Fruit of Thy Hands
Thursday, June 01, 2023
New Beadwork Class Open for Enrollment!
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Process
Enjoying The Many Steps
I have always been told I have a lot of patience. I'm not so sure...I think I just enjoy the heck out of the process of making things from nothing. A doll from a lump of clay..an embroidered casket from a pile of paper and silks..a cozy quilt from a pile of fabric scraps...or pretty tools from chunks of wood. I enjoy the process of *creating*. Heck, this week I have really been enjoying the process of making lilac jelly, but that's a whole post in itself.
I know I'm not the only one who enjoys the process of making things, and then there's a whole group of folks who have no interest in making anything, but they just like to see how it's done, so I thought I would share my process for making my latest scissor holders in the ETSY shop.
It all starts with a gorgeous piece of wood. For these scissor holders, I chose hard maple so that the turning would be nice and crisp. You can see a piece behind the two scissor holders above. It's first cut into a long block, then I cut the corners off on the table saw so the rough turning doesn't break the cutting heads on my tools.
I drew out the design I wanted and worked with my son at the lathe to get just the right shape. Josh rough-turned the blocks for me.
They were a wonderful maze of cuts and angles...sometimes the wood chipped out or broke. We just went with it and created. After turning, I cut them apart by hand~ LOTS of careful sawing!
Finally, tiny hints of white are added to pop little details. In watercololurs, all colours are transparent, except white. White is opaque so it really pops and jumps out of the design. love it
Monday, May 15, 2023
In the ETSY shop
New Tools Available!
There are some pretty new tools in the ETSY shop today. Link is to the right in the sidebar. I have been working on these blackwork pieces for a while. I am still working on it, but will also have a blackwork scissor holder to match soon. I love painting a monochromatic palette and showing how much depth can be achieved with just a single colour. I also really love 17th c blackwork embroidery, which I think you can tell, was the inspiration for these.
Tuesday, May 09, 2023
10 Spots Available
Beneath Thy Poft Oak
Beneath Thy Poft Oak, The Art of 17th c Beadwork is a wonderful class that will teach you all about 17th c beadwork. It is a 12 month class that I am now running individually, so you will not have to wait for a class to fill if you are interested in taking it! I have just 10 class spots available.
You can learn more about all the particulars and/ or enroll here. You can also click the tab at the top of the blog page here for the Diamond K Folk Art Online Academy to see all the classes currently offered.
For those of you who keep asking me about teaching here in the USA, this is the perfect opportunity for you to do so right from your own stitching chair! This is the most comprehensive class I have ever offered, and like all my classes, all materials you need to complete Beneath Thy Poft Oak are included in the class kit. All the student need to provide are a few tools and a slate frame. The class is divided into 12 easy-to-complete monthly lessons. Each lesson contains a slew of pictures, step-by-step photos, instructions, and videos for completing this pastoral Texan scene. This is not just a class to work the shown picture~ it is a class aimed at teaching you all you need to know about 17th c beadwork techniques and how to apply them to other projects you have milling around in your head.
Friday, April 28, 2023
Scenes of Country Life Casket Progress
AKA the What Was I Thinking Casket....
I can fit this entire scene into the palm of my hand...and I have pretty small hands. I am not holding a giant pencil...nope, this is a standard size pencil eraser. It looks HUGE compared to her tiny face.
Friday, March 24, 2023
I am now offering Bespoke Scrimshaw for
Jackie Du Plessis's "A Sailor's Valentine" class

Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Casket Side Panels Finished!
No Glamorous Spaces Here
Anyways, I am also a numbers person and keep track of everything. I know how much time is WASTED getting stitching things out, and then packing them up again. Just think how much stitching you could get done in the time it takes you to set up and break down your stitching area every time. So this is my tip of the day for getting some serious gains on stitching progress~
Make yourself a dedicated stitching area. It doesn't have to be an entire room. Or an entire counter. A side table, the top of a dresser....just someplace you can have your stitching at the READY and not have to haul everything to and fro all the time. Portable rolling carts are great~ keep all your stuff for your current project in there, and then when you want to stitch all you have to do is roll it aside you. You may be surprised how much progress can be made with just 20 or so minutes of stitching a day!
Speaking of progress, yes! I have progress to share on my Scenes of Country Life or Rural Pursuits casket~ WOO!