presents from down under

A few wee gifties from my friend Kaite in Australia. The Mobius scarf is colourful, warm and soft and oh so cleverly crafted. The calendar and card remind me that Australia is a very different place than Canada. If the card looks familiar, it's because Kaite is currently using it for her blog header. Thanks so much and I hope your gift from me arrives soon!!! Needless to say, her timing for the mailing was much better than mine. But did you notice how well coordinated everything seems? Do you suppose she did it on purpose? BTW, the scarf photographed a little dark. It's really much brighter. The colours in the other pieces are pretty good though, when you consider that I took the photo inside, under a couple of CF daylight bulbs. Also, did you notice the lovely little pieces of dark red lace, the candy wrappers and the bits of metal? No she didn't mail the display piece! That one is mine!! BTW, missing from the photo is a little santa bead and a small blue/white cabochon. Boo hoo! You'll see them appear later in one of my very late bead journal pieces.

merry christmas to one and to all

I'm wishing you a happy, healthy and safe holiday season, full of friends, family and good times.

child's play

.....and the answer is..............CRAYONS!!!!


Many years ago, I took a FIRE class at Sybil Rampen's place, before she opened the Joshua Creek Heritage centre. In one part of the class, she showed us how to gesso river rocks, draw designs on the bottom with a Sharpie and then heat them up in a toaster oven (sorry, I can't remember how long it took). When the rocks were nice and hot, you took them out carefully (tongs are good), placed them on a heat proof surface and then touched different colours of crayola crayons to the surface. The crayons melted instantly, and made wonderful patterns that flowed seeped and puddled under the bottom (the photo shows the top). We left them to cool and then polished with a soft cloth (pants, shirt or whatever!!). I love my rocks!

The nest was wet felted in a class at the Textile Museum of Canada from an instructor who's name escapes me. It wasn't originally planned for a nest, but it works well, so a nest it is!!! I didn't notice before, but do you see the ducks head on the nest? Totally planned, of course......ahem...cough.....or perhaps the inner serendipity muse at work!!!

rocks & mouse trails

Mouse Trails:

This is the piece I made for the President's challenge at my guild. The theme was "Small World". I scraped three or four colours of acrylic paint onto part of an old sheet, with an expired credit card. Then I stamped into it with more acrylic paint on the bottom of a large round tub. After it dried, I hand cut the little circles (ouch!), layered them like a quilt (it IS a quilting guild) and free motion quilted with my sewing machine. After that, I finished the edges by butting yarn up against the edge and zigzagging it in place. I laid out the circles and then stitched them together, first with a thread bridge (heavier stitching) and then by stitching the weblike strands. None of this was done with any type of stabilizer. I was stitching across the gap!!! You gotta love Bernina's!!! I was worried that it would be too flimsy and wouldn't hold together, but I'm pleased to report that it has.

How does this all relate to "Small World", you say? Well, it's all about how small the world has become with the internet, my communication with like minded artists all over the world, the inspiration I gain and the techniques that I learn. All for the cost of my high-speed internet. The sun shines on all of us and the open thread work represents the lines of communication. North, south, east and west......my mouse travels all over the world. The title of this piece is thanks to a suggestion from my friend Kaite in Australia.





Pinned on the corkboard, while I was contemplating adding more circles, and trying to figure out how the heck I was going to hang this!



Not a great photo, but this is what I eventually decided to do. I added a narrow sleeve on the back, used more of the yarn to make a length of machine wrapped braid and then hung it from one of the beaver sticks I picked up in Sault Ste Marie, last summer. I'll have you know that the bark was REALLY chewed off by a beaver! Right now the piece is hanging on a door, but I think that I'll eventually hang it from a hook on the ceiling.



I'm contemplating entering this in another show in the spring, so will need to take a better photo before then.

Rocks:

My friend Penny in Nova Scotia recently posted about some rocks and a nest. I thought that I would show you my version.



The nest is a bit of wet felting and I've been meaning to wrap some floss around the edges for years. Does anyone know how I coloured the rocks? A couple of you really might know (because you've either done it before or I talked/wrote about it in an earlier email), so please hold off on your answers until we get in a few guesses.

