April Create Art Each Day Challenge Day 1

Embroidery In Progress!

This is a pattern from the Sublime Stitching Pad by Jenni Hart.  Don't you love anything regarding chandeliers? This is my first post for our April Challenge, Create Art Each Day, as seen "here", and you can get support "here". I hope you'll join us.

If you are interested in embroidery, here are some links for you:

Sharon B's Dictionary of Stitches

Sublime Stitching Online

One of my favorites: Sarah's Hand Embroidery Tutorials (click on the side bar links)

Original Hand Embroidery Patterns (Flickr)

Feeling Stitchy

Have a marvelous Monday! Go be creative!!!


 xoxo, julie ann




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Embroidered Heart for Say It With Letters: Ode to Cupcakes.

Here's another heart wood ornament for Say It With Letters Design Team. I hand embroidered on felt, cushioned it, and added a ribbon hanger.An ode to my love of cupcakes...not sure if the cupcake comes out in the photograph.

 

 

 Etsy Listing

Here is one designed by DT member Kory Dordea

Next one is by DT Member Rae Bellus

And DT member Jennifer Priest made hers into a delightful pincushion

“Today, see if you can stretch your heart and expand your love so that it touches not only those to whom you can give it easily, but also to those who need it so much.”

-Daphine Rose Kingma

Finished Sampler!

 

I finished my embroidery sampler. It wasn't going to be anything but practice. I don't know why many of us bloggers for AEDM feel obligated to admit where are mistakes are on our projects. I say let's not tell anyone where things didn't turn out the way we wanted them too, and no one will know the difference!

Center pattern is from Sublime Stitching Pad by Jenni Hart (iron on patterns), lace at bottom is from Prima Marketing, Inc; Glitter is ultrafine from Art Glitter Institute

Do you feel fabulous today?  What is something you can do to feel fabulous right now?

Finishing my sampler feels so FABULOUS!

BE FABULOUS ALL DAY!

 

Hello

 

I'm making progress on my sampler. I had to google to find out if I can iron on felt, and it turns out that you can, wool setting. This is Jenny Hart's pattern (center) from the Sublime Stitching Pad. (see before) I finally mastered the "slip stitch" thanks for my embroidery dictionary. If you are looking or interested in one, the ultimate one is by C&T Publishing titled Judith Baker Montano’s Embroidery & Crazy Quilt Stitch Tool, and I am not saying this because I am on their Creative Troupe, I discovered this dictionary in JoAnn's and a week later found out they were the publisher. It is spiral bound at the top, it is a little larger than index card size, very handy. Illustrations for left & right handed (hello! fellow left-handers!)

I'm getting super excited for Bad Girls Project 52's Challenge #3 to be revealed tonight at Midnight Pacific at the Project 52 blog. If you are into MIXED MEDIA, this is the blog for you. If you want to discover the HIDDEN ARTIST IN  YOU, this is the blog for you. If you are a scrapbooker, and want to MORE  CREATIVITY  STRETCH & OUTSIDE YOUR BOX, this blog is for you.

I'm curious about my blog followers, have you ever tried mixed media? Are you interested in me talking about it and sharing tutorials?

xoxo unicorns

I have been a bit obsessed with embroidery, when I have the time to do it. This is a pattern from Elsie's shop Red Velvet Art Grand Opening, I believe it is sold out. I was just totally creative, painted on the fabric first, then embroidered. I have no idea what will happen next, it might end up on a scrapbook page or on an art journal page.







Here are my latest finds from antique co-ops in Webster and Greece, NY. Everything is vintage except the turquoise plume. I think I need to stay out of the stores for a bit!

How are you spending your Saturday? I'm getting ready for my parents to come visit next week!

For the love of the stitch

 

One of my ongoing projects I try to work on every other day is an embroidery sampler as I teach myself new stitches. It's just a piece of felt, and I'm not using a hoop to stretch it, nor drawing lines for exactness, so it's just kind of a beautiful mess of a sampler.  I found the Embroidery Stitch Dictionary at a new flea market that opened here in Rochester on LaGrange ($3 score! plus the basket below was a neighbor's sale, another $3 score!) Eventually I'm going to be getting into the Sublime Stitching patterns, that I bought at Jo-Anns, photo below.

And these beauties, I purchased at a flea market that opened yesterday near my home for just $.25 each! Did I mention I can walk to this flea market? Heaven!

 

Ode to Mixed Media Bird

quote

Artists don't make objects. Artists make mythologies.
Anish Kapoor

I was inspired to make this plush bird as a way to reach out of my current box, reach back to my roots as a designer, as one who sews for fun. It is interesting how many of my interests converge here: felting, sewing, embroidery, beading. 

• This is my first mixed media plushie
• The pattern is my own original free hand design (inspired after looking at many many many bird images)
  
• I made it in three days
• I'm not sure I'm done with it, I'll let it sit a while then see if I feel if it needs more embellishing

Side View

Head

The head features an embroidered eye (lazy daisy stitch), with random beads over mainly blue felted background machine-stitched for texture.

Throat

You can see here that there is a mixture of seed beads in this patch at about the throat area. There is also a pink button added. I'm all about an ecletic mix, a random mix. I try to avoid a "perfect" look in fact.

Upper Body

For the upper body, I cut circles from sheer fabric that blended from light blue to dark blue. I attached it with a sequin & bead. You can also see some of the embroidery (petal chain stitch in yellow) I did on the yellow wing above that.  If you want to learn embroidery, there is a great site that has simple, easy tutorials with photographs by sarah here.

Lower Body

Along the lower body, I embroidered in pink a basque stitch. I also made a beaded flower with a pearl in the center of each petal.

Overall, I am ecstatic that my pattern turned out exactly how I imagined once it was stitched and stuffed! I love the felted mixed media look, and will be doing more and experimenting more. I wonder if my bird looks completely amateur/first-time to those who have been doing it forever? LOL :)

Peace.
Love.
Cuppiecakes.
Glitter.
Art.
xoxo,
JA

New Projects - Artsy Fartsy

I've been super creative lately! Here's a quick visual look at what I've been up too. I'll be back later with more to say:

Art Doll in ShadowBox, made with Sherriejd's Ultimate Art Dolls Digi Kit

 

  

 

Vintage Comic Altered Box with Mini Album

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

  

 

  

Embroidery Mixed Media Bird

 

  

  

  

  

  

Thanks for looking!

What have you been inspired to create within the past 48 hours? Leave me a link! Please leave a comment after linking... Thank you!