New tin and 1st bamboo tile pendant

Ok finished my 1st pendant. Grandson Trevin, 3, was trying to help too much so just did one today. I just love these tiles. Also finshed the Altoids tin I started yesterday. Fannie's post gave me my theme about friends. "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other gold." I have made many friends over the year and I treasure everyone of them, even the ones I have not yet met in person. That just amazes my hubby, lol. The cover is muslin stained with chalk ink, cheese cloth stained with chalk ink, bird sticker, page pebble with word from dictionary, friends rub on and a viola from my yard that I pressed. The purple silk cord around the edge is what was wrapped around my lovely card from KiwiCarole. Inside ismore stained muslion, stamped and embossed with silver lined glass beads, a gold dragonfly bead and swirl, another viola on the orange paper Carole sent with imagine stamped on it and a gold folied butterfly sticker. Around the outside I stitched a single line running stitch. I am disappointed with the scan, The orange didn't show up very bright.

Altered Tins

I made a few altered tins with some Altoids tins my daughter in Oregon found me at a rummage sale. She gave me a paper bag full. What a sweetie. I wish I would have taken a picture of the seashell tin I made for her for her bath room, darn it. Anyhow The domino ornament is stuck in with a glue dot so you can take it out and hang it.

I ran across a picture of an altered tin on the internet and started searching for more. That's how I found altered books, I am working on one , trying different techniques. And that is how I found paper ATC's at artchix and then Sanna from FabricATCsOnetoOne invited me to her yahoo group and I started making fabric ATC's, altered cabinet cards, then fabric postcards. I love that group. It's almost like a family. Anyhow, Kiwicarole altered a beautiful tin and I thought I would share a few of mine.

Bamboo Tile pendants beginning

I got some gorgeous black bamboo tiles from Lisa at TenTwoStudios and also her Asian collage sheet that is sized to fit them. This is how they start and with the front pictures added. They are double drilled( I love that after drilling dominos for ornaments at Christmas). She also has a tutorial on how she made hers on that site. Mine are drying now. Will post after I add the backs, the beads and cord.

Can you say "Fabulous"?

I got a lovely gift today in the mail from Kiwi Carole, her blog link is to the right>. She is from New Zealand. I won this fabulous pink Fabric ATC(Artist Trading Card) with the coolest clay face on it, from leaving a comment on her blog. Actually someone else won but didn't respond to her for mailing instructions, so I won. The ATC came wrapped in this yummy orange interfacingish? like material wrapped in some purple cording that feels like chennille almost. Not sure what either of them are for sure but I adore the colors and will definitely be using them in future art projects. It's the first thing I have won from a blog and I am so thrilled. Besides I made a new blog friend half ways across the world. Can't be luckier than that I figure. SO thank you so much Carole. I appreciate it more than you know. Hugz, Scary

Step 3 Postcard

ok, stuck here. Not sure what else to do. Does it need buttons? Blue ones on the yellow swirls? This is way more beading than I have ever done on fabric and I am kind of happy with the way it turned out so far. Just saw a class on Encrusted Crazy Quilting at Joggles. $60 but I would love to take it. I am going to ask around and see if the people who have taken online classes are satisfied with what they learned and do a little research on Sharon Boggon, the gal giving the class. We'll see how money looks closer to the class I guess. I want to take a class on something so bad. Anyhow this is how far I got.

Fabric Post cards Swap

We just had a fabulous swap at the FabricATCsOnetoOne yahoo group I am in. These are the wonderful cards I recieved. Aren't they gorgeous? The pieced card is from Helen in England. I had thought it was a crazy quilt but it is called paper piecing. Helen does such beautiful art. Her quilts are outstanding.

The umbrella card is from Judi in the UK. You can't see the shimmery fibers around the redge but it is truely a work of art.

The one with the dress pattern is from CindyB in Minnesota, USA. Don't you just love that dress maker form and that gold needle? How wonderful it is to come home and find art like this in my mailbox.

step 2

ok step 2 was to do the hand stitching. I highly recommend using floss that shows up better than the yellow I used in the middle. I haven't decided if I am ripping that out and trying something new there. Not real happy with the fern stitch done in blue either now that I look at it, lol. Also it is a good idea to baste the fabric down to the muslin backing or your stitches will pucker something terrible. That's what all the purple threads are. I think I will machine stitch the edges now before I add any beading or buttons. But here is step 2 of the post card.