Rain Rain go away

Wow and didn't it rain...... We were lucky and caught only the tail end of the storm but it was bad enough.  Our street flooded in minutes, the water came right up to both front and back doors and the garden looked more like a swimming pool.  I thought I'd better get Keith to build an Ark.  However it lasted less than further up the county and once the rain stopped it receeded very quickly.  There are still puddles but nothing as devastating as a few miles further North.   We didn't take any photos of the storm, it came quickly and despite the warnings surprised up by its ferocity.   We were so concerned with working out what we needed to move to a higher room we forgot about photos.  Still the tv has lots of them.

Our postman still managed to get through and I have three more swaps to show you.

Fabric manipulation from (top) Chris and (bottom) Sue.

Baa Baa Blacksheep from Lesley, love the bag of wool...

I've been busy making more samples for my workshop on metal stitch and will show them soon.

More swaps

Chunky Book Page - June - Birds front

Chunky Book Page - June - Birds back

I love this Surface Design book page from Cathy Vigor the feathers and bird are shaded with paint which hasn't shown up well on the photo.  I just love both sides.

Last of the BQLPC 'Fabric Manipulation' swap postcards.



Top card is from Jan who has sewn a seam along striped fabric and then sewn across the fabric pushing the seam in opposite directions.

The bottom card is from Irene who has enclosed two prairy points into a fold and added a fabric origami motif.  My first thoughts on seeing this card was "Red Sails in the Sunset" and I couldn't get rid of the tune all day.

I've not been too well over the past week so haven't seen anything of our new great grandson but as soon as we do I'll post a picture of him not yelling.



More swaps received

I should have posted these earlier but have spent most of the past couple of days sleeping.

Fabric manipulation from Alice and Janet

Mine -  I forgot to take photos of the finished pieces but did take one before I added the borders.

Nursery rhyme swap from Heather and Janet

Mine, at least one of them, the other two were "rain, rain go away" and "Old Mother Hubbard".

Introducing Flynn

Well here he is at two days old, doing what all babies do - yelling.  I only have this photo, which was sent to me.  I've been not feeling too well over the last couple of days so told them not to come near me.  However I'm almost back to normal so should have some lovely new ones soon.

He does not like his car seat at all.

Newsflash

New great grandson Flynn arrived at 7:22am this morning weighing 8lbs 4ozs.  Mother, baby and Father all tired but well.  Photos later.

Chunky Page Swap

A while ago I decided to start swapping again with the Surface Design group and joined in with their Chunky Book page swap.   My first page was May's and the theme was flowers, this went to Inge in Germany.  The background is handmade fabric paper with ribbon, lace and rickrack and flower sequines.  I stamped the background also with leave stamps I'd made mayself, they aren't very good but were an addition I wanted.  My funky flower was a double layer of fabric (different on each side) bonded together and with a smaller version in the centre.

My second swap is with Cathy in the States and the theme for June was Birds.   This again was on handmade paper fabric.  I cut out a swallow shape out of painted transfer paper and ironed it onto the background.  I then stitched the outlines in a blending tone of thread. I then couched threads onto the background to represent reeds.   My tree, bird and flower head are all made from recycled metal (drink cans).  This was also one of my experimental metal and stitch samples.  The eye of the bird appeared when I heated the aluminium.

I've been making several samples of metal with stitch for a workshop I'm taking next month.  I've rather got carried away with collecting the empty drink cans.  My dh, sons, his friends are all struggling valliantly drinking the contents so I can have the empties.

I've only just managed to photograph some of the samples so will upload them tomorrow.

June Journal Page



June's JP was the result of testing metal and stitch.  I've been asked to take a workshop booked for July based on Metal and Stitch as the tutor is ill.  So I've been playing and will show you some of the things I've tested tomorrow.

I've used two different grades of metal in my June journal page.  The heavier one I hand embossed and coloured with alcohol inks.  The second lighter weight metal pieces I embossed using the Big Shot, much easier but I like both affects. 

Ask me how I know not to use a twisted metal thread to sew through metal.  If you look at the top right hand side you will see I used a Maderia F2/2 thread,normally a well behaved thread, but it shreaded badly when going through metal.  I then changed to a rather expensive Japanese metal thread, which sewed beautifully.  Later testing showed I could have got the same result with a matching cotton thread with less trouble.  Ah well we learn something new every day.

I used a very cheap Indian twisted metal thread, called appropriately enough "Coronation", to make machine cords and added this as an inner border.  I managed to use the same thread to fme stonework.
More bits and pieces to show tomorrow.