A Couple of Arches

You may remember that the year long swap on Textile Challenges is on textile arches. The arches measure approximately 8ins x 4ins.

The first arch here is my May arch for Arleee.
When I made this I was doing Terri Stegmiller's Paper Quilt Explorations course and it definitely influenced this arch.

Arlee said she liked "funky" Baroque" and "hot colours"
Well these are cool colours, but there is a touch of baroque in the centre jewel and I think it is very funky.
Arlee liked it and that's what matters ;0)








The second arch was my June arch for Kate.
She said she likes autumn colours and vintage people (dressed or not!)
Well vintage nudes are just my thing.
I had some lovely autumnal fabrics and added a little touch of lace.
The one thing I think it lacked was a feather.
So I am now on the hunt for some lovely feathers.

Oh yes, Kate liked it ;0)

A little Altered Board Book

Over the years I have done quite a few altered books.
I found it really hard to get started with them.
I tried, I really did, to see them as being recycled from an unloved object to a loved one.
I tried not to feel guilty as I "defaced" a book.

All these things add up for someone with a unconditional love of books. I love them in any state you see.
New and smelling of print ink. Old and smelling musty. With pictures in them. With just words in them. Fiction, non-fiction, scientific.
Pages intact. Pages dropping out. Leather bound or paper back. Just any book really.

Being married to a book collector is wonderful to me. My family despair of us and our books.

So I thought that somewhere along the line I would understand why so many people want to alter books. And I think they look fantastic.
Don't get me wrong, I love what you all do with them. I love to see the finished artwork.
But I get palpitations each time I take a paintbrush to one myself.
Roger has encouraged me and brought books home for me that he thinks are just right to be recycled. But I fall in love with that silly book and
just can't hurt it.

So facing the truth I find that I just cannot alter books. I came to this conclusion just after I signed up for an altered mini board book swap. The pictures here are probably my last attempt at an altered book.

I was happy with the finished results even though it turned out darker than I expected and not my usual colours at all.


It did remind me that I do like to use rubber stamps and that I really do love to make embellishments like the one on the front made from a piece of mica tile.

You never know I may give it another go in the future but for now the only books I will be "altering" are sketch books and note books.

Here Kitty Kitty!

Well the wedding of the year (at least in our family) is in 10 days time.
I am dashing round getting things together for the Orders of Service and the Guest Book. Things have dropped so far behind.

On a brighter note as you can see my little kitty bag is finished.
I love him, he is so bright and such fun to use.
My favourite part is his head, I just love his big beady eyes and brightly coloured cheeks.
I gave him a hooked over tail as all the cats we have had have walked with their up like this. We call it trolley bussing! LOL

I haven't got my bag for the wedding yet. It would give everyone a big smile if I used this don't you think!!

Start of the Cat

I am doing Michelle Verbeeck's Cat Sack Class.
This is a wonderful, colourful and funky project.

These are the colours I started out thinking I would use.
As you can see by the layout one 2 of them changed.
I was really excited about it when I saw all the pieces pinned together awaiting quilting.

There is a lot of quilting in this project and it took quite a while but the class isn't rushed and I had plenty of time to keep up.

Once quilted it takes on a character of it's own. It becomes a sturdy piece of fabric and the texture is great.
I used threads for the quilting that matched quite closely but, it would change the look and colour if contrasting thread was used. Next sack forming in my mind.


I love the little points on the front and back. It gives the cat a little tiger feel.

The head was next so watch for that ;0)

Oh I'd forget my head...........................

..................... you know the rest of the saying and it is oh so true of me at the moment.

I did forget that on Terri's Paper Quilting Class I also made this!
I call it Asian Squares.

The background is painted mulberry paper. The larger squares are scrapbook papers and the smaller squares are a mixture of scrapbook paper and painted mulberry paper, all of which have some script or Asian design on them.

The embellishments are Asian coins, beads and mini game pieces stitched on to the base.

I have mounted it onto board and am now looking for a suitable frame for it.

