ULLABENULLA

News and Such...

Oh how time flies!  I've just posted a few of my summer classes on the sidebar.  I'm especially excited about my Sea Dragon Fabric Bracelet, (Class On July 1st) pictured above and below.  Inspired by my 'Dragon Familiar that I posted about HERE, this one is a tiny dragon or serpent, easier to wear and oh so fun!  I need to get a photo of it on, they are quite wonderful.  I added a bit of elastic under their heads, so they perch on your hand as you wear them!

Spring was filled with wonderful classes including a Rabbit Theatre,  Dressed Figures, and Waxed Flowers...  My last class of this session will be 'Cake Toppers' (Class is full) to be held at the Castle!

More Soon!!!

Pirates and Lobsters for Valentines!

Here are a couple more 'Sweetheart Pincushions' that I made, and now at the Castle, these with a definite Pirate theme!  And on another watery note, I forgot to post my Christmas Ornament Exchange Ornament, so here it is... A bright pink 'Lobster Gnome' - complete with sea-gifts on top!  Not too many of these out there...

Enjoy!

'

Sweetheart Pincushion Class at the Castle!

This last weekend I taught a 'Sweetheart Pincushion' class at the Castle.  Inspired by pincushions created by soldiers during WW1 these were a joy to make and the results were stunning!  It's believed that soldiers were given kits by the nurses to make these lovely keepsakes, while on a short leave from the front or recuperating in hospitals.  Almost all of the remaining vintage examples come from either the United Kingdom or France and were covered with Infantry colors and names, flags, ships, words of love and of course pins, beads and sequins.  Ours are made of felt, and entirely decorated with bead studded pins.  (apologies for the lighting, I seem to have misplaced my good camera...) 

These last two are by me...

 

Haunted Skeleton Nichos...

Here are the class samples for next Wednesdays (October 19, 2011) "Haunted Skeleton Nicho" class.  I was inspired by my own antique Mexican Nicho (see last photo).  These are constructed from old cigar boxes, layered with wonderful papers that the Castle is known for.  The inside will feature a dressed skeleton and waxed flowers.  There are still a few spots left, if you are interested, please call (510) 204-9801 for more information or to reserve a spot.  

 

More IPhone Love...

IPhone Love...

Who knew a phone could be so addictive???  I've been playing with 'Hipstamatic' and 'Instagram' on my Iphone.  But the best $1.99 I've spent in a long long time has been on '8mm' a video app that lets you film in a look reminiscent of the 1920's... Now to figure out how to load it onto a computer...

A Few More Masks...

A few more masks that I've been creating.  Fanciful fish and a gruff old goat!

Dragon Familiar at Healdsburg Center For The Arts

I've been invited to participate in a group textile show at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, June 29th thru August 1st, 2011.  Along with my textile masks and jewelry, I will also be showing this 'Dragon Familiar Wrap' at the show.  I've always loved the idea of having a pet dragon that one keeps wraps around ones neck.  This one has scales of flame bubbled polyester, and bright pink silk wings. His face is created from a multitude of textiles, fur, felt balls and sequins. Although ferocious looking, he is actually quite friendly!

Kitchen Santos

I'm afraid I have not been a very reliable blogger lately.  My apologies...  Life has been filled with a variety of  obligations, and blogging has had to take a backseat. Despite, or perhaps due to the full schedule, my creative juices have been flowing like crazy!  Recently I had the pleasure of taking John McRae's 'Santos' class, at the Castle.  Using wonderful composition German creche figures, cotton batting, and delicate wood pieces we constructed our own personal Santos figures.  I decided to make mine with a kitchen theme.  First I designed a center reliquary with tiny clay vegetables and cutlery.  Then I added my collection of mexican kitchenware onto her wooden brackets.   Bronze numbers, representing times of the day that we eat, are on her waistline.  She holds 2 delightful vintage 'cakes' made of wax, offering her bounty to all who enter our little kitchen.  I've wrapped her head in vintage velvet, but hope to someday find a small demitasse teacup to top her head.  She sits quietly on a ornate shelf, welcoming all who enter...

 

New Summer Classes Online Now!

I have added a few more Summer Class offerings to my sidebar on the right.  Press on each for more details. Above is my 'Sacred Heart Reliquary' offered on June 4th.  Below is my 'Costume in Miniature' sample for July 17th.  I'm thrilled to be teaching at both Castle In The Air and Chateau Sonoma this year.  Hope to see you there!

Waxed Flowers On Etsy!

I've just added a few Waxed Flowers to my Etsy Shop, and hope to add more very soon!  Enjoy!!!

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!!!

Perfecting Violets...

Over the weekend I made these tiny little 'waxed' white violets, following a pattern from a vintage crepe paper flower book. (they are stuffed into a vintage salt shaker)  I was mighty proud of myself, and thought they looked lovely.  Later that day, while walking the dog, I found some real white violets growing in our neighborhood and picked a small bouquet to bring home.  To my dismay, my crepe paper bouquet suddenly looked clumsy, thick stemed and awkward next to the real thing.

So today I decided to try again.  I trimmed my patterns, twisted in spots where I hadn't previously, and used thinner wires.  I know I will never achieve perfection, but I do think I'm closer to the real thing now. Lesson learned - patterns are good, but real flowers are better!

