Princess Bubbles Creates

 I am pleased with my beading progress on this mandala.  Going through my stash to find just the right bead is a relaxing part of the process for me.  With the huge stash that I have, I think it would be impossible to not come up with something that works! Who knew that all my crazy hoarding would be just the right thing for lockdown.  When I hear people speak of being bored I am so grateful that that is not the case for me! I will keep puttering at this one as I am not quite ready to call it finished.   I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/  

 Redeemed!  I posted about this one a week or two back.  I wasn't loving it but wasn't ready to give up on it.  My sister brilliantly suggested adding a sheer layer to knock back the busy background.  I took her suggestion and found in my stash a sheer fabric that had flowers on it.  I think it worked quite well and added it with minimal quilting.  Getting through all the paint and glitter would have been miserable to do a lot of quilting.   I attached the flowers.  Do I admit that I glued them?  Well, yes I did glue them.  Two reasons for that.  I did not want to invest any more time on this one. It is going into a large book and will never ever be washed.  Not that the glue wouldn't stand up to the washing.  To a stitcher, glueing seems wrong, I know.  Too bad! I am linking to https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/ https://www.quiltfabrication.com/

I have spent many hours peacefully creating mandalas.  I have hundred of mandalas that I created on coffee filters.  I hope that someday I can figure out something to do with them all!

 I watched an episode of Quilt Stories by Lisa Walton on Youtube this week.  Paula Nadelstern was the guest.  I was able to take a class with Paula many years ago.  My piecing is subpar and therefore no quilt will ever be produced.  I enjoyed learning how she does things though.  The few blocks that I made have been languishing in my basement.  Even though the patterns to do not match the fabric I used is gorgeous.  I decided to add some surface design to this block and now I am ready to add some stitching and some beads.  I think the beads will really make this good! I am linking to https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/

 Redemption is a theme that runs through my work.  I may not call attention to it but it is definitely there.  It is a beautiful idea and is most often expressed through the materials I use.  I love to take something old and worn and make it beautiful.  I also like to resurrect old pieces of my own artwork.  It is hard for me to call something a complete failure and give up on it.  A part of me always believes that it can still be made beautiful.  And so it is with this piece.  It started its life in a painting workshop many years ago.  I cut the canvas off the stretchers bars because I was never going to hang it up and it takes less room.  It is the right size for the giant book I am making so I started pondering how to redeem it.  The centre portion is a photo I printed and stitched.  It has been hanging around for a while and I thought it might work on this.  I plunked it down and low and behold I think it looks good.  I need to iron the canvas and decide how to attach the centre po

  I have added some star-shaped beads to my mandala.  I think they work perfectly.  I love having such a good stash to go through.  Not having to shop during the times of covid is great.  It feels good to use up things that I have. On another note, Danielle Krysa of The Jealous Curator has started a challenge,  In Tandem .  I would really like to participate and need a pARTner.  Would anyone be interested in being my partner? I am linking to https://www.quiltfabrication.com/ https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/

 This one is done.  I added some Inktense colour to get the sky right and I am happy with it now.  I added more stitching to the flowers.  I think it is time to stop.  Well, I may need to add something to back as I am planning for this to be a page in a large book.  Covering over the mess on the back might be a good idea.  Or maybe I will embrace the rebel in me and just let everyone see the mess. I am linking to https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/

 I am still playing with this piece.  I am having doubts that it is redeemable.  I think the flowers help, well maybe just a little.  I am waffling.  I think possibly I should just give up on it.  But, I really hate giving up.  What if I can make it better?  I haven't stitched the flowers on yet as I don't want to waste such pretty flowers.  ugh!!! I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

 I have started a new mandala.  I have done the surface design.  This fabric started white and I have transformed it with a layer of transfer foil, then paint and another layer of transfer foil.  It is so hard to capture the beauty of the transfer foil.  You can see the shimmer of the foil on the piece behind the mandala.  Next, I will start stitching and beading into this.   I am linking to https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/ https://www.quiltfabrication.com/

I actually did take a photo of the beautiful antique postcards included in this book.  So gorgeous! These two photos are the inside of two flaps.  Lots of vintage paper collaged together.   This is inside the middle flap.  I love the file dividers that I found.  They are a perfect size.  The photo above has them all closed.  Next photo some are opened. The photo below has all the file flaps opened so you can see underneath.                                                                                   This last photo shows the small pamphlet that is tucked into the diagonal pocket on the last page.   Working with so many pretty images was a delight.  It was great to use up some bits and pieces and contain them all in one place.  

This is the first flap inside the cover.  On the right is a small collage on a file folder that holds three tags.  On the left, I created a belly band with vintage trims.  Is it called a belly band when it is verticle? Not sure about that.  It holds three pieces that are two images glued back to back. This is also a spread that is flipped out from the first flap.  It is kind of hard to explain and I really wish the video I had tried to do had turned out.  A video makes more sense. This is also a flip out. It would have made more sense for this photo come one before.  You can see that it has the back of the blue envelope with collage on it.   This flip is an envelope and has a tuck spot as well as plenty of collage This image comes next.  On the left is a collage on an envelop that opens up.  I forgot to photograph the inside and back of it.  Inside I have attached vintage postcards from the early 1900s.  So pretty! On the right is the middle of the book.  You can see it below as well.

 Well, my little girl character is almost complete.  There are some minor little details that I would like to improve.  Her face isn't exactly right.  I love the little sparkly bow in her hair.  I was delighted to find tiny heart buttons to put her shoes.  The embroidered flowers on the dress are a bit wonky.  It is weird because I decided to do that flower as normally I stitch it quite well/evenly.  No matter how hard I tried to get the flowers even on this dress I could not do it.  I suppose that they are meant to be this way and I don't really have a problem with that. I am linking to https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/

 I made some progress on my beaded mandala.  I like it so much better now that I used Inktense blocks to turn the white background fabric to turquoise.  I stitched with some white sparkly thread and that also helps.  It still needs a little something more, beads of course.  It won't take much to finish this one. I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/

 I have gone a little wild with the glitter on this piece.  Why not?  I wasn't loving it and throwing some glitter on it made me happy.  I will probably find bits of glitter around my house for the rest of my life because of this.  I don't mind that a bit.  Glitter is a balm to my soul and makes me smile.  I think the glitter made this piece a lot better.  I still don't really love it but that's okay.  Maybe I will take it further.  Again, why not?  It is much easier to take the next step when I don't love a piece.  This could turn into something good and if it doesn't that is okay too.  Not everything has to be a masterpiece.   I am linking to https://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/ https://www.quiltfabrication.com/

  The photography club I belonged to years ago did a light painting workshop.  Such fun!  I was really glad my oldest son came along with me.  He has a good eye and I was glad to see him be inspired.  Skip ahead some years and he has now made a serious camera purchase.  I am so excited for him to use his creativity in this way.  I hope we can have some photography outings together! I am linking to http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/

 Okay, most people are not going to notice that I have added any stitching to this piece since last I posted about it.  I added some ribbon French knots in pink.  For me, it made a difference and I like that area better now.  I think I am ready to call this piece finished but I am waffling a bit.  If I do add more it won't be much.  We will see. I am linking to http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.com/ https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/