Overdye time!

My last post showed some oe stamped papers I did last week.  This weekend I overdyed some of those...some I wish I had left white but live and learn, right!  Here are some results.  These are all on layout paper and this time instead of using fiber dyes I just used Setacolor watered down...in some cases I didn't use enough water-paint ratio.....actually, not enough water so some colors are too intense for me.
Before pics on the left and overdye on the right..

This feather one turned out pretty good.  I' not big on this shade of blue....but I think it will work as feature pieces vs background.

Yep...better before I 'overdye/painted'...

Ditto for this piece too, ugh.  The arches show up on the left and are lost on the right.  Oh well.

Not bad...again I think pieces of this can be used somewhere!

Not bad with addition of the blue overdye/painting.

I like this one too.

Another favorite...this one turned out really nice.

We should be using some of our papers from the last two weeks in the next week or two for doing some design/collage work in our sketchbooks.  Should be fun!!!

Still stampin away!!!

So while I'm waiting for our 3 p.m. happy hour!, I've been using gelli printing on papers...we'll be using these in our sketchbook in a week or two.  I think I have a good stock of papers...I'm still trying to decide on my theme and, so far, I know it will be geometric/architecture or foliage.  I think!!

These are printed on layout papers and only 3 or 4 deli papers, which will be used for layers. in our sketchbooks.  Lots of fun being productive and don't have to listen to folks complaining!  Win/Win!!

I made a feather stamp from the stickie back foam.

I was playing around mixing up colors....not my strong suit!

Not bad....

Back using my arch stamp....

This was actual paper I used to clean off the gelli plate and stamps.  I'll most likely overdye it to fad the white.

This was deli paper

I used a stencil on the gelli plate and added the feather stamp.

Another print on deli paper.

The green was an old stamp I made....can't remember what I used for the gray/black part!

I had a good few hours playing with the Gelli plate and my stamps.  Look forward to our next lesson!!!

And, yes, I look forward to our normal life...but so thankful we have food and a home to be in for this difficult time.......

Making foam stamps

We're still working away in Hilary's MIP online class.  Looking at shapes/themes we like and creating stamps and printing.  Today I made a few stamps - positive and negative and printed using the geli plate and printing on deli and layout papers.

I'm using Setacolor paints.

Deli paper on the left and layout paper on the right

Again, deli paper on the left and layout paper on the right.  Deli paper will allow us to layer over our stamped work.

Had fun yesterday and it was so much better than reading posts on FB from obnoxious/opinionated folks on the world today!  OMG...wish they would go to an island somewhere or else just run for office if they think they can make a difference!  Today is my rant day!!!  Sorry...

Thank goodness for my dogs....

Is there a difference?

I sent away for a free sample of a new fusible web called FlexiFuse.  This week I received the 10 pack ($9.95 - but free!) and thought I would 'test' it out today!    I plan on giving each of the ladies in our Aussome Study Group a sheet to play/test with too

I started out fusing 3 different fusible webs to a piece of batting:  FlexiFuse, MistyFuse and Heat 'n Bond lite.  Each strip was approximately 2 inch strips.


I then fused one of my stamped/dyed papers to a small piece of batting.  Of course, each piece fused easily and the paper(s) came off, again easily, from the FlexiFuse and Heat 'n Bond.

I was going to hand stitch through each but I got sidetracked (go figure!)  and just ended up free motion quilting.

I like  that both the FlexiFuse and Heat 'n Bond  have a backing to them...it's one of the issues I have with Misty Fuse...yes, it's very sheer to use, especially for silk or lightweight fabrics, but it bugs me that I always forget to get out my Teflon sheet or paper backing I've saved, so I can fuse to my fabric.  I usually just fuse a 'piece' of fabric (fat quarter/1/2 yard/etc.) vs a shape so I can make it work but, again, I'd prefer to have a backing.

As far as stitching through each fusible, I was free motion quilting and I don't think I noticed any difference...although, at one point I had to take a peek to see which area/fusible I was stitching over, as it seemed very smooth...it was the FlexiFuse.  Hmmmmm  Was it just my imagination??


As far as price, I think both FlexiFuse and Heat 'n Bond are very comparable but MistyFuse and FelxiFuse aren't available at Joann's. I ended up stitching a buttonhole stitch on the sides, added the front address label and dropped in our mail box for the postal lady to pick up. But, of course, I forgot to take a picture of the finished card!  So, what's my opinion of FlexiFuse??  I liked it...nothing I didn't like about it.  I'm going to experiment more and perhaps try this again and do some hand stitching to see how easy it is compared to the other two fusibles.

I ended up finishing the fiber card  for our neighbor, who dressed up as the Easter Bunny  on Easter.  Her hubby drove  her through our neighborhood/sub waving at the kids at the end of their driveways on Sunday morning!  I thought it was so nice of her to do this!!!   She said she hoped it would put a smile on folks and she knew it would make her feel good too.

