ULLABENULLA

Grimoire Of Grace...

I've started a new tumbler account filled with the little things that give us joy.  Called 'Grimoire of Grace' I hope its magic filled pages will inspire simple pleasures in your day to day...

Click HERE to see more.

Woven Heart And Hand Valentine Tutorial...

I've had a number of requests for my 'Woven Heart And Hand Valentine' so I've decided to create a mini tutorial on how you can make your own.  My Mother taught me this technique when I was a little girl, and its always been a favorite of mine.

Step1:

With a pencil, trace your hand (from wrist to wrist) onto the back of a decorative paper .  I've used old sheet music.  Refine the lines, by straightening them - making elegant fingers.

Step2:

Flair out your tracing at wrists on both sides - creating cuffs.

Step3:

With scissors, cut out hand and cuff.

Step4:

Using decorative scissors (I used a small scallop) cut a curved end where cuff will be.

Step5:

Now cut out a heart from a pretty red decorative paper.  I've used a handmade Italian Marbled paper from the Castle.  Make sure your heart fits into the palm of your papercut hand.

Step6:

Gently fold hand in half lenghwise, without creating too hard of a crease.

Step7:

Fold heart in half as well, matching lobes.

Step8:

Now place folded heart over folded hand, so that the heart lies upside down in the center of your hand palm as shown.  Make sure folds are tight together.

Step9:

Holding your heart and hand together, cut 5 slits into both layers, making slits equal distant apart and equal distant in length, and slanted up towards heart curves.   Be careful not to cut slits beyond hand papercut.  I like to start with the center slit and then cut slits above and below.

Step10:

Pull heart from hand and turn so that the hand and heart are facing upwards together.  Place heart on top of hand, and gently slip each cut notch of heart into cut notches of hand.

Step11:

Now gently push down on each tip (starting from top) so that another heart layer shows through.

Weaving will vary depending on length and width of your cuts.  Try a heart with more than 5 cuts for extra complexity!  Hint:  odd number of cuts will always give a pretty end result.

Step12:

Finish off your hand by adding a crepe-paper or doily cuff on the end.

Sign the back and send to your Valentine!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

New Years Blessings!

Enchanted Christmas in Yountville!

Today I had the special treat of seeing my friend Dolph Gotelli's 'An Enchanted Christmas' exhibit now being shown at the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville.  If you are anywhere near Napa this is a not to miss exhibit of amazing wonder and delight! (It runs through January 23rd, so there is still plenty of time!) Dolph has created 30 vignettes of his favorite christmas collectables.  Everything from 'Santa on a Midnight walk' above, to Grizelda's Christmas Tree - first image below.

My Mother and I spent nearly two hours looking at all the scenes, each one magical and nostalgic.  I especially fell in love with 'Dinner At Willow Hollow' seen first below - depicting a christmas feast attended by a variety of woodland animals.  Dolphs attention to details is supreme and his ability to make our hearts go back in time flawless.  A couple more of my favorites are also seen below.  More information on Dolph can be found HERE.  And photos of all the scenes are HERE!

ENJOY!

 

Amazing New Online Drawing Tool!

I just whipped up this little drawing using This Harmony Tool!  Talk about Fun!  Press on image to see it close up.  I think I could spend hours playing with this...  If you want to see what a fine artist does with this tool - take a look at Julia Lundmans post Here.  Thank you Julia for the link!  Click HERE to make a fabulous drawing yourself!

Mothtales Delights!

I've been quite ill the last few weeks, and hope to heal soon.  But while in bed, I have slowly added new treasures to my Mothtales Tumblr blog.  Have a look and let me know what you think! 

As always, when on Mothtales, press on the photo and you will see the image completely, press again, and you will be taken to its source!

Summer Blooms At The Castle!

Last weeks 'Summer Blooms Class' at the Castle was a huge success!  Eight wonderful women joined me in creating a garden full of lovely accessories!  Necklaces, hairbands, hat ornaments and brooches all took shape in this day of 'Blooming' creativity.  BRAVO!!!  

          

A Few Things I've Been Working On, And A Few Things To Come!

My beloved Apple tree is in bloom outside of my studio.  After a rather difficult winter, its blossoms tease me out of my doldrums.  I thought I'd share with you a few of the projects I've been working on recently, and show you some peeks at what I will be teaching this summer!  First, I am thrilled to be creating with textiles again.  My studio floors are awash in a sea of colors, until I can rearrange my storage space.  

 

I litterly have BOXES and BOXES of fabrics buried in the garage, from my wearable art and doll days back when.  Its the old textured fabrics that I seem to gravitate to these days, silks, velvets, laces and damasks...  Although the classes I am offering this Spring at the CASTLE are full, I will be doing lots more this summer, as well as here in my studio.  Keep an eye on my side bar for upcoming classes!  

I was inspired by one of my Chinese Baby Hats to create a delightful 'Chinoiserie Fish Brooch Class' to be offered this summer. (Date to come)  These little guys are about 7 inches long, and look fabulous pinned onto a hat, blouse or pillow!   

 

Working with the same technique I've been experimenting in creating Cicadas and Moths as well.  I'm not as happy with these yet, but they bode well for a future project, down the road...

 

My Fabric Flower Necklace class filled so quickly at the Castle, I've created a new Fabric Flower class for the summer.  We will be using a variety of poly linings to create colorful blooms that not only look wonderful as jewelry, but are light and airy enough to attach to clothing. (Date to come)

 

I am also working on some samples for a 'MAD HATTER' class, where we will create small decorative hats (also known as Fascinator's) that sit on top of ones head!  Here are a couple of little hats to tempt you for this summer.  

