.... of a Mother of Pearl cross (or should it be Mother Pearl is cross?)

I've done it again..! I have so many projects on the go at once I'm spinning. Often I don't know which one I should be working on so I end up wasting precious time and not achieving much at all!

I found this in one of my old sketchbooks last night and played around with it a little. Have I mentioned I have a new phone photo app which I am loving messing around with? (probably accounts for some of my wasted time!)

I started stitching this piece a few years ago..... and recently found some supplies online which I have been keeping an eye out for- bulk Mother of Pearl buttons! I can't wait for them to arrive this week so I can pull this out of storage and continue on as if a few years really haven't lapsed! Quite excited at the prospect of actually finishing it! I just need to remember which box, crate or bag I saw it in recently!

Framed!

All ready for the exhibition!

'THE KISSING TREE'

'ROYAL #1 POMEGRANATE'

'JOURNEY INTO THE LANDSCAPE (ORIGINAL)'

So very happy with how these turned out! Delivered to the exhibition venue on time!

Royal - New Textile Piece

I have always been fascinated with Pomegranates. They have such a beautiful shape, topped with a sweet little crown. We had a small tree in our country garden where I grew up and as an adult have been guilty of buying them from the supermarket because they look fabulous in the fruit bowl.... with the intention of painting or drawing them. Occasionally I remember to at least photograph them! Consequently they rarely end up eaten either.....

Black and white commercially printed cotton as the background; the pomegrantate shape is cut from a thrift shop top that I sadly couldn't fit into! ...I have satin stitched the seeds and will probably kantha stitch the entire background and finally add some borders.... 

I am imagining a series of these.....

 ROYAL POMEGRANATE #1 (DETAIL)

There are a couple of exhibitions coming up that I would love to exhibit in so I had better get busy and get this one framed. The Kissing Tree- finally completed!

THE KISSING TREE (DETAIL)

I'll post pictures of the finished framed pieces. 

The Fruits of Her Labour

THE FRUITS OF HER LABOUR

A new piece created from a scrap of woolen tweed; hand dyed silk and a segment from an old neck tie. The basic tree has been kicking around in one of my many bags/boxes of fabric for about 5 years! I came across it a couple of weeks ago and it was just begging for fruit (a mix of hand painted, dyed and commercial fabrics); and then leaves..... The binding is my latest purchase; a commercially printed cotton. 

I framed it in time for a gallery opening in Nundle, New South Wales. A great night had by all! Thank you to wonderful hosts Linda and Mark Floyd of Nundle Art Gallery / Volcania Art Glass.

Another New Beginning....

So, the house is half packed up ready for my next move and yet somehow I find the time to stitch. It's such a necessity for me.

Stitching = Destressing + Creativity = Sanity

Hand dyed linen and silk; definitely landscape inspired. More to come once the move is complete: a little closer to Christmas.

....on starting afresh!

I have had internet issues for a while now and life has been soooo unbelievably busy I really haven't had time to blog!

I'm back with a new blog name and another huge change to take effect within a few months...  and then I should hopefully have more time to devote to art and blogging!

Here's a little piece I am working on. Well actually it was a single piece but I cut it in half as it just wasn't right! A few hours more work on each and I think they may be ready to frame!

Hand dyed cotton, commercial printed cotton (new and upcycled) , upcycled sari silk, thai silk and hand dyed pashima.

Times they are a changing...........

I've had some massive changes in my life over the last 6-8 months; the most recent being my separation from my darling hubby. It's complicated! ......... and still very painful. We have moved location; I'm no longer rural but living in suburbia. It has it's pluses but I miss the country very much; and our menagarie of pets!
Home and work are within a few km's radius which makes for a limited commute time which is wonderful! I am appreciating being close to shops and services too....

I wanted to add a photo of my most recent piece. I had a similar one stolen from my unlocked car along with some jewellery 3 months or so ago. My own fault. Silly. I was devestated. So many hours of stitching. It was whilst staying at my sister-in-law's house before moving into my current abode.... blogger isn't letting me add a photo so I'll edit once I've posted this....

Of the colour Red… plus bitumen!

I promised photos of my new red living room…. Wow! It is a different room and I adore it. I love being immersed in colour as opposed to just splashes of colour or feature walls….. Even the horrid brown panelling painted beautifully (with Antique White USA (Dulux)) It was perfect for all the trim and a built in bookcase near the front door too… I’m so happy with the colour… Red Stop (also Dulux) Love it, Love it!

New living room colour + Mojo!

After!

Before!

I just need a few new cushions and a rug and a throw rug. There isn't much wall space left for artwork...but maybe just a few small pieces...?!

