Old Tree Photo

Randy...the best husband in the world! Took me to a new "tea room" Taste of Home in Wylie, for lunch today. Outside of the tea room was the largest, old tree I have seen in a long time. You could just tell if this tree could talk the stories it would tell. The tree's bark had the most exquisite pattern. The bark grooves where deep and rich in color.

Gold and Silver QTC-Quilters Trading Cards




Made to trade with pizzazz group. They are much prettier in person. The reflection from the gold/silver does not take pretty photos.





Fiber Fusion Postcards


Silk fiber fusion postcards made to exchange with group #52.
I purchased several different color and a small Silk Fusion Started Kit from a Canadian company that was at the Houston Quilt Show.

Fabric Scrap Color Wheel Exercise


I made this mini art quilt after reading the book Art Doll Adventures by Lisa Li Hertzi. In the book she suggests a creativity exercise called "Make A Fabric-Scrap Color Wheel"

Want to Play House- Artist Trading Cards Exchange


A few months ago I read an article in Sew Somerset about a house that was made from Artist Trading Cards- it was so cool we had to swap it in our postcard exchange group. We have 8 people in our group so we each will mail three windows, make a door to keep and I made a roof for each person in the group. Looking forward to seeing all the different houses everyone makes. Will post photo's of mine when all the ATC's arrive.

Postcards from the Edge



Postcards from the Edge Exchange

These are the postcards that I made to trade. The base is an awesome lime green fabric that has newspaper print on it. Then I used different decorative stitches to attach the salvage edges of fabrics.

Antique Postcard Quilt Challenge - Quilters Connection























Thanks to my friend Vicki the "Wish You Were Here...A vintage postcard quilt" was born. Vicki, who always knows everything that is going on the quilt community told me about Quilters Connection Challenge.

Quilters Connection of Dallas issued a challenge to make a quilt that was a minimum on 36" X 36", using any technique, with at least half of the top made from a black toile fabric from the fabric line Traditions by Sentimental Studios for Moda Fabrics. We could pick up the fabric and entry forms the first week in August first and it has to be turned in by August 30th. The quilt show will be in their shop from Sept 1-6 and viewers choice will determine the winners.

How could I not enter a quilt...moda has awesome fabrics, the fabric is a black toile POSTCARD and have another opportunity to use up some more of the goodies that came from the Houston Quilt Show. The Houston Quilt Show basket is getting smaller by the week.

This quilt was really fun to work on. From far away it looks like an appliqe Christmas quilt but when you are closer you can see stamped and tea stained "vintage" postcards with actual 1cent stamps. Little Debbie Mum postage stamps were sewn into the corners of the postcards, and Tsukineko inks were used to color in all the berries. Vintage photos behind plastic with little buttons, beads and trims. Vintage lace, rick rack and buttons also adorn the quilt. My favorite photo is on the bottom right. It is of a baby in a little carrage under the plastic are some tiny, tiny buttons and tiny, tiny pins that were given to me by mom that were in Nana's sewing box.

Houston Quilt Show- Lots of Awesome Creative Arts Classes

I am so excited I can't stand it!!! My registration for the Houston International Quilt show arrived today....You would have thought it was Christmas. Mom and I started the tradition of going to the Houston Quilt show last year. It is so hard to book reasonable hotel rooms we booked last year for this year. My mission at the quilt show is easy...take classes that are not available locally and buy fabric, embellishments etc that are also not available locally. The focus is usually on purchasing "basic" kits to make one of something. Figure after making one if I wanted more it can always be ordered later online.

Okay so here are my 2008 Houston Quilt Show Classes...so excited that typing is hard..

Unabashed Free-Motion Quilting and Use of Specialty Threads by Wendy Butler Berns http://www.wendybutlerberns.com/

Everything You Wanted To Know About Needle Felting by Barbara Crawford.

