I made some art!

Well, it's been a long time since I posted to this blog. A lot has changed in the last few months, and the desire to create has been channelled into work activities and sorting through my belongings to only keep things I really can't bear to part with, and decorating parts of my house to make it more likely to sell quickly.

This week, my good friend Annie came to stay, and we went to Ledbury for two days with Wendy, and enjoyed ourselves in workshops with Angie Hughes. We learnt to make fabric tag books using printed tissue and fabric run through an inkjet printer - the possibilities are endless... We also learnt how to create print blocks from heat mouldable foam, and used these to print and overprint on fabric with acrylic paints and fabric paints. I will share some of those projects when/if I finish them.

Maybe two days spent relaxing and creating in good company got my muse excited because yesterday I made two sets of ATCs and today I made some more! And I enjoyed it. I have made some art over the last few months to fulfil my swap commitments, but I didn't really enjoy doing it.

This first set of ATCs are made form fabric paper backed with felt, with gold stitching round the edge. The images are from PaperWhimsy, I found some collage sheets I bought years ago when I was cleaning and clearing, and decided to use them. I laid organza over the images and stitched the organza all around the images, trapping them on the ATCs. I added rainbow organza ribbon, overlaid with deep red satin ribbon, and added beads as I sewed the ribbons to the ATCs.


The second set are also made from a fabric paper base, using some Xmas tissue wrapping in the process. I sewed some ribbon left over form Xmas down the side, and added more PaperWhimsy images, frames with Stickles. I sewed a sequin and bead in the corner, and stamped some words onto fabric scaps, before adding them to the ATC using Bondaweb. Annie suggested the words after looking at the faces of the three girls, and most appropriate they are too!


I'm still feeling quite creative, but am off to stay with a friend for a week, so may not get chance to make much.

I'll try not to leave it another 3 months before my next post!

Fabric paper wall hanging

This was quite a quick project using fabric paper. I used remnants from 3 sheets of fabric paper I'd made a while ago - deep pink, purple and blue. I backed them all with felt, cut shapes out and sewed around the edges. I did a bit of free motion embroidery on the blue piece.

I coloured some paper flowers, then layered them with beads and sequin flowers and sewed them to the fabric paper shapes, then added more sequin flowers, beads and ribbon. A couple of squares with flowers and brads, and a few tiny tags with charms and brads finished the piece off.


It will be going to a new home at the end of the month, I hope whoever gets it likes it.

Metal squares 'screen'

I was in a metal squares swap on UKArtSwaps yahoo group, where we swapped 2 inch metal squares, and part of the swap was that we also had to create an item on which to display our squares.

I decided to create a Beryl Taylor style accordion screen. Beryl's original screen was white, and was the subject of an article in issue 10 or 11 of Cloth Paper Scissors.


I decided that the colours of the metal squares would be best complemented with shades of violet and turquoise. I made a sheet of fabric paper by gluing paper napkins onto an old pillowcase, covering with tissue paper, and painting with watered down Golden fluid acrylic paints before the glue dried. I cut the fabric paper into 12 oblongs, and sewed buttons onto 6 of them, before backing them with felt.

I tore some hot press watercolour paper into oblongs, before colouring it with watered down colourwashes. I sewed these onto the fabric paper backed with felt.

I made some 'joints' by dyeing and sewing some of the pillowcase into 'sleeves' for the wood dowel. I coloured the dowels with Adirondack colourwash in Stream. I glued the 'sleeves' to the back of the felt, and backed with the fabric paper, before gluing the dowel in place.

Finally, I glued the metal squares onto the watercolour paper.


I'm really pleased with this as a way of displaying the squares.

Altered Element April Upcycle pack

Each month Lynne at the Altered Element will be sending something found in a charity shop, and which I will need to recycle into something completely different!

This gorgeous William Morris fabric was in the April pack, along with several toning lace ribbons, ric rac and bias binding.


This Upcycle pack was clearly a sewing project. Only one problem - I don't really think of myself as a textile artist, or even somebody who sews!!!!

Oh, and our house is so upside down because of building work, that I can't get to a table to put the sewing machine on it. Which is how I discovered that I can use a sewing machine on top of a kitchen worktop, standing on one leg, whilst pressing the sewing machine's pedal with the other...

After considering various options - a book cover, a cushion - I decided to make a shoulder bag. I have a book of bag designs, but they are all so SQUARE! Surely it wouldn't be any more work to make a bag with a different shape? And much more interesting...

