Voščilo, voščilnice - greetings, greeting cards

Vesele božične praznike in vse dobro v letu 2010 želim vsem, ki se ustavite na mojem blogu! Merry Christmas season and all the best in 2010 to everybody that stops by my blog! Letos sem božične in novoletne voščilnice izdelala na svojem ročno izdelanem papirju, na katerega sem prilepila sličice jaslic ali svete družine (in jih zaprla v kuverte, preden sem pomislila, da bi jih bilo dobro fotografirati, ojoj). Na druge sem prilepila kartončke z zvezdo repatico, večje in manjše pozlačene zvezdice, narisala zlatega angelčka skozi šablono - kot vidite na zgornjih fotografijah.Zraven sem poslušala in si prepevala božične pesmi in preživela res lepe urice v mislih na vse tiste, ki sem jim voščilnice poslala. This year I made my Christmas and New Year Cards with my handmade paper. I glued pictures of Nativity or the Holy Family on them - and closed the envelopes before it occurred to me it would be wise to take some photos :-( I made others by gluing smaller pieces of carton with a Christmas Star, small and large stars painted gold, draw a golden angel using a template - as may be seen in the above pictures. While doing this I listened to and sang Christmas carols. I spent really pleasant hours thinking of those I was going to send the cards.

Malo filcanja - Some felting done

Pred božičnimi prazniki sem sfilcala en ducat kapic (ali klobučkov, če hočete) za steklene kozarčke. Sedaj vanje dajem domači čaj, doma narejeno marmelado, bučne peške - pa je darilce bolj ljubko. Uporabila sem svojo rastlinsko barvano volno, večinoma naše jezersko-solčavske ovce, nekaj pa je volne creške pramenke. Before the Christmas holiday I wetfelted a dozen of caps (or hats if you like) for small glass jars. Now I've been filling them with home tea mixture, homemade marmalade, courgette seeds - and the gift is nicely packaged. I used my own natural dyed wool, mostly from Slovenian breed Jezersko-solčavska ovca, some is of sheep native on the island Cres. o

Filcano darilo - Felted gift

Starejši hčerki sem za rojstni dan naredila darilce iz naravno - rastlinsko barvane volne (le zelena je sintetična). Tokrat sem poleg mokrega filcanja uporabila tudi suho filcanje z iglo za številko, cvetko, listke in bunkice. I made a birthday gift for my elder daughter. I used natural dyed wool except for the green which is synthetic. Beside wet felting I also used needle felting technique to make the digits, the flower, leaves and beads.

Jesenski šibori z želodom - Autumn shibori with acorns

V internetni skupini Working with felt (Working withfelt) je bil jesenski izziv v šibori tehniki, z navodili za začetnike. Nisem si mogla kaj, da ne bi poskusila, čeprav mi sicer šibori na filcu ni pretirano všeč. Tale izdelek mi je kar simpatičen, le zelena ne paše zraven (seveda, saj ni naravna, ampak sintetična, pa še čisto presvetla je). The Working with felt community (Working withfelt) offered an autumn challenge in shibori technique, with instructions for beginners. I just couldn't refrain from trying it although I'm not very fond on shibori in felt. I quite like this product, only the green doesn't go with the other colours (of course, since it is not natural but synthetic).Še slikca iz profila. A pic in the side view. Takole sem v napol izdelan filc zavezala en želod s kapico in eno kapico. This is how I tied an acorn with a cap and a separate cap into felt before fulling. abcčdef

Svilen šal za Manyo - Silk scarf for Manya

V gozdnih požarih avgusta letos v Grčiji je nastala ogromna škoda. Zgorelo je tudi veliko gozda, ki ga je treba znova zasaditi. Manya Maratou z lokalno skupnostjo organizira prodajno razstavo izdelkov umetnostne obrti, da bi zbrali denar za pogozdovanje. Vsi, ki vam je mar okolje, še predobro veste, kako je ponovno pogozdovanje pomembno, tudi zato, da preprečimo širjenje sušnih območij, ki grozi Grčiji.

Na njihovem blogu ( http://attikasos.blogspot.com/) lahko sledite akciji “Umetnost za drevesa” ('Art for Trees'), lahko pa tudi sami prispevate svoje umetniške in /ali ročno narejene izdelke. Zbirajo se na naslovu:

PO Box 66 Marathon, 19007 Attiki Grčija c/o Manya Maratou

in sicer do konca oktobra. Za vse donacije prisrčna hvala v imenu Manye in njenih sodelavcev.

Mainland in Greece was ravaged by wildfires in August this year. Forests were burned and the area needs reforestation. Manya Maratou, together with local people, organises an exhibition of arts and crafts to raise funds for the reforestation of the area. The environmentalists amongst you will be all too aware of the importance of reforestation, also to prevent desertificaton which is a real threat in Greece.

You may follow the progress of the 'Art for Trees' campaign on the blog http://attikasos.blogspot.com/ and donate your products. Send them to the following address:

PO Box 66 Marathon, 19007 Attiki Greece c/o Manya Maratou

to be received by the end of Octobre. Thank you in advance for any donations on behalf of Manya and her teammates.

Bori umirajo pokončno - Pine trees die standing

Več svilenih šalov, potiskanih z rastlinami - More plant printed silk scarves

Spomladi sem potiskala precej svilenih šalov, a jih kar nisem in nisem poslikala. Zdaj vem, zakaj: ker je barve na svili tako težko dobiti - ali pa jih jaz ne znam :-( Očitno šale lažje potiskam z rastlinami kot pa fotografiram. Tehle nekaj mi je le uspelo posneti, pri drugih pa sem obupala. Mogoče se jih spet lotim kdaj kasneje ...

This spring I plant printed many silk scarves but didn't manage to take their photos. Now I know why: because it's so difficult to catch the colours on silk - or at least I can't do it properly :-( Obviously it's easier for me to plant print scarves than to take their photos. Finally I managed to take photos of these up here but then I despaired. Perhaps I'll try later ...

Macesnova skorja -- pobarvano - Larch bark dyeing -- dyed

Takale je zdaj zadnja volna po vseh celoletnih poskusih - tale je iz "šnopsa". Pa take lepe barve so na skorji (na spodnji sliki), samo kaj, ko jih ne dobim na volno :-( No, če že barva ni kaj posebnega, je bilo pa vsaj barvanje v alkoholnih hlapih nadvse veselo he-he-hik... The latest of an entire year's attempts looks like this – the yarn comes out of "spirits". And to think how beautiful the colours look on the bark (in the picture below), but they won't be transferred permanently onto the wool :-( Well, if the colour is nothing special, at least the dyeing in alcohol vapours was a merry one he-he-hiccup... Na balkonu sem našla še eno vedro, kjer se v vodi namaka macesnova skorja. Barvilna kopel je bila lepo temno rjavo-rdeča, pa sem volno nekaj ur pogrevala do okrog 50 stopinj. Barva se ni prijela, pa sem vedro postavila nazaj na balkon. Od časa do časa premešam in čakam, če se bo volna slučajno pomotoma tokrat pa le obarvala. To hladno barvanje (če je res hladno, ker ga ne segrevam, ampak na tem zaprtem balkonu je vsako popoldne krepko čez 30) bom pustila nekaj tednov. I found another pail in the balcony with larch bark soaking in water. The dyebath was nice dark brownish-red, so I put some yarn in it and warmed up to about 50 degrees centigrade for a few hours. The colour didn't cling to the yarn so the pail went back to the balcony. I stir now and then and wait in case the wool takes the colour by some mistake. I intend to maintain this cold dyeing bath (if it may be called cold because I don't heat it, but the temperature climbs fairly above 30 deg in this closed balcony in the afternoons) for some weeks.

Macesnova skorja za barvanje - Larch bark dyeing

Že celo leto poskušam izvleči kaj barve iz macesnove skorje, ki mi je zelo všeč zaradi barve in vonja. Pa se macesen ne da. Skorjo sem nabrala avgusta lani v Robanovem kotu in jo namočila v vodi.

Ko se je skorja namakala tri mesce, sem dodala belo volneno prejo in po dveh mescih dobila nekaj bledega, kar spominja na rumenkasto- roza (prva z leve).

Skorjo sem pustila namakati in februarja dodala belo prejo, čimžano z galunom. Po približno treh mescih sem dobila nekaj bledega, kar spominja na roza-rumenkasto (na desni).

Nato sem drugo belo prejo počasi kuhala oz. grela tri ure in ker barve ni bilo kaj prida, sem jo dala nazaj v barvilno kopel (brez skorje). Po šestih tednih sem volno oprala in dobila najtemnejšo doslej (v sredini). Nekaj več barve je, ampak nič posebnega.

Dodala sem 50 g česane volne, čimžane z galunom. Počasi sem jo segrevala (lahna para, kar je verjetno okrog 70 stopinj Celzija). Ker barve ni bilo kaj prida, sem volno dala nazaj do 6. avgusta, ko sem jo oprala. Barve je zelo malo – bledo roza - in nisem nič poslikala. Vodo sem zlila proč, ker očitno ne bo obarvala volne.

Na skorje, ki so bile že prekuhane, a niso dale kaj dosti barve, sem 9. maja nalila okrog liter in pol alkohola v upanju, da bo alkohol izvlekel (ekstrahiral) barvo iz te presneto škrte macesnove skorje. Ker ga je precej popila, sem 10. junija dolila še alkohol in vodo, da je bila vsa skorja pokrita (alkohola mi je pa čisto zmanjkalo). Danes sem po treh mescih namakanja macesnove skorje v alkoholu tekočino precedila, dolila nekaj vode in dala vanjo čimžano in nečimžano prejo. Segrevam jo prav počasi, v treh urah do 65 stopinj, segrela bom do okrog 70 stopinj. Celo stanovanje prijetno diši po sadjevcu, jaz pa se kuhinje izogibam kar se le da, da ne bom od hlapov okajena in postala "as mad as a hatter", kot rečejo Angleži.

Na zgornji sliki je mokra macesnova skorja potem, ko sem odlila alkohol. Na drugi sliki je bela volnena preja v barvilni tekočini. To je moj zadnji poskus izvleči spodobno barvo iz macesnove skorje. Mogoče pa mi uspe?

For a whole year I've been trying to get some colour out of larch bark which I like very much for its colour and odour, but the larch refuses it to me. I collected the bark last August in Robanov kot, a lovely mountain valley with pastures for horses, cattle and pigs, and a hut where you are served old-fashioned shepherds’ dishes, and put it to soak in water.

After three months of soaking the bark I added white wool yarn. Two months later I got something pale, a faint memory of yellowish-pink (the skein on the left).

I left the bark soaking and added white alum mordanted wool yarn. After about three months I got something pale, a faint memory of pinkish-yellow (the skein on the right).

I took another skein of white yarn and cooked it – in fact warmed it in the dyebath for three hours. Since there was not much colour the skein went back to the bath (without the bark) for six weeks. When I washed the wool I got the darkest colour up till then (in the middle). Probably because this was the warmest time of soaking in the dyebath. There is a bit more colour, but nothing special.

I then added 50 grams of alum mordanted carded wool. I warmed it slowly until light vapours were evolving (probably about 70 degrees Celsius). Since there was almost no colour on the wool it went back into the dyebath until yesterday, 6 August, when I washed it. Very little colour stayed on the wool – pale pink – and I did not take any picture of it. I poured the dyebath away since it obviously won’t colour wool.

I saved the barks that had been cooked, without giving much colour, for further use. On 9 May I poured about 1,5 litre of alcohol on it, hoping alcohol might pull some colour out (= extract) of this damn miserly larch bark. Since it absorbed much of it I added more alcohol and water on10 June to cover it completely (and I ran totally out of alcohol).