The Emotion of Color by Hollis Chatelain

Creative Photography for Quilt Composition by Esterita Austin

Mixed Media Miscellany #1- this class I am most excited about. You go into a huge room and each artist has a table set up and talks about their topic.
Christina Adams- Pattern & Paint Play
Esteria Austin - Ramp Up Your Creativity with Fusible Magic
Patt Blair - Drawing and Painting for People who do not Draw or Paint!
Jackie Clark & Tamara Gonzales - Timeless Texture with Crochet Applique
Dena Crain "Spirit Works" Painted Art Quilts
Barbara Crawford A Hands On Mish Mosh of Needlefelting Techniques
Lenore Crawford - Fusing, Appliqueing and Fabric Painting to Create a Masterpiece
Noriko Endo - Confetti Naturescapes
Lisa Engelbrecht - Cool Marks on Fabric with Cool Tools
Marlene Glickman - Fine Line Foils
Valerie Hearder - Guilding the Lily
Marilyn Huskamp - Fiber Fusion Frenzy
Tracy Lyn Huskamp - Painted Fabrics of Nature
Katie Kendrick - Collage Painted Pages
Lyric Kinard - Carvin it Up
Carole Lane Saber - Ribbon Origami Diamonds
Janet Lasher - Encaustic Collage on Paper
Billie Lauder - Luggage Tags
Susie Monday - Inspiration Deck
Diane Ricks - Art Felting Making with Water Soluble Stabilizer
Janet Stauffacher - Antiquing Velvet Ribbon
Maggie Weiss - Painting Luscious Layers
Kristal Wick - Leather Eyelet Beads

Going Au Naturel with the Naked Quilter by Rachele Fisher

Contemporary, Avant-Garde, Classic Wearables! by Starr Hagenbring

Mixed Media Miscellany #2- Wicked excited about this one too!
Christine Adams—Discover Lazertran Silk
Esterita Austin—Mixed Media Fusion
Brett Barker—Zooming In: I’m Ready for MyClose-up!
Traci Bautista—Graffiti Bouquet
Karen Carruthers—Candy Making at Home
June Colburn—Hand Beaded Embellishment onSilk Screened Designs
Dena Crain—“Spirit Works” Painted Art Quilts
Ginny Eckley—Silk-Screening
Marlene Glickman—Funky Fiber Friends
Diane Herbort—Vintage-Look Photocopy Transfer Using Disperse Dye
Pam Holland—Quilted Cards to Warm the Heart
Marylin Huskamp—Fiber Fusion Frenzy
Tracie Lyn Huskamp—Painted Fabrics ofNature (Flora and Fauna Inspired)
Katie Kendrick—Collaged and Painted Pages
Lyric M. Kinard—Carvin’ It Up
Janet A. Lasher—Caustic Collage on Paper
Susie Monday—Mapping Your Creative Journey
Jenny Raymond—Confetti Fabric
Tricia Quirk Spitzmueller—Button Up!
Katrina Walker—Fabric Creation ThroughNeedle Felting
Beth Wheeler—Mixed Media Bookmark

Paste Paper Colors and Patterns on Fabric by Lisa Englbrecht

Blue Quilters Trading Cards - QTC


Blue QTC- Quilters trading cards I made to exchange with postcard pizzazz. They are made from quilted fabrics.

Fiber Girls- Fiber Exchange

The fiber girls I made to exchange with. Postcard Pizzazz. The girls were hand drawn, then made into a plastic template. I traced the template onto card stock to make the paper dolls. Then wrapped 3 yards of different yarns/fibers and added a little charm. Hope everyone who exchanges with me likes their new fiber gals.

Green ATC or QTC Silk and Stamped Cards




Green ATC or QTC depending on what you want to call them. The cards are 3 1/2 x 2 1/2".

Each card was made with a variegated green silk fabric base. To that a vintage green ribbon and beads were hand sewn on. Then each card was stamped with the word "Green" with pine Fabrico craft ink. The back of the ATC is stamped and then the edges were finished by setting my Husqvarna Viking Designer SE 4.5 width and 2.0 length with the zig zag stitch. You can set the stitch to a 0 and it is really close together but I like the rough looking edge where the silk fabric shows through.

These were made to trade with postcard pizzazz

1 Year Anniversary Postcard Pizzazz


Postcard Pizzazz - my yahoo postcard exchange group will celebrate its one year anniversary on August 25th!

Threads of Friendship Fabric Postcards



Two threads of friendship fabric postcards made by pinweaving fibers.