New Waxed Flowers Sample...

This spring, I am offering my Waxed Flowers class in two venues.  First at the Castle on April 16th, and then at Chateau Sonoma on April 30th.  At the Chateau we will be focusing on white flowers, specifically orange and apple blossoms, inspired by my collection of vintage wedding wreaths.  I created this lovely wreath above, as my sample.  See side-bar on right for more details.

Chateau Sonoma Heart Box Class Samples!

On February 5th I will be teaching my Valentines Papercut Heart Boxes at Chateau Sonoma, in Sonoma, California.  Press HERE for more information and to sign up!  I just love making these heart boxes, and last week finished quite a few - see below - which are now for sale at Chateau Sonoma.  I also made a special box for my Father, a sailer at heart, with a romantic fairytale ship and plenty of water creatures...

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM BEAR HOUSE AND ULLA!

What was the noise Little Brother Bear heard yesterday?  Non other than Santa Bear arriving in style!  His green shoe sleigh is pulled by two white goats, decked in antique paisley finery.  Santa Bear wears a felted wool jacket and holds a huge bag of toys, enough for all the little bears who are now asleep in bed!

Wishing you a most Merry of Christmas' and Many Blessings for the rest of the year!!!

Just for fun, here is a photo of my Inspiration (top left corner), Santa Bear before being costumed, and the antique chocolate mold I used for my paperclay sleigh...

Masks Galore!

I've been making Masks like crazy these days.  Many of them are now at the CASTLE.  But some will also be featured as a window display at FABRICATIONS in HEALDSBURG over the holidays.  (116 Matheson Street, downtown Healdsburg)  Here are a few of my favorites for you to see.

When my daughter saw the long earred owl and mouse above - she screamed "Oh Mom, thats Scary!"  So I made the mouse detachable with velcro - just in case you feel the same...

The little House Mask below, is my favorite design so far...  Inspired by gnome houses and gingerbread dreams - I hope it brings smiles...

This friendly Dog Mask, was inspired by a pug, but seems to resemble a bulldog... oh well...  Thats a lost red velvet slipper in his mouth - attached with velcro again, perhaps you could hang your extra 'lost socks' there instead...

This lovely Moth Mask is quite large - a real statement mask!  The colors on this one remind me of Venetian Sunsets...

The Swan Mask below, just spoke to have feathers added.  Perfect for one who dreams in ballet...

And who better to partner a Swan, than Jack Frost?  His Icy cold spirals glistening in snow...

Seasonal Creations...

I am having so  much fun making textile masks.  This woodland deer and a black Krampus have gone to the Castle on approval.  So many ideas are skipping through my head...  I've also been playing with using Alcohol Inks on crepe paper, making lovely floral colored samples, to use for waxed flowers.  More soon... 

Wax Flower Reliquary...

I am so excited about this new class to be offered next Spring at Castle In The Air!  (Saturday April 16th) I will teach a variety of crepe paper blossom techniques (a number of them are my own invention) and then we will dip our blooms (as well as dried flowers and such) into wax and create lovely Wax Flower Reliquaries reminiscent of Victorian ladies art.  Pure Alchemy!!!  Photos just do not give these flowers justice.

When I first began my process of creating a sample for this class, I wanted to use as many crepe paper colors as I could.  The first sample ended up having a real Midsummers garden feel, but I felt it was a little too much.  I also made a gold box-frame, that ended up looking 1950's shmalzy - LOL...  (Bottom image)  It worked much better to stay with either 'cool' colors or 'warm' colors.  I am really looking forward to what my students will do with this fun technique!

 

 

Brain Storms and Such...

 

Sometimes absences are due to too much activity...  It's been crazy busy here at Ullabenulla.  I've been creating new samples for Spring classes (YES - Spring 2011!)  where does time go???  (Image above by Charles Grogg)  I will be doing Valentines classes at the Castle, as well as a Mardi Gras 'Mask' class.  I had so much fun creating these 'Firebird' and 'Greenman' samples, I'm itching to make some more - especially with Halloween just around the corner!

I also designed and made a new Lizard pin to go with my Chinoiserie Fish pin...

I am working on re-doing my popular 'Backgrounds Class' in a new format. Using a large Moleskine Japanese Foldout journal we'll spend a day creating beautifully detailed and multi-layered pages for a really artful journal experience!

More class samples in the works - the Castle hopes to have a new schedule available by early to mid November.

Just for fun, I've been playing with the idea of creating a 'Haunted Necklace', inspired by the season.  Its still in progress, especially after Teenage Daughter said:  "Oh Mom, it looks so Marie Antoinette!"  Not quite the reaction I was hoping for, but I'll keep trying.  I used cotton spider webbing as the base, and made 'beads' from Antique silver ribbon.  I also added old torn lace, pearls, hand-stitched baby cap pieces and a wonderful wavy yarn.  Haunted it may not be yet - but at least its keeping me occupied...    

Another project got started when I pulled out a wonderful old Joan Vass navy knit skirt that I purchased in 1986 in New York, the year I met my husband!  (We are big-time into recycling here at Ullabenulla!) Discovering some nasty little moth holes I decided to do some creative patching - 'slow stitching' for those in the know...  First a bird, then a flock, and finally an oak branch. Now to find time to do some 'slow beading' as well...