Vintage Fashion Challenge

These pages are supposed to be about Vintage Fashion. Well, my printer is out of ink and I'm determined to mail these on Monday ... so I dug through what I had ... and came up with this.



I tried to "age" the pages using Anna Griffin chocolate pigment ink ... and also stamped over the paper with one of Anna's mini rose bouquet stamps.



I have one more set to complete .... and then this 6x6 pages challenge will be complete.

I felt of of my depth with many of the pages - but I have come away with great ideas on how to build up larger pages with 6x6's as well as smaller ATC sizes. I'll keep challenging myself ... and see what I can create.

If First You Don't Succeed ....

Try, try again.

Okay, I added another element - and I think I have it now. The theme for these was Gothic Architecture.

BEFORE


AFTER

Painting On Fabric Step By Step_Long Pictorial

Normally when I paint anything - I take step by step photos. Just a habit I got into long ago if I ever decided to create my own decorative painting patterns, and it stuck with me.

I know a lot of people think painting on fabric is hard - it really isn't ... especially if you use fabric paint and bypass the painting textile mediums.

Supplies I used:

Number 10 flat brush
So Soft paints
Lorrie Weber Court Jester pattern, available at Toletown.com
large piece of cardboard
12x12 Cotton square (which I cut from a well worn - but rarely used pillowcase)

Time allotted:

1 hour

For the Court Jester square, I used So Soft fabric paint - and to me - its the best thing out there to paint on fabric.



The colors are wonderful, the coverage is great - and that little bottle lasts a long time.

For this project, I needed a 12x12 square, which I cut from an old pillow case. I liked the pattern of the pillow case, as I thought it looked like child scribble - which was a perfect background for the Court Jester pattern. To transfer the pattern, you can use a fabric transfer pencil - but I didn't. I eyeballed the pattern and sketched it directly onto the fabric with a number 2 pencil.

Then I took the pencil and a ruler - and made a 1 inch seam allowance around the circumference of the square. For stability, I stapled the square to a piece of cardboard (a piece of an old flat PRIORITY mailing box) to make it easier to paint.

I only needed one brush for this project - and I used a number 10 flat brush with a good chisel edge. I started with So Soft Buttermilk, filling in the face.



Turning the piece, I filled in the hands. I did go over the face and hands twice, to make sure I covered everything...but it didn't take that much paint.



As I was painting, I decided to change the colors of the original pattern which called for blue and green ... to match the background of the fabric that I'd chosen. For the body, I decided on So Soft Terra Cotta. I outlined the body using the chisel edge of my brush, then filled it in.



In no time, the face and body were done.

Using So Soft Forest Green for the base of the crown, I filled it in. Then I outlined the top of the crown with So Soft Avocado Green and filled in.




When I finished, I took a step back to see if I missed any spots. At this point, the fabric will be sticking to the cardboard underneath. Don't worry about that - I didn't even adjust it, just kept on painting. It made for a more stable painting surface.

Using So Soft Gold, I filled in basecoated the bells, then took the tip of my brush and used the same color gold for the tops of the fringes.

And with that- all the basecoating was complete.

Now, comes the shading, which is really simple. The face and hands I shaded with a So Soft Dark Rose.

The top of the crown is shaded with the same Forest green as the bottom of the crown. The bells and shirt were shaded with burnt umber. All the rest of the details - the eyes, smile and fringes, I used So Soft Black.


Though Lorrie's pattern didn't call for it, I added extra details on the shirt and crown using So Soft Gold and the tip of my brush.



And the square is complete.



I will leave what you do with your square, up to you. This piece can be turned into a pillow, it can be part of many squares turned into a quilt ... it can even be painted onto a fabric bag, tee or sweatshirt. Painting on fabric is fun, easy - and quick. This entire project only took an hour to do.

