UB - Stick Design ....Cross Stitch Books & My Buttons

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www.ub-stickdesign.de

Look what I got to wake up to this morning....!!!!

So beautiful.

Ulrike of UB- Stickdesign  is the creator of these 2 beautiful books...

The Everyday Angel large button I painted in blue for her and I did many & off to Germany they all went.... it was today I saw the most beautiful design for the angel to sit in...

Book is " So Oder So Part 3 Art L2017-3 

You know when I see another designer use my work it is a very special moment.

Christmas speaks across all languages & mediums & this is no exception

The small December Button & his faithful deer are in this Christmas book and the small everyday red angel 

" Im Advent" Art No E - 1031W

The website for contact with Ulrike is above & she has a lot of divine cross stitch designs...so buy from her or she will direct you to where...

New things & Finding Trunk Show displays

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These are designs that have started their life in Christmas Mini Decorations ...& one is a gorgeous angel I did for my first Victoria Craft & Quilt show teaching it from Miss Sampson's stand

These are very small dear things & now most are getting to grow up fast in the next order..so these ones will be a limited supply size....

Love them !!!

Yesterday I delved into the cupboard to see what frames I had in there & found these...

I did these in the summer ...

Note the background is one of the sprayed stencil fabrics I'll have on my trunk show journeys...

This one has a more French feel...

 The rest of the one above in a different light

I love to piece things together...buttons, stamped fabric ....fabric cut into hearts with little story sewn on....

You will see if you want to have a trunk show or come to ones I am a guest at...

TRUNK SHOW

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I thought this display was a bit like a Christmas tree...

For my display boards I will carry on my journey for trunk shows ....

TRUNK SHOW is HAPPENING 

in 

ALBURY

at

AVONLEIGH COUNTRY QUILT SHOP 

on 

Wed 28th Sept in the evening

Contact Avonleigh if interested

I just show up LOL 

The ADVENT FELT STOCKING Calendar...

It has a set of 24 buttons at a very best price....

Hand sew felt & so easy & fun & something to snatch a sew a little bit each day.

In the layouts there is also a mitten & a U bag layout so you can swap about.

At the trunk shows I will talk some on the possibilities as I daydream them & inspire you to more creativity !!!  

On Christmas .... I think Factory & Field gorgeous shop in Cohuna opens it's CHRISTMAS SHOP within the huge industrial shop in mid September..... 15th or 19th seems to be a bell.

I have a post on here somewhere with that poster  which has the dates...it'll be on facebook but I am not anymore ..only drawback LOL

little idea

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I was "tidying up " last night ...

when distraction set in..

I had bought these neat boxes which are white opaque plastic...

Thought at the time they could be great for making an Advent Calendar theme ..which they would !

Tuck something inside  add a tag with the date on them....

Or

Use them as little gift bags.

This Plum Pudding decoration box could have a sweet little cookie cutter inside or maybe some calico for the pudding cook up....

Doesn't matter what really, some threads....needle... 

  

See this pair of snow people  below hugging each other as if they might just melt...

Well it has arrived as a button today....

Small & rather cute

A Book of sorts

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These booklet things I love just as much as the spray stencilling...

I paint the booklet roughly....

Then the surface is mine to do ????

I used a few stamps this time...

Papers dye cut music paper or a  French art paper torn & stamped...

some fabric ( linen sort of fabric ) stamped....

add a twig angel button...

Select a Paris stamp....

Last page ....stocking front... a tag of fabric & a bit of ribbon Merry Christmas

Stamped again...

These sorts of things are for me,, creativity at their best.

There is such a buzz, it is simple ..yet the effect is how you work each found object...that is the creativity..... 

French Stencilled panels

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As I was saying in my last blog

about spraying French stencils to linen mix fabric

I always love these...

Handling the pieces that are all uneven sizes & shapes...

I imagine it is like a little French shop full of interesting things...

This is a find !

I did this style of work some years ago but with stamps on mostly another linen & cotton mix of fabric I have....

Took it to the last Quilt & Craft show I did in the Exhibition centre in Melbourne....

not sure my audience would get it.....to my surprise they did....

So these are prepared for my trunk show travels to the beach....

 Imagine what you would find in this Patissere .....

These Christmas styles were done with a different spray 

&

ALAS it is too oily & has not dried.....

So these pieces are bound for the wash bucket & I'll start again..

BECAUSE I LOVE THIS LOOK

These were done using my wood pieces & some cardboard stars...

I love to experiment to see .....

This is how I began this with a small canvas board

In between I am making some "books" that are paper mache...

I paint.... spray & find objects & buttons 

to tell a different story...

Gorgeous I think LOL

Deers & co

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 The red star deer is a 7cm size....standing tall

The others are buttons on card stars.....

These are packaging really & can be left as is or dismantled to pop your santa somewhere......the star is always useful.....

Yesterday in the sunshine that came & went, I took to the outdoors to spray some linen blend fabric with French stencils & then that expanded to using the wood words ..& cardboard stars & even a couple of buttons......as my stencils

I had a lovely few moments

Today I expected to see a thick frost on the grass, but it has rained...& there was a kangaroo mum with her joey out for some solo morning session...

A different kind of sunshine 

Where the road takes me now....

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Barb Smith©

do not copy

The road maps sometimes take us into spaces where gardens grow.....

lavender blooms in abundance.....

apple trees shine with red glossy fruit...

This is a new design in the Road Map Designs...

A little diversion from Christmas designing....

I have hand painted this sample ...

The designs are ideal for stitching.....perhaps pop some fabric applique also..

Or 

this is the start of your quilt.....

I have 2 more LOL

Each is A3 size....

I might pop this on the web now & you can pre order if you wish...

We'll do a pre order special for $13.00 + postage of large letter.

I have a couple of steps to go for the bagging up again in the little premade bags...

Won't be long like couple of days.....

The Beach

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Momentos of my beach life...

I am going to the beach very soon 

 Very excited 

 It will be more than momentos on the bath

Deer Button Stitcheries

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As I was saying in the previous blog....

The samples are below of deer little things...

They are so quick to create & add to little frames...? see them now on the wall...?

Stockings, gift bags, little U bags for the tree....

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Button up !

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More Button Stitchery cards have been created.......

In the next day or so these will all get on to the website...

These are a set I laid on the scanner to scan individually...

Often I do a full page first..

I was struck by how these are linked by theme or colour....

Christmas .....

I have a little sample for these ....

Creating each one with some felt & pieces for snow etc & trees...

or stitched on linen....etc

This style is one of my very favourites

4 individual button stitcheries here & each is a one only...

I will always illustrate this way .... so you'll see the likenesses as day turns into night. 

Show & Tell

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This was to be a quick blog ..but where did I store these works by Val & Gudrun 

Found them ....finally.

This first photo is from Val stitched & to felt the brown paper bag stitchings I have designed...

Val has added them to Felt & detailed with rusty bells....gorgeous idea...

Gudrun is in Sweden & she wrote of making carry bags to replace the plastic bags polluting the Swedish waters .... we in Australia are talking about plastic bag free towns.

When I arrived in Cohuna about 15 years ago it was already plastic bag free town..

I had a tricky time adapting as the bags... I always forgot to take from my car boot for my replacement 

Gudrun has stitched one of my lady designs onto the bag & added a flowerpot button too.

How good is that for shopping !!!!

Painted Designs

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The Road map designs I have completed the 5 panels I drew up over a few weeks..

As I type these words I am now eager to draw some garden ones....it is a grotty cold day...

but I do need to go out to post....so it will depend on how my day flows...

Days that flow...reminds me how easily we can become very rigid in the way we live, the way we see things & the way we believe.....

it makes one feel secure I guess....

When I resigned from the public service 

I made an effort not to follow the clock again...

(unless I had an appointment which was showing up on time as a sign of respect for the service I had engaged)

I never wore a watch....

took pleasure in the daily rhythms of my life.....

I still try to maintain this ....

What appears to many on the surface to be an all out casual person...

I am alert & awake most of the time....

