Good To Be Queen

I'm juuuuuust about caught up with my postcard trades. They all get mailed out tomorrow - YAY! :o) Just making it before the postal hike, I'll be glad to have them on their way to their new homes. I hope they enjoy them!

This one had to be something that begins with "Q". I HAD to do something with Queen! It's made from fabric on Timtex, then painted randomly with aqua, stitched with a blue sulky metallic thread. I stitched the crown down and it's made from watercolor paper painted with gold Lumiere. Letters were stamped, varnish applied and sprinkled with fine, iridescent glitter.

Go ahead and treat yourself like a Queen today. You're WORTH IT! :o)

FABulous Fabric Finds

On Fiber Art Traders a coupla weeks ago, we had a fun members/vendors sale week. We each posted anything we had for sale, which was fine enough. The really great part was when the vendors posted links to their shops as well as any FAT discount! Boy, I had never been to almost all of those places, and I'm really glad I have now. Talk about eye candy.

I made a purchase of lutradur (FINALLY!), since UK Kathy has teased me long ENOUGH about her fantastic use of the stuff, and a few fabrics from Material Girls in Michigan. I gotta tell you, Barb's fabs are really REALLY nice! I loved how they looked in the pix in her shop. But once I got to see them in my own face and touch them, I was SO glad I didn't listen to the evil plastic guard who resides in my wallet!

For instance, the copper fabric doesn't look brocade-like at all in the pic, so I thought it was a cool-looking copper-colored batik kinda piece. I should tell you here that I am a complete copper nut! But then when my package arrived, I had GOOSEbumps when I saw the pattern on this stuff. OMG, it is GORgeous!

The two Kaufman swirlies are, as usual, completely yummy, as all Kaufman fabs are. But again, I thought the pics looked like the swirlies were bigger. In actuality, they're a lot smaller and I LOVE them even more.

And even though I wanna wrap myself up in that copper piece, I think I gotta go with the Aussie Aboriginal fab as my fave. Once again, the pattern is smaller than thought. It is SOOOO cool!! I don't know what I'm gonna make out of it, or how I'm gonna get the courage to take a rotary cutter to it, but man, it is WONNNNNNNNderful!

Thanks for such fantastic fabrics, Barb - I'll keep an eyeball on your shop! And the rest of you, check it out if you're looking for some top-quality stash additions. Oh, and especially if you like African pieces - she has some of the most beautiful prints of African women in her shop. And a really cute African animals one that I debated on. Now I wish I had bought it. I guess I'll have to watch for the evil plastic guard taking a nap...

Cat Bird

We're at the tail end of another fun trade on Fiber Art Traders. This one's called "For The Birds" (as in "this weather is for the birds!"). I'm always impressed with the creativity of our members in these trades, as pictures posted run the gamut when it comes to birds.

I'm really getting more and more into painting and don't quite feel the same if a busy day goes by that I was unable to get into my art room. So I had a lotta fun painting my Cat Birds. Tweet! Tweet! Meooooowwwww!

Love Grows

Boy, is it COLD outside! I think we got spoiled by a few "above zero" days and now we're paying for it AGAIN. I know I shouldn't complain, as we haven't had any power problems like so many continue to struggle with. I sure wish Spring would quit her dilly-dallying and get her butt HERE!

Not much else to do but stay inside and make art. Too bad, so sad. :o) NOT! So today I have another mixed media piece to show. It's maybe 5 X 7 inches. It's hard to see all of the texture, so I'm gonna try to get some better pix. But for now... Enjoy! :o)

xo debmarie xo

Dyed and Gone 2 Heaven

O...M...G. I felt like I was in Heaven when I happened upon these two new batiks they got in last week at JoAnn's. I bought the last of both bolts. I know I'll be participating in Nj's FAT Chance fat quarter drawing, but I'm still not sure which of these beauts I'll use.

I also bought the latest issue of Quilting Arts in which I see someone stole an idea right outta my head. Seriously. Has this ever happened to you? You get an idea and you turn it inside out and round and round and are finally ready to bring it outta there when you see it somewhere?! I feel like I'm in a time warp when this occurs. You know what they say, though... there are no new ideas, just old ones reborn. I know I sure believe it!

Now, I can't remember when the last time was that I bought a basket. That's because I weave them. But then I saw Kiwi's comment on the Lust for Rust post I made and she gave me an idea. I bought this basket for the purpose of showing how I did the crate. I hope the basket will end up looking like woven pieces of rusted metal - cool, huh? I think so. Stay tuned...