I cut a shield shape from some scrap card and used it as a template to cut 8 pieces from the fabric. I cut the remaining long strip into two, and used that to make the straps.

I sewed the ribbons, ric rac and binding onto spare pieces of fabric paper, using embroidery stitches for the pale green ribbon. I made a 'flap' for the bag using more fabric paper and the rest of the ribbon.


I decided the ribbon panels and flap needed a bit of a lift so I covered them all with some sea green/blue organza, and sewed a few silk flowers here and there. I sewed the bag together with the panels, and added a magnetic closure under the flap. There are deep gussets at the sides of the bag, so it can hold quite a lot!


When I started making this, I thought it might make a gift for somebody else. By the time I'd finished, I'd changed my mind and decided to keep it for myself!!! Although I didn't think a patterned bag was my style, I do have a couple of pretty plain turquoise outfits, and this will be a nice bag to use when wearing those...

Thanks again to Lynne for lovely things to play with, and taking me in an unexpected direction!

Mixed media pendant

I had a few birthday presents to make, and reluctantly decided to use my last few Patera hearts. These are part of a range of really high quality jewellery findings, and the pendants all have matching punches, which makes it really easy to achieve a professional finish when cutting your artwork to fit.

I was only reluctant because I have a weird thing about not using things in my stash which I really like, especially the last of anything (because then I won't have it any more, and who knows whether I can get it again LOL).

I was also reluctant because I can't find a UK supplier for these beautiful high quality jewellery findings, and UK customs restrictions on imported goods means I can only buy 5 at a time from the US, unless I want to pay £8 handling charge plus 17.5% tax.

I took some fabric paper scraps left over form my last mixed media art quilt, and punched it to shape. I stamped with Versamark, and embossed with Stewart Gill Metallic copper embossing powder, then sewed on a bead and bead spacer. Voila! A pretty unique piece of wearable art. Apologies for the image quality, I scanned it and probably should have taken a photograph instead.
Anyway, I hope the friends who receive them for their birthdays like them!

Fabric paper jewellery

One of my friends has a birthday this week, so I thought I'd make her a little something!

I used an antique copper heart pendant finding from Nunn Designs - I love their findings, they are well made and gorgeous. And several of the pendant bases have punches in exactly the same size and shape, which takes all the hassle out of cutting your artwork to fit!


I used a scrap of fabric paper, punched it to shape, laid it onto a piece of felt and sewed around the edges, and trimmed the felt. I beaded the surface, then stuck it into the heart bezel with heavy gel medium. I hope the recipient likes it!

Bookmark

I am in a bookmark swap and have been pondering about how to make the bookmark - too many choices - paper, fabric, pelmet vilene, grungepaper, fabric paper....

Eventually I decided to try making some fabric paper using Pattie's method. Pattie starts with a layer of organza fabric, which will become the top layer once the fabric paper's made. I then used pva glue and water (50/50) to stick my scraps of printed tissue down, with the images facing downwards, then layered crumpled tissue paper all over the top, added more glue, then painted with watered down Lumieres and Golden fluid acrylic paints. The finished paper was much thinner and more delicate than the fabric paper I've made before, and the organza layer makes it a little shimmery. On the whole, I prefer the fabric paper I usually make, but there are occasions when this will be more suitable for projects, so I'm glad I tried it out.


You can enlarge the image by clicking on it.

I layered two pieces of fabric paper with felt, and machine stitched the edges. I added Stewart Gill paint to a wooden paisley fabric stamp using a colorbox sponge tool, then printed the fabric on both sides. The pale gold colour makes it look very luxurious. I machine stitched some sari ribbon down the middle of the front, and hand sewed two Prima flowers on, using sequins and seed beads to hold them in place. Finally, I hand sewed some sheer gold striped ribbon down the back to cover the stitching from sewing the ribbon down the front!

I hope my swap partner likes it.

Beryl Taylor style wedding album

The young man who helps me at work is getting married. He and his wife-to-be have been planning the wedding for a long time and I know they both want it to be a really special day. I really appreciate all David's help, but I probably don't show or tell him that enough, so thought I'd make them an album as a wedding gift. They can choose whether to send the album around for their guests to write in during the wedding reception, or whether to use it as a photograph album.

