INKY OUTCOMES

Here beginnith the tutorial on making a bouquet gift using "flowers" made of fabric paper and other unusual stuff. Having made several of these with fabric paper in the past, I found it very stiff and rather bulky to manipulate - which is fine, but time consuming and not quite the result I wanted. So, I decided to see what I could do with the idea from QA magazine using my own interpretation.

First, I took a piece of thin sew-in interlining and, because it is very floppy and I did want some body, I first painted the whole thing with a mix of fabric stiffener and water (3 parts water, 1 part stiffener). The piece was laid out on a flat surface on a sheet of black plastic.

Then, I applied drops of my first colour choice in printer ink (I used the el cheapo refills that you can find in the supermarket. can find in the supermarket. Drip, splash, or do whatever randomly over interfacing.

I repeated that with the yellow and the blue. ( I have also used the same process with artists acrylic inks, so the number of spotty dots, etc and colours is up to you.) Don't worry about the colours overlapping now and then, this is good and makes interesting shades and tones.

Next, sprinkle as generously, or sparingly as u wish with rock, sea or lake crystals. Your fabric needs to be really wet for this to work and as I was working in very hot summer conditions, I had first thoroughly wetted my fabric before starting and after the salt was added, I gave it all a good drenching with water in a spray bottle. Now, the hard bit - be patient and have trust! Let the ink and salt do their magic. As you watch, the inks move around and interact with each other to produce some amazing results. Ideally you want to leave it alone at least overnight (as I did) or until thoroughly dry.

Notice, I only used the three primary colours but look at the multitude of interesting shapes and colours I got. I think it also picked up some of the white stiffener and whirled it through giving it almost neon brightness in some areas. Bottom picture is closeup of one area. Heat set the fabric, after brushing/picking off as many of the excess crystals remaining as you can. I used a sheet of baking paper to protect my iron and a setting of wool, 3 to 5 seconds per area.

The fabric needs to be cold water rinsed throroughly until you feel as if you have got rid of the salt completely. Be gentle, it is very delicate. A bit of disappointment sets in now as a lot of the ink seems to wash out and the whole starts looking a bit pale. Fear not, I was pretty happy with the outcome, after pegging it on my clothesline to dry:

I feel that a lot of the stiffener could have also rinsed out. Next time, I think I will try thicker interfacing and maybe begin with a few drops of white ink as one of my colours.

Next post, I will show how I made the baby shower bouquets.

AMAZING!

I am doing my bit of a tutorial. It is taking ages and ages because I took a lot of pics and Google will only let me upload 4 at a time. I hope to publish tmorra. In the meantime, all you shoe gals MUST CHECK THIS OUT!!!!! http://8tokyo.com/2008/01/08/shoe-made-of-wrapping-paper/

BARING OF THE SOUL - OR THE MEANING OF THIS BLOG TITLE

Having had little time to spit lately, have just spent a delicious half hour drooling on Arlee's last few blog entries. I would like to say that I resolve to be a better blogger but Betty Botter knows that only bitter butter will come from that batter. But, here I am and, as I promised to Arlee and all, here is what I laughingly call the space (s) I work in, on and under plus the storaged secretly unfinished, forgotten and languishing projects, with various materials and stuff I am "gonna do stuff with". My latest excuse is reasonable having to complete 4 bridesmaids dresses, my own dress, jacket and hat (I thought, plus maybe a bag) for the wedding. On top of that, I foolishly made floral baby bouquet thingies and arrangements that I will (definitely, promise, promise) post about, out of fabric paper and they have become extremely popular. To the point that people are pressing me to start a business (I will, probably) making them up as gifts to give at showers, etc. Plus my brain is reeling with all sorts of spinoff ideas and plans and how I can streamline the process, how I can access good wholesale suppliers and....... really and truly I do not have time to think about that now. I also have to do 100 wretched bonbonierre that are only half made and 100 chair wrap, bow, cover or tie thingies that don't cost an arm and a leg and look amazing (to rent, these bastards are $4 each, so there is another business I am thinking about). Any ideas, directions, websites etc anyone can offer will be smooched all over. OK, here goes, no more procrastinating:

Informal meals area with permanently set up sewing machine and ironing board.

Above, right is dining table, same are, covered with partly finished bits of clothing and even the high chair is not safe from storing some recent fabric purchased for the b.m.s.

At left, even armchairs are not safe - this in the family room holds a b.m. muslin being altered, plus my last year's Xmas tree (cardboard, black print) and a nest that Dylan made with wool for his baby birds (off the tree). Hell, I will get round to putting the decs away, it's not Easter yet.

Below, birdseye view of what I laughingly refer to as my coffee table, on this occasion scattered with Dylan's latest WIPs (God only knows what they are).

