Jane Austen's Birthday Blogfest

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! 

I have been obsessive about Jane Austen's works for some time. If you know me well, you are likely to know this. Though I have neglected to invite people to attend, I have prepared a party, of sorts, in her honor. 

Upon hearing my plan, my daughter offered the loan of her stately, white Christmas tree. Soon it was decided that ornaments reflecting the world of Jane Austen would be the focus of this celebration. One would think to start by creating a list, or making some notes, but that is not how the ornaments were developed. 

Sorting through some materials I have gathered through the years (also read hoarded with the thoughts of clutching them in my hands until my last breath) I found some images that would give me the jump start for these ornaments. Other influences were reference books I have acquired over the years and a wonderful stash of Dresden Trim from Gwen Lafleur's shop. Just see how these elements come together to celebrate the genius of Jane Austen. 

Note: Much discussion has been had by those of use who love Jane Austen (also referred to as Janeites) regarding how to refer to the lady. Referring to that most talented lady by her given name seems crass and presumptuous and saying Miss Austen seems stilted. If it seems repetitive or silly to type her name out in full, consider the delicacy required of such introductions. I am sure you will forgive me. 

The Jane Austen Ornament

Jane Austen, the master of the folly of human nature painted portraits of a country village and it's foibles with a light and humorous touch. 

The ATC was covered with blue paper, musical scrap, and lace scraps. The portrait of Jane was drawn on and embellished with gel pen. A rose of English scrap was added. Dresden Trim was added with hot glue. 

The Naval Set

Two Austen Brothers and Their Ships

The Naval Set - Two of Jane Austen's brothers joined the Navy. Frank Austen who reached the rank Admiral of the Fleet is shown in the ornament on the left. The ornament on the right shows a picture of the Unicorn, a ship that brother Charles Austen spent time on at of the beginning of his naval career. He eventually advanced to the rank of Rear Admiral. If you wish to learn more about these brothers the book Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers (see information below)

Looking upon the Dresden trim I had received from Gwen's shop this month it was remarkable how much the pieces looked like the medals seen in the paintings of the two brothers. Each of them wore two medals, one cross-shaped and the other circular. 

Examining the paintings as much as possible I noticed the way they were hung from ribbons. A velvet ribbon just the shade of blue that had been chosen for this project appeared, seemingly from nowhere. I do not remember ever seeing this ribbon, but there it was on the floor. So it was chosen (though strictly not the correct color for the medal.) Another type of Dresden trim was secured along the bottom edge of the ribbon to echo the look of the metal that held it all together. 

With these elements in hand and a strong vision for what the ornament should reflect, the search for the background paper begun. A blotter paper covered with paint the perfect match of blue was found and cut to pieces the size of the ornaments (ATC size - 2.5 X 3.5 inches) and adhered to the ATC backing, in this case, the cardboard packaging from a flat of soda. 

The portrait of Sir Francis Austen and the painting of the Unicorn were both photocopied from the book Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers: Being the Adventures of Sir Francis Austen, Admiral of the Fleet and Rear-Admiral Charles Austen by John H. Hubback and Edith C. Hubback. 

trimmed and pasted to the ATCs. Hot glue was used for attaching the Dresden trim and the ribbon. 

Cassandra Austen
Beloved Sister and Confidant

Much of what we know about Jane Austen comes from the letters she wrote to her sister, Cassandra. There is much to be said about her, but that is for another time. This Casandra ornament is dressed for a ball, looking toward her sister for approval and to make sure that the younger sister does not make a misstep while out in society. 

For Casandra's ornament, I wanted to add this beautiful blue cording I had in my stash. To secure it to the tag one might have used hot glue. Well, one might have if one had thought of it. My mind turned towards needle and thread. First, a ruler was consulted to make .5 inch marks around the ornament. An awl was employed to pierce the cardboard. 

Then, using a needle and thread, the cording was sewn down. The first attempt was dismal. The stitches pulled at the cording making it unpleasant to see. So, the stitches were taken in the back of the cording in order to preserve the texture of the cord. 

Ah, but I am getting ahead of myself. First the background was attached to the ATC, English scrap and an image from the card set (see below) adhered with gel medium.

The cord was looped around the top into a rosette and secured by sewing it with the needle and thread. 

The ball

There is always a ball, isn't there? If not a ball, an assembly. This is the chief thrill of the young folk in Jane Austen's novels. Seriously. That and talking walks. Maybe carriage rides. 

To make this ornament the card was first prepared by adhering the background paper with gel medium. A white ribbon was added to upper and lower edge. A piece of lace was added but only glued down in the middle to let the edge ruffle a bit. The Dresden Trim was added hot glue. Finally, the dancers were cut from the card and attached with points of hot glue only at the heads. This allows for some movement and depth. Both qualities one wishes for from a dance partner, but are very seldom gratified to find. 

Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst

This image from the card set immediately brought Mr. Bingley's sisters to mind. It would be just like Caroline Bingley to turn her back to us.  

The blue background of this piece is made with Gwen's stencil (see below) attached to the ATC. Layer and English scrap flower bouquet and add the figures cut from the Jane Austen cards. Finish by affixing Dresden Trim with hot glue. Mrs. Hurst has the reputation of having 6 inches of lace at her hem, perhaps a double row of trim is called for. 

Marianne Dashwood

Marrianne Dashwood had reason to dress with care. She hopes to continue her association with that rascal Willoughby. 

Gwen's stencil again is the background for this ornament. Add the piece from the card, the Dresden Trim and a piece of light blue floss to hang it by. Done almost as quickly as Marianne's enjoyment of her stay in London. 

Emma Woodhouse and Harriet

Emma Woodhouse sharing confidences with her protege, Harriett.
Would that she would have held back a little in her encouragement of Harriet's ambitions. 

Add paper covered with Gwen's stencil to the ATC, a small flower of English scrap and the gossiping girls. The ornament is simple but reminds of the complexities of human folly. 

Anne Elliot 

Anne Elliot, mild-mannered and restrained, is not of the same mold as her extravagant father. She is of a deeper nature. 

Gwen's stencil is topped with a piece of geranium scrap from the English scrap, layered with an image from the card set and layered with Dresden Trim above and below. Anne is down to earth like the humble geranium but has the worth of gold with her depth of understanding. 

Materials used: 

Gwen's Essentials - German Dresden Trim - Borders Assorted Patterns

Gwen's Essentials - German Dresden Trim - Small Medalions 

Fabulous Florals English Scrap Sheets - Roses and Blossoms

You are in luck. Gwen is having a sale on Dresden and Scrap this month. You won't regret getting your hands on some of this for the new year. 

Gwen's StencilGirl Stencils - Decorative Collection Decorative 6-Petal Flower Screen Stencil (6X6 inches)

All ATC ornaments were made from cardboard from cereal boxes

Under the Tree

I couldn't resist putting some things under the tree. Whether they are a gift for Jane Austen or a gift of Jane Austen is up to you. You will see the book I referenced and the set of cards I took the images from. 

Also, you will see a new product that I am developing for release in the Etsy shop I will open at the beginning of 2018. It is called A Novel Yarn - Art Yarn for the Well Read. This first edition is the Pride and Prejudice Yarn. Handspun wool with bits of silk (undoubtedly from the dresses of the Bingley sisters), pieces of lace (what fine young lady neglects lace on her ball gown) and text cut from a used copy of the book. Soft and fluffy, this two-ply yarn is perfect for art projects like weaving and mixed media, but cannot be used for clothing items as it cannot be washed safely. 

What do you think of A Novel Yarn? What novels/authors would you like to see represented in this line of art yarns? Your thoughts are much valued. 

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen. You continue to inspire. 

References:

Hubback, John H., and Edith C. Hubback. Jane Austen's Sailor Brothers: Being the adventures of Sir 

     Francis Austen, Admiral of the Fleet and Rear-Admiral Charles Austen. New York, Cambridge 

     University Press, 2012. 

Jane Austen Notecards. New York, Random House, 2007. 

Secret Journey Journal and Some Beautiful Trim

What happens when you find an old map that your brother wrapped your Christmas gift in, you are thinking about what to make for the next Artist Tribe project and The Police are singing about Spirits in the Material World and their Secret Journey in the background?

Well, this. This happens. 

Naturally. 

What else could possibly have happened? Please don't answer that question. 

So I got this idea for a map of my spiritual journey. So many spiritual artifacts are ensconced in precious boxes covered with beautiful design. I had just the thing. My old iPhone box. I can never throw them away as they are so well made. I found the bottom right away. It took weeks for me to find the top, but that is another story....

So the map was cut into pages the size that could fit in the box. 

 Gwen Lafleur's compass stencil was the obvious choice for this project. I wanted to use a color close to indigo, but alas, in my enthusiasm for pink I have neglected variations of blue. What I had, I didn't have much of. I decided to mix it with black. It actually looks like I used black, but I am happy with the way it came out. 

While pouncing the color onto the page I became transported by memories and stopped paying close attention to what I was doing. The images are not crystal clear as one might imagine, but I decided that gave it a weathered effect that was perfect for this project and moved on. 

Usually, I use a slightly harder cardboard for the cover, but I decided to actually cover the cover. For this I chose a stunning paper from Gwen's collection. I thought the black and gold suited the project perfectly. The cover cardboard was cut to the exact size of the papers, the cover 1/4 inch larger on all sides. 

