ann wood

Bride, groom, attendants and honored guests, all part of one large order finished today.

Newly acquired, for bird and ship and owl making.

This is one of two very similar antique handmade bodices, the other is all ivory. It has beautiful tiny green glass buttons and really interesting lace.

The silk chiffon lining is shattered - perfect for miss haversham birds.

It’s not something I’m good at but I’m trying to cut down on the time I waste looking for stuff. This shelf is an effort in that direction and it’s working out - plus, I just plain like putting little things in little boxes.

I’m even worse at organizing my time and tasks and feel almost constantly overwhelmed or, no matter what I am doing, guilty or anxious about what I’m not doing. I’m going to try the Alice list/category system.

Despite the chronic mental disarray there is a lot of stuff getting accomplished; just not as fast or as much as I would like and not as efficiently as I think is possible. There are lots and lots of birds in progress ( if you’re on the bird waiting list you’ll be hearing from me soon). Here are a few doing their synchronized swimming routine.

I posted some experiments and failures over the summer but never the final product - a holiday card, boxed set, that (thanks to lorena, check out her new collages) will be published by Galison for the 2008 season. This was my first experience of this sort and Galison was great.

The birds are Martin and Catherine- something about the way the red bird is standing reminds me of my sister Catherine. I’m going to use this image and some others for gift tags and maybe some other stuff for the 2007 season.

It’s easy not to post. Especially when I get a little busier than is comfortable, but my whole life goes better if I post here regularly and make my bed. So, a post everyday this week to get back in the swing of it. I’ll also be making my bed but not reporting on it unless something note worthy occurs.

For today a photo of part my bulletin board .

p.s. The Ballerina on the little pink stand is for you freda - I’ll email photos of the rest later today.

A paper mache sailboat with a stoic little passenger.

I’m going to make a fleet of little boats like this. I’m also working out a pattern/ project instructions for it.

I finshed my shore birds and an owl over the weekend for Tinlark to take to The Portland Art Fair. There’s more info on Tinlark’s new Blog.

american avocet

willet in winter plumage

and an indigo owl

The owl is inspired by beautiful boro textiles and the little indigo cotton prints are really old but were perfectly preserved in the intricate foundation of an otherwise ruined silk victorian bodice.

An american avocet still in the sculpting stage.

And later on getting her feathers.

Just like her friend the willet her feathers are made from the skirt of a thread bare, swiss dot, edwardian lawn gown. She’s lying on a piece of it here.

I have a couple shore birds in progress. This is a willet.

Here she is a little further along.