No, it's not a pumpkin......!

WIP Challenge!

Yes, it may look a little like a pumpkin at the moment; but hopefully it will look like something quite different by the time it's finished (which needs to be before the end of the month so I can enter it into a challenge!) Wish me luck - there's a lot more beads to add yet! I'll post progress photos!

My friend Lynda and I have been busy playing with dye and upcycling vintage and found fashion! We've had so much fun collecting our resources and playing with embellishing them. We've been chasing up some legalities about selling these pieces and hope to have some of the finished pieces for sale in our etsy stores and a local gallery soon....

Upcycled Fashion

I've recently entered a few local art exhibitons and have been lucky enough to gain a 2nd place in the Works on Paper section with 'Virginia Creeper' at the Bendemeer Art and Craft Show and a 1st prize at the Currabubula Red Cross Art Show with 'My Tree of Life' Textile piece. I've been over the moon about both!

'Virginia Creeper'

Pastel

Another WIP! I found this lovely long silk scarf this week and am going to try some more shibori dyeing... I've drawn 5 circles and have stitched running (gathering stitch across each one - actually I've one to go!) I want to get it into the dye pot tonight. I envisage 5 patterned circles on a black background. I can't wait to see how it ends up!

Found Silk Scarf

Stitched ready to gather for Shibori dyeing...

The circles remind me of sunflowers at the moment...

...........of Bush Dancers

Hello there and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my followers, readers, family and friends!

Wow, it's been a little while since I posted here...! I haven't dropped off the face of the earth; I've simply been busy working on and off through the holiday season; alas with not to much to show in the creative department! :) I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and an inspirational start to 2011! Ideas are still coming thick and fast over here, I'm just finding less time to persue them... I'm planning to get my act together though and eke out some studio time.!

Dear Linda at Edelweiss Gallery, Dungowan has updated my artist's page. It's lovely to have some more recent photos on there. She also kindly included a photo of my most recent addition to the gallery on the Edelweiss Gallery blog! It is a soft pastel painting titled 'Bush Dancers' and I completed it during 2010. (and blogged about it here.) It is now framed in a gorgeous wide but simple gold frame with a triple mat....

I'll be back soon...! Promise!

Oil Pastel Landscape

My first few hours in the studio for quite some time this quiet Sunday afternoon! I'm missing just coming in here whenever I like... my day job is taking up more and more of my time. I'm still enjoying it very much but will have even less time as I pick up an extra day/week as of this week..... The kids are away (going to Europe for 5 weeks with their Dad- lucky things!) So, it's just me and hubby and my beautiful wee Cee Cee (and the rest of the menagerie of course)...

I had a play around with my scrap/sketchbook and drew this small oil pastel landscape based on a trimming from the bottom edge of a magazine clipping I glued in. It wasn't a landscape but certainly had the feel of one....

I haven't posted any art or textile work on here for quite some time and feel a little guilty! Hopefully I'll be able to spend some more time in here on Tuesday!

Hooked on Pastels!

I had a bit of trouble with Blogger yesterday; and I couldn't post more than just a title... couldn't edit either! I'm playing around with some new templates so please bear with me whilst things move around and I play with headers and colour schemes! My photos always seem to be a bit squished up regardless of how I crop or resize....

Anyway, I've been enjoying playing with pastel on board; I'm quite happy with these pears.....

Pears on Glass Platter

Pastel on Board

...but not so happy with this sunflower. I think it needs to be darker at the bottom... It's lost some of it's shape. Please excuse the blurry photo!

Following the Sun

Pastel on Board

of Pastel Paintings

Mum’s glasses case is finished and on it’s way! I lined it with soft fleecy and added blanket stitch around the top edge. I'm pleased with how it's turned out! I hope she like's it!

Glasses Case; silks, cottons, sari silks, ribbon, organza and hand embroidery

I promised a while ago that I would add a photo of the plates my Brother and SIL gave me when they visited. They are oval shaped with a delightful border..... I just love the colourful retro birds…!

I had a productive day in the studio yesterday; finishing this pastel painting which was quite literally gathering dust! It's approx 48cm x 68cm [19" x 27"]  and is the largest pastel I have done to date... I used Art Spectrum Colourfix Primer which is my favourite ground for pastel. It has such a nice 'bite'...!

Virginia Creeper

I also started and completed this smaller piece which I’m hoping to get framed at work in time for a few local exhibitions. Also on Colourfix Primer. 29cm x 22cm [11" x 8 1/2"] It is based on a photo I took at one of my Garden Club visits.

Untitled....  I'd love your help to title this painting...!

Umm... no stitching yet this week... but my fingers are itching to do some! I'm not sure about starting something new before I begin Jude Hill's online Spirit Cloth workshop.... No doubt I won't be able to help myself though!  I think I read on Jude's blog that there are still spaces available in her 3rd workshop: Patchwork Beasts. There is a link in the sidebar of her blog.