Design for gold work piece module 2

After publishing a design and getting comments from Sian, it was back to the drawing board for a piece with metallic threads.
I wanted to carry on with the idea of a repository for the necklace, Sian suggested looking at ways of display rather than a bag structure.
I experimented as in image below left, with a presentation tray made from water soluble stitch with superimposed metallic thread embroidered images-I have sewn taniwha shapes on the bottom. The colours are not those I would necessarily use- I was experimenting with some scraps, and was aiming for a mussel shell shape- it would be cut out or sewn to the mussel shape. The necklace is at the front.

I then explored a woven structure to resemble a cray pot as on R above, with  ball of green thread inside. The pot would be made of silk paper woven strips ornamented with metallic thread- and mostly machine stitching. I rather liked this idea but would need to stiffen the paper or use pelmet vilene  to make it stiff enough.

 I then looked for other shapes associated with my estuary theme. I had been down at the estuary drawing boathouses, boats, the mooring buoys and  fishing floats and I thought  a fishing float shape ie spherical, opening out to a flat surface would fit with my wanting a "safe place" and to display the necklace. The paper version is in image below on the left, the actual piece needs to be about 2cm larger diameter. I then made a smaller silk paper version, with metallic thread zig zag machine stitches on, and did a couple of motifs- they are seahorses, in metal  and sewed some chiffon to the silk paper shape. This complemented the necklace and I liked the idea.

I have made some  silk paper in blue/ white which I shall stitch, I shall use blue chiffon as the inner fabric and will decorate the inner side over the silk paper with stamping and or stitching - as used on the back of the necklace shapes. This will mask the back of hand stitching /couching on the front. The "float" will be gathered with machine cord and loosely tied. The stitching will include cable stitch with metallic thread around the silk paper shapes, a motif on each segment,  maybe all seahorses sewn with couching, pieces of metal, beads etc, I need to experiment some more on the exact layout of stitching.
 below is the silk paper before stitch/ decoration

Now back to module 3.

Sketch book challenge Day 30

Final post of sketch book challenge. I am very happy I started the challenge and have completed it. When I see my work posted I can see the good and the not so good. I have enjoyed seeing other students work- distant stitchers are a talented lot- and I think "Oh is that how you do it- I must try that", so thank you.

Day 30 was drawing stitching and painting. It has not been outdoor weather here - snow - not settling where I live so I could get to work, so no daylight, and back to the red watering can.

Drawing + stitching- I used 2 different thicknesses of perle, thicker thread to emphasise watering can

 Then watercolour paint and image from wet print. On the wet image - the double outline on the twigs of japonica and rose was formed when I pressed the pages twice to darken the image, unintentional but I like the effect.
Thank you Sian for the challenge, I have enjoyed it and I hope to use the days' tasks as incentive to practice.

Sketch book challenge Days 28, 29

Day 28 Monoprinting
The task was to draw cylindrical objects and then monoprint them. I found it easier to draw the cylinders in my sketch book and trace them. The traced image was then pencilled over when positioned on the back of the monoprint, this was useful for day 29 to align for 2nd printing. I used black printing ink and gold acrylic paint, and different papers to explore the effects. I now need more practice on drawing cylinders. It was two fun days trying out things without expectations of it being "good"

The image on the left was in the sketchbook - too much ink and blurred- I repeated it after re-rolling the plate on a piece of copy paper. I then monoprinted in green to L image-this did not improve it.
Below are the prints on different papers I tried
Top L, soft yellow paper decorated with gold , top R and bottom L decorated tissue,- lining for albums I think, black print and gold acrylic, bottom R gold acrylic on black paper

Day 29 Swirling ellipses
The task -1: monoprint a second colour to add detail, clarification, shadow/ floating lines or another object  and 2: draw into the ink/paint on the plate to produce a negative image.
1: I had plenty of images from day 28 to play with,  most of them rejects that were not improved,-however I was pleased with one of the prints on top R in image below. I used green printing ink or gold acrylic for 2nd layer
All but bottom L were on copy paper. Top L  black and green ink monoprint.  Top R gold acrylic + green ink- the gold image was not clear on one side so I added monoprinted extra lines in green which made it more interesting as it was not quite aligned. Bottom L gold acrylic + green ink- this would have been better with another light colour. Bottom R green ink + gold acrylic. The green ink was too wet for the monoprint so I added a second layer of gold

2: The page below shows drawing onto the print plate-green ink and gold acrylic- I used the blunt end of a brush to draw- they would probably look better if I had varied the drawing  instrument- thick and thin lines. The bottom R I did at the end before washing plate- I had a small piece of watercolour paper on my desk so I did a quick drawing and then monoprinted I like the texture of the paper on the print.

Well distant stitchers I shall have to find my course work again, one day to go in this challenge and a couple of weeks before my ski holiday. I need to organise my sewing so I am not taking the contents of work room plus sewing machine with us.

Sketchbook days 16 -26

Here are the next days of sketch book challenge. It is easier to catch minutes to do my sketchbook than to post.

