Concertina Journal – Perpetual Inspiration – more photos

Today I tried to capture some close-ups of the journal panels for you to see.  Here they are.

Panels 1, 2 and 3:

Panels 4, 5 and 6:

Panels 7, 8 and 9:

Panels 10, 11 and 12:

Since I have had so many requests for close up shots, I am going to scan in each panel and I will post those as well.

Enjoy!

Concertina Journal – Perpetual Inspiration finished

Today I took the last stitch to complete my Concertina Journal.

Here is side one.

and side two.

I’ve been working on this for a little over a month now and have enjoyed every minute.  I’ve learned some new techniques and lessons of what not to do on the next one.  The combination of stitching and beading has given this piece a wonderful texture and the layered elements are a feast for the eyes.  The words are attached with snaps and can be changed out, hence the name Perpetual Inspiration.  You can read about all of the individual panels and stages used to create this journal by clicking on the word Concertina in my Simply Tags box on the right hand side of the page.

Thank you for taking this artful journey with me.

Pieced Quilt Top finished

Over the weekend I finally cut out the borders and sewed them on for Holly’s quilt.  Her favorite color is orange so you can see she chose that for the border fabric.  I think it frames it really well.  We chose the backing fabric (a multi-colored batik) and purchased the batting (Warm & Natural).  I will start marking the quilt lines and then basting it  next weekend and then on to the quilt frame for hand quilting.  When this is done it will be a twin size, 81 inches by 71 inches. 

This is hanging in front of a picture window which is why you see some areas highlighted more than others.  I love the vibrant colors of Anna Maria Horner’s fabric.  These fabrics are from her Garden Party line.  You can see more of her fabrics at her on line store.

Concertina Journal Panel 10 and 11

Below is panel 10 for the Concertina Journal.  Notice the small periwinkle glass flower beads on the left side – they are wonderful accents.  I ordered those through Bead Creative, Nancy Eha’s web site.  You will be seeing more of those in future projects since I ordered lots of colors.

And here is panel 11.  I love the feather stitching in the center that has the weaving through it.  (I learned that from Nancy’s book that I mentioned in my last post).  I added lots of beads to this panel since I was having so much fun doing it.

One more panel to go and then I sew them all together. 

Keep it Simple!

A New Book: Bead Creative Like Crazy

Nancy Eha has published a new book, Bead Creative Like Crazy - her latest how-to beading book.  Wait until you see the yummy eye candy pictured within the 113 full color pages.  She shows you how to bead as if you were stitching a crazy quilt, but imagine this on an art quilt, a purse or even a jacket?  Stunning!!

I am new to beading on fabric and this book has step by step instuctions with illustrations that are easy to read and follow along.  She writes about the basics of fabric selection, beads and tools and then she shows the basic crazy quilt stitches and how to create those with beads.  This book will give you the confidence to create your own masterpieces and I highly recommend it even if you have never done beading before.  You will find it to be a source of inspiration and a great reference book to add to your library.