Challenges, Bring them On!

ClothPaperScissors has had two recent challenges one time consuming and one quick one.

The multi-media 6x6 inch square involved stamping with paint on linen using hand-made stamps by Gail Walker onefinepencil@blogspot.com, pencil eraser tips, a clay tool we used for dots and dashes. Then machine free hand embroidery a new skill for me. This was not as easy as it looked I sat frozen in front of the piece begging Gail to just let me put down a few lines. She is infinately patient and reassuring and when I finally put the needle through the piece I was off. Then hand embroidery a skill taught to me by me maternal grandmother on Woolworth cotton pillowcases in the 60"s. Grandma Hazel Koplin would of been proud my back was as neat as the front. As  my preferred media is still beading I included myself as a tiny bee bead.

MEANDERING THROUGH THE GARDEN

The second challenge was a 4x4"  Mulberry paper face drawing only using markers, pens and pencils.

SHE PAINTS 

As a bead artist these challenges stretch my skills and doing them with a friend makes it just that much more fun.

Yeti-dom

Here lives a couple

In the land of Yeti-dom 

He's green and she's gold

Reclycled J. Crew sweater with wool felt face belly and claws. Attached eyes and animal noses. Pattern from the imagination of Gail Walker and made in her Art studio. He is an older man made last week and she was just born yesterday. They are so soft and so cuddly!! 

Jacket completed

Worked with Gail  Walker on the last weekend in August on my Angelheart Flax jacket project. It was a piece of stamped linen a  orange brown large leaf, maroon small Japanese buds and a platinum rat. I then added prints-Asian and a crane print too and did embroidery free-style on the sewing machine- the leaf was a metal stamp discarded from a paleontology museum for the outline and free stitching inside.
I learned to use the serger to finish edges and that was quite fun!!

The last photo depicts the serged piece that wass added to the front two pockets and the similar material was added to the collar as well. It came out wonderful and I have worn it out to dinner and to work.

So a jacket given to me by a friend that I had just keeping at the YWCA pool for when I was cold is now a featured art piece in my wardrobe.

wednesday at the lake

We traveled up to Gail's art studio on the lake for a print making day. Nancy had made her first stamp the week before a flower garden and I was going to use the new fox stamp I had made. We had access to all of Gail's Asian and nature themed stamps, my mermaid, penguin and dog stamps. Nancy had not been to the studio before so as she was exploring I took one of my printed pieces: black linen with an Asian vase with colored flowers in it and attached it to a Feed Tote. I love the philanthropy behind the feed bag series that my purchasing the bag feeds families and I had bought the canvas bags last year but had not used it yet. A bit tricky to sew inside a completed bag but we got it done with help from Gail and I love it. The fun part is the piece was made on the horizontal plane of a button up skirt and I had positioned it when I stamped it so two button holes are at the top. I attached two buttons to the outside of the bag so when I made the pocket it buttons shut.

While they were setting up the paint and stamping area I started to do  the sewing on the piece we are submitting for a contest in cloth, paper scissors. I had to decide which of the three previously stamped pieces to do- a mermaid, a butterfly or a floral- it was not easy. I knew the mermaid would be easier just follow the lines with the machine embroidery. With Gail's encouragement I went for the butterfly as their was more negative space, less obvious shapes.

So here i sat in front of the sewing machine thread loaded and paralyzed I kept asking " please give me a pencil I will stencil something on, okay I will free-style a drawing. Gail kept repeating start sewing it will come to you. Finally I was like I can do this....started to stitch and some magic started to happen. I really really loved what I did- some followed the shapes printed and some just created something completely new. I am so proud of it-even if it is not a winner in the contest it was something new for me.

Meanwhile Nancy and Gail had the area set up and downstairs I went to print up some new pieces to work on I am starting to get a stockpile of printed material to use in projects. One of the large pieces with leaves and a rat has been prepped (serged edges) to be placed on the back of an Jacket waiting for its turn on the sewing machine.

Playing with Paint

I am taking a break from making jewelry for a bit and am just in the hoarding stage. I have been traveling and picking up pieces to work with. The bead show in York, ceramics from Raleigh North Carolina, and pearls and beads from Peurto Rico.

I am also playing with altering old pictures and adding color to them and text this one I am going to add "anchors-away". I think it is just adorable.

rest of the goodies from the bead show

Wednesday Wine & Wild Women Art- home made stamps

We got together to make new stamps. This was Nancy first stamp and she made a great flower motif. Gail made a tiny owl  with great big eyes. I made a fox and a small owl stamp. I am hoping to make a small stamp that I can use to personalize pieces I made not sure the owl is the one yet. I may want a smaller bee shape or small jewish star will not be sure until they are made and printed up to see which I like the best.

Okay I am jazzed I just figured out how to upload the photo's from my phone to facebook and then copy the url for the photo's here. Woo hoo I will get into the technology sooner than later.