Adhere the cardboard to the paper. I used gel medium. 

Trim the corners. 

 Glue them down. 

For the interior cover (also called endpapers for those in the know) I used this beautiful peacock print paper also from Gwen's shop. It looks so regal. 

Before I bound the book, I cut a piece of Dresden trim and adhered to the cover using gel medium. Lucky me, the Dresden trim was the exact size to get both front and back pieces from. 

I bound the book using the Coptic Stitch. If you are unfamiliar with the process I would recommend watching a tutorial or two on YouTube. It does take some attention, but is fairly easy to do and looks great. 

Once the book was bound, I added bits and pieces of print in different languages - Chinese that came from Gwen's shop, Japanese and Russian from an instagram friend, French from a biography about the Marquese d' Sevenge who I was researching last spring, some Italian in the hand of Leonardo D'Vinci (though I have seen it written that he wrote backwards and is suspected to have dyslexia) and Korean (some word from a favorite KPop band, Shinee.) These all reflect travels of mine, with the exception of the Russian and that simply reflects friendship.

If I hadn't already decided to make it difficult enough, I chose to do all the text in code. I love a good puzzle. I used the code pig pen if you care to have a go at it. 

I carefully assigned meaning to each page spread and made a guide to help me keep on track. I then went through buckets of old pictures, scanning them, resizing them and using an app to make them all black and white. Some looked great when outlined or cartoonized, others were better with simple black and white. I printed them out like contact paper, cut them out and adhered them to the appropriate pages. 

Thanks to Artist Tribe member Jill McDowell, for inspiring me to see things within the stencils. I found visual hints on each page to keep the meaning coming. 

Let me be real here, a book like this isn't done quickly. It's really introspective, so I decided to begin and allow myself to continue as I go. Maybe you will see the completion post someday.

A beautiful book deserves a beautiful box, nes pa? Here's how I turned my iPhone box into a treasure box. 

Gwen sent me this beautiful piece of sari material. These will be available in her shop before long, so make sure you check in. I love this piece and it was precisely the size I needed to cover the lid! 


After folding the material over the box to make sure it would fit I added gel medium to the lid and pressed it on the fabric along one of the lines. Next, I adhered the long edges. Trim the excess on the ends and stick the sides down.  

Silk is lovely, but it frays in an ecstatic, energetic sort of way. I added gell medium around the edges to make sure they did not fray. 

Let's talk about Gwen's trim for a minute. This stuff makes you drool. With so much trim to choose from how does one begin? My box side is 2" high, so I chose a trim that is 1.5" and it works perfectly. I'm guessing that will help you narrow your choices down a little bit. 

I gave a liberal coat of gel medium on the backside of the trim and carefully adhered it to the box. Clothespins placed at the corners helped to keep it secure while drying. 

So here is the rub. Iphone boxes are snug. Really snug. So I couldn't get into the box very well once I had covered it. No problem, I wanted to do something to the bottom anyway. I glued a piece of the fabric I used in my Kuchi patch brooch to the bottom of the box. 

Then I used hot glue to add sari yarn around the edge of the box. This provides a place to grip and also keeps the box from closing completely. As you can see a piece of sari yarn is used to tie the box to complete the look. 

I just don't know when to leave good enough alone. I wanted to create a secret compartment for my box. I traced the inside of the iPhone tray and cut out a piece of craft foam that size. 

I covered it in the same fabric as the bottom and then attached sari yarn all the way around. Using a button making kit from a sewing supply store, I covered a button with the last scraps of that beautiful sari scrap and sewed it to the middle of the cushion. 

Placing a gemstone bracelet there makes it look like there is nothing else to be seen here. Well, let me dream that is what it looks like. 

The reveal.

The holes in the bottom of the box are wonderful for hiding things. Currently, I have the pig pen code. No, I haven't memorized it. I also have a stick of Japanese amber incense which makes the whole thing smell lovely. I am sensitive to scent and have trouble with most incense due to an allergy to jasmine, but this works for me. You could use a drop of essential oil, some lavendar flowers or a piece of your favorite soap. 

I'm sure to add more to this "secret" compartment, but I'm not going to share that with you. After all, it's a secret! 

Be sure to check out the materials I used from Gwen's shop:

Gwen's Stencil Girl Stencils - Ornamental Collection - Ornamental Compass 

Black and gold paper is from the Irresistible India Mixed Media Happy Pack

Gwen's essentials - German Dresden - Borders Assorted Patterns

Chinese paper from Exotic Orient Deluxe Collage & Embellishment Pack

Irresistible India Embellished Trims by the yard - Mirrored Gold Embellished Trim 

Sari Ribbon from Darn Good Yarn in Twisted Sister 

And this month Gwen's having a special on trim. Go wild. This stuff is gorgeous.