Owls, three of the perkiest little fellows sitting on a branch

By on 9-15-2011 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Vintage

These owls were published in the McCall’s Needlework and Crafts 1965-66 Fall Winter magazine. Made of metal in this version, I can see them made from paper. How cute would they be painted in a border along a chair rail in a country cottage kitchen? Matching cushions on the wooden chairs would be so cute embroidered on linen.

owls

owls

I have redrawn the owl in Photoshop using layers and then filled with patterns. I then used a different sized stroke around each layer and bevelled each one differently. I then filled the background with black. He is too cute.

Owl created in Photoshop

Printing Plate Images from the Almonte Mill Museum

By on 9-15-2011 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Vintage

My visit to the Almonte Museum last year yielded several wonderful printing plates. I couldn’t resist using them for digital images.

Printing Plate Image

The original plates are the orange plates. I changed the image from colour to black and white and then recoloured them. Faces were left as is and I rotated the others to give a right side up print.

Printing Plate Image

These images could be used on a digital or scanned background, set into transparency to hover above the background and another image set over top of that. Lots of play with these old plates.

Printing Plate Images

You could also transfer the images to fabric to use in your fabric arts or onto paper for a little ATC.

Embroidered Alphabet

By on 9-15-2011 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Vintage

Another wonderful alphabet to embroider from the McCall’s Christmas transfer book. This one features caps only and would be great used for monographs. A little book to hold and sort sewing machine needles would be a great gift for your quilting mixed media artist friend and would be theirs with their initial on the front cover. A special handkerchief or napkin would be pretty with this alphabet as well as gift tags made for a favourite somebody.

alphabet-1

alphabet-2

Gingham backgrounds

By on 9-15-2011 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Vintage

Gingham has always been a favourite of mine. It can be ‘country’ or it can be ‘sophisticated’ depending on what else you use with it. It can have a vintage feel or a modern look. These backgrounds would be great used with photos of your kids, a picnic with added butterflies and bumble bees. The pdf document has red and green for Christmas, purple, blue and pink for Easter and for fall there is a tan and leaf green.

red gingham background

blue gingham

I’ve made several in rainbow colours. If you want the whole set you can download the pdf Rainbow Gingham Backgrounds for your scrapbooking

Cross stitch Alphabets …. for the words in your embroidery projects

By on 9-15-2011 in Digital Images + Collage, Mixed Media, Vintage

This alphabet was published in the McCall’s Christmas Iron On Transfers,Vol-II-1976. It is a smaller size and could be used throughout the year. Mother’s and Father’s day cards using embroidery floss, fancy recipe cards using a permanent marking pen are great ways of using these in mixed media. Little muslin samplers made into personalized ornaments and gift tags would be quick to do and give a personal touch in any season.

cross stitch alphabet