Logan's Lanterns
Topic: Quilting

It all started with a piece of green and pink fabric in the clearance bin. I had to have it! Do I have anything to go with it? No, I do not. I think it has an asian feel to it, though. So, over the next two years, whenever I see a fabric with that same 'feel' to it, even though not overtly asian, I ask myself, "How would this go with that pink and green?"

Eventually, I had added a black and green circle, a pink dot, a green vine, a taupe flowering branch, and a metallic copper with a tiny 'fish scale'. The final touch was a stylized floral that incorporated everything except the black and metallic. 

Now, they sit for a year because I can't find a pattern that speaks to me. It must incorporate all of the fabrics and it must have that asian influence. 

Then, one day it all came together. One of the quilting magaines I read had a full page ad from Wilmington Fabrics featuring BIRDSONG, a Japanese lantern quilt using their fabric line (http://www.wilmingtonprints.com/projects.aspx). LOVE IT! With only two reservations... 1) I don't have their fabric line 2) It is a queen-size quilt. That should be no problem, I have my own fabrics to use and I don't follow patterns anyway!

So I used the motifs from the quilt pattern, made my own layout with my own fabrics and ended up with a large lap quilt.

Let's have a peek at the fabrics first. This is the pink and green that started everything:

Here is the black and green I chose next. I liked that the circle motif was carried over from the pink and green:

I chose the taupe branches just on their asian feel and that the pattern was quiet enough to read as a solid if I chose:

I selected the pink dot and the green vine that have been used a caps on the lanterns next. And then I brought it all together with the stylized floral:

The metallic copper fish scale was the final touch to unify these all into a Japanese collection. You can see I was careful to make sure the scales were always going in the same direction:

Here is the final result:

I quilted it with free-motion, using different motifs in the lanterns. The pink and green got swags following the lines. The floral got meandering. The green and black got small scallops following the underside of every third row. The taupe lanterns got multiple free-form patterns. In the black block areas I quilted tiny lanterns strung up on wire:

The outer border got some serpentine diagonals along the edges of the circles, the green border got meandering, and the copper was stitched in the ditch.

I did a different kind of binding on this, too. Just the day before I was set to do the binding I ran across this blog entry: http://sweetgrassdesigns.wordpress.com/category/tutorials/bindings/ and knew I wanted to do that myself. I used the copper for the inset and black marble for the binding:

I just love everything about this and it used the asian fabrics to perfection. In fact, I was using so little of my fabrics during the initial cutting session that I cut all the parts for a second one at the same time. I stitched them up together and only changed out the two borders. I haven't quilted or bound it yet... but soon.

Ddd

Give Me a Hint
Topic: Sketch Challenge

On one of the groups I participate in we were given... a sketch challenge! Imagine that!

This time the sketch selected was #117 from Freshly Made Sketches (http://freshlymadesketches.blogspot.com/2013/12/freshly-made-sketches-117-sketch-by-amy.html) that looks like this:

Well, I am totally up for a sketch challenge, as you know by now. I knew I wanted to use washi tape for the little flags but all that I had were printed with horizontal pattern. So I simply turned the sketch on the side for my layout. That's allowed!

I placed each tape on the same creamy backing cardstock and cut the sides of them. I used a square punch to create the flag ends. Then I stamped and cut out the sentiment strip and backed it with black. 

The pieces were blending too much with one another so I used black ink pad to smudge the edges of all. Then I layered them, lightly tacking them together, working over a non-stick craft sheet. Then I moved over and prepared the card base which is more of the creamy crdstock. 

I lightly blacked the edges with the ink pad, layered blask over this and then placed on the feature paper - a black, white and yellow from a recently used 6x6 pad - on which I had blacked the edges, also. Then I was able to lift the decorative tape off the craft sheet as a unit and attach it to the card face.

My feature design is larger than on the sketch but that is a function of the scale of the washi tapes I was using to make it.

I'm happy with this result and that's all that matters - making my happy. LOL!

Ddd

Operation Write Home sketch 24
Topic: Sketch Challenge

I found inspiration to make OWH sketch 24 twice:

For the first one I played it straight with layout and measurements... almost. I knew I was going to use a shaped image instead of the foremost rectangle shown in the sketch so I elongated the layer behind it for better balance.

I added a violet sentiment block upper left.

I used the same base card color for the other verion of this sketch. But because of the more romantic feel of the 3D image I went to softer papers. The pink harlequin paper has script on it for a vintage impression. Instead of a single block on top of that I split it in two and moved each half to opposite corners. This balances out the oval feature element.

