Hey everyone! The Summer of Color 2011 challenge ends this week...our last assignment...create something to wrap it up...a piece with all the featured colors...a slideshow, etc. I created a slidehow in Piknik...
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Hugs and Toodles!
The last of the color challenges...I'm kind of sad it's over already...granted I didn't get them posted on time, but still...this is the first time I've actually joined a challenge and followed through. This was rather easy, since I'm so inspired by color! It was easy to complete these little quilts, stealing little minutes of time here and there...I found that I had to lay out what I intended to complete each week, and that way, even if I only had time to make a few stitches, I was still able to make some progress.
Thank you so much for all the nice comments. I really enjoyed this challenge, I enjoyed looking at so many beautiful pieces completed by all the other artists, and it was so nice to have more people stopping by too!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Hugs and Toodles!
Here is last week's purple challenge...
and...
and...okay...this is pale lilac to me...or pink...but today it's purple!
Again, thanks for stopping by!
Hugs and Toodles!
Nothing like trying to finish something up on the last day...literally! The Summer of Color 2011 challenge is just about over, so today, in between trying to finish up a school assignment, I'm trying to take and edit photos for some of the little dress quilts I made for the challenge...not very many red dresses...I'm still using my batik fabric paired with the Fairy Frost charm pack...so without further ado...here are the red dress quilts!
This is a funky batik, but it does have "some" red...
Now THAT'S red...
and last but not least...
Okay, I'm going to throw in a couple pink ones I did too...after the pink challenge though...
and...
That's it for this post...and as always, thanks for stopping by!
Hugs and Toodles!
Okay...I'm weeks behind everyone else, but I've been doing the work...I'm not a slacker! I really have been keeping up with all the Summer of Color challenges, just have been so busy that I haven't taken the time to take photos.
This week I finished filming and uploading the last of my art doll lessons that my friend Brianne and I are co-teaching at Willowing & Art Friends. There is still time to register! The class will remain up for at least several more weeks, and all the lesson materials are downloadable, so you don't have to finish up that soon...and I'll always be around to help if you need it, so don't sit on the fence any longer! You'll learn so cool techniques that you can apply to other art projects as well...
So, here are my brown color challenges...I made three, and it wasn't until I was editing the photos that I noticed one of the dresses has no buttons...I'll need to fix that...a dress with no buttons? I don't think so...
Brown is not one of my favorite colors...
It just doesn't scream "happy" to me...
I feel like a Tootsie Roll when I wear it...but I guess it deserves it's time to shine...
Okay...this really isn't me...I'm older...
As always, thanks for stopping by! I SO appreciate it!
Hugs and toodles!
This week's color challenge was yellow...I have to be honest and say that I've had a love/hate relationship with yellow. For most of my life I disliked yellow...intensely! Periodically I start liking it, even start wearing it. I look pretty decent in yellow. And, I find that when I do wear it, I do feel more vibrant, more cheerful, more "sunny" even! I'm not a huge fan of gold, or any "earth" tone for that matter. Brown is not my favorite color, not even my favorite neutral! I feel like a Tootsie Roll when I wear brown...why even mention brown? Because that's this next week's color challenge...and it's a bit...uuummm...challenging...ah, but I digress...
So in keeping with doing what I love, and what I find relaxing, I created five little mini quilts...making one is too easy...I do need to be challenged after all! There have been a couple questions posed as to where I get my ideas, and how do I keep from making the exact same thing over and over (or do I?)...
For this challenge it's relatively easy...I'm still using the Fairy Frost charm pack by Michael Miller...that helps because there are 50 different colors.
I love the scalloped white lace I put over the capped sleeves on this dress...
And, I'm still using batik fabric, and I've been using Fossil Ferns (I can't remember who makes it) and there are 100 different prints in that...so yes...in a way it's easy. I just have to find colors that work well together, even within the same color family.
I also try to choose a few different embroidery floss or perle cotton colors that will work well within the group too. In addition to trying to use at least two different colors of thread, I vary the stitch designs.
I have developed a rather extensive set of templates I use for my dress quilts...I'm currently up to about 30 different dress shapes and about 10 different pinafores...I vary the sleeves or the shape of the dresses and pinafores a bit. Because my little dress quilts are all made with charm packs, and the charms measure 5" square, obviously the templates need to fit within that space...that keeps my designs consistent even though they are different shapes.
And buttons, there has to be buttons. I rarely duplicate the same button style within the same quilt.
And even within the same quilt, I rarely use the same stitching to sew on my buttons.
So, you can see that even if you are designing a series of artwork, even the most simple of variations can extend the variety of pieces you are able to create!
As always, thank you SO much for stopping by today...and be sure to click on the Summer of Color badge to check out even more wonderful and inspiring yellow challenge pieces!
Hugs and toodles!
So...I am making extra sure that I get this posted on time! I completed four pink pieces for this week's Color of Summer challenge...
