Here is the next step on the pages for my mixed media book. I brushed a light coat of gesso over each page on both sides.

Then I added a wash of burnt umber acrylic.

Then I stamped all the pages with a variety of stamps and colors.

Here’s a closeup of one page. More paint to follow.

Here’s a pencil case that I made to carry with my workbook. I use an elastic hair band to use as a closure.

I made a flap at the top to keep the pencils from falling out if I turn it upside down (something I’m sure to do).

Here’s the inside with my pencils. I forgot to put a place for my erasers. Oh well…

TIF in June has to do with “stories that are and stories that are possible”. Sharon got this idea from thinking about her stash and the possibilities of what stash could become. After thinking about this for a bit, I decided that there are endless possibilities. It really depends on the choices that you make. Those choices direct you along a certain path. In regards to fiber art, those choices do seem to be endless. This got me thinking about last month’s challenge where we were to decide what we called ourselves. I think that what you call yourself, directs your choices and the possibilities. Then I read through this month’s Workshop on the Web. Two articles seemed to come together in my mind. One was about monochromatic landscapes and the other was about hand stitching with the darning stitch. The hand stitching article had samples of weavers “dressed” in darning stitch. So if I combine the monochromatic background with a shadow of a woman this will represent the past or stories that are. Then I will add women in color dressed in a variety of ways i.e. weaver, dyer, felter, embroiderer etc. to represent the stories that are possible. I think I will do a series of 4″x6″ pieces with each fiber art category represented or as many as I can come up with. I hope this makes sense but you’ll see more as I go along.

Here’s a simple landscape that I drew. I think the backgrounds will look similar to this except done in fiber. Now I have to work out how to represent my “women” of the past. I have a fair idea of how to do my contemporary fiber artists.