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Showing posts from September, 2016

Purple and Orange

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My fibre guild met this week.  We decided to work on a two color, 6 inch square challenge for each month this year.  A 6 inch square is not intimidating and yet gives us some room for experimentation.  I was excited to get started.  Going through my bin of bits and pieces I came across a larger piece that I cut down to 6 inches, top photo.  It is a mix of fabric, paper and paint.  I want to do some hand stitching into it.  The bottom photo shows some sheer fabric, a dyed doily and a piece covered in different yarns.  They all fit the challenge and I am considering using them to create a second piece this month. I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal Week #39

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Where we love is home- our feet may leave, but not our hearts.  Oliver Wendell Holmes.  In truth I am a big time lover of being at home.  My home holds my loved ones and my art supplies.  What else do I need?  My home is a peaceful and safe place.  I had a lot of fun creating this journal page.  Lots of color and shimmer was added by using Smooch inks.

Work in Progress Wednesday

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Using an old doily, that I dyed, as the base I created this bead journal for September.  So, not typical of my colors.  I do like the autumn theme though.  I have so much fun with my bead journals.  The ideas just keep coming. I am linking with http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/ http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/09/26/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-77/

Take a Stitch Tuesday

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I stitched the Feathered Chain stitch in this funky green thread and added some french knots in blue perle cotton.  I have attached a photo of the green thread and it says Mez Matt-Stickgarn 3.  I found this thread at a thrift store.  I have never seen it before this.  Does anyone know anything about it? Thanks to Sharon B at  http://pintangle.com/2016/09/27/tast-stitch-57/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Pintanglecom+%28pintangle.com%29   for the instructions.  It is always good to have an excuse to stitch.

I heart Macro

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Bam!  There is a blast of color for you!  Thanks for stopping by! I am linking with http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca/ https://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca/2016/09/wonders-of-nature-through-my-lens-nr-61.html

Jumping ahead

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I have done some stencilling with Gelatos on black fabric.  The metallic Gelatos really stand out on the black.  I am planning to use this as a base for my October bead journal project.  I have not finished my Sept. bead journal but should manage to get it finished by the end of September. Originally I thought I would stencil the design four times thus creating a circle.  I think it would look terrific but I am concerned that I wouldn't be able to get all of the beading done in a month.  Yet, if I only bead certain parts it would be achievable. I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal Prompt #38

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'Let her sleep because when she wakes she will move mountains.'  What a great quote!  It grabs me because I am one that needs a lot of sleep.  I used to be concerned that saying that would make me sound lazy.  I no longer have that concern.  I know that my busy and creative mind needs more sleep the average bear.  So what.  And the moving  mountains bit, well, I know that I can move mountains and I can see myself doing  more of that! This page of my journal seems exactly right for this quote.  The right hand page has marbling on it that look like mountains to me so I just left that page as is.

Work in Progress Wednesday

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My animal print fabric book has definitely been a challenge.  I have learned much from it.  This page spread was looking like a hot mess but I wasn't willing to give up on it.  Admittedly I thought about completely covering it with another piece of fabric until I decided to try one more thing.  I used some watered down acrylic ink in a spray bottle and sprayed the whole page.  What did I have to lose?  Nothing, and I like the page a whole lot more now.  Certainly it could be better but I am willing to take the lessons and move on. I am linking with http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/

Take a Stitch Tuesday

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Here is my beaded Lock Stitch.  A bit wobbly and looks nothing like Sharon's nice neat sample.  Her instruction can be found at  http://pintangle.com/2016/09/20/tast-stitch-56/   I am glad I tried the stitch, it can only improve with practice.

I heart Macro

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I am not a detail oriented person.  So, maybe it is a little odd that I love the detail of macro photography.  Well, possibly it is not the detail so much as the color and texture of macro photography.  Bright, vivid color, and interesting texture, oh yeah!  That grabs me. I am linking with http://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca/2016/09/views-from-koski-mehmed-pasha-mosque-in-mostar.html http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca/

Stitching Silk

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  When I started stitching in my little silk book I was thinking I would do just leaves and fill them in with many different stitches.  Now I have reconsidered and I am including other things from the natural world.  I have used the Turkman stitch for one wing of this dragonfly and really like the way it looks.  So now I am wondering if I should use that stitch for all the wings.  That doesn't go with my original plan so I am not really wanting to do that.  Possibly I could do the opposite wing with this same stitch as I do like the symmetry of it.  I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Art Journal week 37

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    I had fun with this one.  On the left page I did my take on a Klimt painting.  I am quite happy with it.  On the right page is the quote 'Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.'  To me that says we can't sit around waiting for things to get better, we have to get at it.  Make changes happen. 

Work in Progress Wednesday

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I am going with a fall theme for my September bead journal project.  I have used an old doily that I dyed this summer  as the base.  I am also using some of the cotton thread that I dyed.  It feels good to use my dyed materials.  I am linking with http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/ http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/09/12/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-75/

Take a Stitch Tuesday

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The Up and Down Buttonhole was a little difficult to work properly on this handmade paper.  It would like nicer if I could have stitched more closely but then the paper would have ripped.  Still, it was fun to give a try.  Thanks to Sharon B at http://pintangle.com/ for the instructions.

I heart Macro

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Lovely flowers from the farmer's market make my day!  Getting to use my macro lens also makes my day! I am linking with http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca/ http://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca/2016/09/under-sea-with-go-pro-4.html

Still stitching silk

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I think this leaf is finished.  I had fun trying different stitches with my hand dyed silk thread.  I am frustrated that the camera is not capturing the color properly.  The silk fabric is actually more of a royal blue!  So weird.  Originally I thought my little silk book would be all leaves but now I am thinking I would like to do a butterfly on the next page. I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal Week #36

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'Travel as much as you can, as long as you can.  Life's not meant to be lived in one place.' is the quote this week.  I am pretty content to live in one place but I do really want to travel more.  We are in the midst of planning a trip to Fiji and New Zealand for next year.  A bucket list place for my husband.

Work in Progress Wednesday

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I added some more beading to this piece.  I also used some Kreinik iron on thread for the edge.  I have not used that thread previously.  I am pleased with the way it finishes the piece and that it adheres really well to the paper.  I think it just needs a bit more beading near the outer edge. I am linking with http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/ http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/09/05/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-74/ Plus a little up date.  I am pleased to say that my  art bra has been published in Stitch  magazine, the August/September issue.  It is always exciting when someone else likes my work.

Take a Stitch Tuesday

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This is my Knotted Buttonhole band, beaded version.  It looks okay.  I have to say that stitching  was trying my patience today.  I had to walk away for a bit.  Stitching is supposed to be relaxing not frustrating.  Thanks to Sharon B at  http://pintangle.com/2016/09/06/tast-stitch-54/  for the instructions.

Doing some hand quilting

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It feels like forever since I have done some hand quilting.  Often my quilts are painted and therefore not very friendly to hand quilting.  This piece is hand painted silk.  I used a very fluid ink and Inktense blocks to do this one.  That makes it very friendly to hand quilting and I am really enjoying it.  I am using silk thread, silk batting and a silk backing.  Yum! I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal week #35

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Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.  A quote about kindness and generosity by Maya Angelou.  Lovely idea.  One I try to practice regularly. My journal page is covered in circles cut from gelli printed papers.  A rather simple page as I do prefer simple pages when it comes to my art journals.  The gelli prints weren't all that good so cutting them up was definitely the way to go.