Above, right are the discarded projects from aeons ago at the bottom of the "baby's room" . These include, but are not limited to - knitting, crochet, scrumbling, scrapbooking (latter lasted 2 days til I realised it was rather like school projects.)

Next, we have the "spare" room, wherein shelves chockas with once upon a time nicely rolled and sorted fabrics lived. Now a project about my Dad, abandoned 2 years ago languishes atop a jumble pile, that has leapt to the floor in suicidal despair. Also in same room, a cupboard containing hangers of sheer fabrics, but alas, many of them have chosen the floor as a permanent residential site.

And finally, beginning under that we see the joke known as the abundant storage areas in the formal lounge and dining rooms. I could not even begin to list what horrors lie within. On that note, I leave to watch a Sunday movie about, appropriately enough, tsunamis.

IT'S ALL GOOD!!!!

Yay! Hand turns out not to be fractured, thank God, because it was so fat and black and distorted that the doc was convinced it was and threatened to put it in a cast. Can u imagine in 40 plus degree heat? No, I have simply torn some tendons and permanently damaged some nerves, which is annoying because my fingers keep going

pins and needles

at the most random and awkward moments.

Can you guess what these pics are? I have been playing with Picasa.

MY KARMA IS DEFINITELY OUTA WHACK

Can u believe it is 2:45 am and I am blogging (slowly) as it seems - having just fully got use of rt arm back post fracture that I have fractured my left wrist. I slipped near a swimming pool on Xmas day and put hand ou to save self (for those of u who don't know, it was over 41 degrees that day - Celsius). Any hoo didn't feel too much pain (see recipe for toxic alcoholic concoction further on) and next day (Boxing) was 45!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and wrist was a bi tender bu I managed to move my front fence boundary to a more sensible position, so thought, yeah OK a few aches and pains are par for course. By the way, this is what my poor little white climber looked like yesterday:

By last night it was fairly painful and I think I have slept about 3 winks with the excruciating throb of the bastard, Have taken 2 lots of morphine, so if this goes a bit weirdo, u will know y. Hasn't helped much,tho, so trying 2 distract brain by writing this. I must be the unluckiest cow in the universe!!!! Am waiting 4 decent hour to get someone to take me 2 hospital. Course, it may not be broken (let us hope) but I am pretty well acquainted with th nature of this particular beast by now with my crappy old bones.

OK here followeth my recipe for a most addicive and intoxicating cocktail thingy that has become a fam tradition for us at Xmas. Those in the northern hemisphere might orefer to try it in summer as it is best suited then.

MIDGES TOXIC TROPPO CHAMPERS

Take 1 large mango and "moosh" up the flesh (no need to blend if it is suitably ripe & my son now has possession of my Bamix anyway)

Add the pulp of 4 large passionfruit (brag, brag, mine were from my groaning vine) but u could sub tinned, bottled etc.

Stir thru thoroughly a miniature bottle of Grand Marnier (this will make about 24 ice cubes, enuf for 2 bottles of bubbly, but my alchoholic kids felt mor GM would not go astray.

Put into ice cube trays and freeze minimum 24 hrs. This yr, just 4 change & to add festive je ne sais quoi, I carefully spooned a few cranberries on top of each cube b4 freezing. (Yummo!!)

Serve in flutes topped with well chilled bubbly of choice - I use Ricciadone because it ha high alchohol content and it is sweet, but have tasted it with a Brut and even a flat Chardy - not bad, bu I prefer the Ricci as I have a sweet tooth even tho it is a bit unpatriotic of me and I avoid French Champagne on principle since they got all thing about the branding.

Last time Iposted that I woul give instructions 4 the photos in that entry, but honestly my one handed efforts have about hit the limit! Iwill get there,tho - have nay forgot! In the meantime, here is some more self indulgent bragging;

Youngest grandson, Kieran. K with mummy Nat and below, my fave boy, Dylan.

Finally, tho I cannot participate Arlee has an exciting sounding swapsie type project (wish I could). Here is the link: http://arleebarr.squarespace.com/designjournal/

BITS AND BOBS

Quick note and last pre Xmas, so much too do, so little time. As promised to Arlee:

Multi fractured arm is so much better and having truckloads of physio - acourse not doing excercixes and lying bout it to physio! Also doing way more than sposed to, to here is sampling of my play time results of late:

All of these had captions in Picasa bu t I don't hink they r uploading, so don't know wot I am doing wrong. Will post tomorro, promise and describe the products also will redo photo editing as I must have forgottent to save changes, and these look like th origs. Gettin sore tho now. TTFN

SILLY OLD ME

doing this with l hand as broke r one, so will b out of action awhile. too difficlt 2 write this way & so cross w me frustrated etc love 2 all!!!!!!!!!!!!!hppy xmas