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Showing posts from July, 2017

I heart Macro

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We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  Thorton Wilder I am linking with http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca https://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca

Stitching

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I know it is summer but the threads DMC provided for this challenge spoke of autumn to me.  I love my little tree!  Now I need to submit a photo to the  San Francisco School of Needlework and Design  for Summer of Love challenge. I am linking with https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca

Bits and pieces

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Another fabric journal page is coming together.  The base is a gelli print that I further embellished with permanent markers and Smooch inks.  I still need to adhere the paper/fabric dragonfly but I think I will machine quilt the background first. I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal Prompt Week #30

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The prompt this week was simply summer.  You can see Nina's video  here .  This page was fun for me to create.  I used a paper towel that already had paint all over it.  I adhered it to my page and added a bit more collage.  The most fun part was doing some found poetry instead of a quote.  I save book pages that have been removed when creating altered books.  It is fun to sift through them and look for words that jump out at me.  I then put them together to form some sort of thought. Now is the season for splendor simple little pleasure, one of those summers which give birth an artist so exquisite

Work in Progress Wednesday

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Another quilt finished feels really good.  A very large leaf was printed in multiple colors to create this one.  I like that the leaf is heart shaped.  I hand embroidered and hand quilted it.  I got this quilt done just in time to show it to a senior's group yesterday.  I was teaching them how to do some nature printing on paper but they loved that it could be done on fabric as well. I am linking with http://www.supermomnocape.com http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/ http://www.quiltfabrication.com/ https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.ca/ edited to explain I paint a thin coat of fabric paint onto the back of the leaf.  Then press the leaf onto the fabric.  It is a simple process but a bit tricky to get the right amount of paint on the leaf.  It is always good to practice a bit first.

I heart macro

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Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.  John Ruskin I am linking with http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca https://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca

Funky little landscape

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I have been doing a lot of teaching with seniors.  Mostly the projects were designed by someone else.  I was pretty happy to be contacted by a senior's facility to come and teach a fibre art class.  I know if I was living in a facility I would love to get to do some fibre art.  The class has to be fairly simple and we won't have sewing machines.  I think this funky little garden will work as it is put together with glue.  I can see loads of room for improvement but won't do it.  There is no point bringing in a sample that no one will be able to recreate in the limited time we will have.   Plus how exciting will it be for them if they can do a better job than the instructor!? I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal week #29

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The challenge this week is chaos.  Yikes!  So not in my wheel house.  I have to admit I did not want to put a lot of effort into this journal page as I knew I wasn't going to like anything chaotic.  I made a color copy of a coloring page for the background.  I made a color copy of the butterfly that was covered in a mess of stitches and adhered it to the background.  The quote I used is 'I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.' by John Burroughs.  I enjoyed being pushed out of my comfort zone especially since I can tend to over simplify things but chaos is really not my friend.

Work in Progress Wednesday

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My Crazy Quilt Journal Project for July is pictured above.  These are the first four blocks I created for the project this year.  I have put them together and I am working on embellishing those seams.  I also added stitching to the white lace on the bottom right block.  It was too stark.  Adding the stitching really helped to knock it back.  I have been considering what to do where the four blocks come together in the center.  I am leaning towards adding ribbon embroidery there.  Something needs to happen to make these block feel all pulled together. I am linking with http://www.supermomnocape.com http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/ http://www.quiltfabrication.com/ https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.ca/

I heart Macro

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I find the rusting of metal magical.  How can so much beauty come from this deterioration?  Admittedly some won't see the beauty. I am linking with http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca https://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca

Slow Stitching Sunday

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I am participating in the  San Francisco School of Needlework and Design School's  Summer of Love  Challenge.  It is my slow/stitch a day project for July.  Three skeins of floss were provided by  DMC .  The colors spoke to me of fall and of course leaves! I am linking with  https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca .

