Sketchbook Postings - Blooming

Blooming was a great kick-start for me... I can see all sorts of possibilities from these humble little exercises.
Did 'the teaser' leave ideas popping into your head as well? Below are my quick sketch and timed collage
based on this week's word.

From My Heart to Yours

Here’s an easy & fun Valentine’s Day project that you, your friends and your family would love to make or receive, and each is made using crayons and fabric paint.

MATERIALS

For the heart fabric you will need:

4 ¼” x 5 ½ “ of white pre-washed cotton fabric

crayons (glitter, metallic or gel crayons work great!)

heart rubber stamps without words

found textured items for background – a plastic tablecloth was used for the samples

Freezer Paper

Fabric Paint (I use Createx Airbrush Paint)

1” Paint Brush

Small plastic cups or lids (for palette)

Paper Towels

Iron/Ironing board

To turn your painted fabric into a quilt card you will need:

Piece of batting, 4 ¼” x 5 ½ “

Piece of backing fabric 5 ¼” x 6 ½ “

Sewing machine

Pre-made 5”x7” card and envelope

INSTRUCTIONS

coloring and painting the fabric!

1. Select several (4-6) crayons from the same color family (i.e. reds or pinks or blues) mixing them gives more dimension to colored area
2. Place rubber stamp or textured item under the fabric, face up, positioned where you would like image to appear on fabric
3. Holding the item in place under the fabric, rub one of the crayons over the fabric revealing the design as you rub. Press hard, changing colors as you rub until you have the item colored as you like
4. Move or change the textured items along, under the fabric, coloring until the fabric is colored as you like.

Once the coloring is completed, IT’S TIME TO PAINT!

1. Lay a piece of freezer paper out that is slightly bigger than the fabric to be painted.
2. Select the color(s) of paint for the background of your work
3. Mix paint using approximately 1 tsp of paint to ¼ C of water
4. paint over the entire piece & allow to dry
5. Once dry, place painted fabric between layers of paper towels and iron to remove the wax and to heat set paint. Iron to heat set for time indicated by paint manufacturer.

PUTTING THE QUILT & CARD TOGETHER!

1.      Sandwich the quilt top fabric (face up); with the batting and quilt back fabric (face down), making sure that the top & batting are centered over the backing fabric

2.      Bind the little quilt as you like

3. You little quilt may be machine quilted/ painted and embellished as desired.
4. The final step is to tack the little quilt onto the front of pre-folded card stock 5”x7”.

 Your card is now ready to send, but don’t forget that this fabric painting technique can be used year round for making your own fabrics for your own uses.

If you’d like a few more project ideas or to learn more about color & designing fabric you may want to purchase my e-booklet with video on Crayon Painting!

Gotta Share the Mojo!

January is slipping by, and I just could not let it get away from me without sharing some great/ fun mojo dolls that were shown to me way back during the first week of the year. I had been at the Santa Monica Quilters and Sherry Kleinman (a fellow quilt artist) stepped up with a large paper bag in her hand.

She quietly said that she had seen the posting on the Mojo Dolls just before Christmas. She went on to explain that she always does a family craft project for the holiday and after seeing the post... well, the Kleinman's went Mojo! What was in the bag? Just some of the most fun, creatively nurtured Mojo Dolls!

Sherry sent these pictures on so I could share them....

Don't you love them!?!

Another Tuesday Teaser - Are you Ready?

The Tuesday Teaser subject this week is:
Blooming

  Join in fun, and share with others your own Tuesday Teaser
drawing & collage, or words & short tale.

It’s easy, so grab your sketchbook or some paper.
1. make a timed drawing (5 minutes) of something/ anything that comes to mind when you think about the teaser
2. create a collage (15 minutes) using the drawing ideas to guide your way

Or if you love is of words…
1. make a list of all the words this week’s teaser makes you think up (5 minutes)
2. create a short tale (15 minutes) using your word list

I'll be posting the design group's sketchbook results on Monday-next.
I'd love to share yours, too so email your drawings or word wanderings to me... Tuesday Teaser and I'll include as many as possible!

But I think this week's word can really get me going.... how about YOU?

Sketchbook Postings - Solitude

Did you have any light bulb ideas after you left last Tuesday's Teaser, SOLTUDE, kick around for bit?
Below are my quick sketch and timed collage based on this week's word.

Blast From the Past - The Mental Approach to Sewing

Just last weekend through Monday I spent with the members of the Conejo Valley Quilters. One of these is my 'good friend' Jake. Amongst all the chaos that having very young people (Hi Sam!) (Dana, too!) living with you and all the activities of family (including a couple of cats) was my visit. It was a fun time! I even got to share a Valentine's Day crayon & painting project with the kids. The workshop attendees were filled with great ideas & it was fun also to see them bring their quilts to show the next day at the meeting. All in all it was a nice trip with an energetic-happening group. I just wanted to share a very funny reprinted article that came out in their newsletter. As you read it, please note that am sitting here in my jammies, coffee at my side.... you get the picture.

