Political Protest In a Multi-dimensional Universe

 

Resist Fish!

My holiday card for 2025 is heavily influenced by the PBS series, The American Revolution, by Ken Burns, as well as awareness that we are living in a multidimensional universe, time itself is iffy, the coming year is the 250th anniversary of the founding of America, and we have no idea what is going on.

The Fish

This hand-stitched series, drawing on random remnants of my scraps, was done in an edition of 17. Each is completely unique in design, stitchery, button eyes, and backing.

Some of the fish

The back of each fish is hand-stamped with the legend, "Resist 250," using a vintage stamp kit and vegetable-based ink.

Some of the backs

The Card

The card below is self-explanatory (or as explained as this project is ever going to get). The card flips open vertically, and each card contains one of the fish inside, dangling from a slit at the top of the card that secures the line coming out of their mouth. Each card also contains a revolutionary handbill.

Card front

Copy from inside top

Copy from inside bottom

Handbill insert inside of card

Copy on back of handbill

Back of card

Happy holidays, viva la revolution, and god help us all.

The Museum of Lost Childhood Beliefs

Here is a make-it-yourself museum complete with four galleries, featuring a theme that teeters on the brink between nostalgia and despair. What begins as a little book slowly unfolds...

Opening the museum

... and the result is a little museum that fits in the palm of your hand.

The fully-open museum

Each gallery in the museum celebrates a particular realm of cherished childhood beliefs — or serves as a bitter testimony to parental lies and betrayal, depending on how you look at it. A peek into the four galleries is offered below.

Wishing Gallery panels

Inside the Wishing Gallery

Fairy Gallery panels

Inside the Fairy Gallery

Boogeyman Gallery panels

Inside the Boogeyman Gallery

Gallery of Benevolent Beings panels

Inside the Benevolent Beings gallery

And for the ultimate interactive museum experience, you get to build a little Museum of Lost Childhood Beliefs yourself! Carry it around in your pocket and whip it out to amaze adults and utterly confuse anyone under ten years of age. Guaranteed to stimulate a lot of questions.

Templates for both a two-inch version (adorable because it fits in the palm of your hand) and a three-inch version (with larger images that make it easier to explore all the subtleties of the museum) can be found at the following link: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/stuffyoucanthave-downloads/0-aLO8pJnCw.

2-inch and 3-inch versions

Rise and Shine 2: Working with Scraps

Rise and Shine card

When you are gifted with something as wondrous as Tennessee Williams' mother's curtains you want to share the wealth. For the back story on the curtains and a look at the primary art piece created for those curtains use this link: Rise and Shine: Tennessee Williams' Mother's Curtains. With lots of extra material and loads of scraps left over, I created a limited run of these Rise and Shine cards.

Card front

Card back

Card back text enlarged

Opening the card

Card fully open, sitting in natural light

I love the way the curtain scrap creates a little room with light shining in the windows, reinforcing the "rise and shine" theme.

Card with lamp nearby casting yellow light through lower "window"

Bird Watching Baffle Card

Here, as promised, is another version of the baffling little hand-cut, hand-stitched, and cunningly folded card technique used earlier in this blog to produce the diminutive shop called Wings.

The same technique is used here to produce an interactive bird watching experience. I've included a link at the end that will enable you to download a 3-page PDF with the card template and detailed how-to instructions so you may, if you wish, finally figure out how this card works and create your own bird watching experience.

Front cover: lady with binoculars. Card is tied with hand-painted Chinese ribbon.

Card tied with green ribbon so you can see the lady with binoculars a little better

Back of card

Opening the card up

View from one angle (as you view from different angles, you see different birds)

Aerial view

View from another angle

And now it is do-it-yourself time. Be prepared to cut, fold, stitch, and glue. I've uploaded a 3-page pdf to Google Groups. Click on the following link and download your free copy. You may only use to make a bird watching card for yourself or to give away. No commercial use or selling.

The link: Do-It-Yourself Bird Watching Card

For free 3-page PDF to make your own card, click here or on link above.

The Wing Shop

Introducing Wings, a little out-of-the-way shop where those in the know go to purchase a new set of wings. This little card combines collage, stitching, and a bit of cunning folding. See if you can figure out how it was done. I may do another version soon with instructions.

The front door (front of the card)

Back door, tradesman's entrance. Note a careless delivery person has left a feather by the gate.

The open shop from above

Shop display windows (click to enlarge)

Window close-up

Window close-up

Aerial view

Fiddling with Fall Leaves

A fun pastime I've done in years past whenever I find myself amidst colorful fall foliage or when I'm in the company of a couple of bored kids in need of a project. This maker activity has it all, from the thrill of the hunt as you search for the leaves, to the zoned-out delight of creating an artful collage, to the giftable end result.

Materials:

Glue stick and index cards (or any stiff paper cut to approximate size of index card

Fall leaves of different colors, shapes, sizes

The Process:

Play with the leaves, arranging them on the card in different configurations

The goal is to create a semi-abstract fall landscape. Once you have something that pleases you, glue the leaves down to the card and then trim leaves so they are flush with the edge of the card.

Glue down framing strips on top of leaves

Cut strips from one of your blank cards lengthwise and make a number of strips about 1/2" to 1" wide. The final step is to use those strips to create a frame. Arrange the strips on top of your leaf collage, making sure the outer edges are flush with the card. Glue the strips down to create a frame.

The Final Product:

Assortment of leaf cards

Close-up of card

Close-up of card

Close-up of card

And yes, you can send these through the mail. Your chances of them arriving intact at the other end are enhanced if you add a layer of clear plastic (get self-adhesive plastic shelving material from the hardware store, sold by the foot).