Thursday, February 26, 2009

Oops, been away that long????



Good morning people!
I hope this post finds you all well!
Want to thank everbody for their wonderfull and supportive comments, they mean soooo much to me!
I am sorry, just now found out that I did not post for a while...so much for wanting to post every day in this year..lol.
Today I am posting something that I wanted to make for a while now and finally did it. Its a clutch purse that is crazy quilted and hand beaded. Added some hand embroidery too.
Its is made out of recycled silk blouses and the inside is silk too. The black fabric is recycled velvet. Don't you just love the feel of silk and velvet????
I think it would make a great evening purse...what do you think?? I had to delete the background of the first two pictures so it would not be to distracting. The third pic I just left as is, so you will see what I mean. Looking at the picture I see that some little adjustments need to be made, will fix that and re post the picture. ( you see what I see here?LOL)


The velvet I embossed myself because I thought it looked to "flat". This is the first time I made something like this and I had so much fun making it that I am thinking of making another one in different colors. I will put it up for "adoption" in my Etsy store, I think. Then again...I would really like it for myself...lol.
This is it for today, have a busy agenda today, so I will talk to you guys soon.....sooner then last time..promise.....
Everybody have a great wonderfull day...and go and create!
Love you guys!!!!
Andrea.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

What do you think..??


Good morning folks!
I hope this post finds you all well!
Here is my try on altered art dolls..lol. I tried to use as many as different foreign objects as I could come up with. What do you think? Any comments are welcome. I am hoping to learn from you guys's comments what I need to change or not. Really appreciate all the input that I can get.
The first one is made out of a wood block and an alt wind chime. The wood block is covered with tissue paper and mod podge. The bird is an old Christmas ornament. that had a hole in it, which I covered with a little mirror. The face is polymer clay made from my own mold.
The second one is a wood block stamped, painted and bees waxed. Some springs as arms, do not even remember where I got those. The cap is an old canning lid with wool left over. She is standing on an old desk leg. ( cannot remember where I got that either..lol) Her hair is a left over strip from recycled wool. Her face is paper mache, painted distressed and waxed.
Well people, that's it for today, waiting for your feedback.........
Have a great wonderful day and go and create!
Andrea.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Needle felted landscape...

Hello there people!
I hope this post finds you all well!
Decided to finish of a needle felting project, its machine felted with my own dyed wool on burlap.
Yours truly found out that you need more wool when felting on burlap, since it punches thru it easily. The plus side is that when you want to push the fibers back to the front, on burlap it really works great. By pushing back to the front, I mean needle felt it from the back. The wool mixes great when pushed back, this means a better mix of your colors. The piece ended up being bigger then originally planned so I had to ad some more wool. When I did that I did not ad more burlap. Just attached more wool to the existing piece. If you look at the close up in the top left corner you can see where the wool was added. The back is lighter. This will not be a problem ( I hope) once the piece is mounted on wood or some other backing fabric. Well that is to say, if I a use darker background then the piece. If that does not work, I will just needle felt a piece of burlap to fit. Hmm...maybe that is what I will do to start with....what do you think..lol.
For now I am thinking of free motion stitching it with the sewing machine. Still have to decide what colors for that.
This is it for now...want to thank you for all your wonderful and inspiring comments...love 'em thanks soooooooo much..with a big hug!
Take care and go and create!
Andrea.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Quicky!




Here is a quicky....posting. Mod podge, mica powders and tissue paper on my own dyed fabric.
Its totally not finished yet...but wanted to post something for today. It will be free motion stitched with variegated threads. I like the way it looks almost like metal. Even though the picture(cam), does not show it at its full potential.
Ok...really gotta run now..later people!

Winners OWOH!!!

Here it is folks..the winners of the give away of the OWOH .
I do not have a lot of time today but wanted to keep up with my promise to post the winners:
Sam, from http://samburgess.blogspot.com and S.Hyler from adornedintreasure.blogspot.com
Congratulations to these two people!
I really wish I could afford to let everyone that posted a comment win..that be sooo awesome. But sorry I cannot....I am going to try to do some blog candy give away in the next couple of months. So keep in touch folks! Have a great wonderful day and go and create!
Andrea.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Playing ....


