I Love Maps (and I always have)

I was reading The Decorated Journal by Gwen Diehn last night, and something inspired me to do a journal page about my love of maps. I had done the background for this spread several weeks ago without any idea of what I would put on it. The background was inspired by The Decorated Page, also by Gwen Diehn. I put acrylic paint on plastic needlepoint canvas and put the canvas on the page while the paint was wet. Then I added a wash of color after that was dry. And that seemed like the perfect background for a spread about maps.

As far as the two books I mentioned, I got The Decorated Page from our local library, and requested The Decorated Journal through inter-library loan. Both books have a few good ideas in them, but probably not enough for me to buy them for my personal library. I am going to do this more often, since I have too many books I don't use already.

Embellished ATCs

I took the felt I did earlier with foil (here) and added more fibers on top. I used some yarn I bought from Terri Stegmiller (her Etsy shop is here) and made the hearts. Then I fused the felt to pelmet vilene with muslin on the back and satin stitched the edges. When I completed all of that, I thought they still needed something, so I stamped the words on a paper towel I had used when I painted some fabric paper and fused them on with Misty Fuse.

Lost and Found

I finished up last week's Soul Journal prompt today; it was called Lost and Found. We were supposed to journal about things we had lost and things we had found in our life. I didn't follow it exactly; I wrote about how blessed I feel in spite of some losses. We were also supposed to take comments given to us and turn them into affirmations. I wrote some of the wonderful compliments I've been given on my blog about my work. These are written on the stamped leaf that is on the front of a folded piece of watercolor paper that I glued to my page. On the inside of that paper is the journaling, which is in the second picture. The top border is some ephemera that I collected, and along the bottom is a piece of tissue paper that I've saved for a long time from a purchase at Chico's (my favorite clothing store). I only used a small bit of it; I have a lot more for future projects.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

This book tells the story of Anne Boleyn from the perspective of her sister Mary, who is the narrator. Mary was the mistress of King Henry VIII before Anne. I don't know how historically accurate the book is, but it is well written and mostly believable.

Mary is only 14 when Henry becomes interested in her. She falls in love with Henry until she realizes that she is only a pawn in her family's ambitions. Henry's interest in Mary wanes (after she has 2 children by him) and Mary is forced to step aside for her sister Anne.

I enjoyed the book very much and rate it 4 out of 5.

Paper Quilting

I finished this little paper quilt over the weekend while at my quilting retreat. I had made the fabric-backed paper earlier in the week (I'm taking Terri Stegmiller's Paper Quilting Explorations, which is a great class). I started with muslin, brushed on watered-down Elmer's School Glue, added white tissue paper, added more glue, then painted it while it was still wet. There are other ways of making the fabric paper, but this is the way Terri teaches it. After it's finished, you can use it the same way you'd used either fabric or paper. I made some in blue, green, and red, and used them for this little quilt.

It was so much fun that I decided to make some artist trading cards in a similar theme. I will be using 6 of these for a swap in my Creating Chaos Swap Group. The theme of the swap is experiment (you need try something new, and fabric paper is new to me). Another one is for a private swap I'm doing with Anna.

And the Winners Are . . .

Day 1 - Fannie
Day 2 - Christy
Day 3 - jennifer
Day 4 - blueviolet
Day 5 - marciglenn
Day 6 - freebird
Day 7 - ikkinlala
Day 8 - nfaband
Day 9 - Julie Bagamary
Day 10 - Kay C
Day 11 - Kathy
Day 12 - SuZ Stuff
Day 13 - StegArt
Day 14 - TracyB
Day 15 - Lee

I am in the process of contacting all of you who left me a way to contact you. I am emailing many of you; for the rest, if I can find you somewhere else, I will leave you a comment. If you don't hear from me by tonight, it means I don't know how to reach you. I need your address so that I can send you what you won. You can leave me a comment here, or you can email me at csgebhart at gmail dot com.

I want to thank every one of you who left me comments. I wish I could send every single one of you something. But I've really enjoyed this and plan to do another one someday.

And this is my 400th post! I never knew when I started blogging 3 years ago that I would reach 400 posts!

Soul Journal

I joined the Soul Journal Yahoo Group recently, and our first prompt was called Instant Gratification. This had to do with creating a page quickly - using an image from a magazine, creating a title, and writing about the image. I'd been wanting to journal about our aquarium, so this was the perfect way to do that - my page is above.





The next prompt was to create a permission slip for ourselves. Above is my page; first showing the permission slip inside the envelope and then showing the permission slip itself. I'm working on another prompt now called Lost and Found - I'm not at a point to share yet, but it's a good one - it's making me think! If you're into art journaling, I recommend this group!