Yeah, I know that three would be more pleasing to the eye, but I only made two! LOL!

Happy guessing!

a feel good type of thing to do

I'm happy to say that I just delivered my piece for the 2011, Textile Museum of Canada, Shadow Box Auction. This is my fifth year of donating to this very worthy cause. The pieces will be auctioned off next March, with all proceeds to benefit the Museum. If you're in the Toronto area, please join us on February 23rd, 2011 for the Artist Reception and Public Preview. The actual auction is on March 10th and tickets will be available from the Textile Museum. I promise that you won't be disappointed by the wide array of tiny, but exquisite art pieces.

A somber pallette for me, but one that I feel is both classic and sophisticated. Of course, I just had to include some hand and free motion machine stitching, recycled fabrics, a little bit of acrylic paint and shiny, sparkly beads!



More detail from the bottom section.



I originally intended the piece to be just sky and land, but the tree was quite forward and demanded to become a focal part.

The rocks are hand ruched fabrics in silks, velvet, cotton and mixed fibres. The beading includes stacked and free-form filler stitches. The sky is strata pieced and has been accented with free-motion straight and zigzag stitches, machine couching and hand stitching. Acrylic paint was scraped on after the machine and before the hand stitching. The tree was a last minute addition and let me tell you, it's not easy free motion machine sketching a tree AFTER all the beading had been done! Needless to say, more beads were added to cover up the fact that the tree was floating in the air. Giggle!




"The Sentinel"

I spent an entire evening collaging little tiny pieces of Citra Solve, dissolved, National Geographic pages on to the unfinished pine shadow box. I started by wearing gloves, but when they started sticking to the piece, I ended up using my bare fingers to smooth it all down. Thank goodness for wet wipes and nail brushes! I'm happy with the results though, because I feel that the box actually looks like it's made out of marble.





Do you believe that I started this last Friday night and finished it on Sunday evening? Am I crazy, or what? Needless to say, no cleaning or cooking was done in my house last weekend!! The things I sacrifice for my art!

BJP 2011 Registration

This collage represents the first and only six pieces that I've made for 2010. Please ignore the April date under the header on the collage. Picasa entered it and I can't figure out how to either edit or get rid of it completely. Grrrrrr.....

The registration for the 2011 Bead Journal Project started on November 8th. I believe that it stays open for one month. If you're interested in learning more , please check out the detail in this blog post. While you're there, wander about and check out some of the work. If you're not moved, you're a stronger person than I am! I've just signed up again, despite the fact that I stalled at June. Don't worry, I will finish the other six, but life happened and it won't be in 2010. I'm already getting excited about my new plans for 2011! Is anybody going to join me? I promise that you'll have fun!! BTW, you don't need to be as obsessive as I am about bead embroidery. It only needs one bead!!

Recycled Inchies

Don't you just love anything done in miniature? These are from a swap I hosted on the Cloth Paper Studios Yahoo Group . The only rules were that you had to make one inch pieces of embellished art that included a recycled element, in the medium of your choice. As you can see from the collage, it was an excellent swap!

Just keep in mind these are 1" square. Mine included the following:

-free motion machine stitched leaf on watersoluble stabilizer, using leftover netting and rayon thread ends
-fabric paper trimmings from another project (scrap tissue paper, glue and acrylic paints)
-Japanese lace paper found crumpled up at the back of a drawer (sprayed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists)
-beads from the stash
-the background is from a jacket I started in a class too many years ago to count. Loved the fabric, but hated my embellishment choices. No plans to ever finish it! Plenty of fabric left to play with
-backing - used computer paper and leftover paint from another project
-I butted thrift shop yarn up against the edges and then zigzagged over it





BTW, do you like my envelopes? I wrinkled up some kraft envelopes, flattened them out and then rubbed on Tim Holtz distress inks (stamp pads). After they dried, I brushed on acrylic medium for strength. The ongoing challenge is for the participants to re-use the envelopes in some of their own art. I can't wait to see what they come up with!

