October BJP

The Woman in the Shaman's Body

I'm done with october.
This month I've learnt to do 4 new things : sew a patchwork, attach a shisha mirror, mold a face and attach it as a cabochon. I feel very proud of myself.

The theme is about the retreat I did at the end of September and which brought me unexpected images as usual. This time I had to face vulgarity, and I saw a mocking little green devil. After that I read a lot of feminist essays including "The Woman in the Shaman's Body" by Barbara Tedlock, a great anthropology book. So this is what I'll call my october page :o)

Fabrics

Kaffe Fassett's "Wheel of fortune" quilt

I'm working on a few projects, most of which I can't really show before end of December :o)

Meanwhile, my interest at the moment is shifting more and more from jewels to fabrics. I have "discovered" (lol) about Kaffe Fassett. I'm madly in love with his work and prints, and I've found a way to buy fabrics designed by him here.

Perhaps because I'm reflecting about the Heroine's Journey which I just finished, I feel a strong urge to do something with old fashioned flowery fabrics. I feel it's like connecting to who I really am. It reminds me of dear old gentlemen and ladies which I knew as a little girl, when the World seemed like a magic place to be in. Well, so maybe if I put lots of flowers in my home, magic will come back. I suppose it's all about love and tenderness. I always tried to be strong and reasonable, whereas I'm really a softy eccentric person. I can't believe it took me so long to face the obvious ! The warrior is very tired. Bring on the heroine.

Pay it forward

" I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."

Thank you Acey for forwarding this sweet gesture :o)

In the name of love

Stone Child (in progress)

Today, Bertrand Cantat came out of jail. The lead singer of pop/rock band Noir Désir hit his actress girlfriend to death 4 years ago, during the shooting of a film dedicated to the life of feminist writer Colette. Because of this tragedy, France had started reflecting about domestic abuse. Yesterday, there was a debate on TV ; should this guy come out after 4 years etc etc... All of a sudden I felt a deep-rooted anger come out and had to go to bed.

This morning, I painted the cab faces I'd made earlier on and felt like working on my second spirit doll shape, which I'd left in a corner for months. She was meant for a special someone until I realized I was still angry with this person. I gave her a sweet face and worked on, thinking she must be called "In the name of love (still angry after all this time)". I was trembling while beading. When my partner came home he commented that she looked like an Inuit. I then realized she must be the "Stone Child" (as in Clarissa Pinkola Estes' "Warming the Stone Child") and added a stone collected from the Seine riverbank . We share similar scars.

I also painted the face of Alice's Spirit doll today.

Alice doll (in progress)

Rune Amulet Purse

This is my first amulet purse and my first brick stitch effort. The pattern is by Judith Baines and is published in the Journal No.35 of the Beadworkers Guild (UK). The symbols are runes associated with well-being. The colours are my own interpretation, I saw them in a dream, and the fringe too. I still have to decide what to do for the strap...

October BJP

I've been working all day on my october BJP page. I'm very excited and proud so far ; I have done my first mini-patchwork (learnt loads of things in the process), I have cut my first shisha mirror from an old CD (thanks Annie's Crazy World) and attached it to the fabric (thanks Sharon B). I've been wanting to do this for years !!!!

So far, the piece looks like I imagined it and it's not too bad - I'm amazed :o)

I did the little game on Morwyn's blog - I chose the number 1-12-27-49 which gave me the colours yellow ochre, burnt orange, pewter and gold. Not sure I can incorporate all those colours in this piece, but I'm thinking about it....

Generations

Gem DNA from Chemical Graphics

Julie made me think about grandmothers. She reminded me what a loss it is not to know one's grandparents.

I asked for a dream about ancestors. I had a dream that included tears and clean bones. I guess this is another riddle from my friend Coyote. Though one of my grandfather had a serious bone disease.

When I was a child my mum used to say, "be careful, you must be good, some curses go on for 7 generations". I didn't know what that meant but it really scared me.

Today (thanks to one of Acey's hints) I have found the website of the Grandmothers' Council. There are little films to see here. It is full of tears and laughter. They claim that by taking care of ourselves we can also cure our children, our neighbours and our ancestors...

May you walk in peace.

Ivon's Grigripwalu safely received

Ivon's Grigripwalu Spirit Doll includes a lot of traditional good luck artifacts ; mirrors, eyes, a berry, a clove, a button, a feather, a bell, the blue colour, the triangle shape, a pink quartz and an amethyst chip (supposed to be good for emotional balance)... I think he likes it...