Hi there...back again..me..lol.
Just a little thing I've been playing on.
The sea horse is a stamp rubbing with oil crayons on commercial fabric. Have no idea what material it is, but its stretchy and thickly woven and pretty heavy. I wanted to use it...and so I did. Covered the rubbing with some sparkly cheapo fabric paint.
Then stitched some scraps on the sides and couched some novelty yarns. Finished it of by zig zag stitching it onto a piece of commercial felt.
For today that will have to be it, getting company today so not much time to play till tonight..lol.
Again folks have a great one, ( do not forget to read the previous post...please..??) take care!
Go and create,
Andrea.

Last day OWOH!!!!

Today is the last day folks!! I will take entries till 8pm mountain time and then its over. Tomorrow morning I will announce the winners and send them their mail, so I can get the addresses to send the prizes. Good luck to all that have entered and all that will enter till 'closing time'.
This whole event has been such fun and we all got to meet many different people. The wonderful blogs one gets to cruise, that probably I would never have found without this event..awesome!!!
I feel honored that some of you think my work is good enough to be a follower of my blog. I hope that I can keep up with your expectations !!!
I have to ask you people when you read this, to take a moment and think about the people in Australia who have lost everything in the wildfires. Please say a prayer for them!!!!!
If you know anybody from around there, if you can...let them know that our hearts and prayers are with them!!
Thanks to everyone that entered my give away and for sharing your wonderful blogs!!
Just....well love you all....take care and have a great wonderful day!!
Ooh yeah....go and create!
Andrea.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Some more on fun technique...


Hello folks, here are some more ideas using stamps and tissue paper. I started this project last year and finished it yesterday. Actually finished two UFO's yesterday..lol.
The one with the tree, you have seen before. Only now its finished. I went and attacked the background with oil crayons and heat set them. Just felt that this way it would pull it more together.

Sorry about the blurry pic. The tree was needle felted (machine) and then stitched onto my hand dyed fabric. What do you think about the fringes?
Once I started with the one, it seemed not a bad idea with the other one.
Thanks for all you great comments, my friends, They are sooooooooo appreciated!!!
Well its time to go and do some more work. Do more UFO's...might post some tomorrow. ( aiming too) These you guys have not seen yet....
Take care , have a wonderful day and go and create!!!!
Andrea.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Fun technique


Hello people for today I am posting some really fun stuff( Well...I had fun with it..lol)
What you are looking at is my hand dyed fabric and stamped tissue paper.
I own a lot of commercial ( when I say lot talking really a lot) stamps. Most of them are very detailed and it is hard to get that detail on fabric. So this is what one can do: you stamp on the thin tissue paper and heat set it with your iron. I do recommend you use something between your iron and the tissue so you do not get ink on your iron. ( whom am I kidding...you should see mine..lol).
After that you carefully mod podge the tissue from the back first, let dry, then do the front. Now on the front try not going over the image more then twice and do not worry about not seeing to much of your image, mod podge dries up clear. You do not need to make the layers thick and its even recommendable that you thin the mod podge with just a little water. LET DRY...Be patient...lol. When dry cut out your images the way you choose, tearing might be a little difficult, but you could get almost the same effect with craft or scrapbook scissors.
Choose where you want to place your image and...yes...mod podge it on the fabric. Now ones its one there, you can not remove it...so keep that in mind. Do not worry about some mod podge spilling on your fabric you will hardly see it when its dry. When every thing is dry ( really dry!!)
You can iron the piece from the back of your fabric, not to hot, wool setting will do it. Again, its wise to protect your iron. Now you can stitch and embellish and/or put batting behind it and/or quilt it. You can even go in with markers and color some more, just give it time to dry in between coloring ( if you are impatient or should I say in a hurry..lol , try the hairdryer)
I do not think that this technique is to be recommended for heavily used textiles, but for wall hangings or fabric journal pages it works great. It also gives you a chance to use your stamps for more creativity.
I hope that some of you will try this...let me know what you came up with?? Pleazzze??
Have fun people...go and create....
Andrea.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Torturing needle felting machine!