Today, after three months of soaking the larch bark in alcohol I strained the liquid, poured in some more water and added unmordanted and alum mordanted yarn. I’ve been heating it very slowly, up to 65 deg in three hours, and I intend to heat it a bit above 70 deg. My whole flat smells pleasantly of fruit brandy and I avoid the kitchen as much as I can, in order not to get tipsy from vapours, or even get as mad as a hatter.

The upper picture shows wet larch barks after I’d poured off alcohol. The second picture shows white wool yarn in the dyebath. This is my last try at getting some decent colour from larch bark. I hope for better luck than in previous trials.

Tiskanje z rastlinami - uspehi in neuspehi - Plant printing - successes and disasters

Vsa navdušena po začetnih (dvajsetih) uspehih tiskanja rastlin na svilo sem veselo nadaljevala in tule je en svilen šal, kjer mi je celo uspelo natisniti obstojno modro barvo (v barvilni kopeli se žal ni obnesla). Drugih šalov mi še ni uspelo poslikati, ali ni bilo prave svetlobe ali pa volje :-(

Fascinated by the initial (twenty) successful plant prints on silk I cheerfully went on, and this isj one of the printed silk scarf where I even managed to obtain a fast blue colour (which, to my great sorrow, isn't effective in a dyebath). I haven't managed to take photos of other scarves - either the light wasn't right or I I wasn't in the mood :-(

Potem, ko sem na veliko brala svoje tri nove knjige o rastlinskem barvanju in tiskanju, sem se lotila še tiskanja na bombaž. Imela sem dve tanki bombažni plenici, zelo zelo stari in sprani, in tisk se je lepo prijel. Na kuhinjski rokavici, ki je verjetno iz mešanice bombaža in lana, odtis ni tako lep, uporabna je pa vseeno (dokler je ne bo kdo spet zažgal ...).

After having spent hours reading my three new books on natural dyeing and plant printing I proceeded to printing on cotton. I had two thin, very very old cotton diapers, much washed with use, and the print took on well. The oven mitt, probably made of a mixture of linen and cotton, didn't take the print so well, still, it can be used (until someone burns it again ...).

Kaj pa je tole? Nič tako lepega kot svileni šali, samo bombažna majica, ki je s tiskanjem nisem čisto pokvarila, nosila jo bom bolj za "športne" priložnosti.

And what is this? No such beauty as the silk scarves, only a cotton T-shirt that I didn't ruin completely by trying plant printing on it ... well, I may still wear it for "sports" occasions.

Drugi poskusi na bombažu so različni, nekaj je že uporabnega, marsikaj pa (še) ne, ali, kot pravi India Flint, to je šele podlaga za nadaljnje tiskanje.

Other trials on cotton are of various quality, some may be used, many not (yet) or, as India Flint puts it, they are a background pattern for further printing.

ZDAJ PA NA DOPUST - OFF FOR HOLIDAY!

Večbarvno barvanje volnene preje - Multicolour wool yarn dyeing

Našla sem novo rastišče šentjanževke, precej blizu doma, le nekaj kilometrov stran. Volneno prejo sem pobarvala kontaktno samo s cvetki. Rezultat me je tako navdušil, da sem morala slikati še mokro volno, čeprav sem vedela, da posušena ne bo več tako živih barv. I found a new growing area of St. John's wort, quite near my home, not more than a couple of kilometers away. I contact-dyed wool yarn with flowers only. The result filled me with such enthusiasm that I just had to take a picture of wet yarn although I knew well it won't keep the vivid colours when dried.

Res barve niso več tako žive, vijolična je šla proti rjavi (pa ne toliko, kot je videti na sliki), ampak volna je še vedno čudovita.

Indeed, the colours are not so vivid any more, the burgundy-purple shifted towards brown (not as much as in the picture, though), but the wool is still marvelous.

Navila sem jo še z malo napravico, da lahko nit vlečem iz sredine klobke.