I made the covers from mount board covered in felt, and fabric paper. The mount board is in one piece for the back cover, but the front cover consists of one piece about an inch wide and another which is the rest of the cover. Once covered with fabric, the joint between these two pieces will allow the front cover to be opened easily.

The fabric paper is simple to make - take a piece of woven cotton fabric, and glue pieces of printed tissue paper and thin gift wrap onto it, using watered down PVA glue (about half water, half glue). Leave small gaps between the papers so that the fabric isn't too stiff when it dries. Although I usually use random pieces of gift wrap and printed tissue, I chose both the colours and the images of the gift wrap quite carefully for this project - they are all birds, cupids, medieval patterns, romantic quotes, or abstract gold and white patterns. This way, whatever shows through after decorating the covers, will be appropriately romantic.

Next, cover the printed papers with strips of plain cheap white tissue, using the same glue mixture. It doesn't matter if they overlap, or crinkle, this will add to the overall texture. Before this layer dries, paint the whole piece with a wash of very diluted acrylic paint. I like to use Golden fluid acrylics, as they are so heavily pigmented that there is still quite a depth of colour even when diluted. I used a turquoise and a violet on the fabric paper. Leave paper to dry - I hung mine on a washing line and left it overnight.

I cut the covers to size, allowing an inch all around for finishing. I decided it needed a touch of glimmer, so gave it a wash of watered down Jaquard Lumiere paint in purple gold. Once dry, I used the sewing machine to add gold organza ribbon, and patterned satin ribbon which I had dyed lilac. I added some frilly turquoise ribbon down the side where the album hinges. I then sewed and glued the remaining elements onto the cover by hand. Each square sequin has a bead and 4 stitches holding it in place, the satin ribbon is decorated with seed beads, there are bugle beads forming vertical interest, a polymer clay key, a heart plaque made using water soluble paper to cast a stamp, punched paper hearts, stamped and embellished with small flowers, fabric flowers attached with gold brads, and the names of the happy couple stamped above and below the heart plaque. The areas where there is no added embellishment are where I have allowed background elements to be seen - there are two quotes - Love conquers all and My heart for ever more, and the birds on the nest in the centre.


The back cover is much plainer, I just added gold organza ribbon around the edge.


There are 15 pages inside the album. My scanner isn't showing the detail too well, but both sides of each page was washed with delicate pink and blue watercolour dyes, and the right hand edge was stamped with Colorbox lavender pigment ink. Finally, each page has part of a text called 'The Art of Marriage' stamped onto it.



The whole text reads:

The Art of Marriage

A good marriage must be created
In the marriage, the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
it is standing together and facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It i speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right person, it is being the right partner.

I wish David & Laura a long and happy marriage.

Beryl Taylor inspired art

I made this piece for a swap Sweetpea is running on CC Swaps. The swap requirement was that whatever we made had to be inspired by or in the style of Beryl Taylor. I love Beryl's work and have made several paper quilts in the style of her work. I decided to be a bit more ambitious and adventurous this time, and go for a fabric paper and embroidery project.

Fabric paper is a fabulous base for mixed media - and very simple to make (although it does take a long time to dry). You just take a piece of fabric - gauze or fine cotton - and paint it with watered down PVA white glue (the cheaper the better). Lay some scraps of tissue paper or thin gift wrap down onto the fabric and paint with more glue. Leave gaps between the scraps. Add torn strips of white tissue paper along with more glue, to cover the whole thing. While the glue is still wet, add a wash of watered down fluid acrylic paints in 2 or 3 colours. Leave to dry overnight.

I glued my fabric paper to a layer of felt, then cut nine 2 inch squares from the sheet. I machine stitched around the edges of each square, using gold thread. I stamped some medieval text onto the squares using Stewart Gill Metallica bright gold paint applied to the stamp with a colorbox sponge tool. I edged the squares with more paint. I took a square of mount board and covered it with velvet, then mounted my squares onto it with gel medium.



Having created a background, I needed to add the decorative focal point to the piece. I wanted this to stand out from the background, so applied a thin layer of white gesso over my fabric paper. I hand drew a design copied from a medieval tile from Strata Florida Abbey, the resting place of several Welsh Princes, and cut it out from the fabric paper. I layered it onto some deep blue-green fine netting, machine embroidered the centre, and the outer ring, then hand embroidered the cut out using gold thread, and added some beading. The photo below shows the piece with the gold thread work almost complete but not yet beaded.