I'm going to a quilting retreat this weekend, and then I'll draw the winners and announce them here sometime Monday. And that post where I announce the winners will be my 400th post!

Blog Giveaway Day 15

I fused mulberry bark to wool felt, then added foil. I stitched it in a grid pattern with black thread, then used Razzle Dazzle thread in the bobbin to do bobbin work all over. I cut this up into ATCs, fused muslin to the back, and satin stitched the edges. I did this while enrolled in Sue Bleiweiss's class, Mixed Media Surfaces for the Fiber Artist. I learned so much from that class; I highly recommend it! Or any other classes from her as well, since I've now taken most of them.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 14

I started with a base of wool felt, then used Misty Fuse fusible web and fused on a variety of things - dyed cheesecloth, mulberry bark, fibers, ribbon, organza, painted paper towels, foil, tulle. I used several layers of Misty Fuse, which is so light that you hardly know it's there. I cut it up into postcards and ATCs, then satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 13

This is my favorite of all the postcards and atcs I've shown. I painted fusible web and fused it to white felt. I added wool roving, soy silk, and yarns, and punched. I cut it into strips and wove the strips, then punched some more. I cut it into two atcs. I added more soy silk, and realized I'd made a heart, so I added yarn to emphasize the heart. I added a silk flower and balled up some yellow yarn for the flower center. Then I fused this to some Pelmet Vilene (thinner than Timtex, but with 2 layers of felt, all I needed was a bit of stiffening, no added thickness), fused some muslin to the back, and satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 12

I fused mulberry bark to wool felt, then added foil. I stitched it in a grid pattern with black thread, then used Razzle Dazzle thread in the bobbin to do bobbin work all over. I cut this up into ATCs, fused muslin to the back, and satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 11

I painted fusible web and fused it to white felt. I added some soy silk, silk throwsters waste, and cheesecloth over top and embellished. I added some snips of yarn, covered it with a light blue chiffon scarf, and embellished some more. Then I used my circle attachment for my Bernina and stitched circles all over. Finally, I cut it into postcards and satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 10

I started with a base of wool felt, then used Misty Fuse fusible web and fused on a variety of things - dyed cheesecloth, mulberry bark, fibers, ribbon, organza, painted paper towels, foil, tulle. I used several layers of Misty Fuse, which is so light that you hardly know it's there. I cut it up into postcards and ATCs, then satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 9

OK, it's going to start to look like I'm repeating things now, but actually I have more than one version of several of my postcards and atcs. I will often make a large sheet of some technique and then cut it up into postcards and/or atcs.

To create the background, I used soy silk and textile medium and followed this tutorial at Joggles. After I finished the background, I fused it to a batik with similar coloration and then fused that to a stiff interfacing (like Timtex). I put Razzle Dazzle thread in my bobbin and did bobbin work all over the piece, then cut it up into postcard sized pieces. I added Bonash and foil, then used my embellisher to add the silk flower with balled up yellow yarn in the center.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 8

I fused mulberry bark to wool felt, then added foil. I stitched it in a grid pattern with black thread, then used Razzle Dazzle thread in the bobbin to do bobbin work all over. I cut this up into ATCs, fused muslin to the back, and satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 7

For this postcard, I started with a base of wool felt, then used Misty Fuse fusible web and fused on a variety of things - dyed cheesecloth, mulberry bark, fibers, ribbon, organza, painted paper towels, foil, tulle. I used several layers of Misty Fuse, which is so light that you hardly know it's there. I cut it up into postcards and ATCs, then satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

I have been trying to respond to comments left for me, but many of you haven't left me any way to contact you. So if you don't get a response from me, it isn't from lack of interest or trying! I really do appreciate your comments.

When I draw the winners' names on September 22nd, I'll post them here. I will contact as many of the winners as I can, but if you don't give me a way to contact you, you'll have to contact me. I'll give you a few days to do so, and then I'll draw new names.

Blog Giveaway Day 6

I made this postcard with tissue paper fused to muslin with Misty Fuse, then colored with several things - including color wash sprays, acrylic paint, and silver krylon pen. I stamped the message on tissue paper and fused it on, added the silk flowers with a brad, then topped the whole with tulle (fused with Misty Fuse again).

