Back to playing in my 'studio'! Or better known as the 2nd Bedroom!

Anyway, sewing studio or bedroom, it works for me here in Florida!  First off, I've started on my fiber Valentine cards for this year.  I need at least 35 but I'm thinking I may take a year off next year!  Maybe...

I actually totally finished 4 of them so I only have 31 more to go!  Woohoo!

I'm using some painted canvas that I screen printed with one of my zentangle designs I had made into a thermofax screen.  I ordered the screen through Lynn's web site and it came out great!  THANKS, Lynn!  I don't want to show the design until after my cards are sent out.

And my girls had to oversee!  This is Kalee making sure I do everything right!  Kalee likes to lay on the bed as she can watch me and also look out the window.

Gigi didn't really care.  She just wanted to look out the window!  Back home both dogs sit on my sewing table but I don't have a lot of space here in Florida so I only put her small mat on the table.  She was comfy!




I also started to play with another technique shared by Jill Buckley over at The Quilt Rat!  Jill is so generous with sharing her techniques and tips.  She has been 'doodling' before 'doodling' became Zentangle!  Jill's work and workmanship is wonderful, with a capital 'W'!  Jill is currently working on hex's, which ya all know are one of my favorite hand stitching techniques.  Well, in addition to making the hex's, she also has included painting her 'doodles' on each hex and then creates a pattern from them!  Talk about a cool technique!!  You have to check out her tutorials, #1 here and #2 here!  And while you're at it just keep looking at all of her posts for December on this technique....then look at all her other posts!  You'll be so inspired!

So, I've been wanting to try Jill's technique since I saw it in December and I finally got to play over the weekend!

Finally...only problem, I didn't have any white/light fabric other than my cotton sateen.   I couldn't trace cleanly on the sateen with either a Sharpie ultra fine pen (it ran) or a micro pen (it was faded looking).  I did use a gel blue pen but I really wanted a black outline.


The cotton sateen also was fraying, which I don't every remember that happening when I've painted or dyed it before.  This is cotton Sateen I purchase by the bolt from Kaufmann fabrics, so it's not a knock off sateen.




Because I didnt bring a lot of fabric with me this year, as I was planning on working on my Blue Dog piece and just creating our online challenge, but  I happen to have some black batik fabric so thought...why not try it!

I'm also using Setacolor Suede paint!  I purchased this paint last spring and haven't had a change to use it yet.  I also just happen to have the paint in white, so using my 'white' gel pen I got tracing and then I painted the black hex's. The batik seemed easier to work with but hard to see for tracing, since it has a slight pattern to it and my eyes are as good as they once were!
So until I pick up some other fabric,  I've put these pieces aside as I need to finish the Valentines and get started on this month's online challenge, which is 'your favorite book'...I have my idea,  now just need to get moving on it!  It's due January 31st!  Guess I don't need another project right this minute...but I really want to create something using Jill's doodle pattern she provided!  You have to see her finished piece.  You'll get hooked on hex's!!