Free Downloadable Images.

Here are some lovely vintage ladies to use in your artwork. Just right click on them and save. Resized they are great for artist trading cards, zap pages or Decos.

Have a great day and enjoy your art !

Deco Pages.

These are two pages that I did for a deco I have sent to Elinore in the USA.

I would like to thank Ingrid and Emma for helping me with this project.

Your lovely work is much appreciated.

Deco and Postcards

This is a Deco page on the theme Vintage.

These are two postcards that I have just finished for a swap with the group FibreArtFillies.

The subject is Flowers.

I like this format after seeing my friend Ingrid's book that she keeps them in. She has made a cover with metal rings and punches holes in the postcards to make an ongoing Deco style book.

I'll ask her to take a photo so I can upload it and show you.

Deco Pages.

These two Deco pages are for my friend Teresa's deco " Black and Pink "

The Top page is a folding doll and it tucks away quite neatly.

The second one is a sweet corset with lots of lace.

I gathered the skirt with a running stitch before I stuck it to the back of the corset which is cut from card and covered with a textured floral paper.

Both pages were really fun to do, I hope she likes them.

Deco Pages.

A couple of Deco pages I have finished this week. The Pigs one is a bit of fun as its "Glamour Pigs".

The next one is a page for a friend's deco, I hope she likes it.

Deco Round Robin

I think I must be going through a purple phase :-)

These are some Deco pages that I have been working on recently.

They are all for a Deco Round Robin in the group "FibreArtFillies"

Fabric ATC and a Deco

This is my "mushroom" Deco. I enjoyed making the mushrooms from paper and the leaves are cut from a wallpaper sample that my friend Rebecca sent me from the USA.


I have been putting off taking the first step towards fabric ATCs. Its not that I cant sew, just that I havent had the inclination. Yesterday was that first day! It wasn't a very auspicious start. The only thread I had was quite heavy duty as the last time I sewed was when I was making artist bears about 4 years ago and the last time I did any embroidery was in 1969 when I smocked a childs dress for my GCE. ( Now I've given away my age! ) :-)
Added to which I couldn't find my reading glasses so it took me quite some minutes to thread the needle :-)
I had been browsing the internet gasping with amazement at the beautiful crazy quilt work of Pat Winters and thought I must try that!
http://patwintergatherings.com/index.html
It took me all afternoon to make something the size of an ATC and then I had to finish off the edges this morning. I have great admiration for our fibre ATCers!!!
I had some iron-on interfacing to back the piece with, trouble was, I didn't realise it was double sided iron-on until it had stuck to the iron :-) Sooo I then had to clean the iron, clear up all the threads from the floor, - well I have never been known to work in anything other than bordering on a mess - and all I got for all that trouble was this poor specimen!!!!
But...... I actually enjoyed it and didn't have to get my machine out once.
I thought of not putting this pic on for all to see but decided that it may give a few people a good laugh and others can look at it and say I can do better than that!
So here it is to encourage all you would be fibre artists, have a go, it can't be worse than my first effort :-)
Did you notice that I said first? That means I'll be trying again because actually I enjoyed it and want to do better next time!

So.... if at first you don't suceed.... don't take up skydiving !!

Have a great day, be happy and go do something creative.

How I make a Deco.

I was asked to give some basic instructions on how to make a Deco so I thought I would put it on my blog for you all to see.

ArtDecos - basic instructions.
Firstly you will need to make your little booklet. This can be made very easily by taking an A4 sheet of card and cutting it into 4 pieces.
I then mark along one of the short sides of each piece of the card about 1.5 cm from the edge. This makes it easier to fold back the pages when you are working on them.
Rather like a book spine. I use my card folder template.

You can then use brads or eyelets or even ribbon to join the pieces together and you have a little booklet.
To start on your Deco, you decorate the front page ( cover) of your booklet using the theme chosen . It should be clear from this page what your book is about.
On the back page (cover) you follow the theme again but this time you incorporate your details. You put: your name and address and don‘t forget the country!, your email address, and “made via - the group you are in”
Your 4 pieces of card have a total of 8 sides. So you have just decorated or “signed” 2 of them.
There are then 6 pages left to decorate. So 6 different artists create a page in your deco. As the last person finishes her page, she then sends it home to you and you have a beautiful artistic deco to keep. This is called a “homer”.
When you receive someone elses deco in the post, follow the theme that has already been started and leave an identifying mark on the page to show that it has been decorated by you. Some people leave just their name others like to leave name and email.
Try to incorporate it into the design or leave your mark at the edge somewhere on the page.
Email your swap partner to let her know that you are sending a deco on to her and if you are swapping through a group make sure you update the database.
Dos and Donts:
Do keep your deco artistic.
Do make your Deco sturdy enough to put up with being posted several times.
Don’t use any sticky tape, staples, or pins in your work.
Try not to use peel offs or ready made toppers etc.
Do use good quality images.
Use your bookmaking, ATC or card making skills that you have, and enjoy!

Deco Pages.

Two Deco pages that I have been working on over the weekend.

I cut the cactii from funky foam and layered handmade mulberry papers to make the desert and sky.

Easter Monday

The snow didn't last long! By this morning most of it had melted away and we have a warm, sunny day. Our British weather is certainly changeable! I hope the sun stays and warms the ground so that more flowers will be in bloom soon.

This is a Deco page that I finished today.

Deco Page.

A Deco page on a French theme.

I used vintage french text and vintage ribbon and lace.

The little pink poodle is a button that I cut the shank off.

Deco Pages.

These are three deco covers that I made. The first is "Memories" then "Geisha" and "Lavender and Lace". Its nice to work on a larger scale, these are both approx 6" x 4" which is quite a bit bigger than the 2.5" x 3.5" size of an ATC.