Things I Do To Pass The Time

I've been stitching away, slowly and thoughtfully, on the piece in the previous post.
Here's another area or two that I've got around to running thread through.

I liked the darker area when I added it but not so much now

A blend of DMC thread and natural dyed (gray) thread.

A small scrap of well worn canvas being stitched onto the piece.

I am still stitching circles on everything.

beautiful silk thread over organza and a bamboo blend fabric

So I will continue to take my time with this piece since it is feeling right to do that.

I do have an idea for display on this one. I'll have to try it out soon.

I wanted to dye some thread with walnut leaves and decided to throw some paper in there as well.

Oh, walnut, how I love thee!

The color are so rich and I am always surprised by the variety of colors that I get.

I needed a darker color of thread, so I clipped my paper with binder clips. That is such an easy way to change the colors that nature offers to us.

Here's a few photos of the paper (watercolor).

Be sure to click on this one to see the color variety on the paper.

Look at those beautiful lines!

a note reminding me that I left thread in the pot

I just stuck the entire stem into the paper signature.
Won't this be beautiful to sketch into?

marks from the binder clips

If you click o the photos, you can really see the different colors that I obtained.

I had not done anything to the paper (other than allow it to dry) so the pages are wrinkled and warped.

Some pressure under a stack of books and a little heat from the iron should take care of that though.

I've also been updating my Etsy shop with more thermofax screens.

I'll do another post with some images from that.

It's cooler here in South Carolina and I am loving it.

Kinda...

I love the cooler temps and the crisp air but it sure does play havoc on achy joints.

Getting old is not for sissies, is it?

Found UFO's

No, not the flying kind but the kind that you put down one day never to pick up again.
The kind that gets buried under a pile of awesome stuff that you can't pass up nor part with.

I was going through a bunch of my supplies, trying to get rid of a few things and found a handful of rusted fabrics that had a few beginning stitches on them.

I think that I was going to make a sampler book, of sorts.
I do remember taking it to baseball games, sitting in the stands, stitching away - quite happy to be there with my handwork. But I don't remember exactly what I was working towards.

Do you ever do that? Just work on small pieces, figuring that you will do something with it later on?
I do that when I can't quite figure out what my mind is leading me towards but my hands insist on doing something.
I always save the scraps from fabrics and such that I rust and dye. Some of them are just too beautiful to discard.
The photo above is an example of one of the things that I do with them.
I layer then onto a base fabric (usually black) and then build a story on top of this.

I rust and stitch such things as discarded pantyhose.

Old cotton lace. Canvas. Sheer curtain panels. Your grandmothers silk slip (well, my grandmothers).
Drawer liner.

You just never know what's going to work (with dyeing or staining) until you try it.

I'm gathering all the bits and pieces of beautiful things that I find.
And then see what I can do to make use of them.

Remember that I sale packs of rusted media in my Etsy shop.
Check them out here.

Rust Love

My husband and I rust fabric and different fibers that I use in my artwork.
This is the front cover of a sketchbook that I made using it.

I also sell packs of "Rust Media" in my Etsy Shop (among other things).

Check it out!

Etsy Update

I am wondering why time seems to pass so quickly these days?
Or perhaps it's just me, being in a fog...allowing the days to slip by me...

Either way, I've looked up and it's July 7 already!

I am posting original works of art in my Etsy shop.
If you see anything that you're interested in, let me know!
I am also beginning to work on another series of these wonky little houses based on buildings in Greenville SC (I live near there).
I'd love to do some of Charleston SC as well!

Here's a photo of the first one that I have listed in the "It Takes A Village" series.

I paint them first and then add a ton of tiny little details with India Ink.
Most of them are painted on scraps of different pieces of wood or laminate but the last two have been painted on MDF board as it's resistant to warping or splintering...plus it's a recycled product as well.
I love painting these pieces! They are so fun and everyone seems to really like them.
They would be really cute in a kids room...but I've sold several to women that want to put them where they can see them - they say the work makes them smile.

And I do like to make people smile.

Hope you're having a lovely day.
I think I'll go out and ride my new (used) bike today!