Got your lipstick on?

A Treasure Trove of Quilts

 It's time for me to take a few minutes and catch up with sharing a few fun things I have run into during my recent traveling. For instance, while I had a wonderful time teaching the members of the Ladies of the Lake Quilters you know I was out wandering around during my downtime... that's where all the wonderful pictures of sunrise came from.

Well, I also had the chance to go just up the road to Kelseyville where there is a wild and wonderfully artistic quilter named Shelley.... And, she shares the most incredible fabrics at her store right there on Main Street. She has the gift of color, and know how to make a quilt design glow. In addition to the normal items you find in a quilt store, Shelley fills hers with incredible quilt tops that she makes and sells there. The store is a special treat and if you do find your way there you must stop in!

I took a few pictures--hope you enjoy them.

It it's Tuesday-- Here's the Teaser

I have been off traveling over the last couple of weeks and having a great time, and I definitely have some interesting finds along the way. These will be making their way into my posts over the next few days, but I wanted to jump back in with the Tuesday Teaser. Hope to see how this 'word' kick starts a bit of creative play from many of you. Happy Tuesday!

The Tuesday Teaser subject this week is:
Solitude

  Join in fun, and share with others your own Tuesday Teaser
drawing & collage, or words & short tale.

It’s easy, so grab your sketchbook or some paper.
1. make a timed drawing (5 minutes) of something/ anything that comes to mind when you think about the teaser
2. create a collage (15 minutes) using the drawing ideas to guide your way

Or if you love is of words…
1. make a list of all the words this week’s teaser makes you think up (5 minutes)
2. create a short tale (15 minutes) using your word list

I'll be posting the design group's sketchbook results on Monday-next.
I'd love to share yours, too so email your drawings or word wanderings to me... Tuesday Teaser and I'll include as many as possible!

Sunrise In Lakeport, CA

Had an incredible visit to Lakeport, CA where I had a chance to meet and present to the Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild --- So much fun!  Hope you enjoy the sunrise photos....

Personalize your own slideshow

Sunset Discovery Book:Nothern California

Tuesday's Teaser - Grab Your Sketchbook

Those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter have undoubtedly seen me talking for the last few days about my missing to-do book. I admit that I am a list-maker and enjoy crossing things off the list when they are done. I also enjoy adding things to the list...especially when they may be new & exciting things. But, this little book is one of many in a long line that I carry with me year after year. Beyond the to-do aspect of the note taking, it is a place where I sketch out ideas and work through details. I have looked high and low for my most current book and now realize that it is choosing to remain hidden. I am mourning its loss just a bit, but have bought a new one and figure it was meant for me to start this year out totally 'fresh'.

I love the idea and practice of carrying and using a to-do, sketch-idea book, and these Tuesday's Teasers are another way to encourage the creative juices. Each one of these 'teasers' is hand-picked from a basket during the weekly meeting of my design-group. We may grimace a bit at the one picked, but sometimes the one that seems most foreign pulls from us the something wonderful or something new.

The Tuesday Teaser subject this week is:
Dancing with Fred Astaire

  Join in fun, and share with others your own Tuesday Teaser
drawing & collage, or words & short tale.

It’s easy, so grab your sketchbook or some paper.
1. make a timed drawing (5 minutes) of something/ anything that comes to mind when you think about the teaser
2. create a collage (15 minutes) using the drawing ideas to guide your way

Or if you love is of words…
1. make a list of all the words this week’s teaser makes you think up (5 minutes)
2. create a short tale (15 minutes) using your word list

I'll be posting the design group's sketchbook results on Monday-next.
I'd love to share yours, too so email your drawings or word wanderings to me... Tuesday Teaser and I'll include as many as possible!

Sketchbook Postings - As You Walked Through the Door

Last week's Tuesday Teaser was As You Walked Through the Door
What do you think of when you hear this phrase?
Grab your sketchbook and 'go for it'!

Lisa/ from Australia used this teaser to create in words and is sharing the following:
......well it was actually me who walked through the door and you were on the television......everything went into slow motion and I had to sit down on the bed and watch...my mouth wide open the entire time. 

All of a sudden I had the perfect subject to explore in my art...yes I had heard the raven flapping at the window begging for attention, but I never thought to put him in my studio.

Now less than two years later my life is filled full of raven hearts, my art has been hung in the CBD of Sydney, Australia and about to be shown in Tokyo, Japan.

That's what I think of when you ask the question "what comes to mid when you hear .....".

I have told you too many times...bothered you often .....and every time you have been so nice to me.....approachable.  I love you and still can't thank you enough.....Rose Brenna Hughes.  <15 minutes is up>    :-)

and a set of drawings & collage from a sketchbook: