If, like me, you're not familiar with the work of artist Rex Ray then here's a brief intro via the wonders of YouTube.
Why am I showing you this? Because, if you stopped by yesterday's post you'll have seen info about Abstractuary. The arty prompt for 2nd February was Rex Ray, and I took inspiration from his collages and tried making my own.
Hmmm ... me and collages don't get along. I tried cutting out painted papers and glueing 'em down, then switched to colouring pencils and tried that. But I always end up with stuff that looks like a primary school kid made it. So instead I took up needle and thread.
It's not finished yet, but it's a fabric postcard-sized bit of stitching, and is meant to represent one of his paper collages. I think I'll eventually make a fabric book based on this Abstractuary challenge, and this will form one of the pages.
Today's prompt is 'print' and as I haven't hauled out the gell plate for ages I got stuck in with that. I didn't make a huge number of prints, but had fun making the ones I did. They'll form journal pages, and I'll also print more on fabric so I can construct a fabric book page from one of those.
In addition to this craftiness, and in between a speedy bit of hoovering and washing dishes - sadly, household chores still need to be done - I continued with sewing my Ann Wood 100 days stitchbook.
I added another scrap of material, this time it's a tiny piece of machine embroidery from an Accessorize handbag I'd chopped up. There's a use for everything when you're upcycling!
Apart from the calico, which was bought from Leeds market, all the scraps are from upcycled charity shop clothing. All bought at bargain prices.
Talking of bargain prices, I snapped up crafty goodies off Facebook marketplace yesterday. A lady was selling two bags full at only a tenner. There was a very generous bundle of blank cards and envelopes, which would've cost far more than ten pounds when they were bought new.
In addition, there were several rolls of florist ribbon, the sort you get tied around a bouquet.
There were also these artificial flowers.
I don't know that I'll keep these as they're a little too sweetly cute for my taste. If I can't think of a use to put them to I'll donate to the charity shop.
These are more bits 'n' pieces, some appeal to me and others might get donated.
I'm certain I'll find a use for these pretties. The purple 'jewels' on wire will look good wrapped around my boho style beads.
I absolutely loved these colourful butterflies. I'm thinking of either fixing them to a mobile, so they can flutter in a breeze, or a wall-hanging of some kind.
Finally, there were more butterflies, all on thin wire stems. Despite trying not to buy more craft supplies this year, and aiming to use up what I've got, I couldn't resist a bargain and that's exactly what I got, don't you think? Are you a Facebook marketplace browser too? If so, what's your best buy?
To add to my seemingly never ending list of works-in-progress, I've started making a fabric bowl. Or should I call it a fabric basket? I'm not sure. Anyway, I've made the odd bowl or two before, like this blue & white one that I keep cotton perle in. I decided to use upholstery material, which has both advantages & disadvantages. On the good side, it has a certain stiffness, which helps the bowl stay in shape. On the irritating side, the kind of material I'm using frays like mad, and I'm forever picking up threads off the carpet. The bowl's a simple construction, and I've used a circle of cardboard covered with brown felt for the base. It'll look much better when I've embroidered and stitched into it. I've made a start on that, and appliqued on a rectangle of plum coloured velvet for extra interest. When not stitching, I've been catching up on my reading. I finished C J Sansom's 'Dark Fire'. Real...
It's Saturday afternoon, and I haven't done half the things I'd meant to. Partly because I spent most of this morning messing about with paints, stencils and the gell plate. Never mind, everything on today's 'To Do' list will join tomorrow's 'To Do' list ... it's hardly life or death if I don't haul the hoover around the room or pull up weeds in the front garden. I thought I'd show you what I made on Wednesday. I'd gone to my monthly StitchArt group, and this time we did something a little different. There's a project called 'Threads of Freedom' which is working with various community groups across the city. It's about creating little stitched pieces, some of which will be included in a textile panel to go on display at Leeds art gallery. There was lots of fabric we could choose from to sew with, and I picked this vintage tray cloth with the roses embroidery. My own embroidery's not a patch on those flo...
Hello on what's been a beautiful autumn day. Bright blue clear sky, a chilly start but warming up in the afternoon. I've been on a long walk around a local nature reserve, not wanting to stay inside when it's so lovely outdoors. In the last week or so, I've been finishing this fabric bowl, and have started making another. But mainly I've been having a bit of a change-around in my house. I've hauled furniture from one room to another, clutter-cleared cupboards and bagged up things for the charity shop, and generally hoovered and cleaned all those dusty corners. I'd finally made a decision about turning the dumping ground of the front bedroom into a craft room. It's taking shape, though it really has taken some effort. Larger pieces of material are stacked on shelves, grouped into colours. Lower down is my Sissix machine and die cuts, and at the base of the shelving are beads and jewellery making supplies...
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