Flag Challenge

I've just done another challenge from Jennibellie. This time we made an art flag. Mine is made with dyed cotton and fabric scraps, machine embroidery over thin metal sheets, images applied with TAP (transfer artists paper), foils, beads, ribbons and lace.

The girl image is one of my own. The other images are copyright free from The Graphics Fairy, Sweetly Scrapped, Digital Images for Crafts, and DoverPictura.

Sewing on Metal Experiments

I've been experimenting with using my sewing machine to sew onto thin metal including old purée tubes. I used both normal and free machine stitching. The backing fabric is velvet.

Journal Pages

Here are some more journal pages.

Above - Acrylics, stamps, Inktense and paint pens over stencilled gesso background.

Collage, acrylics, paint pens, watercolour.

Collage (face cut from Gelli plate packaging), Inktense, acrylics, stamps, coloured pencil.

Pages

Here are a few more journal pages. The picture above was actually a scrap paper that I was using to clean off my brushes and stencils. Suddenly, this castle seemed to emerge from the mess. Acrylics, inks sprays, ink, stamping, printing, Inktense.

Flowers with acrylics, stencils, Inktense, and markers,

Journal pages with acrylics, oil pastels, ink and paint pens.

Some February Journal Pages

Acrylics, collage, printing.

Some more journal pages for you.

Acrylics, markers, Inktense.

This was part of a Lifebook lesson. The idea was to stick down any 2 random pieces of collage paper on each page and then try to make something from them.

Collage, markers, inktense.

Collage, acrylics, Inktense, paint pens.

Collage, acrylics, Inktense, paint pens

Museum Piece

I have been working on this experimental quilt which was inspired by museums and all the cabinets of specimens they contain. It's about 12 by 12 inches.

First I used dyes, spray inks and stencils to colour a piece of cotton.

I then glued on various collage items with gel medium. There are fabric scraps, book pages, sheet music, old jeans, crochet pieces, scrap papers, dried leaves etc.

I then added images using TAP artists transfer paper. You can get good copyright free images from The Graphics Fairy. Machine zig-zag was then used to outline the sections whilst at the same time anchoring them down even more. Inktense blocks were used to enhance the colour in some areas.

Finally I used free machine embroidery to outline elements and add textures. Here are some close-ups.

Dying Fabrics

I've been experimenting with procion dyes to create some colourful fabrics. I tried using various resists such as gesso and Mod Podge with stencils to create patterns. I also experimented with tie-dye and ink stamps.

I kept all the colourful kitchen papers that I used to clean up with; I'll use these in collage. 

February Challenge - What's In Your Heart?

Here's my piece for the February Jennibellie challenge - What's in your heart? Its A3 size with acrylics, ink sprays, Gelli prints, coloured pencils, paint pens and markers.

Sun Prints

I tried out some new sun-dyes on some white cotton. The idea is that you paint the dye onto the fabric and then place objects or a stencil on top of the wet surface and leave it in the sun. Where the mask has been you get a lighter pattern.