Felt Like...

...Christmas postcards made for a swap on AWM. The colours in the photograph are not true to life; what appears to be a magenta background is in fact a dark burgundy red, and the bottom left background is shades of green without any blue. The dark green holly leaves are FME'ed with sparkly green Sulky, the berries and background with red sparkly Sulky.

These were made mainly from re purposed fabrics. The background cotton was left over from converting a duvet cover into two dog bed covers for a neighbour, the felt was left over from a fancy dress costume made for the child of another neighbour, and the reverse fabric was from a sample book. Even the Sulky was inherited from my friend Dot. The only thing bought on purpose for postcard making was the interfacing in the sandwich, so the most expensive bit of these is going to be the postage; 78¢ each if I am lucky and they weigh in at under 20gms, €1.38 if they are over!

A few Postcards....

....have been made and sent this past week. They were for three separate ArtWeMail swaps, but they all went to Indiana. It seems that the Indianapolis girls have been recruiting new members in their neighbourhood...I would give you a sneek peek, but Blogger is being Bolshie and won't let me upload. I'll edit when it has calmed down.....
Edit; Mea Culpa...I hadn't noticed that I have to tick a box now before I can hit upload...

Colouring In

A fabric postcard made to swap on the ArtWeMail Group. I used the same bird outline that I have used in the past for paper piecing, only this time I cut a stencil, outlined the shape with permanent marker onto the cotton (salvaged from the sides of a worn out bed sheet) and then used a stencil brush and oil pastels to colour. I was happy with how the blending worked out. It is much easier to control than using watercolour pencils, and there is no chance of bleeding because the pastel is dry. The legs and the little flower in the beak were drawn free-hand. The flowers and ferns were made using the same stencilling method. I used punches to make the stencils in card and then added details with the permanent pen after colouring. The background was coloured with pastel over torn paper stencils, and the lines added to finish it of. As the card has flown away, I can't tell you if the wiggly line in the top left corner is a stray hair that found its way into the scanner, or a stray thread that found its way between the cotton and the backing. All I can say is that I didn't see it at the time, but then the scanner has better eyesight than I do.

ATCs into postcards...

Having folded in the sides and stitched them in to place, then made a two layer backing and fixed that into place, I wasn't altogether happy with the result of the canvas and needlepoint ATCs. They were very bulky around the edges, and the corners were not neat. Next time I will try folding in the edges and making the outer stitches through the double layer, as one does when making a rug. With these two ATCs, I have left a canvas border,basted them onto a cotton backing, and then hand stitched fabric around, log cabin style. Why is it that I don't see the glaring imperfections until confronted with them on my computer screen? Maybe so that I can't ignore it...

I shall learn from the mistakes, and hope to do better next time. I think there will definitely be a next time.

Completed Swap Anything Goes #10

On the ArtWeMail Group. They have been hanging on the wall by the door to my room, and I realised today that I hadn't shown them here. I am sure there is probably a whole bunch of stuff waiting to be shown, once I get my act together....
From KR
From Marguerite
From Sheri
and from Vix.

Summer Break

I've been very Spanish this year and taken a month off from Blogging. The weather has been very hot and humid, and not conducive to sitting at a desk with a computer fan blowing warm air around the legs. I haven't done a lot of craft work, but have spent my time exercising my brain rather than my fingers; puzzling over crosswords and Sudoku, improving my vocabulary playing Scrabble and Wordjong, reading, and over the last week or so, watching far more sport than is my wont. When I have felt the need to do something with my hands, it has been to make small things, such as these needlepoint ATCs, seen here fresh from the frame and before backing. The top two are now on their way to Australia as a thank you, the centre two have been turned into postcards, and the bottom two are pending...

I seem to be surrounded by unfinished projects at the moment, so as the temperature drops, I hope to get some of them finished, before I start on anything new.

Space Hogs

Just in case you are wondering what happened to the 1970's place mat with the stem stitched swirls ......with the addition of some glittery stickers, it became a set of Space Hog and Space Dog postcards.

Well the theme was Anything Goes...

Another postcard...

that I am working on. More painted scrap card background, with stripes from the top layer of a paper napkin scrap, and paler stripes from the centre layer of the same napkin. The flower is fabric from my scrap bag, and again I have used my home cut diamond stamp. The fabric edge is held down with dark red glitter glue. I have done more of these postcards, but as some of the swappers read this blog, I want to keep them guessing.