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 5

I made this ATC while taking Sue Bleiweiss's class, Mixed Media Surfaces for the Fiber Artist. I started with a base of wool felt, then used Misty Fuse fusible web and fused on a variety of things - dyed cheesecloth, mulberry bark, fibers, ribbon, organza, painted paper towels, foil, tulle. I used several layers of Misty Fuse, which is so light that you hardly know it's there. I cut it up into postcards and ATCs, then satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

What is Soy Silk?

A couple of people have asked me this in the comments. According to Joggles (where I buy it), "Soy Silk is made from the waste of the tofu manufacturing process - recycling at its best! This fabulous fiber is soft, lustrous, feels much like silk roving." You can find it here; it is really beautiful stuff (and feels like silk too).

Several of the other supplies in my postcards and atcs were purchased (or could be purchased) from Joggles too. Foils, Bonash powder, mulberry bark, silk throwsers waste, Pelmet Vilene, chiffon scarves, even the wool felt. Now I'm not affiliated with Joggles in any way, I'm just a very satisfied customer.

About the only things I use that can't be purchased from Joggles are my embellishing machine and my sewing machine!

Blog Giveaway Day 4

For this ATC, I painted fusible web and fused it to white felt. I added wool roving, soy silk, and yarns, and punched. I cut it into strips and wove the strips, then punched some more. I added more soy silk, and realized I'd made a heart. I added a silk flower and balled up some yellow yarn for the flower center. Then I fused this to some Pelmet Vilene (thinner than Timtex, but with 2 layers of felt, all I needed was a bit of stiffening, no added thickness), fused some muslin to the back, and satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway Day 3

I painted fusible web and fused it to white felt. I added some soy silk, silk throwsters waste, and cheesecloth over top and embellished. I added some snips of yarn, covered it with a light blue chiffon scarf, and embellished some more. Then I used my circle attachment for my Bernina and stitched circles all over. Finally, I cut it into postcards and satin stitched the edges.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Giveaway on A Charmed Life

OK, I have to take a quick break away from my own giveaway to tell you about another giveaway on this blog: A Charmed Life - a really cool tote filled with lots of fun goodies. I've put in my comment - check it out!

Blog Giveaway Day 2

For this ATC, I fused mulberry bark to wool felt, then added foil. I stitched it in a grid pattern with black thread, then used Razzle Dazzle thread in the bobbin to do bobbin work all over. I cut this up into ATCs, fused muslin to the back, and satin stitched the edges. I did this while enrolled in Sue Bleiweiss's class, Mixed Media Surfaces for the Fiber Artist. I learned so much from that class; I highly recommend it! Or any other classes from her as well, since I've now taken most of them.

Remember to leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

Blog Giveaway!

I am approaching my 400th post, which just totally amazes me! When I started this blog almost 3 years ago, I wasn't even sure whether I would enjoy blogging. While I don't post every day, I have enjoyed it tremendously. And I've met a lot of people through my blog that I would never have met otherwise. My readership has grown lately and I so appreciate the comments that my readers make, so in order to say thank you, I've decided to give away some of the many postcards and ATC's I've been making. I have 15 that I want to give away, so I'll be posting a picture of one each day through September 18th. I'll draw names and post the winners on my blog on September 22nd from the comments left on those posts.

Here is my first giveaway:



To create the background, I used soy silk and textile medium and followed this tutorial at Joggles. After I finished the background, I fused it to a batik with similar coloration and then fused that to a stiff interfacing (like Timtex). I put Razzle Dazzle thread in my bobbin and did bobbin work all over the piece, then cut it up into postcard sized pieces. I added Bonash and foil, then used my embellisher to add the silk flower with balled up yellow yarn in the center.

So leave me a comment if you're interested in winning this.

John Adams by David McCullough

I stopped reading this book at page 153 (of 651). Parts were interesting, but it was SO DETAILED, almost to the point of street addresses. That made it very tedious in places. And when it got to details of battles in the Revolutionary War, I decided to put the 3-DVD HBO movie series on my Netflix queue instead of finishing the book (I've never been good with battle scenes).

I did read enough to learn that John Adams was a remarkable man who was very instrumental in our independence from Great Britain. And his wife, Abigail, was just as remarkable a woman. They were completely devoted to each other. Both were very intelligent, well read, and well educated. I would really like to learn more about them, so I hope the movie version is good.

Techniques Journal

I've started participating in Trish Bee's Background Noise Challenge, which you can find here. I had made this art journal several months ago, and hadn't done anything in it yet; I guess I was just waiting for the right project to come along. I've decided to use it for this challenge, and any other background/page preparation type of techniques I want to try. Here is the cover of my journal (which I think I showed when I made it):



Here is the title page - I used letter stickers to spell out the word "techniques"



Then the next 2 pages are for the first technique, called Shining Stones Backgrounds, which you can find here. I put small examples and the instructions on the first page.



