Gothic arches -- Birds

I am being a very bad blogger at the moment, it's the weather's fault. As well as putting the bungalow up for sale, I am trying to de-clutter, what a hopeless task.
Off that depressing subject, and onto some gothic arches I made for a swap, all in one of my favourite subjects, birds.
They are all a mixture of inking, stamping and collage.

Printed fabric brush roll

For a recent swap, we had to print our own fabric, then make our partner something with it. Knowing my partner was an extremely good artist, I thought a watercolour brush holder would be useful. I printed the fabric with a foam stamp that I had made on an Angie Hughes course. I used lumiere paints in two colours. I then put in some thin wadding and machined over it first of all with a variegated orange thread, and then criss crossed it with a metallic one.
I made a backing with the openings for the brushes, and sewed the whole thing together.
Pattie was really pleased with it.

Journal page 3

This months journal heading for PDA was roses. Not the easiest of subjects as far as I'm concerned, but roses it is. I covered the page with lace which had roses on, made and embossed a door, and put grungboard hinges and lock on it. Behind the door I covered a piece of card with a rose napkin, and found this French looking guy with a bunch of roses in his hand. I then put roses round the door, with a big metal one at the top, I think John likes it !!!!

AWOL

I could use my grandson Max as an excuse for not doing anything on here for well over a month. I can only blame him for 10 days when we looked after him when Claire and Jonathon went for a much needed break. After 10 days, I needed one myself.
Here are a few photos of him, the bottom one, he is learning to clap when you say 'good boy'. The top one, he is looking a lot more innocent than he is.

Journal page -- Mended

The theme this month is mended. My first thought of course was sewing, so the first thing I did was to cut my mountboard into two pieces, cover them with paper and then mend them. I made holes, and then cross stitched them together. I added some stamped images, a shrink plastic sewing machine and scissors, and some thread wrapped around some prints of old sewing card.
I made a small needle case, a selection of thread, and a little bottle of buttons and beads. Wiring the bottle on nearly drove me to doing something I might later have regretted. It is now on it's way to America, so I hope it gets there in one piece, and that Lee likes it.

Fabric wedding book

My daughter Karen is getting married in June, and I went with her for one of her outfit fittings. I was a bit cheeky while we were there and asked the lady if she would save me some small bits of lace that she would otherwise have thrown away. I am going again this Saturday, and hope she will have remembered.
I thought it might be a nice gesture to make her a fabric wedding book, so that she can see what I wanted the lace for. I have just finished it, in the nick of time.

Indian fabric house book

The Indian book is a mixture of Indian fabrics, printed tissue and printed fabric done on Angie's course, plus some image transfers, sari ribbon and bits and pieces. I have made it concertina style by putting four eyelets in each house. If I had room it could also stand up, as I put a layer of pelmet vilene in each house.