Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I Dream In Colors

Time out from my Key Largo posts.  I just completed pages for Jen's journal in our I Dream in Colors group.  Her color palette is chocolate brown, robin's egg blue, and lilac.
Not my usual colors (except for the brown, which I believe goes with everything), but had fun with it, and guess what?  Those who know me well won't believe it, but I sewed on it!  Me, sewing!
I have disliked sewing but love the look of stitches on paper, so a few weeks ago I went ahead and bought a basic machine and put it in a closet.
Something made me take it out yesterday.  I just knew it would end with much tears and cursing, but miracle of miracles, it really was as easy to thread as promised.  Can't believe it!  Not that I did anything elaborate, just some freehand stitching and attaching ribbon, but this is a very big deal for me.  I've always believed that I am totally incapable of using a sewing machine.  Yea, me!
Anyway, here is the first of the two page spread:
I used some of Tim Holtz's gorgeous new paper.  It's the right shade of blue, and I overpainted it in some areas with lilac paint.  I used the bracket from Tim's "Hanging Sign" die as the holder for the cage from his "Caged Bird" die.  I didn't use the bird from that die.  The smaller one is a stamp, inked and stickled.  The larger one is from the "Nature" grungeboard set.  I used Val's inlaid embossing technique on it.  Covered it with light purple embossing powder, then used a floral background stamp (Wendy Vecchi) over top, embossed with blue powder.
The second page is the one where I really tried out the sewing machine:
I LOVE Tim's "Fanciful Flight" die.  That butterfly is great, isn't it?  I put blue vellum under the chocolate card stock outline.
I chose the words I used, after searching for hours for a suitable quote about flying, because of the word "fairy."  If you read my post yesterday about the retreat, you know that each night we were visited by the pillow fairies (aka Gina and Marita).  I thought that whenever Jen looked at these pages she'd also be reminded of our wonderful days together in Key Largo.
Jen included some tags with her journal for us to use as a sign in.  She asked that we include a photo of ourselves.  I found a vintage NYC postcard, (well, a reproduction) Bethesda Fountain in Central Park in the 40's (I think), and used that as my base.  Here it is:
And no, I did not make up that corny caption.  It was actually on the bottom of the postcard!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Eileen...these are GORGEOUS ma'am!!!!

Sandi M said...

Loveee the way your pages turned out! I agree the butterfly die is wonderful. I thought at first, why do I need another butterfly. As it turned out it was one of the few dies left at AC Moore, I had a coupon so I bought it. So happy I did - it's versatile & awesome!

Diann said...

What a treat to see your ART in another great book...I know your friend will love these pages as I do! Just wonderful! Diann

Nancy Lynn said...

Well, it goes without saying that the artwork is gorgeous.

What I am having a hard time with regarding this post is that there is a sewing machine involved. LOL.. Be still my heart. Say it isn't true.... LOL.

Now you have to take the class I have been telling you about Eileen.

You just made my day......I knew you were capable of sewing as you do everything else so well.

teri said...

you have a sewing machine? really?

craftyM said...

Good for you.... jumping into some sewing outside your comfort zone! That is me, too, but I SO love the sewing on paper and journals! So guess I need to move that direction, too! Love the tag, too, Eileen! YOU ROCK!

Anonymous said...

You are so amazing and inspiring. I never tire of see your creations.
Thanks

Carol's Crafts said...

Awesome pages, dear. I'm the say way with a sewing machine. My friends would faint if they caught me using one. LOL Good for you to have conquered your fears.

scrappin-scrappin said...

Fabulous!! Love them!! Now I think I will have to order the rest of the dies I don't have!! Hee Hee!!

Lori said...

All I can say is WOW. Fantastic, and who woulda thought you would ever sew?!!! lol Looks great on the pages, I just love how you used the new dies, um, fanciful flight is the one I haven't purchased, but I may be forced to now, thanks to you and your brill ideas. What wonderful pieces of art!

Patzee said...

Amazing work. You were very brave to use the sewing machine. Great results!!

Art By Wanda said...

Eileen, these pages are totally fabulous!!! You DEFINITELY "need" to do more sewing on your projects because it looks great!!! I Love how you hung the birdcage from the sign holder!!

inge said...

Hello Eileen,

good of you to try out the sewing machine ! You see : you're never to old to learn new things, even things you thought you never had it in you !

I sew for years, but I haven't used much sewing in my projects ( except for my MA album...).
I like the free stitching : I've seen it before in magazines, but never done it myself... So, you see : I must try this once too :)

You did well with a colorcombination you're not familiar with ! The butterfly really stands out too.
Nice page.

greetings from belgium
Inge