Postcard Swap

One thing I did over the summer was organise a postcard swap with some friends. I was 'volunteered' to do it and chose the theme "A Day Out" which I thought was quite wide and would suit everyone.

I wanted to try out a method Angie Hughes used in her book "Stitch, Cloth, Paper and Paint". It starts with calico soaked in PVA glue and adding lace and paper for further texture. Machine stitches were then added in slanting lines to create the feeling of grasses moving, and finally the whole thing was painted with acrylic.

I have been amazed at the roadside flowers this year - there have been so many you can't fail to have see them and be inspired. I added snippets of lace and fabric as well as hand embroidery before making them into fabric postcards.

I'm not totally happy with the results and as I only posted them yesterday, I haven't had any feedback from the recipients. I think the painting is a bit too heavy and I should have varied the colour a bit .

I've since done a Journal Quilt based on the same idea which I will post when I have had my sort out.

Easter Postcard Swap

I took part in an Easter Postcard Swap with a group of friends and felt inspired to create something akin to a Faberge egg. I started out layering several layers of glitzy fabric with the intention of quilting a grid over it and cutting away the various layers to show the different fabrics underneath. It didn't quite come out as I intended and not wanting to waste the fabric (and the time it had taken to quilt the grid) I was determined to make use of the prepared fabric. I put different coloured foils over the top of the fabric and liking the result I added the beads and sequins to give it a real sparkly, glamour look. I then appliqued the egg shapes on to a neutral background and added the "Happy Easter" greeting. Et Voila!

Just two of the eight that I made. All similar of the same theme.

Christmas Postcard Swap

Once again I took part in a swap of Christmas Fabric Postcards and received the following cards from Jayne, Mavis, Jan and Jacquie .

They are all so different which is part of the fun of swapping. Each time I take part in these swaps I get excited planning my design and then waiting for them to drop through my door.

Thank you so much to each of you for swapping - looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to the snow!

Thanks to the snow I've had more time at home to create!

I've finished a set of fabric postcards for a swap I'm taking part in on Fun Friendly. Encouraged by my results with the foils, I decided to try some more. The theme of the swap is "January is ...." and as my main thoughts in January is to get rid of the left over Christmas food, my thoughts turned to that subject. Due to serious dieting I was even more keen to get the food out of the house as soon as possible!

With food, in particular chocolate, in mind, I incorporated some foil wrapping from various chocolates that had been consumed over Christmas as well as some that just had to be eaten to get rid of them.

The background fabric this time was some cotton I dyed last summer, plus layers of foil, sweety wrappers, fabrics and organza. I think I was a bit too heavy handed while iron the fabric to the vilene and backing as I think just a bit too much of the organza has been "zapped". The bead stew was fun creating from various pots of beads and sequins but a more more tedious when it can to stitching them all on.

All I need now is for the snow to go so I can get to the Post Office!

Christmas Postcard Swap

A few weeks I wrote about the christmas postacard swap I had done with three other members of Greenstede Quilters. I wanted to share the three postacards I got in the swap as I think they illustrate just how different fabric postacrds can be.

The first one was made by Val and is her first ever swap. The photo doesn't really show up the really neat hand stitching all around the applique.

the second one was made by Jacquie and incorporated some fabric painting.

The final one was made by Jayne - buttons do it for me!

Thanks to all three of you for swapping. We must do it again sometime!

I have been busy!

So long since my last blog but I have been busy with various projects. I've made loads of fabrics postcards, may of which have been sent without me taking photos! Here are a few though which did get last minute photos taken. They both look very similar in the photos but in reality they were different. Yet again I've used by Needle Felt machine to incorporate fabric, felt, fibres and threads and added buttons for embellishments. These were sent to my friends Jacquie and Jayne for their birthdays.

I'm also taking part in a Birthday Card Swap with Yahoo group Trading Fabric Postcards and these are two that I sent recently. They were collages of different lace and shiny fabrics all kept in place with netting with buttons added.

Also been busy working on christmas cards and finishing a mystery quilt for my quilt group so as soon as I have photos, I will add them.

Time to catch up

I can't believe how long it is since my last blog. That's what happens when a working girl goes back to work!

I have had some creative moments in between time, mainly taking part in postcard swaps.

The first was "Primary Colours". I've always enjoyed working in primary colours. When I look back over the years, when I'm stuck for ideas I resort to wokring in these three colours. I added in the black to give some good contrast. They'll be in the post tomorrow so I hope they are enjoyed by their recipients.

The second group of postcards was for a swap entitled "Old Victorian Style". As I had some Victorian photos of some family members, I decided to include them in the designs, printing the photos on to fabric and incorporating ribbon, buttons and lace.

The final group was a swap called "Opposites Attract". I have to admit I was a bit stumped for ideas when I first saw the title but then there was mentioned black/white so I went with this theme. I had some fabric which I bought some time ago as I was attracted to a black/white theme and as some of the fabric had circles and some had lines, I thought this was another 'opposite' too. I resisted the urge to add some colour!

More Postcard Swaps

My latest swaps for the Fun Friendly group I belong to was entitled "Leaves are FALLing" I just love the Autumn (Fall), probably because I was born bang slap in the middle of the season. I have created many pieces in the past based on Autumn colours so I jumped at the chance for this swap.

Yet again I started with Needle Felting, this time on to a batik from my stash with a leaf design in autumn colours. I felted fibres, felt, and fabric plus a bit of Angelina which didn't really turn out as I had wanted. I then made some leaves by sandwiching Angelina between two layers of organza, machining the leaf shape and then cutting it out. I then machined them over the felted background. Just had to add a few buttons - my work isn't complete without a button or a bead.

Needle Felted Postcards

I've recently bought a Husqvarna Viking Needle Felting Machine and have had fun experimenting with it. With the fibres, fabric and felt I bought at Stitchfest I created these postcards for a swap I am taking part in at the moment with FunFriendly. The theme is Applique so I hope they meet the mark!