While I'm on the colour Red, this is where I'm up to with my Tree Of Life #2! I still have some little details to stitch on... some tree roots, an edging, some details on the sun and moon I think, and some more hair on bird self (I've gone red again!)

my Tree of Life #2

I tried out the bitumen technique that Gary Reef shared on his site Loving Mixed Media again. I think I’m officially hooked! Here is the first one finished…

Bitumen experiment #1

This one is I used a simple paper doiley and a wall décor sticker thingy as a stencil…

Bitumen experiment #2

This circular one is another old unfinished collage (there’s more of them hanging around the studio that might get a face lift yet!) Not finished rubbing back yet....

Bitumen experiment #3

Eager to try some more!

Meeting a friend to discuss our entries into an upcoming upcycled fashion parade...

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 Threads of Life......

I’ve finished ‘Adorn’! I moved a few elements around and am even happier with it now…!

Adorn

Threads of the Past

detail

Adorn

Threads of the Past

I’m entering a couple of pastel paintings and ‘My Tree of Life’ textile piece (that I started in Jude Hill’s SpiritCloth online workshop) into a local exhibition. I managed to get the textile piece framed just in time! I absolutely looove how it turned out… that timber frame is just perfect... I used spacers so the glass wasn’t sitting directly on the fabric. I need to take it in tomorrow... but I like where I have it hanging at home....

I will frame 'Adorn' similarly...

Adorn

This is what I've been working on most of today... Quite unlike anything I've ever done but I have to say it's been very enjoyable to play with!

Adorn

Textile Collage

It won't be mounted on black; that's a piece of black foam core board I use as a mobile design wall!!! I have several of them and they are often full on both sides with Works In Progress!

This piece includes all sorts of vintage and found textiles and bits and pieces! There is a piece of upholstery fabric and trim; some of the onion dyed linen and cotton from the other day; some crotched edges from the tiger lily doiley of Flaming Heart fame..., vintage buttons, organza, pink damask (gifted from Lynda), vintage bead set, beaded sari organza, a little onion dyed stuffed flannel heart and the stamped word 'Adorn'- still to be attached. I will mount this either onto a stretched canvas or mat board to frame under glass.

Such fun to make! (Back to work tomorrow-but how lucky am I to have had a full day playing) Dinner guest tonight; so had better get to the kitchen!

...of March Madness

Yay! I've recently reduced my work hours as I found I just wasn't getting enough time to play creatively and I felt somehow not whole because of that. Also, I felt that I wasn't spending enough time with my family....

So, flip side; Here I am with a bit less money to play with but way more time! I've done a little more to the sacred heart piece; the wings are cut and ready to trim and stitch on (soft creamy gold fabric- if they were jewellery they would be called white gold!)..... I'm loving this little piece; I haven't got a working plan; I'll just keep adding to it until it's done. I do know I want it to be very decorative and embellished!

Sacred Heart

Vintage Embroidery, silk and found textile Applique

on vintage linen

This is my first week of reduced hours and I am loving having my freedom back! I'm enjoying baking and cooking again; seeing more of my kids; and well, just playing! I continue to have a weekly art day with Lynda - this week we played with soldering. We soldered broken crockery, coloured glass and tried a technique (I can't remember if it was in Cloth Paper Scissors or Somerset Studio) where you adhese an image onto foam core board, polyurethane or varnish the image, add copper tape, then solder the edges and an eyelet pushed into the top of the foam core to make a pendant!

We had lots of fun...! and some mixed results! -I still need to practice my soldering technique and think I need a different tip for my soldering iron!

I also squeezed in a workshop with Glenys Mann (local textile artist who also teaches and organises textile events and classes bringing international tutors to Australia) which was fun! We did some natural dyeing, and rusting; as well as worked on an individual project prompted by Glenys' brief. She's a lot of fun and very talented and knowledgable.... I enjoyed the day very much!

WIP - Reliquery

My work revolved around the theme of reliquery. Here are some little pieces I worked on. This has since led me to explore the theme further and this discharged cross is a further step... I don't know where all this is going yet; but I'm having fun! Unfortunately I won't be able to make the class this week as Mack has a belated birthday sleepover...

Discharged Black Cotton Whole Cloth -Cross

Cross - detail

Cross - detail

I just love the shapes and images in the individual squares. Not sure whether to add stitch or just leave it as is? Any comments welcome.

Off into town for coffee and cake with a friend; then a quick visit to the op shops, before coming home and finishing up the signs I've not had time to finish! I'm also going to mount my 3 sisters piece onto a painted canvas and hopefully frame it to take into the gallery. I'm going to rename it 'Grace, Beauty and Wisdom'!