Second attempt!

Another attempt at a paper cloth concertina book, and as I said in my last post, I've made this one slightly larger (see comparison below), and I also stitched from the right side to hopefully achieve a clearer sketch.

I think the close-ups show that the stitching is clearer, although it was harder to see what I was doing with all the texture and colour on the surface.

Some shots of the reverse side, I often think that these look better, I wonder why? What do you think?

Learning Lessons.

Following on from my last post, I've made a very small paper cloth concertina book.

Each little page is only 2" square, (5 cm) .

I worked from the reverse side of these small pages, and I think the needle has pulled the paint and paper through to the right side.

My fingers were nearly stitched onto the page quite a few times! 

The reverse (wrong) side, shows how much clearer the stitching is.

I stitched from the reverse side, as I found the paint and texture I had created on the front too distracting to be able to 'draw' with the machine needle.

I'm going to have a go at another, slightly larger version of this butterfly, moth, bee, bird theme, and I'll also stitch from the front next time, hopefully!

Thanks for joining me again so soon!

Ooops! I forgot the cake!

I've been using the teapot and teacup stamps I made, (see my last post) in a fabric concertina book. I decided to try and keep with the 'tea' theme, so I used old table cloths, paper napkins and some magazine images that seemed to link to this very British drink. Mind you, the paper napkin above made me think of the Japanese tea Ceremony, so had to be included too.

My reason for doing these books is in preparation for a Summer Workshop I'm involved in, where we will hopefully be making and using stamps to decorate cloth before making into books.

Last page is a bit of a jumble! Below is the wrap type cover, I used more paper than cloth for this, then painted it all over with silk paint in a caramel (tea?) colour before using those stamps again. As you can see I have also free machine stitched all the teapots and cups too.

The wrap opened out, front above, and reverse below. It wasn't until I started to write this post that I realised I haven't included the phrase, 'Tea and cake'!!! Probably the most important thing about tea, either afternoon tea and cake, or morning tea with a biscuit or two for dunking!

I decided to continue experimenting with my stamps, and made another, smaller concertina book, but this time I used 'paper cloth'. It's ideal, very lightweight, easy to stamp on and stitch into. 

Above the book closed and tied with ribbon and two of my paper beads.

Three of the pages above, and two below. I also included a bit of hand stitching on this one, which is also easy on this paper cloth.

I'm now investigating making a really tiny book, the four pages above are only 4" square, but I'm not too sure about the beetle theme, I think I'll rethink that one.

Above and below, some abstract postcards that I have made with hand painted cloth, paper, paint and stitch. I've mounted them onto canvases painted with acrylic paint, and they are now for sale here.

Finally, I've been having lots of those flying dreams again recently, it's quite funny really, because all I need to do is keep my arms straight by my side and flap my hands!! Up up and away I go, it always seems so easy! ha ha ha. I just had to do a couple of quick painted sketches in my sketch book, although I have to say I've taken artistic licence with my size! I'd never manage to get off the ground even if I could fly, not unless I lost a good few pounds!

On that note I'll wish you all happy 'making art' 

Experimental Printed Images, Scrappy Bags and a Hawk.

Preparations for a Summer Workshop. We will be stamping and printing, hand and machine stitching, and hopefully using our creations to make into fabric concertina books.

After cutting my teapot and two mugs out of foam sheets, I 'drew' the patterns and detail into the surface with my electric, stencil cutting heat pen.

First I tried them out on paper, then onto fabric. I may need the paint to be brushed on a little heavier for the fabric though.

I thought I'd try making a collograph print using the same foam and heat pen. The printing 'plate' is below.

First I used it as a stamp on paper, below.

Then as a collograph print. The difference is that used as a stamp, I covered the whole surface with paint, but it didn't collect down into the drawn line. For the collagraph style print below, the surface was again covered with paint, but pushed down into the drawn line. Then the surface was wiped as clean as possible so that the paint only remained down into the lines. I placed it face down onto some dampened paper, and then pulled it through a small press. I need to work on this technique, as I'm not so happy with the image below. It could also be that my drawing/design is really crude, so maybe I need to try again with something a little more refined!

I've been making scrappy bags! I have so many scraps of furnishing/curtain and quilting fabrics, and I also found a Popular Patchwork magazine from 2009 with a summer bag pattern section, so away I went.

This one is for me, to match a jacket I will be wearing to a wedding. Above is the right side, below the reverse, and the third image shows it against my jacket.

Below is the second one I have made. It's for my daughter in New Zealand, they are coming into their winter, so hence the more muted colours specifically to go with denim.

The third one below I made to try and sell in my Etsy shop, but I added the magnetic closing clip after I had finished it, so I don't feel it has gone in well enough to sell. Shame really, I think the colours are good for summer.

Finally, my JQ for May. It's my interpretation of a Goshawk. I'm reading, and enjoying Helen McDonald's 'H is for Hawk' at the moment, so thought I would stay with the bird theme. Made from one of my Gelli printed papers, and appliqued onto some hand painted cotton fabric.

If you've enjoyed reading this far, many thanks, and have a good Bank Holiday, (if you live in the UK). If not, then enjoy the weekend anyway!