Little Dresses for Africa

Hello I'm excited to share with you all what I've been spending some of my time, energy on this past month.

I've been making pillowcase dresses with some dear friends to send to Africa. There are several groups of sewers participating. The dresses are going to an orphanage in Guinea Bissau. The goal is to send 75 dresses to girls ranging in age from 18 months to 15 years.

Much of the material, adorable embellishments, threads and creative vision have been donated to us to make it all come together. I hope you can spare a few minutes to look at the photos here. It has been a very fun and practical way to give back to a community in need.

Please visit Devon's blog to see more about this project as she is the coordinator.

There is talk of getting together to make more soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stephie of Blueberry Blonde

SUKIE IRON-ONS 30 sheets of fabric transfers

Hello 2011 and hello to you!

For my first post of the new year I really wanted to do a review of a book that I recently purchased -- SUKIE - IRON ONS. As cute and interesting as the designs are I am sad to tell you I was sorely disappointed with this book. 

The overall book design is very cute with its self closure and the the mention of using environmentally responsible paper is a draw. Most of the characters and images are pretty wonderful however there are a sprinkling of a few images which are disturbing and don't fit in with the overall 'cute-sey-ness'. 

The image transfers in SUKIE are not your typical plastic coated designs. Instead they are more like ink transfers -- or stains -- which the book never mentions or distinguishes, although they do have 3 pages of 'how to'. What seems to be missing from the how to section is care for the fabric prior to ironing-on images and how to care for the fabric once the image has been ironed on. 

I read some reviews for SUKIE on Amazon and noticed how many mentioned that the images washed right off or faded considerably. At this time I have not yet washed my items so, I will have to comment later on how well the image holds up to regular washing/washing with oxyclean and drying...   

Here is what I did do with SUKIE thus far: I started with light colored a shirt that was washed/dried WITHOUT softeners to improve image transfer and I put cardboard between the layers of fabric, as the ink soaks right through and could damage the back of the garment.

I chose a mauve hedge hog to experiment with, as it was small and cute. I followed the directions SUKIE suggested for a quality image transfer, very high heat, pressing hard and making small circles with the iron... Alas, I was not happy when I removed the paper and peeked at the image. 

Why did I put it on the front of my shirt?! 


It looked more like a jam splotch than a spiky outline of a hedgehog... I guess the small circular motion of the iron cause the image to become blurred and the tiny dot of an eye was lost entirely. I don't have a photo of it because I ended up covering it with white acrylic paint and a stencil of a dragon from a different book called Stencil Me In by Marthe Le Van... 

So, after a night of sleep I decided to write this review and take photo documents....

Good thing I slept on it because then I got to wondering how to get the transfer to adhere cleanly and more permanently? I had to take control! If I wanted "iron-ons" it looked like I was going to have to make them...

My solution: I have a stash of 'dark t-shirt transfer paper' which I usually run through my printer to ink it up... maybe its similar to SUKIE ink?! Brain storm! I decided to experiment with a new beige colored hedgehog and iron that image to the dark transfer paper! I had to slowly peel the image away from transfer paper it looked like the ink was absorbed right into the plastic so that was promising. Taking the new version I cut around the image; peeled backing away; applied it to the fabric - now it can go on light & dark fabrics! Iron in place & I WIN!  As you can see in this image at the top it works! 

The two squirrels in the above image are my two attempts at using light t-shirt image transfer paper. I realize that the way light t-shirt transfer paper works is very different to the dark t-shirt transfer paper but I had to try. Looking at the top squirrel you can see how it became adhered to the paper and became torn when I tried peeling it way. The brown smudge is evidence of how it transfers = not very well. The bottom squirrel seemed a much better transfer to the light transfer paper as the ink is well absorbed into the plastic and to the left you can see it did not transfer very well at all as the in transfered over but not the plastic coating...  

I decided to try another image on the dark transfer paper and got very good results! On the left is the SUKIE ink image and on the right is how the ink transfered to the dark iron-on transfer paper! Not too shabby! Simply cut the SUKIE image out and cut out a similar size of the dark transfer paper. Place face to face and press (NO swirling of the iron) for a few seconds with a hot iron (cotton setting) wait for it to cool then gently peel apart.

