Here's your sign!

It's coffee, folks, and it's delicious!

Leftover batting pieces - part three

This week, I want to show you the prettiest but easiest piece that I made from my leftover batting pieces.  It was the fastest too!  But only because I never throw ANYthing out!

1. Cut batting and fusible web pieces according to the instructions in part one.

2. I have a treasure trove of paper towels sitting in my studio which are already covered with interesting paint designs.  These are towels that I used to clean up after other projects...extra points for recycling!!  Eventually they all get used, but if they start to build up too much, I switch to using a sponge for cleanup for awhile.  Iron the paper towel flat, and make sure you've only got one layer.

3. Iron the towel to the top of the fusible and trim to size.  It's great to be able to stitch on these otherwise delicate surfaces.  If you've got enough batting scraps, make a batch of these for future projects.  

Copyright 2013 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

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Artsy blogging round-up!

Beading Arts 
Cyndi has worked out an easy way to hang odd-shaped pieces from wire! 

Breaking Out the Good Stuff 
Why have fabulous yarn if you do not use it? Crafty Princess is treating herself for a change. 

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world 
This week at Craftside there are tutorials on how to fold a Pegasus out of a dollar bill, crochet a magic wand, and recipes for cocoa and green tea rubs. 

Father's Day Craft Tutorials 
It's not too early to think about what you'll create for Dad or Grandpa. Father's Day is June 16th! 

Money Gifts 
With Graduation coming up, one or more of these creative money projects would make a perfect gift for a special graduate. 

Art and Poetry 
Cherie makes new pictures using her poetry. 



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Mixed media sculpture: Jason Lyons

Perch by Jason Lyons

I am a complete sucker for home and garden sculptures made from reclaimed and upcycled junk.  Enter Jason Lyons, and I think I'm in love!

Crow

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Book review: Inspired to Design

Are you afraid to get started designing your own art quilt?  Then this is the book you need.  Not everyone is going to love Elizabeth Barton's methods, especially those people who like to work "intuitively", but if you are a planner and don't know how to plan one of these masterpieces, you are going to LOVE this book!

Even if you think planning isn't for you, I challenge you to give this a try.  The full title of the book is Inspired to Design: Seven steps to successful art quilts.  Elizabeth Barton takes you through these steps, from gathering up your ideas and inspirations, to making the basic decisions about composition by chosing the structure, focal point(s), colors and values, evaluating those choices, and putting them all together.  Exercises feature prominently throughout the book.  More time spent on thinking through design choices will make the time spent on construction more worthwhile!

I have become convinced by Elizabeth about the importance of a design wall and an inspiration notebook.  Now if I only had a wall available...  But here's what she has to say about the notebook; doesn't this sound wonderful?

"As you enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of wine, with your feet up, look at your inspirational pictures one by one and write down what it is about this photo, sketch, or painting that really impresses and fascinates you....There are so many possibilities. Each one is personal, but it is also often fleeting, and that’s why it’s important to note it down.(p 8)

Elizabeth's output is prodigious, and as I looked through this new C&T Publishing book and also at her website, I decided that this is definitely a woman I can learn a thing or two (or three or four...) from.

Battersea

Red Morning

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Here's your sign!

Does this mean I'm supposed to slow down or speed up?  :-D

Leftover batting pieces - part two

Today, it's waxed paper!  Yup, waxed paper makes a really interesting top layer on quilt batting, and when it's fused onto batting, you can easily add stitching or other quilting effects.  Without a layer of fused batting...not so much!

1. Follow the directions from last week to cut your batting and fusible web.  Tear off a piece of waxed paper that is bigger than the other layers.

2. Crumble the waxed paper and spread it back out with your hands.

3. Using parchment paper to protect your iron and the board, iron the waxed paper to the fusible web and cut to the same size.

4. Slowly add layers of thinned acrylics (I used quinacridone red) and allow it to seep through the waxed paper.  I hit the edges with some extra paint where they could soak it up better.  Iron to heat set the paint.

  

5. Dry brush or use your fingers to add some metallic color to the high points.  I used iridescent copper.  Iron again to set.

Copyright 2013 Cyndi Lavin. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact.

Technorati Tags:mixed media,collage,assemblage,digital art,photography,altered books,art journals