Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Endings and Beginnings

Dear Friends,

As we come to the end of 2013, I've received several emails from subscriptions about reflections on the past year and hopes for the future. I love reading them, glean great ideas and get inspired to create art, live life and vow never to feel guilty about not meeting all my resolutions! As a child I would actually make a list on paper, now my lists tend towards the more practical.....



I love new beginnings, but a year seems too long, so I look at each day as my new beginning and am thankful for a multitude of those!
Many blessings for you and those you love for those days to come!



There are only two days left to register for my Print It, Print It Workshop, register at http://susanpm.com/online-workshops/
I hope to see you there!

Enjoy, Susan!

Thursday, December 26, 2013

An Art Search....

A few years ago I spent two idyllic days wandering through the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In my dreams I could spend an entire year there and still not have seen everything that they offer!
But, did you know that you can wander through the museum online? That you can search 1,125,012 objects and 385,938 images from the V&A's collections? You can spend that entire year wandering through the halls of art and inspiration?
You can search by item, style, period and more and download the images and information! How exciting is that!! Imagine being inspired by Art Nouveau, Monet, Manet, furniture, textiles, embroidery and more, more, more!

Here are some images I took when I was there a few years ago....I think another visit is needed, but this time it might be on my computer!
To check out the V&A, go here:  http://collections.vam.ac.uk/



Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Online Learning with Susan!

After a very steep learning curve, the FIRST part of my Online Workshops is up for viewing! I am thrilled to be able to offer a variety of Surface, Design, Dyeing and Printing Techniques for my students.
I love to teach and share with you but I can’t always be at your guild or conference. So I’ve developed the next, best way to inspire you. So, invite me into your home or studio to learn new ideas and techniques.

You can see a short video at:  http://susanpm.com/online-workshops/
Pictures from Print It, Print It!

 My workshops are multi-lesson formats that combine PDF documents to print out – such as dye recipes and resources – and videos for you to watch and learn exactly so many of my techniques are done. You can watch them at your own pace, download them for future reference and work alongside me or take notes with a cup of coffee beside you! There will be opportunity for you to ask questions and post pictures and to meet other students and chat.
Pictures from Colour It, Fuse It!

 Each workshop will be open for six months from the start date and you will be able to keep the links to the videos forever.
Browse through the workshops below, see which dates fit your calendar and sign up! You are welcome to email  me with any questions. I hope you will join me on this exciting new adventure!

So check out all the details at:  http://susanpm.com/online-workshops/
Pictures from Screen Printing with Success!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Studio Tour Coming Up!

I've been working hard getting more work ready for the tour, I hope you will be able to join up and see all the wonderful work from so many talented artists! I'll post more pictures of my work through the week.
Here's some information, if you would like it as a PDF, with all the addresses, just leave a comment or email me!
Don't forget, its next weekend, Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st, 12 noon-4:30. I'll have the apple cider warmed up for you!


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

New Work for the Oak Bay Artist Studio Tour!

I've been busy working towards my first Artist Studio Tour, finishing pieces, quilting, dyeing, mounting work on canvas and much, much more! It has been fun and creative work, but my main problem is that I'm not sure how much work to produce? I'm hoping to sell lots and have some pieces in reserve to put on the walls as others sell.....but how much?
Maybe you can give me some advice!

This is work that I've finished in the last week or so, I'm enjoying mounting them on canvas board, I like the look when they are hanging. What do you think?

So the first piece shows just the base fabric. It was a piece of soy wax resist linen, that I waxed and dyes, then waxed and dyes some more. It took several processes to get the depth of colour I wanted.
Then I traced, fused and cut shapes that echoed the design in the linen. I backed the linen with iron-on fusible interfacing to give it more stability.
Then lots of quilting with multi-coloured poly thread, trimming and mounting on board. I found a good YouTube video for finishing the corners nicely:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccaNqgje5lY

The next piece I made from fabric I had dyed on a wine bottle (more about that in another blog post) then cut, fused and stitched the cardinal tree and berries.
Finally, I used fabric that I had applied soy wax and dye on a pole, after washing, I screen printed the crows on and quilted bird foot prints.




Monday, November 11, 2013

Remembrance


They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old,

Today we especially remember:
Arland Kenneth Scott
Elvin Curtis Purney
     who did not return

And those who served:
Keith Gordon Purney
Harold Purney
Henry Mark

In the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Essentials Book List



Like I promised, I've reassessed my Essentials Book List and found a couple books I wanted to add and a couple that were either dated or had been replaced by newer or better works. So, print off a copy for handy reference!

