hearts to mail

Melted wax crayons on paper, cut, stitched and ready to mail.

just for fun . . .

. . .  a few weekends ago I went to a workshop hosted by Inkaboutit and taught by Jane Davies.

We learned how to design and create little collage boxes using foam core.

I wasn't sure what to expect so I brought some green colored paper scraps and some of my vintage lace and sewing collectibles.

It was fun figuring out how to display some of the items.

You can see some vintage lace in the window. 

And the two pieces in the doorway - I put behind microscope glass.

One of the workshop girls happened to have old pattern tissue so she gave me some to use and it was the perfect addition.

The rusty metal thing below has been in my collection box for awhile. I knew I was saving it for something . . .

The image in the window was taken from a 1922 Needlecraft Magazine. I put it behind a little piece of transparency. If you peek closely -  can you can see two ladies sitting and stitching!

:)

This was something different and fun to learn.

I think maybe I'll take apart my shadow boxes of sewing collectibles and make additional collage boxes.

It's a neat way to display stuff you love.

Inkaboutit is a great little store!

batiks in blues

My friend JZ's batik quilt. 

This was fun to quilt for her.  She gifted it to her sister at Christmastime.

Lucky sister.

:)

I love how she added the row of red batik squares down the blue square panels. 

And the creamy light blue coloums add just the right softness.

natural environment

Today is the Fiberactions art quilt  reveal. Our theme word is environment.

I decided to continue with my seed pod series and created what I call

-natural environment-

I love seeing untouched, undeveloped landscape. 

Near where I live is a beautiful parcel of land,  I hear it has sold and will be developed. 

The view, the landscape, the history - will be forever changed.

Hand dyed and painted fabric, silk fusion fabric, embroidery, quilting and beads.

Be sure to check all of the artist's work by going to the Fiberactions blog.

a peak inside the sketchbooks . . .

. . .  and there are several.

-below is a little sketch of a wall quilt I'll be making.  Here, I just have a few ideas down and it is more cartoon like, but if I commit to this design I'll draw it out larger and begin to make templates of the pieces.  When I don't do this I find I can get lost and often abandon the piece all together.

  I don't often add color to my sketchbooks but this bottle of lotion, in real life, is the most magnificent shade of blue that I may eventually add some water color.

Since starting the Fiberactions group a year ago, I've kept one sketchbook with only ideas and concepts for those projects. 

Below is a quick sketch for my environment piece.

The sketchbook below isn't really an artist's sketchbook, but a book of graph paper - I'm not picky, so I've filled it with doodles and quick sketches.

I was going through a book from last year and came across this doodle. It's from one of Jaye's prompts: sterling. 

I remember this is what prompted me to get into using charcoals. I'd love to draw a silver place setting . . .

. . . it's on the bucket list.

My husband gave me this cool little leather paper case years ago. It's for important notes and such, but seeing I never really have anything important to write down when I'm on the go - I use it for doodling.

I doodled this guy when I was waiting for my son at school one afternoon. 

The sketchbook challenge has been great fun so far. 

Go check it out here!

environment. . .

. . .  is the theme word for the Fiberactions group. 

Our reveal day is January 15th -

sew, be sure to check back to see my environment piece-

- then click here-

-to see all of the artist's work on reveal day.

a snow day . . .

sketching, doodling, journaling,

and just plain having fun. 

Have you heard of the Sketchbook Challenge? 

Click here and learn more.

This month's theme has been named

 Highly Prized

I decided to make a mini journal for each month's theme. 

At approximately 2.5x3, it is small (it's actually tiny) so I can add several elements as the theme inspires me.

Each journal will have it's own little box and you can see it in the first photo.

The second photo is the front cover, below is the theme card which will be kept inside the envelope.

I really  thought a lot about the theme highly prized . . . and I think I'd have to say my freedom is highly prized

so you can see my first entry below. 

As I feel inspired I will contine decorating and filling the journal.

On the back of the box I put a hook - if I finish themes for one full year, I will have 12 different mini box/ journals and I thought I might hang them somehow.

. . . and speaking of sketchbooks...

The deadline for the sketchbook project is looming. I have to document mine with photos and get it sent off.  This was a fun project and you can learn more about it by clicking here

I made thread sketches from some of my pencil/paper sketches, then added some journaling and color.

I continue to get several of my creative prompts for my quick-sketches from Jaye at artquilmaker. She posts a theme word on her blog and she is up to 100.

Check it out here!