Fiber Frenzy Exchange with FAT

If you love to make fiber art but need a "purpose" to create- I would highly recommend a yahoo group called fiber art traders. I have been involved with them for about a year now and have loved every minute of it. The latest trade is a fiber frenzy trade. The participates are not actually making something but rather trading fibers that we have.

What a fantastic idea to share some of the wonderful fibers you have collected and have the opportunity to try a new fiber from a member! These are the fibers from my stash, a few fluffy fun fur, a hand dyed, mixed yarn, ribbon like fiber, really fun white wispy fibers. I have used and love them all.

ATC- Artist Trading Cards Batik Fibers for Houston Quilt Show

Three ATC made to trade in Houston at the Quilt show in October/November. Figure if I start early I can make quite a few to trade there at the show, then I can trade them with my friends who can't go to the Houston Quilt Show. Last year we traded plus sized inchies- that was too fun!

These cards were made from the left over batik fabrics I used to make the Cloth, Paper, Scissors Tea Party Challenge. They are a beautiful combination of rich orange and purple batiks with variegated threads.

Rick- Rack Bouquet Yo Yo Pin

Rick-Rack Bouquet pattern by Moda U. The kit was all moda fabrics and rick rack. The little bouquet was easy to make. You used the three fabric swatches to make the yo yo's and stitch with button in the middle. Then you gather up the moda rick rack to form an outer flower that is then stitched down to the yoyo. Once all three Yo Yo flowers are made you add a few felt leaves and finish it off by stitching it onto a circle that is covered with moda fabrics. Special note- when you attache the flowers to the circle make sure the fabric side is NOT facing the flowers. I did not notice until after I had sewn them on that the back of my pin is the paper side not the pretty finished floral fabric. Live and learn...right.

We are having a tea party meeting for the Garland Guild tomorrow night. I plan to bring this little pin to suggest as a party favor for the tea party attendees. No offense to moda but I would love to make another with bright fabrics and some tulle.

Flower Mixed-Media ATC - Artist Trading Card

My first ATC- Artist Trading Card.

It was made with a bit of left over floral fabric and fusible foil. To add texture some hardened yellow angelina fibers were machine stitched on then assorted yellow, orange and one green beads were hand sewn on. The back is stamped with Art Washed Away From The Soul The Dust Of Everyday Life.

Secret Garden Mini Quilt with Fusible Film




Secret Garden Quilt was made from the most beautiful fat quarter ever!  My secret pal in the Garland Quilt Guild gave it to me a few months ago and I have been trying to figure out how I would use it.  It was just too pretty to cut! 
 
The answer came to me when I read the article in the June/July issue of Quilting Arts Magazine "Lost in the Stash".  (Not only could I use the fat quarter, but also the packages fusible film from Houston Quilt Show.)  The article gave directions to make a small quilt from a fabric with an image on it that is layered with Angelina fusible film and then embellished.  Since the fusible film comes in 4" rolls I cut my mini quilt base 12" square to minimize waste.  The quilt in the magazine had many more details too but I wanted to keep mine more simple so that the fabric would still be the highlighted feature of the quilt.

The back side of the secret garden quilt is a beautiful piece of hand dyed fabric that I purchased last year at the Garland Guild garage sale for .25.

Melted Vinyl and Angelina Beads- Houston Quilt Show



Three beads that I made from the starter kit.  

While in Houston at the quilt show, there was a lady who had the most exquisite necklace on.  A real conversation piece.  She told me that a woman a few booths down taught her how to make them at another show that they both had booths at a few months prior.  She said that if I asked the vendor nice she might also teach me how to make them.  

The beads are not as pretty in the photo as they are in person.  The bead kit had the supplies to make lots of beads, but unfortunately the smell of the melting vinyl was a little to much for me.  I am the kind of person who is really sensitive to smells though so it may not bother someone else.  To make the beads you wrap the angelina sheets around the vinyl and heat it with a heat gun in a VERY well ventilated area.  You can use either black vinyl as I did in the photo or clear vinyl.

I am going to use the clear piece of vinyl to make a new badge holder and will use the extra sheets of angelina in some ATC.  

Asian Fabric Postcards

4 Asian themed fabric postcards made to exchange at Postcard Pizzazz.