Am I Blue?

No I'm not, but this postcard is. The base is scrap card from the cover of a drawing pad given a coat of acrylic paint. The turquoise patch towards the centre is a scrap of shaving foam marble paper, and the dark strip along the bottom is printed chiffon, courtesy of someone who wanted a dress shortening. This was all layered together using PVA. When this had dried overnight, I added some decoration with home carved stamps and a Kaleidoscope ink pad, and the focal point is a reduced vintage postcard, glued on with Uhu and bordered with a textured fabric paint that I found in the Todo Cien (Spanish equivalent of the Pound/Dollar Store).

In the post...

......two fabric postcards from members of ArtWeMail. The first is from the Shaping Up swap that had to include squares, circles, stamps and paint. This is from KR.The next is from Lynn. This was a Black & White swap to celebrate the Indie Car Race. The hearts are machine embroidered.

Shake it all about

I dropped my Elna SU sewing machine on its head today. I did the ironing first thing this morning, and one of Bossman's shirts needed a repair, so I sat down to do it there and then. As I got up from the machine, I caught my foot in the extension lead that lead out into the hall where I had been ironing (Because the ironing board in the sewing room can't be seen for boxes) . The extension was looped around the sewing machine cable, and as I pulled one, the other followed, as did the machine. I held my breath as I picked it up. Both bobbin holders were at a crazy angle, but I couldn't see any other damage. I undid the large left hand screw/bolt that holds the top of the machine in place, then the smaller right hand screw/bolt. As I turned this one, the whole top oscillated backwards and forwards. The force of the landing had bent it out of shape, but I was able to remove it. The bobbin pins are set into plastic flanges that fit into holes in the metal top. A couple of the lugs had broken off, but I managed to pop them back into place, replaced the wonky bolt, allowing the top to wiggle, then the tightened the large one. A test run showed everything was fine. I don't think a computerised modern machines would take this sort of punishment!

I have signed up for a shaker card exchange. Not the usual card shaker card, but a fabric shaker postcard. Having read the hints of those on the group who have made a start, I decided to test a vinyl page protector through the sewing machine. The machine seemed happy to sew it, and the vinyl didn't split or tear, so I went ahead. I have now made two, but I haven't yet worked out a work-round on how to substitute the foam pad spacers of the card version that allow a gap for the shakees between the background and the vinyl. The first one had snowflake confetti, but it only moves given a very sharp rap, and the second has beads and sequins that seem a little more mobile. What I really need to do I think is to use a couple of layers of felt as a frame around the vinyl area, and to keep this window quite small. I'll play again tomorrow afternoon.

More leaves and a commission

The scan doesn't do this postcard justice. The background fabric is a rich chestnut with a lovely sheen. The right hand leaf has been made by sewing two layers of green taffeta together, turning right side out and then top-stitching. The centre leaf is a digital image printed onto fabric, and the third is made by using the original leaf to stamp in gold onto a turquoise batik. The whole is the work of Lourdes on ArtWeMail.

I have had fun making another Sock Monster. He is called Nastertius. He is a little too cute to be a real Monster, so I have it in mind to make another one of the same outline, but to have it the other way up with the eyes on the ends of what are now the legs, and the tail becoming an extension of the head!
Sitrus, my "first born", went down well at the Craft Exhibition on Sunday, and I have been commissioned to make two more for the grandsons of a friend. One has asked for blue stripes and the other for green, but if I can't find any green striped socks, he will settle for blue, but he does want a green tongue!

A Quick Post

There were three items in the box today. From Mary P the Three Leaves; Three Techniques swap from ArtWeMail. One stamped leaf, one appliquéd leaf and one cut out from a skeleton leaf. I was thinking along those lines myself, so I shall have to think again!
From Diana B in New Zealand came a picture of the statue on the hill, with beads sewn on to represent the illuminated halo. This was for the Fibre, Fibre, Fibre swap on ArtWeMail.
This jolly rooster eyeing up an amuse bouche is a private swap for my Wild Bird, and came from Faye.
About this....more later...

Wild Thing....

Isn't this an eye opener? A zingy lime green felt square, stitched onto the background with gold thread, and embellished in the centre with black bugle beads. It came from Jane O'Fallon on Artwemail.

