Drawings this Week!

Sketchbook Drawings This Week

Hand Painted Birdhouse Ornaments

I painted a couple birdhouse ornaments as gifts this year. This one "flew" all the way to Minnesota to a longtime friend.

 

This second one was for my brother who is a mailman. I put his address on the mailbox and the initials of him and his wife in the heart.

 

 

Hand Painted Bird Ornaments

 

It's that time of year again when I start making ornaments! Each year I make a series of ornaments using a medium I haven't used before.  In the past, I've made ornaments with  drawings, mosaics, felt, cross stitch, crochet, polymer clay, and embroidery. This year I am painting wooden ornaments with acrylics. Here is my first group of sweet little birds. I'm just finishing some Christmas trees that I will post next. You can find them all in my Etsy Store - they make great stocking stuffers!

 

Gazelle Embroidery Finished

My design of a gazelle and bird started out as a drawing in my sketchbook. (See the work in progress here and here.) I had fun exploring different stitches to fill in the solid areas. I love the way the chain stitch and split stitch look as filler. It reminds me a bit of mosaic andamento. The size is 10x10", stitched on blended wool felt, and titled "Confidante." I found the perfect shadowbox to frame it in so that the glass wouldn't press on and flatten the stitching. I haven't decided yet if I want to sell it or not, but if you are interested, please contact me!

 

 

 

 

Progress on Gazelle Embroidery

 

I just finished embroidering the details of this gazelle and his bird friend. Next I will stitch together some felt framing to go around it and will either turn it into a wall hanging or make it into a pillow.

 

Transferring Embroidery Design onto Felt

I have been experimenting with techniques on how to transfer a design onto wool felt. The first one I did was on white craft felt and since it was not quite so dense and a light color, I was able to hold it up to a window and trace the design onto it. 

 

Last month I made this dog ornament on blended wool felt and since it was small, I poked holes into the paper design, laid it on the felt, and then colored in the holes with a marker so I ended up with a dotted design. It worked pretty good, actually, but thought it would be too time consuming to do with my current design.

So I decided to try something new and trace the design onto tissue paper, pin it to my felt, and then embroider right through both tissue and felt. Two things I learned from this technique: One, I really enjoy the tactile experience of embroidering through felt. It's soft and soothing and peaceful even. The added tissue paper takes that feeling away. It's not smooth stitching and it's crinkly sounding! As subtle as it is, it takes away from my enjoyment.

 

The second thing I learned is this technique is much better suited to a simple design, not one with lots of stitching close together. Tearing the paper away was tricky, especially in tight spaces. In fact, there is some tissue that will live in this piece forever because I simply couldn't get it out! Even with my trusty tweezers and dental pick.

It does look nice though after all that effort, but I won't be doing it again this way. I just purchased some water soluble stabilizer that I will experiment with on my next project. Since I am using wool felt, I may need to pre-soak the felt to ensure it won't shrink later. I will do a couple of test runs first - perhaps the stabilizer will only need a little water spritzing to get it off. I do like the idea of printing the design onto the stabilizer rather than tracing the design. Such a time saver.

 

 

Any experienced embroiderists have any pearls of wisdom to share?!

Published in Glass Patterns Quarterly

Several months ago I was asked by the editor of Glass Patterns Quarterly Magazine to create a mosaic tutorial for their winter edition and I just received my copy! There are four pages of step by step instructions to create this 10" stained glass mosaic titled "It's Cold Out!" It includes  a list of all of the materials you will need, plus many, many color photos illustrating the process. Also included is a full size pattern. 

Look, I'm on the cover, too!  You can buy the magazine or download the pattern directly from their web site here. If you make it, please share with me - I'd love to see your version!

Full size pattern and color coded



Easy instructions!



Sketchbook Drawings With Ink Pen

Woman and Her Dog

Gazelle and Friend

I've been drawing more and more in my sketchbook lately and just wanted to share some recent creations. Hope you like them!




Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat!



Thank you card for Elizabeth Stewart at KZSB Radio



Mosaic for Glass Patterns Quarterly Magazine

It's Cold Out! - 10", stained glass, millefiori, beads







I was recently invited by the editor of Glass Patterns Quarterly Magazine to create a mosaic tutorial for their winter edition. This mosaic is 10" in diameter and is made with stained glass, millefiori and beads. The tutorial includes the design pattern and gives step by step instructions and photos on how to create it. The issue will be available in December and will also be available as a purchasable download.  



Grouting in progress