Workshop

In Jean's class we were to do a couple of compostions. The top is assymetrical balance; the bottom geometric giving the feel of something ethnic.
One of the exercises was to do a self portrait using a found object. I decided that it didn't have to be based on reality and found an eye, nose and mouth that I liked as a starting point. Then I used my found objects as hair. Whenever I'm having a down day and walk out to get the mail, I find that a bird has left me a feather. Look at my photo, the feather hair is not too far off.

Workshop

Jean Cacicedo taught a workshop on doing a design journal for my guild. We had two days of creating. She had a list of words that we put in our book and were to circle all that applied to us. We were to work with a motif that represented us. Everyone tells me their stories-I'm honored that they feel they can-so I think of myself as an ear. What a crazy motif to pick! I abstracted it and was very surprised at all the designs I could get using this strange thing. You see it above.

We were to design a teapot, I used my ear but overlapped part of it. I also added a handle, spout, and lid then overlapped part of it to get a better proportion. I rather like it.
For the Pattern exercise, I used the teapot cutouts, exploded them and made Sound-an ear thing again. Can you hear it?

Embellisher Class

I'm taking an embellisher class from Janet Clark from http://www.joggles.com/ -need to learn the machine I bought over a year ago. Here are a few samples. The first is woven strips that will be a purse when the other side is done.

The circles are needled from the front then just the outside is needled from the back. I like the ring it makes.

The last is done with fabric, yarn, and roving.
As you can see, I haven't figured out how to delete a second photo. Oh well, I like that one.

Class Tester

Here is some painted canvas as part of the testing for Sueb's class http://webpages.charter.net/sbleiweiss/mmtechniquesclass.htm
Here are two pages. The handmade paper has a special story for me. Two friends came over to try making paper. Luckily, we set up in the yard, because when we poured the water in the blender, it ran all over. We had forgotten to put in the gasket. After we finished laughting, we fixed it and had a nice day making paper. It's a good memory, as one of my friends' MS no longer allows her to do things like that.

The two pieces on the right fold out to journal on.On the left is a pocket that has a mini book in it.

More Sue's Class

Here are a few of the many samples I did testing the next lessons of Sue's class http://webpages.charter.net/sbleiweiss/mmtechniquesclass.htm The cheesecloth is my favorite. I used it as a mop up cloth. The lace is easy to do and any fiber content works. The lines in the painted cotton suggest stitching. The dyed graduation will be great for quilts.

Here are two of the pages I made for my Journal. This could become addictive. Become? It is!

To be continued on Monday.

BJP, TIF, Gifts

I decided to combine the Bead Journal Project http://beadjournalproject.blogspot.com/ piece with the Take It Further Challenge http://sharonb.wordpress.com/ using the color scheme again this month. The sequins are put on with rows of back stitch. For the green, I also used back stitch. Next I put on the big beads to determine where I wanted to group the seeding of smaller beads.
These are the gifts I received recently from the exchange for Unlimited Textiles. The theme was Passion. The brooch is from Liz and is so much fun to wear-lots of wonderful comments. The Quiltie is from Sue K and is wonderful to pet. I love crazy quilt and embellishments, so it is perfect.

I would like to thank everyone who visits my blog. The internet has given me great efriends. Not everyone has a contact for me to get back to, but I would if I could.

Postcard, Quiltie

Here is the March Postcard for Calendar Girls. It is painted fusible web with silk flowers over it. Then I put a sheer on top. Finally, the flowers were beaded and the edge hand stitched. Friends is ink on card stock machine to the card.
This is the Quiltie for Unlimited Textiles. The theme this month is Egypt. The red is reverse applique for the larger parts; the rest satin stitched. The fabrics are batiks.

Quilt

This is a utility quilt I finished recently. At www.fibermania.blogspot.com Melody Johnson's blog, I saw the beautiful one she was working on and decided that it would be a good way to use up scraps of prints that I don't use in my art quilts but can't seem to get rid of. It was fun, but do you know what? Those scraps multiply when you're not in the studio, and there seems to be even more now!

Gifts

I took Adele Sciortino's Beaded Cuff class from www.joggles.com. She drew a name at the end of the class of someone to send goodies to. This is what I received. Lucky me. They will be put to good use.

Class Projects

This is the piece I'm doing for the Sumptuous Surfaces class from www.joggles.com . I was going to add to it to make it encrusted, but I think I like it this way. What do you think?

Sue's Class

I'm having too much fun testing Sue Bleiweiss' class. Information on the class is available at http://webpages.charter.net/sbleiweiss/mmtechniquesclass.htm Join her in the fall for a great experience. The paper on the bottom is a lacy one and made a great print. I had to carefully lift from the plate so as not to tear it. The top is a print I took from the paint that was left.

Didn't the paper towel make an interesting impression? The bottom is an embossed wall paper sample.
More papers. I have a box full.

TIF Challenge, Bead Journal Project

Since this is going to be one of those months where I'm too busy to think, I decided to combine the Take it Further Challenge http://sharonb.wordpress.com/ with the Bead Journal Project http://beadjournalproject.blogspot.com/ using the color scheme option again. The sequins will be put on using a shisha method, and the other beads will be in lines that ripple around the sequins. The background is black wool that I felted and interfaced to support the beads.

I've finally figured out how to move the pictures where I want them-the learning curve is still steep on this stuff. This is the Journal I made for putting technique papers in for the class I'm testing for Sue Bleiweiss. Information on the course which she will offer in the fall can be found at http://webpages.charter.net/sbleiweiss/mmtechniquesclass.htm The fabric is an African print that I bought in Houston when my son took me to a big, great fabric store in the museum district. The button is antique.

Stamping, Paper fabric

The other day I showed stamps I'd made from a sticky back foam that's found in the children's part of craft stores. Here is a piece of fabric I stamped using one of them. The fabric is a polyester and cotton blend; the paint is Golden Fluid Acrylics.
This is a piece of paper fabric I did after watching the second episode on the Quilting Arts DVD. Beryl Taylor put muslin down then layered diluted PVA glue, wrapping paper, PVA, tissue paper with acrylic paint on top. Before drying, glitter was sprinkled over the center, but it doesn't really show in the scan.