This is the first of three postcards for the Fibre, Fibre, Fibre swap on the same Group. The only stipulation was that we used at least three different fibres. The background for the first two is a jungle print chiffon, cut from the hem of a dress that I shortened for someone. The vertical stripe is black denim that has been sprayed with copper paint. It's a shame that the scan doesn't show this well. It looks rather washed out, whereas in real life it glows. The horizontal band is gold angel hair, overlaid with navy knitted lace with a little lurex sparkle. The feather yarn is not quite so pink as it appears here.This is the second postcard, made from the same material as the one above, but with some frayed viscose, some raffia and a piece of yellow plastic netting.
The third is on a background of rust dyed polycotton with more of the copper painted denim, the frayed viscose and a square of squirrel silk from an old tie.
These are two ATCs, made mainly with leftovers from the Fibre, Fibre, Fibre postcards. Waste not, want not!

Squares and Triangles

Here is today's effort. I have used the same purple as in the last one. It used to be a sheet way back in the groovy 70's, then most of it was used in a quilt for 0j0, but I still have some strips left in my purple/maroon bit box. I have tried to reflect the flowers in the border print with the sequins. It doesn't show very well in this scan, but I have stitched them on with green rayon, and added a fuchsia lined glass bead to their centres. My points still are far from perfect, but the worst one is disguised by the fact that the adjoining pieces are the same fabric. I shall get there eventually.

Postcards

I had two cards in the post yesterday. I put them in the scanner, then got sidetracked by a phone call asking me to make a birthday card for a 26 year old woman to be delivered by Monday. "Give me a clue!" I asked, but the response was to do whatever I fancied as long as it would fit in a standard envelope and go at standard postage to the UK. Well we all know I work best under pressure, so anything as free and easy as this throws me out of my comfort zone! I think I'll leave it until Sunday, so there will be a bit of impetus...I am using the same technique to make a card for 0j0, who arrives tomorrow and has a birthday on Sunday....

Back to the postcards that were still in the scanner. This one is from Pam for the Quilter's Delight Swap on Artwemail. How does she get her corner meet-ups so precise? The material is a very fine cotton? batik with a lovely silky feel to it.


The next one is a RAK from Sharron in Oz. The background fabric has gold veining running through it. She has then applied the Klimnt-like circles (they have gold on them that doesn't show up in the scan), added some pearly paint around them, then added some black pen work for added interest. The final flourish is the gold ric-rac braid stitched across.


When I was in town yesterday, I called into Fabrix, hoping that he would have something a little more economical than the 1€ a metre 7" wide pelmet vilene I bought last month. Hooray! He had 45" wide extra heavy, non woven interfacing for a €1 a metre! Now I can have a play with acrylic paint and other postcardy techniques...

I have not been paying much attention to what is happening outside; I had noticed it getting darker, but the heavens have just opened and there has been an almighty crash of thunder not too far away. Any minute now the power will go off, and I'll be on battery back-up, so I'll upload this while I can.

Another postcard from the "Anything Goes #3" swap. I have had it since last week, but as it came from Mary who is not in my group of 5, I have been hanging on to it waiting for instructions! The easiest thing seems to be for me to send Mary a card in exchange, so that is what I shall do. I still have a blue crazy block here that just needs some embroidery.

Good news on the postal front! Corina has now received the first naked postcard that I sent to her at the beginning of August. She has suggested that it will substitute for the postcard that I am due to send her in the "Changing Seasons" swap, as it marked a change in my life; starting to make fabric postcards.

"Road Trip"

...is the title of this postcard that was in my box today. The background is fabric. I am not sure if this has been printed by Jeri. I feel that it has but I have asked for confirmation! The red and yellow fibres of course, represent the roads, and the beads strung along them are the towns.

I had a successful visit to the Dog Shop this morning. I came home with a piece of dark brown vinyl for bag bottoms and handles, two sample lengths of material suitable for making ecobags; I am passing these out to my friends, but quite a few have said that, although they will use them, they still like to have plastic bags from the supermarket because they come in so handy for using as pedal bin liners!

