grow strong

this is another little doodle quiltie that i created using inspiration from one of my journals. i'm always looking for projects where i can combine lots of different things that i love to do, and these doodle quilties seem to fit the mold!

this quiltie is a little smaller than the others, but still has lots of hand-stitching, beading, hand-carved stamping, and i even snuck some of my painted dryer sheets into the leaf layers....

grow strong!

you can read more about this quiltie here in my etsy shop

be you

if God had wanted me otherwise,

He would have created me otherwise.

johann von goethe

this doodle quiltie is listed in my etsy shop here!

inspiration monday

when i first read becky shander's dryer sheet article that was published in the premier issue of art quilting studio magazine (july, 2009), i was thrilled to see such an ordinary around-the-house-product being used in such creative ways! so thrilled, in fact, that i immediately salvaged the pile of dryer sheets that had been accumulating in my laundry room and started playing (you can see the fun here!)!

and i think that becky must have planted a tiny seed of dryer-sheet-inspiration that day, because when i started thinking about creating the little "child of art" quiltlet in yesterday's post, those dryer sheets were the first thing that i wanted to start playing with again! they're fun to use in their original white, but it's amazing at how well they absorb color, too.....just a little acrylic paint (and lots of paper towels to catch the mess!) and before you know it, you've got a stack of dryer-sheet-rainbow-happiness just waiting to be included in your next project!

thank you SO much, becky, for sprinkling your sweet little seeds of creativity throughout blogland......you will always be a beautiful inspiration to me!!!

from the heart

this little package of random kindness that i received from becky shander falls somewhere in the category of "beyond spectacular"! from beginning to end, this is artistic brilliance at its best! becky has masterfully tea-dyed repurposed dryer sheets to create this magnificent envelope.....

.....and i could gaze at the sweet little tag and vintage hat pin that's holding this bundle together all day long! but the transparency of the dryer sheet offers a little peek as to what's inside....

....a magnificent little book created from fabrics, lace and dryer sheets! everywhere i look i see little "becky touches"....from the sweet birdie transfer to the vintage sparkle embellishment....it's all perfect!

and it just keeps getting better! don't you just love the message on the inside cover?!

becky has ingeniously sewn the pages to create pockets (using more of her fabulous tea-dyed dryer sheets!).....and wait until you see what's inside one of them!

another hand-sewn pouch adorned with lace and happiness....and inside is the most wonderful little ornament with the reminder to "follow your bliss"!

and now i come to the part where i find myself with my mouth wide open, but no words will come out.....because there truly are no words to describe how spectacular this little parcel is!

becky, your kindness in thinking of me, and generosity of your time in creating this for me fills my heart with joy! i cherish this sweet masterpiece that you've shared with me, and i thank you SO much!

becky shander is a very accomplished and published artist. please visit her at her website here or at her blog here....it's a pure shot of inspiration, straight from the heart!

dryer art

i noticed a great project by becky shander in the premier issue of art quilting studio magazine. becky creates beautiful envelopes using dryer sheets....and i was so intrigued that i just had to try it!

first, rescue the used dryer sheets from your laundry room trash can and iron them flat by using a low temperature on your iron.

fold dryer sheet in half and use a template to sew an envelope shape using a straight, zig-zag, or decorative stitch around the edges.

tuck a sweet little something inside and sew a button or decorative ribbon on the flap. the dryer sheet is transparent enough to give the recipient a peek inside.....

....but it's a lot of fun to open it up, too! i followed becky's example by using a piece of cotton quilt batting for my card. then, i tore a piece of watercolor background (that i made a long time ago) into a heart shape and finished it by sewing a favorite Scripture address to the front.

and then, since the dryer sheets smell so good, i decided to make a little "sachet" to hang in my closet. just tuck one of your favorite images in between two layers, sew around each edge, and then attach a ribbon for hanging!

edited: i've had several comments about the darker envelopes in the first photo....becky says they are "dyed" using a 50/50 solution of coffee and water. soak for five minutes and then wring out moisture and lay on paper bags to dry. then iron flat.

click on any image for a better view