Collage workshop – Fibre Arts Ballarat

I have just returned from five enjoyable days studying paper collage under American artist Donna Watson.  Fabric is my medium, but I have become interested in the past couple of years in including paper with fabric.  In particular, I am enjoying exploring Japanese paper (washi – 和紙). When strengthened with konnyaku it can tolerate immersion dyeing.  This is my favourite piece from the five days. Donna is an excellent teacher – if you get a chance to study with her, I recommend it.

Ready, set go..

I am all packed for Fibre Arts at Sale.  I have probably packed too much stuff, but you never know what you are going to need.  Here are some collage and printed cards I have made to sell at the traders market.

Fibre Arts Gippsland

I am off to Sale on Tuesday for a four day collage workshop with Jette Clover.  Fibre Arts run a fundraiser where they sell donated pieces of art.  Here are my contributions.  Rust and encaustic.

paper, encaustic and rust

Small things

I like making small things – they are quick, no big investment in time or materials and very satisfying.  You can sort of work in a series doing lots of small things in a row to work through an idea.  These cards bring together my love of working with rusted fabric, snippets from my embroidery and a few new techniques.  Although not a scrapbooker, I have recently peered into that world and discovered a thing or two that is handy.  A Cutttlebug paper embosser for one, that allows me to add some embossed detail to cards to combine with lace and bits. The last two cards have been embossed.

The numbers 3 and 9 and the ‘@’ were all cut with a an electronic stencil cutter – these are way too much fun and have great potential for surface design.

This little card was inspired by Helen Smith’s work.   I don’t have the sort of printing press that she does, but after a bit of research discovered the Cuttlebug – lots of fun! Technically I think what she did is called collograph printing, whereas I embossed – suspect there is a subtle difference there, but don’t know enough about it!