Postcard Challenge

In my last post I said I would show you what I'd been up to with my 20 minutes a day

and my free day.

Following on from making artist trading cards

I took up Leah's challenge of making a postcard a month.

Leah was also in the ATC swap that I took part in.

For January she challenged us to make a postcard

using a bird and yellow.

So this is what I came up with.

The bird is quite small

and attached to the background using free machining.

The background is machine embroidered.

Because the leaves are so small,

I attached them by hand.

I'm a bit late with January's postcard.

I think I was too busy with my hexagon quilt to get my machine out.

The theme for February was

'things we love'.

I was going to do something to do with chocolate

but decided against it.

Instead I chose

flowers,

bright colours, though I've only used red,

butterflies,

stripes,

stitching,

stars and hearts.

I suppose you could say the butterfly and red spotted fabric are vintage.

I've had them that long.

That must make me vintage as well!

I had fun making them.

Although the photos don't show it

I have finished off the edges of the postcards

but then left a border.

I thought I would frame them and use them for pictures for our walls.

After all we didn't bring any of our art work with us when we left Sweden.

It's still in storage there.

I really enjoy making something like this.

It does take me a while to think up the design,

and it doesn't help that I have a limited choice of fabrics here.

My main stash is also in Sweden.

The postcard size is only four by six inches,

so they make quite small pictures.

The postcard with the bird is nice close up with the detail,

but the bird is too small to be seen across a room.

The second postcard would have benefitted from being quilted.

It would have added more 'substance' to the overall look of it.

It's nearly March

and the theme is 'words to live by'.

I've already got my ideas for the next postcard in my head.

I'll show you how I get on with it

when I've made it!

In the meantime,

pop on over to Leah's to see who else has joined the challenge,

and how they have interpreted the themes.

ATC's Galore

This is what I have been busy with today for my 20 minutes of creating.
Though it took considerably longer than 20 minutes and it was already half completed.
It is an ATC (artist trading card) that I had started when I was making some for a swap.
I liked this design so much that I decided to keep one back for myself and this is it.
It is made out of felt which I made myself at a workshop in Cumbria.
The inspiration for the embroidery was the idea of an English Garden in a Swedish Forest, as that is where we were living at the time.
It is embroidered with ordinary sewing threads.
I found threads specifically used for embroidery too thick,
and living in a Swedish forest,
I didn't just pop out to buy some new ones.
The cards only measure three and a half inches by two and a half inches.

As I've mentioned in an earlier post,

I have been involved in a year long international swap.

Which has now finished.

It's the first swap I have taken part in.

Members were required to make an ATC

for anyone in the group that had a birthday in the month.

So for instance if there were 3 members that had a birthday in April,

when April came around,

I sent one ATC off to each of those members (3 in all).

I thought it was a nice way to celebrate a birthday

and I looked forward to celebrating mine when it came around.

I had to wait a whole year before receiving any ATC's myself.

A birthday card usually accompanied an ATC,

and some people even sent a little extra,

a keepsake or some fabric.

I made some hearts that I sent with mine.

So as I have been working on an ATC today,

I thought it a good idea to post photos of the ones I received recently in the swap.

The blue one above is from Aine in Ireland.

It is also felt but thicker than mine and lovely and soft.

The one above is called Blue Moon and it's by Shelina in Ohio.

This beaded Paisley design is from Di in the UK.

The next one is by Wendy in the USA. It is made of card and paper.

The next one is from Mary in The Netherlands and is made from self-made fabric.

The Flying Geese in the next one was sent by Joyce from the UK and I've shown it before as it arrived early. I was so excited to receive one at last I had to post it!

The next one incorporates shiny fabrics and threads on a dark background which is then covered by a fine net. It is from Julie in California.

The next one is from Carol who works in mixed media and has kindly listed the media used which are; Lutradur, molding paste, paint and foiled pelmet vilene. You can visit her blog here. It's definitly worth a visit if you are interested in mixed media.

The next one is from Sheila in Scotland using machine stitching to create the pattern. The twirly stitching is a lovely green colour which doesn't show up very well on my photo. Sheila's birthday was all the way back in January. In fact it's her birthday tomorrow the same day as my grandson. So Happy Birthday Sheila! I know she visits here from time to time.

The next one is from Norma in the UK.

Two butterfly cards together and both using machine stitching!

This next one is from Kate herself who organised the swop.
So well done to Kate for organising it, it has been most enjoyable.

I thought it a great idea.

Another butterfly!

People in the group must have known I like them.

This one is from Pauline all the way from Australia.

