Thank You Ladies

I worked up a little "Thank You" note to send to my friends in Minnesota. 

I was inspired byKelli Perkins and a stitched pagelet painting tutorial.

It was super fun to do.

I apologize for the glare.  I haven't decided if I am going to mail this "thank you"as a giant postcard or slip it into a manila envelope.  So.....I covered the photo with a thin piece of plastic from the fabric store just in case.  These are my creative friends that I lure into doing projects with me. 

We have set the next swap....and it is pendants!!!

Watching the news.....aftermath of the earthquake in Chile. My thoughts and prayers to yet another country facing devastation.

I have some pictures from the "good fortune" birds that I was lucky to receive from the swap this week. Again, I love to see the different interpretations (birds and owls) and the variety of "paper" made using the techniques from Kelli's book.

I have decided to join in the fun of another group.....based on the book, An Artistic Mother by Shona Cole, mentioned earlier this week. I can't wait. It does seem to help me to have a syllabus to stay focused and committed to "art" time. Y0u interested to join along???? Go to Artistic Creations with Trudy at http://artisticcreationswithtrudy.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-artistic-mother-group-forming-i.html. Can I tempt any of you??????

Feeling kinda spoiled

After my half day of work on Friday, then cleaning and errands I came home to find this in the mail......a package for me!



And then.....it gets even better...it is my beautiful love doll that I have received in the Mixed Media on line art group swap. This Love Doll swap was inspired from the wonderful Stitch Alchemy book by Kelli Perkins. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Love Doll. I feel so lucky. Thank you Donna!!!!!!!








I also received this precious Valentine from three delightful boys in Minnesota....they quite obviously have a talented Momma! Thank You Ische Boys!!!!! and the pictures (minus the gorgeous family picture) were taken by a budding photographer....Emmett..who is 5!


These pictures just make me smile and remember a fun summer night visiting Minnesota 2009!

Good Fortune Birds = Goodness

Good Fortune Birds, aren't they sweet. These were made for another swap with the Mixed Media on line art group for the Stitch Alchemy (Kelli Perkins) book study. Each participant was asked to send 3 strands of 5 birds. We have not received our swapped birds in return yet...so the anticipation is high. The birds are made from fabric paper, as described in the previous post. It was interesting to consider how similar the sheets of fabric paper were, obviously each of us as individuals are drawn to certain colors. It will be a challenge to myself to purposely use different colors in my next attempts.....to see where I can branch out a bit more. For these birds I tried to incorporate different embellishments on each bird......use of tulle, embossing powder, hard body paste, etc. Again, I wasn't thrilled with my fabric paper as a whole but felt completely different and excited when I saw the sheets in smaller pieces. At the bottom of the strand we were supposed to use a bell, like a cow bell. But since the directions by the swap host asked us to mail in a priority envelope (not box, envelope...trust me I went over the directions many times, took the directions to the post office to ask my oh so sweet postal workers and we all agreed....it was clear we were supposed to use the envelop).....a cow bell was not an option. So I had to get creative. I used felt balls along with smaller bells, polymer clay ring and made my own "bell".

Again....if you are interested in mixed media.....this book will not disappoint. Form an art group and challenge yourselves to try a new technique each week. Small steps, without investing in a lot of time or materials and the sense of gratification is priceless! Then when you have lots of sheets of fabric paper (because you will, it is addicting) you can make things to swap (book marks, good fortune birds, love dolls, post cards, etc....) Have fun and PLAY!

Catching up with Love Doll

Catching up.......

No excuses.

Here are some shots of my Love Doll ( you need to say it with some swagger!) that I have sent to New Mexico as part of the Mixed Media online art group swap. A few of us in the group participated in a book study of Stitched Alchemy by Kelli Perkins. Great book, but even better book to do as a "book study". It is the kind of book that if given "assignments" you can go to for inspiration and suggestions to get you going. The book study started out by making fabric paper. The book goes into details with a variety of ways you can begin your first layer. The layers are the key. You build up.....my paper included the following layers.....gluing papers to the muslin, then adding color, stamping, more color, more stamping and you keep going until you have some visually pleasing fabric. I will admit, most of my fabrics were not quite what I wanted. But...when you cut into smaller pieces, like the pattern for the love doll above...then magically the fabric paper becomes wonderful. So for the love doll the assignment was to create fabric paper, then cut into love doll shape of your own design and then embellish the heck out of it. It was great fun to see the doll come to life. I must admit, this doll took on some character and attitude....it made me smile. I want to make MORE.

One technique that I rather enjoyed was making a transfer with packing tape....for those of you who know my family you know that I have LOTS of experience with packing tape, but more in the use of actually packing up a house full of stuff. This was a fun use of the tape. Here's what you do.......find a photo copy image or an image from a magazine, key is to not use an ink jet image. Then, apply a swatch of packing tape. Burnish paper onto the tape. Once you are satisfied with the burnishing you soak in some water and rub off the paper. The image will be on the tape. You can see the transfers on my love doll.......they are the light blue rectangular pieces. I stitched my transfers to a watercolor blue batik fabric scrap that I had laying around. My transfers were from text and a photo copy of a rubber stamped image. It is so clever, simple, fun and.....oh the possibilities! Try it. A quick technique. Something to get the creative juices flowing.