JOURNALS/FOLDERS - CALL 'EM WHAT YOU WANT!

Finished a few variations of these folders - I am trying to pick up a piece of unfinishedness and make it up into something.     If it is decided it isn't worthy of further attention, it has either gone into the OpShop pile for someone else to recycle in their own style, a pile for a destashing page, or into the bin.

The Skully folder panel was created using a few techniques, so long ago, that I hope I can remember them all.    I machine embroidered the skull  onto a piece of cheese cloth using normal sewing thread.    As it was going to be painted this was the better choice as polyester embroidery thread doesn't hold the paint as well.    I removed the tearaway and added two layers of wadding behind the skull.   Next a round or two of free motion stitching to hold the wadding in place and then the excess wadding was removed to give the skull some depth.  

To make the panel, you will need a piece of melamine or core flute - something that   won't stick to the piece.    I put down  a piece of  fabric (black by the looks of the scrap I pulled apart)  on to the board.    Using a slightly watered down mix of  PVA glue, I brushed the fabric and layed down some wrinkled tissue paper -  you don't want heavy layers, but you do want creases.    The skull on the cheese cloth can now be laid down - again, make little ridges and create texture.   Make sure there is 'generous without being ridiculous' amounts of glue on the back of the skull and that the cheesecloth is all glued down.     I planned on stitching through the piece when done, so don't make it too thick.   

When it it dry, paint with your main colour.   You may need a couple of coats.    Use a sponge to add another colour.   Dab into the paint, pat down on a piece of paper towel and then get to work on the embroidery.    Let it dry on the board - just take care when pulling it up.    

None of this is washable of course, but is great for book covers or framing.   

Putting these together using scraps of painted fabric, wadding and fancy yarns, I originally had plain black as the back and both the inside linings.    This became problematic because of fluff.   Turns out the fluff was the wadding working its way through the black.   Didn't matter how many times I used the lint roller, sticky tape etc, it kept on coming.    So after a bit of thought, I got out the hairdressers brush that they use for mixing colours and putting on your hair, and did a bit of cross hatching with some gold paint.    Problem fixed!!

I have a few others that have been completed in the past few weeks so stand by!!  

Sue  xxx