Cool weather and playtime

We have been having some extraordinarily cool weather here in eastern WA. Normally we have high 80's and 90's with some days pushing 100. We had some 100 degree days earlier in the summer but the past few days have been really cool...I've had to resort to jeans, socks and sweatshirts here in my basement studio!

So much for the weather report...here are some of my latest endeavors. 

This is my card for the continuing alphabet at ArtsNTheMail...this one is I is for Illusion. I found this standard illusion on the web and sized it for a postcard, printed it out and then made a plastic template of it. That was traced on the back of some applique prepared black fabric and then cut out. The background is part of an old white muslin sheet that came from my aunt's house after she died...good recycle of an old double-bed sheet! Anyway, I think stitched it down to give it a finished look and then zigzagged the edges in white to complete it. So, what do YOU see in the picture?

       

The photo on the left above is of an architectural grate I bought a few years ago with plans just to hang it on the wall. Well, that hasn't happened but I decided to use it for some sun printing. I took a piece of that muslin sheet and painted with with some Setacolor Soleil Sun Printing Fabric pain...I should have taken a picture of the fabric before I put the grate on it...and then laid the grate on top. When left in the sun the paint wicks out from under what is laid on it and voila! You have a print! I was not impressed with it at first, but after taking the picture of it I can see that it really has possibilities...I think it begs to have topstitching outlining the design with batting below. I was hoping for more of the colors in the bottom left, but didn't get that. Learning experience!

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