More Mythical Mail - Jack Spratt and Toad

click on the images to make larger

Bleeding Heart and Altered Flower Book [p28-31]

A photograph of a 'bleeding heart' [Dicentra Spectabilis] that I took in my garden yesterday, it has lots of flowers on this year.

painted pages, robin -watercolour, tree, flower - photos, real petals

painted pages, robin - watercolour, flower - altered photo, honesty seed pods, coloured, skeleton leaf, sequins

painted page, real leaves

paint effect, fabric flower - machine embroidery, sequins

Doodle to Fabric

Another from the 'Layers' collection.

This started out as a doodle in my sketchbook [below]. For the fabric version above I started with vintage patterned fabrics which I patched together [not sewn] then painted it with clear gesso. I drew on the picture, not exactly the same as the doodle and then painted it with acrylics. All the outlines were machine stitched and the fabric was then wrapped around a canvas frame. 61 x 61cm

For more images click here 

TAST [week 9]

TAST challenge - continued from last post

Raised Herringbone Band

Take a Stitch Tuesday [weeks 5 to 9]

Continued from yesterdays post......

to find out more about the TAST challenge click here

week 5 Knotted Buttonhole Stitch

My plan was to see what stitch was in the challenge & then do it at a later date from a book as my sewing stuff was downstairs.... but not all the stitches are in my book [thought it was a good one too, having said that there are hundreds of different stitches]. Anyway in my book there is a different version of the stitch above and the knot is at the other end. So I now have sewing stuff in this room too and I followed Sharons instructions instead, which incidently are very good.

week 6 Buttonhole Eyelet Flower

week 7 Rope Stitch

week 8 Fancy Hem Stitch

for some reason I did this twice, which I didn't realise until I was putting them in the book .. I worry about my memory sometimes

And this is todays challenge - Raised herringbone Band

I deleted the picture because it wasn't very good, it will be on my next post

Take a Stitch Tuesday Challenge catch up

I joined in the TAST challenge, [click here for details] but so far have only put one photo on Flickr and week 9 starts tomorrow! I have been doing them [not always in the same week], but I wanted to do something with them, my original idea was to make up a picture with the stitches as I did them...but I couldn't think of what to do. A friend gave me a book about the Victorians, and it sparked something. As I like doing altered books too, I thought I would combine both the samples with extra bits of lace and ... and alter the book too. I didn't want to alter it too much as I still wanted to be able to read it, so mainly just paint effects, the sample and a label.

Of the eight so far, I have had most trouble with the first stitch, diamond stitch. Some of the problem was that I didn't read the instructions properly, but I've done it a few times now and I've not taken to it. I was quite embarrased that I had so much bother with it as I have done City & Guilds Embroidery, although this is the first time I've done this stitch. I tried lots of different stitches on the course, but not all and most so far on the challenge have been new to me, it is good getting back to basics. I find I tend to stick to the same old stitches so I'm enjoying taking part in the challenge.

This is the sample on Flickr which is made up of knotted loop stitch and diamond stitch.

I hope to put the next 4 on tomorrow

Too busy for Tea

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Screen printed background fabric, painted fabric cut into shapes, applique, freehand machine embroidery, wrapped around a canvas frame. 61x61cm

The two original drawings that inspired the work were combined.

Happy Face

It was sunny today & I spent some time in the garden

Honesty Plants & Illustration Friday - Ahead

I found this honesty plant in my garden, they normally look good with seed pods but I thought this looked great without. A friend thought it looked like a work of art as it was. The photos don't do it justice I'm afraid.

This is my entry for the Illustration Friday challenge which is 'Ahead'

"Look out, there's an elephant ahead!"

Elephants x 4

All the same shape and size [20x20cm] the elephants were done in different ways.

Above - painted/stamped [with handmade roller stamp] using acrylics, the elephant was hand embroidered, and padded before wrapping around the canvas frame.

The acrylic painted fabric was very stiff to stitch through!

Below - the same as above but colours and stitching was reversed.

Below - painted/stamped canvas, the pattern was etched into the paint.

Below - painted canvas, etched pattern on grey paint, painted/stamped organza fabric, hand stitched outlines

Part of the 'Layers' collection.

Mythical Mail - Aladdin & Bambi

It's all L

Click here for close up pictures

This is another picture from the 'Layers' collection and so guess what - it is made up of layers. The background fabric has been screen printed with my own design using a thermofax screen. The labrynth is painted fabric which I cut out & moved to applique onto the background - big mistake, it ended up in a crumpled heap & took ages to unravel. The tree, leaves & bird are also painted fabric. The lace, lamp and letter are inkjet prints on lutradur, the lace & lamp were made 'holey' with a soldering iron. These items were appliqued onto the background. Freehand machine embroidery was used for the other items. Wrapped around a canvas frame 61x61cm. It is called 'It's all L' because there are 28 items beginning with the letter L. Can you find them all?

Flower Book [p25,26,27] Poppy

The poppy is made from fabric [inkjet print of one of my photographs] & has been machine embroidered & cut out. The fly [which was also on the photo] is made from shaped [with scissores] sequins.

Bird ATC, stencil prints, painted paper flowers & leaves with machine embroidery, lace, magazine picture.

Robin watercolours [if you're wondering why there have been so many robins in this book, it is because I had an old calendar with a photo of a robin for each month, which I copied, magazine snippets.

Altered FDlower Book [p24]