Playing around on index cards...

I drew in pen on these index cards because i was trying to come up with an idea for the spoonflower contest with the "state fair" theme. Well, The first one wasn't for that theme, just playing on that one. The last is a screen shot of the final fabric i settled on. These have been addictive for me, as index cards are so easy to use with my colored markers, and the themes for  the contest are fun to work on.

happy accidents: a tiny pouch with my new fabric

This week I was excited to get the fabric from Spoonflower that I had created from my watercolor paintings in my sketchbook. 

I love the few pieces I had printed.... 

And you can also order a sampler yard with up to 15 (I think it is) different swatches of your fabrics, to test out the designs. They advise that this is a good thing and they are soooooo correct...

 because I didn't pay enough attention to sizing! ..... 

 I had used this cropped piece of a page in my sketchbook....

 and in photoshop I cut and pasted just the purple flower to a blank canvas and uploaded it to Spoonflower.... Using their simple repeat I ended up with this fabric...

 (or so I thought)

BUT...

 What looked small on the screen when the size is set at a yard,

is huge when you print it out and actually have a yard in front of you. 

 They have a handy dandy little tape measure at the top of the screen to use as you create but I didn't look at it I guess....

I was just winging it apparently....

So, this is the 8x8 swatch I received...

One giant purple flower! but....
 I liked it too and decided to create a little pouch with it...

I traced around a plate  and cut it out along with another blank piece of fabric for the lining.

I also oversized this green fabric so I cut that square out and cut it into 4 equal squares.

Then I folded each green square in half then folded the corners in to get points which I pinned to the front side of the flower circle.

Then I layed the 2nd piece of fabric on top and sewed around the outside edge with a 1/2 or so seam allowance, leaving an inch open to turn. I turned it right side out and sewed in green about a 1/2 around the outside edge, then again about 1/4 inch from the edge, leaving a 1/2 opening big enough to slide a small safety pin in. This created a channel for my cord.

I tied my cord to a safety pin and fed it through, then cut another cord less than an arm's length and fed it through from the opposite side. I had to snip the green thread to create an opening on that side as I hadn't really planned it out. so, I ended up with a drawstring pouch big enough for a handful of magic beans or a few special rocks.
The fabric i used is a little stiff for this project, if I had planned to make this I would have ordered my swatch in a thinner, softer fabric like their crepe de chine.
But I am still happy with it!

a glimpse of my sketchbook

Been doodling.....

in my sketchbook mostly

pen over watercolor backgrounds

some on index cards..

here's just a few ...

hello everyone...

been busy designing fabric.

Something I always wanted to do.

I created some a year or so ago but didn't really know what I was doing.

I had it on my fantasy 'to do' list for this year:

to win a spoonflower contest, or at least get some votes.

All the sudden I had a brilliant idea,

maybe I should actually enter the contest... 

I mean it is September and how can you win if you haven't entered?!?

so I made up a fabric and entered and have a few votes already

so ..... SUCCESS!

First I got their new book, which helped me figure out seamless repeats and such....then I made up some floral fabric like the designs in my sketchbook, although I never made it in time to enter that botanical contest of theirs. he fabric I made should arrive soon to show you. Once I started I haven't wanted to stop so I have been creating like crazy.

here's some possible future fabrics...

These are not all the finished photos. some have been half fixed in photoshop but were not done when i grabbed them for this post., On some you can see the paper has been cut in the middle to make the repeat and I still need to fix that seam up in photoshop before i upload it to spoonflower. Can't wait to show you the actual fabric....

 You can see how they look repeated at my spoonflower shop by clicking on 'designs not for sale', as you can't sell them until you have proofed them, and you can go vote for my current design in the ditsy lizards contest too. But I plan to enter everyweek or so, so there will be plenty of chances to vote in the future. I will let you know when i think I have a great fabric to vote on,

More to come.

favorite stuff on etsy

I just got the announcement in my in box from Tamara Laport that the Life book 2016 teacher line up is out, and they are having a giveaway and a blog hop.... Go here if you want a chance to win a spot in the year long class....

And i had to share some of the great stuff i found searching on etsy lately... All so pretty!....

'Colour love' by FallingLadies

Hand Embellished Elephant G... inspirestudiog... $45	Light Pink Floral Kimono Rob... SunsetToSunris... $30	Summer flower earrings big c... damsontreepott... $12
Womens Scarf, Blue Scarf, Fl... Cindyscarf $17.99	Matte Seed Beads in Mixed Co... BlackMountainR... $4.25	Roundie boho beach red manda... AUROBELLE $40
Baby Girl, Toddler Girl Char... aliroseart $59	Large Matryoshka LyubovPolyakov... $20	Custom Crochet Shawl Boho Gy... Sweetbriers $120

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Garden tour

I have been meaning to post a tour of my garden all summer, the first of these photos were taken a month ago, when I had cucumbers still. They have long since been pickled.

I have just a small area of raised beds, but this year we added at least three more beds than last year. Plus we added a bunch of old tires filled with compost, where we planted herbs and tomatoes. 

Cucumbers and broccoli....

Carrots and onions...

Zucchini...it's finally all gone. We made zucchini fritters, zucchini chips, canned zucchini bread, steamed zucchini and I have one last one I have been meaning to make into zucchini Pie but haven't got around to yet.  Here's a link to my pinterest board for zucchini and/ or marigold recipes...

Basil, silver mound, lemon thyme, winter savory and oregano and lavender and orange mint....

A new bed; sweet potatoes...

I will post soon with all this week's harvest and what we made out of it all... 

 

in the meantime, here's a peek into my sketchbook. This page came about after the botanical sketches I did, and the gardening, it just naturally merged into a tangled web of flowers. I have so many new ideas for this... a new e-class (i know, I know... i haven't even finished the mandala e-class), a series of sketchbook pages and even acrylics. I have started about 5 pages already and will show you as I go hopefully.

oops, sorry, this seem a little blurry as it's dark inside now...

 

At some point I need to get back on track and finish the mandalas i have started. My deadlines have come and gone and been met for the book and I will let you know when it will be available!!!!

And I will have more details about the mandala coloring book edition of the heArt journal online magazine!!!!