I cut small diamonds from fabric paper and painted them with a coat of transparent iron oxide, then added them to the circle around the design, with a bead in the centre of each. Finally, I mounted the circular piece onto the squares background. The background squares are much more vivid than the picture shows, and I'm really pleased with the finished piece.


I hope Sweetpea likes it too!

Stamp versatility swap

The idea of this swap was to explore how the same stamp can be used to create different 'looks'. We each had to create 3 cards or ATCs using the same stamp in different ways. here's my take on it, using a stamp by Invoke Arts:

Background - Reynolds freezer paper used in a 'spray box', which has accumulated overspray from previous projects on non-plasticised side. Adhere to cardstock using gel medium.

Embellishment - heat fun foam with a heat gun until it begins to curl, stamp into fun foam and hold the stamp down as hard as you can for about a minute, until the foam cools. Remove stamp, cut around image. Paint the fun foam with 2 coats of a paint intended for fabrics - I used Stewart Gill, but Lumieres would be fine. Once dry, gently rub some Rub'n'Buff or Treasure Gold over the raised areas to highlight them. Adhere to the background using glue dots.

Background - cover cardstock with small pieces of metal tape, burnish, then use a Ten Seconds Studio metal roller tool to add texture. Rub with Rub'n'Buff or Treasure Gold to dirty it up a bit, then add colour with a Brilliance Inkpad.

Embellishement - fold a piece of Fantasy Film (ART Glitter Institute) or Glitterati (Stewart Gill) in half and put into a hot laminating pouch. Laminate, then stamp image using Stazon ink. Cut around image once ink is dry, and adhere to background with gel medium. The scan doesn't show the iridescence that is visible in real life.

Background - coat the card with Golden Iridescent Copper paint. make fabric paper - lay a thin cotton fabric (muslin in the US, 'lawn' in the UK) onto a plastic sheet, coat with diluted PVA glue - the cheaper the glue, the better. Add pieces of thin gift wrapping paper, leaving gaps between, coat with more diluted glue, add a sheet of white tissue paper, smooth down, add more diluted glue, and while the glue is still wet, add very diluted Golden fluid acrylic paints (other acrylics will also work, but diluting them until they are the thickness of ink may render some cheaper paints fairly colourless as they don't have enough pigment). leave overnight to dry. Overstamp with Brilliance ink - I used Cosmic Copper and a Stamp Camp stamp. Glue to felt using PVA glue, cut to size, adhere to cardstock and edge with 3 dimensional paint, which gives a 'faux solder' effect.

Embellishment - lightly colour some translucent shrink plastic with pigment ink, stamp image using Brilliance ink - I used Pearlescent Olive. Leave overnight to dry. Cut around image, shrink with heat gun, adhere to fabric paper with glue dot. Take a small metal tile, colour with alcohol inks, edge with copper tape, stamp part of image with Stazon, adhere to fabric paper with glue dot.

I had lots of fun experimenting, playing with techniques old and new, and combining techniques. I hope the recipient likes the results!

Fabric paper ATC

I made an ATC for a friend, using fabric paper:

http://adriennegoodenough.blogspot.com/2007/11/beryl-taylors-art-soul-class.html

as the background.

I stamped and embossed it and added an air dry clay face. Sadly, it hasn't scanned too well, because of the thickness of the face.
It's a shame to send him on his travels,
I'd quite like him to stay and keep me company!!!

Beryl Taylor's Art & Soul class

Beryl Taylor is a British born artist who now lives in the US.
Beryl originally trained as a fabric artist,
but now incorporates some paper art ideas
and techniques into her work,
and is described as a 'mixed media artist'.
I think her work is stunning:

http://www.beryltaylor.com/

and she has also written a beautiful book:

http://tinyurl.com/yvsukb

The class at Art & Soul was 'making fabric paper'
and involved layering muslin (US)
or fine lawn cotton (UK)
with printed papers and tissue paper
and paint to make a 'fabric paper'.

The technique is described in Beryl's book.

The 'paper' is easy to make but takes a long time to dry.
It took us a good hour of the class
and also the lunch hour
to get our pieces dry enough to work on.

I think it might have been better to
spread the class over 2 evenings -
one making the paper,
the second creating the artwork.

Once we had made out papers,
we glued pieces to felt,
layered them, added stitches & beads,
and finished them off by edging them
with Aileens' tacky glue, coated in Krylon.

Beryl's sample piece was mounted onto matt board.
I will mount mine and have it framed soon.