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Showing posts from July, 2012

TAST Algerian eye stitch

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I quite like this stitch.  It does not work well for crazy quilting, at least in my opinion so I stitched on paper.  I wish you could see the lovely sparkle that the Kreinik hologram threads gives off.  That is what I used on the black paper in the bottom picture. Thanks to Sharon B at http://pintangle.com

July crazy quilt block

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Well, I managed to get it done before the end of the month.  It's okay but it could probably use some more embellishment.  I love the encrusted look but it is not natural for me.  I tend more towards the simple.  I would like to get out of that box though.

It happened again

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My week flew by in a flurry!  But look at my fantastic finds from thrift store shopping.  I can hardly believe that I found so much good loot!  Actually, I feel like this reinforces for me that I am on the right path.  I am more encouraged in that regard with each passing day.

work in progress Wednesday

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I added the gold trim in the center of the top picture and the ceramic heart button in the bottom picture.  It feels so good to be making progress on these blocks!  I feel like this project will get finished in the not too distant future.  At least the embellishing part of it.  My thanks to Sharon B at http://pintangle.com for hosting this Work in Progress.  It has helped me immensely!

Oyster stitch for TAST

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Well, it doesn't look totally great here but I do think I have the hang of this.  I think the thread is the problem not my stitching.  This stitch is new to me but definitely not difficult.  I will use it again, just with a different thread.

July bead journal project

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As you may recall my bead journal project for this year consists of me stitching onto photographs of rust and pealing paint.  I backed all the photos with fusible interfacing so that the paper would be able to withstand the stitching.  So here is July.

free art lessons/tutorials

http://artclick.tv/free-test/CCP-LR1 Check out this link.  They are offering free video tutorials/ lessons until the end of July.  I wish I would have discovered this sooner.  There are mostly watercolor lessons available but some collage and mixed media too.  Definitely worth a look.

a little fun with my friends

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Yesterday I got together with some friends and my sister joined us via skype.  Too fun!  I had a lot of paste leftover from the class last week so we played with that a bit.  The top photo is paste paper, second from top paste fabric.  I look forward to using them.  The third photo is a new technique a friend just learned.  We taped off a shape onto tracing paper.  We put a few drops of Golden fluid acrylic inside the shape and swiped across the paint with a squeegee.  So simple, so cool.  The bottom photo is molding paste pushed through a stencil onto canvas/paper and then layers of paint added after the molding paste dried.  Such a fun day spent with awesome and creative friends!  Love it!

TAST Basque stitch

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This stitch is a new stitch to me.  Pleasantly, not a difficult one and I got the hang of it pretty quickly.  I tried a couple of stitches on a scrap of cloth and then moved to this crazy quilt block.  I will likely add this stitch to other crazy quilt blocks.  I would like to stitch into a circle as that is quite a pleasing shape.

More sumptuous surfaces

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The students were so clever and creative last week!  It was a joy to be with such talented ladies.  Here are two more samples of their work.

a little more from my talented students

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Sumptuous surfaces indeed!  Would you just love to get your hands on these?  So yummy and full of potential!

Some creations from the workshop this week

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Needless to say that I did not have the time or the energy to do any creating myself this past week.  I give my all when I am teaching as I want my students to have a really good time.  So here a couple images of what they created. 

A wild, wacky, wonderful week!

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I taught Sumptuous Surfaces to eight awesome ladies this week, at the Wellington County Museum.  The creative energy was fabulous.  The openness and sharing attitudes were tremendous.  The joyous spirit was shared by all.  Check out the class photo!  Can't you just tell the workshop was a blast!  Too fun!

Frothy feminine finds

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I love being a woman!  I have been told that I am quite feminine but I have never really thought of myself as really feminine.  I was a tree climbing tom boy growing up.  My wedding dress did not have one stitch of lace on it.  I love being the mother of sons so that I didn't ever have to deal with long hair!  So isn't it funny that today I purchased all these divinely feminine fabrics and trims?  I guess the older I get the fru fru feminine I become!  I can't wait to play with my pretties!

Work in progress Wednesday

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Last Friday I thought I should add something to this crazy quilt block.  Then I thought that's crazy I have tons of time before Wednesday rolls around again.  Well, I decided to go with my first instinct (which is almost always right).  I added  the bead trims in the upper right of the top photo.  I also added a swarovski crystal butterfly to the ribbon flowers.  I am so pleased to be making progress on this!  It feels good.

TAST Bonnet Stitch

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Okay, I definitely struggled with this stitch.  I thought perhaps if I looked at some different instructions that would help.  There were no other instructions to be found.  Getting beaten by an embroidery stitch makes me feel like a dork!  Normally I would persist until I mastered it.  I just don't have time for that this week and frankly I don't like the stitch well enough.  It is highly unlikely that I would ever use the stitch so why waste my time.  We can't love them all.

a nature walk is good for my soul

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of going for a bit of a hike with a dear friend.  It is lovely to have a friend that also likes to have a camera in hand.  Going for a hike with a non-photographer isn't nearly as fun.  They don't always understand the constant stopping to catch an image.  I saw some remarkable spider webs yesterday.  It was quite difficult to capture a good image of them as there was a lovely breeze.  This one isn't bad.