Bottle People

Get out all your old bottles, clean out the mustard jar and throw out the shoe polish. 

 My sister and I need those bottles to make more of these really cute bottle angels. 

 I love what my sister did with the hot pink tulle and the wings made out of air conditioning tape.  

 She always has the best ideas.

This is the chunky angel. 

They are best to heal when you think you have eaten too much.

Merriberri Creations

This is the one that is made with the shoe polish bottle.

  Look how my sister used the brush as part of the design.

Merriberri Creations

This is dedicated to Cynthia who taught the lesson on Angels.

  Thanks Cynthia. 

There is a special angel watching over you.

Rusting Fabric Again and Stamping using Rit Dye

I just finished rusting 10 yards of fabric for our Fiber Muse Group that meets in Lake City.

This is part of a challenge where each person in our group will receive 12 squares of fabric. They are to stamp in black whatever design they choose. It can be one design done twelve times on the squares or different designs on each square.

In May we will exchange the squares and decide how we will use them. I might make an African Quilt. I have some fabulous fabric the Dr. Nwafejoku Okolie Uwadibie gave me upon his return trip to his native land of Nigeria.

One of my favorite things to rust with is the square thing that is used in house construction. Rusting is done by adding the iron pieces and speeding up the process by adding white vinegar. I usually let it set for at least 24 hours and sometimes longer.

This is rusted using nails and steel wool.

At the meeting we experimented using liquid Rit Dye. About 3 - 5 tablespoons are poured on a paper towel that is folded in half or you can use more layers. It is placed in a metal tray large enough for your stamps. Some stamps can be quite large. There were stamps that were at least 12 inches long.

Here is a great site for buying wood stamps  A Trade For a Trade.

One of the best tutorials is on this site.

Notice the stamped fern leaf. You can use all types of natural items. The rose is the cut end of celery.

The spiders I found hanging over the garage. Just kidding. The star is a potato cut in that shape.

 There is a good tutorial from Joggles about how to use stamp pads. 

I cut the end of Romain lettuce and got this lovely rose looking piece.  The bubbles are from a cork.  Using large sponge stamps makes great marks on fabric.  Make sure your fabric has been ironed.  You can even tape it down so the fabric does not move when you stamp.  I use painters tape.

This is done with one of the old wooden stamping blocks from India.

Fairy , fairy where are you?

This is my great Granddaughter Charlotte.

If you should catch a fairy
and place it in a jar
Be sure to treat it kindly
And do not take it far -
This fairy is not for the keeping
It has a home you see
The forest is a wonderful place
 And fairy must live free.

Unknown author

My friend Shari put her granddaughter in a jar as well.  The one on the right is Samantha.  She is my granddaughter.  Oh dear she is trying to get out. 

Using old bottles you can make some darling angels.  This is a small bottle of vanilla.

The heads are styrofoam balls covered with self drying clay.

Fused Plastic Fabric

Take your plastic shopping bags and fuse them into wonderful art creations.

I posted this picture on Facebook and asked my

friends to give it a name.

  Oh what wonderful names they had. 
I decided to call this Caution Creative Zone  part of the Bag Lady Series.
On the back is a pocket with all the names they came up with.
As you view the piece you can pick the name from the back pocket to match your mood for that day.

 My next piece is titled Shopaholic Shrine part of the Bag Lady Series.

This bag is from Spencers.

My sister Merri made this great tote out of plastic shopping bags. 

Notice the gromets and clear plastic tubing for the handels.

I think she may have even crossed the police line.

These are two vases she made also.

Finally Merri, the whirling dervish,was done. 

The heart is made from fused plastic bags that have been painted with Lumiere paint.

 The saying on the side say it all.

For such a time as this!!!

Digital Art Journal

I am taking an online course called Digital Art Journal from Jessica Sprague.

  This lesson was about the heart.

The quote says

A memory is a photograph
taken by the heart

to make a special moment last forever.

All the background is done digitally, including paint dabbers, stencils, airbrushing and watercolors.

Dillon Capers

We have a new puppy.  Dillon was born November 12 and came to our house on December 29.
Oh my which one to choose.

Oh I just love this one.

Edward had to come and help us select the perfect puppy.

That is my sister Annie. She belong to my friend Sharon.  Annie is on the right. 

The day arrived and we became new Mom's.  Each puppy weighted about 7 pounds.

Oh how cute.  I am 8 weeks old.

Mom got me a new kitty just for me to play with.  That is Binx the Monster cat.

The cat and I are world travelers or anyway just to Savannah.

Look what I can do.  Is that creative or what?  Edward wants me to come back really soon.

I am now 19 pounds and get to play outside.  I am 10 weeks old.

Fiber Artist Trading Cards

On Saturday I attended the Gainesville Fiber Artists group.    They begin with a show and tell or bring and brag which ever suits your fancy.  Laura made these bird houses out of 3/4 inch wood cubes.  The roof is made from paper clay.  Each house is different , either stamped, painted or something glued on it.  They are so cute. 

The program was to exchange Fiber Artists Trading Cards.  

Each person was to make 15 cards to trade.

The variety of the cards was mind boggling.  There was rust dying, laser cut embellishments, embossing, yo yo's, paper art, felting, beading, machine and hand embroidery, computer printed fabric and an assortment of other wonderful techniques.

We were told to bring our cards in a bag.  I guess I don't follow instructions very well.

Each card I did was an original photograph of something in the North Florida area.  The topic was nature.  This is our home.  I printed out the photos on fabric using the computer printer.

I took this photo last winter from my deck.

This is a picture of my grandmother and her sisters.  It is superimposed on the front of my home and then  a rainbow circle was added with photoshop.  Notice the charms.  I used Coke cans and embossed them with my cuttle bug and then added Tim Holtz alcohol inks to color them.

This is my favorite one.  It is created totally on Photoshop with all types of embellishments.  The angel is a stone statue that was added to the picture with the crow.  The original size of the piece was 8.5" by 11".



High Springs Fall Festival

Saturday was the Fall Festival for High Springs.
  The High Springs Theater had an all day Flea Market.

 This is a tour of our quaint town.

At one time this was a tea house and then an antique shop.

Madhatters is a great little dinning establishment with
all types of artist endeavors and confections to enjoy.

There was even a car show.  Can you see me careening down the highway in this number?