Another Monthly Art Experiment for July

I wanted to try “dyeing” plain fabric with water-soluble crayons. It’s so simple! I applied the crayons (Caran D’ache Neocolor II) very lightly to a piece of tightly woven muslin – then just brushed on water to blend. I kept the application of color very light because I wanted to use the fabric for a background to which I would be adding more color and stitching. I used a light box to trace a quick sketch of a zinnia from my nature journal onto the fabric, backed it with a piece of felt and then stitched it in black floss. The center is filled with French knots and straight stitches. I colored in the flower and leaves after I had finished stitching them, adding water to blend. Here is a great link showing the versatility of Caran D’ache Neocolor II water-soluble crayons (with tutorials) by wonderful artist, Fannie Narte.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process and plan on transferring more sketches to cloth. This one will probably be made into a postcard at some point. I will use my heat gun to set the colors.

They Grow So Quickly!

The first photo was taken July 8th; the second was taken today.

Monthly Art Experiment for July

I missed a couple of months of the monthly art experiment – just got a little busier than expected. But I’m back, baby – for this month, anyway. Here is a little Santa I just finished based upon an article in Art Doll Quarterly by Dianne Rawls Davis (Nov. Dec. Jan 2010). This guy was too much fun to make! And a big plus was that I was able to use stuff I already had. The tapestry used for his body was a left over scrap from a Santa I made about ten years ago. It was too small to do anything else with – but perfect for this project. I found the little sugared berry pick in a box of Santa-making supplies. The little tassels trimming his “hood” are vintage. His beard is wool from a llama. Might need to make a couple more of these!

Robin's Eggs

This nest is just a few feet off the ground in the magnolia tree right next to the house. The eggs are my favorite shade of blue.