Tagged!

I was tagged by Kim and thought, since I have no art to show you, I would play along. My machine is in the shop, and hopefully I can pick it up tomorrow. I also took my serger in, so I can start using that again. OK, here goes ...

Rules:

1. Link to tagger and post these rules;

2. Share seven facts about yourself, some random, some weird;

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them);

4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Seven facts about me:

1. I was a cheerleader in high school and I still cannot SIT in the bleachers when something good happens in a game - especially if one of my kids is playing - I always jump up. It's automatic. Sometimes it's embarrassing. Too bad all that flexibility I used to have isn't automatic, too!

2. I was scratched by a cat when I was 2 and have a scar on my face to prove it. However, I love cats.

3. I am conversational in Spanish.

4. I took art classes through middle school, but my teacher never particularly liked my work, so I always thought I wasn't very good at "art". I still struggle with that.

5. I want to visit Greece, Italy and Spain someday.

6. I have been fascinated by the story of Pompeii since 3rd grade ("Pompeii" by Robert Harris - is an excellent adult book!)

7. I used to ride, train, and show horses, and I miss it.

OK, I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you'd like to play along then consider yourself tagged!

And for those who actually read this post, I thought I'd share a photo of a piece I made last year before I started blogging. It was a challenge to use textural raw materials like burlap, cheesecloth and nylon outdoor fabric. I was (am) really proud of what I created. I wish I still owned it!

Watercolor

It's long been one of my goals to incorporate painting with fabric. I made these postcards by painting some white muslin fabric with Dyn-A-Flow paints, using them as if they were watercolors. I then took some watercolor paper and painted a little scene that echoed the colors in the fabric. I edged the scene with copper tape and attached it to the fabric with metal brads.


The first picture shows how I inteded to finish the edges, but half way through the 3rd postcard (which is not pictured), my machine decided to stop working. I ended up finishing the others by hand - the easiest way to do that was to add some trim and whip stitch it on. I like the clean edges of the top two, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!!!

It was challenging to work so small (about 2.5 x 3") with the watercolor paints, but I did enjoy getting them out again and hope to find some time to do more with them soon.

Blah Blah Blah

Well, I've got company coming back into town, and my sewing machine has decided to be difficult. It will sew a straight stitch just fine, but has decided not to do anything else - guess it needs to visit Mr. Fixit. But no time now. I was part way through finishing the edges of some 4x6 pieces that I was making for an exchange. Luckily I was able to finish most of them by hand. Not what a wanted to do, but hey, they're done! I have two more exchanges I'm signed up for, but neither require sewing. So I guess that's fortunate.

In the meantime, my computer is being obstinant (I think it's been talking to my sewing machine) and I am having trouble loading new pictures - so although I took pics of these pieces, I can't show them to you yet!

As soon as I get this all worked out, I'll post the pics, so please check back.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a pic of the awesome stuff I received from my Sweet and Sinister swap partner, Andrea ... isn't she the best?!
(OK, apparently this isn't working either. I'll try to add the pic tomorrow - sorry!!!)

Yupo

My friend Joanna introduced me to a product called Yupo.

It is a plastic-like watercolor paper, sort of like a thick vellum. The paints just slide around everywhere and it makes for some interesting effects. It can also be stitched, and here are 3 small fiber art pieces that I made recently. The pear and its leaves are Yupo painted with watercolors. The legs, head, and tail of the turtle are Yupo stamped with Adirondak (alcohol) Inks, and the Grafitti piece (I seem to be into grafitti lately) was done with watercolor paints, and then sprayed with airbrush spraypaint. If you want to try something different, it's a great product - but definitely NOT for the control freak!

More Recent Work

I have been incredibly busy lately, and I've just not been able to find the time to create as much as I'd like. My daughter's soccer season ends this weekend, and my son's baseball season ends in a couple of weeks. November and December would be looking pretty good if it weren't for a few pesky holidays coming up!!

Since I haven't posted anything in a while, and I don't want you all to go away, here are the last two dryer sheet pieces that I made recently.


I like the colors of this one. The background is a painted dryer sheet that I thought came out particularly well. The brown area is painted and melted felt, and I think the shell is just beautiful. The piece is framed, but because of the thickness of the shell, I had to remove the glass. I am finding that I can ask a higher price for the pieces that are behind glass - even if it is exactly the same frame. I guess it is one of those perception things.

This piece is also a painted dryer sheet, which I then embossed on with a rubber stamp. I had started it quite a while ago as a postcard, but never quite got it finished. Since it was only 4x6 and I needed it to be 5x7, I stitched it onto a piece of crushed black velvet. The stamped image is faint but I think that adds to the charm.

I should have some additional things to post over the next few days, so please visit me again!! And thanks to all who leave comments, I really enjoy receiving them.

Journal Covers

I'm taking a lot of inventory to the store on Thursday, so I'm trying to get some things done. I made these 8 journal covers this week - they fit a standard composition notebook and can be removed and reused as needed. I used some of my hand dyed fabrics for the base, and added details with recycled materials (dryer sheets, paper towels, etc). The fibers stitched along the spine are also tucked inside and can be used as a place marker if needed. The two pictured below are my favorites ... especially the turquoise one, which I am sorely tempted to keep for myself.

28:15

That's my daughter. She's 9 - almost 10. She ran her second 5K race this past Saturday. 28:15 - that was her time. She amazes me. She won her age division (12 & under) and had the 3rd best time for all runners 18 & under. Pretty impressive. She never practices, either. She's a natural. I'm so proud of her!!! You go, girl!