Here's a larger photo of the envelopes:





I'll probably be hosting another swap of this type, again in the new year. CPS is great for swapping a wide variety of mail art. Nice people and you NEVER get burned. If enough people express interest, I may even host another swap on this blog.

I fixed the collage (it was missing one set of inchies). Now I need to go and stitch!!!

landscapes of my mind

My friends Kaite and Penny B. have either shown, or are in the process of showing small landscapes on their blogs, so I thought that I would share in the fun. Penny's was posted a couple of days ago and Kaite's is now posted. Mine are a combination of free motion machine quilting/embroidery and hand stitching. The heavier emphasis is on the machine. The backgrounds are serendipity transfer/disperse dyed monoprints on commercial satin. Fun to do and quite addictive! The monoprint sets the mood and the machine just follows along for the ride............................

For those of you who aren't familiar, transfer/disperse dyes are used on regular copier paper, left to dry and then ironed onto polyester fabric. The satin is my favourite, because the colours just seem to glow. Both pieces are layered like a quilt with the top, batting and a backing.


Storm - 6 1/4"W x 6 1/4"L




Serenity - 7 1/2"W x 10 1/4L




Don't forget to follow the links to visit my friend's pieces.

citra solv - a new frontier

Please excuse the black plastic and masking tape. This is what happens when you splash full strength Citra Solv natual cleaner (the original orange, concentrate) between the pages of an old National Geographic magazine (the older ones are supposed to be better). Mine was circa 1983 courtesy of Value Village ($.99). I found the Citra Solv at a health food grocery store in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, but I know that it's also available locally and online. If you google the Citra Solv company, you'll find lots of eye candy and instructions. I've been wanting to try this for a while and believe it or not, it's quite an easy process. Messy and stinky though, so be prepared to do this outside. Don't even start if you hate the smell of oranges!

Liberally splash or brush the Citra Solv onto the highly coloured pages (the mainly text ones turn out black and boring). Keep the magazine closed for at least an hour. If the pages look ready and you're satisfied with the effect, rip them out and lay them to dry on newspaper or plastic. Don't leave them too long or the pages will stick together. The ink quite literally runs off the page, so make sure you wear old clothes, gloves and remember to only do this in a very well ventilated area (outside is good!). Be responsible! Protect your clothes and your health and follow these instructions at your own risk! I doubt that you'll have problems, but be aware that I'm not responsible for any reactions you have to either the ink or the Citra Solv.

This photo isn't elegant, but it shows you the variety of pages I got. More black ones than I was expecting, but the ink movement is still quite interesting.



Three of my favourite pages......think of the possibilities!


The edge of a stream?





An underwater cave or grotto?





Fire or lava?




Any other ideas??

What will I use these for? Good question! My initial plan is to mix in a little fibre, collage is a given and the rest for the stash. Possibilities for inchies, artist trading cards, post cards and even larger pieces are limitless!

I'm itching to stitch! What about you?

what the heck does confetti have to do with procrastination?

I was avoiding a project that's due mid-November (actually one of two projects due at the same time). I wasn't inspired and didn't really feel like working on anything serious, so I decided to play with a technique Penny B taught me several years ago. You start with a base fabric and then lay on many different squares of fabric (I used my procion mx hand dyed cottons in 2" squares). I cheated and fused them, but then stitched all the edges with a stitched out zigzag. When that was finished, I sliced down the middle of each square with a rotary cutter, rearranged the strips, then butted them together and stitched again........



......repeat as desired......I think that I sliced and diced around four times before I was happy with my confetti............




I have an idea for this, but won't post until I'm happy with the results. Of course, it won't work for either of the official projects, but at least I'm playing my way out of the doldrums....

a little local colour

All photos in this post are taken at the Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto. The colours in this particular area have not quite reached their peak, despite the fact that other areas of Toronto have. It's been a strange year! The Don Valley Parkway is absolutely spectacular right now, but I can't snap a shot when I'm driving at 100 kms.

I don't have much to say today, so I believe I'll let the pictures do the talking. Happy Thanksgiving from Canada!



