I wound it using a small appliance to be able to pull the yarn from the middle of the ball.

Takole je videti spletena, gladko desne na licu.

This is how it looks when knit, stockinette stich.

Pred nekaj tedni me je premamil blog Helen Melvin, ki je dobila zanimivo barvo z zlato rozgo tik pred cvetenjem. Rezultat je bilo razočaranje - nezanimiva rumena (razen prvega barvanja, ki je dalo močno živorumeno). Odločila sem se, da bom volno prebarvala po delih. Del sem pobarvala z izrabljeno barvilno kopeljo iz rabarbarinih listov in del z izrabljeno kopeljo zelenih orehov. Barve sicer niso ravno moje najljubše, kombinacija pa mi je zelo všeč in sem zdaj prav zadovoljna z rezultatom barvanja, pa še izrabljene barvilne kopeli sem karseda porabila.

Some weeks ago I was tempted by Helen Melvin's report of an interesting colour obtained from goldenrod just prior to bloom. My result was a disappointment - an uninteresting yellow (except for the first dyeing which gave a vivid and strong yellow) so I decided to partly overdye the skeins. I used a rhubarb leaves exhaust bath and a green walnuts exhaust bath for parts of the skein. Although the colours are not just my choice I like their combination very much and am quite happy with the result now. In addition, I made utmost use of my exhaust dyebaths.

Tiskanje na svilo z rastlinami - Plant printing on silk

Že nekaj časa sem po različnih blogih občudovala tiskanje z rastlinami. Končno sem se opogumila, pripravila svilene šale in začela. Kakšni lepi tiski! No, vsaj zame, za tiste, ki sem jim te šale pokazala in za tiste, ki so jih kupili.

Na prvem sem na živo rumeno osnovo, pobarvano z listi rusa (octovca) položila lepe travniške cvetice, ki sem jih našla, ko sem se z Ambrožem, tretjim vnukom, sprehajala ob gozdu.

It has been for some time now that I've been admiring blogs with plant printing. At last I took courage, prepared some silk scarves and started. What beautiful prints! Well, at least for me, for those whom I showed the scarves and for those who bought them.

On the first scarf dyed with sumac leaves (Rhus) I placed sweet little meadow flowers I found on my walk with Ambrož, my third grandson, on the verge of a forest.

Pa še posnetek od blizu.

And a closeup. Potem sem pojedla kar precej gozdnih jagod, ki mi jih je Ambrož pomagal iskati (sam pa jih ne je) in sem se spomnila, da bi to bil lep odtis na svili. In je nastal tale šal spodaj Slika ni najboljša, v resnici je šal lepši. Then I ate pretty many forest strawberries that Ambrož helped me find (he doesn't eat them) and it occurred to me they could make a nice print on silk. This is how the next scarf was made (below). The picture does not do it justice, in reality the scarf is prettier.

Pri njegovi drugi stari mami - mami Slavki - sem opazila rdečelistno lesko. Nekaj listov sem uporabila za naslednji šal.

At his other grandma's - mama Slavka - I noticed a redleaf hazelnut bush. I used a few leaves to make the next scarf.

Šentjanževka - St. John's Wort

Prvi cvet šentjanževke letos - vsaj na mojem balkonu. Nisem si mogla kaj, pa sem jo malo nasadila v cvetlični lonec. Saj vem, da je ne bo dovolj za barvanje, je pa lepa in trpežna, prav primerna za vroč in vetroven balkon. The first flower of St. John's Wort this year - at least in my balcony. I just couldn't help planting it in a flower pot. Yes, I do know it won't be enough for any dyeing but it is beautiful and insensitive to the hot and windy conditions in my balcony.

Še preden je začela cveteti, sem pobarvala nekaj štren bele volne kontaktno, da sem dobila takole pisano volno. Prav privlačna sprememba od vseh prejšnjih enobarvnih nians! Before it started blooming I contact-dyed a couple of skeins of white yarn and obtained this multicolour result. An attracting variation of all previous single-colour skeins!