Painting My New Slate Frame

'Tools' Should Be Pretty!

   I just made this Ash slate frame for working my flat top casket and tho I really like how it came out, it was just so plain!  I thought, if I am going to be merrily slaving away for months over work stretched on this frame...it should at least be pretty! Something simple...not to busy or distracting...but nice to look at, so I designed a simple rose border with my name at the center of one of the bars. Its taken me all week to paint~ in early 19th c schoolgirl style with India ink and watercolours.  First I inked a bit of the vine and my name.

  I would prefer to paint outdoors, but with watercolour it is quite picky about the weather~ to much sun/heat, and the paint dries right on the brush...too much wind, even the gentlest of breezes~ same thing. I cant even have the ceiling fan on so I sit by my window at a little table where the light is good. Just like in my china painting, many thin layers of paint always looks better than one thick one globbed on. I love to paint~ not only do I enjoy the outcome, but the process even more~ I put on my Al Bowly...or maybe some Astrud Gilberto, and can sit and paint all day long!

 After inking I have added a bit of green  to the vine and blocked in the base for my roses

 Leaves are now drawn on with more India~ buds are painted

 Lastly the roses get their delicate petals and will sit a day before varnishing

 I have had many folks express interest in me making them a slate frame~ and answer if Of coarse I would be happy to. This size frame I am really liking, outside measure is 24"x 24" with a working inner area of 21"x 19" at the largest, all the way down to 7" x 19" smallest dimension. I can make larger or smaller frames, if you are interested just email me~ address is in the sidebar.  Price depends on what wood I use and size~ and what a special gift a custom painted frame would make for the needle worker who has everything!

 My name~ inked in India with an actual dip pen. I will say here that a distinct difference can be seen between those who 'cheat' and use a modern Pigma marking pen, and those that draw with a quill or steel nib pen. There is a flow and pooling of the ink when using a quill, not to mention India is very opaque and just a deep rich dark black~ you just don't get the rich colour with a  modern pen, and as well, there will be telltale distracting little dots at the end of each pen stroke from a modern pen

 This is the smallest dimension at 7"x19". You will notice I do not staple canvas to the stretcher bars~ I prefer to lace my work on all four sides like was done in the 18th c.

If you liked & missed my first skep thread palette set, I will have another on offer on eBay this next week~ this time painted with a double skep and inked around the outside edge of the palette
 "How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day, from every opening flow'r"
  You can find it by clicking the link on the right to my eBay specials~ it will be on later today

Mark Your Calendar!

2017 Bath Textile Summer School

   I have been getting lots of questions about what Ill be teaching, when Ill be teaching ect~ so here are the particulars~ Ill be teaching a 4 day workshop at the 2017 BTSC Aug 14-18 2017.  Four glorious days, 7 hours a day, of non stop 17th c beadwork! YES!!!!  I will be teaching in one of the study rooms at the Holburne Museum~ class will be Mon & Tues, with Wed off to attend lectures or see the sights of Bath England...and do any catching up needed for class~ then back at it Thursday & Friday. Lynn tells me there should also be a textile faire at the American Museum that weekend so much fun to be had!  I am not going to disclose my workshop project yet, but you can be sure it will be absolutely FANTABULOUS, a mixture of beaded stumpwork along with twilling and three dimensional fruits, flowers, figures and perhaps animals like I worked on my beaded basket.  You cant sign up for the 2017 session just yet but you can email Lynne that you are interested and she can put you on a list~ you can find her info on the Bath Textile Summer School website here . Registration for my class should open the 20th of August 2016, if you are interested I know it will fill quickly, its limited to just 14 students~ We will have the Holburne's marvelous beaded basket there in front of us for inspiration too~ I cant wait & hope to see you there!

19th c Schoolgirl Art Reproduction Thread Palette on eBay this week!

Joys of Summer Palette Set

 How fitting that the week Squeek's eggs are hatching,  I have this set available on eBay?!  I love it~ painted with a mamma blue bird feeding her three lil babies in the nest. If you are familiar with schoolgirl painted furniture or art, you may recognize this design from an early 1800-30 painted box.  The three thread winders are an egg, bluebird, and a lil chick's head~ they are always so hungry!  If you would like to see more pictures of it, or are interested in purchasing, you can see it here on eBay this week!

Oh Happy Daye!

1+1=3

   Oh Joy!  Arriving quite punctually, Squeek's first little duckling has hatched!  Happy Birthday little one!

Free Shipping on Padded Mirror Cases

Some News~

   I have had several emails as of late from folks asking if they have missed the newsletter~ the answer is, no~ you have not! I have been so busy I have not sent one out for about 3 months now, and as well, I need to find a newsletter server that can send them out for me, as my mail list is so long, I hit the wrong button a few years ago and sent the list out to everyone all at once and was instantly labeled a spammer! I had to read yahoo's entire policy on spamming in order to get my email turned back on, and one would think, that after 10+ years with the same email, that would be taken off my account, but nope, most of the time, my emails end up there~ so if you are waiting for a reply from me and more than a day or two have passed, look in your junk box, ill be there!  So for now, as Paul Harvey says, Standby for News!

 Free Shipping on Padded Mirror Cases for the month of June
 There is just about two weeks left in June, so if you have been thinking about joining the Padded Mirror Case Class, now is the time! I am offering FREE SHIPPING to destinations within the continental USA, and all others, worldwide get 50% OFF.  For both cases, this equates to a good 65.~70.00 savings!

