working!

While I try to get life organized a bit here, and prepare to be homebound due to essentially being (perhaps almost indefinitely) without a car in the mountains, I have some things in progress. I drew up a caterpillar with a hookah of course, and the dormouse. I think I will complete the design, or initial design, of 8 with the gryphon.

And also did up some witch welcome mats, thanks to a customer asking for a design with brooms! This is one of a few I did up and put in my shop

The chairs

I should mention the Alice in Wonderland chairs are listed on ebay. :o)
http://www.ebay.com/sch/dandelionretreat/m.html

And then my other chairs are on etsy
I have a salon type corner chair with Alice fabric

 And my Ikat inspired fabric chair

Alice in Wonderland Tea Chairs

First off, I should admit I am not a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland, the story. It is kind of too crazy and confusing for me? LOL But I love the imagery. On the same not I am in love with Beatrix Potter, her life, her story, but really  have only read a couple of her stories. I love HER and her drawings.

So I worked for hours and hours on making designs, creating more color options, and then printing! I love my printer although it is probably bottom of the line (all I could afford LOL). It prints well and yet it also decides it doesnt want to print, and runs the fabric through and says "out of paper" LOL This can happen up to 20 times sometimes. Sigh! I finally gave up last night one sheet from finishing my agenda. I have enough fabrics though (the picture above shows about half the fabrics I have printed. These are all my drawings and designs.

Below is my first prototype. I just used the bad prints (printer was reading black ink) I had to  make sure my chair design would work out. I also decided I didnt like the background design I had made up to go behind characters.

Below is the chair, as I realized it needed more than planned, trim around the various pieces.

Then I realized it really needed something on top of the chair. I sculpted a teapot and tea cups to make a mold to then mold with polymer and paint and adhere.....

Then I realized it still needed something!!!! Now I think I have a design I like!
So below you see the final product,or well one of the final products. I wish I had a fun table to put the chairs with but I made do with what I could come up with. Also wish I had a major Alice in Wonderland tea set to really set it of!!!

These are obviously straight backed chairs that are upholstered. I thought it would be really fun to do 2 different fabric layers on the bottom part of the chair to add a bit of whimsy, more detail, and fun color/pattern depth. 

A couple chairs! witchy!!!

I looked around online and found a chair I thought was very fun, so I did up a pattern. I made the Orange chair from the first pattern and then realized there was no slope and altered the pattern. The bat chair is the result. Will do more today with different fabric, modern I think!

Also worked on a few half scale things. I took my son's lego magazine he gets in the mail and cut some things out for a boys room. Wanted posters etc LOL glued on cardstock then am putting in a room. I also thought hmmmm I just read how you can take a magazine pic and glue it to sandpaper for a textured like rug affect. I tried it with play money. then painted it and put fabric on the back and did up fringe. What kid wouldnt love that as a rug! I dont love it but I think kids looking inside the room would think it would be fun? It will go in the room with the lego posters.

I did a chaise!!!

As I plodded along figuring  how to make this work, including embossing pieces of a disposable pie pan (which worked along the bottom edge but not for the swan) I got closer and closer to getting it! played with lace and then trying to handle our puppy who was whining all day to be played with, I hurried and finished. This meant paint on the fabric. Then I thought oh well it is going in advent calendar so lets experiment more and not worry about possible mess, and well I got eurathane on the fabric. But nothing that cant be fixed with a throw and pillow and book and cat? LOL The rug was sent to my by a friend (thank youuuuu) who  made the rug years ago but it didnt match anything she wanted it to. I had planned to make my first chaise, before I got the rug, from a piece of silk I have and love. I had the silk from my doll making days. I didnt plan it but boy does this chaise match that rug beautifully or what!!!!?????

ugh!!!

I have spent days, with a frenzied determination, to make these jumping jacks, also called pantins, and almost there but still too big! i need a break!
Meanwhile, truly inspired and in awe of this woman's skills with cardstock! just wow!!! going to come up with some designs for half scale furniture inspired by what she does!!! And I think it is truly incredible that she shares her knowledge online!
http://1inchminisbykris.blogspot.com/search/label/French%20chaise%20made%20from%20card%20stock
Here is a pic of something I would love to make in half scale, this is a real life chaise. I have long adored them and never had one!!!!