With every ATC I send, I try and make a different sort of card with the remnants I have on my table from making the ATC's or the work that is in progress at the time. So with Lorna's ATC goes this card.
Look at what arrived in the post. A beautiful ATC from Lorna,
Listening to Norma Bean's talk at our Embroidery Guild meeting last night about the women sent to Australia for crimes as little as 'stealing a loaf of bread', looking at the display of bonnets representing a few of the women's lives.It brought home the emotional thoughts of women torn from what they knew and never to see their family again. It was emotional because it is the history of human suffering which is often forgotten and still going on today!
Norma Bean had given her partner and daughter instructions and a diagram of where all the items were to be displayed to aid her talk. It was very impressive to read some of the stories and the names of the women who had been sent to Australia. The display had even more meaning when Norma gave her talk. The bonnets and their historical references were chilling at times as Norma recalled some of the aspects of the women's lives.
Last night I attended our local branch of The Embroiderers Guild and Norma Bean came to tell us the significance of the bonnets and their story. 
The pages are ready for the embellishment of my sketches and additions before putting them into the embellished cover.
Visit again to see the development of the Purple Book.
Lots of comings and goings at The Gallery today. I was demonstrating the covers and pages for the mixed media books I am making. As you can see it involves alot of different techniques.
I love the texture and colour of this felt. It almost reminded me of a complex woven tweed pattern.
After all the inspiration of yesterday I decided to make the cards today I had been meaning to have a go at after receiving Mary Lou ATC, it had really inspired to combine even more elements with the embellishing (see previous post).
I embellished and machined and embellished some more.
Went to Cottenham, near Cambridge yesterday with Mum and Jenn. Typical as we set off the weather decides Norfolk is going to have a snow storm and as we left Norfolk into Cambridgeshire, rain!
Sent off some more ATC's this morning and then spent the rest of the day having a studio clear up as I have some visitors who want to come and see my creative space! may even make a video of my space to put on my site as others have asked about
Quilters Cottage Studio.
I have found loads of treasure and UFO's, this felt piece was one of them so I free- motion stitched all over it. I feel it needs more embellishment with glitter threads and embroidery but only had a few hours before tea and the family.
Off to Cottenham 'Textiles in Focus' near Cambridge, tomorrow with Mum and Jenn.A girls inspirational day out and Sunday dinner being cooked for when we get home, feel very lucky!
Jenn and I went to see Michelle and Lexi today, Lexi is such a cute baby. Mum is tired and happy. I think Mum dressed her with the quilt gift in mind!
We both got our cuddles in!
This is my ATC for the February swap.'Black, White and a Colour'.
This ATC arrived today from the Netherlands. The penguin stencil was handcut by Colbi the fibre artist.
I used these mixed media postcards as demonstration pieces to show the different layers of techniques yesterday at The Gallery. I will be using them as digital backgrounds for new work.
This visitors postcard comprises of card, paper scraps,tissue paper,PVA glue,acyrlic paints,stamp an inks, oil bars and coloured pencils.
A Gallery visitors enjoying the mixed media taster, postcard art morning, combinning different medias which could then be used for postcards or continued to make the front of a greetings card.
This Blue Embellishment was brought in today by one of the ladies last week who had a taster embellishment morning.
This 'Green Sparkle Brooch' was just yummy to make and embellish.I used a vintage button for that added sparkle.
Each item I make is unique so if you would like to purchase this,
visit my Etsy shop
http://www.janeclarkarts.etsy.com/
If You would like to commission a gift brooch or your favourite colour.
Please email me.
See how I embellish felt on my website http://www.art2inspire.co.uk/
With all the red around today, I spent the time up-dating my 'Red Exhibition' website so that it opens faster. 
I have had a really busy week, finishing off pieces and continuing work for exhibitions and teaching. This apple was to practice the stitches before I try them out on ordinary fabric not even weave with easyto follow holes!
I have enjoyed making this 'Cluster' Brooch this afternoon too!
Finished Brooch, What do you think?
I wanted the viewer to be looking into the petri-dish or onto a magnified slide of the amazing creatures we don't see.
Today I needed to get down to some real creating with the embellisher. Using my Marine Biology inspiration. I made the base fabric to embroider and embellish. 
This beautiful ATC was waiting for me when I got home from the Gallery and the weekly shop.
The jacket had been beautifully pieced but some of the sheer scarf pieces were starting to fray and would unravel the equiste embroidery and because some where on pockets and sleeves could not be put under the machine so we set to with a chain stitch with a similar thread. Perfect.
I did manage to do a little machining and worked on an ATC in black, white and ........... will post the finished one tomorrow!!!!
I would like to send my best wishes and thoughts to Judy, Haydn and family at this time.
Took all the art stuff to do black and white plus colour of choice (pink and blue, I could'nt decide at the time) for the new ATC challenge and to show Gallery visitors the Artist Trading Cards from around the world and that art could be beautiful,small and can be achieved in their short visit. Also collage work of mine that combined the medias of paper,textile,paint and print.
This ATC arrived from Sheila today, it's wonderful is'nt it? 
As you can see it is The French Knot!
I entered this quilt for the Valentine Weekly Challenge on Quilting Blogger. It's very pastel!
The postcards for 'The Blue Moon' collection is now available to buy at
After making a stew for tea I settled down to embellish!! This felt was made the layered and wet method during the Summer last year. I make a batch of different colour backgrounds. I embellished this one with twisted wool tops with the Embellisher and then embroidered and beaded. I love the feel of stitching made felt.
This morning Stewart and I went and cleared a section of the woods, near where we live. The trees had come down across the walkway. We loaded up the trailer and spent most of the morning chopping and adding to the wood pile. So this afternoon I needed to sit and sew. I added some more ribbon stitches to 'Seaweed' burnt round the edges of the open weave fabric (when doing this be careful of smoke and have water near by!). I then added a base of made fibre paper.
Lexi's Quilt cut out. 3 inch squares cut with the rotary cutter, trim borders and the bias binding.
My friend Michelle who I went to College with is having a baby girl due on the 18th of Feb but as we all know they choose their own time to come into the world.
When I came home today this beautiful ATC was waiting for me. It was made by Robbie and came all the way from Australia. 
Ladies embellishing at The Gallery Dereham. We made up a new word " WOOSPS", for the wool tops that were used to lay on top and embellish in. This was often followed by a giggle and then laughter. I had another lovely day and my postcards went on sale! they will be for sale on my website shortly.
The quilt is nearly finished but theres the edges to do! not easy because you have to turn a hexagon edge into a straight edge. So half lozenges and quarter lozenges needed. We labelled them to colour co-ordinate them and then sew them in.
The quilt was revealed just afterChristmas. Barbara B had taken it away and seemed to have had a sew in marathon!
