...and that I couldn't find any amounts of things at reasonable prices.
So..
..I've been playing around, experimenting, with materials I had to hand.
Here are some of the results...
"leather paper" diamonds...painted with copper and antique gold paints
"leather paper" squares...edges tinted with brown dye
squares ....cut from a piece of stiffened fabric
"leather paper" circles.....painted with metallic paints/edges stained with Sennelier inks
wooden beads...cut from willow sticks
beads....odd little things that were strung - supposedly to repel insects - found in the souk at Marrakech.....painted with antique gold paint
"leather paper" is something I came up with a few years ago.....experimenting in the dye-pot, I always throw in whatever happens to be around just to see what happens. We were living in France at the time, and, having a rather old/decrepit farmhouse, visits to DIY establishments were quite frequent. I found a roll of "stuff" in the "End of Line" bin.....took it home...and dunked it. WOW!....amazing sheet of "leather-looking" material....that won't tear; can be hand or machine stitched; can de overdyed; is almost waterproof; won't fall apart in the washing-machine; .....and doesn't require the death of an animal! AMAZING! (so I went back up there a bit quick and bought up the rest of the rolls before it disappeared!)
Here are piccies of some sheets...
Other experiments that have taken place over the last few days....
....no henna...
...but Setasilk dyes....
..ready for stitch and embellishment....
