inspiration

The cost of frugality

- JenKen Leave a comment
Tie dyed Flour Sack towels in spring colors

Just finished up some fresh Flour Sack Towels tie-dyed in spring colors!

This batch differs from the other Shibori dyed Tea Towels that I have made/and sold for months. In the past, had sourced some pre-hemmed towels of good, consistant quality that I could dye “as-is” – that is, without having to sew up cotton towels myself. But then I found a new source and these were offered at a REALLY good price online. When they arrived at my studio I found out why they were so much cheaper than the ones I have been getting. These new, cheap “Flour Sack” weight cotton towels are much lighter in weight than the “Tea Towel” weight ones.  Ruh-roh.

Truth be told, they are actually great quality for what they are – they just aren’t what I thought they would be. Some bargains come with a cost, it seems.

So I learned a little lesson in frugality, but I learned a little more about Shibori tie-dye craft as well. You see, the different weights of cotton fold differently and soak up dye differently. The lighter weight of the “Flour Sack” style allowed for easier folding of the Spiral pattern and the Mandala pattern than the heavier – and stiffer – Tea Towel weight. However, the sturdier “Tea Towel” weight lends itself much better to the more structured Diamond and Web folds, the finished product has a much crisper line than those of the “Flour Sack” weight.

Pink Shibori dyed Tea Towel

Ah well! Always happy to add to the vault of crafty knowledge!

By the way, the batch of “Flour Sack” Tie-Dyed Tea Towels is headed to Minnesota for the St Paul Art Crawl, April 27th – 29th 2018. My work (the tie-dyed Towels, Baby Onesies and other hand-dyed accessories) appear as part of a collective showing at the Crawl @ Carleton Artist Lofts. If you need a little art and/inspiration in your life (who doesn’t??!) and you live near the Twin Cities, do the Crawl!

 

Inspired by succulents

- JenKen Leave a comment
Cactus Inspired Tie Dye Jen at theScarletDarter.com
Cactus Inspired Tie Dye

Succulents are having a moment.

Every where you turn, little cacti are showing up on reception tables, home stores, in commercials and marketing photography…(guilty!). You don’t have to live in the desert to be barraged with the little buggers. Last weekend, I left a theatre fundraiser with a couple of good sized succulents. Used as table centerpieces, I couldn’t believe my luck that a pinkish one lasted through clean-up. I got to take it home, along with another green little orphan.

I just love the way color comes through succulents. The teals and pinks and greens are so unique and specific to desert flora. I don’t have any dye powders that match the subtle hues, but I was still inspired by them as I indulged in my weekly dye session.

I tied a cotton baby tee shirt and a cotton jersey baby onesie with the classic sunburst style and experimented with procion dyes. The pinkish mottled effect was acheived with ice-dying while the rest of the colors were dipped or squirted on. I didn’t acheive quite the same colors as the potted inspiration, but I’m still very pleased with the results. (Both are now listed over at my etsy store: BlitheStarBaby, btw).

Sunny Tie Dyed Tees www.etsy.com/shop/BlitheStarBaby
Sunny Tie Dyed Tees

There is a bee in this photo

- JenKen 1 Comment

I live in Southern California and we happen to be experiencing a “super bloom” this spring. We finally had nice and rainy winter which has caused an explosion of green… and orange… and more…

Poppies, Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

I left my comfortable Hollywood hovel for a two hour drive into the wilds of Antelope Valley to witness the floral boom. Mother Nature did not disappoint.

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

This was my first visit to see the poppies in my 20 years of California residence, I’m ashamed to say.  And aside from seeing the poppies, I was hoping to get some insect actions shots. You know, like a dragonfly (the namesake of this blog) or a butterfly daintily landing on a poppy for a little photogenic rest.

Nothing but poppies.

Nope, no dragonflies, darters or damselflies today. The poppies were left to hog the glory for themselves. Which is how poppies like it anyway.

There is a bee in this picture.

Instead, I heard some buzzing in these purple things. I followed betwixt and between, from blossom to bud but this little bee was not in the mood for posing. Can you see her in the photo above? She’s the blob in the center.

Ms. Bee is not ready for her close-up.

Even in close-up, she’s hard to see. It’s like she didn’t want Instagram fame.

Gray Butterfly

And the only butterfly I saw was gray. I didn’t even know butterflies came in gray.

Fine, maybe it’s a moth. Not to be judge-y, but I was hoping for more dazzle from the insect classes.

But then again, anyone would look drab next to this:

Poppy Trail
Poppy Hill, (c) CopperShots Photography
Poppy Hill
Poppy & Purple

If you would like to see the best shots of my poppy hunting, check out the CopperShots gallery. Now I’m off to plan some crafting projects using these great color combos. Thanks for the inspiration, Nature!

Until next time,

Happy Crafty!

Inspiration and the naming of things

- JenKen Leave a comment

Walking around the Lake Hollywood Reservoir this summer, I was stalked by dragonflies.

dragonfly-207_edited

I was training for a hiking vacation in Scotland while percolating on a concept for my next one woman show and also juggling ideas for tweaking product lines for my Etsy store and this big, showy dragonfly buzzed by. And then another. And another. I started to keep count, but so many of them circled around me that I lost track. It was thrilling. I love dragonflies, and these were such a dramatic carnelian red. (As a natural ginger, I totally identify with that. Is that weird?) They inspired a costume idea for a character I am working on. And they reminded me of my childhood by the lakes, of lazy summer days with my siblings and cousins and how we delighted in their iridescent dances.

Each time I returned to the Reservoir to work out, every dragonfly fly-by seemed purposeful. Like they wanted my attention. They’d buzz in and circle long enough to catch my attention and as soon as I notice them, they buzz off. Kind of like my relationship with my creative projects – one thing inspires another and that sparks something else and my minds races to follow.

I always have a few creative projects active at any given time. Sparked by a universal archetype, or a seasonal event or regional color scheme, or even another work of art; they often feed each other. You’ll see what I mean if you stick around.

This blog will journal the sights and experiences that spark my creative works-in-progress. Dragonfly – as the Scarlet Darter – serves as a totem and namesake.

I hope you are inspired by your visit!

Scroll To Top