I cut around the image... If you try this don't forget to remove the paper backing from the image after trimming. I like to use a pin to help separate the two layers without damaging it. This next image shows the backing on the left, and the image on the right which is under the 'special paper' that comes with dark transfer paper kit, you are meant to cover the image with it in order to iron it -- I've tried other papers and none work... so don't loose yours ;) 

Here is the final product! A bit of white is showing and evident fading at the top but all in all I'm very pleased!

Well, that is all for now. I hope that if you have purchased SUKIE that this post can help you salvage it. Feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, constructive criticisms or ideas with me on this topic. I'd love to hear from you about your experience with SUKIE or iron-on's.

Best wishes for a happy and safe 2011,
Effy of Blueberry Blonde

Happy Java

The last time I embroidered was at least a decade ago... using a combination of the cutesy iron on patterns and my own designs. As I moved around a lot those days my embroidery supplies were packed and forgotten.

I've been keeping busy since the online art journal class with Red Velvet Art has ended. One neat thing I tried this summer was entering three pieces of my original works in the Stevens Point, WI Riverfront Art Center 2010 Visions show. They chose my Sushi Hat for the show, which was very cool and I was so happy I was bouncing off the walls for several days.The place was so packed I couldn't get a photo of opening night, but it was fun. It was a milestone for me as it was the first time I've ever shown my work! I was very nervous but I got lots of positive feedback. 

One item I tried entering in the show was Happy Java, an embroidered piece. Even though it was not accepted to the show I wanted to share it with you all here, because I am rather fond of it. This embroidery was the first I've created in over a decade! When dreaming it up I knew I wanted to create something that was a familiar topic for the medium but simple enough so I could reacquaint myself with the skill. After looking over an embroidery stitch book I felt I could master the simple stitches required for my simple design.

First I chose this lovely fabric which reminds me of blue sky days. (I also made a cloud pillow, for my niece, from the same fabric.) I knew I wanted to have a rainbow but rather than having the rainbow over a landscape I chose to anchor the image with one of my favorite things: coffee, complete with a marbled fabric cuff. I balanced the design out at the last minute with a cute cloud.... what do you think?

Rediscovering embroidery has been fun and I do think I may need to make many more... I must say there is something very captivating about creating something stitch by stitch. Maybe it's the infinite possibility of design and color combinations, maybe it's the taught fabric between two circular hoops or perhaps it is the meditative quality of embroidery itself... whatever it is I hope to develop it further to see where I can take it.

xoxo,
Blueberry Blonde

Tell Your Story - Art Journal Page - May 28, 2010 - My Favorite Memory

"Tell Your Story"

I will be posting a journal page a day! While I'm taking an online class, through Red Velvet Art (RVA), called Tell Your Story. (registration is closed) It is a 6 week class so, I'll be posting one page a day to my blog for the six weeks.

This will be a visual journey of self reflection via mixed media collage and a personal challenge...

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My Favorite Memory... Can also be viewed on flickr, along with comments from other class members...

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My favorite memory is of my dad...

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Ingredients: orange acrylic paint, green floral vintage cotton fabric, black & white photo that I took on my trip to NY that summer, lined paper, pen, glues

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Please look but don't copy.

All comments, thoughts and constructive criticisms welcome!

xoxo,

Blue 

Tell Your Story - Art Journal Page - May 27, 2010 - I'm Afraid

"Tell Your Story"

I will be posting a journal page a day! While I'm taking an online class, through Red Velvet Art (RVA), called Tell Your Story. (registration is closed) It is a 6 week class so, I'll be posting one page a day to my blog for the six weeks.

This will be a visual journey of self reflection via mixed media collage and a personal challenge...

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I'm Afraid... Can also be viewed on flickr, along with comments from other class members...

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says: I'm afraid... (you know just a little...) loss, failure, rejection, limits, bullies, intolerance, illness, pain, letting people down, being selfish, never getting to travel...

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Ingredients: catalog page, torn practice paper, page 42 torn from a book, markers, highlighters, pen, ink, my hand carved leaf stamp, silver doily, paint chip, torn security envelope

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paint chip colors: Oak Bay, Ocean Falls, Mellow Mood, Smoky Lake, Saxton, Bethel, Cascade.