Something a little different

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This is my bead journal for July.  I found this piece of driftwood last summer and had to bring it home.  I knew I wanted to wrap it in beads but I wasn't sure how I would use it.   I had a brainwave and now I know how and where I will use it.  I just need to wrap the last branch with beads.  The base/trunk will be wrapped with brown yarns and threads.  I then plan to attach it to an altered book. The inside of the book will be full of handmade leaves. I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal weeks 27 and 28 combined

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I have been following a journal prompt a week for about a year and a half.  It was getting rather stale to me and I decided to look for a different journal group.  I found  Art Journal Prompts  on Facebook and I have jumped right in.  Week 27 asked us to use gold.  Week 28 asked us to rework an existing page. I have combined the two prompts into one page.  The top photo is a torn paper stitched collage.  It wasn't going anywhere.  I colored copied it as it is kind of fragile.  I added some green acrylic paint to the lower part and hated it.  I removed most of it and am much happier.  I also added my favorite tree shape that I covered in gold swirls.  Since the acrylic paint had too much coverage I used Inktense pencils to add more color in other areas. I wrote 'be still' repeatedly in cursive around the top of the tree.  That seems to be my mantra this year.  Those words fill me with trust and calm.

Work in Progress Wednesday

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Many years ago I took a block a month sampler class at a local quilt store.  I learned a lot.  I learned that piecing really isn't my thing.  I did, however, create this quilt top.  It actually isn't all that bad.  I am debating whether to finish it or not.  I would like to include it in my upcoming trunk show as it is an important part of my journey.  Do you think it would be okay to include it as a UFO or does it have to be finished? I am linking with http://www.quiltfabrication.com/ https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.ca/ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/ http://www.supermomnocape.com

Take a Stitch Tuesday

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Here is my  Linked Double Chain .  I really thought that I had done this stitch previously.  Funny how the memory works or doesn't.  I am glad that I always post a comment on  Sharon B's  blog when I do try a stitch.  It helps to keep a trail/reminder.  As usual, my stitches are loose and open.  I admire those whose stitches are ever so neat and tidy but I am learning to not be critical of myself for not stitching in that way.  My relaxed fun loving nature is coming through in my stitches.

I heart Macro

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It has been a while since I have posted one of my photos from the wrecking yard.  This one reminds me of a landscape. I am linking with http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca/ https://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca

Another finish

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It feels good to call this piece finished.  I started by painting silk.  I cut holes in it and beaded around the holes.  It is machine quilted.  I added beads on the edge to finish it off.  There is nothing like deadlines for getting things finished! I am linking with http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.ca/

Journal Week #26

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You are never too old to learn something new.  Again, not a particularly inspiring quote to work with this week.  However, I do try to keep learning new things.  It is very good for the brain.  I made a color copy of a fabric experiment and then printed the quote on it.  

Work in Progress Wednesday

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I am a curious artist.  Exploring and experimenting are a big part of what I do.   I have a plastic storage bin where I put the experiments.  Lately, I have been trying to use up the pieces in that storage bin.   I combined the needle felted spiral with the sari strip/transfer foil background.  I think they look interesting together.  I have a number of other pieces of a similar size that will be combined with this one to form an accordion book. I am linking with http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/ http://www.supermomnocape.com http://www.quiltfabrication.com/ https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.ca/

Take a Stitch Tuesday

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My  Woven Trellis Stitch  is a bit wonky.    The one on the right looks more like a flower than the one on the left.  It is not the end of the world and I can live with the imperfection.  I am so glad that I had the time to participate in  Sharon B's  Take a Stitch Tuesday this week!

I heart Macro

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Last week a friend commented that I am the master of macro abstracts.  Wow!  That meant so much to me!  It was the word master that got me.  The quote 'jack of all trades, master of none' can be heard in my head when my inner critic is running amuck.  I know in art we are told to focus and become really good at one thing.  Why?  Why can't we be really good at more than one thing? I am linking with http://image-in-ing.blogspot.ca/ https://mersad-photography.blogspot.ca

Stitch a day

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The stitch a day project for June was so much fun.  I stitched with metallic and hologram threads.  My base is hand dyed fabric and a paper cut/kirigami.  It feels like a spirograph to me.  Click on the photo to see the detail close up. I am linking with https://kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/search/label/Slow%20Sunday%20Stitching%202017