bags and the mystery quilt......

Last weekend I painted on canvas. I put a white wash over this yet. It needed to be a little softer I thought. Then I cut it up into three sections......

This was the first finished bag. I have one more that needs handles yet. 

And one more piece of canvas that can be sewn into a bag.

Also last weekend I started the Bonnie Hunter Mystery.

click here for INTRO PAGE and links to steps so far

My colors are different. Using red instead of blue. Using yellow instead of orange.

The backgrounds are all whites to creams.

Step Two...the green is blue and the yellow is orange in mine.

I have no idea if these colors will end up working. Time will tell.

I'm in the middle of these chevrons. Hope I get them done today.

alpaca and bears...experimenting

First things first....this is really a llama pattern, but I thought it looked like an alpaca too, so I used it.
I found it here...http://www.fatcatpatterns.com/Ethnic%20Flavored%20Designs.html

I drew the pattern on freezer paper and then cut it out with my exacto knife.
I painted in the llama and stenciled in the do-dads. Then the whole thing was plunged into blue dye. The kind you get off the shelves in the grocery store. Nothing fancy.
ooops, wait...
I did cover everything with blue gel glue too. It just didn't quite work out the way I wanted.


The painted stuff didn't really stand out...
I had to repaint the do-dads....then I ironed down the freezer paper with just the llama
I mean alpaca,
cut out, and sponged on some lighter metallic colored acrylic paint....all around the edges.
So now he stands out more...

I also threw a t shirt in the dye that I hadn't done anything to.
Maybe if I paint it after the dye....
I cut out more stencils, painted the bear and trees.
I ironed down the insides of my cutouts over what was already painted...
sponged some more light metallic paint around everything.

Here it is before the reveal........

...and here it is after I pulled all the freezer paper off......

The bear and trees are from the book...

Spirit of the Northwoods by Debbie Field for Granola Girls.
The book belongs to my cousin Gwen...so I have to return it.

I better use it while it still here, in my possession.
The letters were cut out with my Sizzix machine, and I may add the word ALPACA to that shirt.