Another Peek into my Sketchbook

The first Monday of the new year. You know what that means...a new dedication to diet and exercise. For more than two years I have been tracking my weight and measurements on the computer. Today I am starting out the same as last year. But still more than twenty pounds less than my all-time high, so that is a Good Thing!

Yesterday I began work on the nursery bedding for my niece. I decided to start with the dust ruffle, since that takes the most yardage. I started going through my stash, and found all kinds of fabric that would work without having to purchase anything. I decided to piece three fabrics to make the 14-inch drop for the ruffle. So that is done, but I have not gathered the fabric or sewn to the base.

No pics of this project for awhile in order have a bit of surprise element.

I have not posted any pictures from my sketchbook/journal in a long time, so here are some cheery pics on a very gray day here in North Carolina.

This one has some fantasy flowers done with gel pens, and strange insects and critters in black.

I decided to embellish the divider page that has Lumiere paint on watercolor paper. Just tried doodling feathers with a purple gel pen.

Here is another Floribunda feather I did when practicing for my feathered pillow shams.

This doodle was drawn and shaded with purple Twistable colored pencil. It reminds me of some kind of ocean plant. The addition of a circle to the broad part of each feather adds a dimensional quality, as if these are little tubes.

If you read my last post about the new kitchen lamp, you will hopefully recognize this drawing. I realized rather quickly that I did not draw this correctly. The bottom part seems to be dangling with no connection to the rest of the lamp. Well, practice makes perfect. I like the scrolls + leaves on the arms, and may try that design as a quilting pattern someday.

Journal Class: Part Two

Alert readers may remember when I purchased this fun fabric back in August. I decided to use one of the "fruit ladies" fabrics for the cover of my second journal in Sue Bleiweiss's online class. This one is a sketchbook with watercolor and drawing paper. The velcro closure is covered by a piece of fabric with a giant pear bead from one of my old necklaces. After all, I do identify most with the "pear-shaped" lady!

The inside cover has a wild peach and orange fabric that almost looks like bookbinding paper, plus a colorful, juicy faux patchwork in red, pink, orange, yellow, peach, and purple. The pocket on this one goes all the way across the bottom of the journal from front to back. I was able to sew along the lines of the print to create some of the pockets for art supplies.

Instead of sewn-in signatures, this journal features hammered-in eyelets and removable hole-punched paper. I had no problem with the eyelets until the bottom two, when I was also going through the two layers of pocket fabric. Loose-leaf binder rings are used to hold the pages, and are decorated with strips of fabric and fiber along the spine.

The first page and several other divider pages feature painted watercolor paper.I used Setacolor sprayed or painted on, and then either used plastic wrap or paper towels to create mottling. I also added some metallic Lumiere paint to give it a gleam.

The cool text on the first page arrived at my house serendipitously when my husband picked up his annual box of wildlife calendars from the N. C. Wildlife Association. Included was a fabulous poster encouraging children to enter a wildlife art contest.

Here is the inside back cover, loaded with bookmarks, sketching pencils, and some colorful gel pens.

And here is my first page of doodled feathers, created while DH was trying out his new surround-sound speakers on the VERY loud movie Iron Man.

And a couple of doodled bookmarks, made from leftover pieces of the painted divider pages.

I have some coordinating Fruit Ladies fabric that might have to become a tote bag to carry additional art supplies like watercolor pencils and a water jar.