Paper Ponderings
FIONA DEMPSTER - MAKER WITH WORDS
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Thursday Thoughts...
Sunday, March 30, 2025
A week of words
Every morning for a long time, Barry and I have chosen a word for the day. We stopped the other day and realised that in fact, I had written out these cards in 2004 when we were living in Hobart. So for 21 years, we have paused, first thing in the morning, with a glass of juice, selected our words, and pondered on how the words might move with us through the day.
In my mind's eye I can see us doing it in Hobart, then in an apartment in Canberra, then again in the shed in Maleny, then the house, and now in our unit.
We used to have them in a different bowl, but a while ago now Barry hammered a bowl so that we could combine the two us and our work in our daily words practice. I daresay this colour blue ink would not appear in any set I made today!
It is a lovely practice - even when the words are challenging and I wonder what on Earth the Universe has in mind for me when I select them. We always do the selection without looking.
The other week, just before we headed off, this was our selection. It was so beautiful and so perfect that I photographed it. I then thought I should photograph a week's worth of words, just to see the variety of words to ponder, so here we are.
Sunday.
And on Saturday we got one of the ones we are never really sure about. We often look at each other when one of us selects the blank. Does it mean that anything could happen? Is it a reminder that we have no control over anything? Is it simply suggesting that unexpected and unanticipated joy and wonder await? We always talk about it when we get it. And another repeat of release, which feels about right given we were under the pump a bit!
So there you go, a wander through a week of our words as we we select them, and ponder them, and continue to be intrigued by them, as much now as when we began 21 years ago...
We don't have a set with us at the cottage, but perhaps I should remedy that some day.
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Thursday Thoughts...
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Promotion Plus!!!
It has been a time of so many things!
A little while ago I was advised that a piece of my work had been selected for the Annual Juried issue of Letter Arts Review.(LAR). LAR is the pinnacle of lettering arts journals across the world and I have been rejected three times; and then I gave up. For whatever reason I had a notion to enter one last time and was as surprised as all get out to be told that one of my Grief is A Stone pieces had been selected as an example of some of the best lettering arts going around in the past year!
I know that these things cannot really be representative of the best of anything - in fact they can only show the best of what is submitted; and then the definition of best is so subjective and if your work speaks to a judge, then it might be selected, if not it might be rejected; and yet the quality of the work is there in both. So I know all that, but it doesn't take away from the feeling of being super chuffed to have been selected!
Here are some links to the process of the making of this piece.
A neighbour recently mentioned that my jewellery had pride of place in the window at Maleny Additions, and I thought I should have a quick peek. Sure enough two pendants and two pairs of earrings were on show - looking lovely and twinkly.
And the last little bit of something was that the seminar I am teaching in NZ in September is out and about and being advertised.
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Simply Being
I have tried to sequence the words such that you feel like you could be doing these things alongside me.
Some lovely thoughts are expressed throughout - the notion of being able to 'be' lightly...
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Thursday Thoughts...
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Pearls, pebbles and process
I mentioned I was hoping to get some new jewellery made to deliver to Maleny Additions whilst we head back to Scotland and so I have been beavering away over at the workshop and in the spare room trying to pull together a few more earrings for them.
I had this notion of pearls within pebbles and tried to work out how to texture some silver sheet, and then cut it into circles, that would 'cup' the recycled black pearls. Interesting times and so very very good to have B around who knows all these processes and can show me and teach me.
First up the sheet of silver in the gig that cuts circles! And me using a hammer to do said cutting... quite an interesting process.
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Pouches and Packets
It is one thing to design, make and finish a book; it is another thing to consider its container. That is the point I got to through the week, when I had to knuckle down and make some pouches for the books I have recently made.
Given we are headed off again shortly, I knew I would not have time to get Perspex containers made, so I turned to stitching pouches or packets...
First up I made the pouches for the three Red Card books. I had chosen my threads back here, and had pretty much done the measurements, so it was down to cutting, piercing and stitching. And here they are complete.
Three pouches with one book showing. These pouches have a turn-over at the top edge and are hand-stitched down both sides.
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Thursday Thoughts...
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Returning to jewellery for a bit...
As I continue along this merry path of making sterling silver jewellery, I am planning to take some with me to Scotland. Barry and I are hoping to have a small pop-up exhibition one weekend, in our local village hall so I am making a few pieces to take with me.
Here are some cards I have had made up for folk who might come along.