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Showing posts from June, 2018

Adding Texture with Stitch

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This piece is just fun.  I am enjoying have a good play with it.  Adding the embroidery stitches is what it needed.  Possibly there will be some beads added as well.  It feels like it has been a while since I have made a piece just for the fun of it.  So grateful to have the time to do that right now! I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Paint Class

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I was booked by a local company's Wellness Committee to provide a paint night for their staff.  How cool is it that this company cares enough about their staff to have a Wellness Committee!  Typically, participants in a paint night all produce close to identical paintings.  I was not keen to run my paint night that way.  One of the participants had been to a paint night previously and was annoyed with me for not teaching in a way that would lead to all having the exactly same results.  I explained that I valued individuality and hoped that everyone would put their spin on their painting.  Thankfully, everyone else in the class was on board with my idea.  The unhappy lady did come around in the end.  I heard her comment that she thought it was really cool how everyone produced something unique!  Yay! It is important to me that my students have fun.  So at the end of the night, I asked them to come to wreck my painting.  I encouraged them to clean off their brushes and use the p

Work in Progress Wednesday

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Ah!  Summer, a time for slowing down.  My spring was pretty busy but I don't have much on my calendar for the summer and I am relieved.  I now have time to think about the San Fransisco School of Needlework and Design summer challenge.  The theme is burlesque.  I looked up the definition for inspiration. bur·lesque ËŒbÉ™rˈlesk/ noun 1. an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody. "the funniest burlesque of opera" synonyms: parody ,  caricature ,  satire ,  lampoon ,  skit ,  farce ;  More 2. a variety show, typically including striptease. "burlesque clubs" verb 1. cause to appear absurd by parodying or copying in an exaggerated form. "she struck a ridiculous pose that burlesqued her own vanity" The word exaggerated gave me the inspiration to let out my inner magpie.  Go for the glitz!  I am planning a crazy quilt block with the above fabric.  The two on the end ar

I heart Macro

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Do something today that your future self will thank you for.  anonymous I am linking to https://mersad-photography.blogspot.com http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/

A daily practice

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I have been creating a mandala on a coffee filter every day for a couple of months.  They don't take very long and I love them.  It is so fun to create a small piece of art that makes me say "oh wow!  I love this".  No harsh criticisms.  I feel like I should take them further as I have stitched into coffee filters so I know it is possible.  Maybe it is okay to just enjoy them as they are.  I tried the same technique on a doily with a tatted edge.  It did not work quite as well.  All is not lost, I can salvage it and turn it into something beautiful by adding beads. I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Work in Progress Wednesday

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  I used permanent markers and rubbing alcohol to create this.  It is such a fun technique and rather serendipitous.   This definitely looks better from a distance.  I was tempted to start over because I didn't like the way some of the colours bled into others.  However, I think once I add some embroidery and quilting to it that will help. I am linking to https://www.quiltfabrication.com/ https://estheraliu.blogspot.com/ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

I heart Macro

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I was given a bouquet of flowers on the weekend.  It was the end of the day and the flower seller had not sold all of his bouquets.  Being the end of the day the flowers were not the freshest but still pretty.  One of the flowers completely fell apart in my hand when putting them in the vase.  The petals looked super interesting to me. I am linking to http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/ https://mersad-photography.blogspot.com

Time to play

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A while back I had an idea for an altered book that features flowers.  I made a few flowers but got sidetracked.  This week I found time to make some more flowers or at least some components (on the left).  I am going to need quite a few flowers so will have to put on my thinking cap for more varieties. I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Work in Progress Wednesday

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Closing reception for my artist in residence with the Ayr Library is tonight.  It is a bit sad for it to end but I am excited about moving on to other things.  I hope they are pleased with the altered book I and the community created. https://estheraliu.blogspot.com/ https://www.quiltfabrication.com/ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

I heart Macro

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I have been organizing my files a tiny bit and came across this image.  A photo of frost on a warm spring day, sure, why not! I am linking to https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com https://mersad-photography.blogspot.com

Playing and experimenting

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I have been playing around with an idea.  A new way to add colour to cloth.  Eventually, I would like to do an article about it for a magazine.  I am confident in the process but not in the finished project.  I am contemplating adding the paper shape to the piece to give it a focal point but not really loving it.  Feeling a bit stuck at the moment.  I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

Work in Progress Wednesday

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I have one week left to finish my altered book for the artist in residence with Ayr Library.  I am attempting to depict Watson Pond on the cover.  I have needle felted the green area and I am beading the pond area.  The proportions look completely wrong at this point but when it is wrapped around the book it looks right.  I still have more beading to do but I am confident I can get this finished in time. I am linking to http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/ https://www.supermomnocape.com https://www.quiltfabrication.com/ https://estheraliu.blogspot.com/

I heart Macro

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Accept challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.  Patton I am linking to http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com https://mersad-photography.blogspot.com

Playing with the romantic

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Normally I gravitate toward bright and cheerful colours.  Every once in a while I feel the need to play with soft, romantic colour schemes.  I found a vintage wooden spool and decided to create a scroll book with it.  Vintage laces, velvet and quotes from old books will fill this book.  I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/