On My Table

Sulfur shelf fungus harvested some fifteen years ago now, displayed on a very old silver plate platter which serves to catch any bit of detritus that seems to fall continuously from the fungus.

Otherwise known as Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sp.)

Run, don't walk, to buy this book it's beyond delicious!!!

Back in Decemember I decided that 2016 would be about focusing on studio practices, improving rusty skills, and in general creating more artwork.

Which lead to the purchase of several online classes, books, art supplies and more.  Now if I could only remember what I learned from my Illustrator and Photoshop classes, sigh.  Sometimes I swear my brain is a sieve. 

I ""highly"" recommend these four books, and two more books that will be arriving this week!

Sketch and Note Books



Sketchbooks and notebooks all a part of my creative process, even for natural dyeing.  I keep swatches of fabrics in the notebooks with notes on how I acquired the color.

Book Sale

As I finalize my new studio space, aka the former living room in our house, I am unpacking the last of the boxes.  In those boxes are left over books from my retail shop I closed a few years back.  Over the next few days I'll be listing these books for sale on a new page I created here on my blog, see the "Products" tab.  I also have a few knitting needles left and I plan to package those up into lots and sell them by the lot.

If I can get it all figured out I'll be adding PP buttons!!!

Mark Making with Nature Book Package

All THREE of my books, Compost Dyeing and Other Fermentation Dye Tecniques, Rust and Clay Dyeing, Mark Making with Nature in one package via digital download for $50.00




Spring Cleaning

Well I'm into day two after having a cortizone shot injected into my injured right knee and WOW what a difference it has made in my mobility.  Today after sleeping in, I must have needed the rest, I decided to empty out some boxes shoved to the side in the upstairs hallway, suprise suprise MOST of the boxes were empty, they've been sitting there forever collecting dust, go figure. 

I put two small bookshelves where the boxes once lived and proceeded to free up floor space in my studio, yes there really IS a floor in my studio.  I'm hoping to vacuum that floor tomorrow!  Photos coming and soon.

Of e-Books and Other Things

I finally found a source so that I could make my books available as a digital download :-)  Check out my website for more information, I'm hoping to make the downloads available from my blogs as well. http://www.kbaxterpackwood.com/e-Books.htm

Am still recuperating from a nasty fall two weeks ago, I've been using the down time to get caught up on desk work, book projects, and a new video project which will be shot once it warms up this spring.  Until then I will continue to stream twice a month the recorded videos are available on Ustream.

Some Ideas

Ink painted cotton fabric ironed to fuse a shade, I think the size is approx 2.5 by 3.25 inches (ATC sized)

I stitched the edges using my machine and laid down a bed of organinc stitches using free motion stitching.

I then stitched a silk flower to the tag using my machine and couched down some scrap bits of acrylic yarn in complimenting colors.

This could easily be made into a book mark, post card, or other small gift item. To finish it off I will add some beads and a tassle made with scraps of yarn, ribbons and threads.

Shakespear Books

Cloth covered book 4.2" wide by 5.5" high, there are 36 of these in the series.

Nice gold gild lettering on the sides of the books, some are older and may have been purchased over several years?

I picked up 36 of these books by William Shakespear at an estate sale, now to find out their value as I have no idea when they were published. This particular book is titled The Tempest.