Getcha Some!

Man, oh MAN, it's chilly here today!! Yike-a-ROOnies! Well, the shrimps are on ze bus and I'm kinda scarin' myself with posting 3 days in a row.

Quote of the day: All Limitations are Self-Imposed

Now, if you follow my blog, I know you've seen this before. But have you really thought about it? It's so true. There is nothing, nothing, NOTHING you cannot do if you reeeeeally wanna!! We all have so much power within ourselves, yet we don't even begin to scratch the surface of our potential. And why is that? I firmly believe it's because we are not taught this concept from birth. We are not shown, by example, nor are we told repeatedly, that all things are possible AND that we can literally do ANYthing we want to do. I'm a prime example. Ya know what I was told? To sit down and shut up. And how many of you were told the same thing? Maybe you were brought up in a loving, safe environment, and that's great! :o) But were you taught to make things happen for yourself? No? Then we're pretty much starting on the same plane.

Those of you who know me, may find the above hard to believe. Mainly because I am very outspoken (in a fun, kind way) and I hope I give the vibe that I enjoy life. I love to make people smile - and if I make 'em laugh, then my day is great! I'm slowly learning to tap into myself and it's amazing what talents I've had locked inside me. I'm no brilliant artist, don't get me wrong. But I have been pushing myself outta my comfort zone, with pleeeeenty of doubts chanting inside my head, believe me, and am astounded at what I'm learning and creating.

I honestly believe that even with this sudden realization of my skills and abilities, that I haven't made too much of a dent in what I am truly capable of, but I'm trying. THAT'S the key: TRY. How will you know unless you give it a go? Ya WON'T! Wouldn't you rather try and fail a thousand times rather than sit safely in your comfort zone, just wishing and hoping and waiting your life away? Cuz I guaran-freakin-TEE it that if you try and fail a thousand times, you're GONNA learn something! Now go and turn your muse loose - set 'er free and see what ya come up with. Ignore the boundaries and test your inquisitiveness.

Here are some Valentine's Day cards I made for our trade on Fiber Art Traders. I wish you could see what the camera doesn't pick up. Or.... is it my photography skills?? lol! The fabric is a dark, vivid pink and has gold veins running across it. It's just gorgeous all by itself! I topped it with a splotchy purple heart, then a rectangle piece of handpainted fabric I made and sliced & diced, then a piece of transparency with LOVE printed on it. Machine stitched (freemotion) at several stages in gold. Enjoy, my friends! Enjoy today and enjoy yourSELF! Love, debmarie

Make 2008 Your Year to Create!

WELCOME to a brand new year!! I have chosen a motto for myself and I hope it inspires some little fire within you.

I will make this year one to remember. I promise to be more giving, for one. I will use my blog as one of the vehicles for this new journey. In addition to the projects I post, I will include instructions. Some basic and some detailed. If you have any questions, just shoot me an email, cuz I know I'm not the best with directions! :o)

And awaaay we go! This first project is a post card. I'm hosting a Poetic Post Card trade on F.A.T. (waves to any F.A.T.T.I.E.S. who are checking this out!) and this is one of my entries. I know you can't tell, but this card totally sparkles! The top layer is vinyl, which is one of my favorite materials to use. It's kind of a pain in the rump to sew on, as your machine's foot does not want to budge a BIT on it. But I simply put some magic transparent tape on the bottom and it glides like my tongue on a Dove bar! (sorry - I'm trying to eat healthier and it seems to already be causing some problems...)

From top layer to the bottom, here is the lineup (pix to come later):
1. clear vinyl
2. star charm, words printed on paper, a shave cream marbled tag I chopped up, a couple pieces of shimmery fabric I trimmed off another post-card-in-progress, and the pièce de résistance is this beautiful "glitter" I got at Michael's. It looks blue in the shaker, but it looks all kinds of iridescent on here. I LOVE this stuff! Even the cat looks better with this stuff on him! (just kidding...) Aaaaanyway, this glitter is more like tiny pieces of cut-up cellophane. It works like a dream with the vinyl because it's all static-y and sticks in place whilst you're happily sewing along. Love stuff that's easy peasy. ;o)
3. and 4. fabric that's been fused to fusible interfacing (heavy weight)
5. card stock (I'll add a final piece of cardstock later when I know to whom I'm sending this post card. I'll prepare it for mailing on the computer, print it out, then add it to this piece, stitching all around the edge, and pop it in the mail.

