Welcome!

Thank you for visiting artful embellishments. This is the third year for this blog and I am so happy to keep publishing. I started in 2011 and began with a quilt of the week, this lead to the leaf of the week for my newly designed paper tree that is located on the wall of my garage in 2012.......2013 is going to bring a lot of excitement and positive change. As a personal challenge for 2013, I plan on designing a artist trading card each week to be featured on the blog.
With so many interests, there will be quilting, art quilting, leaves (and more leaves), as well as experiments in thermofax screen printing, fabric dying, and tons of DIY recycle projects. I may even enter that altered fashion scene. To a happy and healthy 2013, may we all find happiness in those things we create....thank you for stoping by artful embellishments.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Create Retreat Words from the Heart

Words from the heart was a 3 hour class, shorter than most of the others that I have taken. This class was fabulous as I learned how to stamp words into metal.  There were many great tools for stamping, embossing, and etching.  The hearts are adhered with brads, nails, screws,  and jump rings. These will become great additions to my art quilts.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Create Mixed Media Art Retreat DAy #3 Shibori Fabric

Cindy our instructor showing off one of her Shibori dyed fabrics.
Shibori Dying was such a great class. Taught by Cindy, this was 6 hours of pure fun. We learned many different methods. This included Arashi, Itajemi, Kanoko and Komo. We used this beautiful deep blue dye similar to indigo.  These prints were extremely fun to make.  There will definitely be more of this fabric dying in my future!


Friday, October 24, 2014

Create Mixed Media Retreat Day #2 Machine Needle Felting: Layered and Textured


Today my good friend Patty and I took the Machine Needle Felting Class. It was 6 hours of pure heaven.  We were able to make two felted art quilts. We still have the option of adding beads, sequins, and hand stitching. So these are our works in progress.

Patty was working towards a landscape above. I was working towards abstraction.

Each piece contained a wool background, silk roving, wool roving, sari ribbon, yarn, cheese cloth, organza, chiffon and even paper.
 This is the entire class during show and tell!
Patty and I with Jane Lafazio--one of my favorite artists and instructors.  What a pleasure to take two her classes, two days in a row.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Create Seattle


Finding the balance between life, travel and art has been a challenge. But this week I have combined all three. Getting back to my favorite art pursuit…..Art Quilting…this time in Seattle.

This is day one of the art retreat spent with one of my favorite fiber artists, Jane Lafazio. These projects take a significant amount of time, so  instead of posting just the completed project, I will post the project as I progress through the various stages.

This course was called Free Spirited Free Motion Art Quilting.  Fabric, paper and free motion drawing with the sewing machine.  What more could you ask for?
This is the project, with still many hours left to go to finish…..