I am truly trying to use what I have and not buy more stuff. I feel stuff overload lately and yet I could not resist trying Coccoinco potato starch paste after reading about it on friend Marie Z. Johansen's blog. She learned about the paste from another mutual friend Kimberly Baxter Packwood. First, I am a sucker for this kind of thing. It comes in a quaint tin. It is nontoxic (only four ingredients) so it would be great to use with children. It has been made in Italy since 1927. It smells like almonds. Yep, I am now a glue sniffer. The brush is just too cute for words AND it works on just about any kind of paper. I did find that it did not work well on a paper used for a wine bottle. Otherwise, it has become my go to glue You can buy it at Kaufman Mercantile. No affiliation. Just a happy customer and I love all the connections!
This is the information that is available on their website that was fun to read:
"... When Coccoina, the solid white glue in the aluminum tin, was first introduced, Italian commercials promoted the trademark with this campaign: "It is not a drug, but a solid glue that amazes and arouses enthusiasm in all who use it.”
One of the principle features of the glue was that, aside from its adhesive quality and light almond scent, you could safely eat it. A thin spread of the glue works well on paper, photos, clothes, labels, and any art project you can get your hands on, and perhaps the most welcome feature is the tiny brush that comes tucked away inside. Any surface where you need a smooth spread of paste can be achieved with this miniature aluminum paintbrush and its tiny bristles of pig hair. It leaves no clumps that need to be smoothed with a finger. Though the glue is considered a solid, it has a consistency that's neither wet nor dry, and the container provides mess-free use and storage that lasts up to a year. It's safe for children too. Not that they should eat the stuff, but if they do, NBD. All the ingredients are non-toxic, solvent-free, and not dangerous. Use this glue on any paper-related task, from keeping photos together in an album to scrapbooking to pasting receipts for accounting records. If the glue hardens a bit in its tin, it's easy to soften up again. You can scoop it out and gently heat in a saucepan with a small amount of water. When it's slightly liquid, pour it back into the tin, and when it sets, it will be good as new, without any effect on the adhesive quality. For longer usage, replace the cap tightly after each application. Maximum period of storage should not exceed 12 months."
My small group that did trades has disband so I decided to join the Artistcellar ATC Facebook swap. I kept it simple. The only rule was that you had to use an Artistcellar stencil so I wanted to make sure that my stenciling was apparent. Lisa Cousineau, the owner, lives close--Wheaton, but we have never met. I do love her "Art is Not an Option" bag that I use all the time. Isn't that a great message. I am trading 5 for 5 so obviously I made an extra. I'm keeping the "love" one because I tried using paint with the stencil and while I like the look, it does not look like the stencil. It will become a Valentine. Cannot wait to see what everyone else has done.
Since I committed to the 60 Days of Crow/Bird challenge, I wanted to try mixed media too. The piece I did for it is approximately 6" h x 9" w. It includes interfacing, three different kinds of paper- tissue, watercolor and commercial paper, hand dyed fabric and hand dyed pearl cotton. It's not easy to see but the paper with the squares punched out has the words "everything is possible." I also wrote on it which is had to read but being able to read what I wrote wasn't important. I have been exploring handwriting for a while. Mostly to overcome all the negative remarks about my handwriting while in elementary school. I shared another crow fact- "A group of crows is called a "murder," a designation thought to date to the 15th century." The term is more literary or romantic than scientific. Crow experts usually refer to a flock, pair or family group of crows. Anyway, I painted the interfacing and the tissue paper. I want to do more because it was so much fun!
The young man (early twenties) in my sculpture class dropped out. It was his first art class and he seemed to enjoy it. We only heard positive comments from him during class. Jon, the instructor, spent more time with him than anyone in class and yet the young man didn't feel it was enough. I have seen this happen when I teach. Some adults seem to think that they should be able to have perfection right out of the box. That learning something new shouldn't involve being uncomfortable and failure is out of the question. I try to embrace putting stretch marks on my comfort zone. I have learned that even when I fail, I can always make something new. It is liberating. It is even better when the recipient of your efforts is kind and appreciates your efforts even when they fall short.
Women Who Broke All the Rules was at the Denver Quilt Festival IX (May 1-4). The Daily Blog (Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims) had a slide show about the show. The sign for our exhibit is the first image which I find confusing because only two of the quilts were shown- Kathy Schmidt's "Bloomers" and Vivien Zepf's "Behind Barbed Wire"were shown and at the end. Regardless, I am thrilled that Lilo who reported on the show like our exhibit which deals with women throughout history who made a difference. If you know a place that might be interested in showing these quilts, please let me know.