Day 16 Ripping and sticking
Practice page

Assembled

Day 17 rest

Day 18 Jungle textures
This was a challenge as I needed trees/ foliage and daylight. Pot plants never reach vigorous growth at my house and as I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark it was tricky . Winter...
The task was to find your jungle, make representational marks/ scratches onto surface and cover with colour, so the scratches were emphasised.
1: I used a craft knife to make indents plus water colour penciL This is of an imaginary cabbage tree- we have one outside the house but I was not home in daylight to draw it

 

Not too successful and has cuts through the paper

2: This  page is  green oil pastel marked with a craft knife, then blue oil pastel was added and more marks added. I used the blade flat for the 2nd markings to more resemble cabbage tree leaves. The facing page shows cuts of page above as well as pale impression of this page

 Last weekend I was away and did these pages- this was of jasmine in bud against a wall
3 Marks made with blunt end of scissors + watercolour paint and watercolour pencil

4 Indents made with end of scissors + oil stick

Day 19 layers of colour
Back to the imaginary cabbage tree

1: layers of blue and green water colour with knife marks before each colour

2: layers of orange and blue paint with knife marks before each colour-

this worked better with more contrast between colours and making the 2nd cuts when the page was wet

Day 20 wax resist
1: White crayon resist, green water colour, scraped back with end of scissors, and blue water colour added
Note a good impression of the cuts from  page above. I was finding drawing lines to represent cabbage trees unsatisfactory and it looks like I had the book upside down

2: White crayon + watercolour- red + light green , more crayon and blue and green water colour over the top
This was another impression of the jasmine- with white blooms

Days 21 and 22 Sgraffito
D21: Trial page using different media

 Day 22 Sgraffito
My first attempts are best left in the sketchbook, but I did more drawings this afternoon and liked 2 & 3 below
1: Watercoloured pencil, white crayon, oil stick scraped back with end of paintbrush- this is jasmine drawn last weekend

2: Crayon + oil pastel scraped back with craft knife- camellias in garden- I was at home in daylight today

 3: Crayon plus oil stick- scraped back with craft knife- lemon tree in the garden

Days 23 & 24 rest
Day 25 Getting into perspective

Day 26 Carbon copies
 1: Practice with media- chalk top half, oil pastel at the bottom with oil pastel, crayon , pencil  and water colour pastel on top in lines. - scored from next page to leave impression on facing page - the grid. All media transferred except the pencil would not draw over pastel so no transfer.

2:  Chair chalk + oil pastel-
There are 2 chairs in this one

3:Chalk + crayon
The first image is the drawing of chair used for impressions. I don't think i would want to sit on this chair

these are the copies that are made when I drew the chair on a page after the one with colour laid down and then rubbing end of pencil in the negative spaces (see Sian's blog for explanation)

Day 27 Carbon copies 2
This is the drawing used 

And the copies - the left with an eraser over lines, the right by pressure over original drawing above.

Well, I am looking forward to tomorrow to play with monoprinting that Sian has just posted. Good night.

Summer sketchbook challenge- Days 14,15

I have done two days of sketchbook challenge today. I am at home for a weekend in winter "on call" so it was good to have the sketchbook to play with.
I have continued with my second arrangement of pepper, mango and tamarillos, these gave simpler shapes and are still intact.
Day14  Continue with Colour-
Today you use other coloured media, I used coloured pencils at the top for the tamarillo and oil pastels for the mango

Then I chose to use oil pastels to colour one of the copies

Day 15 Scribble away- use pens and felt tips-
I used pens and biro as I had red, orange, light and dark green, purple and blue which was just sufficient.

The highlights are different because I did day 14 in daylight and these scribbles this evening. Tip - dont mark your highlight areas in the darkest colour- looks most odd.

These coloured studies were fun to do using the scanned copies, and I learned about the media and using lots of colours.
I have no excuse now not to watch the rugby SA vs NZ.

Summer sketchbook challenge- Days 11,12,13

I had two goes at these challenges: Mixing colours for day 11, Colouring in day 12 and Shining highlights day 13. The first series are of a watering can, some leaves, rosehips and a camellia. Complicated for me and objects either too small -the rosehips or dominating -the watering can.
 Day 11 mixing colours- top sheet- coloured pencil, bottom- water colour

Day 12   Colouring in

 

Day 13 Shining highlights

By the time I finished painting the camellia on the 3rd day it was very sad looking.
For the second series  I chose a red pepper, 2 tamarillos and a mango on a piece of dyed calico

Day 11 mix colours
on the left is watercolour, R top is coloured pencil and bottom R is oil pastel

Day 12 Colouring in

and day 13 shining highlights

 

Would be better without the spiral, and with the tamarillo in a more interesting position but this worked for me as in this 2nd series the highlights are better.

Onto the next day- Day 14.
Please keep posting challengers as it is interesting to see our different approaches.

Summer sketchbook challenge

Hello distant stitchers.
 Summer school looked great and it is good that people post their work- thank you.
I haven't been doing much stitching lately, as life gets in the way of course work. I had also decided I wanted  to be able to draw and paint/ use colour better to add to coursework so while I was in a stitching slump I have been doing a drawing class and some painting.
Sian's sketchbook challenge was welcome to follow on and to keep me practising. 
Below is my first week- I have done the challenge every one to two days, and as it takes longer for me to post than to draw I waited to post. I am posting the drawings to help motivate me, a challenge indeed.

Day 1,2,3 starting out teabags and shapes

Day 4 text and draw

Day 5 Learning lines
 This was an excuse to read the old magazines I'd saved "just in case" I needed them. I thought I'd find healthy food pictures but I found organic beauty products, which seemed to fit with my pockmarked though sweet orange.

Day 6 Sunshine and shadow

Day7 Getting bigger

Day 8 Drawing between the lines
Shells - every time I go to the beach outside Wellington I come back with shells, now I can use them, the shapes are challenging and colours subtle

Day 9 Puzzling patterns
A teatowel and piece of fabric gave lovely soft folds.

Well -on to next week- a challenge to find those objects- I can not use the vegetables as they are repurposed for the evening meal, and the flowers I have found are dead before I get to draw. It will have to be winter colours.
I have not fathomed how to scan A5, so apologies for grey space

Thank you Sian for blogging this challenge- I enjoy reading the blog post as much as attempting the drawing.
It takes much time to prepare and post these so thank you for time, effort and sharing.

I am looking forward to seeing our results from the second week.