Just a little bit!!

Well I am still bereft of my muse and even the will to read has disappeared!
This means that I have not visited any blogs in an age.
I am truly sorry about that as I usually love to read all about my cyber friends.
At least I can rectify that shortly.

At the moment I am just allowing my self to be lead along by some wonderful artists.
For example, Sue Bleiweiss and her Journal Making Class, Terri Stegmiller and her Paper Quilting Class and at the moment Michelle Verbeek and her Cat Sack Class.

When I started writing this blog my intention was to use it as a record of the things I make and do.
It was initially for myself.
Then I stated to have visitors and what a boost that gave me.
Then I started to make friends and that was an even bigger boost.
I love to read what you think of my work and trips. I love criticism as long as it is constructive and I find you all so helpful.
Thank you for calling in here.

So for myself and for anyone who would like to see, I will start to post the things I am up to again and hopefully my muse may see that I am worth returning too - I hope ;0)

First, I think I should show the things I made at the end of Terri's Paper Quilting class.
I really enjoyed Terri's class and have lots of ideas written down, I just have to find a way to bring the ideas to life.

One of the last things I made was a little box. At the time I had to make a box for a swap with a Fantasy theme. The two things came together and the Magic Box was born.
Hiding in a pocket on the front is a key that opens the lock to the secret garden.
I had fun with this project and it reminded me how much I love to make little embellishments like the key.
I made a note of this, with my ideas, in one of the journals I created in Sue's class.

The very last, but certainly not least, project in Terri's class was to make a little book. I made a book with watercolour paper and cartridge paper inside to encourage me to draw and paint. It has worked a little as there are some scribblings in it now.
We used painted and stamped mulberry paper for the cover. It has a lovely texture and I think that is why I pick it up often.

An away day of my own.

As you know, my artistic Muse has cleared off on an away day that has lasted months now.
And would you believe it, but my writing Muse has now gone off to catch up with her!
Hence very few posts here of late.

Well, I mean, what is a girl supposed to do in this situation?
I decided to have an away day of my own ;0)

It may seem a little silly to go for a day out on a Saturday in a tourist area but, actually, it can work to your advantage.
Saturday is "change over day" and most people are on the roads going home or arriving.
A ten minute drive from the main road through the steep sided valley of Exmoor leads to a paradise where you don't see another human being for hours.

We've had a heavy sea mist this weekend that was very dramatic so we took ourselves off to the Heddon Valley. You have to know that the cliffs around here are some of the highest on the English coast but, there is a track way that climbs gently to the top that even I can manage to climb.
It was a wonderful climb too. Through the trees with the valley dropping down on one side. Fred (dog) thought it was great to trot backwards and forwards through the grass and peep through the trees.
When we got back down we had some lunch at Hunters Inn and chatted to some lovely people.
It was very relaxing and I think my batteries are recharged enough to go hunt for the Muses!

The mist stayed all day and through yesterday and is still here today. That is OK with me as it looks fantastic don't you think?!

Terri Bird

Meet Terri Bird ;0)

She is my creation from the second lesson of Paper Quilting Explorations run by Terri Stegmiller.

This class is so much fun. I have had stamping with bubble wrap on my to do list for as long as I can remember but never got round to it. Well now I have done it. Yay!
I have stamped painted bubble wrap on anything that stood still.
I didn't get the dog, nearly got the cat and Roger just shouldn't have fallen asleep on that chair ;0)

The little birdy is made from scrapbook papers.
I have some lovely papers but I haven't used a stack of them as they were a little too dark for my scrapbooking. But, they make a great bird!

Part three arrives today. I can't wait.

Exhibition at Rosemoor

Yesterday we went to RHS Rosemoor. A beautiful place to visit at any time. But at the moment there is a textile art exhibition on.
Two of the four people involved in the Kindred Spirits group I have met on the internet.
It is wonderful to meet internet friends in the real world and to meet at such a wonderful show was icing on the cake.

