Zentangle Leaves

 I signed up for The CQT 2014 Postcard Exchange and decided to work a variety of stitches on silk paper.  I'd better get cracking as I need to be done by Friday.

 My finished felted landscape piece pinned onto a piece of foam board.  I needle felted the flowers and clouds and rolled bits of green felt between my palms for the tree branches.

 We were each given pieces of this paper at last months stitchery guild meeting to make into book covers.  We were shown the stab binding method and here is my book which I filled by making 10 zentangle leaves:

 I drew these on rice paper (poor choice) that I spritzed with ink.  They were definitely a lot of fun to draw and I finally used the zentangle book that I had purchased 3 years ago for pattern ideas.  There are tons of zentangles on-line as well.

Incredibly, we have a fox den under one of our sheds with one pup.  I crept out early one morning and hid behind our rhubarb to see if I could get some pictures. The clicking of my camera was so loud in the quiet morning air that it was no wonder that she is looking at me. 

Have a wonderful week everyone :)

Book of Leaves

 My linen challenge book cover is now complete.  I had been thinking of using a snap closure but found some stretchy green cord and put some beads on it to use instead.  I really enjoyed the process of deciding what stitches to use and stitching on this piece of linen.  In June I'll see what the the other members of our stitchery guild did for the challenge.

 We were all given pieces of coconut paper for our linen books as well.  I have a thick folder of pressed flowers and leaves that I've been collecting for years and was very glad to finally find a place to put some of them.

 This is a sampling of a few of the pages.  10 pages in all.

 Ended with a pressed strawberry leaf from ages ago.

 Felted landscape work in progress.  I made the branches by rolling small pieces of felt in my hands and needle felting them on.  I'll add some more branches to fill out the tree a bit more and make another needle felted blue flower.  For now it's pinned onto a white board and propped in front of the TV so I look at it often to see what else it needs.

 So glad to have the second bird done now on my Sampler in Blue.  Mistakes have been minimal due to only having 1 colour to use.  Yeah!!

Captured this lovely pair of Mourning Doves on an old barbed wire fence. I love the soft cooing call they make and how graceful they look.

Have a wonderful week everyone and thanks for stopping by :)

Linen Challenge

 I had mentioned in my last post that everyone in our stitchery guild received a piece of linen that will become a book cover. I decided to make mine like a band sampler and my rows so far include:  Crossed buttonhole stitch, Feathered chain stitch, Chevron, Herringbone, Fly, Detached chain, Fly stitch again, rows of Running stitches, Cross stitch leaves and Cretan.

 Haven't decided yet what the next rows will be but the plan is to be finished by next week.

 Very slow progress on my Sampler in Blue but it's coming along :)

 Here is the lovely "F is for Fish" atc I received from Grace from Somerset, UK.  It is so nicely stitched!!  Thank you Grace :)

 A friend from our stitchery guild made me this delightful owl postcard from a napkin.  Thank you Carol!  It's very bright, fun and cheery :)

Caught this White breasted Nuthatch creeping down the tree trunk with a seed. Just love bird watching :)

Have a fabulous day everyone :)

Accordion Book Cover

 Only 2 /12 inches or about 6 cm in height, I first dyed this piece of Aida cloth, cross stitched the leaf design and closed up the back to make a little case....

 for this little accordion booklet.  Our stitchery group's program this year is to make a leaf treasure box and fill it with hand made books.

 Here is the accordion booklet opened up with the wooden block I used for stamping.  The booklet opens up to about 3 feet or about 91 centimeters long.

 5 of my booklets so far housed in my leaf treasure box

 At our last stitchery meeting we were each given a piece of linen and challenged to stitch whatever design we'd like on it for another book cover.  I chose to design mine like a band sampler and from the top have worked the crossed buttonhole stitch, feathered chain stitch, chevron, herringbone and fly stitch.  Thinking of doing a row of detached chain stitches for the next row.  We are all enjoying making our books and covers and seeing each other's creativity is great!

 Oops - material was supposed to be sewn right sides together for the owl pincushion body but I wasn't paying attention :)

On the Stitchin' Fingers website the artist trading card challenge for February was "I spy with my little eye something beginning with the letter F."  I cut out 4 fish from some of the evolon I had dyed and stitched some feather stitches on a little piece of silk paper a friend had given to me.  It is now flying over the ocean on it's way to England.

Have a wonderful and delightful day everyone :D

Evolon Leaf Book

 I so enjoyed working with Evolon!  It takes paint well and dye and stamping.  This is the cover of my leaf themed booklet.

 I used Evolon for all the pages and it isn't too difficult to stitch through.  Here are a few autumn leaves being blown across the pages using the fly stitch.

Maple and oak leaf pages using the chain stitch, stem, seed, buttonhole, crossed buttonhole and french knots.

 Haven't done much lattice stitching and I need more practice.  Enjoyed stitching the 3 middle leaves using the fly stitch.

Evolon also takes well to melting/fusing with the soldering iron.  On the left hand page I used it to burn out all the leaf shapes. I put organza underneath the 2 smaller strips and a gold candy wrapper under the larger piece.  The vine and leaves on the right hand page were all cut out and fused onto the Evolon using the soldering iron as well.  Filled it in with seed stitching and marked the edges with the soldering iron too.  Very pleased with my small leaf booklet which is now housed in my leaf themed box :)

Leaf Treasure Box finish

 The Regina Stitchery Guild program for the year has been to make a leaf treasure box and put little books in it that we are also learning to make. Deciding on colours, design and stitching has been a wonderful creative experience.  I really enjoyed learning how to make the 3 needlelace leaves you see. There are about 20 of us making one and it's great to see how different and creative they all are.

The box was made using heavy duty interfacing and dyed material that I stitched a variety of leaf designs on.  I used the buttonhole stitch to stitch all the pieces together. 

 Also finished my Fandangle in Blue!  It was a complete kit from Nordic Needle stitched on Congress cloth.  I'm thinking of making another one in a variegated orange colour.

I'll be mailing this atc to England tomorrow as part of the artist trading card swap going on right now on the stitchin' fingers site.

Hope everyone has a little time to stitch and be creative today :)

Owl Pincushions & a Merry Christmas to all!

 A friend recently gave me the pattern to make these owl pincushions.  I looked around the net and found it available from Sewn into the Fabric if anyone is interested.  I didn't fill mine with walnut shells though but used wheat instead plus a washer at the bottom so they would sit a bit better.  Gave all these away so I now have to make myself one!

 Working on my hardanger ornament that I am keeping for myself this time. The hand-dyed 5 perle cotton embroidery thread is from Lorraine's etsy shop Les Designs.  I love all the colours she has available.

 Managed in between owl pincushions and hardanger ornaments to sew the edges onto the top of the leaf lid I'm also working on.  Will tackle the sides next year.

 Made this cross stitch design into a pillow many years ago.  It's always such a pleasure to bring out the hand made Christmas things to decorate the house with :)

 A few more ornaments that I made many years ago that are now on the tree :)

 As many of you may have guessed I love birds and bird watching and am also a member of Bird Feeder Watch Canada. 19 beautiful Grey Partridges come into our yard on a daily basis.  One or 2 are usually standing guard while the rest forage. They have such wonderful chestnut barring, reddish face and dark red belly patch.  One of these days I'd like to stitch a partridge too!

Have a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Holiday, a Frohe Weihnachten and a Joyeux Noel!!  I wish each of you good health, joy and plenty of creativity in 2014 :)