Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

Take a carved wood block, print , sew, cut and stitch.... this is what I did to create some simple but arty flags.  The wood blocks were carved by a local print maker, Bob Seal, for use in works for the annual exhibition of the Newcastle Creative Embroiders and Textiles Artists.  You can see my other work here, in a previous post.   I had three prints left so I made these decorative  flags. The technique is my version of reverse applique. Firstly, I printed onto a cotton fabric and then appliqued it on to the background. Then, I layered other fabrics underneath and cut out shapes.  Usually, in reverse applique, the edges are neatly turned under and stitched by hand, or if raw edges are left, they are embroidered to ensure that no fraying occurs. I did a blanket stitch around the outside edges , but on all the other edges, because I used a strip of fusible adhesive on the edges, I just machine stitched to secure. In fact, I did a lot of ...

Art tag: Seaside Dreaming  What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.  ( John Steinbeck) Art tag - Frozen Fish 

http://margatyna.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/stuffed-carp-baked-in-dough.html Today is the feast of St Nicholas. In Bulgaria, the day is called "Nikulden." There his role as protector of fishermen and sailors is emphasized. Food is left on the dining table all day for visitors. Carp, cooked in dough, called " ribnik", is traditionally served in Bulgaria.  Why carp? Becasue carp has been seen  as the servant of St Nicholas. To make ribnik, the carp is scaled first, then the fins cut off and it's cleaned.  A small bone at the top of the carp's head, called the "bitter bone" or "pearl button", must be removed or the fish will acquire a bitter taste when cooked. (You don't throw the fish bones in the garbage; you have to burn them or bury them or return them to water, so that you will have a good harvest next year.) The fish is then washed, dried, brushed with lemon juice   and let stand an hour, then wrapped in yeast-risen dough, and ...

Fish Brooches Fish, mermaids,  fishermen, water goddesses, ocean creatures and a couple of majestic frogs were all there. The doll making group I belong to, Hello Dollies, was a featured artist at the Dobell Art and Crafts festival  last weekend. The little colourful fish which were made at one Saturday meeting were the most popular amongst the crowd, with most of them  being sold  on the first day of the festival.  Here are a few images of the dolls on display... no wonder there were lots of oohs and aahs.... Fishermen and  Siren of the Sea   Water maiden, mermaid and frog prince  Chubby mermaids  Water doll, mermaid and sea urchin  Mermaid  Sea Goddess  Frog Prince  Water Maiden Mermaid, Venetian fisherman and "compass" doll  "Taking a friend for a walk " - hard to see but the friend is a fish!  Ocean maiden and beaded face mermaid  Part of the...

This week I've been working on fish and sticks ....  The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and  message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or  my husband or from off cuts gifted to us  from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks.   Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt  or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

I recently taught a workshop at the Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists Creative Retreat. One of my very conscientious and creative students, Gay, sent me some photos of one of her completed works - a felted soft sculpture. The wet felt sculpture depicts a bottle, which has been lying on the ocean bed for sometime.... and has needle felted underwater plants  as well as polymer clay embellishments, giving the suggestion of schools of fish and even a mermaid. I love the way Gay has created movement with silk and the patterns created by the little polymer clay shapes/fish pieces. Well done, Gay. This will be a wonderful piece for the Outdoor Odyssey theme exhibition later in the year. I can hardly wait to see the other bottles Gay plans to create as representations of various environments.

What is fallalery? It is the using and making of fallals (trifling, decorative ornaments). This was the basis of my talk at NCEATA – Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists on Saturday. I have recently joined this group and will be one of the tutors at their Creative Retreat in May 2010. I am offering a workshop called “Felted Fashion and Fallalery”. The felted art bowls in the photos are samples for the workshop where participants will create beautiful handmade felt for fashion accessories and jewellery and/or decorative art pieces like these bowls or art dolls and embellished them with handmade polymer clay pieces, buttons, beads and embroidery. More information from NCEATA website Second episode of the Homeless Day - packing night was last Sunday., the hottest day of the year so far. I don’t think it needs too much explanation About 20 Rotarians friends came to our place , brought more donations, packed 250+ daily essentials packs and made up ...