Quilt Design

Piecing: Expanding the Basics by Ruth McDowell
Contemporary Quilts, and Creative Quilts
by Sandra Meech
Digital Essentials
by Gloria Hansen
Thread Work Unraveled
by Sarah Ann Smith
Journey to Inspired Art Quilting by Jean Wells
Pattern Motifs-a Sourcebook by Graham Leslie McCallum
The Quilters Book of Design by Ann Johnston
Adventures in Design by Joen Wolfrom

Surface Design

Complex Cloth by Jane Dunnewold
Color by Accident and Color by Design by Ann Johnston
Finding Your Own Visual Language by Jane Dunnewold w/ Claire Benn and Leslie Morgan
Any books by Maggie Grey and/or Valerie Campbell-Harding
Surface Designers Handbook by Holly Brackman
Mixed Media Masterclass by Sherril Kahn
Soy Wax Inspirations by Susan Purney Mark (absolutely!)

Monday, November 4, 2013

The Printed Fabric Bee

So, its the first BIG REVEAL today! Are you excited to see all the wonderful fabric that Lynn Krawczyk got from the other bees? I sure am!
First, I'll show you how I made my fabric for Lynn. She had requested:

I'm choosing ORANGE CIRCLES. And for fabric size I'd like a rectangular shape - 10" x 14" (just under the 144 square inches but I'm good with it.)About the only thing I don't like color wise is pastels. I like neutrals (greys, browns, blacks) and strong vibrant colors. I'm a contrast junkie. And for the record? Light red qualifies as pink. I do like the 70s color vibe of brown, green, orange, gold. If that horrifies you, though, feel free to flee from it.

I began by dyeing a 1/2 yard of PFD. I used an orange with some bronze in the dye bath:

I sewed the fabric into a tube and put it on a PVC pipe with a rubber band at each end to hold it in place. I painted on some soy wax to keep the orange colour and then painted on an MX dye from Dharma Trading called Caffeine Buzz! 


I let that batch and also stamped soy wax circles on another 1/2 yard that I'd dyed. I thought that might be my back up plan! Here are the two fabrics together:


The next step was to use some of my Thermofax screens and print multiple circles on the yardage with black paint:

Finally I screen printed an image of tiny dots within a circle shape in deep mauve. Its a little difficult to see them:
 
Finally, I put it in  an envelope and sent it on its way!
Now, all the "bees" put a little something extra in their packages....... so that maybe you can join in the fun! You could win a 6" square from each of us and have some creative time with our fabrics. Here's what you need to do: 
Hop on over to Lynn's blog:  http://smudgedtextilesstudio.com/blog/ and leave a note for her in the comments section. You can visit our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/theprintedfabricbee and get more information and news! Be sure to "like" us....

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

I Didn't Get to Quilt Festival, But........

I've been reading blog and Facebook posts from friends with their prize winning quilts, parties, shopping and general quilt related fun! I admit that I'm rather envious, but I have been busy!
Here's some of what I've accomplished:
I did some dye painting:








I did some hand stitching:







I taught my Shattered Angles class in beautiful Whistler:















I did some screen printing:







And I started a new piece with some shibori dyed fabric:






Well, gosh, I did get lots done! Maybe Houston next year!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Exciting New Workshops

I've spent a few days writing and designing some new workshops and updating my most popular ones. I'm so excited about the choices I can offer my students! You can check them out here:
Or here's a run down of the latest ones:

 

Design Explorations


 Using basic design principles in piecing, applied layers and stitch, students learn to create dynamic and exciting designs for their quilts and develop their own visual voice for future explorations. Students begin by using their chosen ideas and themes and with a variety of small format exercises each day, working towards developing and creating resolved pieces. Students will be encouraged to set personal goals and use a journal/sketchbook for visual record keeping.

 

Creative Sketchbook

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A blank piece of paper can be daunting but a sketchbook of colour, design and texture is so rewarding! Release your inner artist with simple, easy exercises to get the creative juices flowing. You will play with paint, paper, glue stick, crayons, markers and more and get ideas and inspirations for quilt design, new projects and unique ways to see, document and inspire. 

 

Mrs Matisse Does Applique

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
What if Henri’s wife had great fabric and fusible web to play with? Design a unique mosaic-style foundation with painted and dyed fabrics then cut out shapes for a still life or floral arrangement. Additional interest can be added with paintsticks, markers and coloured pencils. Explore the many design options possible with fused collage. Stitch and thread choices will be discussed.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Tasters Choice

It's not coffee....its a CD full to the brim with exciting instructions on Thermofax Printing, playing with Angelina, making your own Print Table, using Shiva Paintsticks, carving your own stamps, Gel Medium transfers and much more. Its presented as a PDF document, you can print off all the pages or just what you want to work on. There are over 25 pages of inspiration, tons of photos and clear, detailed instructions for success.
Best of all, is the price, its a great deal at only $5.00. I'm sure you will want to get more than one, after all, December is not too far away, is it? You can order them HERE



Wednesday, October 23, 2013

One Word Wednesday

Past Due Date




Monday, October 21, 2013

Playing with my Gelli Plates

Last week I took my Gelli Plate to our cottage, pulled out my paints and paper and had a good time messing around with colour!
First I put some colour on the plate:


And spread it around with my brayer. The more fluid the paint, it shrinks up with the tension, wonderful texture:

Then I printed off a page of paper or two......