To assemble, fuse the fabric to the interfacing (cut it to 4" x 6", the size of a post card). Place that on top of a piece of card stock and sew around the edge, with a long stitch length, just to secure it.

Add your embellies: (metal star was fusible, so I simply touched it with the tip of the iron and it stays for life) charms, words, glitter, beads, whatever. For the words, I glue-sticked them down with a dab in the middle. Just enough to hold in place until all is stiched. Lay your piece of vinyl on top. Oh wait - SIGN YOUR PIECE FIRST!! THEN add the vinyl.

You may want to stitch all around the edge once with the vinyl on there. You really need to grip that sucker tight, as the vinyl loves to shift! What I do is to cut the vinyl bigger than I need it. Lay it on top of my post card and stitch it to the card around the outer edge real quick. (NOTE: you're following the edge fo the CARD, not the edge of the vinyl!) Now trim the vinyl to the card. This prevents coming up short on any edge. Don't ask me how I know this.

Now for the fun part. Decoratively (or not so - whatever you'd like) stitch (I used clear thread, but you do yo' thang!) around the different objects. Why? Because if you don't, they will happily shift and run amok the second it's outta your hands and in the mail. Objects love to play with you like this. Don't give them the room OR the opportunity! ;o)

Zat's eet! I hope you do, indeed, make 2008 YOUR year to create!! Thanks for stoppin' in! B'bye! ~debmarie

The Dollies are coming! The Dollies are coming!

Well, folks, it appears I may have a mild form of obsession disorder. I was a bit worried about it, as once I get an idea in my little brain, I simply cannot function until it's out. I have since learned that I am not alone. Many artists are this same way. For instance, did you know that VanGogh slammed out 200 finished paintings in a mere 444 days?! Whew! We may all be nuts, but at least it's not just ME! lol

Here are some new art dolls I completed. They're actually pretty tame as compared to the other ideas I have. The faces are fun to work on, but my favorite part is the hair. It's always about the hair, isn't it? Maybe it's because I have about 12 hairs myself. But I love working with the hand-dyed/painted/spun fibers I've got in my stash. I'm not a knitter or anything of the sort. But I love the gorgeous colors the various artists have produced. And the TEXTURE! I hope they spark some creativity in you! More to come...

PSDD - Plus-Size Dotee Doll

Here is my first Dotee Doll. We have a trade going on FAT and pix are due tamale. As usual, the deadline is sneaking up on me! :o) This gal won't be leaving the nest, but other, more appropriately-sized versions will. I'm a bit camera-challenged, as I can never get the true colors to burst forth. I'm in a rusty stage, and she is very rust-colored. Nothing as shiny as the photo depicts. Oh - and the face was made by my 4YO!! I hope she doesn't remember she made i and I stole it! I painted it up to match the look I was going for. I was kind of nervous about creating her, as she looks nothing like the others (yeah, I know, big shock that I find myself goin' against the grain once again!). But in person, she is quite beautiful and reminds me of an aborigine. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day!! :o) ~debmarie

Piece of the Pie

Well, I have some more eye candy for ya in my favorite form, of course - post card! Woo hoo!


This is the same trade I wrote about earlier in Hillbilly Pie. Iwas completely flabbergasted when this card arrived! Yeah, we post pictures in the albums and all for everyone to oogle, but they just don't do the creations justice. At ALL!! And when the swap partners are listed, I TRY to only look at the addresses to whom I'm sending pieces so that it'll be a surprise when they arrive.


This is from Jay in Texas - isn't it GREAT?! I cannot believe all the work she put into this! If her pie is HALF as good as her imagination and creativity, I do believe we're in for a treat! I have three pix because I wanted you to see the details. Yes, that's the pie cooling on the windowsill! I LOVE it!! Great job, Jay! Thank you so much for a lovely card - I can hardly wait to complete the fabric recipe box in which I'll forever keep this!!

Chicken Hawk

I know, I know… I’ve been VERY remiss in my blog! I’m catching up now and I’d like to start out this beautiful, crisp, Fall day with something I JUST finished for my gorgeous sis-in-law. I’ll ship it this Friday (don’t worry, she has no idea I have a blog, so she’ll never see it prematurely), along with a box full of "stuff" we've been collecting for them.

