Corona Creative #1

This is the first of my "Corona Creative" Blog posts...

...just itty bitty bits...

...to keep you entertained...

...maybe inspired....

...and today, to provide a delicious dose of colour!

I've dug out my stepped coronne stick...

...found a ball of Katia Polaris...

...and started making loads and loads of buttonhole rings (for a specific purpose btw).

I have also been attacking some Empress Mills Egyptian Cotton...

...turning it from brilliant white...

...to THIS!!!

Such fun is waiting in the wings...

Keep safe.

x C

Experimenting...

It's high time that I got myself into the "expo" groove...

...so...

...I've been folding pieces of fabric...

...stitching to hold...

...and then pouring on dyes.

I am using Empress Mills' Egyptian Cotton for these...

...I just love the brilliant white and smoothness of the fabric.

It has sooooo many uses!!


I will let things sit overnight...

...and see what delights await me in the morning :-D

x C

Gelli Plate samples for Busy Bees

It was a "play day" around here yesterday...

...messing about with Gel Plates....ink pads....brayers....and polymer stamps...

...making some samples for my workshop at Busy Bees on the 9th of Feb :-) (Sorry it's full!)

I had already done some 6 inch round pieces...but wanted to do some a bit smaller...

...so these are 4 inches (10.12cms) and have turned out rather well methinks.

I brayered the background on the plate...

...transferred this to some Empress Mills Egyptian Cotton... (which is soooo fine that you can hardly see the grain!)

...then used some of my delightful Lavinia Stamps to put on top.

After everything had dried...

...I put some stabiliser and a backing fabric in place...

...and did my stitching using a hoop - yes.....a hoop (not normal for Chrissie but necessary for such tiny stitches).

This is just Number 1

...so keep tuned for the rest...

x C

Playing with stitches...

Because of the way I seem to be working these days...

...I thought it would be a good idea to have a little bit of "playtime" with edging stitches...

...trying out stitch and colour combinations...

...and building up a "library" of different styles to use on various projects.

"Page" number 1 has been finished...

...and I'm eager to make a start on number 2 so enjoyable was it to do!!

I've used various threads from Oliver Twists; Stef Francis & 21st Century Yarns...

...plus some of my favourite Empress Mills Machine Metallics.

The background fabric (as usual) is Wool/Viscose felt from Empress.

Happy Sunday folks!!

x C

Playing with print on fabrics...

Yes. I know that I do this anyway...

...but this time it's a bit different!

At the show I treated myself to a new 6" gel plate...

...some inkpads...

...and some lovely Lavinia Stamps and also some from Card-io :-)

Last weekend, along with working on my Venice sketchbook...

...I began playing with the gel plate onto some Empress Mills Egyptian Cotton.

I deliberately chose this fabric because it's brilliantly white...

...and a very close, smooth weave so the surface is almost like paper to print onto.

I found it better to iron it onto some freezer paper first as I knew that I wanted to use polymer stamps later.

I did the backgrounds with inks on the plate...

...then stamped afterwards.

I didn't photograph all the stages this time...

...I was just playing after all...

...but here are the results of my first attempts...

I want to do some stitching...

...but, given the fine surface I'll probably use machine thread - by hand....

Updates will follow...

x C

Printing with Paisleys

I've been doing a bit of block printing this morning...

...using one of my new sets from Colouricious...

...that is actually on HOCHANDA today - 10am this morning and again at 3pm.


Printing works perfectly on Empress Mills Klona cotton.

...and I'm using Spectrum Noir alcohol pens to add some colour detail.

Stitching will come later this afternoon....

Have a creative day.


x C

A bit of experimental stitching

This is the first page in the design book that I showed here...

After a bit of fiddling, I found that Empress Mills' "Superliner" is the best weight for me to use.

I also found out that I absolutely must not put Bondaweb on the pieces before stitching....

...as it makes everything too flat!

I want some loft here.

Stitching was done first by machine using Empress variegated  thread...

...then hand seeding (I simply can't resist!!)

Finally some Pebeo Setacolour was used to add some colour.

It's only a small piece...

...but, after seeing so many chevron patterns in 12th Century churches recently,  I like it a lot!!

x C

...a bit of glitz happening ....

...on the sewing machine...

I know that this kind of tiny stitching takes a long time to do...

...but I really enjoy doing it...

...and love the results I get.

Again...Empress Mills metallic thread of course! :-)

x C

Featured....

I have got a couple of bits in ...

...Creative with Workbox magazine!!

First up is my "Creative Blogger" article...all about my blog and how it got started etc....

Then there's a piece called "Creative Crushes" in which I spill the beans on a few of my favourite things...

...including fabrics and bits from Empress Mills...

...and wooden print blocks from Colouricious!

www.creativewithworkbox.com

http://www.creativewithworkbox.com/product/current-issue/


Thanks to all at the magazine for inviting me to contribute!!

x C

Print playtime!

I just couldn't wait...

...so got out some Klona cotton fabrics and paints...

...and made a start with some of those lovely blocks. :-)

First using some de-colourant on Dark Navy...

.....I wanted a vaguely ethnic-chinese look....

...and it has worked (I think).

