One World One Heart

One World One Heart was created in 2007 by Lisa Swifka as an event hosted to connect bloggers with one another.  Each of the blogs participating hosts a giveaway.  You can find a list of participants/blogs here.   

For those of you visiting me for the first time, welcome.  I am a Canadian textile/mixed media artist.  To read more about me, please click on the sidebar button entitled "About Me".

If you would like a chance to win, please leave a comment in the comment section below this post.  You must have an active blog to be eligible to win one of THREE textile collage file folders shown below.

You can read more about this folder on this post.

You can read more about this folder on this post.

This is a new folder I made specifically for the OWOH event.  The background is lace with various collage elements layered on top and of course, there is a heart in there!  

This is the inside!  

Good luck to all! 

The event is closed! 

 

Thrift

Some more thrift finds today!  I've been adding to my collection of late, particularly embroidered linens.  I actually used the runner in the background on one of my bedside tables as it was in such good shape. 

The doily with the pink flowers and green leaves? has since been taken apart and I think I'll likely do some dyeing.

I'll be participating in the OWOH event.  Until then..... 

Ethereal

I was playing around digitally recently and put this together.  I'm not a "pink" person at all but this really appealed.  The roses are photos from my garden altered.  Not sure where the image is from and have added some brushes (unknown).  I just love her little face...

Beauty

Am sharing a recent ATC I made using various scraps - wool, muslin, cotton, doilies etc.

Those of you who are interested in rusting fabric yourself may be interested in Connie's comment from yesterday's post.  Some very helpful information of which I was unaware.  Thank you Connie!    

Rust

I mentioned last week that I had been rusting some fabrics, mostly experimenting.  You'll notice some of my recent thrift finds along with a partially dyed then rusted old sheet and some eyelet trim.

 I've not rusted previously so was unsure what to expect.  We have a forested area a few blocks above our home and on one of our walks we came across part of a very old fireplace insert, very rusted and falling apart.  DH carried this home for me and cut it in pieces.  I have the pieces on a table in the garage.  Fabrics are soaked in vinegar and laid over the metal wet.  Leave overnight!

  This is a piece of muslin - the best in my opinion! 

If you are going to give this a try, make sure you do so in a well ventilated area - IT STINKS!

Nesting

DH is a contractor and last week he arrived home with a huge grin on his face promptly announcing he had something for me.  When he does this, I can always tell it is something art related.

His current project is taking apart a cottage built over 60 years ago.  They had been tearing down walls inside and out and low and behold, this lovely nest emerged.  Look inside....

Yes, they are REAL and amazingly perfectly intact.

The nest was found inside the rafters and the homeowner at one time must have blocked an opening off.  Our assumption is the nest was built and eggs were laid followed by the entrance being blocked off.

Quite amazing don't you think?

Enjoy your weekend.       

Thrift finds

Thought I would share some thrift finds from last week.  Apologies for the colour in this photo.  I had to take it last week inside as I promptly took it apart - it looks like this now....

Look at all those wee flowers!!!!

Also picked up some more embroidered pieces. 

Have been experimenting with rusting fabrics of late so should have something to show next week.

I've been playing around with beads!  Am currently taking Lisa Walton's online beading class and having a lot of fun.  Might want to check it out.

This is all practice beading but I decided to use one of my needle felted backgrounds.  It is cotton batting felted with various threads and fibers.  Beading is various stitches learned in the class.  I have plans for it hence it is in a heart shape.  You'll just have to wait and see...

THANK YOU ALL for my birthday wishes!  It was so nice of all of you to take the time to comment..... 

I didn't get into any trouble as regretfully, I am sick with the same cold/flu I had before Christmas!  Will likely celebrate on the weekend instead. 

So, now onto art stuff!

I've been playing with crocheting some roses and these are the results.  I'll use them for embellishing at some point... 

Am going to be playing with making some ribbon roses today.

Happy birthday Judy!!!

Fleurs

I know, it isn't much of a post about creativity but I do have an excuse, today is my birthday!  When I was growing up, there were always flowers in the house.  My mom was a florist so she brought home "leftovers" at the end of each week and would make up the most beautiful arrangements.  I do not have the gift for arranging flowers, in fact I am hopeless hence DH got me the above on Saturday.  

