Saturday, June 21, 2008

Victoria -- Lady of Lace

I don't normally title my art works, but I'm going to try to do that more often. Anyway, I have had "lace on the brain" for a few weeks now, even to the crazy point of dreaming about it. Good grief, can you believe that? Because I can't. The reason I've been so obsessed with lace lately is because in our local (Denver metro) book arts group, we have an upcoming project to make a lace book cover for a fabric book we'll be making in the future. Our talented and fearless leader, Karen Campbell http://karensaltereddreamz.blogspot.com/ ), came up with the idea after she was inspired by a gorgeous lace book cover made by Val Orner. I wish I could give you a link to it, but I don't have one right now, and am trying to find out if she has a blog. If I get a link, I'll post it. Anyway, her lace book cover is beautiful and inspiring, and now our book arts group is going to do that project soon.

So that's why I've had "lace on the brain", and why I went ahead and made this art piece. I wanted to experiment with lace, and get a head start in preparation for our group project. I worked on this for two days, and this is what I created. I'm happy with it, but it was much harder than I anticipated. I mostly had difficulty, and much frustration, figuring out how to arrange the lace on this piece. It just didn't seem like I had that many options, and the ones I tried I wasn't happy with. At least until I came up with this composition, and once I did, I was ready to go with it and felt relieved.

The lace used on this piece is the more dimensional cotton lace. I painted each piece of lace before I glued it down, and I used Liquitex Gel Medium for that, which I had to re-apply a few times to make the pieces glue down. After they were glued down and dry, I sealed the whole piece with Future Floor Finish (FFF), and then sprinkled fine purple, pink, and yellow glitter all over the piece. So, I learned that FFF can be used as an adhesive for glitter. After the FFF dried, I sealed again with FFF, to make sure the glitter would stay put.

The glitter doesn't show up that well in the digital photo, (except as white spots), but up close it looks very cool on this piece. I love the look of glitter, but only on certain art works, when it's appropriate, and works, to use glitter. The other thing about using the fine glitter is that I tend to get it all over everywhere and everything, even when I try to avoid that.

As you can see, I used two lavender buttons on this piece, and tied yellow thread, that I frayed off some yellow fabric, through them. And Victoria.....is a paper cast I made a few years ago, from a brass mold I got on ebay. (Hmmm, I'm wondering where in the world I put that mold?) I also wrapped a pink chenille stem with some neat purple yarn, cut in two pieces, and glued that down. I got that idea from Sherill Kahn, in her fantastic book, Creative Embellishments, published last year. She has other ideas I want to try also, and I highly recommend her book.

I'm glad I got to play with the lace, and experiment with it. I've been haphazardly collecting lace fabric and trims for several years, but I wasn't sure exactly what I had or how much I had until I took an inventory the other night. I didn't have them stored in one place, but many places, and now I have all my lace together. I've used lace in some of my art, but I don't use it often. Now, I'm thinking I should use it more often, in different ways.

And also, I hope I don't continue to dream about lace. That was pretty weird!

As far as the rest of you reading this, do you collect lace fabric and trims, and if so, how do you use it in your art? I'd be interested to know.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is beautiful! You really did a great job! : )

Olivia

Kim said...

I do use lace somewhat, and get it in every possible way, old new and serendipitous. I like it best used with lots of other fabric, and it usually goes shabby chic, I guess. I just used some on a project for another yahoo group in a Romany caravan. When it is done I will post it on my blog. Good luck to you, it is good to branch out like you are! I like what you have done, the papercast looks super too.

Anonymous said...

I collect vintage lace, I try to get it where ever I can. I constantly search for it! I use it on ATC's, altered books, cards, anything that I can possibly use it on. I think it is so neat (the old lace). It's a shame some people just through it out! It is so valuable. I love what you did with yours.!

Anonymous said...

Val - This piece is gorgeous! I have to tell you - and it is an idea I saw somewhere else - to use lace with a wax resist as in the Street Team challenge #21. I think it would work great. - Nicki

morningDove said...

I have pieces of lace but haven't really worked them into any of my pieces. But i love your Victoria. I think I would rather dream of lace than working in a job I don't have. work on the brain,ugh, i prefer lace.

Moonwillow said...

Very pretty piece I love the texture to it. I see some glitter, your photo is great. TFS

Pearl Maple said...

Followed your link from ABaltered books and got to say that it is a lovely peice you have created.

I use quite a bit of lace in my work and find that cotton polyester is best because it absorbs paint or ink colouring so well. Sometimes i cut out peices of motifs like flowers as a single item. Best of all it is recycling something that too often is simply throw out.

Amber Dawn Inventive Soul said...

~*Val*~
You are a ~*WINNER!*~

Please leave me a comment on my blog.
I need your email address so that I can send you an email requesting mailing and color info.
My comments are moderated, so I will NOT post that comment once you leave it.
CONGRATS!
Amber Dawn

mary schweitzer said...

This is really beautifull! I love lace too!
You wanted to know how Inka did the piece she sent me..she blogged about it so you can check her out thru my links
Mary