 

Although I have not been porcelain painting as much as I would like to, I have been working on a SELKIE head, with a sealife bust.  It's been great fun to paint a fantasy underwater scene, with crabs, coral and fish. My goal is to paint her head, as if she is just coming out of her seal skin, leaving one world for another. There is something about the Selkie Myth that really resonates with me right now, perhaps it is their ability to live in two worlds, and yet they are eternally bound only to one.

  

Last but not least, I have been growing rare and coveted Oriental Indigo seeds in my windowsill!  This may not seem like much, but truth be told, babying these little guys and watching them grow has been a highlight of the last few weeks!  Soon they will venture out into the garden, and hopefully grow big and strong.  If all goes as planned, then by Summers end, I will be able to make my own batch of Indigo Dye!

 

I recently took a Natural Dye Class from Rebecca Burgess and  was so inspired by the results (see below) that I have been not only collecting pots and pans, but also Apple and Cherry tree cuttings, onion skins and avocado pits!  I dream of being able to offer a variety of natural dyed fabrics in my classes, as I find the mellow colors so wonderful to work with!

  

I hope this post tempts you to stay tuned.  I promise class dates and more studio creations soon!

Blessings, 
Ulla

Fairytale dreaming

I am completely in love with the work of Spanish artist Beatriz Martin Vidal. Her evocative and moody images portray fairytales, myths and other personal inspirations.  A subtle theme of overgrowing foliage runs throughout much of her work, poetically twining between her subjects.  Like dreams - pulling from leaf to leaf...

More work here.

  

   
 

 

1,355 Four Leaf Clovers

These are photos from an album of four leaf clovers collected by Alda Carlson in the 1910's and 1920's.   I sure could use a bit of good luck these days, and this makes me wonder...  can one store luck away in an album to use later?

Link

   

 

Obsession as Art...

"On September 13, 2008, Sagmeister Inc. began the installation of 250,000 Eurocents on Waagdragerhof Square in Amsterdam. Over the course of eight days and with the help of more than 100 volunteers, the coins were sorted into four different shades, and carefully placed over this 300 square meter area, according to a master plan. The coin mural spelled out the sentence, “Obsessions make my life worse and my work better.”

After completion, the coins were left free and unguarded for the public to interact with. Less than 20 hours after the grand opening, a local resident noticed a person bagging the coins and taking them away. Protective of the piece they had watched being created, they call the police. After stopping the “criminal,” the police—in an effort to “preserve the artwork”—swept up every remaining cent and carted them away."

VIA

   

Juul's Etherial Drawings

 

The drawings of Dutch artist Juul Kraijer speak to my heart and soul.  Gentle charcoal strokes that are in 'the domain of the spirit, draw images that seem quiet, but are also filled with tension and otherworldliness.  The young girl portrayed in each drawing is transformed - is she human? or is she something else entirely?  

Lovely...  via Hortus Noctis

 

 

 


    

Endangered Fungi

This delightful shelf is called 'Limited Fungi' and was made by Katharina Mischer for Droog Products. When you purchase a shelf, part of the money goes to the environmental projects that try to save the specific fungi species featured.  "A limited design for unlimited life'!  (made of rotten wood, tin and resin)   I can see an entire wall filled with these shelves - creating a personal 'wall of curiosities'...  

  

The Old Pretenders Have A BLOG!

Many of you know about my love for David and Paul and 'The Old Pretenders'. Well I am thrilled to announce that they have started a blog!  Filled with stunning photos of many of their newest creations, it serves as a beautiful showcase for their reproduction English Wooden Dolls.  Please go HERE and say hello to these 2 amazingly talented gentlemen!

 

Fantasy Feast...

I cannot remember where I found this image, if you know please tell...  But I adore the details.  Look at that leaping, or is he flying, hare... and those shoes with feathers...  This is a party I would love to go to.  Care to join me? 

Press on image to see in more detail.

Timekeeper In The Garden Of Shells...

These days it seems everyone is doing multi-media collage jewelry, and I don't often see pieces that I really like.  But this piece strikes a chord with me.  Perhaps its the roughness of the shells and little doll that speak to me?  Or the wonderfully handwoven cord that reminds me of a deep sea creature...?  Regardless, I love this necklace and wish it were mine...  Available from Needlewoven Studio on Etsy. 

More Papercuts Behind Glass!

 

These delicate papercuts are by  Helen Musselwhite!  I love how they wind around inside the glass domes, so you feel as if there is a whole other world within! Her work is spellbinding and wonderfully whimsical!

  

Papercut Fairytales Behind Glass

 

I think these pieces by Emma Molony are marvelous!  How clever to do 'Peter and the wolf' papercuts and then mount them behind glass - like a moving story!  The box below is 'The Snowqueen'.  See more of Emma's wonderful work Here!

 

   

Cobwebs On The Walls...

I've been in love with the wallpapers of Marthe Armitage for a while now.  Their attention to detail and subtle coloring is supreme!  Marthe handcuts lino blocks for each design and then rolls them herself on huge presses.  True artistry at work here! 

The papers are carried by the prestigious Hamilton Weston, a supplier of many historic wallpapers. Images and scans here from the beautiful blog Little Augury. 

    

 

Dreams In A Suitcase!

When I saw this over at A Little Hamster something went bang in my heart! When I am finished teaching and can't think of what else to do, I want to be 'the funny little old lady, wearing wild hats, who gives marionette shows out of a suitcase - along busy streets'!  Perhaps I can talk my husband into doing the music, and we can be 'the CrAzY couple who entertains'!!!  Now there's a dream!