This is a unique challenge blog where we are inspired by and focus on the Vintage; shabby; mixed-media; art journaling; industrial, timeworn and steampunk genres and encompass the talent, flair, expertise and ideas of many artists that we are inspired by. We welcome all types of projects - cards, journaling, assemblage, layouts, albums, atcs, altered art in fact whatever you want to share (as long as it is in good taste).

Monday 24 November 2014

We welcome Vicki Evans as our Guest Creative Guide

 Happy Monday everyone. I am so pleased to be able to welcome Vicki as a Guest Creative Guide here at AVJ. Vicki is a very versatile artist who loves to play with inks and paints but also to experiment and learn new techniques. You will find her at [dig] that crazy chick where she provides very visual process steps in many of her posts. You will certainly pick up a new trick or two.
So this is Vicki, love this photo of her.
 
Vicki Photo
I live the life of Riley, in Calgary, Alberta with “the” Jaeger; costume-king, pirate and creative cohort; and Io, my 5 year old Bernese Mountain dog daughter. I have been making things for people and occasions for as long as I can remember. I started making “tags” for Tim’s twelve tags challenge in March of 2012 as the one creative endeavor I do, quite selfishly, for me. Not for “some-one” or “some-thing” but, to set aside the time to make something purely for the joy of doing so. On June 12th, I started my blog to participate (submit) the tags I was making for his challenges. (The name for my blog comes from a song of the same title by Sam “The Big Horn” Butera and the Witnesses--it always makes me smile, you can get it on iTunes.) It has been an inexpressibly amazing journey every day since.

I am excited to be here at a Vintage Journey as a guest creative guide, especially because it is challenge where I get to create something from that “other” corner of my little craft room. Sewing, like paper crafting (like cooking), is an exploration where the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts: cloth becomes clothes; paper becomes precious; (and ingredients become delicious).

Tim, with his creative chemistry techniques and specialty products; are skills and tools. Once you understand the basics, it’s only your imagination that will limit how you continue view the “rules”, and perhaps…bend them (my favourites get tested more rigorously than others).

My mother taught me how to sew when I was small. (She demonstrated all kinds of hands-on, messy fingers, and creative endeavours). She would draw out patterns on brown paper shopping bags and transform these flat expanses of paper, and fabric, into whatever she had envisioned in her minds-eye. (The first thing I can remember sewing was pants and a buttoned top for a small doll–on my battery operated, blue plastic, Holly Hobbie sewing machine.) She taught me a solid foundation of skills and rules for fabrics and stitches; enough so, that I challenge myself with how to break bend them (sometimes more challenging than others).

I was thrilled when Tim released the Eclectic Elements line of fabrics. I knew that these designs/patterns would be a motivator to put my sewing machine back-to-use for more than mending and costume-making.
 
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The Melange is one of my favourite patterns from the original release (I haven’t had the opportunity to buy yardage of the new release locally…yet). The juxtaposition of seemingly incongruous elements is what draws me to this particular fabric.
 
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All of the pieces have been cut off-grain and some are sewn with tapered exposed seams that I have frayed to reveal a new-ly vintage-d look.
 
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I’ve used the Melange in neutral fabric to create a quilted cover for a Chronicle Worn Cover (Idea-ology) book. The book cover is literally “all stitched up” inside an envelope of fabric.
 
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Embellished with un-adorned and un-epoxied; custom fasteners and knobs (I love dots) to complete the project.


Wow what an amazing project Vicki and oh boy you sure know how to put fabrics together. The binder is a sheer delight, the way you have covered it both inside and out, those amazing exposed seams to give that vintage appeal and the sunburst effect on the cover is so clever.

Thank you for taking the time to put this together for us and to share your skills and talent with the readers.

Have a great week everyone and we’ll see you again on Friday with another new challenge and would love to see a few more entries to join the amazing ones we already have for the 'All Sewn Up' theme currently running.

Take care.

hugs Brenda xxx


11 comments:

  1. What a wonderful sewing project Vicki! Love the strips of frayed cloth over the basic covering - and the metal 'dots' - this looks SO cool and will be so fun to use to hold some really special pages of something!! So glad to have you here as a guest DT and sharing this very creative piece!

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  2. Ahhhh my fellow Calgarian taking us in the creative journey. Fantastic cover!

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  3. What a delightful project and so suited to te sewing theme this fourtnight, a brilliant make Vicky and I loved finding out a little more about you!

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  4. Your project is fantastic Vikki, I love how you made the cover with those wonderful strips - and the inside is just as beautiful as the outside. Nice to learn a bit more about you and your creative journey too. Love this! Anne xx

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  5. Fantastic All Sewn Up project, Vikki--Inside & Out!! WOW!! Your step-x-steps on your blog are amazing--I love how you've listed all of your ingredients and 'baking time' at your blog!! Congrats on your Creative Guide gig here at AVJ!! It's been nice to meet you and learn about your blog!! XOXO-Shari T.

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  6. What a great cover Vikki and I love your tattered strips of fabric. Nice to learn a little about your creative journey and your mum teaching you to sew with your Holly Hobbie sewing machine.
    Julie x

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  7. Oh Vicki this is a wonderful binder and truly shows what creative talents you have. I love the mix of cut and frayed edges in the ray pattern and the unepoxyed elements are such an unexpected and clever idea. Thank you for sharing this with us and giving us an insight into your creative background. Jenny x

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  8. Just love your project Vikki. Sewing goes back to my roots so I love how you BEND the rules. So nice to have you join us here as we travel on A Vintage Journey.

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  9. I'm loving this project, more gorgeous Timmy fabric.
    Happy crafting, Angela x

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  10. What a fantastic use of those gorgeous fabrics - beautiful! Great to have you with us, Vicki!
    Alison xx

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  11. Thank-you to everyone at AVJ, especially Brenda, for having me as a guest guide for the All Sewn Up challenge. I had a blast. Looking forward to the next challenge, already working in ideas for my entry…

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