Fashioned Pages

I have started going to a drawing class locally, unfortunately it was closed last week so I started to play with some of the charcoal sketches from the previous two weeks. I am realistic about my current standard of drawing but I do feel that the Access Course has made me far more confident and improved my work. The drawing sessions on the course were sometimes really dispiriting as the standard was mostly so high.

I scanned parts of the drawings and used layers and ‘colour match’ from a photo of a flower.

I transferred the images using a gel medium onto white felt and cotton.This is fun to do and I suppose the next step would be to manipulate the photos of the stitched pieces on the computer. Well, you could just keep on playing really.

More Snow

Yes, Gunnel I do like the snow, mainly because I don't now have to juggle work with closed schools and slippery roads. I feel for all the parents trying to manage mixed committments in the present weather. For me it can now be just be a pretty picture.

This is a piece I made for an exhibition to go with the previous one following City & Guilds. There was also a hanging , silk organza ,which I embroidered with words from a poem about returning home to a white house by a Welsh poet. It seemed appropriate to get it out in the present weather.

Fabric Printing 2

I went on to colour the other pieces with fabric paint. I made two into hearts for Valentines Day on Etsy.

Another of the pieces I made into a birthday card for one of my sons who had reminded me that he had bought me the printing blocks, so long ago that I had forgotten where they came from.

My sons share the same birthday and this year they got home made cards.

Fabric Printing

On this really interesting and varied blog there is a tutorial for making a home made stamp pad. The idea is that it is easier when printing small items such as buttons to use a stamp pad. I thought I would have a go but ended up making quite a large lino cut. This is where the inspiration came from.

I used quite a lot of fabric paint so Iwent on to use a few other stamps, some carved out of a soft block material, some from erasers and a couple of proper print blocks.

I painted the top piece with Jacquard Dye-na-flow. Well ,it kept me busy for a few hours; I will show you what happened to the other pieces in my next post. By the way, I sometimes try to get back to people who have posted comments and find that I cannot access their blogs - so I would like to say here that I do very much appreciate your kind comments.

Hand dyed Heaven

Check out this beautiful treasury ,which can be viewed until Saturday on Etsy.

Many thanks to The Rainbow Girl for choosing one of my pieces to feature.

Frosty

There are a number of reasons for this post, firstly the frosty, icy weather in England over the last week. The fields surrounding went for at least two days without thawing and turned into a fairy landscape. Secondly, the frost reminded me of one of the final pieces I did for my City and Guilds assessment, which has languished in a box for years. If you click on the picture above you can look down into the piece and see more of the detail.

Thirdly I don’t post much about stitch these days as I get distracted by my varied interests since the Access Course; I felt I should fulfil the title of the blog. Another reason is that although these photographs are not great I didn’t take any close up pictures at the time.

The edging is an interesting stitch called Cinq point de Venise. Lynne Horniblow wrote a master class on it in The World of Embroidery Magazine in 2000 (Vol51 No2.)

Texture challenge.

Created for the textures for layers challenge on Flickr This is my first attempt at entering one of the challenges based on the tutorials provided by the group. Like any first try I like it and can't see most of the faults yet!

I think one could spend hours playing with photographs in this way, and I probably shall do.

The flower photo is provided and you then choose a texture from the group pool. The muslin texture is one I scanned in myself.

2009

Made today in response to a request for a kilt pin. I had the pins for sometime but had never got round to thinking through how to attach the felt balls. I made small beaded loops which seems to work well and be secure.

This one is silver coloured and included in one of the wire beads are two pieces of polished amber 'made' at a workshop at The Downland and Weld Museum,many moons ago.

Best wishes for a happy 2009.

Mosaic Monday

Mosaic Monday
Originally uploaded by Feltbug

If you want to look at some interesting work without much effort, its easy to click onto Feltbugs Mosaic Monday.She does most of the work for you!

Found

I saved this old book cover and the wonderful spine from the rubbish bin at a book bindery which I go to on Fridays. It looks as though somebody had used a piece of paper with their book keeping notes to cover the spine of this old gardening book. The whole thing is great for people like me who like that sort of thing; very nostalgic and tactile.

I'm not sure how I will use the cover yet but I have used the photographs as a layer with photographs of Derek Jarman's garden taken last year at Dungeness. I'm sure that I'm only pleased because it is one of a first few attempts at merging layers, and eventually I will be able to see all the faults.

If you live near Winchester, Hampshire a good place for old books is the Deanery Book Shop behind the cathedral; this being one of their rejects. They close during the winter. Another plug is for this group on Flickr which has excellent tutorials about using layers and textures with your photographs.