I didn't take photos ;0(
I was so busy looking at the work there I actually forgot. But Carol and Val tell it so much better anyway.

Val's blog has a record of all the wonderful work so you really must go over there and look.

The piece you can see here is done by Carol. I was very lucky to receive her in a swap recently.

Great exhibition by great ladies and I hope it will go on tour soon.

Klimt?? Not really!

My April Arch at Textile Challenges was for Anna.
Anna likes Klimt, so do I. Anna loves the same colours as me ;0)

I had made a piece using Gustav Klimt as inspiration a while ago and was pleased to be able to do another.

I started out with purple felt and squares and oblong snippets from other fabrics I had made. I covered them with a piece of organza and my initial idea was to use my soldering iron and fuse the pieces to the felt.
I don't know what happend and will have to have another go but all I did was burn through the felt to the glass. Hmm..

Not to be beat, I covered all with a black chiffon scarf and machine stitched round the shapes. I did FME all over the background adding swirls and curls.

I finished off with a satin stitched edge.

Funnily enough this is one of those rare pieces that actually shows up better in the photo so fas as you can see the colours and shapes of the pieces underneath.
The real piece is much more subtle and you have to move it around to see what lies beneath the shimmer of the organza.

Nature

The theme for April at Unlimited Textiles was Nature inspired. We were swapping a 5" square quiltie and a bag.
I love nature and most of my work is inspired by it one way or another.

When I went to the Quilt Exhibition in March I took a mini class on needle felting so decided to use what I learnt on my little quilt.

I used clematis as my inspiration.
I roughly drew the flowers and leaves to the navy felt then used my Clover needles to felt the whispy wool to the design.
After some machine embroidery to give the flowers and leaves shape and definition I added little beads for the flower centres.


My bag was inspired by the sea and clouds. I layered strips of velvet, silk and organza then machined wavy lines all over the fabric. I added little beads to give a bit more movement and made a machine wrapped cord with some fancy wools.
The bag is just big enough to carry a moble phone on a walk.

Alis' Midnight Garden

I love Terri of StegArts work, it always makes me smile. So when I found out she was doing an online class on Paper Quilting I just had to sign up.

I have just finished my week one assignment and here it is ;0)
It was so much fun to do. The first part is lovely and painty and gluey and messy - just perfect. The putting it all together was a blast to see the picture take shape.

I only could find tissue paper with Stars on in Ilfracombe and as my background turned out a little dark I thought Alis' Midnight Garden would be a great title for it.
So I added a full moon to shine on the little star flowers.

I'm not sure how I will display this piece yet. I think it would look good in a frame but I will have to look around to get the right one.

Got my homework to do this weekend then look forward to the next weeks project.
Can't wait!

More journals

The journal class is finished now ;0( But these will not be the last journals I make.
This class has been such good fun and the journals from the other students have all been so different.
You should be able to see them here: Journals



This brown journal is made from brown paper. It honestly looks and feels like leather.
Needless to say Roger has claimed it for his very own. He picked the button and beads.
The pockets inside are brown envelopes. It measures 9 x 6inches closed.

The 5th journal is tall and thin - just like me (not) - and is perfect for list makers. We like lists in this house ;0)
It measures 4.5 x 11.5 inches closed. It has 4 signatures inside and each one can be removed when used up and another slipped in. Great design.




Sue's classes are always great and this one has been fantastic. There will be many more journals made in my studio I am sure.

The Ladies

I love to use vintage ladies in my art, mostly unclothed!

These two lovelies were for special presents for two special ladies.

The first was for Maz's birthday. It is a Skinny Book Page measuring 3 x 5 inches.
Maz is our leader at AlterNative UK. The ongoing swap this year is these Skinny Pages so I thought she could add this to her book.
I know she likes rudey nudey's too ;0)



The second is a Chunky Book Page measuring 4 inches square.
It is for a special project my friend is getting together for a mutual friend who is getting married this year.


I can't say any more in case I ruin the surprise as many artists have come together to complete this project. Very exciting.

