Kristin's Peace Flags

Last summer I posted these pictures of flags that Kristin and I printed.  They hung in her yard all winter.

This is what they look like now.  Not too bad.  But it looks like they have done their work.  Interesting how the red and fuchia have faded to nearly the same color.

Whales

My daughter wants Alaskan flags for wedding decorations, so here is the start-purple and blue fabrics were dyed on Tuesday.  I always have some trouble with these colors-the dye doesn't blend as I would like, but for the intended purpose, these fabrics will be fine.

I needed more images to print on the flags so yesterday I carved these whales.  I am happy with the humpback, but I think I can do better on the killer whales.  Below you can see the stamps that I carved.

Prayer flags for Andy

I got up this morning with a plan.  My brother's wife is having surgery next Friday so I wanted to make her some prayer flags.  Since the ink I print with takes a few days to dry, I needed to get it done today.  I only photographed 2 of them as I was working today, but will take a picture of the string once they are done.  I made a string of 7, colors running from yellow green through red-violet, each with a different image and word on it. 

It is silly, but it makes me feel like I am doing something to help the person in need-good thoughts... 

Then, sincer I had the ink out, I printed some terns, crabs, and kingfishers for future quilts.  I love the crab and kingfisher but the tern stamp need some work.

Truckies Prayer Flags for Darlene

When I got off the plane last night, my grandson Truckie, met me at the airport with his bag packed to come spend the night at my house.  We got up this morning and he printed his flags for his Grandma Darlene.  Unfortunately, the phone started to ring and I was not as attentive as I would have liked, but he did a pretty good job on his own-aside from the upside down HOME.  We decided to go with it-it will give Darlene a laugh!  My friend, Ron, had a stroke a couple of days ago, so while we had the stuff out, I printed a set of flags for him, as well.  Truckie used fabric paints, so they are dry.  I used oil based ink, so mine need to dry for a couple of days.  Then I will post a picture.

Anchorage

I just returned from spending a week in Anchorage.  I took my granddaughter, Olivia, to visit with her cousin, Callista.  That was the reason for going to Anchorage, but my daughters, Ingrid and Kristin also had an agenda!  Here you see Ingrid slaving over her sewing machine(actually, Kristin's because Ingrid couldn't find her foot pedal and power cord). 

 We had made most of the squares previously.  Here you can see the quilt with part of the sashing added, laid out on the bed to arrange the squares.

 This is how far we got.  She still has a row of 1/2 square triangles and a 6" border to add.  There was no stopping Ingrid!

 Kristin was intrigued with the prayer flags I had made.  At Christmas I gave her a 12 step fat quarter gradation which we tore up and printed with the stamps I have carved.  She could hardly wait for the ink to dry to hang them.  She strung these from the fence in front of her house.

And these in front of her lovely garden. She has one more strand in front of her house. She calls them her Alaskan Peace Flags. I want to make some for me but I have to dye more fabric first. We also made 29 jars of raspberry jam from berries growing in her yard. Of course, we showed Olivia city life too.



Build A Bear Workshop



 Waiting for Mom to get off work, outside City Hall, after an afternoon of shopping for school clothes.

After some margueritas at the house, we decided to walk to dinner.

Olivia jumping on the trampoline with her crazy Aunties!

Had a great time!  Thanks Kristin, Ingrid, Mike and Callista!

Prayer Flags #3-#7

 My granddaughter, Olivia, spent the night last night and we got up this morning and continued with the Prayer Flags for Her Grandma Darlene.  I had some commercial foam stamps and some word stecils that were perfect for her to work with.  The flag below needed a little something more and I was itching to use my new thermofax screen, so I added the little birds.

 On this one we decided to have her write her name more than once so it became a design element.

 I am continuing with my Home theme.  My stamp did not take the lumiere metalic paints very well, so I stamped it again in a different color so there is sort of a shadow.  Anyway that was the intent, successful or not.  These are a great way to try our new products and techniques.  I love, love, love my crab stamp.  this is the first time I printed with it.  It will be clearer when I print with ink.

 This is the first print I made with the Kingfisher stamp, also.  this was carved from linoleum, and once again didn't take the paint I used as well as I would like, but it will be great with ink.  I am really pleased with this stamp, also.  I had never printed with sequin waste before.  I used it as a stencil and as a stamp.  Again, not perfection, but experimenting with new toys.

 And here is my partner in crime for the morning, Olivia, with all of the flags strung up behind her.  I like them!  I am probably through, now, unless Truxton wants to make some next time he comes to visit.

Here is Olivia with a piece of fabric she painted to take home to he Mother.  I carved the leaf stamp.

Prayer Flag for Darlene

My daughter-in-laws Mother has been ill since last Christmas.  In fact, she has been away from home, on Kodiak Island, in Seattle for treatment since then.  She has been on my mind alot lately.  Although Alexandria is working on a project that I am going to take part in(don't want to give it away if it is a secret), I wanted to do something.  I read about The Prayer Flag Project on jane LaFazio's blog.  Last night when I came home from work at 10 pm, I grabbed a beer and headed for the studio, if that is what you want to call my closet down in the dungeon(but that is a story for another day).  A prayer flag was not my intent but that is where I eventually ended up.  Obviously, I did not read any instructions, since my flag is much larger than it should be, but it is what it is.  I think that this first flag of mine is about 12" x 18".  Smaller will be much less consuming, but this is the size the elements I wanted to use required.  My prayer is for Darlene to return home soon.  Her family is here.  We live on an island in the North Pacific where salmon is a huge part of the culture.  Salmon return home to spawn, so i wanted them as an element in my flag.  I had some wooden letters that I glued to a piece of mat board and covered it with matte medium before I left for work so when I got home tonight it was dry and ready to print.  I am not totally satisfied with the print job-it is a bit splochy, but adequate for this project.  I enjoyed the hand embroidery alot.  I worked on it on the down times at work today.  I mostly sew beads by hand-thread is nice.  You don't have to pick up a bead with every stitch. 

Anyway, back to my point.  I think it would be awesome if, upon awakening after her surgery next month, if there was a string of prayer flags to greet Darlene.  Then she can hang them outside her house in Seattle, and all the good will and love in the creation of these flags will bring her peace, love and home to her family. 

 You can look at Jane Lafazio's blog and see her wonderful flags here: http://janeville.blogspot.com/2011/07/prayer-flags-5-6.html. 

Here is a tutorial:

http://theprayerflagproject.blogspot.com/p/tutorial.html

And here is the main page of the Prayer Flag Project:

http://theprayerflagproject.blogspot.com/

Like I said, I got a bit out of had with this first flag of mine.  The size is 5" x 8", and they are to be completed in an hour.  Anyone interested?

Productivity

I tried to upload these pictures with the previous post but it wasn't happening.  I got some precut stencils in the mail last week.  Someday I will cut my own but for now, this will do.  I added the branch on the chickadee piece above.

 This is a less successful attempt of using Shiva paintsticks with a purchased rubbing plate.  Try as I might I couldn't get everything to stay still.  Will have to do some research. It does have a nice texture,so perhaps not a complete lost cause.

More stamps.  I am excited to use the crab but I need to dye some fabric, which is why I am wrapping poles and folding and stitching fabric.  No point in mixing dye until I have everything ready.  I want to attempt more than simple dying, but the resists take a rediculous amount of time.