Yes I did...I did torture my needle felting machine! Well I wanted to see how far she would go, what she would not do...lol. Well I found out! She does more then one could ever expect..really.
I did break one needle and that was even my fault. Clipped that needle short with pliers and went on with my torture....my baby hung in there like a real trooper!
In the pictures you see commercial felt( the cheapo stuff), roving, fabric and leftover twincies ( I have big hands inchies do not really work for me and I am not sure if twinchies is a word either..lol.) The basic I started with was some left over cotton batting pieces. Then from the back I needle felted the commercial felt to see what would happen. I used pieces of different colors. Then on the front went on with fabric, that's three layers the machine had to chew, but she did it. Have to remind you folks that you go slower then usual with the moving of your fabric when you have thick layers like that!


The twinchies were first just scrunched with the machine on the base cotton and then I put some roving over the edges to felt them down. Here I would like to remind you of the fact that fabric can be needle felted with the machine but you will have the stitch it with the sewing machine or felt it with roving to make it more permanent. The turtle was stamped and colored fabric leftover, so he had to go on somewhere too.



The face was drawn with pencils..I did not really like it so she was sacrificed as well.( she did not like to be scrunched into the scanner either with her face as you see..sorry about the wrinkles) Her hair is strips of commercial felt and the lighter color is roving. For thin strips like her hair I recommend you put your one needle attachment in your machine, if you use you five (or as in my case four) needles you will get more holes then needed,plus you will shred the strips. The leaf was a left over to be stuffed, needless to say it never got that far.


This was so much fun, I really recommend you guys go and try this. If you have never used a needle felting machine, go and check one out at a local dealer (for locals...bought mine at Brady's in Idaho Falls, really love the service and people there). The price of these things is very reasonable...I think cheaper then most sewing machines....but that's me. I guess I am a little prejudice about the machine because I have so much fun with her. Well my friends that's what I wanted to share with you guys for today.....please have a wonderful day and go and create?!
Andrea.

Found more blog candy....

Dear folks, hope this day finds you all well!
For today I would like for you to look up the blog candy...give away that I found on the web.
They are in the link post, on the left of the page. At least that's were I put them...you never know right? Go and check them out, these are very talented and generous people. Go and do some 'cruising', you will be amazed with what you find.
Gotta go for now, might be back later....
Wishing you all a happy funny creative wonderful day!!!!
Andrea.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Not forgotten......

Hi there folks!
No I did not forget about the blog..really!
First of all...thank you for the HUGE amount of reactions to my OWOH give away, keep'm coming and I might ad some more goodies to be won! Keep checking this blog, because I will not post the extra's till last two days.( when we go past 150...) I know I'm mean...lol.


As I mentioned a couple a days ago, there were some classes to teach and that takes up time in preparation as well as in the classes itself. Been putting around just a little in the studio and made small things. Posting them right now as we speak. the cat purse might go to a good home. If anyone is interested, give me a buzz..ok?




The fairy is from 'The graphics Fairy', she is in the blogs I follow. You really need to check this blog out. This lady is sooooo generous with what she shares! here is her blog address:http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com
Her back ground is paper with silk fibers(commercial), then wall paper pieces and paint, stamps and ink. Printed paper, fussy cut stuff etc. I am not sure if she wants to leave...but you could always ask and I will take it up with her..who knows??? ( don't worry about the pin, it did not hurt her a bit)
The cat purse is made from felted recycled sweaters. Like I mentioned, if you want to give hime a home email me and I will send more pictures .
There is only one of him!
Dear people that is it for now, please keep the comments coming!
Love you guys, have a great day...go and create!
Andrea.