Gothic Architecture=FAIL

I did these, as the theme was Gothic Architecture ... but honestly? I haven't a clue as to what this is all about. I did a little research and all the projects I saw, the only recurring theme was the actual shape of the "arch" ... so I used a positive/negative theme with patterned paper .... but nothing really gave me that ""AHA!!!" moment when doing this challenge.

Any ideas??

A Simple Thank You

This year has been a rough one. Back to back blizzards hit Northern Virginia, and in between, I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia and spent almost 3.5 weeks in the bed/at home.

During that time, I found out how wonderful my neighbors can be. I don't see them very often, as I work full time and usually am sitting at my desk at 5am when they are still in bed .. then when I get home at 2-2:30, they are most likely just returning from their lunch breaks.

We don't do cul de sac barbecues or anything like that ... we are all busy working parents just going about our busy days.

...and I guess what they say is true, that you really don't know about people - until something happens.

During the blizzards, I literally could not take a step without reaching for my inhaler ... and as I watched hour by hour the snow covering my truck, I prayed I wouldn't have to go out in the storm - to the hospital ... cause I'd never make it. my son is still young enough not to have all the strength it would have taken to dig me out ... and surely no ambulance would be able to reach me.

So imagine my surprise when all was cleared, and I managed to stand up without hurling, I peeked out the window and there was my truck....all dug out from the snow.

My son and I just stood in the window ... awestruck...and I did something I rarely do.

I cried.

My neighbors, bless their hearts, ot only cleaned off my truck ... but kept my truck dug out the entire time. They told me they were afraid that I would get worse, and I wouldn't be able to dig my self out if I had to go to the hospital.

I thought that was the sweetest thing - because none of them had to do it.

I made them all cards and gave them containers of chocolate cookies ... just something to say Thank You.

Painting On Fabric

I haven't painted on fabric in a while ... but recently I needed to paint something for a painted project ... and I decided to rummage through my paint stuff to see what I had.

The design is by Lorrie Weber of Toletown.com. I used So Soft fabric paints - which are a DREAM to paint on fabric with. The fabric is actually cut from a cotton pillow pillow case that I had in a scraps box. I love the way it came out, and I'd forgotten how much fun painting on fabric could be.

The Blizzard Of 2010

This month has been crazy, bringing to me not just walking pneumonia - but 2 back to back blizzards!!! As much as I love snow, I'm ready to get back to normal here in Northern Virginia.

Brrrrrrr..There's a LOT OF Snow Outside!!

I never believe the weather forecasters when they prdict - ITS THE BIG ONE!!! Welp ... this is a big one. 24 inches and still coming down, here in Virginia. I love it!!!

Leftovers - putting Those Papers To Good Use

Call me what you want - packrat, craft hoarder, clutter nut ... but I can't just throw perfectly good pieces of ANYTHING away. Last night I had so much trouble falling asleep, fighting a cold - I decided to take some paper scraps and cover some generic notebooks and pads.

Now, in my day job - I use lots of notebooks, pads, sticky notes - and I'm one of those in the office that buys her own supplies - cause I just like to be a little different.LOL

So, what better way for me to stand out a little more, than to cover those office standard pads that I use, by using up some leftover papers and other accoutrements.

I did one for my sister first, as I was chatting away with her on the phone. My sister is a Pastry Chef in Brooklyn..and she is always working on some fantastic little culinary delight.



Then, because my sister and I are collaborating on some things that will combine both of our talents - I made one for myself:



Still couldn't sleep .. so I dug through my purse and pulled out a little notebook that I have - a small Daily Journal that I write my thoughts, frustrations, ideas, anger, etc. The word that I chose for 2010 to concentrate on was Release ... so I came up with this:



I didn't want to leave out the quirky, so I added that cute little cat to remind me not to take life so seriously. To Let It Go .... whatever it is that bothers me.

...and then, because I am always in some type of training class ... I had to do something with the ratty notebook I always keep copious notes in...



...and I'm happy to say that just looking at the newly covered books using my scraps, brightens my day!!

Hmmmm...wonder if I can do anything with that ugly stapler??