Three Headed Fish

Three Headed Fish
Originally uploaded by stitchworks-jackie

Apparently I have received the Max Fudge Award for this photo. The photography groups on Flickr are a whole new world, with their own rules and language. Well worth having a look at, but if you start posting beware of the rules, some of which take some time to get your head around!!

Stitching

Some progress with the stitching. Layers of Cretan stitch in different weight and texture of thread and some couching.

For anyone in Sheffield there is currently an exhibition of artists' books at the Banks StreetArts Gallery. I have a small book in the show which I made on my Access Course; it is called 'Figures in a Gallery' so its sort of appropriate.

Fo those in Hampshire UK there is a new shop featuring the work of independent artists called 'Doodles' in Tadley near to Basingstoke. It opened at the end of last month and also sells a small range of art supplies.For anyone who knows the area you will realize that it is something of an oasis in a barren land.

Malaxa

I fancied doing some stitching for a change and I have decided to use a picture of a window, part of a ruin next to the house which we stayed in during our holiday in Crete in October. I have tried various ways to transfer the image using transparency print offs and have decided that the most appropriate method is to inkjet print onto Bubble Jet soaked calico.

To get a textured surface I am starting with strips of silk carrier rods which I soaked in some diluted Walnut Ink; as you see there was quite a purple tinge but enough pieces to get the kind of effect I visualize.

Sorted out some threads for the first stage. I started with machining round the window shape and fastening the pieces of silk in place on the calico backing.

Now I have made a start on the hand stitching which is going to take a long time but as I said it will be a pleasant change to do some stitching.

Tagged

I’ve been tagged by artist and fellow artblogger http://www.novembermoon.com/
and I am to make a list of eight things about myself and also name 8 artists. Each artist I have tagged is to do the same, don’t forget to leave a comment too.
1. I gave up full time work two years ago. It was like a huge weight had been lifted but often I forget how lucky I am.
2. I have two sons.
3. I eat too much chocolate. I hear you need to take a walk to ease the addiction, and no doubt to boost the Serotonin levels.
4. I keep thinking of taking a walk.
5. Or even going for a swim.
6. Unfortunately I have a second addiction which is Blogging and Flickr.
7. I want to be better at lots of things, photography, drawing, etc. but I just have to keep dabbling in everything.
8. I think this simple saying from the art of Mindfulness could be the answer if only I could follow it more;
‘Wash the dishes to wash the dishes’. Think about it.

http://blueroofdesigns.wordpress.com/
http://agoodideaonpaper.blogspot.com/
http://pirilamporiscado.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/this_is_dbo/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoopress_studio/2456060321/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14688393@N00/307012981/
http://www.karenruane.blogspot.com/
http://myhandboundbooks.blogspot.com/

Present

A lucky day today as I received an early Christmas present from Things Handmade and won on the Premium Bonds, what more could a girl ask for! I've put it on my coat ready to go to work today.
This is the pretty little bag which it was 'packed' in. I love getting parcels don't you?

This piece is in celebration of both my recent holiday in Crete and a new book ‘Mixed Emulsions’ by Angela Cartwright. It is all about altered art techniques for photographs. I would recommend the book, although it is heavy on promoting products. The lace was given to me years ago by somebody I used to work with. Her aunt, who saved lots of buttons, thread and beads, must have been much like me and I think of both the friend and this lady I never knew as I continue to make use of all her treasures.

The photo was taken in Chania in Western Crete where there is a Turkish area with interesting narrow alley ways. I liked this door because of its colour and the white flowers surrounding it. The letter stuck in the metal grill was a bonus.

The background is mainly a piece of handmade paper. I finished the whole with acrylic wax. It was a popular talking point at my Christmas sale this weekend, but of course nobody bought it. As I had just made it I was just pleased that people liked it.

With Xmas in mind.

Getting ready for two Christmas bazaars. I planned to thread the pins to the cards but that didn't work so I went with tape which is not so nice.

Lace plus.

This post is in response to a message from ewa-christine , from Sweden, asking about the background to my banner. I have to admit that it is no more than a sample which I never made in to anything. I just like to play about with techniques, which is a habit I can’t seem to break. The background is a piece of canvas to which I machined a variety of lace textures. I then painted them with acrylic paints.
In parts I added pieces of handmade paper.

To get this effect you machine a grid onto paper and then after wetting the paper rub away some parts. You can use any type of paper depending on the effect you want to obtain. This was a Val Campbell Harding technique.

In other places I added pieces of synthetic sheer which I had heated with a heat gun; they end up like pieces of distressed plastic, but look interesting when painted.
The other effect is to add Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel and after heating it emboss with a stamp.
I used a variation on this technique on this folder in which I keep my photos of New York. I added pieces of Chinese newspaper which I picked up there and used Acrylic Varnish to coat the surface.