MMA Team Treasury!

I have a listing on Etsy for "Rust Media Packs" that contains all types of different pieces of rusted fibers and fabric.
It has been chosen for a Mixed Media Art team treasury.
Run over and have a peek at the other verrrry interesting items that our "Mixed Media Art Team" has listed on Etsy!
Hope that all of you are staying warm (it's rather cold here in upstate SC) and being creative
on this 21st day of December...

A Tatted Lace Tale

I recently looked around on Etsy for some tatted lace.
I not only found lace, but I found this awesome lady, Dorothy, that will definitely get my repeat business.
I ordered several tatted pieces, a wide embroidered piece of lace and tiny tatted & crocheted doilies.
Here is a copy of one of the cards that was in my package .
Go here - look around -

Look at these tiny tatted pieces!

She sent me extra goodies and refunded a few dollars of my shipping cost!

And then, a week later, she sent me several pieces of tatted lace remnants!

How cool is that?!

Shop her store, tell he that I sent you there!

Assembly Control #37570 (or "I've Got Something That No One Else Has!")

Meet "Assembly Control #37570"
or, as i like to call it
"What I have that no one else has"...
My friend Cheryl Prater (you know the awesome
mixed media artist..?)
No?
You don't know Cheryl?!
Where have you been?
Go to her blog, her web page and meet her...
then go to her etsy shop
and greet her wonderful one of a kind mixed media art.
But 'cha better hurry, cause I'll bet those things
are going to go fast!

Felting Leaves

The leaf that I am felting began life

as a flat piece of beautiful variegated felt from Nancy Bruce.

Here it is after I had cut the

pattern from a tracing of a cookie cutter.
I say why use the cookie cutter to cut cookies

when you can just eat the dough

and use the cutter for much more interesting things...?!

After cutting this, I began adding layers

of boldly colored roving (hand dyed by Nancy), felting them after each layer.

I found this to be such a soothing, rhythmic activity...

a mindless type of thing...

great for people like me

that can't seem to even sit in front of the TV without

DOING SOMETHING...

anyone out there like that?

I like to have something in my hands, like knitting, crochet, drawing...

just SOMETHING to DO.

Here is a scan of the type of roving and fiber

that I used on top of my felt leaf.

After some nice soothing felting activity,

I decided to add a yarn outline and some veins to the leaf.

I liked this better, the way that it defined the edges...

while adding more Autumn colors to the mix.

I'll add some beads and baubles...

what is a felted leaf

without a few beads and baubles anyway?

I'll try to see if Nancy has a blog or a website

(you should Nancy!)

(You need an Etsy site or something...

your work is much too beautiful to keep hidden at your home!)

Does everyone that has seen her work agree with me?

Right, Patsy?

Well, I think that this new art form that I have learned will really add a lot to upcoming fiber pieces...

So thanks Nancy for giving me a good foundation to start on!

I'm looking forward to adding to my felting skills.

The Big League World Series, Etsy and Judy Perez

Well, we're in the middle of The Big League World Series here in Easley, SC. My husband is the Umpire In Chief (UIC) and is on the Tournament Committee, so he is here everyday...every minute of the series. I am here almost every minute...

I love the BLWS (above) and like to be around all the local and visiting people. We have people from all over the world here, as it is one of the only true WORLD Series. I'll try to post all of the teams later...I am in a bit of a rush right now.

I really wanted to post that I have made a few changes in my Etsy shop. I have re-done one listing and added a couple of more. Now each auction will be for an individual piece of fabric. I have added pictures of the front and back, as each side is so different. I have several more fat quarters to list, just have to find the time to take pictures and get the listing up. Probably not until the BLWS is over, which will be Saturday August2. Please visit the shop at www.carolsloan.etsy.com.

But I will be out of town Saturday and Sunday. I am going to Atlanta for 2 full day classes with JUDY PEREZ!!!

I am so excited about this!

I've been taking her Color Theory Class online, it's been awesome! I'll have to dedicate a post to it...again, when I can find the time. I have really learned SO much from her about color, mixing paint colors...I highly recommend the class!