My amazing dinner and other adventures

Last night was a get it yourself kind of night. James made bread in the afternoon and after filling up on bread and honey and also crumpets at my parents' place, there wasn't much room for dinner. The crumpets, I might add, had camembert and smoked salmon on them How can I resist?? So I made myself mushroom bruscetta! Olive oil and garlic-y goodness on homemade spelt bread with chili and homegrown herbs. the recipe is from 'Jamie at home'. So simple and so good, but the neighbours could probably smell my garlic breath from next door!

Some eye candy. An indian bag I bought a few months ago and a scarf I knitted years ago. Its just started to get cold enough to need it!! But that's not stopping getting into the ocean for a surf...

Tags that I made up last night to go in my book as dividers. I have also stamped and painted on the black sides. Looking cute!

Here's the back of them along with some doodling on my backing paper. I use the ikea packaging from things we've bought as its really big and doesn't leave ink on everything like newspapers can. Will probably cut out the tree piece and stick it in my journal - I like how the layers have built up as I've used different paints and stamps.And... viola!! Some yo-yos I've made from my yo-yo maker. So cute!! I'm loving doing all pinks. They're like precious little sweets! Anyone for tea??And some blue ones using the heart shaped yo-yo maker. It is as easy as everyone says. No hassle at all. I plan to fill a vase with them!! Somebody stop me now!!

Yo-yos galore!!

I bought myself a little pressie on ebay on the weekend and it arrived today! That's pretty good going - as its Wednesday. Tonight I plan to have a fiddle with my new clover yo-yo makers. I bought sizes for making round and one for heart shaped. I'm hoping I'll be able to take them on the plane and do some sewing when we go to the UK in 6 weeks. I've also been playing with some luggage tags that Carol sent me aaages ago. I have finally figured out what to do with them. They are eventually going to be a sample book. These will be the dividers for all the techniques I plan to experiment with over the next few months. Like most other people, I have heaps of supplies that I haven't even touched. But I plan to!! I do! So this is my little way of giving myself permission to play. Just make small samples and see what happens. After all, that's how we learn. I've spent a lot of time the last year or more making things but it is nice sometimes to purposefully not make things. No expectations. No product. just an experience. They need a little more stamping, then some fibres dangling off the eyelet. My little samples will be smaller than these tags which measure 10cm x 18cm and interleaved with the divider tags. I'm thinking off buying a bind-it-all tool. Has anyone got one? Worth buying? They aren't that cheap, but I think they are awesome. More only hesitation is getting the owires shipped to Australia. They don't seem to do boxes of mixed sizes and colours - only bulk buys of singles colours. People do some amazing things with them. There's some great stuff on flickr like Patrick Ng's work and Jo36's. Her work is just stunning. Righto. Off to find a better blog template. Ciao x

Piece for Exhibition

I finished this piece on Friday. We've had all sorts of things happening this week with a dress up party on Saturday to prepare for and a broken down car to get fixed. This piece is for the exhibition, 'Tragedy, Treasure and Trade'. It is titled 'Miserere Domine'. Made from felt, hand dyed habotai silk and free machine embroidery and applique.

Bunting for BIFF.

I just finished the bunting for my van. I've made two strips like this. I painted vilene with inks. Then, when they were dry I zigzagged around my traced template lines. I cut out my shapes, then I painted the black detail with slightly diluted acrylic paint. Followed by gold ink. Cute, huh? I'm really pleased with them. I think the gold really sets it off.

AWOL

Haven't blogged forever and a day. Just been so busy! Been surfing too, so that uses up most of my spare time very pleasurably. I've just finished these 2 pieces for an upcoming exhibition called the 'Clothespeg Project - Volume 2' Here's a review of the first instalment. And some photos from the first instalment! Should be fun! Fingers crossed my work makes the cut. I've worked with applique and paper casting on these two pieces. They're A5 sized. Will try and upload some more of my recent work. Just gotta get the home PC up and working again. Alas! It has died.

February Arch Swap - Textile Challenges Group

This is my second arch. This one's for Cathy, I hope she likes it! I printed on hand dyed fabric with iridescent acrylic inks. I then sis some applique and an image transfer onto organza. I've been surfing so much lately that this is about all I've done for ages. As it gets cooler, I think I'll get more inspired as it cold and gloomy outside. Snuggling up with the sewing machine suddenly becomes very appealing. Not so when it is 39C. Enjoy your weekend!

playing

I bought some new paints the other day with a jackson's voucher. They are mostly acrylic inks which are gorgeous. metallic paints. Have been experimenting with making my own stamps. These ones are made with a styrofoam meat tray. Also layering images on watercolour paper for some book making later on... The green colour in this bottom one is actually the acrylic ink so really shiny and yum.

Arch Swap

I have finished my first page for the Arch page swap I'm taking part in this year. This one is for Gillian.

Fremantle Bazaar

Some more eye candy,coz we love it!! I found these in textile traders. So gorgeous. Like an enamelled, metal bead. I bought so many of them... Might make some earrings. Who knows what else. Oooooooo. Ahhhhhhh. Shiny bead! This is some of the stuff I made for the Freo Bazaar. For the FeltWest Stall. This sold, which was cute. So did this.

Fremantle Bazaar 2

Here are some brooches and earrings I made using handmade felt and free machine embroidery. I made a series of wrist cuffs, which sold well. Felt, off cuts from other projects and free machining. Pretty...

Long absence

I haven't blogged in so long. It's been quite bad. Having just started a new job, where I sit in front of a PC all day, the last thing I feeling like doing when I get home is do the same. Have had a bit of a break from my art. Been learning to surf and enjoying some well earned holidays doing NOTHING!! It's a strange felling to be sure. I'm normally so motivated towards a goal. Not having one leaves me feeling a little displaced. Having finished my exhibition, I've been looking forward to exploring some new techniques and making some small projects. This one tickled my fancy. Little amulet pouches from a recent issue of ClothPaperScissors. I am in the process of making 8 at the moment. Even followed the instructions!!! From now on I'll do what I normally do and make my own version based on my inspiration from the original design... these ones for instance, ask you to iron bondaweb onto each side of the acrylic felt. You then iron printer's foil to one side and paint the other. Next time, I would paint the vilene. Let it dry and then iron it on to the felt. I think this will give a better texture for what I was after. Also make them slightly bigger. :] I gave the above one to a friend for Christmas. Folded up it is about 9cm long. So pretty small. This one is a little bigger. Probably 13cm, when folded. Here's the foiled inside view. Will try and blog a bit more regularly now... as long as I have something to show :D

Eye candy 2 - Because we love it!

There is a Christmas Bazaar coming up in Freo at the end of the month. I thought I would once again try to sell my purses. Don't really know what's wrong with them, but no one buys them ;) I am also making some felt jewellery. As the stall is with feltwest, all of the goodies have to be handfelted to some extent. So I will be using felt as a base and then free machining and adding extra fabrics on top. Here are some of the colourways I've been playing with. All of the felt is pieces left over from other projects I've made of offcuts - the sleeves off my jacket, the edge from a purse I made... The start of a couple. This is just yum. I love these colours. Especially the bit of brown fabric add a nice retro feel.