inchies & matchboxes

L is for Lily of course -

it had to be

as I had collected the stamens &

dyed some fabric with them !

Three lily stamens are backed onto watercolour paper

which is lined with orange fabric.

The muslin over the top was stained

with three stamens in hot water

and a little twist of orange

embroidery cotton to finish off !

***

I'm thinking of hosting a Matchbox swap

( if I get enough takers ! )

I've seen a few of these swaps & like the idea.

***

If you took part,

you would have to decorate a small matchbox for each player.

In return you would receive one from everyone else

I would collect them all

& send them out together

when I get them all in.

***

I am going to set the theme:

Spring into Summer.

Cover & decorate the inside & outside of your matchbox

however you like !

Remember a small matchbox !

***

I will see how many takers I get in the week

and let you know next Monday

how many are playing...

***

For more inchies visit:

http://inchybyinch.blogspot.com/

some more pages for my

fabric journal

Deborah at

While I was waiting

has given me this lovely award.

I'm thrilled as

The Linen Shelf

was an experiment at getting back to art !

Thank you Deborah

it means a great deal to me.

***

I would like to pass on this award

to five talented, artistic Bloggers

whose artwork inspires me.

They have also encouraged me right from the start.

Thank you Ladies.

***

Margaret at

Alice and Camilla

***

Carolyn at

Love Stitching Red

***

Kimmie at

Art in Red Wagons

***

Pattie at

Magpie's nest

***

Natalie at

An Artist's Legacy

***

Now I have to tell you seven things about me

you might not know...

***

I bite my nails badly

***

I do not drive

***

I fell down a Monsoon drain when I was two

and bit through my lip

***

I ran off to work on a Kibbutz

to escape chronic shyness !

***

I love watching the Australian soap

Neighbours !

***

I can not eat liver or kidney

***

I hate arrogance

***

inchie alphabet

K is for Knot garden.

I simply love formal herb gardens

especially if located in a walled garden

perhaps a Monastery or stately home.

Beautiful geometric designs

planted out with herbs & spices.

I've used Rosemary in my inchie -

the only herb I could find in my garden earlier !

To see more alphabet inchies visit:


http://inchybyinch.blogspot.com/

inchie alphabet

J is for jigsaw...

I didn't know what to do for J...

then I spotted it

in the road-

this tiny jigsaw piece.

I love the colour on the reverse side

it reminds me of lichen.

I have photographed the piece

on some silk I painted.

To get the rough effect,

you put salt on the wet dye

then shake it of when dry.

Use course sea salt for really good markings.

I've added some lichen

lovely lovely texture & colours.


***

I absolutely love

the colour of these Lily stamens

I love lilies !

These little pods are beautiful.

I usually remove them

as they stain clothing if brushed against...

they are also poisonous to cats !

...but I do love their colour...

especially when they start to look rusty.

I'm always picking up bits of rusty metal from the beach-

look at those lovely colours !

I'm going to let these sit for a while &

wait to see the marks the rusty flakes make

as they fall off...

but will keep them safely away from the cats!

***

For the alphabet inchie challenge visit :

http://inchybyinch.blogspot.com/

***

fabric journal

I have finally made a start on my
fabric journal...
I'm calling it
The Calico Garden.
I haven't done the cover yet,
but this will be a page

Watch this space ...
I've used these leaves for another project....


The sweet little label was attatched to a pair of keys-
it said spare suitcase keys
& it was in the little cash box I bought at the reclamation yard..
the keys don't fit the lock of course !
my label is now for the missing garden shed key !

***

more pages comng soon ...

March dress

My March dress is made up from a page of poetry

featuring

William Wordsworth's

Daffodils

and an illustration from an old Botanical book.

The trimming round the neck line is swan down
and on the waistband a vintage button in a delicate green
trimmed with the softest little feathers I've ever found.

The waistband is ribbon from a bunch of flowers.













with a little lace at the hem to finish it all off.



To see other dresses or join the challenge

visit Margaret here:


http://aliceandcamilla.blogspot.com/

inchie alphabet

F for feather - of course

one of Ruby's my Rhode Island Hen.

Rusty treasure from the beach

lettering from Vintage postcard

coffee dyed calico

and the most stunning leaf from my red robin shrub

the red brown & rust look fantastic together

G is for Garden...

been out in mine and collected a leaf from a potted palm

my favourite favourite colour

a delicate skeletal dried hydrangea petal

and some tiny buds from a flowering shrub
The fabric is a pretty floral scrap I picked up at the haberdashers.

Background favourite colour again

( the inside of a Hollister bag )

dried gypsopholer I picked when working on a farm in Israel

twenty two years ago...

I pressed it in one of my favourite books

the delightful

In and out of the Garden

by Sara Midda

Ok Ok

I'm doing this back to front !

H is for Hair...

mine to be exact !

kept from my pony tail

cut off aged 11.

I had very golden blonde hair

& my secondary school blazer was bottle green.

I went off wearing green for years

but now

I wear it all the time !

The silk I painted at a craft centre I go to

every year with a bunch of mums

from our village.

The h is from my name labels sewn into school uniform !

and the background

I blew some green ink onto sketch book paper through a straw !

Earlier on I did

I

oh these are teeny !

I joined another challenge here :

http://inchybyinch.blogspot.com/

to create a piece of art in an area of one inch square

We are going through the alphabet and I have joined on letter I

My insect is on watercolour paper stained with inks

the image from a little book of insects

***

Delicate Hellebore from my garden

ink stained watercolour paper

wild flower book from second hand book shop

and old footpaths map from reclamation shop...

I grew up in this area !

messing around with bits & bobs