 
Then I printed off more pages, then I ripped them up:


Then I put some of them back together again:

Intrigued? Stay tuned for my new online workshops starting in January....the first one is Print It, Print It - Gelli, Block and Roller Printing!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Mrs. Matisse Does Applique!

I've updated my workshop pages and have some great new ideas that I've love to share with you! I think they are all pretty exciting but I had so much fun designing this one, I thought I'd share it with you:


What if Henri's wife had great fabric and fusible web to play with?  Design a unique mosaic-style foundation with painted and dyed fabrics then cut out shapes for a still life or floral arrangement. Additional interest can be added with paintsticks, markers and coloured pencils. Explore the many design options possible with fused collage. Stitch and thread choices will be an important part of the day!
Check out other new ideas for your guild or group here: http://susanpm.com/category/workshops/ and here: http://susanpm.com/category/surface-design/


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Pentel Fabric Marker

I've just added the Pentel Gel Roller for Fabric to my online store....
The Gel Roller for Fabric is the perfect tool for decorating fabric and clothes. It’s also the perfect tool to mark sharp outlines and filigree paintings and the ideal pen to combine with Crayons for Fabric. But unlike Fabric Crayons, this pen is permanent and can’t be washed out. Available in black ink
I think it's one of the best markers available for writing on fabric. If you order $40.00 or more from my site, I'll add the pen for free! What a bargain!
Just visit www.fabricimagery.com to place your order.




Enjoy, Susan!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Three Blogs to Visit!

Back again with a few more blogs I've found while wandering on the web. I hope you will find them worth a visit.
http://adventurequilter.com/blog/
Ellen is a well known art quilter and I enjoy reading here blog for the step by step photos on how she creates her art.
http://elizabethsthilairenelson.blogspot.ca/
Elizabeth works with paper, but it's a short step to see it in fabric. Plus, I love her pictures of Sedona!
http://colourful-research.blogspot.ca/
All Eva's work is hand pieced and hand quilted. She places her quilts in nature for the photos.
Enjoy, Susan!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Cruise Workshops-Fabulous Results!

We had the last day of workshops yesterday while we sailed from Boston to Newport. The students had fun in the morning learning to use fabric paints on old laces and doilies. Then students worked on English Paper Piecing for a vintage looking Dresden Bouquet.


In the afternoon we had a Wrap Up Party with some excellent Show and Share.
First we saw the results from Cathy Miller's Notan class:


Then the FINISHED project from the Laurie Swim class in Halifax that many enjoyed. I'm so impressed that they all got the projected done, framed and ready to hang!


Then we got to see the Mock Mola projects that students designed and sewed, some beautiful work, don't you agree?


We also had a wonderful concert with Cathy's songs and music, including the new song she wrote especially for this cruise. Thanks Cathy!

Enjoy, Susan!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Fall Colours Quilt Cruise Update

We just visited the Stories in Stitches Quilt and Needlework Show in Charlottetown, PEI located in a lovely old church in the heart of the city. The quilts were beautifully displayed over pews and along the walls. The Kindred Spirits Guild members warmly welcomed us as we viewed many generations of work, both old and new pieces. The show also included some CQA award winners!














Enjoy, Susan!

Location:University Ave,Charlottetown,Canada

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Round Robin Surface Design

After my last post about the Printed Fabric Bee, I remembered a Round Robin that I participated in a few years ago with members of the Complex Cloth Yahoo Group.
As I recall, we stated with a yard of our chosen fabric, dyed it and then sent it on to the first of four other artists. It took almost a year before our fabrics came back and it was such a delight to see how different they were. I had sent off three different fabrics, a cotton and linen blend:




A cotton lawn:




And a PFD cotton, they all started as a pale yellow:




Participants had screened printed, overdyed, stamped, discharged and painted with thickened dyes, it was wonderful to see the wide range of techniques.
I learned so much in the process, especially to honour the colours and designs that others had done previously and to enhance that work rather than detract from it.
Perhaps some of you might like to build your own Round Robin?
Enjoy, Susan!