Still stitching.

I'm still stitching.  And still not doing any housework.  But that's ok.  My guy is away for a while longer and I've spoken with the cat and she's ok with the dust bunnies.  We haven't started naming them yet which makes me think we can wait a bit longer before we haul out the vacuum.  So I'm still stitching.

I had to go out for a while today and tomorrow I'm babysitting most of the day so I won't get much done then either.   
I'll try and do a bit tonight....I'll be back. 

Stitching the daisies.

Here are a couple of photos of the daisies that I am stitching at the moment.  These are the ones that I painted onto fabric and showed you in the previous post.  I backed them with fusible web and then attached them to my fabric piece to start the stitching.  This is also giving me a chance to practice my hand stitching, which is clearly in need of more work.  But then I love the fact that I am getting to do more practice, maybe improve a wee bit, and have something to show at the end of it all.  I'll show you this one again when I get it all finished.

So, back soon..... 

Still doing daisies and finishing with the folding.

I am still working with the daisies.  This time I have traced them on to a mercerized cotton using a Pentel fabric pen (worked like a charm) and my lightbox.  I then drew into them with my Derwent Inktense pencils and some of the Derwent Graphitint pencils and then wet them with my paintbrush to bring up their lovely vibrant colours.  I'm going to heat set them as well because they are on fabric.  Then I want to try and apply them to one of my dyed organza pieces of soy waxed fabric.  Notice the 'try' part.  Haven't got there yet.  So far they are just painted.

You know how you get to a certain stage on a piece you  are working on and you are reluctant to go further because you are afraid you are going to mess up?  I'm there.

So I'll stall further by posting the other side of the fold out page that I showed you last time.

This one was first worked into with graphite pencils then painted over with acrylics.  And stamped a bit into as well.  I applied a couple of tissue paper printed glasses to carry over the glasses idea from the far right hand page, the added-on page.  I'm not finished with these ideas yet. 

Maybe I should make another cup of coffee.  Some might call that 'stalling'.  Some might be right!
I'll ponder the daisy dilemma over coffee. 
I'll be back.... 

Adding pages

I have been working into my sketchbook and playing with some of my stamps.  This one is a sponge stamp of a wine glass and I wanted to see what it might look like in a longer format.  I added a page into my sketchbook and made sure that it worked together from all angles, as an extended page but also folded back onto itself.  I like it with the added page closed up best of all, but it was fun to play with the idea.

The right hand page and the middle page had gesso painted on first but the added-on page was painted without.  I added some oil pastels for fun.  The folded back page (in the bottom photo) has tissue paper added to it.  I had stamped the same images onto tissue paper and I liked the layered look that resulted here.  These were fun to work on.

There's more.  I'll be back....

Stitching the monoprinted daisies

I spent a bit of time today and stitched the daisy piece that I monoprinted the other day.  I wanted to cover up the centre seam and am fairly pleased with how that turned out.  I marked the fabric with tailor's chalk and I expect that it will rub off in a while. 

It was fun to practice more free motion stitching and to work around the daisies and the negative spaces that I had chalked in.  Learning, learning.

I added some gold leaf to a page I have been working on.  It's the first time I have tried that.  I'm not sure if the adhesive worked very well on top of the watercoloured page but I think it has some potential.

I'm working on another page that I'll show you as soon as it's done.
Back soon.....

Today it's calendulas and more practice

Today I have been inspired by some sweet calendulas that are blooming in the garden.  I don't think I have ever planted them, they just reappear year after year.....they must have been here when I first moved here over 20 years ago....and every year they come back with their bright and cheerful faces.  I would never want to totally eradicate them because they just try so darned hard!!!

Here there is just one bloom fully open and the other two are the seedheads, preparing to ensure their continued blooming for next year.  Well, the rest of the seedheads on the plant are anyway.  Here I kind of got in the way of their plans!! Sort of a Robbie Burns moment.....the best laid plans....and all that.

Next is my start on a practice stitch piece. The other day I monoprinted some of the daisies that I had previously painted.  I've free motion stitched them into a little quilted piece with a backing covered with cotton batting and now I am trying to decide how best to stitch that big blank space in the middle.  I had thought of painting something else into the space, but it is just a practice piece after all and so that leaves me free to play a bit. I'll see what I can do to bring a bit of interest to it.  If I can.  We'll see.  I'll let you know if it works out as planned.

I'll be back.....

Watercolour daisies and the phenomenon of en-joy-ment

More daisies.  Well, the same two, actually, just turned around in the vase!  Re-cycling, one might say!
I am enjoying learning to draw.  I am enjoying learning to paint.  I don't mind that I still have so very far to go....the good parts and the not-so-good parts, I am enjoying it all. 
And the cute little moleskin journal ain't half bad either!!!
But it means I am putting off work on my hand-made book, and my stitch project....well, ok, apparently the housework as well.
And now I'm going to go and enjoy a cup of tea.....it just goes on and on!!!
Back soon.

Daisies for designs

I am thinking of putting some daisies on one of my stitching projects in the Beauport Abbey theme.  And there are tons blooming in the garden just now so I picked a few and spent a bit of time drawing them.

I'm wanting to stitch daisies onto the piece so I'll have to work on a more stylized version.  But it's kind of fun.
And I did another page in my Beauport Abbey sketchbook, this time with acrylics.  They have such a different look from the watercolours.

I put acrylic medium on the page first and scratched into it before painting over the whole thing.  I like the potential it offers for a stitched piece. 
But for now I'm working on the daisies. 
I'll be back...