On topic, by a technicality

This week's theme at Inching Artists is Lace. Mine don't look very lacy, do they? But they have a secret.



These are made from the Lutradur and Lace technique in the first issue of Fibre and Stitch Magazine, and I think I may have buried the lace a little deeply. It is there - scraps of broderie anglaise layered with gauze and painted with acrylic paint and iridescent inks. I was going to burn the layers back with the heat gun, but on sample pieces, the gauze proved extremely heat resistent. I embellished the squares with some varigated thread and a bright bead.

I've also signed up for Joanne's Inchie swap that she runs each month, and this month the theme is Children


I've never gone in an inchie swap before - I'm really looking forward to it.

Carving out some art

Last month at Green Pepper Press Street Team, Michelle Ward challenged readers to carve stamps. Though I didn't get mine done in time for the deadline, the post for Challenge 18 is a great resource for anyone wanting to get into stamp carving. It made me get out the cutting tools and a sheet of rubber and get to work.



I carved a lot of birds - my NaNo project last year was built up around bird mythology. One day, far off in the future, I'm going to have the time and motivation to stamp my own tarot deck, so in preparation for that wondrous time, I carved out words and symbols for the four suits, and the corresponding astrological symbols. (Can you sense the procrastination in this great project?)

I stamped one of my birds in acrylic paint on a page torn from The Coral Island, and I really like the rough, textural look of the image.



And on one of my favourite stamping lists, Stamphappy, there was a thread about blogs, which gave me a chance to track down a few of my list-mates in the blogosphere. Hi people, if you're dropping by, after I've left manic messages on your blogs.

And lastly, I have beautiful mail, from Debbi Baker. A beautiful green ATC, made to celebrate St Patrick's day, from tissue paper or beautiful serviettes, I think. The photo doesn't do it justice - it really glows.



And because Debbi is an awesome chick, she wrapped the ATC in that gorgeous, filmy lavender ribbon. Thanks Deb!