Okay, I just need to say one more thing. When I looked at this sculpture, I thought that it was an interesting abstract piece of rusty metal. It wasn't until I uploaded the pictures, I realized that it was a pair of work boots! Giggle!

Altered Dominos

Now, don't ask me what I'm going to do with these, but they're the result of a play date with my friend, Deb. Eleven of the dominos were coloured with Tim Holtz, Adirondack, Alcohol Inks and three with Copic Markers (also alcohol based). The tree was drawn with a fine point, Sharpie marker. These inks are soooo easy to use. Honest! All you do is put a few drops of different coloured inks on the felt applicator and then dab them on the surface of the domino. Easy peasy, interesting effects and they dry really fast!!! Google Tim Holtz for how to use the inks and "altered dominos" for some eye candy! What a fabulous recycling idea for those lonely and abandoned game pieces!! I'm thinking pendants, pins and cabochons! What are you thinking?

retro 2008/2009 bjp post - and so it ends

Looking back is always amusing! Please join me in checking out the final chapter in this little bit of nostalgia. The first six months of my 2008/2009 Bead Journal Project can be found here:

March, 2009 - BJP:




The latest addition to my triangle pool is March. It's all about friends....new friends and old friends....

It started with another serendipity moment. I purchased a couple of books from my new friend, Robin and then started experimenting with some of her stitch combinations. Of course, I liked them so much, that I decided to use them on my March piece. Isn't it lucky that I actually stitched them on a triangle? That started me on a search for complimentary embellishments! I found a bag of shells from my friend Wendy, some purple pearls for my older sister (it's her favourite colour), green beads for my younger one and the face from a play date with Cheryl & Deb. I grew up in Vancouver, B.C. and I love everything about the ocean. Granted, the shells would be different, but the feeling is exactly the same. I remember the sound of the waves, the smell of the sea, childhood memories, seaside adventures and the total feeling of calm that washes over me as I gaze out over my oldest friend.


April, 2009 - BJP:




It's April, it's spring and it's about time! My eyes are filled with the the fresh greens and acid yellows of my favourite season. It's all about hope, renewal, rejuvenation and the element of change. Time to watch the buds push their way out of the earth, the leaves unfurl and the grass turn green as the sun warms the earth. It's also time to put away all the heavy sweaters and take out the capris. Sure, it's not quite time for summer clothes, but at least we can start dreaming! Yes, it's also time for taxes up here in Canada. But that's another story! On a personal note, it's time for me to re-evaluate my priorites and to buckle down and work to my plan. Time flies, and I want to make sure that it doesn't pass me by.


May, 2009 - BJP:





May is, quite simply, cherry blossom time! I'm not really a pink person, but I confess to waiting anxiously for those very first blossoms. This piece is about the simple joy of nature and creation. Isn't it all amazing? No, the world is not full of light, but somehow this time of year reinforces my belief in the possibility of change. The background of the tree is a scrap of monoprinted satin that I made with transfer paints. I have a postcard from this material currently hanging in the Grand National Postcard Show at Joseph Schneider Haus in Kitchner, ON. (the show opened in May 2009). The tree is free motion embroidered by machine and the central motif is 1 1/2" X 2". The piece contains silk flowers, pearls, accent beads, 8, 11 & 15 seeds & #2 bugles. Stitches used are peyote, for the bezel, backstitch, stack stitch and free form edging.

I'd like to dedicate the pink light in this piece (okay it has some blue, red and orange as well) to Pam T. You are one courageous lady, and I'm honoured to be in the same BJP group.

Note the show is over and I wonder whatever happened to my postcard? Is it in the permanent collection or did it get sold to raise money for the museum? Perhaps, I will ask one day!


