Scrappy Churn Dash Quilt - Lori Holt Fabrics and Accuquilt Go

👉  My soul is fed with needle and thread.

Hi everyone,

They say life is just of bowl of cherries...and that's especially true with  these sweet Lori Holt Sew Cherry fabrics that I stitched up into a happy, scrappy, traditional quilt.  Riley Blake fabrics are always my first pick for bright, colorful vintage style quilts.  The colors make me so happy and the prints remind me of my grandma's house dresses.  (Remember those?)

I call myself a "quilter wannabe" because I still have so much to learn about the finer techniques of quilting. I am self taught, and happily I find piecing fabrics  pretty forgiving if the block isn't too complicated   And I'd be hard pressed to find a friend or family member who doesn't love cuddling under a  warm, comfy handmade quilt, even if some of the stitches are a little random.

I made plenty of mistakes on this quilt and at first I was a little bit sad that I used my favorite fabrics with such an imperfect result. But then I realized that I have learned so much about what not to do and what I really should always do,  that I think this quilt will forever be one of my favorites.

Here are some of the things I learned:

1. The final machine quilting process is HARD with a larger size quilt.  I see why people quilt with their credit cards.  More time for the actual fun part. Maybe next time.
2. The fun part is piecing!  
3. The Binding Tool is easy once you get the hang of it.  
4. Lots of white in a quilt makes the colors pop.
5. Scrappy is my fave.
6. Striped binding is my other fave.
7. The Accuquilt Go Churn Dash BOB die makes cutting so much faster and piecing infinitely easier. (Scroll down and check out the video on this link.) 
8. Learning by doing is the best way to learn.  Just wade in and get wet. 

Can't wait to use what I've learned on my next quilt...and make some more useful mistakes.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy

Life is Art - Paula Best Copic Lady

👉 I don't want life to imitate art...I want life to be art.  Carrie Fisher

Paula Best is one of my all time favorite collage artists.  She "zentangled" before doodle art was a thing.  At Stamp Conventions in the late 90's and early 2000's,  I was obsessed with collecting her unique stamps.  I was absolutely thrilled when I actually got to visit with her a couple of times and considered myself a devoted "groupie."  At the time, I didn't know her stamps would become  rare collector items, with some of the larger more detailed ones selling on Ebay and Etsy for almost $50.00 each.  After a quick Google, I was happy to discover she still has her Website, Pink Blackbird, and is continuing to make the world a more colorful place  with her amazing art,  but sadly no stamps anymore...sniff.

This gorgeous stamped lady is probably twenty years old and I have colored her many times in many ways.  Copics love her  because...well, look at all the gorgeous design elements.   I agree completely with the Carrie Fisher quote on her beautiful hat brim...I want life to be art and I believe it is.

I colored my stylish lady on Xpressit copic blending  paper and then fussy cut the image.  I created a lovely halo for her by mounting her with pop dots over a die cut wreath embellished with small paper flowers and a layered vellum die cut butterfly.  The white card front panel is edged with a gold leafing pen and mounted on a purple glitter card stock panel.   This is layered on a top folding 5 x 7 card base.

I love when old treasures keep there vibrancy and charm through the years.  I knew Paula's amazing art would stand the test of time. 

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy

Playing along with:

        Aurora Wings Challenge #69 - Anything Goes

        Crafty Calendar Challenge - Totally Girly

        Lemon Shortbread Challenge 72 - Anything Goes

        Try Stamping on Tuesday Challenge

        Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #122 - Summer Lovin'

        International Art and Soul Challenge #37 - Summer Fun

        Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #86

        Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #114 - C is for Colouring

Home Sweet Home - Richele Christensen Collage Kit

👉 “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try.”– Dr. Seuss

My dear friend and incredible designer, Richele Christensen, has just opened  an Etsy Store and I was privileged to be one of the first to purchase one of her fabulous collage kits. (My finished project is the one on the left, her sample is top right.)  She is a very popular designer and all her items sold out almost immediately.  Richele has been a Tim Holtz designer for many years and is now designing for Sizzix.  She travels the globe teaching classes and making "artists" out of her adoring fans. Years ago, she was my favorite instructor at the Stamp Art Shoppe with  her talented eye for design, always making projects simple and fun.  We  felt like proper artists when we left with our new skills and beautiful handmade card creations. 

I am far from being a collage artist and my creation is a lot "stiffer" than Richele's sample but I'm proud of myself for attempting something out of my comfort zone.  My brain likes balance, order and preciseness, even when I'm trying to be free and flowing.  So a kit with detailed instructions and materials is the perfect way for me to safely wander out of my box. The design was cute and simple, ala Richele, and a pefect addition to my sewing room wall.  All I had to do was follow the instructions, cut out the pieces from a pattern, do a little fun sewing and painting,  and glue the pieces in place on the wooden vignette tray included in the kit.  I used my own fabric scraps to  match the quilts on my wall perfectly.

If you love collage art or just want to try something new and you want to create your own little masterpiece designed by an artist extraordinaire, hop on over to Richele's Etsy Store and purchase one of her wonderful kits.  

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and create something fabulous.

Nancy

Playing along with:

        Creative Artiste - Mixed Media Challenge #40

        Unicorn Challenge #34 - Stitching

        Mix it Up Challenge # 15 - Mixed Media