Padfolio

Well, here is my padfolio.

I really enjoyed this.
It was lovely to get immersed in something after a shaky start to the week with Roger being rushed into to hospital and spending two days there. He is fine now but a scary time was had by all.

Now just got to decide on colours and a theme for Margaret's padfolio for our swap.

More Waves

This is another piece of fabric I am working on. In fact to date this piece has taken 2 months!

I started it before Christmas and then.....well you know what happened.

So, the fabric base is a heavy cotton that I painted with Dye-na-flow then stencilled the lotus flower motif with Plaid Glaze.

This week I layered strips of organza on it and covered with chiffon and stitched those wavy lines. I love the way the stencil motif shows through the organza.
I stencilled a Chinese character in places with gold Plaid Glaze - a bit subtle.
Not sure but I think it will become my test run for the Padfolio swap on FAF. I'll let you know.

Just playing

I went to Craft 4 Crafters at Westpoint in Exeter last weekend. I got some great goodies and have been playing with them all week. I have had a lovely time just putting them together and seeing what happens.

This is one of the pieces I came up with.
The picture isn't very good - camera trouble I fear - there is a lot more depth than you can actually see here.
I layered lots of fabrics over some space dyed velvet then covered it all with a chiffon scarf and stitched wavy lines.
I included some lovely little flower sequins that Jan sent for an extra bit of sparkle.
The motif is on one of the fabrics. I stitched round the gold frame and then cut away the chiffon. You can't see it properly but the flower motif puffed up like a little cushion.

I have a recurring theme on lines and linear things at the moment.
Could be my age or maybe it reflects ordered chaos - typically me - or all those lanes at the swimming baths that filled my early life.
Who knows. But they keep turning up and I'm happy to let them for a while.

I don't really fit.........................

.....................but you are NOT moving me now!!!

Bitrhday Book

It is my Aunty Edith's 70th Birthday party this weekend. It is a surprise, but it is OK she doesn't read this blog - I hope!


She is a watercolour artist and a very good one, so I have made her a little note book to take out with her.
I filled it with watercolour paper and wanted to do something on the cover to reflect nature as she loves water and trees.






I also made a card to match in with the theme. I hope she likes them.

Who's bed?

Well! Fred's new bed arrived today but Mitzi decided that I would do her just fine. Fred thinks she has a bit of a cheek but he will get her out one way or another.

I missed the photo, but just after this Fred squashed himself into Mitzi's bed. She was not impressed but still would not move.
I think another bed is on the shopping list.

ATC's

Jan and I have been friends for longer than either of us can remember. We live hundreds of miles apart now but our friendship is stronger than ever.
We started City and Guilds Embroidery years ago as we fancied going back to school together. Jan finished but I didn't, but it is thanks to her that I am back playing with textiles.

Anyhow, the thing is we swap ATC's regularly with some other friends.
I received these today.

This is from Jan. I admire her style so much.


















This is from Fiona, our most recent friend. She is just starting out in the textile world and I think her work is so vibrant and fresh.

Kilt Pins

I joined the "Kilt Pin Swap" on ANUK.
What a great idea of Kari's.

I thoroughly enjoyed making these. As they were for Valentines Day I felt they needed a heart on them hence the fabric hearts.
The hearts were pieces of textile that I had over from another project I just cut them to shape and zig zagged the edges. A bit fiddly but well worth it I think.
I now have a little box of hearts!

The first pin went to Jill and the other I have been using myself but maybe it will go to Laura (my daughter) as she comes home for a few days this weekend.

Challenge

On the Creative Challenge group we had to use a polystyrene tray in our work.
My theme is North American Indians and I had a drawing of Anasazi pots that I did for the last challenge so drew some patterns from that and carved them out of the polystyrene.




















This was great fun in itself.
I then used them as stamps and used various paints to stamp them to paper and pre-painted fabrics. Here are some some of the results.

Studio

Well here is my studio.
The colour is not what I would choose but we will be painting it later this year. I fancy a nice pale green.

The archway is wonderful. It is the space under the stairs and as you can see it stores all my drawers and boxes perfectly.

I have pinched Rogers desk as it doesn't fit on the other side of the room.
What a shame! ;0)
It is much bigger than the other desk and after all I NEED more space.



The computer is over near the window so I can look out on the garden.
Despite the Cobb wall at the side the light just floods into this room.
Wonderful!

White

On ANUK this month the Chunky Book swap theme is White.
I got a little carried away with this idea and created quite a bit of background card. I used the "serendipity" technique and stuck down samples of every bit of white or nearly white paper I had. I was really happy with the results so did it again!!!
Think white will be popping up in my work for a while.
Here are some results.

This is Becky's page for the Chunky Book Page swap. I hope she likes it.
I made the textile heart from some pieces I had made for another project.
I enjoyed making it and really like the result. I will make these little embellishments again.














I am a chunky angel! Yes honest!
The idea is that if someone can't fulfil their commitment to the swap for whatever reason (and I have been there a few times recently) then an angel will help out.
So this is the second page. I will hang onto it and if it isn't needed it will go in my book at the end of the year.








And some ATC's.
Over the last month or so people have been so kind and tolerant with me and my problems so some RAK's are in order. I think these will go as RAK's.

New Baby!

Well back at last! I feel I have been in limbo. It seems an age since I had an Internet connection and in another life.

We are settling in our new house and are slowly getting the studio sorted. We need to decorate it to make it perfect but hey it is a workable space now. I will post pics soon.

But before that I wanted to introduce you to my new baby.
He is called Fred and is somewhere between 12 and 18 months old.

He is a little gem. A rescue dog, of course, who has been a stray in Glasgow so he has a Scottish accent.

The accent could account for the selective deafness and him wanting to do his own thing. We are going to start class soon so he will find out I am definitely in charge.
The effort will be worth it as he is very loving and very bright.






Oh as you can see he just loves to dig holes on Woolacombe Beach.