This next one uses both fabric and paper. I think the backing is paper with a little quilt mounted onto it, and then part of a used envelope on top of that, they are two postage stamps that you can see. Clever don't you think?

It is from Leah, and I will be mentioning Leah in a forthcoming post.

The next one is from Morning Dove in USA.

It is richly textured pieced fabric.

This next one is also from Pauline wishing me a Happy Christmas which I thought was nice.

The next one is from a different Norma and is made from mainly paper and card with a little bit of fabric.

The pretty pink one is from Marga and is called Korean Flowers.

Marga is from the USA.

Her blog is worth visiting too.

And the last one here is from Wil in The Netherlands who can also be found here.

So many beautiful cards.

I have deliberately not said too much about them,

letting the cards speak for themselves.

I love that they are all so different.

There has been some discussion in the group about how to display them.

It would be dreadful not to.

I think I will get some frames and hang mine up.

A visit to IKEA is required I think.

Being a part of the group has challenged me to think of new ideas

and to try and come up with something original.

Difficult when initially thinking up a new design,

but enjoyable in the working of it.

And once started,

it generates new ideas.

Which is what is so good about doing a bit of creating everyday.

I hope you have enjoyed a little creating today,

whatever your medium.

A-Z Monday, Letter I

I is for Internet.

Now how difficult was that especially considering I spent most of today INDOORS using it?

I think I was waiting for INSPIRATION.

Yes the internet is a wonderful place.

Today I have been using the internet to try and understand German grammar.

In preparation for my class tonight.

Over the weekend I used the internet to learn about art journalling.

It is also keeping me in touch with Mike while he is in the UK.

It makes it easier for me to add to his shopping list!

I think I first started blogging when I was in Sweden with none of my patchwork and quilting books and magazines.

I needed some inspiration to get started with some project or other,

rather than finishing off something I had started!

I must have googled 'patchwork and quilting'and that was my introduction into the world of blogging.

I suspect I didn't even get my project started.

Last week I received my first ATC from Joyce who doesn't appear to have a blog.

Throughout the year I have been making ATC's to send out to people taking part in a swap.

Everyone in the swap sends out an ATC to anyone whose birthday falls in the month that we are in.

All mine are sent out now, phew!

But I received my first one!

It's my birthday next month.

So Joyce is early, unlike me!

I also received a lovely little bag in September from Christine who like me is part of a bigger blog.

The Great Hexagon Quilt Along invited members to make hexagons and then all participants were put into a draw and one lucky winner won all the hexagons to sew them up however they chose.

Christine was the first winner of this 'Pot Luck' and entered the names of everyone who sent her some hexagons into a draw. And I was one of the winners.

My first blog win!

And even better, it was the first post to arrive for me at our house in Germany!!

Yes I love the internet.

I love the way that it connects people together

and keeps people in touch.

The first photo?
The weather today.

Keeping Busy

Mike has been away these past 2 weeks or more.

So I have kept myself busy.

He's also got the camera with him so it's not possible to show any photos of what I've been up to while he's been away.

But I take so many photos anyway that I've usually got photos to hand for most eventuality.

So what have I been up to?

Well these chaps and chapess keep me on my toes.

Though you would never think it to see them in these pictures here!

Paddy has an internal clock that tells him,

(so therefore me),

when it is time for him to eat,

and when it is time to go for a walk.

He is very insistent,

if I don't respond straight away.

And once Paddy is up

then Rufus gets up

and together they vie for my attention.

Like jealous little children

If it was just Jewel and I on our own we could just cuddle up together.

She is very quiet in the house.

As can be seen from the above photos

they are typical greyhounds.

They like to spend a lot of time sleeping.

They are known as 45 mile an hour couch potatoes.

So when they are sleeping,

and all is quiet,

apart from a snore,

or two,

I have been sewing.

I have joined the Great Hexagon Quilt Along,

(I really must find out how to put logos on my side bar),

which is an attempt to complete my hexagon quilt.

Perhaps this year sometime!

Man vet aldrig.

What a useful Swedish saying that is,

(you never know).

I have also been doing some other sewing similiar to the ATC's,

(artist trading cards),

shown here.

I said in a previous post (Catching Up), that I would show these.

Today has been lovely and sunny,

a bit like the UK I believe,

so I thought I would add a suitable photo.

Blue skies!

Please forgive me for not adding links.

My computer just doesn't want to play ball.

Or is it just Blogger that won't let me?

Is anyone else having similiar trouble?

Another problem is the spacing just doesn't stay as I type it.

It re-configures when it gets posted!

Most frustrating.