The House of Cards

 

The highlight of the April meeting was an amazing presentation of techniques and materials for making greeting cards. Geri brought a huge stack of decorative papers, several die-cut machines and many dies, as well as luscious ribbons and trims. She is truly the "Queen of Cards" and each one that she makes is wonderful artwork of professional quality. 

Dear Geri, you contribute so much to us at our meetings. You generously share your great knowledge, your beautiful craft materials, and also delicious food. You are an angel!  Thank you!

Calendar

May 10th Phoebe meeting will be at Marcella's. 

The drop-in social and lunch is from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M.  Please bring your own lunch or maybe something to share. The business meeting will start at 1:30 P.M.

The Challenge for May is to bring something that you treasure and which has an interesting, related story. 

Don't forget the deadline for the newsletter is April 25. The theme is "something that flies."

Also, please bring your wonderful cards that you made in April. We are so anxious to see them!

Show and Tell

Betts handed out packets of materials for her April challenge. Phoebes were asked to use them, or other items we might have in our sewing stashes, to create a sample of "Slow Stitching." Slow Stitching is similar to Japanese Sashiko--stitching that was used for embroidery, mending, reinforcing, or decorating clothing or other textiles. Betts said we could use paper, other types of embellishments, and glue if we preferred.  

Suzanne R brought this cute cat she decorated on a blue fabric, using Sashiko. 

She has also been experimenting with a new art medium she discovered, one that uses pounded flowers to transfer their vibrant colors onto fabrics and paper. There are several YouTube videos that demonstrate the technique. 

This technique creates very interesting abstract shapes. 

Barbara has long been working on numerous fabric collages by using a mixture of slow stitching and glue. She took a class in France some time ago and has been completing many wonderful items like the one above. 

They incorporate some of her many bits and pieces of antique trims she finds on her visits to France.

Recently Barbara visited Wendy Addison's amazing shop in Port Costa, which is filled to the brim with Wendy's creations and collection of fabulous art, like this paper mâché shoe, as well as unique embellishments. The shoe is now a part of Barbara's collections.

Bonnie created three more of her famous dolls and this time she incorporated slow stitching.

This one was made with lot of tiny slow stitches.

Her signature flower embellishments incorporate petals of paper or fabric scraps with button centers. Always colorful and joyful!

Donna brought a jacket she had purchased from Cost Plus some time ago. The original decorative stitching was not tied off at the ends and started to pull out and fray. She decided to pull it all out and restitch it, which turned into a very long slow stitching project.

For show and tell Caroline brought samples of the numerous little bowl cozies and tiny egg baskets she made for the Easter celebration at her church.

Daisy is still working hard to create more burrowing owls for the Girl Scouts big annual event that will take place on Mother's Day. Aren't they great!

Two more finished, and still more to make.

Daisy also created this little leather bag and slow stitched it together. Then she made the little beads using shrink-a-dinks and hung them on the bottom. 

Elaine created this wonderful example using many tiny stitches. Another sample of the great artistic imaginations of Phoebes!

She is also working on a booklet with pages she is decorating with some embellishments and a lot of drawing and sketching. Great job!

Marcella completed three wonderful slow stitched items.  

She did such a great job on each of them!

Fabulous, Marcella!

This a sample of one of Geri's die-cut cards. So many dies to choose from and so many unique styles of cards.

I am thinking this is a book Geri is working on, but if I am wrong, let me know. Love the French theme! 

Geri has several books she is working on. One is an unfinished booklet about events and stories of her life. She also collects vintage photos and is filling the pages of another book.  

Sally's colorful slow stitch project features one of her 

hand-painted birds. So cute!

 

She also created a great dress using the same technique.

Bonnie has been working on this great book which features many types of embellishments.

It is so colorful, and amazing!

Terrific!

Sue's slow stitch piece reflects the colors of the ocean water of Hawaii, her one-time home, and includes seashells from the beach.

CONGRATULATIONS PHOEBES!

Your creations are fabulous!

By the way, can you believe we have been posting blogs on Blogspot for about 16 years? Kelly started it and made the first few posts. I have been doing it for the remainder of the time, after she moved away. It can be challenging, but it is my pleasure!  Donna

What Do Phoebes Feel Lucky For?

 

With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, we gathered together for the March meeting and mainly considered how lucky we are to be Phoebes. Over the years we have shared laughs and tears and were always there to support each other. We are lucky to be surrounded by creative people who believe in goodness and kindness as a way of life and who are always there for inspiration and sharing new artistic ideas. In fact, Sue shared the above photo of the Leprechaun doll she created! Fabulous!

Calendar

April 12th meeting. We will be meeting at Marcella's. Drop-in social get-together will start at 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. Business meeting will start at 1:30 P.M. Bring a lunch. Also bring some crinkle materials for Geri's enrichment. More information will be forthcoming. And don't forget to make the "slow stitched" fabric and paper card in the kit Betts handed out at the meeting. 

Show and Tell

 Our March meeting was basically comprised of a short meeting, a lunch break, show and tell, and a wonderful session with Betts, who discussed her favorite craft tools and materials, as well as her favorite techniques. Thank you, Betts, for sharing your knowledge and samples of your work. And a special thanks for your Challenge questionnaires regarding our favorite things. We are looking forward to viewing the book you will be putting together, and which will help us learn even more about our Phoebe sisters!

Suzanne R brought samples of the doll clothes and accessories that the ladies who meet at The Cotton Patch in Lafayette have been making and also receiving from other ladies around the world. Their sewing is impeccable, and each outfit is a work of art. They will be dispersed to girls in hospitals. Suzanne has been focused on making the color coordinated beaded bracelets that are shown in the plastic bin. She has made many hundreds of them over the past few years. 

Daisy has been busy making owls for the upcoming yearly Girl Scout Jamboree.  

She did a fantastic job on these two and still has more to make.

Barbara has been using red cabbage to dye her silk ribbon, laces and fabrics. She calls it a "phantom dye" and loves the pale pink tint, as well as the lovely blue green one that appears on other fabrics. 

This example is beautiful! As is the one below!

Bonnie brought a "blast of the past" that she made for an old Phoebe challenge to dress a wooden doll.

 Sue displayed the "cute people" get-well card Marcella made and sent to her. 

I think it was Bonnie who shared these lovely book pages featuring punched shapes and forms.

And she used paints to stamp designs. What a great idea to use puzzle pieces. 

Betts showed us a dress in a box, made from 2 napkins and a Goat Hill pattern.  

And these next three are also mixed medium paper and fabric embellishments.

 

Combinations of gluing and sewing.  

Geri displayed samples of some of her favorite die cut designs that she uses on book pages and greeting cards. 

 Some are shapes and some are edgings. All are exquisite!

Sally completed this accordion style fold out book with a Collage Soup graphic on the cover and tags with her original art on the inside pages. 

She loves to often make her own very detailed graphics. 

They are priceless, and perfect for a greeting card or book pages like the ones below, which are displayed in a brown paper bag book. 

Suzanne R created this beautiful card on 3D paper and added tinted pastel dragon flies on the front and on the raised greeting on the inside. She sent it to Sue on her birthday. So lovely!

Colleen has been busy seriously painting abstract shapes and forms on large pieces of paper with several layers of paint and clear coats. Wonderful! Can't wait to see more!

Caroline made her own pattern for this velveteen peacock, and she did a wonderful job!