I know the kids and parents enjoyed seeing Theresa, a.k.a. Easter Bunny!






and speaking of Easter...here are our two little ones all dressed up for Easter...well, kinda!!!

Inspiration/Theme Sketch Book

And before I get into this post...today would be the birthday of  my Florida bud, Sally, who passed away in 2017!  I can't tell you how often I think of her..Happy Birthday, my friend!

One of our last pictures in 2017

Year 2 of Hilary's MIP online class has started this past week!  Our first homework is creating our 'Inspiration/Theme book'.  It's interesting, over the years I have saved bits and pieces of pictures, cards, photo's, etc. that I liked.  Never really knew what I was going to do with them all, but they were in a tupperware storage bin.  So I started my theme sketch book by pasting in some of what I've saved!

Part of our focus is to look at our 'inner child', which I'm not going into now.  I'm more focused right now on having fun with my sketch book.  We also need to look at different shapes in our pages, which is what I did this week.  So here's what I've been doing, in addition to listening to all the Coronavirus info!!!!

Each picture shows a  Before and After - and actually 'work in progress'!!!

I saved this picture from a newspaper article several, several years ago!

I added some colored pencils as well as extending some of the circles...just playing!!

I haven't done much with this page yet.  The leaf print was from a card I received!  I've always liked this card and some of the magazine pages I've saved seemed to fit right it!

Another work in progress...gold leaf on the left side of the page(s)  is from another card and the top flower is a postcard and, again, addition of a leaf picture from a magazine at the bottom.

I've just started on this page..I added extensions to the picture on the top left and added some additional window shapes...my daughter took this photograph when she was in Italy back in 2008??  I think the top (left) pic will make a good stencil/stamp too..at least the shapes will.

Again, more pictures my daughter took on her trip to Italy.  I love the shapes in the buildings...another work in progress.

More pictures from my daughter's trip to Italy.  The picture in the center is one I found in a quilting magazine years ago!!!  I've always loved the colors and pattern(s).

I'm still working on this page and think for our next 'homework/lesson' we'll be creating stamps/stencils.  I love the shapes in this picture so hope to create stamps with that image.  But you never know!!!

Something old is new again!

I finished my beaded leaf a year or so ago...it measures 12" x 12" and quite heavy!
I ended up quilting a background piece and wrapped it around a canvas.  I was never happy with the background and I got to playing around, way too much!, with paints, etc.  I figured out that less was more and I had already over done the 'more' part on this piece. 

Every day I've been looking at this canvas piece and just not liking it!  I can't help but look at it because the way our LR is set up I can see just into the edge of my sewing room where the canvas hung! 
Yep, I could have moved the piece but then how would I fill my time!


So...the other day, in between mask making and hex's, I pulled out the threads I used to attach the leaf to the wrapped canvas.  That was easy!

I started to look at some background fabric and even laid the leaf on my paper quilt I made last summer! 

Actually, this did look pretty good in real life!  I almost left it on this background!

I decided I needed to try and enhance the quilted background already on the wrapped canvas...so off to my wet room to get out some paints!!  I was going to use white paint but found a Fawn Setacolor my bud, Carol T. gave me.  It worked great...and after adding a little Gelato crayons this was the result! 

I reattached the beaded leaf and here it is! 



Some may not care for this but I am very happy with the end result....and now, when I look in my sewing room, the leaf doesn't stand out like a sore thumb or sore leaf, to me any more!

Just Keeping Busy!!

 Yep, I ended up making some masks!  But just for us and my neighbor...one of our quilt guilds in the area made up quite a few for Hurley Hospital...at one point, they weren't accepting any but now they are...so nice of the ladies from the guild to do this!!

Of course, I had to make a few with dog prints on them!

In between this 'mask making', which didn't take much time!  HA, I'm playing with my beaded wren's background!  I've made the hex circular area behind the bird...just sewed interfacing to the back, turned inside out and pressed.  I'll applique it down once I've decided on what I'm doing, which could take quite some time, right!

I've made several different hex's in different colors...the background is an old - and I mean old sky dyed fabric I purchased my first year going to the IQA show in Texas!  Yes, it's original 'sky dye' from Mickey Lawler!  I think this is my last piece that I purchased from her...this was early in 2001 or 2002...I ended up taking a class from her at QSDS, also several years ago! 

So these are just some samples I'm playing with...nothing is set in stone yet and I'm not sure how I will layout the hex's...but I will be using them...somehow...someway!!!

I really like these hex's!!!

Just laying out some hex's on the paper I copied.

I just started making these hex's and I'm really liking them...not too bright...not too light...but, who knows!  Not me for sure!


Hope ya all are staying safe and keeping busy!!!