A New Look, plus this week's work

So, I'm going for a new look here. Something softer that blends with the cloth side of me. Please tell me if you like it? Any suggestions?

In the mean time, here is the work I completed this week. Been a busy girl, with many hours lost in the wonderland of fabrics, laces, ribbons and buttons. I'd love to hear your comments. Oh, and if you are interested in purchasing any of these creations, please email me!

First, here are a few Composition Journals that I covered in the paste papers I made last fall. I love the colors. And I love paste paper! I'm selling these in my shop (Boulder Creek Antiques & Art) for $12 each.

Now, here is my Lace Album.... finally completed. I'm really happy with it... but of course, now I know how I'd do things different. It's a lovely book. I've already put it into my shop, and will probably list it on Ebay and Etsy. I'll create live links when I do. And, you're always welcome to email me directly.

So here it is.....
This is the front cover. I printed the images on muslin using the freezer paper technique. Much more economical than paying $10 for three sheets of printer fabric! All the laces you see are vintage, sewn onto upholstery fabric pages.

Here are some pictures of the inside pages. I embellished with a few vintage pins, buttons, and flowers I made from vintage satin.

You can see a few little pockets here and there... perfect to tuck in a little note or something.

 This page, on the right used several vintage hankies to create three individual tuck spots.

 I'm proud of the page on the left here. I created my own fabric by first using Photoshop and some vintage postcard images. I printed the image on fabric, then cut them and quilted them into a deep pocket page. The flower is another of the satin flowers I made. After cutting a number of circles, I singed the edges which made them curl, sewed a button in the center... tadaa, a rosette.

 This vintage, hand crochet doily made a beautiful back cover. It feels so great in my hands.

On a roll this week. I created another Composition Journal Wrap with vintage lace and fabrics. It started with a vintage hanky on top of a rectangular doily that just fit the 7x9 size journal. Then lots and lots of lace and another satin flower. (I listed this for $22, do you think that's too much?)

 Here's a pocket inside the front cover, perfect to keep your pen in.

 And, I just couldn't leave the back cover alone.... so I stitched row after row of different lace trims.

Yes, there's more!!! I just can't keep out of the laces! I had lots of bits and pieces left, so I stitched together some sweet little hang tags. (I put these in the shop for $4.50 each.)

Well, that's enough for one week. I just loved playing with all the fibers!
 PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS! Thank you and SWEET BLESSINGS!

Finished my BOOK!!!!

Ah... it felt sooo good to push the 'submit' button! It's now in review, I'll know more later today. Here is the front cover I designed using one of my Spring Angel collages. You may remember, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month-I think) last November. Anyway... I got it plunked out, all 50,000 words but then it took six months to rewrite, and polish the story line.

Anyway... here's the cover:

A Lacey Journal Wrap & Some Lace tags

Oh boy... I'm loving, loving, LOVING playing with my lace stash!
Here's a peek!

A Reiki Center Blessing....

My friend Joyce just celebrated the opening of her SANTA CRUZ REIKI CENTER.

Knowing I would miss the Blessing Ceremony (attending my nephew's graduation) I wanted to create a symbol of the good works she is doing, and will do for many years in her new Center. I envisioned a scroll that she could display opened up, or rolled up and stashed in a secret corner.

In the style of KC Willis, I wanted to keep it organic and reminiscent of the Ancient Energies that Reiki embodies. So, with bits of this and that, and words lifted directly from her website, here is what I came up with.

 Here is a close up of the top and bottom. I used vintage raw silk, hand made lace, and some translucent brown organza.  Ah, I just realized I didn't get a picture of the backside. All was layered upon a piece of vintage upholstery fabric, all in shades of muted green and soft healing creams.

And here it is, all rolled up, able to be tucked into a secret corner, still emitting Sacred Blessings.

My Lace and Fabric Journal WIP (work in progress)

THE CLOTH SIDE OF ME.... Like the wonderful artist Sharon Tomlinson, I too have a cloth side. Just haven't indulged her for a few years. But she's back now!

 Last week I finally started on the fabric lace book I've been visualizing. After pricing inkjet ready fabrics, (the run around $10 for 3 or 4 sheets!) What! When it's so easy to make your own! I cut a piece of freezer paper 8.5x11 and ironed it onto muslin fabric (that's all I could find at the moment). Found my pictures by one of my favorite painters, Alphonse Mucha, and tadaaa! I am really happy about the way these turned out. Since printing these I purchased some lovely, finely woven, pure white cotton. It's so easy to age fabric with tea or coffee, and I think the white fabrics will print the clearest. So, here is what it looks like off the printer. (I printed four to a page, since my book is approximately 6x8.

 .So here is my first one. I used some vintage Upholstry Fabrics Upholstry fabrics for the foundation. Each page will be sewn onto another piece which will be part of the book's signatures.  I loved this doily... it was the inspiration for this page. I did needle turn applique to insert her picture. Everything in this book will be vintage or antique. The ribbon at the bottom is very old seam binding, accented with some seed beads.

Don't you LOVE LOVE LOVE the laces on this page? The largest piece comes from a Victorian lace collar.  I also pulled out some of the gimp trim I picked up years ago at the estate sale of a seamstress. Everything she had was cataloged and marked, and dated! from the 1920's!!

 I love the swirly kind of Art Nouveau foundation that brings out the lovely warm amber tones in Mucha's work.

 And here is the last page I've completed so far. ACTUALLY!! none of these are complete! What was I thinking! I still have tons of hand work to do. I plan on using crazy quilt stitching and silk ribbon embroidery. I just bought 50 yards of silk ribbon, and have dyed a dozen different colors.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my WIP! Happy stitching!