I added definition to all the blocks by making doodle lines with purple fine-line pen.

Ddd

Operation Write Home sketch 23
Topic: Sketch Challenge

I've flipped out! Here is OWH sketch 23:

As for the flipping out, because of the 3D image I had made I needed to flip this sketch top to bottom.

I used two papers with two-tone greys putting the chevron on top in a small strip and a harlequin pattern with script on the bottom in a wider block. These were cut down to leave a border of the coral base card. I added the vertical strip in coral and added coral as the circle element.

The foil 3D rose centered on the coral circle just makes me happy.

Ddd

Operation Write Home sketch 22
Topic: Sketch Challenge

On to OWH sketch 22 shown here:

I selected a very different 3D image to use on this one. It has a little bit of a steampunk look to it and I wanted to stay with that vintage feel. So I selected a base printed with vintage postcards, documents and postage. Then for the vertical blocks I chose a dotted paper overprinted with script. All of these got sponged on the edges with Distress Ink to define thrie outline.

A tone-on-tone brown dotted paper matched the color of the illustration exactly, over which is mounted to 3D image with the line of sprockets extended off the left.

The little butterfly in the upper right is 'bonus artwork' from the same sheet. there were two of them so I layered them in 3D fashion.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 21
Topic: Sketch Challenge

I decided to play with 3D images for a while and worked them into several of the OWH sketches. I did two for sketch 21:

I started out by making up the two 3D images I wanted to use with this sketch. For the first card it was a bouquet with roses and violets. I selected a couple of lace print papers - one for the background and one for the blocks. Each of these was sponged around the edges with Distress Ink before mounting in place.

I added a violet sentiment block banded with green.

For the second card I had selected and prepared an image with a built in frame. Because of the foil finish on the image I wanted to use metallic finish cardstocks. I chose silver for the base and green for the blocks.

I added a single silver peel-off sticker border around the outer edge.

Ddd 

Floral Birthday Scroll
Topic: Paper Embroidery

The same group that challenges us to build our Christmas card stash monthly has started a monthly challenge to build stock for birthdays (and other holidays).

The design I used for this card is a free one from PinBroidery.net. I used very dark blue, red and green, trimmed, and rounded two corners to reinforce the scroll look.

I found some floral paper with the same colors as the stitching and used that bor a background. An additional dark blue border and then the Light blue card base bring it all together.

Ddd 

Winter Wonderland
Topic: Paper Embroidery

One of my groups put up the challenge to make a paper embroidery Winter card.

This village scene is my favorite to stitch in white or silver over a dark color to create a night scene or a snow scene. This time I used white thread over navy blue cardstock.

I mounted this on a background of knitted sweater print to warm it up.

I wanted to reinforce the framed picture concept so used a card base the same color as the stitched panel.

Ddd 

Snowflakes KeepFallin' On My Head
Topic: Paper Embroidery

To add to the stock of Christmas cards I combined a snowman stitching sticker with some snowflake stitching stickers.

I wanted to give it a cold feel so I placed them all on blue cardstock. For contrast and a little whimsy I stitched everything in pink thread. To continue this color plan I backed the card with tone on tone pink dot paper. I think this makes it look like pink snow.

I added a clear sentiment sticker on the right side.

Ddd 

Tis NOT the Season
Topic: Paper Embroidery

I'm going to continue with the practice of making two Christmas cards a month to either add to my stash or send to OWH.

I started out with stitching stickers - this time the little gingerbread people. I placed the stickers on cookie-colored cardstock and used pink thread for the girl and blue thread for the boy. Then I trimed them out with scissors.

I chose the same color for the base card and added a Christmas print paper to the left and some tone-on tone dots to the right.

The stickers have a gold line on them so I used a gold peel-off greeting sticker.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 20
Topic: Sketch Challenge

We're back, with OWH sketch 20:

I found another of the tags in the Tea For Two kit that had a good illustration to use. It was even the right size for the sketch once I trimmed it down! I added simple paper with a tiny heart print over a cocoa background.

I added the bordered sentiment strip with a fishtail end to the design.

With the sentiment strip in place it was a little heavy on the left so I placed three adhesive pearls on the right side.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 19
Topic: Sketch Challenge

Time now for OWH sketch 19:

The 6x6 pad for Cosmo Cricket Tea For Two was the logical place to go for papers to match the stack of tags that came in the kit. The tag was larger than the sketch element though. So I made the lower panel shorter to provide some space and this creates a horizontal line that breaks the plane of the tag.

