Back again... and 'ketching' up

Yikes, it has been over a month since I have been here...lots going on both at work and on the art front. 

The BIG news is that I have joined a group of artists in submitting a Collage to "Collage Mania II",  an online art auction organized by Virginia Spiegel that benefits the American Cancer Society. I have been wanting to do this and the deadline was coming up. Being a 'new artist'...I'm still having trouble putting my mouth around those words...I wanted to try something that didn't look like a craft. 

Well, over at my FAT (Fiber Art Traders on Yahoo) group we just completed a "Technique Week" where Michelle guided us through the steps to make a paper towel pendant. Part way through the process it began to occur to me that this would be the thing for a collage. So I skipped part of the finishing instructions and jumped out on my own adding some Angelina fibers and sewing on some beads. I call it "Cosmos" and I got word this morning that Virginia has accepted it! YEAH! 

Other projects that I have been working on for trades include more postcards and a Flat Fiber Art Doll...she was fun to make. I found a pattern for a jointed paper doll and made her out of Fast2Fuse with some great batik fabric that I have had for years. This was one of the last projects I did with my old Bernina (oh, I don't think I mentioned I have a new machine!!! Watch for that post later!). I used metallic Sulky thread in colors that were in the batik and played with all of my decorative stitches. Use some of the Sulky to create hair and then added a heart bead and a button with the shank cut off for her face...