The sea.

This is the delightful page which arrived this morning from Cobi.



Cobi told me in her accompanying letter that she found the topic hard. The page she has produced is a lovely interpretation of the sea. Full of texture, she has used velvet and satin as well as dyed scrim to portray the foam caused by waves.



This is the back of the page. A rather beautiful piece of what might hand-dyed fabric.

Inside the envelope, I found this lovely postcard of Leiden. The buildings on the bank of the canal are really interesting.

Thanks so much for my new page, Cobi.

A sea page!

This is my January page from Kath. It is exquisite. The background is felt with some beading and stitching to add texture. It just speaks of the movement in the sea.



The signature on the back is simplicity itself.



A small detail for you to enjoy. I feel very privileged to have this gorgeous page in my collection. Thanks so much, Kath. Please could you respond and tell about the materials you have used in this piece?

A new Sea page!

My page has arrived from Maya. It is so lovely, with such a lot of detail not immediately apparent.



There is a lot of hand stitching, with lots of beads simulating the movement of the sea. The stitches holding the fabric in place remind me of Kantha stitching. There are many pieces of foil, and silk making up the background, all adding to the texture.
The piece is edged in handworked blanket stitch. I wish my stitches could be so neat.



Adding to the detail, there are sequins added in to the back of the blanket stitch edging. What a lovely idea!



Here is Maya's letter, giving some idea of the techniques she has used.



Thanks so much Maya, I love my new page.

A new page - the Sea.

My page from Juliette arrived yesterday. Sadly, I arrived home too late in the day for a decent photograph, hence the delay in posting.
It is a really subtle treatment of "Sea" with a delightful arrangement of dyed fabrics representing the movement of the waves. There are a number of different fabrics here with some lovely texture variations.



The back has a lovely piece of dyed fabric too.



I have never tried stippling or dry brushing fabrics - but must try this for myself.

One (perhaps I should alter this to read "several") of the nicest things I have been finding about the challenge of completing pages for other people, and, in turn receiving them, is the wealth of different techniques I have seen and have been able to try out for myself. Without this group, I think there are many techniques I really would not have considered trying for myself. There is a lot to be said for pushing boundaries and trying things outside what might be considered a "comfort zone".

The Sea has arrived!

Now, isn't this delightful. I was thrilled to receive a package through my letterbox this morning from Liz. This is my June page - a little late, but it was well worth waiting for...........

All those lovely details.



I just love the beaded blue coral. The textures are just gorgeous.



Just look at the stitching on the seahorse. It looks like there are such stories he, or she could tell of adventures amidst the coral.



The fabric for the back of the page itself just could not have been more perfect.

And the letter from Liz, tells of the techniques she has used.

Oh Liz, I do agree about being near the sea. It is a magical place, with all the smells and sounds. I live right in the centre of Cheshire, a county almost in the heart of the UK. But you are right, a journey time of around an hour and a half will bring me to the coast. I am so fortunate.

Thanks so much for my page. I look forward to day when I can put all my lovely pages together and make them into a book. I intend to exhibit the book when it has been made, but do not know where, or when, just yet.

The sea has come in!

Coming home late last night, I had been to the V&A for the Quilting exhibition (more to come on my own Blog), I found a parcel had arrived. Exhaustion forgotten, I opened the parcel and found the sea.....



Thanks so much Gayle. I love this scene - a diver going down to a wreck. Plenty of detail, with ribbon, beads, lace edging and shells added. If you click on the photo above, it should enlarge to show more detail.



I love the care and attention to detail shown in the mass of small stitched items.



The back of the page itself. The furry trim is gorgeous. It is so hard to resist stroking it. Gayle has bound the edge of the page - a really nice touch which finishes the page admirably. This is making me rethink my own methods of finishing pages............. Plenty to use as inspiration here. The use of angelina fibres really adds a gentle glow to whole piece.

The letter is full of interesting information, with a postcard showing the Shasta Dam, Shasta Lake and Mount Shasta. A lovely scene.

Thanks. A word which really doesn't seem quite enough.

Learning more about the sea.

Ruth, thanks so much for my third page. It is stunning! It was waiting for me this evening when I got home. I was so excited when I opened the package and found this gorgeous piece of work.



Ruth chose the following quotation for the back:

"The sea, once it casts it's spell, holds one in it's net of wonder forever."
- Jacques Cousteau.



The whole page is beautiful. I just love the detail in the structure of the jellyfish.
To cap it all, Ruth has sent me a wonderful hand made card.



I shall leave you to read her description of the piece of work. (Just click on the photograph and you should be able to read the words clearly.)



Like Ruth has, I have learnt a lot from this page. She speaks of the environmental concerns regarding the growing numbers of jellyfish. Something I had really not even considered.

Thanks so much Ruth. I really feel that I have a lot to learn about the sea, even though I had chosen it as my theme. Perhaps this is something I could use when I start to compile my pages into a book. Definitely food for thought there..................

Dreaming of diving in the sea - the photos

I really can't think of a better way to introduce the photos I promised in my post yesterday, than to show you the note sent by Johoanna.





The dreaming girl in the photograph looks so very sweet. Here are some details of the stitching around the photograph.

The printed fabric background really adds movement. There are many beads and small stitches alongside small shells. The textures are really interesting. Thanks so much to Johoanna.

The next photo is on the front of the card bearing the message from Johoanna, shown above. What a gorgeous green frog.

Dreaming of diving in the sea.

Imagine my delight when I went through the pile of post on my return home this morning. I had been away for two weeks and there, waiting for me, was a lovely package from Johoanna.
Although I have never been scuba diving, I was able to go snorkling during my time away. This page will bring back some delightful memories as well as being a lovely addition to my book.
I shall post some photos tomorrow.
Thanks so much, Johoanna!

The sea - first page.

Oh thank you Trillian. My first page has arrived!



I just love the way Trillian has interpreted the fish and coral. There is a delightful starfish too!

It is so exciting seeing just how others depict the same theme. Now I must go and complete the first page I am making.