Arts Club at the Library

Back in June and July, (pre and post-flood Calgary) Jan and I did several workshops at library branches using readily available and cost conscious items to make creative mixed media brooches.

Needled Felted and Embroidered Brooches

The first project that we did was a combination of a machine needle felted backing with hand embroidery stitches and embellishments. Each participant was given a square of the needle felted background and cut the shape they wanted for their brooch. Then they used embroidery floss to stitch, add beads or sequins and then blanket stitch around the edge to finish.

Mixed Media Brooches

The second project was a mixed media piece with each participant given a rubber stamped impression of a lady's face in craft foam that they coloured with metallic markers. In their kit they were also given a variety of fibre pieces including a heat distressed piece of felt, organza, heat distressed and painted Tyvek. Several of the gals found them so fun that they made 2 of them.

Zipper Brooches

The final project that we did at several branch libraries was a brooch made with one side of a metal zipper, some heat distressed felt leaves, crystal brads and beads.  We had several mom and daughter duos at one branch and even the little gals found this a relatively easy project to complete, with mom's help of course! They all went home with them proudly pinned to their backpacks.

Bodacious Blooms

You may remember the posting on making felt flowers a while back. While I was making those flowers an idea "blossomed" (pun intended) and I suggested to Jan that we should do a joint project for the show on October 20. Now that the show is over we can finally unveil our arrangement.

It started by making a wet felted vessel for the vase and then finding a source for the non woven paper. We incorporated leaves and flowers made from commercial poly felt and the non woven papers. Both fibres can be easily cut with scissors or using Sizzix dies, can be stitched by hand or machine and heat distressed with our trusty heat guns.  The final touch was the hot pink wire spirals.

"Bodacious Blooms"
Meredith Helgeson and Jan Scruggs

   

Needless to say we had lots of fun over the summer with this project and the day before launch day decided against trying to calculate how many hours we had put into it. Feedback on it was great at the exhibition and we even got the green thumbs up from floral arranger guru Arlee Barr (thanks Arlee!)