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Please look but don't copy.
All comments, thoughts and constructive criticisms welcome!

xoxo,
Blue

Tell Your Story - Art Journal Page - May 26, 2010 - My Own Advice

"Tell Your Story"

I will be posting a journal page a day! While I'm taking an online class, through Red Velvet Art (RVA), called Tell Your Story. (registration is closed) It is a 6 week class so, I'll be posting one page a day to my blog for the six weeks.

This will be a visual journey of self reflection via mixed media collage and a personal challenge...
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My Own Advice... will soon be uploaded to Flickr... I am currently getting my lap top fixed. Can also be viewed on flickr, along with comments from other class members...

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Says: My Own Advice... take the sour with the sweet. Know the path & walk the path. Love. Appreciate. Empathize. Know. Learn. Share. Be there. Listen. Hug. Help. Observe & participate. Create. Enjoy. Explore. Experience. Adore. Be open but lock your door. Don't trust if your gut tells you its not safe... Know your limits. Respect others' limits. Carry on traditions & create new ones. Always have art, music, & science in your world.

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Ingredients: acrylic paint, magazine page, doily, store bought rubber stamp, hand carved stamps, ribbon, page of a book, lined paper, pen, tissue paper, tracing paper, glues

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Please look but don't copy.

All comments, thoughts and constructive criticisms welcome!

xoxo,
Blue

Tell Your Story - Art Journal Page - May 25, 2010 - A Happy Time

"Tell Your Story"

I will be posting a journal page a day! While I'm taking an online class, through Red Velvet Art (RVA), called Tell Your Story. (registration is closed) It is a 6 week class so, I'll be posting one page a day to my blog for the six weeks.

This will be a visual journey of self reflection via mixed media collage and a personal challenge...
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A Happy Time... will soon be uploaded to Flickr... I am currently getting my lap top fixed. Can also be viewed on flickr, along with comments from other class members...

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Says: A Happy Time... my first ever winter - dog sledding - camping trip!!! 1997 - Hovland, MN with Bill, Gus, Madge & Nik. Snow covered pups upon waking & oatmeal in the road... Lovely sounds & smells <3 <3 <3

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Ingredients: fabric, thread, photo, ribbon, paper, pen, glue

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Please look but don't copy.

All comments, thoughts and constructive criticisms welcome!

xoxo,
Blue

Tell Your Story - Art Journal Page - May 24, 2010 - Today I Feel

"Tell Your Story"

I will be posting a journal page a day! While I'm taking an online class, through Red Velvet Art (RVA), called Tell Your Story. (registration is closed) It is a 6 week class so, I'll be posting one page a day to my blog for the six weeks.

This will be a visual journey of self reflection via mixed media collage and a personal challenge...
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Today I Feel... will soon be uploaded to Flickr... I am currently getting my lap top fixed. Can also be viewed on flickr, along with comments from other class members...

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For this page I chose not to use words to express how I feel. I believe the image that I found of a couple, sitting outside, in the back of a pick up, next to the water, under a canopy of trees, hugging under a blanket says it all.

The colors of the paint chip are Lemon Cream, Dipped in Honey, Saffron, Yellow Brick Road, Downy Chick, Sunnyside Up and Golden Path. I added a few doodles around the image, on it and on the paint chip to tie them all together.

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Ingredients: catalog page, paint chip, pen, marker, gold leaf pen

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Please look but don't copy.

All comments, thoughts and constructive criticisms welcome!

xoxo,
Blue

Tell Your Story - Art Journal Page - May 23, 2010 - Party

"Tell Your Story"


I will be posting a journal page a day! While I'm taking an online class, through Red Velvet Art (RVA), called Tell Your Story. (registration is closed) It is a 6 week class so, I'll be posting one page a day to my blog for the six weeks.

This will be a visual journey of self reflection via mixed media collage and a personal challenge...

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Party... will soon be uploaded to Flickr... I am currently getting my lap top fixed. Can also be viewed on flickr, along with comments from other class members...

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Says: camp-out, cook-out, movies, dance, music, surprise, kites, friends, sushi, cake, pinata, fun, cookies, balloons, family, dress-up

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Ingredients: magazine pages, pen, vinyl, ribbon, staples, double stick tape

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Please look but don't copy.


All comments, thoughts and constructive criticisms welcome!

xoxo,
Blue