I found this pretty little hand embroidered sachet, full of handkerchieves, all of the "present for Grandma" type, and many still with their stickers on. Then I came across this little machine embroidered cloth, just the right size to make another one. From a basket of oddments, I collected three linen napkins, two printed napkins, two lace doilies and a chiffon scarf. I left these at the desk with the Manageress, Linda, exchanged medical updates on our respective husbands (the only places we seem to meet are the Dog Shop and the clinic) and then went further into the shop to check the book shelves and the wool baskets. There I found my friend Ann, sorting out a box of china. She had walked into the shop this morning to ask if they needed volunteers at the moment, and had been put straight to work! I would love to do the same, and maybe when I get my wheels, I shall be able to. I arranged to meet Ann this evening down at the Winter Club; the AGM was yesterday, so tonight is the first night. We can catch up with everybody who has been away for the Summer. I went to pay for my purchases, and had to pay the magnificent sum of €2. I asked if that was enough, and was told that it was, as I was a regular customer, and anyway had refused my change last week! There was a time when this shop was the sole support of the local dog rescue kennels, but the Council has now taken over responsibility for the kennels, and provided two dog wardens and a van. The money from the shop goes towards vet's bills and transport costs for the large number of dogs that are sent to Germany for re-homing. The Council has a strict policy about how long they will keep dogs and so young healthy animals are sent North if they have not been claimed by their owners or adopted here.

Mail.....

Yesterday's post moved from the Bus by the magic of C&P..

....and a new use for spent computer ink cartridges. It takes a good rub with the pumice to get this ink off the skin, so I thought I would try it on thread. I damped the yellow hank, put it in a plastic tray, and then left a magenta and a cyan cart sitting on it for a while. I'll let you know how it looks when it is dry, and if the colour bleeds after a running over with the iron. If it bleeds, I shall use it for paper embroidery cards, as they usually get binned eventually, anyway. The brown patch on the right is where I put cyan on over magenta, as I thought it needed toning down a bit. I must take a closer look at my camera...I hope those white spreckles on the photo are reflections off the plastic tray and not dead pixels...

H is for Holes by Kate N.

My name came out of the hat on her Blogversary postcard draw. The stamp on the back has been cancelled normally, but the Irish PO has added an extra franking to the front. I thought about trying to remove it with a magic sponge, but have decided I quite like it!

Ancient Love by Michelle for the Anything Goes #3 Swap on ArtWeMail.

This was sent in a clear cello envelope, but the stamp and cancellation were on the PC itself. I don't know if Michelle had the postcard hand franked before she placed it in the envie, or whether the US post office removed and replaced it, but I had to smile, and thought of the person who last week reported receiving a PC in a cello envelope where the franking was on the envelope, but the stamp was on the postcard. She suggested that she might remove and use this stamp in the same way, and see just how many times the same stamp could be re-used!


Last, but not least, an altered postcard from Lauretta on FaPATCs. The front appears to be painted/dyed kitchen towel layered over the yellow card circle, the back feels like brown mulberry, and the edging is metal foil tape. Again, you can see a distinctive franking mark on the face of the card. The stamp on the back has not been franked, but that may be because it is attached to the bottom right corner, rather than the top right, where the franking machine would expect to find it. I could end up with a collection of unfranked US stamps to send to somebody on the other side of the pond!

I'm slowly dissolving...

...in this hot muggy heat. I feel like one of those toffees that get forgotten and ooze out of their paper wrapper as they absorb moisture from the atmosphere...




















I haven't been completely idle. I have finished the
Shetland wool socks. I have made them slightly big as they are 100% wool that should be hand-washed in cool water, but the chances of that happening are slight...



This is a WIP on a scrap of rust-dyed fabric (actually the sleeve of a cast-off shirt) with a little dilute acrylic paint dribbled on. The blob above the embroidered flowers looks like a mushroom, but somehow I don't think that will work! I may do more embroidered foliage, or I may paint in a bit of landscape...

The next two are 5x7 inch pieces of the same shirt, also rust dyed using a wrought iron curl that fell of a candlestick, a choke chain and a couple of washers. This was my second attempt at this process. I had three pieces under the metal, and three pieces on top. It is interesting how one gives the positive, and the other the negative...I intend to use these as the basis of a set of PCs. There were a couple of scraps in the mix as well, that will be used for a trial run as ATCs.


I had a play with my watercolours this afternoon and made two ATCs. I am not sure what they need, but they need something...
Edit: It's obvious now ....I forgot to put in a calyx...that's what comes from drawing on one's memories...memory fails!