And from there I have other words suggesting images and them for a page. 

Supplemented by some happy snipping from a couple of National Trust magazines - that seemed appropriate somehow. 

And, as per Linda's suggestions, I did a bit of research to give me some themes. 

Butterflies - Orange Tip, Brimstone (I have no idea what either looks like but they 'sound' orange)

We will see where this all takes us (ha - a 'journey' but no pun intended!) 

Now it's not that all of a sudden I want to get into painting portraits, not a bit of it -  but I do have an idea simmering away quietly and if this idea is to come to some sort of fruition I think I need to find my own voice when it comes to some form of representation of people. I appreciate this is not going to be a quick thing - indeed it could take years, but you've got to start somewhere so this is a tentative dipping of the toe. 

It all started with this video. A two dimensional art doll - a potential character for a Toy Theatre perhaps?

And then, as I am want to do, a little meander and I found this tutorial.

And here is my first take based on this tutorial. 

Now, I will be honest here. I don't like this at all. In fact, truth be told, I hate it.  And I was not even going to share it, but not to would be churlish. 

My problem is, I think, that while I respect the original artist, her naive style does not particularly appeal.  It is not quite my thing.  So, I wonder, am I doing myself any favours by copying a technique for an outcome that does not really float my boat? Anyone got any tips here?

(Just to be clear, I am not saying that I don't like Mystele. I think she is fab, just as I rather like Jessica Sporn.  It is just that I am not such a huge fan of their style of faces.)

Meanwhile, I have just discovered that the next 'Through Our Hands' exhibition is going to be portraits and Linda Kemshall has been playing with pastels and solvents. It is worth following the link just to have a look at her remarkable eye.

And finally, a style of face that I really love - Clive Hicks-Jenkins.  I was going to just post a link to his blog but as well here is a link to his Pinterest Boards. You will find lots of his work here. And just look at those faces!

Talk about procrastination. I have dithered and dithered for what must have been years - should I sign up to DMTV?

I have been following the blogs of both Linda and Laura Kemshall for some time, and spent a lovely day last year in Laura Kemshalls 'garden shed'!  Also, and quite a few years ago now, I did a course with them on 'The Painted Quilt' at the Bramble Patch. It resulted in a painted cushion cover.

In fact, I credit the Kemshalls as being one of the main influences that 'got me going' - got me away from traditional Patchwork and Quilting and into art quilts and modern embroidery and onto my present journey.

So quite while it took me so long to subscribe to DMTV I cannot say. But there was a moment sitting at my desk for the day job when I just suddenly 'did it'!  I am not sure quite what lead up to that moment.

And I have to say, it is such a worthwhile investment. What is so fantastic is that you get 'two for one', because, while they might be mother and daughter, they are of course different artists and have different styles and ideas.  And they have several ideas running at the same time.

So far I have got some fabulous things to pursue - Laura has been working with mono prints using cartridge paper and then stitching into them (a lady after my own heart!). And she has a nifty technique for registering the paper and print block so you can print in more than one colour.

And Linda has been doing a series on altered books.

Now last year I started a couple of Altered Books (in fact that was my adventure in Laura's garden shed - or rather her converted cricket pavilion) but for one reason and another I never really got into them.  I am not quite sure why not - I never really 'connected' with them.

But Linda's videos have sparked my interest again.

Now, I was about to rush out to find a lovely old book to work into, and then it struck me that rather than alter a book, I could alter a map.  Last year, after my Dad died, I cleared a few bits and pieces out of my Mother's loft and this included a box of old maps.

Too good to dispose of, I shoved the box onto a shelf.

I could, of course, have just kept the map as a map, but instead I decided to make a 'book' from the map using a cut up bonio box for a cover.

I also used part of the map for the inside the cover - the endsheets.


I cut the map long it's folds. Not every fold, but rather letting the folds dictate how the pages might work. The books pages I created by doubling up the map paper and stitching the pieces of map together, back to back.


Some pages, or signatures in book binding terms, are 'triple' and fold out. That was really so as to make the most of one single map ( I actually used two for this book).


 I stitched several signatures together to make a folio, simply by machine  stitching along the fold in the paper.

Then I used ribbon to hold the sections together. I did not stitch through the ribbon, rather I 'caught' it with a longer stitch. The ribbon stays flexible, but is stuck down under the endpapers onto the hard cover.  I like this bookbinding method.


Before assembling the whole thing, I covered the sections cut from the bono box with brown paper and gessoed it.

Then I used Chalk acrylics rollered onto the gessoed cover.



And finally strips of the map, stuck down with a good adhesive matt medium.




 My altered map/book is now ready to be altered some more.