Challenge #11 - Tag, You're It!

It's time to try my hand again over at Craft Hoarders Anonymous. Gloria and the Design Team have wonderful inspiration pieces, and you can see all of these tags, tagging along, here.

Every once in a while, I change gears in my crafting life. When my paper creations are not so creative, I take a break from them, and for the last few weeks, that means I've been mucking about with fabric, specifically, some version of fabric postcards.

Tags are one of my most favorite formats for mucking about.  (If my experiment fails, no biggie; if it works, there's another tag to use.) Just so happens, that with my embroidery, I was experimenting with seam binding and (drum roll please), my Spectrum Noir markers. My craft expense account is not huge, so both a roll of white (or off white) Hug Snug seam binding, and Spectrum Noir markers (you can buy them in six packs and make a large starter set without selling the farm or any animals you happen to have on it), are right up my alley.

The test: Can rayon seam binding be used instead of silk, for ribbon embroidery? What do you think? The rose in the lower right hand corner is silk, and the other two are the seam binding.

Well, the seam binding isn't quite as fluid as the silk, but I really like the result, and I LOVE the affordability.  Here's where the markers come in. After I completed the two spider web roses, I took a Q-tip soaked with alcohol, slathered the seam binding roses until they were "wet", and touched my Spectrum Noir markers to the ribbon, here and there, making sure the center of the flower was the deepest hue. (You could also do this alteration to the seam binding before doing the embroidery. A flat paintbrush loaded with alcohol, or simply soaking the ribbon in alcohol, would be the best way to go here. Then add as much, and as many colors and variations as you like with the markers.)

Well, now I'm back to playing with paper for a while, and hope that my fabric entry is in keeping with the rules of the CHACB. One last note: The "spider web rose" is very easy to make, and it is wonderful on all manner of paper art. You only need a base material that can have a needle pass though it, thread, and ribbon. The larger the rose, the wider the ribbon should be, and the more flexible the ribbon, the more natural it will look. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Hopefully, there is a "seam binding rose of many colors" in your future too. Thanks for visiting.

CHACB - Challenge #8 - Show Us Some Metal or Glass

Chances are you are coming here from the Craft Hoarders Anonymous Challenge Blog - Challenge #8. Thanks for visiting, and I hope you will leave me a comment because there are a couple of questions I'd love savvy answers to.

I've been following the fabulous Gloria Stengel for quite a while, and this new venture is so exciting. The talent displayed by the DT and participants just blows my socks away, and it's taking some guts on my part to add my entry among your projects.

Fresh water pearls and gold stitching on background.

Let me ask my two questions now, so if you have any ideas, they can percolate while you're perusing. Normally, I would finish off a fabric postcard by adding a ribbon or buttonhole stitching, etc. around the sides. If this were your project, would you bind it, and if so, what might you use as a "frame"? And second, I have a small grease spot transferred from my embroidery hoop (residue from a label?) and I tried powder to remove it, but no luck. It was too late to start again, and the lace is about 100 years old. Any ideas on how to remove it?

Detail of metal butterfly and beads.

This fabric postcard grew out of wanting to use ribbon in a unique way. (Remind you of the last challenge on this blog? Yep, I'm that late!) I also wanted to use my gold butterfly and gold beads too, which satisfies this week's challenge of using metal.

These ribbons are large enough (NOT embroidery sized), that I needed to find new ways to help them pass through my fabric base. If anyone is interested, I would love offer more details about my journey with this technique. Pretty much it is like silk ribbon embroidery, but special consideration should be given to the background chosen, and opening areas for the ribbon to pass through.

One inch wide light-weight ribbon forms the flower head.

I bonded my 100 year old lace (the backing of the lovely but faded, pillow front) in the picture below.

Some of the supplies I used on top of the lovely (very old) lace pillow that adorns the background.

These unbelievably small cross stitched flowers are on the pillow front. Doesn't it just blow the mind how diligent artisans can be?!

This stitched flower center is just over an inch wide!

My gold stem stitching is a bit off because I was not able to see well enough on our dour rainy days. (Yes, I did put on the light...not good enough.... or my eyes are starting to get old along with the rest of me.) I will blame the grey weather for the lighting in my pictures though!

Here I have my grease spot circled. Your answer? "I don't think that grease spot makes your hips look big."

Now it's your turn if you have any helpful suggestions about spot removal, finishing the frame, or any other comments. Thank you so much for visiting and  sharing your thoughts. Learning from other artists is just "the berries". Now I'm off to see all of your takes on the challenge, and be wowed.

NOTE
I'm updating this post to include a picture of this postcard framed by a beaded picot edge. 

Many thanks to those of you who suggested this might look better with some sort of frame around it. I AGREE!

 

Anything But a Card Challenge - RRR#88

Over at Really Reasonable Ribbon they are having a challenge to make 'anything but a card' using ribbons and trims. (Since my couch made from ribbons is out at the dry cleaners at the moment, I decided to share one of my smaller projects.) This heart seems timely with Valentine's Day close at hand.

 I fell in love with fabric postcards the first time I was given one by a friend. The postcard is basically a fabric sandwich with a stiff filling. This makes it very easy to embellish to the hilt, while having a 'canvas' that doesn't collapse under the weight.

A narrow red trim covers the boundary between the two background fabrics. (My trim wobbles a bit since I chose to sew it on, rather than use glue.)

 

The leaves and other bits of greenery are made from 7mm (about 1/4") silk ribbon. Any very soft narrow ribbon can be used for ribbon embroidery; it just needs to go on a needle and be able to be pulled through the fabric 'sandwich'. Sequins, beads of glass and brass, invisible thread, and embroidery floss, finish off the composition.

For more fun, visit Really Reasonable Ribbon's blog to see what their designers, and other folks, have made. If you enjoyed seeing a fabric postcard, please leave a comment. I'd love to share more, if there is an interest. (OK. More than just the ones I shared for this challenge.)

P.S. If you like fabric postcards with a holiday theme, you might enjoy my Easter egg cards here.