Fabric is the new paper don't cha know!

So I've been getting into a bit of  sewing vibe recently, just love clanking away on my machine, so much so that my husband was forced to comment on the amount of noise I was making as he was trying to watch TV (my craft room is over the living room) - whoops!

I've got a big sewing project on the go, a quilt no less and I'll share some photo's of that soon, but in the meantime have a look at this.

One of the blogs I follow is this one called Lovely Clusters with the side heading the pretty blog and boy is it pretty.  It really appeals to me because it showcases great photos that inspire the most marvellous colour schemes.  So the latest post was called morose loveliness and the gorgeous mocha and pink tones especially in one of the photo's made me go and get the paints and the inks and the fabric and the threads out. 

The A4 canvas board was one I had knocking around already painted in the right colours, just added a bit more with Fresco Finish Nougat, stamped a script stamp around the edges with some hazelnut ink and then ran a cranberry ink pad round the edge and dragged that in with some cut and dry foam.

Had some corrugated card that I knew I wanted to use underneath whatever I created with paper, fabric, sewing etc.  So ripped it a bit, then ripped another sheet to get it right and put some white paint over the ridges.

Took some white card and used Fresco Finish paint in Mocha Mousse (first layer), Mushroom (second layer not so much so the Mocha would show through) and a smidgen of Vintage Lace (dry brushed on) to give some "lines". Stamped some text in a blue ink and then in cranberry ink this gorgeous flower from PaperArtsy. Sewed some paper text strips on this.

More sewing!  I started with some linen and then added some coffee coloured silk strips and ribbon, then added a strip  of cream silk, and a bit of muslin from an old top on top of those, these created a robust background for the more delicate stuff!

On top a pink silk carrier rod which I unfolded and took the top layer off, some boucle thread in cream and burgundy.  Lots of straight and zigzag stitching (hence the noise). I varied the stitch length and width as well to give even more texture.

Finally added in a small photo of mine, that I'd distressed the edges with and added a layer of Rock Candy Distress Crackle paint.

I really enjoyed making this and I can see some more appearing to use up this stash of fabric and thread I buy every year at the HobbyCraft and Quilt shows at the NEC  And as you know if you've been following Lin and Leandra and their sneaky peaks for ArtsyCrafty this year, fabric is new the paper and even the new metal!

hugs

jo 
xx