First you will see a photo of Corbin, their first, and no doubt only, little bubba in his first Fright Night Getup. The second I saw the pic, I got an idea to make the following piece of wall adornment for aforementioned SIL. It’s my first larger-than-a-post-card mixed media project and I must say, I’m loving the freedom!! I sure hope she likes it…. Anyway, it says "The Cutest Chicken Hawk in the Whole Punkin Patch".

It's made from fabric that's been run through my printer, painted, ripped, stitched, tied, sprayed and embellished. The back is fab, as well. The two middle layers are (what else?!) Timtex. It's nice and stiff and was such a dream to work on. I attached some found sticks (my secret will soon be out, I guess. I am a stick-a-holic!) with raffia. ENJOY!! And thanx for poppin' in! Hugs...deb

Mail, Beautiful Mail!

I already told you all about the Abstract Post Card Challenge & Swap. Well, I received my first post card it today's mail and it... is... BEAUTIMOUS! The handwork on this beauty is pretty amazing! My hubby was impressed, as well. :o) Everything is stitched by hand and I do mean everything. Each bead has been handsewn and what's even more unbelievable is the fact that they're all there - not a one of them appears to be broken or even loosened. A million thanks to Andrea in Texas - I am in awe and will forever treasure this piece! THANK YOU!!

November 14 update: I received another card and it is from Elizabeth in New Mexico. Just like Andrea's, this one won't disappoint you! Are you starting to see how one can become absolutely flooded with ideas for these?! I kinda feel like a great, big chicken now because both Andrea and Elizabeth mailed their's to me. You know - like a real post card. I had no idea they would hold up so well, so I put mine into envelopes prior to shipping. As you can see, Elizabeth didn't even stitch some of her pieces down. I thought for sure they would get mangled off if I did that. Now I'm gonna throw caution to the wind next time and treat them like the pieces of mail they are!! lol

Thanks to you both for your beautiful trades. I hope this is just the start of post card trading for me and I hope I get to swap with you again! ~deb

Loooves me some Timtex!

Yes, I know. Halloween is over. But I just love the designs of Halloween. Monsters and bats, ghosts and black cats - I love 'em! Here are some works in progress. That's right - more postcard-sized pieces. I told you before I couldn't stop making them! lol.

I use Timtex as the "meat & cheese" part of the sandwich that makes these little creations. For those of you who love Timtex as much as I do, it may interest you to know that the manufacturer has closed the doors without notice. Yikes! The company is looking for a new manufacturer, but as of right now, when the current Timtex stock is gone, well, it's GONE. I stocked up today because I love working with this stuff. I've been using it for many things and really don't think anything else comes close to the thickness. I love it!

Ok. Back to the artsy fartsy stuff. The first one is, of course, my rendition of Frankenstein. Not nearly done, but you can see where I'm going with it.

Next is one of my favorite abstract ones. I love the holographic threads! My favorite is copper, but my machine doesn't like the copper for some reason. It must be different than the gold and silver. Figures. So I went with gold on this piece. And actually, I think it worked out perhaps better than the copper would have.

The third one I copied from another artist. Hope I don't get sued. lol. It's from a picture my 5-year-old brought home from school last week. They made these cute Halloween books that were filled with pumpkins, bats, owls, etc. The second I saw the pumpkins, I had to sit down and make one! I'll load the original, too, as soon as I find it. I can lose something within two minutes of it being in my hands, I swear! It's no doubt on one of my workbenches. I'll find it...

Abstract Fiber Post Card Challenge

This was the beginning of my fiber card obsession I currently find myself smack in the middle of. I joined this swap, as well as the fiber recipe card one below, and I cannot stop making them! They are incredibly fun! They're great for experimenting with a new technique, before you potentially waste too much in supplies by working larger. I'm finding so many ways to use these little puppies that I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.

I entered these 4 in the Abstract Fiber Post Card Challenge on TLTMMA. Wish me luuuuck!

UPDATE, November 14, 2007 - Guess what?! I won 3rd place in the post card challenge! And the prize is to http://www.inkastamps.com/ which is the prize I was hoping to win, if I won anything at all! Snooooopy dance!! Thanks for a wonderful challenge, Elizabeth, and for a generous prize, Inka!!

Have a wonderful day!!

Hugs...deb :o)