A Few Great Swaps

When was the last time I sewed a fabric postcard?  I think this should be it - only 2 designs and a total of 3 pieces so far.  This time, I did 6 with our Singapore merlion. The theme - "Colours of My Country", nothing more suitable for the theme than our national icon!  Quite pleased with the results. I used felt for the merlion and they were sewed together with sequins. And I just love to crochet these small hearts. They went to Lisa Alff (USA), Constance Peterson (USA), Hollie Poley (USA), Joanna McCreadie (UK) and Jeanette Sillonis (USA).

Postcards received from (top left going clockwise) Constance, Lisa, Hollie, Joanna, Vicky Christodoulou-Baker (Canada) and Jeanette. 

Remember the painted paper collage swap? Mine came in from Debra Claxton (USA)  with a lovely postage stamp people ATC too!

Paper Traders always has something new.  This time we swapped tunnel books.  They are fun!

"Something Wicked" received from Pam Colosimo (Canada). 

And mine for Pam C.

Did a second book to keep.

More tag swaps.  Soon there will be enough tags for a second book (my first tag book here)!  I did my tags with the tatted rose lino prints.  As this swap is for tag-on-tag, I tatted rose for the small tag to match the print. (I just couldn't stop tatting these sweet roses!)  They went to Pam Colosimo (Canada), Cathy Calamas (USA) and Barb Adams (USA).

Received these tags from Debra Claxton (USA), Barb A and Beckie Holso (USA).

Printing, Book-Binding, Light-Up Brooch

It was fun to meet people with the same interest and doing things together during these workshops.  There are some regulars like myself whom I meet now and then.  And guess what, I actually found someone staying in the same block as me now and she turns out to be an old neighbour (I don't know her previously, though my parents do)!

I have not printed with leaves before.  I picked quite a number of leaves, but discovered fern is one of the most hardy and give interesting print compared to most others.

This was something new for us, incorporating a LED light bulb into our sewing. Remember electric circuit, + and - of a battery, closed circuit and stuff like this in your Science!?! Felt like I'm back in school! 

My third attempt at lino print.  I carved tatted rose stalks for this piece.  My carving skill still needs much improvement.  1 new element though - we did multi-colour printing rather than just mono black!

I signed up for this workshop thinking about fashion design in term of fabrics and clothes, but guess what, we did jewellery - earrings and bracelet!

Went for a 2nd round of the seal engraving workshop.  After the workshop last July, I have wanted to get my own knife and stones to try more on my own, but it didn't happened. Anyway, this time round, I did an auspicious phase rather than my name. 

Library Workshops - Duct Tape, Batik Art, Lino Print and More

There were again a number of interesting workshops at the libraries, so I was literally running around different places on my weekends. Great that most of our public libraries are relatively near the MRT stations. 

My girls are usually too busy with their school work and CCA to join me, but they managed to come along for this duct tape workshop since they just finished their mid-year exams in May.

I don't know how I managed to piece together this collaged parrot  within the 2-hour workshop, but I know I was one of the last to finish! 

Wondered why I decided to do the roses at that moment, should have worked on my favourite bird - the owl.  Someone in the workshop did an impressive one, and we couldn't resist taking a shot of it!

I was thinking of making this into a cover for all the haikus I have composed so far.  Will need to touch it up and arrange my haikus into a chap book.  Another project to work on! 

My children have all done this in school.  I only did it once last year at a school function, but without any introduction or instruction.  I can now appreciate this batik art better.

I always think I'm lousy in drawing.  It was an eye-opener to see Mr Han drawing so effortlessly all the illustrations.

Yet another workshop on leather craft.  We didn't need to sew for this one, so it was quite easy. My alignment was slightly out though, but hey, this is what handmade means!

Another lino printing workshop, but this workshop was longer and the lino was larger.  It was more organised than the previous one, and perhaps also because this was my second attempt, my lino print turned out much better.