I added cheesecloth to two of my little quilts...
I love the added texture!
For the next two pieces, I made a pinafore to go over the dresses, and also used #5 black perle cotton for the stitching on the dresses...love the contrast between the white and black!
I used hand-dyed batik fabric for the pinafores, and again, I'm still on the Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabric kick for the dresses...fifty colors...fifty dresses...are my goals a little too lofty? Uuummm...we'll see how long I stay motivated...BUT in my defense, I'm completed three challenges so far!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs and Toodles!
Okay, so I'm a week late on the green...the sad thing is I made it right away on Monday and forgot to take a picture...apparently I'm not used to completing something without procrastinating!
This was quilted/embroidered on white on white cotton fabric, with white cotton batting in the quilt sandwich...I add white lace and green glass beads this week...the fabric is Michael Miller's Fairy Frost, and I also used green batik cotton fabric for the collar.
I used #5 perle cotton that was overdyed with green and yellow for the embroidery/quilting.
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Hugs and toodles!
So, I'm a few days late...but Happy New Year anyway!
I've been so busy...right now I'm on quarter break from school...I'm loving art school, but it definitely it much more difficult than I expected! It consumes much of my time, but is totally worth it! My Photoshop and Illustrator skills are vastly improved, but I'm finding that the more I use those programs, the more I realize there is to know...nonetheless, I completed my final project for my "Fundamentals of Design" course using both, and scored a 100% on it! I was stunned! Not that I didn't think I deserved an "A" (but of course!), but I really struggled with this course...by the fourth week my grade had plummeted to a D+! I worked even harder the last couple weeks, and was able to bring my grade up to an A-! This is my final project:
It was my intent to design a project utilizing the design principles we learned (balance, movement, rotation, repetition, color theory, etc.) as well as incorporate an art deco theme. The title of my piece is "No, I'm the Diva."
I've also been busy with my first online class, "Moshi Moshi." I've been collaborating with Monica Zuninga from Hands and Heart, and our first class is a beginners doll class featuring a handpainted body and clothes...right now I'm tweaking the clothes patterns, and getting ready to film the construction of the clothes as well as developing surface design techniques so that the fabric used for the clothes will be handpainted as well. I feel it is so important to learn the skills necessary to develop one's own signature look, so our goal for this class is not only to teach the skills necessary to construct and complete a doll, but to give our students the tools to customize their dolls as well.
Monica also has other classes and art groups available, and one group that has just started up is a challenge group and the theme for January is "intentions"...I've just completed my January challenge piece...for my art journal I've chosen a key word for 2011, and that word is "begin." I'm such a procrastinator because I'm such a perfectionist. I'm known to begin and not complete so many projects, not because I'm lazy but because I'm afraid they won't turn out as well as I would like...so as I reflected on my goals and aspirations for 2011, I needed to examine what was holding me back from accomplishing all I desired...initially I thought it was "just" procrastinating, but upon closer reflection I realized it was fear...and that fear was holding me back...holding me back from not only accomplishing what I desired, but holding me back from the joy of creating...of enjoying the process...I plan and plan and plan and plan, but nothing will give me the satisfaction of not only completing a project but of improving my skills unless I do it. My solution...to just begin! I know that I'm easliy inspired, and have many many ideas, but nothing will come of them if I don't start...if I don't begin...and the more I do, the more my skills will improve whether it's working with software, sewing, sketching, painting...so my word for 2011...BEGIN! Here is my January challenge piece...a 5" embroidered/quilted art quilt. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to redo it, or just quit, because it wasn't turning out the way I'd planned...but...I persisted and completed it, even if the lettering didn't turn out as nicely as I wanted...I free-handed the piece as I was working...no sketching...just worked stitch upon stitch...and I finished it!
What is holding YOU back from your dreams? Fear? Lack of skills? Join me on this grand adventure of living a creative life...don't let fear hold you back...you can do it! There are so many resources available to us with the internet...we can learn to do anything...just BEGIN!
Thank you SO much for stopping by today...
Toodles and Hugs!
Okay, so our Etsy shop isn't "brand new" but it's still under a month old...and I'd love to show you some of the new pieces I've added! Just click on the picture to be taken to our Etsy shop and for product descriptions!
fabric art journal
This coming week should be a lot of fun! My two granddaughters are visiting, and we plan to work on some art projects...I started knitting Kristen a purse/tote to hold some of her beading supplies and WIP, and just need to sew the lining in and finish the strap...she's very excited about that! Brianna wants to work on knitting, and yesterday she spent the day in my studio learning how to do quilling...I think she's working on a Marie Antoinette paper doll...they both brought huge totes of art and crafting supplies, so I think we'll be quite busy and I'm sure the time will pass far too quickly (it always does).
I hope you have a wonderfully creative week, and thanks for stopping by!
Toodles!
Anita