June, 2009 - BJP:




I love to visit my friend's house when the poppies are in full bloom. Sure they are brash and blowsy, but oh so very delicate. I try to photograph the quality of the light glowing on the scarlet petals, but alas my quest is in vain. Am I tilting at windmills, or will I be able to capture their essense at some time in the future? What is it about these beauties that seems to pique my interest? A simple pleasure. One that's fleeting, but oh so rewarding. Is it any wonder that poppies were chosen as a universal symbol for remembrance? Did you know that the poem, "In Flanders Fields" was written by a Canadian field surgeon? Do you realize that this is the only poem I will never be able to forget? I can recite it just as clearly now, as when I was a small child. Rather than a trick of simple repetition, I prefer to think that it is something that left a pure and lasting impression on my soul.


Oops! It appears that I'm missing a hair! I found it in this photo. Don't worry, I'll clean that up the next time I pull out the camera...............


July, 2009 - BJP:




This triangle shows my love of colour, flowers, techniques and combines them with a passion for photography . It's also about the paths you choose in life and illustrates that while some just seem to stop short, others are crystal clear and lead directly to your goals. Well, directly might be the wrong word, as nothing in life is ever perfect or straightforward. Paths often curve before they reach their destinations, leading you towards interesting sights, unforseen problems and exciting adventures. This little garden is all about life!

The seed beads are mainly size 11's, with some 15's and 8's thrown in for effect. I also used bugles (2's), pearls and crystals. Stitches include peyote, bocche (also called boucle - a stitch mentioned on another group), stacked, fringe, loops and Robin's wildflower stitch. The curved path is made of size 11 seed beads couched over a slightly flattened braid.


August, 2009 - BJP:




I couldn't finish the current BJP year, with anything other than the setting sun. It's my first attempt at visual journalling and also my first extensive use of encrusted bead embroidery. My skills have grown and I've learned to pay attention to the whispering words of my muse. I lost an old friend quite suddenly this month. She loved the sun and the black speck signifies her being enveloped by it's warmth. The original pallette was much softer, but as the temperature got hotter outside, so did the colours. Don't worry about the sun setting on this BJP year, as it's sure to rise again in 2010. I'd like to thank Robin for her constant encouragement and all of my new friends for their comments and enthusiasm. My plan is to enter this piece in a Canadian National Juried Quilt Show in 2010. Of course that means that I actually need to do some quilting to showcase the beading. LOL!


Bead stitches include the boucle or bocche stitch (discussed in my previous post), stacked stitch, short fringe (on the sun) and free form beading. I used 8, 11 & 15 Japanese beads and 11, 2cut czech beads for sparkle (the darker pink). Sadly, I just couldn't use my variety of odd beads on this one. They just didn't fit the scheme. See you in 2010!!


Update - The piece is still waiting to be mounted. I keep changing my mind on how I want to finish it. My active mind likes to create, but I often procrastinate on the finishing details. Any ideas for me? Any and all will be considered.....but only one will be chosen......LOL!

I hope that you enjoyed this retrospective. If you're interested in learning more about the Bead Journal Project, please visit the website. I am continuing to plod along with my 2010 pieces. I admit that I am behind, but will get back on track after I clear a few projects from my plate. Keep tuned!

retro 2008/2009 bjp post - the first six months

And so it began.......

You might also like to check out the Bead Journal Project website and Robin Atkins' blog. Robin is the founder of this beading revolution. LOL! I promise that you won't be disappointed!

I didn't have a blog at the time and had limited bead embroidery experience, but I was determined! These posts were originally written on the third 2008 BJP blog. If you're interested in beading and storytelling, you should scroll through some of the BJP blogs (they're all listed at the bottom of the website). It's a great way to grab some inspiration!



My first 2008/2009 Bead Journal Project post:

I'm a fibre artist with a yen for beads. I signed up for the BJP and then discovered that I had way too many conflicting deadlines. I considered dropping out, but then decided that I owed this to myself. So, although I didn't start on my BJP until after the holidays, I'm happy to say that I'm now caught up. My original plan was to combine fibre and beads, with a heavier emphasis on the fibre. Much to my surprise, my September piece decided that it wanted to be totally encrusted. I have used some fibre in a couple of the pieces, but they still seem to want to be heavily beaded. This is my first official attempt at journaling, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the process. I don't have a blog yet, but will try to post a couple of pictures a day. I can hardly wait to hear what you think!