I have the good fortune to be blessed with keen observation of the human kind....

I find many things in my everyday...dawdling life to be so interesting...often engaging

no diary in sight....

I do track my world ...I have the to do list.....but I select from that at times not let a bit of paper with words on it run me....  

I love nothing more than people, they interest me....painting which gives me solitude to apply the paint in detail....& listen to the world reported via the ABC radio...

The light changes....I am aware of it.

I enjoy some technology I use that as a tool not as my dictator for living....

I love the science of discovery....especially how they read genetics

so the flow of life....continues..

Road Maps I guess !

Glimpse the Road Map design packages

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The 5 panels have now been painted for the 

Road Map Designs

Packaging has been decided

Notes are partially done .... for the "Directions"

***

Which reminds me...

A movie is coming here on 18th August...

PARIS CAN WAIT

which is so what lights me up....!!!

taking detours... off main roads....meandering through the country side ( just not in France ..alas )

Letting life take one on a journey that is spontaneous...

I thought as I watched the trailer for this movie...

I love doing this & these new patterns will take journeys too into a new world of discovery...for those who want a journey of their own creativity...use the designs ..use the suggestions...

maybe just toss away the ruler.....LOL

feel the wind in your hair.....

stitch, applique ...work in felt...paint on fabric... let the magic take you.....

**** 

It is raining steadily this morning & the day is icy....

I still feel for those people soggy & cold & yes I would think lonely on the streets...with no home...

I have much gratitude the power is still on !!!

The room is warm...

I feel cosy...

&

I will work on the finalising of the design notes & all can be set ...into the wind...

I will paint the orders first so they can be in the post tomorrow...

I am always conscious of that.... waiting for an order seems to take forever sometimes..

So many little button stitcheries & extra painted things will be posting tomorrow...

Today I will be snug & work....

We NEED to DO SOMETHING !!!

WE SO NEED TO DO SOMETHING !

****

To AUSTRALIAN PEOPLE

It is freezing cold here in Victoria today....

I am grateful I have a warm & dry home ...

BUT

Many do not...

It is not their choice to be homeless & cold, & marginalised all over Australia .

I feel helpless on where to help & I know what I have read & seen thus far, talking to these people & giving them food, and at times temp shelter....but that is not a home is it ?

My brothers & I have all discussed the broader requirements & to have a community behind this to change & bring each person in from the cold.

Goodness we do it with our pets or a stray dog or cat......it breaks our heart....to see the animals uncared for, hungry, wanting decent shelter,to be loved by another kind person... 

People are NO DIFFERENT

In a society we all need help at different times in our lives, none of us are bullet proof.

This is our country AUSTRALIA

These are our fellow people....

Sign the petition to add your support.

We did it with Domestic Violence ..raised the problem....& this is ongoing now....help at last...for these people who also suffered so badly.

We can now help homeless to have HOMES not shelter !!!

http://www.endthehousingcrisis.org.au/100khomes

One of the Button Stitcheries

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 Val kindly allowed me to show you this button stitchery she did from a pack she purchased from me earlier in the season. 

Looks fabulous framed.

I have changed the way the blog is formatted...

we'll see how it is LOL 

More of yesterday

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From my evening doing the display.....

The background there is the star deers, star boots, trees ....

in the foreground

are small star decorations...

These are just so cute ...

I did put some on the website ...one onlys is each design on the stars

Yesterday I finished painting on the fabric for the new release of Road Maps Stitcheries...

Looks rather wonderful in fabric painting....will be as beautiful stitched....or some applique or some felt...

you know that creative experience will take you on an amazing journey...

So we pack up the car & see what comes....

They are Christmas today I hope to start on another 2 I have traced off ready to paint on calico..

So if you are painters this is fitting for you also..

I am going to use the tiny red ric rac as borders....

I pulled out some printed ribbon also & had to be disciplined on what I thought looked best for this one.... 

The options are amazing.... sew some with felt & use a plain fabric as background & stitch also...

add little beads, rusty bells ...

Make this as a quilt...main panel ..with pieces of it ....as smaller versions