A couple of strange doodles

People Book [16,17]

Altered book to practice my people drawing

Sketchbook Project [10]

I started with a pen drawing of jellyfish, then painted their inards with a Liquitex Interference paint. I had some fabric [transfer print which I did at college a few years back], which I scanned into the computer and then printed onto a sheet of translucent vellum. I then drew on similar jellyfish to those on the sketchbook page.

One is then placed over the other to make it look like a sea full of jellyfish.

Bookmaking - Album 2

I've been making another book, another album for Emma's step Gran.

I don't have a sewing frame, so I just used the edge of the desk.

For the ends, I cut up an artists canvas board [I got some in a sale at the supermarket] and covered it with white cotton fabric [& wadding]. The fabric was deocorated [before covering the boards] with a photo I printed onto a heat transfer sheet [T- shirt transfer] and two strips of lace. The lace was held in place with Raised Chain Stitch - the foundation stitches were in two colours [I had stitched them too far apart, so stitched in between with a different colour - it looked quite attractive without the chain stitch]. I also stitched a few French Knots on the lace and all around the photograph.

 

People Book [14,15]

Altered book with people drawing practice

TAST - week 30

Take a Stitch Tuesday - this week's stitch is called Eastern Stitch. It looks quite complicated to look at but it is easy to do. I did one row on the fabric, then did another one over the lace to attach it to the background fabric.

Sketchbook Project [p20, 18]

Two more double spread pages from my 'Sketchbook Project'   'Below the surface....'

Because the pages are so thin I have started painting them with white gesso first, although I did the volcano one below before I thought of doing that. The textures [on the volcano] picture were made using handmade stamps & i used both acrylic and watercolour paints and outlined in pen. I also applied tiny gold balls which was a mistake because of course it makes the surface uneven for the other pages. Having said that the balls keep dropping off so there may not be too many left on soon. On the pages above I used pen and brush pens. It looks like I have used different coloured brown pens for the soil but I used one of those Tombow multi tip pens which are supposed to be the same either end!

People Book [p12,13]

Altered book used for people drawing practice. The above style inspired by the work of Kelly Rae Roberts.

The heart below has been hand stitched on fabric.

Handmade Photo Album

I made this book for my mum for wedding photos. I've only made one book before, which was a bit floppy, this one is a lot better.

Gargoyle

The gargoyle from my garden has grown into a giant and found a new home on top of a cliff! He misses the flowers though.

People Book [p10,11]

Altered book for people drawing practice

Screenprinted Sheep & Chicken

Some older stuff today - screenprinted fabrics, cut up, applique, hand & machine embroidery, the sheep has dangly legs

People Book [p8&9]

An altered book to practice my people drawing

Basil Sketch

Another pen sketch from a magazine photograph - a small basil plant in a pot

Toucan

I think it is a toucan, pen sketch, copied from a photo in a magazine

Proverb - Illustration Friday challenge

Illustration Friday challenge - Proverb

"Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die".

Ink drawing on paper, coloured on computer.

TAST - weeks 28&29

Take a Stitch Tuesday - the stitches for weeks 28 and 29 are variations of Raised Chain Stitch. I first came across this stitch when I was doing my City & Guilds embroidery and it was one of my favourites. I used it as a single band as shown above left rather than rows of stitches as on the right. A sample of my City & Guilds embroidery is at the bottom of this post, I don't like the sample but I like the stitch.

The next sample is more like a chain stitch, I did my first row wrong so that makes another variation.

below - City & Guilds sample, I used white thread for the foundation stitches as well as the top.

All Hearts - brooches and hangings

Above are heart brooches with machine stitching, beads etc  and below are hearts for hanging. These were made for favors at the recent wedding

Birds

Screen printed & painted papers, collaged, stitched. The lovely ATC's below were sent to me by Annie in Australia. The background is felt and the birds, eggs and hearts are made from lovely patterned fabrics. They have been hand stitched with metal threads and are decorated with sequins and beads.  If you like birds Annie puts lots of great photos on her blog, unusual ones that we don't always see here in the UK.

People Book [5,6,7]

Altered Book & drawing people practice

People Book [3&4]

A couple more pages of the People Book

People Book

Earlier this year I started a new altered book, this one has lots of pictures of people in it and as I wanted to practice my drawing of people I decided to put them in this book.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - week 27

This weeks stitch with Take a Stitch Tuesday is Woven Trellis Stitch. My first attempt was a bit uneven as I had not marked the fabric [& it was 2.30 in the morning - couldn't sleep] so some of the petals were larger than others & I kept catching the net with my needle. I did a more even trellis [below] on aida fabric. I went back to the original and added beads and some stitching in thin green thread which I think improved it a lot.