New Year's Projects

I've been struggling with my New Year's resolution.  Well, not so much a resolution as a direction for the coming year.  Often I have set myself a long-term project or process to explore, as for instance the year I applied myself to tablet weaving exclusively.  Of course, that was back when I mostly did fiber arts and woodcuts weren't even a twinkle in my eye.  Back when I only dithered between writing and weaving.

tablet woven band from the pattern on our wedding rings

See that's the problem.  I have too many interests, often in opposition to each other.  I have discovered that when I concentrate on my art, I let my writing slide, and vice versa.  Throw fiber arts back into the mix and I have a three-way tug of war for my attention.  And let me tell you, ink and fiber do not mix!  That's why I split my studios.

I think my hobbies need to learn to get along.  Maybe that should be this year's project:  learning to share.

Now hobbies are notoriously jealous of my time, and they're not inclined to share.  When an idea grabs me it's like a dog with the bone, and I'm the bone.  So how to set boundaries without interrupting the flow?

That's the real trick, isn't it.

What about a joint project?  I've done that before, as when I printed woodblocks on cloth.

Nothing to write home about, but it's a concept.  Mixed media.  I do it with my woven/beaded tapestries.

So a printed and woven tapestry is not out of the question.  I did woven paleo mythos critters before I did printed ones.

paleo-unicorn

paleo-phoenix

Bead and embroidery embellished woodcut image printed on cloth?  Still that's not specifically weaving, only embellishment.

Ok, weave the canvas.  Now I get really bored weaving vanilla cloth, but say a plain tabby woven section on an otherwise complex woven piece?  Dornick twill, double weave, summer & winter, rosepath.  Pull out some of my old favories.

This shows promise.

Carving a Letterbox Stamp

Carving a Letterboxing stamp for a friend of my sister's.

This pink stuff is easy to carve, but just as easy to mess up.  Still, it's not going badly.

It's a design of Live Laugh Love with a ribbon for the L.  It'll look something like this:

Blank Cards Printed

I took advantage of a cybermonday half price deal on vistaprint and got some blank xmas cards printed up from this year's Snowflakes xmas card and last year's Denizens xmas card.

When I can pull myself away from sending out my own xmas cards, I'll get these up on my etsy shop.  I know there's not much time left for this holiday card season, but at least I'll have them for next year.  ;- ]

They came out really nice -- glossy where the original cards were matte finish -- but I think I might like that even more.  The colors are a little richer perhaps, tho the matte finish was more like an actual print.  They both have their good points.

I can offer them as single cards, sets of 6(?), or some of each.  Anyone have any ideas on that?  I expect I can eventually get cards made from all of my past xmas cards, then offer a mixed set.  Something to ponder (as I'm not an up-and-at'em kind of person).  ;- ]