TAST - Couching

Here's my TAST sample for Couching, last week's Take a Stitch Tuesday stitch. It doesn't look particularly attractive and the colours aren't very exciting but it was a useful exercise. The top row is some knitting braid couched with stab stitch, French knots and fly stitch. The second row is a bit of string couched with herringbone. The third row is my favourite: knitting wool couched with a zigzag chain stitch, then the last two rows are conventional couching over pearl cotton and fancy knitting wool.

More stuff from Away with the Fairies

Here are some more projects from my Away with the Fairies weekend which seems ages ago now. These were done in a session with Michele Charles. The photo at the top is an ATC folder which started life as plain white and was transformed into this with stazon inks, stamps and a stencil. The other two pieces are glass slides which were again coloured with stazon and then stamped. The one on the right wasn't too successful as the background scrim image is too heavy to allow the flower to show properly. Ah well, I'll know for next time and I loved the technique. Previously I had only used stazon ink to stamp focal images and hadn't tried it to colour backgrounds - so now I need to buy some more colours!

The top image here is a little tag book we made with Leandra Franich using PaperArtsy stamps (which I love) and the new Ranger paint daubers. Every page uses red, blue and green and it's got a lovely bright, fresh look. The other is an ATC holder with an ATC slotted in and this was another project done with Claire Hampton. Particularly interesting on this ATC is the background which was made by sticking bits of masking tape on and rubbing inks in and the look and feel is similar to an old leather bound book.

So that's most of what I made on my weekend - the other bits and pieces aren't quite completed yet! One day when I finally finish my sketchbook for my course.

TAST - Up & Down Buttonhole

Here's my sample for this week's TAST, Up and Down Buttonhole stitch. Both last week's stitch and this one were new to me so they were interesting to have a go at and see what emerged. Again, I had fun making geometric patterns. For the first time in this challenge I am actually up to date but I don't suppose it will last!

TAST - Barred Chain Stitch

This is my Barred Chain stitch sample for TAST. I did it last night watching James Bond in Casino Royale. Although I liked the new Bond the films still aren't my thing. All the action scenes they spent millions filming I stitch through because nothing interesting is happening!

Artgirlz card

I still haven't posted pics of the other projects I did at the Card Fairy weekend in Oxford but here's a picture of a card I made for a friend's birthday using Artgirlz charms and stamps. Queens rule indeed!

TAST Cross Stitch

Here's my TAST cross stitch sample. I finally switched fabric to felt but apart from it definitely being wonky it doesn't look much different from my earlier samples! I've done loads of cross stitch in the past in the form of kits etc, so liked just messing about with this and not counting or making much attempt to get the stitches straight.

TAST Fly stitch

Here's my fly stitch sample for TAST.
I enjoyed building up geometric patterns with this which is why I did the bigger section - I just wanted to keep going!
I should dig out some different fabric for the next one though as my samples are all starting to look a bit the same.
I've also managed to complete a few pages today for my fan sketchbook for my Creative Sketchbooks course. It's finally starting to come together though there's a way to go yet.