Tangled Thread

June 23rd, 2008

I think they’re blooming tonight…

I’m so excited - my night-blooming cereus looks like it may have several blossoms tonight!

It certainly inspires me to get my sketch book out and start planning a piece of fiber art based on the flowers :-) I think painting the background and then using wool or silk fibers and fabric to form the […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

June 21st, 2008

Artsy bloggers roundup

Celebrate the first day of summer with the Artsy Bloggers!

10 Ways to Save Money Quilting
Guest blogger, Karen Weideman, at Quilting and Patchwork provides some great tips for saving money on your quilting.
Creative Therapy
Another great visual journal inspiration blog.
How to Craft for the Retiree Market
If you craft for profit, you […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 20th, 2008

how-to of the day - 3-D pins or brooches from fabric motifs

Okay, so do you have everything I asked you for yesterday?
Good - let’s get sewing :-)
To begin, we need to interface the back of the fabric with a heavy-weight interfacing.  I find it’s easiest to cut a square of fabric out with the motif in the center, rather than trying to fussy cut the fabric.

 Interface […]

By Chloe -- 9 comments

June 19th, 2008

3-D pins or brooches from fabric motifs

I’ve got this fabric sitting on my studio table right now:

I’m planning on sewing a hobo tote with it - but I was looking at the butterflies and got a brainstorm.
What if I made a 3-D pin or brooch from one of the butterflies that I could wear, or pin to the bag?  It would […]

By Chloe -- 1 comment

June 11th, 2008

Easy Father’s Day gifts - stamped t-shirts

 Are you looking for an easy project to do with your kids for Father’s Day?
How about making a hand-stamped t-shirt for Dad?
You’ll need non-toxic fabric or acrylic paints (if using acrylic paint, I’d recommend mixing it with a fabric/textile medium), a t-shirt and permanent or paint markers.
Place a piece of cardboard inside the shirt.  This […]

By Chloe -- 12 comments

June 6th, 2008

Artsy bloggers roundup

It’s an extra-special Artsy Bloggers round-up this week, Cyndi - who writes Layers Upon Layers as well as Jewelry & Beading, just welcomed her first grand-daughter into the world!  Best wishes :-)

Create your own scrapbook embellishments
You can make your own stamped ribbons - perfect for scrapbooking - for a lot less than craft […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

June 5th, 2008

how-to of the day - stamped scrapbook ribbons

I was browsing through my favorite craft store the other day and made a trip down the scrap booking aisle (you can find some great fiber art supplies there!).  I happened to notice a package of cotton fabric, cut into strips and then stamped - from a trendy new designer.
I then looked at the price […]

By Chloe -- 9 comments

May 31st, 2008

Artsy bloggers roundup

It’s that time again - here’s the best of the week from the Artsy Bloggers group - happy crafting!

A Happy Little Woven Pouch full of sweet sisterly memories
One thing always leads to another, doesn’t it? Reading a sweet book inspired Noreen to weave a little amulet bag in honor of a dearly loved […]

By Chloe -- 0 comments

May 29th, 2008

how-to of the day - making silk paper - all the links

I thought it would be a good idea to post all the links for the silk paper how-to… after all, we’ve gone from this:

 To this:

In a few weeks!

Step one: making the silk paper.
Step two: adding layers of paint.
Step three: making cartoons to help visualize the completed work.
Step four: painting the canvas background.
Step five: embroidering the […]

By Chloe -- 8 comments

May 27th, 2008

how-to of the day - flower transfers

You’ve got lovely flowers growing in your garden - like these pansies perhaps?

And you want to make something that captures their beauty.  How about using the flowers themselves?
Flower transfer or flower pounding, allow you to use the natural pigments in the flower to transfer directly onto paper or fabric.
I’ve taken a flower and laid it […]

By Chloe -- 2 comments