Wonce Upon a Time ....so the story goes

Once Upon a Time, how many times in my life time have I heard this, ready, and even said this? It part of of growing up.

This week has been a busy one as I have been still learning and

When I get to the part of the day to actually produce...it's too late and the night owl es will call. This is a soft journal with brown craft papers that I did manage to finish. It is on my Esty store as well as others.
The weather here in Arizona has been up and down, cool and then hot. Today, it is rather nice, a nice Sunday. I had several answers to the picture of the Dragon Eyes, and all but one guessed it right! It's for a work in progress, estimated to be around July when finished.

I feel terrible about leaving Mr. Happy in the larch, and he is really left out, the lst post was to tell of the pending marriage of a Mrs. Happy for my Mr. Happy, however, the intended was already married, She was married 7 years ago in Bali, so already married, broke my Mr. Happy's heart. So sad news on the wedding front. Several books came in this week, from Dover, Medieval Herbs and Several books on Illustrations of the Medieval.. all a tool of learning, I will post a few of the pages

but, not this week.

Hope all of you have been enjoying Spring and all the activity of nature, I have three blooms on my Myers Lemon trees, the Lemon Verbena has started, and in bloom are the lilac bushes and the roses on the arbor. Picture's to follow later...

So, another week here in Arizona,

As always,

May you walk in the moonlight till the wind sets you free.

Sierra

Medeival Parchment Pages

Hello, Monday ... Spent the weekend not with my embroidery machines or leathers but with parchment papers and frames from the Medieval period. When on Holiday I purchased many colors of parchment papers and I have been busy digitizing the

designs in embroidery. This is some practice frames that I decided to place on my esty shop as they are ready to put into your Book of Shadows or Books of Prayers.

The parchment paper is ivory and the frame has been fixed with a spay that keeps the work water resistant.




Butterfly's and moths are inter twined through the frame of leaves.

This frame is a muted gold with a delicate vine and leaves. This is a replica of one of the pages from Elizabeth's book of prayers.

This one I think is a favorite as it is colorful with a deep royal blue and golds. This one was made into a trim for one of my leather books.

This is called a Golden Frame and has a much more heavy look than the others from a different period. This also was reproduced in an embroidery design. The page is for sale but the embroidery design is not. This is one that I am keeping for a private project.
In the weeks to come I hope to produce frames and designs for the embroidery machine from one of my favorite radical people, One Aubrey Beardsley the Le Mortie Darthur selected illustrations...King Arther and his Round tables....Knights in shinning armour ... the Romantic period.

I also have an announcemen to make My machine Mr. Happy is to be married to Mrs. Happy in several weeks. If, you remember I told of how Mr. Happy was "blue", so I decided to

give him a companion of the nights that I am working with inks and pens, pastels, watercolors. He seems pleased, so I think this is working out for him.

That's it for this Monday, I wish all of you, a joyous week day till be chat again,

Thank You for stopping by it's nice to hear from you too.

As always,

May you walk in the moonlight till the wind sets you free.

Sierra

Mystery Guift ????

In the post today I got a delightful surprise! A beautiful book! As I normally order books all the time I did not take the time to open the package straight away. But, when I did I was mystified.

As to the best of my knowledge, I had not ordered this particular book! Was delighted with the cooper leaves and the beauty of the history of over 4,000 miniature tiny treasurers.

In the front of the book, it was endorsed to me by a Secret Admirer! Well, you could have and still knocked me over with a feather!

As it came not from Amazon but packaged with an over seas markings I must admit I cannot think were to begin.

The book is a beautiful book! Chuck full of glorious illustrations

from all periods of history . A stunner.

Who ever sent this book to me, My breath was taken away and I thank you for your delightful gift, But...will you not revile to me

who this beautiful book is from?

Today has been a rather delightful day as the temperature here is holding around 91 degrees and hopefully, the evening will bring a cool breeze, my studio is chucked full of machines that it is rather hot...an update on Mr. Happy, he may be joined with a Mrs. Happy, I am very close to finalizing the purchase of a second machine. So we might have a weeding soon! How wonderful! Don't you just love a weeding? lol

Enough of this chatter, I am on my way to view Mystery on the PBS station and to finally relax before my sweetie arrives.

Again, would my mystery gift giver please speak up! And their was actually only one right answer to my test. Joellen! clever duck! I will give a few more days to pro seed with this unavailing
of this article, so Thank You Miss.Joellen for the correct answer and come on the rest of you! Look and see harder! (bg)
As always,
May You walk in the moonlight till the wind sets you free.
Sierra

Sierras Rambleings in just that order ...lol

This week I am exploring the Readers Journal, as you can see I am in need of a slightly bigger
paper or a much more professional offering....lol

I made a paper journal out of all the testing that I have been doing in regards to the paper, lemon paper, walnut ink paper ....tea staining....coffee....herbal washes.....and on it goes....I am looking for that perfect feel and look for a journal that is near a closure, And I cannot wait to
show you....It will be near to July if all goes well, I am learning metal works for hinges to this tomb....any guesses?

Wearing of the Green ....missed it!How could that be? Each year I always enjoy the wearing of the green and especially the food! This year I totally missed it?

So, what should I do? Have a corn beef and cabbage dinner this weekend? Forget it and wait for next year? So many decisions?