The colors in this card are actually much greener than shown (think shades of teal).

I added a sentiment strip where the sketch showed none, because it needed that balance.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 18
Topic: Sketch Challenge

Playing it straight for a change on OWH sketch 18:

You can actually tell at a glance that this was the sketch I used for the card today!

I started with a large picture sticker and used it to select bordering and sentiment colors. Because these were so bright I chose more subdued colors for the background elements.

I had a 1 1/2 inch square punch on hand so I used that to make the blocks. The tiny text made it easy to punch them square and on a perfect 45 degree angle. These were arranged fo form a sort of arc with the text which plays nicely with the chevrons in the background paper.

The sentiment strip is one element not found on the sketch but It looks good there, huh?

It is bordered in black to set it off from the other elements.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 17
Topic: Sketch Challenge

I can't believe I'm up to OWH sketch 17 already!

Of course, OWH is up to sketch 207 already (plus some bonus sketches) and they add a new sketch every Sunday. It will take me a while to catch up. What I'm not sure of is if I will skip the ones that I have done already (maybe a doen of them at the most) but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Now, on to the card for the day.

I used a striped paper out of a 6x6 pad for the bottom block shown on the sketch so I does not 'read' as a solid block. Then for the vertical panel I wanted to use a fancy diecut which was not the specified size (like I pay attention to these details, LOL).

I backed the diecut with some dark green to match the bordering paper so it would separate from the background better. Over this I added a large chipboard floral from the same paper pack.

For the tiny sentiment I used some stickers from the same kit and placed them on the most plain stripe so they would show up.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 16
Topic: Sketch Challenge

I think the creators of OWH sketch 15 and 16 were peeking over each other's shoulder! Here is 16:

It's almost reversed from yesterday but the vertical panel is shorter and moved away from the edge.

Well, I decided to just use the same floral paper as yesterday and the same gold peel-off borders. So there!

I went in a different direction with the color palette, though - pulling out pinks and creams from the floral. One of the papers selected had a printed border on it so I just lined up all the sticker borders to reflect it.

I used the same big word sentiment as the last sketch, too. Why ess with a good thing?

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 15
Topic: Sketch Challenge

OWH sketch 15 is very simplistic:

Yawn...

I put together a floral with some antique script and then... um... OK, let's add a large word stamp. Then, hmmmm... Oh, let's just go nuts with gold peel-off borders and corners.

I can live with that!

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 14 - part B
Topic: Sketch Challenge

Another version of OWH sketch 14 shown here:

This time I was less concerned about the effect of having something on a weird angle as I chose to use a floral sticker and it had a natural curve that let it look balanced.

I keyed off the sticker to choose colors for the background papers and the sentiment block.

I had additional stickers on the sheet so I added one to the upper right to provide continuity in the design.

Ddd

Operation Write Home sketch 14 - part A
Topic: Sketch Challenge

OWH sketch 14 is another one that I decided to make twice. Here's the sketch:

At first I thought I was going to have a fight about putting that left panel on an angle because, in my mind it looks contrived. But I behaved myself and did it their way.

I had some giant floral stickers and cut one down to the prescribed dimensions. Simple papers chosen to for their color match to the illustration were used for backing but I had to create a frame for the picture to separate it from them.

I chose the clock paper for the strip on the right to go with the sentiment I had chosen.

The sentimentwas too plain so I added doodle lines in fine line brown pen.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 13
Topic: Sketch Challenge

If I had not created this challenge to use every one of the sketches in order I would have skipped over OWH sketch 13:

I don't like the 'sentiment' skewed across the front; the main block is too large; those two 'outrigger' elements don't make for a cohesive design. Now that I'm done complaining... I just made changes to suit myself (as always).

I added another panel to contain the sentiment, added another sticker to it to create a diagonal line between the other two in the corners and cut the main panel down to allow for a border paper.

I'm still not overly fond of it but I 'did the assignment' so I could proceed to something I liked better.

Ddd 

Operation Write Home sketch 12
Topic: Sketch Challenge

Sometimes a very simple sketch calls for a very simple treatment. Here's the starting point for OWH sketch 12:

I found a sheet of gold peel-off nautical stickers in my stash to use. The panels needed to be fairly plain to allow the stickers to show up so I chose two hues of brown tone-on-tone dot. I chose the background paper for the soft blue-green color and because the ombre effect of it creates the illusion of fading away into the distance.

The only bordering on this one is around the sailboat panel whick is also popped up on foam tape.

Ddd