September, 2008 - BJP:


Summer in Toronto was wetter than normal, which led to a lush patchwork of green vegetation. This is my impression of that landscape. I used mainly backstitch, with touch of fringe and a freeform fill in stitch (I have no idea what to call it). As for the beads, Japanese seeds and bugles in various sizes. I spent the holidays with my sister in Sault Ste Marie, and was able to raid her stash. Lucky for me, she had a nice stash of "odds & sods" to complement the ones I had purchased. This was the perfect way to wind down after the holidays.




October, 2008 - BJP:


The trees had started to change colour, but the landscape was still showing an awful lot of green. Orange is not one of my favourite colours, but I'm afraid that it was necessary for this piece. Again, Japanese seeds and bugles in various colours, mixed in with various larger beads from my sister's stash. Lucky for me, she works part time in a bead store! Again, I used backstitch and a freeform fill in stitch. BTW the base is a 4 1/4" triangle on Peltex. It holds up quite well and is fairly easy to bead through.






November, 2008 - BJP:


November was just plain crazy! I participated in a quilt guild show, a fibre art show (both with boutiques), volunteered at the Shadow Box Auction at the Textile Museum of Canada (I donated a piece), was involved in a couple of online swaps, The Exquisite Corpse Round Robin and taught my first technique class at a local quilt shop. Whew! On top of that, I work full time. I felt like my head was exploding! I tried to capture that feeling in this autumn coloured piece. I wanted to include fibre, so used some of my machine wrapped braid and hand ruched some lovely orange velvet (given to me by a friend). I used the large stone bead to portray myself, sitting in the middle of all this action. So many avenues, so little time and no way to get out! Please note the metallic fringe, exploding all over the place. I'm glad it's over and I promise not to over commit in the future.







December, 2008 - BJP:


So! What does purple have to do with Christmas, you say? It's my sister's favorite colour, and I spent the holidays at her house in cold & snowy Sault Ste Marie, ON, so I thought that it would be appropriate. My original intent was to use traditional colours, but my muse was just not being cooperative. The small paper clay face was made during a play date with a couple of my friends. Of course, it needed to be used immediately! A shopping trip was in order, and the piece began. The face is encased with a little peyote stitch. I've introduced the stacked stitch, straight out of my copy of Beaded Embellishment (first time doing it, and just love the stitch!). I've included a single star for the top of the tree, but in this case, it's the side of the tree. The windy road of bugles signifies the route between the two cities (at least that's what my friend thinks). You'll notice that this piece is a lot calmer than the November one. I wonder why?







January, 2009 - BJP:


January to me is a time of fridgid temperatures, blue/grey skies, bare trees and snow, snow, snow. I was involved in a crazy quilted 4" X 4" swap on another group, and used a little larger version of this threadpainted tree. I loved the image so much, I decided to use it again. It's free motion machine embroidered on a scrap of upholstery fabric that was layered with gold Angelina Fibre. A rather wobbly, peyote stitched bezel, surrounds it. I wish I could say that I planned the wobble, but no, it's just one of those serendipity things. I think this might be my favourite, so far. Now, on to February!






February, 2009 - BJP:


Yipee! February is a time of celebration. My nephew and his wife (after many years of marriage & doctor's visits) have announced that they're having a baby. While the symbolism in this piece is not obvious, I tried to give it a party atmosphere. Included are painted teabag yo-yo's (Tetley, of course), three shells from an old necklace of my mother's (she's no longer with us, but loved babies so would want to be a part), an acrylic painted washer (for the masculine element), purple pearls (my sister's favourite colour) and a mixture of miscellaneous beads, including hearts and flowers (because I'm rooting for a girl). BTW, the teabags were used, but I did dry and empty them before painting. The picture is a little dark, due to my taking it on a dreary rainy day. I promise to post again when the sun is shining.




Although it's not quite her birthday yet, little Myka (a girl, just like her auntie predicted!) is celebrating her birthday, with family and friends, today. I know you have a few more days to go, but happy first birthday, sweetheart and happy birthday, Michelle (Myka shares a birthday with my niece/her aunt)!

