Plaiting or is it weaving with bus tickets

i always seem to do it to myself and i'm obviously a sucker for punishment but i'm still plodding through the bus tickets. it all stemmed from conserving a straw bonnet at work and weaving japanese paper strips to match missing areas of  straw plait. i enjoyed the rhythmical nature of the plaiting and thought i would remember it for future use!

Travelling about on the bus here in Devon leaves me with a purse full of tickets i always think a waste to throw away and at last i'm putting them to some good use.

the tickets themselves are quite small 6cm x 8cm so i join about 4 together with adhesive and then cut them into 3mm wide strips! i'm using 5 strips to plait, joining more on when needed. when finished they look a bit stark although the backs are quite colourful with 'McDonald's', 'Subway' or 'Burger King' vouchers on the back - just think of all those missed meals i could have had (or not), perhaps that's another work for the future.

the great thing about the paper they use is that it's heat sensitive so i take an iron to the plait which makes the front a beautiful dark grey. i then wax the whole strip and construct them into reticule type containers using traditional bonnet making techniques by spiralling round and stitching the edge of the braid through the layer underneath.

a taster of part of the finished item. i dread to think how much i have spent on tickets!
 

Hello I am here and ought to visit more often

Been a bit slow this year. the head is still fuzzy from Christmas cold and cough but am beginning to emerge although not enamoured with inspiration or lack of. anyway i am proceeding with my vessels for a future exhibition 'Travellers Tales'.
ideas behind the work are based on people travelling, sparked by a project at work on repacking reticules and purses. something people would need on a journey would be money containers/bags/purses etc. i have expanded on this thinking of carriages and buses, people in the past probably had similar conversations to those nowadays.

'is there anything on the tele?'

 i am still not sure about these so it may all change but thinking about it so watch this space.

i have used crochet and knitting with some machine stitch grids, cross stitch and i have been plaiting my bus tickets as one does! the largest is about 10cm high

bus tickets advertising 'subway'

 to make matters even more intricate, after 30 years i have taken up lace making again! it is coming back but i have set myself a large task even though it is small.

 the makings of a shell
 

Merry Christmas everyone

the first thing i saw this morning

i hope everyone has a great Christmas and Creative 2016

Imprints at Taunton

i spent a few hours last week at the museum stewarding so I was able at last to take a picture of my piece 'Subjoined Lines'. the problem of not having much space at home is that large items never get hung or photographed in their entirety.

the team at Taunton had done a wonderful job with the brackets at the top and although it was hung higher than I had wanted I can see why they did it.

label telling the story

detail and shadows

it was great seeing it in a museum setting. in fact the whole exhibition was really well hung and has had a lot of interest.
On until the beginning of January.

Harris Tweed that will do nicely!

i have had a break from being creative and have made myself a coat. somebody has discovered that tweed is very comfortable!

Green Trotsky

 however on the back burner i have started something based on travellers and their need to carry things

i am still working in the past for inspiration. thinking of nineteenth century travellers wearing straw bonnets. i have recently conserved a straw bonnet and found the twisted straw i have used above in an antiques fair. 

i am using fishing line to crochet with enclosing the straw a bit like a coiled vessel.

it's quite small but is still growing and it is a pleasure after the enormous giant now at Taunton.
i am stewarding there next Friday so will take some images in situ,
 
 

Done and dusted

well it's finished and delivered and will hopefully be hung ok. i am always worried when i send something off that i have no involvement in hanging so we will see.
the exhibition is on for a good time so there is no excuse!

ilminster 'On the Edge' exhibition

if you are in ilmister you probably have about an hour or so to see the exhibition before it is taken down.

meet the artists 1st August

 however here are a few shots of my work in situ for any interested parties. quality of images not brilliant but i am still working out the new camera.

'Heavenly Bodies' and '40 days'

see previous blog entries for more details.

'last of the broadsheets'

the last of the broadsheets were my little books made from newspaper and thread.

collars

and finally my collars based on the people on the edge of society. unfortunately i noticed too late that the gallery had put the labels on the perspex visible! but hey ho we live and learn.

it has been a very hectic time recently but yesterday i took time out to visit Sidmouth for the last day of the folk week. so i will leave you with the thought of relaxation.

only in England