Night Garden Sketchbook Pages

Not much on my desk this week, some printing onto the silk I eco dyed a few weeks ago, and some more pages from my sketchbook.

Thermofax printing - supposed to be the night garden in the moonlight but looks more like frost and snow!  Will have to re-think that one!

 The lighting somehow turned the black butterfly and lace into shades of brown - but I rather like it anyway!

I'm linking up with What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Eco Printing on Paper and Silk

 My sister's neighbour very kindly let me take some of her Eucalyptus leaves for eco-printing and I am really pleased with the results .  I steamed two lots of papers, and added a bundle of rolled up silk to each pan.  
One lot of silk and papers are darker and a soft brownish mauve - just perfect for my night garden theme...

...and the second lot of silk and papers are a more delicate yellowy gold with a soft pale lilac and beige - perhaps it was the Crocosmia in this bundle that made it more yellow. 

I am linking up with Julia over at What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - why not pop over and see what other people have on their desks this week!

Summer of Colour Week 5 and WOYWW #124

On my work desk this week I have a selection of silk paper I've been making, and a small card I made for the Summer of Colour challenge - the colours this week being candy apple red and yellow.  I'm afraid my offering this week is very meagre - too much time spent in the garden in this glorious weather!

To see what's on other people's desks why not pop over to Julia at WOYWW.

Summer of Color week 2 and ICAD

For this week over at Summer of Color the colour scheme is hot pink and orange.  I decided to combine this challenge with the index-card-a-day challenge at Daisy Yellow.  

I ended up doing six cards based on a coral theme - I had to work hard at not making them red as that is the colour I had been using for my coral based work a few weeks ago.

I used gelli prints for the backgrounds and prepared a selection of cards ready to use each day with the backgrounds already glued on.  The gelli prints looked too dark against the buff background so I painted the cards cream.  I then spent about half an hour a day machine stitching, gluing and hand sewing them.

Some close-up shots

Embroidering like Crazy!

I have been so enjoying the two week course I joined, run by Karen Ruane.  I have always enjoyed free machine embroidery but have not done much hand embroidery, so I felt this course might offer some new ideas and inspiration - and I wasn't wrong!

This is my first piece of work - I have been totally immersed in it to the detriment of the laundry, house-work and all those other mundane jobs!  I even sat through my book club having unsociable thoughts that the evening might be better spent embroidering!

  I tend to usually work with slightly thicker silks and cottons, so using delicate antique laces and very fine silks has been a learning curve!

The finished sample and close-up detail