Experimental bag with dyed fabric and silk collage

Front of bag

2018 has been my summer of using the materials I’ve been making and this bag is a fusion of some of the hand dyed fabric and silk papers.  I call it experimental because I want to see how the silk paper holds up on the bag before I offer this type of work for sale.  So far it’s holding up well for light everyday use.  The bag is  6.5″ x 11″ and the handle is some of the ribbon I’ve been dying.  This was the first time I used gunmetal grey in the dyes. Many of the pieces came out with an interesting camouflage look.

Close up of the front of the bag

Back of the bag

Close up of the back of the bag

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Silk Paper Collage

Now that I’ve made approximately 100 sheets of paper silk I’m working on ways to use them. One is mixed media collage using a combination of silk paper sheets, paper and vintage silk flowers.  I’ve also cut some up for ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards) and used some small sections on greeting cards.

As I make and dry the sheets I’ve noticed how nice certain colors look against other colors.  It’s inspiring some interesting combinations.

Along the silk road

Here are some details and full shots of the most recent silk paper collages.  These photos were taken in the sunlight, where I tried to capture some of their sparkle and shine.

 

An Adventure in Handmade Silk Paper

 

A few years ago I started collecting silk roving with no particular project in mind.  I came across a tutorial on Judy Gula’s blog here. and decided to give silk paper making a try.  Well, I have a LOT of roving, so lots of photos follow.

I collect materials that will likely end up in a project one day but there’s not always a plan. A lot of these materials have been waiting to come together in some way. I used silk roving, art yarn, Angelina fibers, Japanese metallic threads, paper, sequins, silk carrier rods, hat veils and glitter.

The “paper” is somewhat stiff, but is flexible like fiber.  Some are more paper like but most feel like soft textiles. Originally I thought of them as paper that would later be embellished with embroidery and other collage elements. As I made more they became collages in and of themselves.

 

 

You made it to the end!  Here’s a bonus.  This is a LINK to a lovely Etsy shop where you can find Art Yarn Fiber Bundles.  Here’s a LINK to the silk roving section of Judy Gula’s website.

Indigo Dye

Experiments with pre-reduced indigo dye.

The best thing about summer is that it’s the ideal time to dye fabric. This was my first time setting up an indigo dye vat.  I love watching the fabric coming out of the vat with it’s strange green tint, then slowing changing into indigo as it hits the air.

 

Hi Sailor!

Today’s photos are from the Artistic Artifacts Paper Doll in a Shoe Workshop. The images we used are from Dover Publications and Paperwhimsy. The papers and mixed media elements are shared from my studio.

Every now and then a class feels magical. This was one of those times.

Paperwhimsy’s  images always bring the magic to the day.

Talented, friendly, funny (Hi Sailor) artists add to the charm.

Feeling like kids playing is ridiculous fun.

My next scheduled workshop for Artistic Artifacts, Alexandria VA is Noir Magic on October 6, 2018

Stitch and Slash ATCs

Once a month many talented persons gather at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, VA. Part of the meeting is show and tell of new work. We also exchange ATCs, (2.5″ x 3.5″ artist trading cards) before the meeting.  This month’s ATCs use the stitch and slash technique I found here. It was fun and a good way to use some of the fabric pieces I’ve collected.