Festive Holly: a Challenge

My Blogging Business Artisans team sets forth a new Challenge every month.  The purpose is to encourage us to explore our creativity, to stretch our imaginations.  Perhaps we are re-working something we've done in the past or still do.  Perhaps we're making something entirely new.
 
LeAnn of Pasque Flower Creations gave us this Challenge for the month of October: 

"This month, I challenge you to create a holiday-themed item. It could be a new listing for your etsy shop, a holiday decoration for your home, a costume or special accessory for a holiday gathering, or a gift you intend to give to a friend or loved one."

 

source (more information in LINKS below)

Holly is so festive and pretty!  Its colors of dark glossy green and scarlet brighten gray, dreary days.  Many varieties of holly are evergreen, with waxy green leaves sporting sharp edges.  The origin of the word "holly" is probably a word meaning "prickly."  (from Germanic Hulin to Old English Holegn, and more)

Hollies are dioecious, with male and female reproductive structures found on separate plants.  Only females produce the bright red berries, although both types of plants produce white flowers in the Spring.
The berries are poisonous to humans, but the leaves are used by some as remedies for maladies such as dizziness.

For my Challenge piece, I decided to paint silk with emerald green holly leaves and firey red berries.  The silk was painted by hand with dye.  When dyeing and painting fabric there are several different methods I employ.  Painting on silk is tricky and one must be careful to keep the dye within bounds.  After painting, the dye must be cured.  The silk is then washed and dried.  This silk is now a scrunchie and will be found in my shop soon.

LINKS:
BBA's list of monthly Challenges
Linky Party for the October Challenge (See what others' have done!)    
Karen's Whimsy --5 free holly images from her collection of antique postcards
etymology of holly of "holly"

last 2 photos by me © 2013  all rights reserved

Flowers: a Challenge

The Blogging Business Artisans team Challenge for the month of May was created by Sharla of Beaded Tail.

April showers brought May flowers so let's see them! Create something with flowers and let your imagination bloom!

Ahhhh....the loveliness of Spring!  Flowers are blooming profusely at present.  I've enjoyed taking spins around my yard photographing them, especially looking at color combinations.  Some are very subtle like this one of soapwort, a tiny 5-petaled flower, displaying

tones of pink with anthers of lavender.  delicate and feminine.

There are bright and wonderful shades of yellow and gold in this coreopsis.

I love the delicate lavenders of this allium against the bright green foliage.

What a gorgeous pansy of blues, lavender, and golds!



I was inspired by the pink and yellow combination of

the Missouri Primrose and 

the pink Knockout Rose blossoms.


I thought it would be fun to dye a silk scrunchie in these colors.  

First I dyed the scrunchie a very pale yellow.  

After processing, I then painted pink flowers with deep yellow centers.  Little dots of light pink, dark pink, and deep yellow were then added.

order.  check in.  wash.  dry.  soak in solution.  dye.  steam.  wash.  dry.  soak in solution.  paint with dye.  steam.  wash.  dry.  sew.
photo.  list.
now in my SHOP!


My Blogging Business Artisans team sets forth a new Challenge every month.  The purpose is to encourage us to explore our creativity, to stretch our imaginations.  Perhaps we are re-working something we've done in the past or still do.  Perhaps we're making something entirely new.  It's always fun to see how others interpret the Challenge!


LINKS:
BBA's list of monthly Challenges 
Linky Party for the May Challenge 
May's Challenge

photos by me © 2013  all rights reserved

Under the Sea

I love the sea!  On the beach, in the water, or under the sea--it's all lovely to me! 

Sint Maarten, NA 

I love the colors of the Caribbean Sea--changing from light aqua to a deep rich midnight blue.  Snorkeling is one of my favorite activities.  Green sea grass undulates in the waves.  And beyond--the coral reefs teaming with colorful fish!

That's precisely what I was thinking when I dyed this scarf for our Blogging Business Artisan Challenge for the month of June. 

I decided to dye silk for this Challenge.  First up--a silk scarf.

  a plain white silk scarf blank

I washed the scarf and soaked it in a solution and then applied the dyes.

I employ a number of different techniques and methods whenever I dye scarves.  I may have a general plan, but I really just follow my intuition as I work.  Above is a detail during the dyeing process.  I painted the colors of the rippling water, added some sea grass, and then later added colorful fishes.  The style is impressionistic overall.

detail

I dyed a couple scrunchies as well.

The scunchie above is silk velvet and reminds me of turquoise waters with currents of darker blue.

This scrunchie is pure silk and is similar to to one above, but with a bit more blue variation and detail.

This was a very fun team Challenge and teammates have come up with wonderful projects.  See more HERE.   This Challenge was conceived of by Erika of Little Andalucia and Artful Rising,

"June begins the anticipation of warmer weather, vacations, and playing on the beach. Create with the theme Under the Sea." 

These items will soon be in my etsy shop.

photos by me © 2007 and 2012    all rights reserved