Friday FreeStyling #4

by Dale Anne Potter

For this week’s – its all about SHAPES.

Using the inspiration from Monday’s REVing Up Your Creativity, I wanted to experiment with the rounded corner squares in different mediums on fabric postcards and then the idea below came to me…..a notebook cover.

MeltedSquaresNotebook3This Melted Squares Notebook for Friday FreeStyling also incorporates what I have been wanting to do again – melting chiffon.  YES, I did it outside on the front porch.

I started with a commercial fabric samples – they were roughly 2.5 inches with pinked edges for the base.  I laid them in a layout I liked onto muslin that already had fusible web ironed onto it.  I ironed them down, added a batting behind and a coloured  chiffon scarf over top.  I, first, quilted all over the fabric sandwich with beige thread & using a plain stitch plus one of the fancy stitches on my sewing machine. I, then, pencilled the rounded squares onto the chiffon and then satin stitched them.MeltedSquaresNotebook

Once all the stitching was done, I took the fabric sandwich and heat gun outside and did a quick melting in some areas, so the fabric squares show in some areas.

I made the fabric sandwich into a notebook holder, measuring roughly 9 X 6 inches.  The notepad inside is 4.75 X 8.  I added a pen that I filled the area around the ink holder with a matching fabric.

MeltedSquaresNotebook1How did YOU do with your week of SHAPES?

What Friday FreeStyling did YOU do?

MeltedSquaresNotebook2

 

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A Scrapbooking Break from Sewing

by Dale Anne Potter

My fingers needed some time away from the needles.

Once I saw this sketch over on The Paper Bakery Kits blog, it was calling me to scrap 3 photos of our daughter, Carrie, as this weekend is the 40th anniversary of me preparing for her arrival (had to have blood transfusions).

Carrie's40thThe base designer paper is from the Lost & Found Two collection by My Mind’s Eye, and then, I pulled out the Salsa Hoops of the Essentials PaperZ collection made by Junkitz.

I had this 1 round very detailed paper doily calling to be used.  

I cut 4 pieces of coloured cardstock that were in the Salsa Hoops paper. 

The photos are 2 X 3 inches with 2.5 X 3.5 beige cardstock as a base.

I dug through my chipboard tote for letters that were all the same – I wish all sets would have 2 of each letter.  Thankfully, I had bought 2 sets of this one years ago (sorry don’t recall who it is from).

I was going to do the journaling on the actual Salsa Hoops paper, then as I was going through my embellishment box, I found the paper tape measure – Carrie's40th1cut the end at the 40 mark and then folded it so only the 40 shows.  I added the green cardstock to cover all the lines & numbers on the front of the tape measure.  I added the button and then ties (which is perle cotton).  My husband, Brian, will journal on one side of the tape and I will pick the other side.

I like using black as an accent in most of my artwork and this ribbon worked on this layout.Carrie's40th2

I added all the circles using more cardstock from the colours on the Salsa Hoops paper…..the blue one is actually closer to the left dotted circle colour than it appears here.

I like woman that Carrie is and am inspired by her everyday.  If you ever need any graphic design work done, she freelances.  She made my header image here on my website for me, and my Facebook Page cover photo.

I remember that weekend like it was yesterday and can not believe how the years have flowen by.  Really, how can she BE 40 when I only feel 40!!! (most days, that is!).

It was a LOVELY diverse from sewing, and I told myself that I need to do more scrapbooking – especially when I was going through all the photos in boxes that we have.

Carrie's40th3

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Butterfly Fantasy Cuff

by Dale Anne Potter

WELCOME to my post for the Sakura Hobby Craft Design Team Blog HOP!

I was challenged by the theme the DT picked for this Blog Hop – FANTASY.

Sakura Blog HOP

I thought and thought and thought….

Butterfly Fantasy CuffButterflies come to mind and I LIKE Butterflies!

I started this Butterfly Fantasy Cuff by sewing two small pieces of the beige leather.  I had found a box of leather samples at one of the local thrift stores, and the length wasn’t quite enough to go around my wrist. I made sure the widths were the same, then satin stitched the 2 strips together.

I found a piece of lace that worked and then this piece of already quilted fabric sandwich was on my cutting table. It was leftover from a sketchbook cover I had made last year.  I added the machine Butterfly Fantasy Cuff5buttonhole stitch around the edge in yellow.

I wanted something on top of the colourful quilted part – either more lace or ???  I only had gathered lace with one finished edge the width I wanted, and that wasn’t going to work for me.  I remembered this THICK puffy rick rack that I had bought years ago.  

Butterfly Fantasy Cuff6

 

I trimmed the ends, added an eyelet on each end, as I had decided I would use a piece of leather for tying the cuff closed.

I punched out 3 butterflies from a piece of leftover million dollar bill from this project.  

 

I coated both sides with 3D Crystal Lacquer from Sakura Hobby Craft.Butterfly Fantasy Cuff1

While the butterflies were drying, I worked on fabric beads for their bodies.  I use plastic straws to roll the fabric around.  The plastic straws can be found in all kinds of diameters, so the centre of the beads will be the diameter of the straw you choose.

Butterfly Fantasy Cuff4

 

I wanted the bodies to be a little bigger than what the paper had as that is how I would sew them to the cuff.  So, the straw pieces are just over half an inch in length.  I add some glue to one side of the straw, and begin rolling the fabric around it.  I had tore the fabric strip to a width a touch more than the plastic straw, so the straw would be totally covered.  I roll the fabric as thick as I like, add glue to the cut edge.

Then, using metallic threads I wrapped the fabric beads. Tie them on.  Once, I have the beads all Butterfly Fantasy Cuffbembellished with the threads, I added a little of 3D Crystal Lacquer to what would be the top of the bead, and rolled them (using a straight pin in the centre) in the Terri Sproul’s Mixer – Aquamarine Shimmer Mica.

Once, the butterflies and the fabric beads were dry, I hand sewed them to the cuff.

Butterfly Fantasy Cuffa

 

I hope you have enjoyed my take on FANTASY and will check out the rest of the Design Team’s projects – They are AWESOME!!!

Now if you are following along in the blog hop follow the list below – but you can always return tohttp://crystallacquer.blogspot.com
remember to leave comments as you go along and at Sakura for your chance to win a fabulous prize!
Sakura Blog Hop Design Team

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Sequin Topiary

For this week’s Sakura Hobby Craft Design Team blog. My version of a Topiary – Makes me happy seeing it on my shelf in my studio. You can see all the details how I made this Sequin Topiary using the Sakura Hobby Craft milk tin as the base, on the Design Team Blog HERE. Be [...]

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Week 20 of 52 Sparks

Week 20 asks us:  A time you want to experience again is _____. If you are new to this blog, you can get the FREE PDF of all 52 Sparks, back on Week 1 HERE. For this week’s tag, I went with an Alfred Sung rectangle tag. I first gessoed the base of the tag, [...]

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