Sunday 29 March 2009

Blog Candy Winners

OK here it is, and the winners of my Blog Candy, as selected by a random number generator are:
first prize for the felted bag and journal is lindart.
The second prize winner for the felted bag is Anne.
The third prize journal goes to Karen.
Thanks to everyone who commented and entered, I have enjoyed a quick peek at some of your blogs and will be going back over the next while to check out more. I hope I see all of you back here again and good luck on future blog candy that I will offer.
I will need your snail mail so please let me know by Thur April 2 2009. If I have't heard by then I will draw a new winner.

Monday 23 March 2009

Beeswax Collage


Beeswax Collage
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit
Here are more Bee Tags for my Bee Tag Book. The tag on the left is regular collage with some flowers and the bee added with foam tape for extra dimension. The tag on the right is my first beeswax collage project. I used beeswax to add the background and then added extra layers of flowers and a leaf. This tag was then added to a black cardstock for extra strength. I thought it might make a nice cover, but I think I'll try again and improve my beeswax collage technique. Both tags are made from gift bag paper.

Journal Spread


Journal Spread
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit
I had some plus size inchies for ATCs and decided to save some to create a page in my journal. I had 5 of these fabric inchies and made the purple and green bead soup square which is 1.5 inches. I coloured the page with Portfollio Pastels and then blended and moved the colour with a wet paint brush. The squares are glued to the page. This is the journal that I made for the 12 Days of Christmas gift swap.

Monday 16 March 2009

March Swap at the Grind

Yesterday was the regular monthly swap at the Grind and the first time I went to the new later start time, and I was still late. I stepped out of the house to a heavy, wet downpour of snow, not what one would expect this time of year. I had to stop and buy a new umbrella and the transit was a little slow and of course I just had to stop and check out the dollar store since I don't get into Vancouver very often. Being late I still received more wonderful ATCs to add to my collection. These are the new ones I made for the swap and took along with some previous ATC.



This set is the first needle felt ATCs I made for swapping and are numbers 6, 7 and 8 of the group of 8 I made and they are titled "Nature "FELT". They are all done on craft felt with leftover wool yarn, except for the yellow which is from wool roving.

These are Series 2 Pink Plus Size Inchies made from small pieces of fabric stitched together on craft felt, decorative stitches added then cut into 1.5 inch squares stitched onto gift bag paper which has been embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.


This last set is Green Plus Size Inchies on green embossed gift bag paper.

Wednesday 11 March 2009

Mar 10, 2009 Created Byhand Challenge

The challenge this week is to make art using the colours green and blue. For my entry I made these 3 ATCs with paper from a gift bag which I misted with water and crumpled then smoothed out and dried. I tore this paper into 2in. by 3 in. pieces and mounted them to blue cardstock. Then the fun began by selecting the blue and green buttons and sewing them on to the ATC. The final step was to mount this on green cardstock.

Monday 9 March 2009

Another Blog Giveaway

I just discovered an interesting blog, colorfulartgirl and she is giving a nice package of fabric scraps. Visit her blog and enter if you love fabric and quilts. The post for the giveaway is Scrap Saturday

Sunday 8 March 2009

Created Byhand Challenge March 2




This weeks challenge is to create art using the word "Believe" and since I was already making this little journal for my blog candy it was perfect for the challenge. For the covers I used scrapbook cardstock and the front cover includes the word BELIEVE. I glued the cardstock to 4X4 in. coasters for the front and back covers, distressed with a sanding block and Vintage Photo Distressed Ink and rubbed the edges with Spun Gold acrylic paint.
The first page is a mono-print background I made awhile ago using watercolour paper and gel paints. I cut it to size, stamped the word believe with an alphabet stamp and Sage pigment ink pad. Next I stamped my favourite quote, which Suzanne at Quietfire Design has made into a beautiful rubber stamp, with Timber Brown StazOn ink. The rest of the other 11 pages are blank watercolour paper and the journal is bound with the Zutter BindItAll. This journal is part of the blog candy in the previous post so you might want to check that out.

Tuesday 3 March 2009

100th Blog Post and Blog Candy






Post has been edited and the rest of the blog candy photos added.





Before I get started, just a reminder that Lisa Volrath at Ten Two Studio is running a St. Patrick's Day countdown so do go check out the free images there after you finish reading my post.
Well this is finally it, my 100th post, well part of it anyway. I've had to keep quiet here for awhile because I wanted the 100th post to be about my latest prizes and they are not quite ready yet but I just can't keep quiet any more and I just can't wait to show you the third place blog candy. I will edit and add the first and 2nd. prize in a day or two. Now how's that for putting pressure or motivation on myself? In the meantime go ahead and post a comment on this post to be in the draw if you don't mind risking what first and 2nd prize will be.
This journal for third place is the third assignment for my course. The project was to use old book paper and a chipboard flower or other shape and paint with stamp pad ink and a wet paint brush. The ink is stamped onto freezer paper used as a palette and then painted on the book paper which is glued to the chipboard;, but instead of a flower, I decided to do the journal covers. This little Zutter bound journal is 4.25 inches by 5 inches with 12 blank watercolour pages just waiting for your art to be added. For the inside covers, I added some green cardstock that I had mono-printed with gold and pearl gel paint. The chipboard and wires are small pieces leftover from the 12 Days of Christmas Gift Journals. I used brads to add a decorated chipboard shape stamped with "Friends" in green Stazon ink. There is also a Quietfire Design quote stamp which was stamped on the blank white sheet from a paper napkin and glued over the old book paper and a bunch of ribbons tied onto the wires. This was a fun project, I hope you like it.

Well the pressure I put on myself worked, the prizes were finished in a few days. It has just taken me more time to get online to post them. Well here they are. Second prize is a 5X5.5 inch knit felted bag. It is bias knit in garter stitch with a self striping wool and soy yarn and then machine felted. This little bag will arrive empty just waiting for you to fill with tresures.
Now for the first prize, a 5.5X6 inch felt bag which I designed with a diaganal flap. This is again bias knit garter stitch from a 100% wool yarn and machine felted. Next I needed just the right button, so I checked out my collection and could not find just the right one, so I went to a jar of vintage buttons my Mom had given me and this one seemed perfect. This little bag comes with a 4X4 inch journal tucked inside and you can read more about it in my next post. Of course you could remove the jouranal and fill the bag with whatever treasures you would like. Now to win one of these prizes leave a comment on this post by March 28, 2009 and I'll draw 3 names on March 29, 2009. Please check back after Mar. 29 to see if you are a winner, I will then have instructions for claiming your prize. Good luck to all of you, I hope you have as much fun as I did.