Swaps

The postman's been busy chez nous this week. I've been involved in a swap on the Yahoo group Fiber Art Traders and between yesterday and today I have received my 3 bookmarks from my swap partners. I have to say I am amazed at hopw quickly the post is working at the moment. Maybe they're practising for Sssssh! You Know What in December!

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This first bookmark is by the lovely Leilani Pierson who has been published in Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine. She also sent me some pink yarn. Hmmm! I wonder who likes pink? I can think of one little pwincessy wagon!
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This gorgeous Happy Harvest Indian bookmark is from Norma who lives in Green Valley Arizona. Doesn't that sound a beautiful place? Norma has sent me some very seasonal 5" squares too. Thank you Norma.

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Last but not least is this pretty autumnal bookmark from the lovely Lori.

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All of my art books are going to have very useful bookmarks now so I won't have to worry about losing my place!

Beautiful Bookmark

I have just completed a swap with Robin from the Yahoo group UK Embellisher Swap and today Robin's very pretty and unusual bookmark arrived together with a friend!
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As you can see the bookmark is a plaited cord with 2 needle felted flowers with bells at one end and a needle felted plaque edged with dyed muslin and another felted flower at the other. You may be wondering why there is a pig and what looks like a straw with the bookmark?

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Don't let your imagination run too wild! lol

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Ta Dah!

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The straw was needed to inflate the piggy who looks much happier now! The bookmark looks lovely in my current bedtime reading. I have bought the series of books by Alexander McCall Smith which were serialised on telly as the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I didn't see the series but I am thoroughly enjoying the books which are written in a wonderful lyrical style.

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Thank you Robin for your very lovely bookmark. I will enjoy using it and I love the colours. Your parcel cheered me up today when I came home to it after a visit to the doctor's. I have been in pain all week and he thinks it may be my gall bladder! Wonderful! I have to go to the hospital for a scan. Grrrrrr!

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Oops! nearly forgot to show you the bookmark I made for Robin.

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It looks very plain next to Robin's!

Bookmarks

I've been a member of the Yahoo Group Fiber Art Traders for about a year but haven't joined in any of their swaps for a while. I thought it was about time I did join in so I've jumped into a fairly easy one - autumn themed bookmarks. As I haven't been using my embellisher much either I thought this was an ideal time to get it out so here is the result.

I have kept the bookmarks simple and let the colours speak. The centre bookmark shows the reverse side which is a lutradur prepared by following Maggie Grey's "Textile Translations" book. It should have been vilene but I selected lutradur by mistake. Hand made papers, gesso and salt have been applied before being painted with dilute acrylics.

Maggie Grey technique

Not very exciting to look at, this is the lutradur with the papers, gesso and salt applied.

The photo shows up more of the gesso than is actually visible in reality but I am quite pleased with this result. I think next time I will use stronger colours but this does look lovely as the backing to the bookmarks.