More looping and new postcards

                                                 

cell phone pouch

Still working through the lessons for the beta class I am taking with Donna Kallner.  I'm really enjoying learning how to do these techniques.  To my inexperienced eye it resembles crochet, the biggest difference is I have never been able to learn how to crochet.  This lesson I learned how to make different shapes, such as rectangles and circles. I also learned other methods for adding the yarn or fabric or waxed thread.  So much fun!  I've added Donna's book to my wish list so I can continue to learn after the class.

Here is the first thing I did in this lesson, a little rectangle.
                         
Here is the last thing I did with this lesson, at least for now.  I know I want to make something using fabric strips too.  I made this little pouch.  Not perfect by any means but I really like it.  I just have to add a button.  Donna made hers a little larger and added a strap as well but this fits my cell phone, so other than a button I'm calling it done.

cell phone pouch

I wanted to show you two more postcards I received as well.  The first is from Vivian in California.  This was for the Steampunk exchange and I think she captured it perfectly.  I love the colors she used too.

Steampunk

            
The second is from Jan in Nebraska.  Hers is for the Van Gogh exchange.  Sheaves of Wheat.  Just gorgeous depth to this card.

Sheaves of Wheat

Thanks Jan and Vivian!


Have a Creative Day
Janet

Steampunk and Tree Bark

tree bark (the beginning) or shirt (the end)

Steampunk sounded like such a fun challenge to me for the Postmark'd Art group.  I felt compelled to sign up.  Thinking and creating are two different things.  It was a harder challenge than I expected.  First of all a definition might be good to know.  The problem is there is no fast and true definition for this sub culture.  The definition I like the best was found on the blog The Clockwork Century.  It's based around the science fiction of a future that never happened.  The machinery is steam powered and the costumes usually have a Victorian influence.  But, there is almost a magical quality to some of the machines.  

I found a background that is full of older looking machines and printed it on fabric.  Next I stenciled some Victorian lace and a Victorian frame with walnut ink.  
                            
I felt this covered up the machinery a little too much so I used my inktense pencils to highlight a few of the items of machinery.  Finally I added a few little metallic touches with embellishments.  I hope they travel safely on the cards.  
                               
The card I have received so far I think had a little rivet on it as well, but it fell off somewhere along the way.  With 9 of us in this group, I'm picturing a drawer of rivets in the post office somewhere between here and there.  Isn't this card amazing.  I love the depth she created.

Steampunk by Lynn of Washington

                      
I've started working on a 12" square piece for SAQA and decided to make tree bark.  I have seven or eight photos of tree bark from different types of trees and have been wanting to make a series out of them.  The 12" square requirement for SAQA sounded like a good size to work with for this challenge.  So far I have destroyed an old top of my mom's that she no longer wanted.  I cut holes in the fabric and used my heat gun to melt the edges a little so they would pull back.
                                          I've also painted some lutradur with Jacquard lumiere metallic rust.  I think this will make a great background for the slits.  Now to put them together and add some moss etc.
                                      
Have a creative day
Janet

Looping and the beginning of a Van Gogh

I have been taking a beta class online from Donna Kallner.  I took a class on photo transfer that she taught at the Textile Center in St Paul a number of years ago.  I really like her as a teacher.  She is more of a learning enabler if that makes sense.  She doesn't say "It has to be done this way."  She presents the material, gives you examples to make for learning the technique and tells you to follow your intuition.  Her videos and pdf lessons are very clear and I would highly recommend her class.  First was a little pouch made of hemp, because I didn't have the recommended material of Irish Wax linen thread.
  
                                           
Next I learned how to increase and decrease stitches by working around this sea shell.
                               
I made a small round of loops.
                                 
Finally I covered one of the jars from my sewing room.  It's fun and I still have two lessons to work through.

     

                         
I've also been working on my Van Gogh themed postcards.  I still have to finish adding the flowers to most of them and when the paint is dry I will do a little stitching.

                                 
Have a Creative Day
Janet

January ATC & February BOM

January is over and I realized I didn't show the Artist Trading Card I made this month.  I used some of the extra from my black and white quilt and made a "Tiny Tangle."

Tiny Tangle

Here is the card I received in January from Vivienne in Italy.  This is called "Furrbabies."  She must have known I like cats!

Furrbabies

                       

Have you made your February Blocks of the Month?  Considering something around 400,000 people have signed up for this free class at Craftsy, I wouldn't be surprised.  Here are my two blocks for February.

Balkan Puzzle Block Pattern

Chunky Chevron Block Pattern

And finally this is what I have done so far for my black and white challenge quilt.  I'm really having fun with this.  I used piping in between each of the black and white fabrics.  Someone asked me what piping is, so here is a link that explains it better than I probably could.  My piping cord is smaller than what they used, but otherwise I think I did it the same way.
  
    

Black and White and Read challenge

                             
Have a creative day
Janet