Beautiful Glass Dip Pens & Silks

Is this not one beautiful pen?!

I have, for many years, wanted to learn calligraphy. As I must be self taught, I try to teach myself a bit here & there, and each time I make a bit of progress. I have a long, long way to go. I was very lucky to have been given some gorgeous glass dip pens to try. The same gracious woman, Karen, from Exaclair, has provided me with not only paper & some ink but now she also has graced my with these pens that look too beautiful to use! Unbeknownst to Karen though, she has also driven my desire to learn more calligraphy! I am working on an idea that will incorporate calligraphy on various textiles and papers. Of course Exaclair is the purveyor of my favorite fountain pen ink, J.Herbin. They also make some calligraphy inks - even pearlescent ones that I also hope to be able to try some day.

Here are two bamboo pens and glass pen with a leather-like holder. Simplicity at it's best!
ps: the Buddhas is one of the first gel transfers I made some weeks ago.
It is one fabulous technique to become familiar with !

Simple bamboo dip pens - used for centuries and still going!

This is one of the prettiest, wabisabi-ish, pieces of silk I have ever seen.
Undulating waves of grays with an occasional butterfly to add visual interest!
I have a use for a small piece of this silk already planned!

I had add some photos of some of the more recent silks I have received from Ah!Kimono. As I have mentioned in the past, every month Cherie selects fabrics that for her club members. She has come to know us well. I'm always excited to see that little package arrive in the mail!

Orange on deep,deep brick red. How perfect is this ?!

This one just makes me smile whenever I see it in my pile of silks

A luscious 'wood grained' piece of silk in shades of orange - my perfect color scheme!

Things of Beauty

This is an amazing necklace and earring set that my boss, Marion Melville, made. It is, simply, the first set I have ever lusted for ... she has offered a payment plan but I may not be able to afford it this month. Her work is amazing, and quite reasonable. Local San Juan Island residents can see her work at Bison Gallery on Nichols Street

My friend Janet, goes on forays now and then and she never forgets her friends at home! Janet knows that I love this particular shade of green- she also knows that I have lusted for her coffee mug for quite some time. Recently, she returned from a trip and gifted me with this coffee mug. It's absolutely perfect - and is made by Trudeau. The suede like grip is washable - though not in a machine -but since I don't have one of those I have no issues with "hand wash only"!

This is my monthly silk selection from Ah!Kimono! .All of my favorite shades of greens (a thread runs through this post don't you agree?!) If you have a hankering for some luscious silks sign up for one of Cheri's monthly packages. They are absolutely affordable and are a great treat for yourself. Cheri has an uncanny knack of picking out colors just for you - grab a little bit of luxury!

This Month's Beautiful Silks from AH! Kimono

Look what arrived in the mail! This month's personally chosen selection from Ah!Kimono. I always smile when I open the envelope - Cheri's choices are always perfect for me! Cheri will be at SewExpo in Puyallup, Washington at the end of the month - and hopefully some of you will be able to get there to say "hi" and see the beautiful silks she has to offer! Check into her monthly clubs too - they really are a great, fiscally responsible little treat that will always please you!

In other news - I will be away through Sunday. I am going to be enjoying two classes from Esterita Austin. Hopefully, I will have lots of great information and photos to share with you all when I get home.

Have a wonderful rest of your week and a great, relaxing, creative weekend!

Historical Monday: Well At Least The Fabrics Are!

I had thought that I would make Monday's posts have a historical flavor, and in a way that is actually true for this post, although at first glance you might not think so! I am a self confessed silk addict & I have a pile of silks in my sewing area. I often sit on the floor & just take them all out. I look at them, feel them, marvel at them. They make me happy. All of the odd bits have a historical flavor because they are old - vintage that is. My silks come from Ah!Kimono!. Cheri, the owner of Ah!Kimono!, supplies silk addicts like me with a plethora of possibilities. Cheri offers all types of beautiful silks on her website and, in addition, she also offers various 'clubs' - a monthly 'hit', so to speak, that is sent to you automatically. I stopped getting the monthly mailing for a time, but soon realized how much I missed it - so I've re-upped. It's my monthly treat to myself! There are clubs to fit any budget or any needs. If you are a 'silky' kind of person like me have a look at the possibilities that Cheri offers - you won't be sorry that you did! I have never really known what I would do with these bits of fabrics. I hold out the largest pieces for a jacket that I am planning to make & I have found the smaller pieces to be a real resource ,that I am glad to have had on hand, for the pen rolls that I have been making recently. Just being able to marvel at these fabrics is good enough for me - they are amazing small works of textile art and the variety that I now have is fabulous - well worth the cost of the club!

I thought that it might be fun for you to enjoy the monthly offerings along with me. Cheri gets to know her club members; what colors they like, what sizes they prefer. It's rather like having a friend shop for fabrics for you. She has a knack of choosing just the right fabrics to make you smile as you open the package. The top photo shows the five pieces of silk that were selected for me in this month's treasure pack. Below is a photo of two of the exquisite pieces. Notice that my favorite colors run through the variety? Cheri also knows that I love greens and teals as well!

I like this piece because it is reversible! Look at those two amazing sides to one piece of fabric!
These last two are a bit more green than the photo shows - the piece on the left has some green 'smudges' running through it and the piece on the right is just a bit greener in general than the light managed to capture. The golden color is quite correct though - they are beautiful.