Then I put a clear envelope on the second page with more of the backgrounds.



I've already started my next technique; just waiting for the glue to dry.

More Embellishing

I finally broke down and ordered some chiffon scarves from Joggles, which I needed for my embellishing class. They came a couple of days ago. We're talking the old fashioned kind of scarf that women used to wear in the 50's or 60's to keep their hair in place! But they are really sheer, which is what I needed. So I took the felt that I embellished the other day (scroll down to the second picture here), added some snips of yarn, covered it with a light blue chiffon scarf, and embellished some more. Then I used my circle attachment for my Bernina for the first time and stitched circles all over. Finally, I cut it into 2 postcards. I love my embellisher!

Fixing a Disaster - Part II

I wrote in my previous post about the disaster I had with two of the pages in my Soul Journal. Here is the second set of pages that I fixed. Pretty similar to the ruined pages, except I wasn't able to find the same pictures and quotes. For the most part that doesn't matter, but I do wish I could have found the "LIFE TAKES YOU PLACES" quote again - it came out of a catalog and the new catalog from the same company didn't have anything remotely similar. I guess I could have typed something up on the computer, but I wasn't sure whether the inks would run when putting on gel medium. So, it is what it is, and I'm happy with the results.

Soul Journaling - Fixing a Disaster

I had a disaster with two page spreads in my soul journal the other day. I purchased some Golden's Soft Gel Medium in the Soft Gloss to try it out, and I like it much better than either the Liquitex Glossy or the Golden's Matte. I had used the Liquitex Glossy on my taped page spread, and the pages were sticking together (which is what I had read was a problem with glossy gel medium). I decided to put a coat of my new gel medium over it to see if it would keep the pages from sticking together. I liked the way it looked so much that I then decided to use it on my squares page spread as well. I thought both page spreads were completely dry, but the next day, the pages stuck together so badly that I couldn't get them apart. And when I did, they were both ruined (paint from one side peeled off and stuck to the other side - that sort of thing). Anyway, I think it was because I had SO MANY layers on the pages, and maybe I didn't let them dry enough.

I had to figure out what to do about it. The two spreads were consecutive in the book, and I had artwork on the other sides of the pages too. I first thought I would cut out the page that was ruined on both sides and glue the other two pages together. I did cut out the ruined page, but when I tried gluing the other pages together, I could see that it wasn't going to work. So then I decided to take a fairly thin cardstock and glue it over the ruined pages and redo one of the spreads on it. It worked, and the result is above.

I still need to redo the taped page spread, which will be later in the book. I actually like my new squares page better than my original - I hope that will be true of the taped spread as well. I went to the travel agent a couple of days ago to get some new brochures for Greece. The pictures won't be the same, but the idea will be.

Embellishing

I played some more with my embellisher the past couple of days - trying to catch up on my class work from Embellish Stitch and Enrich by Dale Rollerson. For this first piece, I started with black felt, fused some Wonder Under onto it, then fused foil to the Wonder Under. After that, I added bits and pieces of yarn, soy silk, mulberry bark, and wool roving. I didn't have any chiffon scarves, so I put some tulle on top to help keep it all in place and then punched away. When I was done, I pulled the tulle off and this is what I got:



For this next one, I painted some Wonder Under and fused it to white felt. Then I added some soy silk, silk throwsters waste, and cheesecloth over top. I had read about painting Wonder Under, but I'd never done it before. It makes a really pretty background surface.



For this postcard, I again started with painted Wonder Under on felt, added wool roving, soy silk, and yarns, and punched. I cut it into strips and wove the strips, then punched some more. I had a big enough piece for 2 postcards, but I punched about 1/3 of it from the back before I looked at the front and I didn't like how it looked. Since I was doing all of this on white felt, the white was coming through to the front and making it look washed out. So I ended up only making one postcard from it - I will save the other piece and may make something else from it, but now there isn't a big enough piece for another postcard because of the way I cut it. Maybe a bookmark or something . . . we'll see. I added 3 silk flowers and balled up some yellow yarn for the flower centers. Then I fused this to some Pelmet Vilene (thinner than Timtex, but with 2 layers of felt, all I needed was a bit of stiffening, no added thickness), fused some muslin to the back, and satin stitched the edges. I'm happy with how it turned out - it's for a postcard swap on the Machine Needle Felting group on stitchin fingers.