Fabric Printing

A couple of weeks ago, as I browsed the YSM, I found four cards with old photo images on them.  I printed them onto fabric and then played.  I am going to use the native american one for a journal cover.  The military one will be a card, I think.  It might be a journal cover.  Just have to see where my muse takes me with these.

I am now using my iphone to post photos on fb.  You can search for Carol Swallowcliffs and friend me if you want to see other creations I have been working on.  I tried to somehow get the photos from fb so I could post here, but, as usual, my techie inadequacies are interfering with my wants!

Rock Garden Update

As some of you may know, my summer art projects involved rocks!  That trait was handed down to me by my father, who was also a rock hound.  And, you know one of my philosophies is "use what you have to make art."  Since we are surrounded with rocks of all kinds, the idea for the labyrinth was born.  And, once that was almost finished, and I was having so much fun playing with rocks, HRH and I decided to cover up a weedy area along the walk to our most used door with a rock garden of sorts.  We plan to cover the other side of the walk next year too.  Here are some recent photos of the progress we have made so far.

HRH and his beloved JD brought some huge boulders to the project.  This boulder is about three foot high.

The rocks follow along the edge of  the deck which is surrounded by lovely smelling plants like lilacs, and in this picture, lavender.  Makes sitting on the deck a fragrant experience, lol.

This is a desert four o'clock... picture taken before four o'clock, he he.

The walk from the cement sidewalk that gives us access to the great beyond (back yard.)

HRH and the car girls thought the rubber snakes must be involved in the rocks.

If you were coming to my door, you would see this from the road.

And the solar lights let you know where the sidewalk is if you arrive after dark...

Utilitarian Art

Rice, somewhere on the net, mentioned she wanted to make an iphone "purse" so she could be hands free but still have her phone handy, and the phone would be safe from dropping!  I thought this is a great idea!  Especially since many times when I go out and about, I do not take my purse/bag, or I don't have pockets.  Rice mentioned having some surplus leather around to do hers with.  So, as I perused the YSM las week, what should appear before my very eyes but a well maintained leather jacket.  And since the price was only 50 cents, I brought it home with me.  Here is the results...

I cut the leather away from the lining.  The jacket had nice straps over all the seams and some buckle embellishments.  Nice!

Using the top of one sleeve, I cut a piece of leather that could wrap around my phone...

I sewed some seam binding on the back of the strips for a handle.  The handle is long enough to go over my head, across my body, and the phone sits on my hip now...

Pretty plain, but I did not want something that shouts out to people but rather sits quietly working hard, lol.  I love the feel of the leather which is very strong but thin and soft and creamy.  I might try to make another one that is way embellished, but this one will be my everyday protector.  

Monsters?

I have been trying to come up with an idea for a "beastie".  I haven't had much luck with that-sort of out of my realm in art I think.  But, I had this little booklet show up amongst my artful mayhem and it reminded me of an art activity from when I was in elementary school-ink blots.  I took some paper, folded it in half,  opened up the paper and dropped some ink close to the fold.  Refolded the paper and rubbed the ink about a bit.  Open and let dry.  Now, to see what is there...

If there was  a beastie he/she would of course have a pet...

And some beasties would welcome you with open arms...

And some may look a bit friendly, even if they are a beastie...

And, of course, beasties have a leader... a queen or king...

And like artists at an art retreat, beasties have so much fun together...

Mmmmm... I wonder what the psyc people would say about my mental state if they say these?  LOL

They're Back!

Yes, I dug out the mini doll creating stash from last long winter's evenings and have been playing again.  I am not too sure I like this years models.  What is different?  I made the face out of felt last winter, this year I tried a piece of muslin dyed pink.  The bodies for some of this year's models are wool.  Mixing things up, huh?  The little darlings are fun to fidget (is that what it is?) with.  Throw in a bit of embroidery, a bit of beading, a bit of creativity and you end up with little friends1

The first finished one this year...

And she invited lots of other friends, lol.

And adding hair really gives them a personality!

Change of Pace

After spending hours and hours making crows, and then making Garden girls, I have moved on to other things.  The cold feeling temperatures here made me get out my "by the chair" hand sewing box.  I found some half finished Dotee dolls so decided to work on those a bit.  I joined a swap over in the sketchbook group, a paper bag day of the dead book.  I have been working on the book in the evening while watching tv.  I like it!

I have a basket full of little people parts to play with in my hand sewing box. I love seeing their little personalities develop.  This one's body, I call her Star, is waiting for some embellishments.

And the two garden girls, this old witch and a young witch, I finished, along with the crows, I helped move to their new home, ie, Gypsy Mama's, which is my new outlet for art sales.  Hope they sell soon.

The Day of the Dead book pages.  The paper bags were white.  I cut out the skeleton profile from an old anatomy book cover for a stencil.  I like these sorts of stencils.  I layed the stencil, or some might call it a mask, on the paper bag and using a soft sponge roller brayer coved the bags with black chalk board paint I happened to have from summer before last YSM.  That left me white skeletons to embellish.  I like the matte look of the black paint and it made it easy to draw on with my white pens, sharpy poster paint pens, and gel pens. 

The color on these are really more vibrant in real life.  I love the look of my skeletons and the bright colorful flowers and doodling.

Art Frenzy

Right now, for this labor day week end, I am involved in several art projects that are just getting started.
I seem to have a tendency to do that sometimes.  You know the old adage "it's a feast or a famine?"  I am there!  Sometimes I am just lost cuz I don't have a project and I desperately search for something that I want to attempt.  Then, one day, like today, I find myself immersed in all kinds of ideas and projects.  Today, I give you a glimse of a few of my on going projects.

This morning my middle car girl and I made oven bake balls which will turn into eyeballs eventually, lol

Of course, I still keep making crows for the upcoming next Saturday workshop examples...

And yesterday, while I was at the farmer's market (which was a bummer of a day really) HRH went to the YSM and he brought me these plain white patches.  I see, tags and such here, don't you?

And here is one of the garden girls becoming...

These are garden girls waiting to become...

And some days I make homemade tomato juice just because HRH picks all these tomatoes from his vines.

Plus, I am still working on my labyrinth and the new rock garden!   

Tomorrow, even though it is Labor Day, (hope you all are having a lovely holiday) I have to stop and smell the roses...er, I mean have to stop creating long enough to do a bit of house cleaning, he he.

Fabric Greeting Cards

I have had fun stitching away on these fabric greeting cards and their envelopes this week.  I love that I can use up some of my fabric stashes this way.  I could make maybe a kajillion of them and still have fabric left over, I think.  I am going to take them to the Farmer's market tomorrow so we will see if there is  any interest in something like this.  Hope so!

Bits and pieces of embellishments layered on make the cards so pretty.  Hand dyed fabric for the envelope on this one. Very shabby chic, I think.

Lovely lace piece with a silhoette of a woman sets this one off.  The muted colors of the wrong side of the fabric for the envelope is nice.

Pieces of hand embroidered fabrics and old lace from discarded pieces, ribbons and such.  I love this one!  More hand dyed fabric for the envy too.

These cards are very vintage looking, soft to the feel, lovely.