(I've not used this stuff before, so wasn't sure how it would work out. But, WOW...how it works! Takes a little while to dry so that you can see the pattern....but a bit of speeding up with a heat gun helped a lot. The one I've used comes from Mulberry Silks......who happen to sell the most AMAZING silk threads as well!!)

Then...with some paint on a couple of brighter colours....

...that got machine-stitched with some of my most-favourite Empress Metallic Gold thread!

Just look how fine you can get the stitching done.....and no snapping either! I LOVE IT!!!

These sample pieces have, of course, given me an idea (or a clutch of ideas actually!)...

...so I've printed some more...

...and the machine will be whirring all day today :-)

Ah! Happy, happy, happy......

Hope you are all happy too

x C

Retail therapy at Malvern

I hadn't been to a show for sooooo long....

...in fact Harrogate 2014 was the last one! :-o

So, it was decided to go to Malvern on the weekend....

...to meet up with the lovely folk from Empress Mills...

..and do a little "necessary" shopping! :-)

First of all I got some new print blocks from Jaimie at Colouricious...

..then we pootled along to find The Silk Route where indulgences are always to be found...

Gorgeous, scrummy, wonderful silks...and just look at those colours!!!

I have loads of ideas swimming happily around in my head...

...and a full belly after dinner with Charles, Christine and Jennifer from Empress :-)

Had a lovely, lovely day....

Hope you all had a great weekend.

x C

E.S.P - aka Earth Spirit Projects

I've had to leave a few other projects as UFOs for a little while...

...and get down to finishing off these pieces for an up-coming workshop.

It's been good to get back to my "Earth Spirit" theme....

...and I've had a lovely time playing with Colourcraft Brusho Sprays and  Markal Paintstiks on Egyptian cotton and calico dyed with Procion dyes. (From Empress Mills.)

Fabric was first dyed in plastic bags or beer glasses....

...then sprayed with Brusho Sprays - Dark Brown; Shimmering Charcoal & Shimmering Copper.

I drew my designs and scanned them into my Brother Scan'n'Cut to make the stencils...

...that were then done using Markal Paintstiks.

Finally I stitched around the designs on the sewing machine with some variegated threads...

...again,  from Empress Mills.

Now, because I am who I am...

...seed stitching is covering the background!

Why?...do I do this to myself?

Then I made a start on another Earth Spirit Figure...

...again on calico sprayed with Brusho.

This time the design was drawn on before stitching....

...then painted in with Inktense blocks.

Oh....the fun I do have!!

I'll be off up the M50 with this lot next week :-)


x C

Lots and lots of goodies to play with...

I've been going through boxes and drawers...

...picking out all sorts of bits n bobs...

...to use in my "Lavender & Lace" pieces.

Gorgeous old French linens picked up on holiday...

...some dyed....some not...

A bird's nest of sari silks in glorious colours...

Empress Mills' Egyptian Cotton dyed with Colourcraft "Lavender" Procion Dye...

and my wonderful spray-booth paper covered in all sorts of Brusho colours!

(This is the paper that is underneath everything that I spray. Colours get built up one on top of another...and I end up with the most beautiful papers to play with!! :-)

Hi di Hi!!

x C

Playing with Brusho

Many thanks to everyone who left such nice comments on my previous post. They really are much appreciated!

I'm very pleased to be able to tell you that I have ANOTHER project in the next issue of STITCH too :-)

...although it will be the last one for a while...

...as I have other things to do right now.

Including having lots and lots of PLAYTIME!!!

I got a project off to Empress Mills yesterday...

...so keep your eyes peeled for a freebie project/tuto in Charles' Newsletter sometime :-)

It's the first of a little series of three - with a Japanese theme.

To have free access, all you have to do is sign-up HERE ...... and it'll pop into your inbox.

Those of you that already have signed-up will know that I did an article on using BRUSHO on fabric a little while back.

...and you can still access that HERE....

But today, I'm using Brusho Acrylic Shimmer Sprays on high gloss card as I need some die cuts for one of my "Lavender & Lace" projects.

This card behaves differently from standard copy paper...

...the background colour soaks in and colours the card...

...while the mica pigments form a globule/watery pattern on the surface.

I love the effect of Shimmering Purple!

I then used some matt card...

...and a few different sprays...

See the difference?

They all have a place in my workroom, but the stash is getting taller and taller!!

Now, I don't go in for "dissing"...

...and I certainly won't name names....

...but I also used another brand of spray on the gloss card.

It looked lovely just lying there...

...but when I stroked it...

...YES!!! I admit to a little bit of stroking of materials now and again!....

...the mica particles came off on my fingers - you can see the results in the piccie.

By the time I had put it through the Big Shot and poked out all the little bits...

...my hands were covered in mica dust.....and the card was simply....pink.

I'll still use the die-cut....but won't use that particular spray again on gloss card. :-o


(If you're wondering WHY? the difference.....it's because the Brusho brand is an ACRYLIC based product and the acrylic helps to keep the mica on the surface. This is why you can use it on fabric and it's a little more "fast" than simply Brusho powders.)

Here are some of my die-cuts from this morning...

I'm off to have some more fun...

Have some yourselves too!!

x C