 Padded Mirror Cases now Available Without Class
 My padded mirror cases are now available at a discounted rate for those in class who would like more than one, and for those who need no instructions.  If interested, you can learn more on the Diamond K Folk Art blog, just click the link at the right in the sidebar, then look for the sorting tabs at the top of that blog.

 I have had several request for slate frames, so am working on some now~ will let you know how they come out! I  am making mine out of ash and poplar~ very nice straight and strong grain~ and I may have schoolgirl painted designs available in the future.

 Speaking of Schoolgirl Art... I have been keeping very busy with my thread palette & winder sets and really really want to thank all of you who have emailed me about how much you like them, I appreciate it so much! I love making special treasures that brighten peoples day~ it makes my heart smile. I do make special custom designed sets, so if you have something in particular in mind, just drop me a line~ you can find my contact info in the sidebar.

 Bath Textile Summer School
  Word has slowly eeked out, and yes, its true! I will be teaching a 4 day workshop at the 2017 Summer school session on 17th Beaded Stumpwork~ its going to be FANTABULOUS!!! So mark your calendars if you want to spend 7 hours a day , for 4 jam packed days with me in a massive beading marathon, I'm not telling what I will be teaching yet, but will hint its gonna be AWESOME!!!!

 Dollys
 Of coarse I have been working on dollys dollys~ and you can see MR Wm Cooper in the current issue of Early American Life Magazine~ I am so so honored to have been chosen again this year for the 2015 Directory of Traditional American Craftsmen~ THANKYOU  so much to all the judges.  I have been quite busy so there has been a lack of new dollys on eBay, but do still stay quite busy with custom orders~ so if you have a particular dolly in mind and are tired of waiting for him/her to appear happenstance, just drop me a line!

Butterflies Everywhere!

Rose & Butterfly Palette on eBay this week!

  My next thread palette is the set above~ I really like how this one came out~ I know I always say that, but I really did enjoy this one! The weather has been so wonderful, I could still paint outside (notice I said, could ~ the mosquitoes have hatched now and I have had to move back inside!)

  Emma sat out with me and worked on her landscape painting with Grandma Dixie....shes getting so old and grey, but still thinks shes the biggest dog in the land!

  On the very outside edge of this palette I inked a few lines from one of my favorite Norfolk samplers done by Mary Southgate, 1806~
 "Pray let the needle claim some little share~ With shades of silkes to copy nature faire"

  There were several butterflies that flittered by while we were painting...along with a zillion little green caterpillars that kept dropping out of the tree above us.....note to self...not good to paint under a box elder tree early in the morning.... anyway~ this fellow was like a B52 bomber compared to the others~ he came somewhat crashing through and landed in the driveway...maybe a bird tried to eat him? He was quite exhausted and let Emma hold him for a bit, and when he had caught his breath, off he zoomed.

I do love butterflies~ and of coarse I could not just paint one on the palette, I had to make three different thread winders to go with! Love love love love them, so much so I could not bring myself to paint one side only, so they are painted on the backs as well! If you would like to see them or are interested in purchasing, you can see them here on eBay this week.

Squirrel Thread Palette Set on eBay this week!

Thankyou!

   I want to thank everyone for their kind words and emails about my thread palette sets, I appreciate it. I cannot say how much I have enjoyed making & painting them~ I hope it shows. I have 4 skep shape palettes ready to paint and think I will list those in the ETSY shop as special orders~ so if you like that design, you can order one directly~ and since I have not painted yet, can add your initials and/or date~ a little something to make them extra special for you.  I have always loved to paint, Rosemalling is a favorite technique of mine,  and flowers, I love to paint flowers, but after doing up my little doodle with the squirrel on the bark raft, I really wanted to paint a squirrel! He was calling to me this little guy, so here he is, on his branch with his acorn lunch~ and I paired him with two oak leaves and an acorn thread winders. If you would like to see them, they are on eBay this week~ you can see them here , or click the link to my eBay auctions on the right sidebar.

Earlye Summer Dayes

 We have had nearly a whole years worth of rain in the Month of May this year~ and its showing, everything is so green...well, for around here anyway! You can see the children have their tents up in the front yard just beyond the hive in the foreground. We moved this one last month from a bit up on the hill to keep a closer eye on it~ not so easy for bears to get at right there.

 67! There are 67 blooms on just this one peony!!!!  Cant believe it~ ohh its going to be so beautiful. All is a bit late this year, we had snow on Memorial Day!

  I've been working on some really fantabulous thread palettes, and the weather has been so beautiful that I have moved my work table outside nearly this entire week

 I have lots of helpers~  little Biscuit zooms around 100 miles an hour the entire time. Mr Otis came over to say hello....dont think I have ever put a picture of him on the blog, my sweet gingy

  And as well, Bubble (our male mallard) keep me company in the pond all day~ but not Squeek~ as you can see, she has business of her own. We got them both so many years ago~ they are my 'old geezer' ducks, and around here, that is in the most affectionate terms~ we have had them 12 years now! I have never let her sit on a clutch, but this year, she gave me those 'eyes', and I thought, why not~ let her have her fun. So here she sits, all day, with a quick trip out to the pond each evening to visit her beloved

 She went for her swim a little early today so I snuck this picture.  She covers them up when she leaves~ theres 11 eggs....maybe 12, its hard to be sure, I dont like to touch them when shes sitting. Will be fun to see if she will actually hatch any, shes got around 20~22 more days to go