ATC Vancouver Swap January 2011

ATC Vancouver Swap January 2011
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

One of the themes for this month's swap is purple and that's the theme I have chosen to do with sewn, singed and beaded layers.
This month the swap is taking place at the Richmond Art Gallery so that we can view the exhibit of ATCs before the final day and swap.

Christmas Tree

I bought a little 2 foot tree to decorate and take to the hospital and decided all the ornaments should be non-breakable and handmade, everything but the string of beads met that criteria. All the ornaments I made are recycled paper and needle felt.




I played with some colour blending for these ornaments and used cookie cutters for the heart and star shapes. Most of the paper ornaments were cut with a Spellbinders die.

12 Days of Christmas

I've been missing from blog posts for nearly a month, but even though the gift opening for the Byhand Artists 12 Days of Christmas is long past I want to show you some of the cuff bracelets that I made for my Day 9 gifts. I showed the wrapped packages is my last post and so now here are the gifts that were inside.This is a selection of some of the cuff bracelets that I stitched up from fabric samples, hand knit pieces and fabric binding. Some have beading and rubber stamped pieces stitched on.
This group shows some more of the cuff bracelets including one that has a needle felted heart and beads.Close-up of one of the bracelets with a fabric mesh and buttons added.
This one is a fabric sample with a knit lace edging and flower added to the front along with some fun beads.
And the rubber stamped back, all rubber stamps from Quietfire Design.

ATC A Bit of Wool

ATC A Bit of Wool
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

This months ATC Vancouver swap at The Grind has themes of weather, windows and wool. I decided to do some wool theme. The top three are titled "A Bit of Wool Needle Felt". The background is a scan of some paper cloth I tried about a week ago.
The bottom two are the paper cloth with sock yarn wound on bobbins and one has a needle felted button while the other has a button.
I will also include at least one of these in the exhibit entry I'm sending to Vernon. Now to just choose which 6 I'll send.

April 15 and 16 Little Book

Well I don't have a book to post for yesterday, this one I started yesterday and it took me until today to finish it. I am pleased with this one, it is based on instructions from Teesha Moore. Mine is 4X5 in. I made 3 signatures of 3 papers made of 140 lb. watercolour paper. I covered the bookboard with a computer printout of a music paper collage and the spine is cotton fabric and I glued black ribbon along the edges. I did a stitched layered paper and fabric embellishment and added a piece of hand knit lace. The flower on the top left corner is from a hair elastic.

Little Book 6

For my April 6 book I did something a little more complex, for me at least. I started by painting a piece of 11X24 inch HP Durable Scrim, which is a PVC banner material. I used MakingMemories Fresh Anthology acrylic paint set and used 3 of the colours for the background and 3 plus 2 other colours for foam stamps. I painted small areas of colour and used foam stamps to lift some of the colours. I did the stamping after the background paint was dry. While I just got the photo done, this book was done barely in time because of waiting for the drying time. I did a 3 signature pamphlet stitch with 2 envelopes and 1 printed cardstock based on the cover design. The yellow cord for the closure came from a grab bag of trims purchased from Dressew. and the button was from my most recent $1.99 button bag purchase. The closed book measures approx 3.5X4.5. I am pleased with how this turned out and look forward to adding ATCs, tags and journaling to this book, it's definitely staying in my own collection.

April 5 Little Book

April 5 Little Book
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

Another purse style book for ATCs made from paper from a gift bag. The trim on the bottom I knit from Red Heart Twinkle yarn and 5.00 mm needles. The pages are double-sided scrapbooking cardstock and there is a beaded handle and buttons and heavy thread for a closure on the bottom. The trim on the top is a labels 4 Nestabilities die folded over the top to the back. This one also holds ATC "hockey cards" and will probably go to my niece. I like the contrast of a girly purse book holding hockey photos.

January ATC Swap at The Grind

I'm living up to the Queen of The Last Minute ATCs I made for the byhand swap and am rushing madly to finish ATCs for the swap at The Grind. Here is a few of the ones I've gotten finished so far.
The themes for this month is blue, books or beads.
The first set is more of the "By The Numbers Pockets" this time all blue, no orange here.

This next set I've used all 3 temes, I have a mostly blue chair with a stack of books on a embossed blue cardstock background. The blue fibres have beads on. I also used a Fiskars embossing border punch on the top edge. The words are computer generated and printed on white cardstock. These are called "Books in The Blue Room"



And the final group I've made so far is "Sing Little Blue Bird". For this I made a 3 layer cardstock template with a 2 inch circle punched out of the ATC sized template. I placed the blue cardstock in the Victoria Cuttlebug embossing folder and the template behind the cardstock and closed the folder. The sandwich I used was the A plate, 5 pieces of Cuttlebug packaging cardboard, the embossing folder and fially one B plate. This left a circle that is not embossed and I used that area to rubber stamp a little bird and music from the Crafty Secrets clear "Altered Art" small stamp set. The word sing is computer generated and printed on white cardstock. all this is layered onto a darker blue cardstock and ribbon, beads and a blue rhinestone are the embellishments.