A few Journals

Just recently I have been on an on-line course with the most excellent Sue Bleiweiss.
This class was Journal Making for the Fibre Artist.
As usual I found Sue's class informative, clear to follow, fun and absorbing.

These are the first 3 journals I made on the class.
The first measures 9ins high and 8ins wide when closed.

There are three signatures each with a pocket on the front of each to hold tags or found goodies. Inside are decorated pages. Some stamped and some with stickers or printed images.

I have started to use this one for my patchwork class and the pocket at the front holds the templates for my current project.





The second journal is actually a sketchbook.
It measures 9ins high and 12ins wide when closed.
There are pockets inside the front and back covers to hold pens, pencils and paintbrushes.
I used watercolour paper for the pages.
It is bound with binding rings so pages can be replaced easily.






The third is made like a scrapbook album and would make a wonderful gift with photos mounted inside.

I used asian type fabric and used a chop stick and beads as embellishments to the binding.
Inside used handmade papers, vellum and hand painted papers.


There are 5 journals on the course. I am starting my last one today.
I will show you number 4 and 5 later this week ;0)

Triumph and Tragedy

Pamela of Magdalene Jewels started a project on her blog in January called Triumph and Tragedy.
Her idea is to make 2 quilts with blocks from various artists on the triumphs and tragedies of the 20th century.
You can read about it here Triumph and Tragedy

I am proud to say that I am part of this project.

The subjects are varied, from global tragedies such as 9/11 and hurricane Katrina to personal tragedies such as the death of a child.
The triumphs are just a varied from the first moon landing to reminders of the beauty of our earth and how fragile it can be.

I wanted to pick something that is very close to my heart.
Living on the coast, the Lifeboats of the RNLI and their crews are the unsung heroes of our everyday lives who go unnoticed, even by many in this country, until summer when they can be seen rescuing people caught out by the tide or stuck half way up a cliff face.
But these crews also work in the deep dark winter to save many lives in our waters.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is the charity that provides a 24-hour lifesaving service around the UK and Republic of Ireland. To note is that our lifeboat service in the UK receives no government funding. The crews are volunteers who are ordinary working people from everyday life but deserve to be called heroes for the fantastic work they do.

You can read all about the RNLI here at their website
I urge you to go the press centre and visit the Photo Library. There are some spectacular photographs of the boats in action.

So my project picked I wanted to show that these fantastic people have tragedies as well as triumphs.

The first quilt is a lifeboat returning proudly to its safe harbour and the second is a boat that got stuck on some rocks recently while trying to save a small boat. The boat was saved although the lifeboat was beyond repair.
A little triumph and tragedy all of it's own.

I wanted to give a feeling of the waves so the background pieces are quilted with wavy lines. The pictures of the lifeboats were printed onto cotton and ironed to the backgrounds and satin stitched around the edges.

Don't forget to keep up with the progress of this extraordinary quilt on Pamela's blog.

Fly dragonfly!

I am a member of a great Etsy team called Boomers and Beyond.
During the month of March we had our first swap. It was great fun.

This is the piece I made for Sharon of Night Sky Jewelry.
I wanted to do a dragonfly but couldn't think of the best way to do it. I could see it in my minds eye but could I get it out of there in into reality - not for ages.
So right on the last moment out of my mind flew the dragonfly.

Its body is a piece of decorated felt that I attached to the background (machine quilted fabric) with a few stitches.
The wings are made from an iridescent film on one side and crystal organza on the other with machine stitching to make the veins.

The wings were placed over the body and free machine embroidered to give a little texture to the body. Little flower stamens were glued in place to make antennae.

I attached the main piece to teal cotton velvet and made a machine wrapped cord to hang it by.

I must make a note to myself to get into the habit of making notes! I know there were things I would change if I did this again but, unfortunately now I have forgotten what they are.

Oh yes, I received some fabulous hand spun wool. I have nearly finished knitting it up so watch this space ;0)