Back at Fodder School

I've had to break from Fodder School because my December was extra challenging but I'm so excited to get back to these lessons now. I'm on holiday so I've got some lovely play time ahead. 

November's instructor in Fodder School was DeeDee Catron and you can find more about her HERE where I shared my stamp carving explorations. She shared 3 lessons about making fodder, the other two being chipboard alteration and image transfers. I realised I haven't shared what I did with those. I've done many image transfers before. See some ideas HERE and DeeDee shared a simple packing tape transfer which I first discovered via Julie Fei-Fan Balzer on YouTube. I tried it again just to make sure I remember how. 

The toothbrush was a really good way to get the wet paper off. Once dry the tape gets its stickiness back so you can apply it over other elements or use as you would patterned tape. Store on baking paper.

Grungeboard is a product created by Tim Holtz and when it was first released (more than 10 years ago!) it was all the rage and I purchased and was gifted a bunch. From first glance it appears to be chipboard and can be treated the same as chipboard (painting, sanding, stamping, etc.), but it is pliable. You can bend it, distress it, and it won't rip like chipboard. You can stitch it which I also love. I used some of the shapes all those years ago for masking sprays, and I did this project creating a garden fairy - her wings are grungeboard. 

If it wasn't for this class, it would all still be sitting in a drawer untouched....but now it's become part of my fodder keeper so more likely to get some use.

I decided that I wouldn't do DeeDee's final project at the moment, but I have lifetime access to this class so some of these techniques may just show up in a project in my future. 

I was very excited as I saw interpretations from classmates of our lessons from our December instructor, Aimee Bishop. Her main project was these gorgeous mixed media amulets

I waited until now to start because there are so many amazing techniques to explore from the first part of the class before we even get to this project. Every teacher is hitting it out of the park for us! 

First up I wanted to try some natural dyeing with fabrics and fibres I already had in my cupboards : aida cross stitch cloth, PFD (prepared for dyeing) white fabric, scrim (muslin), mulberry silk filament yarn, some old lace, tatting and serviettes. 

I am so thrilled with how they turned out.

Here's the tatting with an original bit on the right to see colour changes. Subtle but so lovely.

The prepared for dye fabric and scrim had some variation where I used rubber bands for resist

but the Aida cloth was the biggest and really gorgeous variation. 

Next up is mark making on papers and making embellishments. Will share soon.

See all my posts about Fodder School HERE. It's not too late to join us. DeeDee has also kept a record of where we can find any lessons that have been shared from the original #fodderchallenge in June 2021. All the artists featured there are going to be teachers in Fodder School.

Shine

I'm so glad I have an art journal with pages ready to fill because yesterday (my New Year's Day in New Zealand) I got an email from Effy Wild which included a speed painting to inspire embracing your wildness. Here's the email with the link to the painting. After a nap (stayed up til midnight - not used to it!), and a swim (my weather app told me it felt like 29 degrees celsius), I jumped into my journal. I love how her face started off looking so kind.

One of the things that attracted me to Effy's version were gorgeous silver doodles in the black spaces. I am wanting to incorporate more of Klimt's style into my work this year, and this seemed the perfect place for that. I decided to use my new stencils.

As I added all that gold and iridescent turquoise, she evolved into a celebration of my word Shine. This has been my word since 2017. In 2022 I want to Shine, to continue being intentional, with an emphasis on releasing what no longer serves me so that I can live with ease. I explained it more fully last year if you are interested in exploring my acronym focus words in more detail : Self-care, Home, Intentional, Notice, Ease.

I had no idea that I would be in my art journal so quickly into the new year. Last time I used it was early September! It's been completely unexpected and a great way to start the year given my previous post where I acknowledged that my creative time is precious and I really want it to be time that is making me feel fulfilled and is heart led. Unplanned creative joy for the win 💜 

Review of 2021

It's really interesting to look back at the year and see the changes that have happened on my personal and artistic journey. This blog is All of Me so I'll share that I finished my Herceptin treatment in April, and scans in June confirmed that I remain cancer free, but I had a medically necessary hysterectomy in May. Mid-year I was questioning how I was spending my creative time and I had a blogging break as part of that which confirmed for me that I want to keep using this platform, but I also enjoy more sharing on Instagram. Another lockdown in August got me thinking further about how I want to spend my time, and in mid-September I did a Spring reset where I gave myself permission to not finish classes I'd started at the beginning of the year if they were no longer giving me joy.   

2021 was the first time I've participated in Wanderlust and I did the lessons almost weekly until the end of August. My journal was looking quite chunky but with many blank pages still remaining. 

I decided I didn't want to keep this as an unfinished journal. Since I worked in the small Dylusions journal and the pages are stitched in, I simply removed them to use in a different project, glued the back of my last page inside the back cover and decorated the outside. Now I can enjoy my finished journal and be happy with what I achieved from this class.

I chose colours that would tone with the class logo.

I did another 14 entries in my art journal. I love the work in there and learned more along the way. I really enjoyed the A Year of Mary lessons which I did and have lifetime access so I may turn to them again later. I'm happy to have this journal waiting for whenever I feel the need. 

I did keep some of my written journaling practice, but far less deep-diving than previously - more a record of the things that I had to write out to get off my chest and keeping a record of what I'm reading and watching is something I enjoy looking back on. I also keep a record of my creativity for the month so that is also fun to see.

I love making gifts of my creativity, and was thrilled to create a quilt for a birthday in May 

and some little books for some birthdays in September

as well as my regular card making.

I wanted an ongoing mixed media stitched project and joined Anne Brooke's 52 Tags project. This was a wonderful weekly challenge where I've grown my artistic voice and learned new techniques. See my final post about this project with photos of all my tags here.

A turning point for me has been the Collage Fodder movement, from the Fodder challenge in June-August to the opening of Fodder School in October. I love creating bits and then using them to inspire my process later. 

 

I am so excited to get back to these lessons now that I've wrapped up my other projects for the year. 

Despite the challenges of December, I do love a good December Daily and was thrilled to be able to complete this accordian version. It's been a wonderful way to start my Summer holidays.

As always, art has been my haven, a way to work through my problems, as well as a place for new learning and great joy. As I look towards 2022 I know that my creative time is precious and I really want it to be time that is making me feel fulfilled and is heart led. I am so grateful that I signed up for Fodder School and I am excited about the new Bunting challenge with Anne Brooke called 52 Flags, but I'm not setting any other plans. I expect I'll be sharing art projects that include more stitch and book making but we'll just have to see what 2022 brings. 

Wishing you a Happy and Creative 2022 ⭐