Paper Party at My House

So many paper decorations...  I'm on a kick or just obsessed lately.  Paper party decorations just make everything seem so happy and they activate space so well.  Since moving in, I have knocked out 3 paper garlands, 2 fabric garlands, and 6 tissue paper pom-poms.  I have stacks of fabric for the next rounds of bunting and plans to purchase a couple more punches this weekend (reapeatedly cutting the same shape from paper is tedious, punching it is not so much so).  Most of my recent efforts have gone into Athena's room.  What do you do with an empty corner?  Go through all that stored tissue paper of course and fold it into fluff balls worthy of hanging.  I think if I can do 2 more garlands (paper or felt?)  I'll be done with them for her room.

Paper sphere garland (16 pieces each) as seen here.

My fabric version of Loopy-loo garland.  Tutorial (for the paper version) at ISLY.

I also decided that I simply must have a pajaki.  The pajaki creates a need to invest in a floral paper punch.  I guess I would put it on my tea party (the good kind with cakes, not the kind with political radicals) worthy front porch?

Bean's room will be finished soon.  Pictures to follow.
xoxo

Beads

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And Another...

See Flower Trio Headband and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

Going Multi-Media

The white dress is an old sheet that I was using as a backdrop, but I've decided paper photographs better. The blue dress is made from Alexander Henry fabric purchased from The Needle Shop on Etsy.com.

I'm becoming more active in the performance area although in the past I've put a lot of effort into my argument against it. There are lots of things that I continue to dislike about performance art, but I think maybe it's just the stereotype that lives in my mind and was sometimes played out in art school that I dislike. It seems to be okay when you go with a mission or when the event is centered around music. This makes more sense to me. Some one in a gallery acting out some hypothetical event or moment from the past (which feeds into the stereotype that I hold and the performance art experienced during school) just bothers me. Everyone else is free to develop his or her own opinion.

Other than running around and filling space at these events, I've been learning embroidery and how to make traditional style Mexican dresses. I'm also going to take my first stab at shrine making. All of these things will hopefully come together and explode for viewing at the El Dia De Los Muertos show/ celebration that runs from October 25-November 7, with the reception coinciding with the October 30th celebration.

http://www.themexicandress.com/

This website has complete, easy to follow and easy to alter instructions for making a Mexican dress. I don't like to pay for patterns or use patterns from other people, but this is just a set of instructions and the only resource I could find about the construction of these dresses. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place, but it was absolutely worth the $5. The dresses pictured were made using this pattern. I'm designing my own embroidery pattern and the actual process of stitching it is time consuming, but enjoyable.