February 19th, 2023

New Growth

New Growth on the Original Trapped Cactus Cuttings

Alstroemeria

First Alstroemeria Flower of 2023

Muscari

First Time Noticed Muscari Asterisks

Muscari

Passion Vine

Last Season Passion Vine Tendril

Volunteer

Volunteer in Orchard

Rose Bush Leaf

Rose Bush is in Need of Attention


Forest/Axe Work in Progress

Monday, February 13th, 2023

I recently ran across a quote that definitely seems relavent today.

The quote is–The forest was shrinking but the trees kept voting for the axe. For the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because its handle was wood it was one of them.

I first thought about making a wallpiece using code with oak leaves and twigs. Just the code portion would have been 45″ x 16″, the addition of a border and frame would have made it more of a commitment of materials and time. Instead, I decided to use a book format.

The layout for the code in book format resulted in 21 pages. Each page is a folded sheet of drawing paper with a core support of a paper-covered piece of cardstock. Felt that the addition of twigs needed some extra support.

The first sentence I used tree wrap for the code with a green paper covered piece of cardstock. The second sentence I used roofing felt for the code and brown packing paper covered cardstock.

Forest Axe Pages

We have Coastal Live Oaks in our garden, but I dislike their leaves. They not only prick your skin, they embed and attach to it. I chose to use oak leaves that I purchased from Natures Pressed, an Etsy shop. I used the leaves in several projects; still have a good number left.

Currently the pages are roughly 7″ x 5″ and vary in thickness depending on whether there are twigs attached.

I unfolded the pages and applied CMC. The pages were left to dry overnight.


First Sentence

Forest Axe Page 1

The Forest

Forest Axe Page 2

Was

Forest Axe Page 3

Shrinking

Forest Axe Page 4

But

Forest Axe Page 5

The Trees

Forest Axe Page 6

Kept

Forest Axe Page 7

Voting

Forest Axe Page 8

For The Axe

Forest Axe Page 9

.


Second Sentence

Forest Axe Page 10

For The Axe

Forest Axe Page 11

Was Clever

Forest Axe Page 12

And

Forest Axe Page 13

Convinced

Forest Axe Page 14

The Trees

Forest Axe Page 15

That

Forest Axe Page 16

Because

Forest Axe Page 17

Its Handle

Forest Axe Page 18

Was Wood

Forest Axe Page 19

It Was One

Forest Axe Page 20

Of Them

Forest Axe Page 21

.

Today I used double sided tape, a mix of CMC and PVA to attached the paper covered cardstock inside the pages. The damp of the glue was not a good choice. The last nine pages I switched to using UHU glue. I wrapped each page in wax paper, placed in stacks of three, and placed inside a padded packing envelope. Then weighted with a heavy book.

I am leaning toward an accordion binding with each fold have three pages.


Pages Weighted
Pages Weighted

Forest Axe Brown Pages

Forest Axe Green Pages

Forest Axe Pages


Oxalis

Monday, February 13th, 2023

Oxalis is considered an invasive plant by the California Invasive Plant Council.

A portion of our garden is covered with the plants. Not planned, just happened.

Oxalis

I cut a few to dry and use in a piece. The flowers are lovely with a sweet, subtle fragrance.

I had a few buds left. Popped them in a small vase of water. Three days later they opened and are still opening during the day and closing at night.

Oxalis

The plants also have interesting foliage.

Oxalis

If the flowers are dried in my microwave flower press they become a golden color. When dried in my flower press between layers of blotter paper and cardboard they retain most of their yellow color.

The leaf is nearly dry; the flower completely dry.

Drying Oxalis


What is it?

Monday, December 26th, 2022

Hershey Cocoa Lid

Hershey Cocoa Lid

Weeds or Volunteer Plants

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022

Living on the California Central Coast, during years of drought. “Weeds” can be a nice surprise.

It is odd that they don’t seem to want to grow in the designated gardens. They often grow between pavers, areas that aren’t watered.

Weed Yellow Flowers

Weed Yellow Flowers

Weed Seed Pods