Christmas Art

Here's what I've gotten done so far today, 1 more Christmas card and 3 ATCs. The card is very simple and uses the Lace Tree Cuttlebug embossing folder on white cardstock, mounted on a reddish brown cardstock then onto a cream card blank with a ribbon bow for embellishment.
The ATCs are rubber stamped tree and flourishes, coloured with Vintage Photo, Fired Brick and Tea Dye distress inks. The words are computer generated and the photo is from an old family photo. I added ribbons, beads and bells.

Oct. 09 ATC "Pear With Leaf"

Oct. 09 ATC "Pear With Leaf"
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

Paper napkin applique. The beads on the top right corner are applied with a mixture of Diamond Glaze and basil green gel paint. The whole card including the beads is then covered with a coat of triple thick gloss glaze.

Red Journal Page Spread

Red Journal Page Spread
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

I used the same design as for the "Thinking in Red" ATC for the focal point of this journal spread. I used as many images in the theme of red as I could easily fit on the pages. Many of the images came from paint sample brochure, the red pears are my own photo and the lady with red cloak is from The Lady's Closet free collage sheet. This is my journal made from assorted papers from Ruby Dogs Art House that I got from the former bulk section of the store.

ATC Thinking In Red

ATC Thinking In Red
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

This is an ATC I made for a special swap with the theme "red" I used a digital collage re-worked from one of the pages in my altered board book for the background of this ATC. I placed a torn strip of double sided tape along the top left side of the card and left the release paper on while I glued 3 colours of micro beads around the main image. Once the micro beads were dry I removed the release paper and added red and multi extra fine glitter.Hard to see, but there is a bit of Fired Brick Distressed Stickles in the transition from glitter to micro beads. The computer generated words are mounted on thick card and attached with double sided tape and the beads are strung and glued with Tacky glue around the main image.

Oct ATCs

I've made some ATCs today and here are a couple of the ones I've titled "Pumpkin Search". I used a digital scrapbook paper for the background and added the larger footprints from the same digital kit. The pumpkins are mounted on cardstock and the edge rubbed with Vintage Photo distress ink. The number 1 is stamped with Ancient Page coal black. I edged the card with Tea Dye distress ink and then applied Distress Stickles spiced marmalade to the front edge. On the second card I punched holes and added a wire and bead hanger.

Knit Amulet Bags

Knit Amulet Bags
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

I've been doing a bit more knitting lately and have gotten a little addicted to these little knit amulet bags, and getting quite a lot of this and other knitting done while listening to the cd Donna sent to me. I've been experimenting knitting with sock yarn, novelty yarns and have included beads on some. The centre bag on the table is waiting to have the chain added and I have several others in various stages of completion. You'll probably see more in a later post, but for now I need to get back to making gifts for a 12 Days of Christmas swap. I can't show you those, they have to remain secret until they are swapped and opened.

Knit Bead Amulet Bag "Blue Waters"

Knit Bead Amulet Bag
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

I showed you the first bit, now the knitting is done now on with sewing it into a bag and adding the strap.

52 Quilts Journal Week 15

52 Quilts Journal Week 15
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

The background is a fabric sample and the pendant is a piece from a metal steamer. This was painted with bright bronze and espresso metal paint. I glued the flat round bead on and then wrapped it with specialty yarn and maple coloured cotton. The fringe at the bottom has some odds and ends of black and white beads knotted on.

Bead Knit Amulet Bag "Blue Waters"

Bead Knit Amulet Bag
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

This work in progress is another of my bead knit amulet bags. This is a pre-mixed aquamarine size 10/0 seed beads and a denim colour cotton thread knit on 1.25mm needles.

52 Quilts Journal Week 13

52 Quilts Journal Week 13
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

More fabric sample, rubber stamping on coffee stained cotton scrap, jewelry findings and odd beads, some from my art friend Beth. Check out those legs, should have given her a bit more of a high stepping kick. I did a random meandering line of straight stitch to give the feel of motion and stitched the stamped fabric with rayon thread.

52 Quilts Journal Week 11

52 Quilts Journal Week 11
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

The background on this page is Silk Jacquard fabric sample. The center square is a small sample and the middle layer is off white cotton, again from my stash of fabric samples. I used bits of silk flower left over from other projects, some are cut apart and then all are stitched in place with odd bits of beads.

Exploring Waves Bag

Exploring Waves Bag
Originally uploaded by okanagan_spirit

I've been progressing along on this bag and am now about 50% done. I'm still loving the gentle shading of the yarn.