Screen printing Packaging (round one)

I am still getting things ready for Baltimore. I made some boxes for for the flying machines and found some bags for the small stuff. I really am liking the way things turned out. Only the bags gave me a bit of trouble. The handles keept getting in the way.

Hand cut boxes from chipboard.

The first color of my two color print.

Printed boxes.

Printed bags. I thought I might have to change out the ribbon handles but now I think they look fine with the color I mixed.

I will post pictures of the second color (gold) after they are finished. Also can't wait to show off boxes after they have been cut some more and put together in all their cagelike glory. I think I am spending as much time on the boxes as I did the work. Not really though. Once I got the template worked out it didn't take too long.

Open Studio

My Desk

Flying Machine Installation

We had open studio at Pepe (the fibers building) last Friday night. It was a fun time to show of work to anyone who came through for a visit. There was fantastic work all over the building. Here is a picture of my studio.

A Little Light

I am only a few days away from heading to the American Craft Council (www.craftcouncil.org)trade show in Baltimore. These are some little pieces that I am taking with me. They are wood frame boxed I made with hand cut paper frames on front. The inside is a wonderland of paper, fabric, ink, stiches and LIGHT!. The birds are at it again trapping all creatures that they can trick into believing in the beak.

Watercolor Cages

Sometime this fall I made these papercut watercolors for a repeat pattern.

I just ordered a book called Slashed all about contemporary artist and designers using papercuts. Inspiring. Can't wait until it arrives at my front door.

Buswater 2009

Catching up.

I have been busy with this or that and I will not try and make excuses here but I do want to catch anyone up on the goings on and makings that have happened in the past six months. It will be a gradual process so sit tight.

Here is a picture to prove i have been doing something.

Ok you got me. This proves nothing. Except... Kitties love to pack.

More to come.

All of the Above

All of the Above MFA Fibers Exhibition.

Some shots from the opening.

Cupcakes I made for the occasion.

New buisness cards.

Above "The Last Crusade" are pictures i took from the inside.

The Garden

For the last couple of months I have been working on a raised bed for vegetables. One of the apartment complexes down the street put in a new fence a while back. I stopped by and ask what they were going to do with the old fence. Instead of having it all go to the dump I decided to re-purpose it for my project. The wood set unused forever in the back yard but finally it is put to use.

In progress

The huge pile of dirt that was delivered to the house. All I could think is "what have I done?"

Finally the plants are in. Five kinds of pepper, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, squash, and cantalope. We may have to get a booth at the farmers market when it all comes in.

When we bought all the plants the bed wasn't big enough so I added an additon for the cantalope.

Hopefully my thumb is green enough for all of this.

What I did over Spring Break.

David's parents and grandad came to visit and helped us put in a new fan, backsplash for the new oven, a working light in the kitchen and other odds and ends around the house. While they were doing the hard stuff I found time to make some pillows for the couch and curtains for the kitchen.

The Wrath of Kahn

My final project for History of Fiber. Based on the story "The King and His Hawk". http://www.salizah.com/genghiskhanandhishawk.html

Identity

This is a piece I created for my second project in History of Fabric. We were asked to identify a tribe we were a member of and I chose my extended family. We have a unique drawing of a chicken that has been passed down for four generations now. We call it the Carlisle Family Chicken. (It is where I got the name for this blog) The drawing made with one continuous line apart from the legs, even though we all know the technique every persons chicken is very unique.

We are a very close family and I wanted to express the support we all give each other by having them send me a piece of fabric they found significant. I expected curtain scraps or random fabric they had laying around from past projects but i got much more. Lots sent pieces from clothing my grandmother had made them making the project extra special. Each of the pieces is kind of like a poi trait of the person it represents. It is made from the fabric they sent me and their drawing of the "Carlisle Family Chicken" is stitched on the front. I chose to frame the pieces with a fabric I found that looks much like a tablecloth my grandmother would have on her kitchen table, something that brings us all together. Most of our gatherings incorporate food and end with us playing games around that table.

I had to rely on others to make this work possible. Most of the decisions were made for me after the initial idea. All I did was respond to the fabric. I chose to display these pieces side by side surrounding the viewer in an intimate space to signify the support system that surrounds me.