I sure hope you did not miss the fun. The first 3 books in the gallery of pictures show books that are to be used as a Readers Journal. I have pictured my reading paper journals and I am searching for a journal format that I can keep in next years Reading Journal.

This week in the post several of the books that I had ordered arrived. This book is a history of collectors of books. The title of this book refer es to a person who has a "fever" or a junkie journal like myself! The call that person The Gentle Madness ... I got a kick out of this. The reading is an eye opener as to the selections of subjects collected and a history of all the collections and libraries through out the years.

This book is a recent release as of 2008 and is by Heather Weston, a book of bindings, folding and decorative books to create and more. Well displayed with interesting techniques. The two books are keeps to join my ever growing library.

This next project which has been an on going one for several years now, is finally in a close closure.....This is a thin metallic cooper leather, I obtained it from

a leather site that caters to fashions and they have some terrible unusual offers. I love to surf this site and have decided to investigate some of the more unusual offers for the journals that are in progress Slow but sure said the turtle.

Now, this is a test ....Can you tell what it is ? I cannot give you a hint as it would then open the door to the next adventurers on my drawing board. lol

If, you guess it correctly, I will e:mail you individually and tell some.....

As always,

Silvery Moonbeams to watch over you

Sierra

House Mouse and Tiny Pouch

Been a busy week this week? It sure has for me. Still working on my machine,

Mr. Happy is still not Happy.

He is at least out of the hospital were major surgery was

performed by Mr. Mike.

That went well but, now he refuses to pick up the

bobbin thread!

Yuck!!

I did manage one design this past week or so,

it is of a House Mouse, pictured above.

This is a small pouch 7x7 in the shape of a medieval pouch worm by the ladies and gents of the past

It is an embroidered house mouse in gold and bronze metallic thread

on a micro suede red fabric

with a William and Morris inside.

Two lamp work beads of silver hang from each point.

He is on my ESTy sight for a full viewing.

This week the mail man was also good to me, I had ordered parchment papers

from a paper mill in Europe and they have started to arrive.

A beautiful ivory with a brown look of old parchment paper,

gold in color and a regular parchment

along with this I managed to obtain some colored Villium in

a delightful assortment of colors, melon, midnight navy and French blues,

for the header pages of a zillion things I have listed in my little travel journal.

Next, I have been playing on line with a leather shop that puts up bookkeeping leather pelts

starting out at .99 ! Yep, under a dollar.

They are six or seven days out ....and this week alone I managed to be the only bidder of

two lovely mint leathers and a red wine large unit of cafe skin!

I always have such fun with e:bay especially when I win.

Do any of you have any luck with e:bay?

I know we share with each other were they have sales and good deals

both my embroidery groups and the bindery book.

I would like to Thank the gals from Austria for their lovely welcome home gift! It is a

stunner, I love this group!

also the funny person who sent me a black journal! The paper is black as well as all else.

I have not had good luck with the writing instrument, using a white gel pen,

silver was ok, I think I might have to get a fresher one?

Any way, it is interesting as to the binding ... it is a unique, soon as my camera is ready again

I will try and post this Black Beauty...also, please tell me who sent this to me.

Please!

I want you to teach the binding! Great binding!

I believe I remember seeing it in one of my Keith Smiths books?

Now, I have to hunt like crazy,

Anyway, Thank You again for t his treat.

I love to hear your adventurers so e:mail with your

adventurers...

www.SierrasCreations.cox.net

and

www.SilverMoonbeams@esty.com

or

e:mail me

bkrackley@cox.net

I love your mail.

as always,

Silvery Moonbeams to Watch over you,

Sierra

Time in a trip!

Time! Time! Where does it go? Let me wish you a very happy 2009! I know, its late....Now it is March 1st! Did I forget time? Misplace time?
Nope! Time was here or there, but the posting were not allowed to go through to the American side of the pond. So, I have been posting away with all the neat finds and the beautiful
buildings and not one of you have been able to enjoy this.
I am back and will just have to pick up where I am now! (bg)
I have been on adventure of materials....parchment papers in weights and colors of the rainbow, threads and needles, leathers and embellishments....I even managed to find a bookbinding machine and a vintage book press.
If, you are wondering what this has to do with embroidery? Absolutely not a thing!
I have been thinking of putting my embroidery machines to a side of the studio that will only be used for embellishments and
not so much for the items that I a known for.
My search this many months have been in the research and discovery of book binding and making of books. I started with the the most tiny of leathers, clasps and binding techniques....
On Monday of this March I will be posting to my esty shop...
http://silverymoonbeams@esty.com
displaying some of the journal that I have already taken hold of and as the year progresses I hope to present the largest of large..a Burgundy Soft leather in the largest size I can wrap around my hands!
I have always dreamed of this Medieval Book and now, hopefully will be able to produce this dream.
I will be learning different types of bindings in large and small journals. I also have brought back many gemstones and will be using them in my journals and trim es that I have produced and designed while I was away...finding tons of examples in the libraries of Europe.
Come along with me in this leering process and keep up with me or
just enjoy the different types of items that I brought back with me in my little travel journal that is brimming over with designs and drawings of items for sale.
I missed you all, please catch up with me, as I am alive and well,with little wear and tear to this old body of mine.
As always,
May you walk in the moonlight till the wind sets you free.
Sierra