Finishing up my bookcover background

I am having a lot of fun making this bookcover and all of the techniques that are in the book that we are working out of.  I think that when I get a book I dig through it too fast and don't catch all the goodies that can be found inside.  I think that is why this challenge is so great because it is encouraging me to go through the book slower. 

Here is my progress so far...
I have decided to lay ribbon and cording over the top of my bookcover to bring all of the colors together.  I am stitching over the top using some metallic copper thread in a zig-zag stitch.

So, here is my zig-zag work.  I know, my stitches are not very straight which is highly annoying but, I have decided to leave it because my next step will cover some of this.  I have a couching foot which I will DEFINITELY use next time I use this technique. 
Here is my next technique which I have fallen in absolute love...

I have used acrylic, black felt purchased from my local craft store.  In my embroidery software, I have created a border using one of the decorative buttonhole stitches on a repeat design.  I had never thought of doing this until I saw it in this book.  Love it.  Oh, and I stitched it in that same metallic copper thread that I used earlier.  Then I used my heat gun and melted some of the felt down to create this lacy looking border.  Then stitched it onto my bookcover.

My next goal is to make some cording to wrap around and create some kinda closure.  Maybe add a tassel.  Don't know yet. 

You can head on over to mom's blog at Glenda Bailey's Blog to check out her progress.  She is about as far along as I am which is funny because I have a tendency to work a lot faster than her.  She is making a beautiful lacy bookcover.  It will be awesome to see how different ours are in the end.

Step 1- Making my background

So here is the start of my journal cover.  I have having a really fun time with this challenge.  I have adhered acrylic black felt to duck cloth for a really sturdy, stiff background.  Then I dug through my stash of monoprinted papers, decorative fabrics, monoprinted fabrics, dyed scrim and cheesecloth and layed it all down on my base.  I then layed a piece of gold tulle over the top and pinned it down and sewed the lines over the top using black thread.  Over the top of this I have used a washed down gesso and painted over the top. 

It is time for a Challenge!

So for a while now, mom and I have been talking about doing little challenges with each other. We thought that with all the books and magazines that we both have, it would be fun to pick a resource and make a project in it. It would be motivation to try new things and to see what directions we both seem to go.

We decided to choose this book about edges and finishes in machine embroidery. It is a really fantastic book with lots of eye candy. I am excited to get started. I am going to post pics of my progress and hope to finish within the two weeks that we have set as a deadline.

Mom is going to do the same so if you are interested in checking out her progress, you can visit her blog at Glenda Bailey's Blog

A horse

I have been able to play around with encaustics a little. I decided to take this vintage pic of a horse and overlay it using some darkroom techniques. I created the background, poured encaustic wax over that and then created the horse image on top. It makes for a soft vintage feeling on the background.

This is a little whimsical for me but I totally enjoyed working with the bird image, the stitching and the colors on fabric.

Image transfer on muslin

This is an inkjet photo image transfer onto mulsin. I then added a stamped image over the top and distressed the edges with ink. It was then wrapped in scrim and framed. I love image transfers.

Going abstract

I have been wanting to try my hand at abstract art for a while but have been extremely intimidated by it for some reason. So, I finally decided to try it out and found it to be extremely liberating. This is just my first. I know that I have a ton of improvement but that will come with time.