I'll post the rest next weekend......

beautiful laundrette

This is my response to India Flint's slightly quirky request for a story to go along with the above photo. If you think it reads like a cheap, tacky novel, you are correct! I'm not sure which writer I'm channeling, but they certainly had a lot more fun than I did! LOL!

"After a long afternoon of tawdry love, Curt left, but asked if I would do his laundry before he returned. As I waited for the dryer to finish,I spotted a text from my best friend, Gwen. Guess who she just spotted making out at the pool, with the blond from the next apartment? Bastard! The cute Swedish laundry attendant, Sven was just re-filling his father's vintage chrome lighter. Fabulous! I grabbed the newly dried laundry, batted my eyelashes and asked if I could borrow the pair. A quick exit to the sidewalk, a small squirt, one flick of the shiny lighter and whoooosh, end of another chapter. Concerned that his employer's premises would be damaged and the cops called, my new love thoughtfully provided a bucket of dirty, soapy water to vanquish the flames. We made dinner plans."

Don't forget to visit India's blog to read the rest of the stories. My friend Kaite has one that reads a little like a rap song. She's shameless with her blatant grab for extra brownie points, but it's all in fun!

June 2010 BJP AMD

June has finally arrived! I realise that I'm late, but the 6" inch square format is a tad ambitious, when you consider everything else that's on my plate. Don't worry, I'm not discouraged! I love the process and intend to follow through until the bitter end. I won't be crossing the finish line first, but that's okay! I still haven't mounted my 2008/2009 triangles and they were finished on time! That reminds me, I should probably post them here one of these days. Then you'll be able to see how I started on this journey!

Now to June! What the heck could green, purple, a rusty old belt buckle, a dome fastener (known in these parts as a "snap"), buttons, string & beads, possibly relate to? Nothing much, just the button jar, my quirky imagination and another step on the crooked path!




A combination of old and new elements, including beautiful shell buttons, a slightly skewed compass button (gifted to me by a friend who found it in a fabulous quilt & bead shop in Seattle), a fabric and thread wrapped pipe cleaner spiral, a slice of raw edge cloth weaving, a little stone bear and a metal bird. Hmmmm......is the theme coming through yet?





Abandoned square stitch from an aborted bracelet, large acorn cap picked up on my recent trip to Sault Ste Marie (smaller, twin acorn caps show in the previous photo) and a very small part from a large pair of circa 1980's earrings. Deb, I still can't believe that you wore them and your ear lobes are still intact!!!





Oh look!! The bird is sitting on a beaver stick I picked up on last year's trip to visit the family in Sault Ste Marie. The ends have been carefully singed with the barbecue starter. Not authentic, I know, but you get the idea! Anyway, this section also includes more of the weaving, the other half of the dome fastener, the metal bird (I just couldn't have a branch without a birdie) and a small collection of leaf beads. You can't really see it, but there's also a needle hiding in the grass.






The great reveal!! This piece started out as an exploration of the colour green but the mauve/purple crept in during the stitching stage and decided to stick around 'til the very end!

Serendipity acrylic paint monoprint, free motion machine embroidery and raw edge cloth weaving (using failed monoprints). Bead techniques include peyote, square, back, stacked, fringe and boucle/bocce stitches. The weaving is courtesy of Kaite's blog posts about Jude Hill's "Cloth to Cloth" class. Of course, Jude and Kaite would be using recycled natural fibres and acrylic paint would NOT be part of the program. Call me a rebel!

The leaf shape was a natual for this one! The monoprint could have been interpreted as hills and water, but after I turned the fabric on it's side, a tree was born! Next to the ocean and stitching, I love woods and nature the best! I grew up in a city, at the edge of the forest, on the base of a mountain, with a view of the ocean. Do you think I'm still exploring my childhood?

Now, on to my class samples, my Textile Museum Shadow Box, the "President's Challenge" for my quilting guild, my "Silly" drawing class and then the July BJP! Who needs to clean, sleep, work and eat?