Trying ...

I've been beavering away with new techniques whilst trying to keep the house tidy - not an easy thing, but I have managed to keep it contained in my art room!! My project involves plaster of paris and canvas - a totally new experience for me, it's exciting to do something different from my usual artwork. I ruined a new blouse last night with acrylic paint so now it'll be my painting top LOL. I'll post a picture when I'm finished with this new project.

A Little Thing

Been playing around today with fabric and seeing what I could make using small pieces. I backed this with felt and joined the pieces together with beads but the scan doesn't show it - it's a little thing called AMORE!!!

Sari Fabrics

Here are the beautiful Indian fabrics I bought the other day - I'm wondering if I can bring myself to cut them up!!!

Image Transfers

I've been trying to do image transfers for so long that I can't even remember. I've tried everything, believe me, and the results were horrible!! I'd given up.... until my dear friend Linda  gave me a few tips and guided me and here are the first few tags - I still have to refine the technique but it's looking hopeful!!!

Indian Fabrics

There's a charity shop I wanted to visit but every time I go past they're closed. Today, yippee, they were open and it's choc-a-bloc with beautiful Indian sari fabrics - I got the most beautiful pieces with lots of glitter and beads for £1 each. Of course, I have to just look at them until I get some painting done but they're lighting up my room with gorgeous bright colours.

Now then, I was suffering with the bare canvas/paper syndrome and feeling very uninspired. But I read somewhere to get a piece of paper and make random marks on it with paint, wax, pencils, not really thinking about what's going on - letting the paint run together and I had a whale of a time!! The colours are bold (reminding me of those Indian fabrics) and it has definitely freed me up and ready to paint for real. So, after dinner, I'm getting started....

Have to Get Started

Well, I put the embellisher and all the bits away for a while because I have to start painting for an exhibition at the end of July. You know how it is, I thought 'plenty of time' a couple of months back - yikes!!!! deadline is fast approaching -- I'm going to paint flowers (my way LOL) as it's something that everyone can understand. I didn't like the handmade paper mixed with fabric on the embellisher, so that's one thing less to think about :-))

A big thank you to all the people who leave comments - I do appreciate you taking the time in this mad busy life.

Some more about embellishing

A book I'd ordered arrived today from Australia - Surface Tension - by Dale Rollerson. I am beginning to think how did I live before the embellishing machine :-) It has taken me over! And now I see that Dale mixes papers with felt etc. so I'm going to try it out with some of my Indian handmade papers. If there's anything decent, I'll post tomorrow!!

Innocence

I listed an art quilt today on ETSY - called Innocence. It's a very soothing image,  I like it a lot!!

I don't know why my links show up grey, after I change the colour of text which works fine as you can see -- life is too busy to worry about such things LOL!!

Don't know what happened

My post from a couple of days ago has vanished! Inexplicable!!! So here it is again - a wee fabric art hanging Little Sweeties - the colours didn't scan well it all looks faded, those fibres at the top are a pale apple green.

I used the embellisher yesterday and have made some book covers but not sure what to put in them - fabric or paper pages? Let me know what you think! Here they are fully opened out. Can't get the scanner to pick up the colours correctly, and the grungy look with bits hanging off - you'll have to take my word for it LOL.

Embellisher Practice

I've tried out a few different fabrics and fibres and am pleased with the results. I used felt for the backing and as I like 'bling' a few of the silks have glittery bits. I am posting 3 pieces and the back of one as it's nice too. That bit of pink is a hairnet LOL.

Embellishers

When I first read about embellishers, I thought NO - I'm not getting anything else and I'll probably not use it enough to justify the cost. Then I saw one working at a friend's house and I thought YES - and so I got a Pfaff today. I haven't even got it out of the box yet, I'm savouring the moment. And the shop owner gave me a DVD and two packs (that's 20 balls) of fancy fibres with lurex thread to use with whatever else I embellish. I've got loads of bits and pieces that I knew would come in handy one day. I'm going now to make dinner and then try it out. Maybe some pics tomorrow!!

Sewing Machine Bother

Just when I was in the mood for sewing, my machine started skipping stitches. So trying to follow the instructions, I undid the bobbin housing and a piece fell out - eeek!! Naturally the book doesn't show how to re-assemble this bit! But I persevered and did finally get it back together but very gingerly turned the wheel expecting something awful to happen. But it's fine and I finished a couple of things for my 'stock' box. The smaller piece is made out of a vintage quilted tea cosy - I knew this would come in handy!!

Oops, I've done it again!!

My mind's buzzing with ideas at  the moment and I forgot to insert the picture, here's Rosie Posie:

New artwork

I made this as a start for stock for the cooperative so I won't be putting it on Etsy. It's a wallhanging made entirely of fabric called Rosie Posie.

Thanks for your encouraging comments re the new venture - I appreciate it enormously!!

GRAND SALE

I've put everything in my ETSY shop in the sale for one week from today. Hope you'll have a look-see and hope you'll find something you want LOL.

Yesterday and Chocolate

I went to the seaside yesterday, but the town was clothed in mist and you couldn't see the sea.  I was there to visit two ladies who run a greetings card business with a humourous twist Heart's Desire. We had a good old chinwag and decided to form a cooperative of artists with festivals and fairs in mind where we could sell our arty stuff. We have a few others to talk to about it. We brainstormed and came up with a name but I'll keep it to myself for the moment. Feeling very excited about it all.

And here's another art quiltie 'CHOCOLATE FOR HAPPINESS' that I've put on Etsy :

Art Quiltie

For all the cat lovers out there (me included) "Kitty and Me" is a raw-edge art quilt with padding and has a vintage image and beading and French knots. The fabrics are a mix of vintage and new - I've chosen them for their complementary values. Ready to hang with an eyelash fibre cord. It's on ETSY and here's a photo:

The Blancmange Hippos

This altered book is just a bit of nonsense really -- but it makes me smile!!