Close-ups (cottages)

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Salley Mavor

I’m a hopeless homebody and have been putting cottages and other cozy shelters in my artwork forever. This first yellow house is from the back cover of the first edition of Mary Had a Little Lamb. The board book version shows a portion of the picture that doesn’t include the house.

This one from You and Me: Poems of Friendship has a ribbon porch roof decorated with tatting.

I used cloth-covered wire to make the gingerbread edging along the roof line in this cottage from The Hollyhock Wall. Looking more closely, there is a lot of cloth wrapped wire in this scene: tree branches, hollyhock stems wicker furniture and straw hats. The dolls are about 1 1/4″ tall.

This is the Russian grandfather’s house from Peter and the Wolf. See the whole illustration in an earlier story about the CD here.

This quintessential thatched cottage is from the rhyme, “One, two, three, four, Mary’s at the cottage door”, which is in my new book, Pocketful of Posies. Find out about the book and the traveling exhibit of original artwork here. Also, see the whole double page spread in another post here.

Note: See other posts in the Close-ups series archive here.

Giveaway winner & Highfield Hall Show

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Salley Mavor

It’s been a busy day. First, the book giveaway winner is Ann Irvin! I’ll be contacting Ann via e-mail and will send her an autographed copy of Pocketful of Posies. It is also the first day of the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit at Highfield Hall.

This is the back room at Eight Cousins Children’s Books, where I signed a stack of books today. They will take orders for inscribed books at 508-548-5548.

Here is Historic Highfield Hall in Falmouth, Massachusetts, where the exhibit is showing through Oct 31st. The opening reception and book release party will be on Sunday, Sept. 26th from 4 to 6pm. Eight Cousins will be selling books and I’ll be on hand to meet you and autograph copies. To add to the festivities, Eight Cousins will be giving away posters to the first 50 customers. All are welcome.

I’m really pleased with how the show looks at Highfield and the people have been just great to work with. It’s such a warm, homey setting for the artwork.

“Posies” artwork ready to hang!

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Salley Mavor

Today, we finished framing the Pocketful of Posies artwork and will be ready to hang the show tomorrow! Talk about working ’til the last-minute. I don’t usually do things this way and have everything completed way ahead. The whole family helped out over the weekend, while I sewed the last border together. My studio was a beehive of activity; my husband Rob put the last of the artwork into frames and sons Peter and Ian drilled holes and screwed in the eyes on the back. It will take several car loads to transport all 51 pictures over to Highfield Hall tomorrow morning. It’s a good thing we live close by. Wow, does it feel good to have this project done! You can read about Pocketful of Posies: A Traveling Exhibit and see the schedule here.

Pocketful of Borders: Little piggies & back jacket

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Salley Mavor

This is a quick update on the border project for the illustrations from Pocketful of Posies. I’m working on the last one now, so if everything goes as planned, we will be readyto hang the show next Monday! My husband has been helping by putting the artwork into the frames he made. To see the show schedule, go to the Traveling Exhibit Page here. These pictures are from This Little Piggy and the back book jacket.

Note: See other posts from the Pocketful of Borders series here.

Closeups (grapes)

Posted on September 8, 2010 by Salley Mavor

I smelled grapes this morning. Wild Concord grape vines strangle the trees along the bike path and their dark purple fruit is ripening. Women were picking low growing grapes and filling plastic bags. Here are some closeups of grapes in my artwork over an almost 50 year span.

crayon on lined paper, 1960 (age 5)

This pin was made by covering red beads with sheer lavender fabric. Read the story of my pins here.

pin, 1978

The grapes in this fabric relief piece were made the same way as the pin, but about 1/2 the size. I used real curly grape vines. See another detail from “Vineyard Family” here.

detail from “Vineyard Family” 1985

Here’s one from my kitchen faux tiles, which you can see here.

faux tile, 1991

Here’s a scene from Mary Had a Little Lamb, when the lamb was following Mary to school. See other closeups from the book here.

detail from “Mary Had a Little Lamb” 1995

And this is a felt pin from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects.

felt pin from “Felt Wee Folk” 2003

Note: See other posts in the Close-ups series archive here.

Pocketful of Borders: Go to bed first

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Salley Mavor

There are only 5 more borders to make before we hang the first installment of the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit at Highfield Hall in Falmouth next week. Besides stitching, all I’ve been doing for the past month is eating, sleeping and occasionally riding my bike for exercise. It takes about 8 to 10 hours of sewing to complete each border, so I’ve been aiming for one a day. My broken wrist set me back 4 months last winter, so I’m making up for it now.

“Go to bed first, a golden purse” begins the last rhyme in the book. Here’s my work table with the illustration surrounded by piles of wool felt.

The border colors have been selected and cut.

I was so intent on finishing this one, that I skipped taking pictures of the stitching process. The rug under the beds is decorated with embroidery on felt, with thread tassels.

The different beds are made with found objects like beads, dowels, and hollow thorns.

It’s always a good idea to end a bedtime story book with a picture of a sleeping child.

Note: See other posts from the Pocketful of Borders series here.

Pocketful of Borders: Old woman who lived in a shoe, etc.

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Salley Mavor

This double page spread from Pocketful of Posies has three rhymes dispersed throughout; There was an old woman who lived under a shoe, Lillies are white and See saw, Margery Daw. Since I’m so busy stitching, I’ll just show pictures of the border making process without description.

Note: See other posts from the Pocketful of Borders series here.

The Pocketful of Posies books are here!

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Salley Mavor

Copies of Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes have arrived a little ahead of schedule and I’m so excited! The experience of opening the box and seeing a stack of my books for the first time is like theater on opening night, not the dress rehearsal, but the real thing!

Making a children’s book is quite a production, involving many people, usually over several years. In this case it took about 5 years to go from the initial commitment of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin and myself to this moment when the books are out in stores. Autographed copies can be ordered from my local bookshop, Eight Cousins 508-548-5548. Also, Amazon.com has a feature that allows you to look inside the book. Those of you who have already ordered copies should be receiving yours soon.

But, I’m still not finished getting the original illustrations ready for the traveling exhibit. There are 9 more borders to make before we hang the first show in Falmouth on Sept. 14th. Instead of typing, I’ve got to go thread a needle!

To celebrate their arrival, I’m offering a giveaway of a copy of Pocketful of Posies to a reader in the USA. Please leave a comment on this post and the winner will be chosen at random on Sept. 15th.

Pocketful of Borders: Humpty Dumpty

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Salley Mavor

Here’s a shot of my work table (ironing board) with a border in progress. It shows the illustration from Pocketful of Posies that includes “Humpty Dumpty”, “Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers” and “Two little dicky birds sitting on a wall”.

There’s lots of foliage and a stone wall build with a combination of stone beads and individually appliqued felt stones. Peter Piper’s hat and basket of peppers are made with thread wrapped and coiled wire.

I had fun using some interesting pieces of driftwood and other found objects.

detail from “Pocketful of Posies” 2010

Note: See other posts from the Pocketful of Borders series here.

Pocketful of Borders: my black hen

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Salley Mavor

This illustration from Pocketful of Posies is for the rhyme, Hickety, pickety, my black hen, she lays eggs for gentlemen. My descriptions will be brief, as I’m working hard to finish all of the borders for the upcoming traveling show. The colors vary in this series of photos becuase I took them at different times of day, under different lighting conditions. The color green is famously difficult to reproduce anyways. Here’s the fabric relief piece sewn to foam core board, before a border was attached. Yes, I made the egg basket, by wrapping and coiling wire around and around. Pretty obsessive, but necessary!