Saturday, May 12, 2012

poppies and other flowers

I did say the other day that I liked my dragonfly stamp on a blob of paint here and thought it looked like a poppy.  So, I made another stamp for the poppy centres and used it here on some lutradur circles sewn down with a french knot.  I thought the background fabric sort of suggested stems (artistic license)
After I had done this, though about what it would look like with some clear embossing powder over the top.  Of course I would have to use cotton for those poppies, or even paper!

Yesterday, I made a lot more flowers!
I borrowed the die cutter from out art studio.  This one is a big one.  I have only a teeny weeny one.
I recently bought a new die to use in the big cutter that I thought would come in very handy.
This is what it cuts.  It's a Tim holtz die.
I cut lots of paper ones
And I cut lots of lutradur/rainbow spun ones
I also tried out some fabric, too.  I found that with fabric, it is best to have paper top and bottom of the fabric whilst cutting (even lutradur), so I made even more paper flowers out of scrap paper at the same time.
When fabrics such as organza have been stiffened (I use dilute PVA, just like making fabric paper, but without the paper), they work extremely well, and some work even without stiffening, but sometimes some threads are not cut - one or two and when you remove the flower, the thread pulls. 
anyway, I think I will be making a big batch of stiffened satin and organza very soon. 

I even cut some thin foam and ended up with a stencil and some stamps!
The only probelem in using dies, is the waste.  but you know me, I will be recycling the paper bits into my journals and artbooks and the fabric ones.....  Well I have a few ideas in store for them.

But now I have flowers to last until.....at least next week!