Inspiring Reads... Craftydermy

Taxidermy has always been one of those tricky subjects. On one hand there is a part of me that thinks that it's absolutely barbaric (and being a vegetarian it gives me the creeps), on the other hand there is something intriguing about it. I worked behind the scenes in a museum for a long time and have seen the fascination that the public and staff members have with taxidermy. When members of the public are standing in front of the animal they rarely think about the fact that it was skinned, eyes removed, packed and stitched back together again. Maybe the excitement in being so close to an animal that could ordinarily tear you to pieces overrides any negative feelings.

I am always interested when old crafts and processes are revamped for a modern audience.
Imagine my delight when Craftydermy came through my door! This lovely little book is published by Cicada Books and features 19 crafty projects inspired by taxidermy. You'll be pleased to hear that skins have been swapped for fabric, paper, wool, felt and wire! 

Why Craftydermy? The term 'Craftydermy' was coined by Tracey Benton to describe the high quality faux taxidermy currently being created by a variety of crafters, makers and artists. Tracey also owns Atelier, a contemporary craft gallery in Devon. The gallery hosted an exhibition of exciting works which fell into this category. The craft book was born from there.
 
I am a sucker for a good front cover on a book and the wooden design along with the image of a faux fox head very much suits the content. The typewriter font used throughout also gives that 'sketchbook' feel as well.

Each project comes with a full colour image along with easy to follow instructions and a short bio of the artist who created it. Templates for all of the projects are included at the end of the book and are easy to photocopy to make multiples of each project if you desire! Highlights for me include, Amelia Fever's Tiger Rug, Knit and Destroy's Friendly Fox Fur and Sannapanda's Shadow Bunnies. There are projects for every level of ability and time availability. The Shadow Bunnies could be an evening project whereas the Tiger Rug may take a week or more. So for the beginner there is plenty to work through as you progress and for the more experienced crafter there are some great projects to get your teeth into.

Knit and Destroy's Friendly Fox Fur

Antonia Eckersley's Crocheted Sheep

The main thing I took away from the book is a collection of contemporary projects that are exciting and very different from lots of craft books currently in circulation.

Tracey Benton's Paper Mache Antlers

If you are tempted to get yourself some animal friendly taxidermy in your home then this is the book for you and at only £12.95 it's well worth it. You can buy your copy here. Go on you know you want to...

A list of all of the talented artists involved :
 
I can make shoes
Hayley Dix
Merrimaking
Amelia Fever
Naomi Ryder
The Bellwether
Knit and Destroy
Julia Davey
Angharad Jefferson
Emma Cocker
Caroline Brown
Tracey Benton
A Wooden Tree
In with the Old
Clare Nicolson
Kimberly Diamond
Louise Harries
Sannapanda
Antonia Eckersley

Paperfolk Loves... Erin Endicott

As an artist I tend to be drawn into projects which take a long time to complete, I embroider detailed patterns into my illustrations and even when I draw I do so with a 0.05 nib pen which gives incredible detail but adds a lot of hours onto the process! I always hope that my work actually looks like it takes a long time especially to people who are in the know about these things (i.e. other embroiderers).

I love it when I find works which look so labour intensive that I feel such admiration for the person who completed them. This is exactly how I feel about the work of Erin Endicott.

Erin creates sculptural works using embroidery, ink and found objects. As soon as you look at the works they automatically have a sense of history and time attached to them. For me, the works explore memory and the events of life but if you would like to read about the artist's body of work please check out her website here which gives more detail and lots of beautiful images.

Let me know what you think of her work...



Healing Sutra #8
 

Healing Sutra #11

Healing Sutra #14

Healing Sutra #16

Healing Sutra #17 (detail)

Healing Sutra #22

Paperfolk meets... An Astrid Endeavor

Don't you just love it when you're trawling the internet looking for something a bit different and then you stumble across beautiful items that you just have to have? This is how I felt when I came across An Astrid Endeavor. As someone who embroiders I really appreciate an embroidered work because I know just how long it has taken to make and also how much the maker has loved creating the item. I have been so lucky to be able to get Astrid to share her inspiration and process.

Enjoy!

Astrid at work in her studio

 

How did you get into needlecraft?

I dabbled in so many artistic endeavors (hence the title) over the years and working with embroidery and textiles is just one form that I learned at an early age, and kind of kept in my "back pocket" to experiment with from time to time in my artwork and crafting projects. I have always made jewelry mostly using glass, metal, ceramics and mixed media- but since having a family and a full time job I wasn't able to use the machines and materials in my small home studio. I started using embroidery as a way to create jewelry pieces and ornaments because of how simple, quiet and easy to transport it is. It's perfect for me to do after a long day of work and taking care of my daughter. After everyone is asleep, I can be in my studio quietly creating!! 

Crescent shaped necklace available here

 

What inspires you in your artworks?
 

Over the past few years geometrics have really been in the forefront of fashion and design, which is so wonderful since that's really what I've been drawn to. Part of my background is in Cultural Anthropology (as well as medical anthropology, art and counseling psychology) I've always been fascinated with how other cultures observe rites and rituals and how they adorn themselves accordingly. I love African design, colors, textiles and jewelry design, Angela Fishers book, "Africa Adorned" makes me drool!! 

Geometric Embroidered Brooch available here

 

Can you give us an insight into your process of creating your products from start to finish? 
 

Luckily, I grew up being taught that you can make just about anything! So, when I see a design, or image, a color or have an idea- I just start sketching it out and then see where it takes me. Sometimes I need to enlarge or scale down an image  for scope- to see how it might work on the body. Once I do that, I am ready to hand sketch it onto fabric and then I choose my colors. I work primarily with regular cotton DMC embroidery floss. Wow, what a variety of colors!! 

Most of the time a piece is relatively straightforward, but occasionally it's something I need to think about and rework for awhile, then when it's complete, it's just the best feeling and is usually one of my favorite pieces. As in the case of my latest design for late Summer/Fall 2013: 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/155170131/textile-pendant-necklace-in-pink-blue?ref=shop_home_active

I have always loved textile wall hangings ever since I was a kid and took weaving classes with my mom. I love how they are making a comeback in home decor. So, it was so exciting when I thought to myself, "wait a sec- I want to take that same concept but scale it down for the body!" It took some thought to figure out how I might be able to do this on a miniature scale, and I am so pleased with how it turned out. There are a lot more in the works- but they take a lot of time to do!!

Textile Pendant available here

 

How do you keep yourself organised- lists, filing, sketchbooks? 
 

Oh my. Well, I try to stay as organized as possible. Everything has it's place- but I do have a lot of stuff. Since I have so many artistic interests, I have just about every supply one might need for any project. I have also been collecting images from books and magazines since I was a kid, so you can image the files I have. Now, with the internet, it's a little easier. God, I love Pinterest for this reason alone!! 

http://pinterest.com/AstridEndeavor



Statement Bib Necklace available here

Do you ever have creative blocks? How do you get through them? 
 

Occasionally, I have a bit of a creative block. That's usually when I am exhausted and need to sleep. Since I do most of my jewelry making at night I often forego sleep to create since I love it so much! When I find myself sluggish or having a hard time getting through a project I just put it down and get some rest. Creating is truly my passion and what energizes me, but the human body can only endure so much and then it needs rest!

Geometric Emerald Green Brooch available here