Earrings, stitching and journal pages

I've had a variety of work this week, making new earrings for my Etsy, taking an online workshop with Carol Ann Waugh called Stitch and Slash, stitching in layers then cutting back. The class was very easy and cheap but the technique is fabulous. I've also been working in my latest Altered book as I'm hoping to hold a workshop at home on Saturday 28th of July teaching this. If you'd like to attend please email me for details.

These earrings are made from a very old embossed brass bowl that I've cut and filed smooth. The round discs are cut from an old much loved tea caddy. I've oxidized the hand made sterling silver hooks.

These are very old world, with vintage pearl buttons, discs cut from another vintage tea caddy. The spear shapes are cut and filed from more of the embossed brass bowl.

This is a section of the fabric piece I made in the online class. It will be a cushion cover when it's finished.

Above and below, close up details showing the free motion stitching and cutting back of the layers.

I've gone off on a tangent from the workshop but that's the beauty of the technique.

Above are pages in progress from one of my class samples.

Two more pages from the long, narrow sample book.

Thanks again for taking the time to visit and for the comments too.

Earthquake, puppy love and etsy

Last night we were watching the 20th anniversary of Foreign Correspondent (a documentary on the ABC), seeing reports of major dramas, natural and man made, around the world when we thought we were going to be having a drama of our own. There was a huge rumbling noise, the house and windows shook, the dog went crazy. It was an earthquake, magnitude 5.3, which isn't high by some standards, but high enough when one's not accustomed to earthquakes. Bush fires are our horror, but we're used to them, this was another matter.

Today I've been adding some more hand carved stamps, lace, fabric and button kits to my Etsy.

cup and saucer stamp

abstract flower stamp

honesty seed head stamp

trees stamp

leaf stamp

rosebud stamp

multi coloured hand dyed lace pack

fabric and button kits for journal making, there are enough strips of fabric, fibres, beads and buttons to decorate the spines of at least two journals. They can also be used in collage etc.

little Charlie

puppy love.

Thanks again for visiting and for the comments on my last post, catch up soon.

This and That

It's been cold and wet this past week, not the ideal conditions for toilet training Charlie, but we're slowly getting there. He's really made himself at home now. I'd forgotten what it's like to have a puppy in the house. Everything chewable has to be put out of his reach.

I've managed to make another couple of necklaces, this is one of them. It has a resin bezel with vintage Japanese paper embedded in it, soldered china, hand made fabric beads and an old belt buckle as the clasp.

This is an altered book I've been working in. The book's long and narrow. The photo of the birds was in the book in black and white so I've added colour

This is a larger book that I'm altereing. They are both class samples for a workshop I'll be teaching shortly, at home.

More pages in the narrow book.

More pages in the larger book.

Thanks again for visiting and a big thank you to those who have left comments, they'r much appreciated.

The newest member of our family

We haven't had a dog for over ten years, always having had at least two at a time, now things have changed. Meet Charlie, our little scruff bucket of  dog, he's a right Charlie. He's 17 weeks old and is full of bounce and fun and best of all he loves the grand children. Life will be even more hectic, but fun all the same.