Sketchbook Challenge- May Theme: Can't Resist

Well, this month's theme took me a little longer to do, but I really like the end result.  The theme for May is "Can't Resist".  Chocolate was the first thing that came to mind, but I also wanted to use some sort of 'resist' technique and I wanted to use my sketchbook prior to putting it into Photoshop Elements to digitally alter it.  The list of things you see in white were written with a glue pen (hard to see what you're writing because at that stage the paper is still white!)  I then painted and stamped over that with acrylic paints and finally added more text and doodles with a Micron (01) pen.  In this case, the only digital work was adding the blue text over top of the piece I had done in my sketchbook.

To see my previous pages, click below:

April: Branching Out/Out on a Limb

Front Cover, January through March

Surface Design

For the last couple of days I've been hanging out with my friends Heather and Ann and we've been playing with surface design.  Using acrylic paint, some fabric medium, various textured surfaces and stamps, we changed plain white fabric into fun fabrics that will eventually be used in our fibre art.  I forgot to take my camera, so I've only got pictures of the pieces I made, but you'll see the variety of wonderful textures and patterns that are possible.  All were over printed, meaning that the entire surface was printed once, then printed over top using another pattern or colour or both.  The first (black and white) is white cotton velvet.  All others are cotton broadcloth or sheeting.

purple paint (stamp), layered with 

blue texture (dimensional paint 

texture)

corrugated cardboard, bubble wrap 

and a texture made using 

dimensional paint

texture made using dimensional 

paint

one stamp used with green paint, 

a second stamp using blue

one stamp used with green paint,

then repeated using blue paint

corrugated cardboard used as a

stamp

same fern stamp over printed 

with 3 different colours - notice 

the sample on the right in which 

I then added green

an exemple of going one step too 

far - I wish I had stopped before 

adding the 4th layer (green)

this piece was silk screen printed

a couple of weeks ago and then 

I added the stamps over top of 

the existing print

this is the same stamp used with 

black paint on white fabric and 

then white paint on black fabric

- I love how this looks (keep 

watching in the days to come 

for a piece made with these...)

Quilted Vase

It seems I'm into making vessels these days.  This one started with the recycling piece of fabric I made using strips of pizza flyers, etc. that were put through a shredder.  This was a wonderful tip learned from Nancy Yule.  I alternated the paper strips with eyelash yarn and then covered it with a piece of shimmering turquoise organza before quilting it.

Machine Lace Bowl

I was looking for a distraction this morning so I decided to use some scraps of thread and organza to create a machine lace bowl.  I used an embroidery hoop to hold the 2 layers of water solvable plastic.  You can use Solvy (brand name) but I tried using a dissolvable laundry bag that they use in hospitals.  I picked one up last year in the vendors market of a quilt show and decided it was time to try it.  It worked great and is just a fraction of the price.  Now I need to find a hospital supply source so I can get more!

Anyway, I sandwiched the snippets of thread, eyelash yarn and organza between the 2 layers and then heavily machine stitched to catch all the bits and create the lacy look.  I trimmed away the extra pieces of solvable plastic from around the outer edges, being careful not to cut the ragged edges of the 'lace' and then I submerged the piece in cool water to dissolve the plastic.  The wet piece was then draped over a bowl and left to dry.

It's a nice decorative piece, but I'm thinking that I may look around for some inexpensive class bowls so that the next one I do is lined with glass so it could actually but used as a candy dish or something similar.  The trick is to find the size and shape of clear glass bowl so that you can still see the lace.  Another thought might be to look for a coloured glass that would still be transparent but had a complimentary colour to highlight the lace.

Trinket Box

I've been using some of the tin foil embellished fabric I've been experimenting with to make this box.  There are multiple layers of paint, perfect pearls, copper foiling and organza.  The 'feet' are wooden semi spheres that I painted to match.  The nob on top is a wooden 'bead' that I painted and then I stacked some beads on top to add interest.  I embellished it with the copper eyelash yarn, but I'm not sure I like the curved application.  Maybe next time I'll try putting it on straight or leaving it off all together.

Aluminum Foil Postcard and ATCs

I've been playing with aluminum foil lately as I work through an online workshop called Inspired Surfaces on the Fibre in Form website.  Carol McFee and Lynda Monk are the instructors.  It's slow going since I have to read all of the instructions over several times to understand them (due to an acquired brain injury).  Fortunately there are lots of illustrations to help clarify the text!  Anyway, I've made a couple of ATCs and a postcard to showcase what I've managed to do so far.  I love working with new everyday materials that are readily available around the house.

And yes Donna, I put a bird on it!

  

Painted Aida Cloth

Well, after hours of embroidery and some beading, the painted aida cloth piece is almost done.  I haven't decided how I will finish it yet.  The question is whether to put it into a frame or finish it in another way.   I'll have to try a couple of ideas and see what looks best.

This could become a new obsession.  It's the perfect little project to take along in the car while my husband or son chauffeur me around or to work on while watching (or at least listening to) TV.  I've already got a good stash of painted aida cloth from last weekend's playtime in the studio, so I'll be ready to start another one as soon as I get the design planned!

ATCs for this months swaps...

I decided to use some of the ideas from a recycling workshop I attended Saturday for my ATCs this month.  The background is shredded paper with organza layered over it and then stitched.  The centre of the flowers are mylar yogurt cup lids, cut into little circles.

Postcard Swap

I participate in a postcard swap organized by Vicki Welsh of 3 Creative Studios.  This months theme was 'Buried Treasure' which reminded me of wonderful childhood memories of playing on the beach with a pail and shovel.  Then later, as a mother, I remember digging for 'buried treasure' on the beach with my son.  He'd hide his little cars and other treasures and then he'd challenge me to find them.  Surprisingly, we never lost a car!

To the left you can see one of the postcards I made for the swap.  If you're interested in participating, check 3 Creative Studios' website for upcoming swaps.

GOE Banner

In 2006, my friend Heather and I began talking about the need for a small fibre art group that would help us grow as artists.  There were no such groups in our area, so we decided to talk to some of our like minded friends and the "Group of Eight" Fibre Arts Guild was born. We were a small group of quilters no longer interested exclusively in creating traditional quilts.  We wished to expand upon stitching and incorporate other non-traditional materials in our work.  While members have come and gone since then and focuses have changed, we remain passionately devoted to all forms of fibre art - art quilting, beading, hand stitching and embroidery, surface design, mixed media and various paper arts.

Last year we joined ONN (the Ontario Network of Needleworkers), so I decided to make the banner you see to identify our group.  Notice the wonderful loopy font.  I thought it was perfect for our group since some of us are a little 'loopy' ourselves!