Yes, that is a little bee in the gerbera and yes, it does have significance!  My mom's nickname was Bee and I was born on her birthday.

  I celebrated with her for 28 years and although she has been gone nearly that long, she remains with me.  

So, today I am 55!  How the heck did that happen!?

So now, my young self is taking off to get into some kind of trouble.  

   

The final one....

I just LOVE THIS ONE!  There is something about neutrals....  The background is plain muslin layered with scraps of fabrics to resemble a crazy quilt at the side.  I layered this with a doily - use the whole doily and bits of lace to surround the image.  Added lace motifs and trim but kept it fairly simple.  On the bottom I added a strip of batting layered with bits of cheesecloth, couple of words and buttons. 

Now for the back

The inside

Thank you Terri for inspiring these projects!

Enjoy your weekend and back on Monday - it is a "special" day.... 

#4

Something a bit different today - it is a mini folder!  I didn't plan to make a small one but I had an extra piece of fabric already layered so ended up with this.  Background fabric is heavier weight cushioned upholstery.   

The inside

After I made it, I was playing around with what I could put in it.  Coincidentally, it just happens to fit my new point and shoot camera.

I've saved the best for last tomorrow.... 

 

#3

I started to get on a roll with this one.  Background is again upholstery fabric.  Layers are cotton, cheesecloth and muslin.  Doily was rusted.  Flower on the left was one I made last year with organza.  Added some eyelets on the right with some hand dyed cotton embroidery thread.

Now for the inside

Inside is commercial cotton.  Can you start to see all kinds of uses for these?  #4 tomorrow 

#2

This is the second collaged folder.  The background fabric is excess upholstery fabric from upholstering my dining room chairs.  I played around with all kinds of little bits of laces from various other projects.  Yes Sharon, that green flower is the one you sent me!  Love the music twill, don't you!?

Now the inside

The strip of fabric is from pillows in my bedroom layered with some ribbon.  #3 tomorrow.

 

Collage week

It all started with this post on Terri's blog!  I've not met Terri but I came across this post when I was searching for Silver Bella swaps (this event has the most amazing swaps)!  Anyway, Terri had made vintage style envelopes which contained a folder of her swap stuff.  What a great idea....

So, I thought wouldn't it be fun to make some as file folders (like office file folders) for odds and ends in the studio.  Naturally, I ended up experimenting ALL last week so I'll be showing you different ones ALL this week.  Hopefully, Terri and I will inspire you to go have some fun with these.  

This is the first one.  Base is upholstery fabric with various bits and pieces.

This is a photo of the inside.

The inside fabric is hand dyed and discharged cotton.  Great way to use up your stash.  #2 tomorrow.... 

    

Bright ideas or!?

I thought I would share a story today of one of my "brilliant" ideas - I get these ideas frequently - can you relate?!

  As you know, I started hand stitching last year and after researching costs of embroidery threads and purchasing some online, I decided I should probably dye my own as it would be less expensive.  So, I purchased some hanks of three different types of silk threads shown above.  

I should point out about now that I have never made skeins from hanks.   Here is what happened to one of the hanks of buttonhole twist - now I know what they mean by TWIST...

It didn't go quite as smoothly as I expected!  A lesson in FRUSTRATION.

I learned a valuable lesson on how to create skeins and what NOT to do.  I did manage to skein the majority of this and the other hanks.

These are ready for dyeing - 10 yard skeins.  

And here is what some look like dyed.

 I also threw in some silk ribbon.  

I have a feeling it will be some time before I purchase more hanks LOL!Enjoy your weekend. 

Butterflies

Every once and awhile I come across something to purchase I simply can't resist. 

I couldn't resist these butterflies I picked up in Colorado this past summer.  I'll likely add at least one of them to my crazy quilt. 

It has been raining for a number of days here which make for very good art days.  I spent the day yesterday in the studio working on some projects I'll be showing you next week.  Also spent some time catching up with what all of you are up to these days.  Chat tomorrow.