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'