Minis for the Winter Months

My friend Gracie, who owns Gracie D's Antiques, Collectibles and Gifts here in Mirror, likes my minis -- and so do her customers. They are particularly fond of "the ones with beads", so I promised her a couple (at least) in time for the "Lucrative Gift-giving Season".Having decided to use mono-printing for my latest 15 x 15 Group piece, I took advantage of the painted "plate" (a layer of laminate off-cuts recycled from my daughter's office) to create a couple of "tree" pieces. I printed one on the "right" side of the fabric, and one on the "wrong" side...can you guess which one? ;-)

This time I tried out a new-to-me acrylic paint recommended by Lorette at Red Deer's Alberta Art and Drafting: "Open Acrylic" paint from Golden, in "Bone Black". I bought several months ago, but this was the first time I'd tried it -- and I have to say, for what I was doing (line drawings as mono-prints), it worked a treat! It took less paint than conventional acrylic because it stayed wet longer (that's the "open" benefit); in fact, it was still sticky when I finished what I wanted to do for that session.

Once they dried, I sandwiched each piece and free-motion quilted each one with Superior Thread's King Tut cotton in #979 - "Obsidian". I'm blessed to be able to buy what I need here in Canada and generally do so once a year at the Central Alberta Quilt Show in Red Deer in the spring. :-)

Then I "blopped" (isn't that a great technical term?) each piece with "snow", using a toothbrush and Pebeo Setacolor Opaque in "Perle Shimmer" (white, obviously)... and auditioned each one for bead positions...

Audition #1 - "Dining Alone"

Audition #2 - "Lunch Meeting"

The first one is finished, matted, packaged and photographed. (A final photo will appear later.) The second remains under construction (needs beads and mat) so will follow shortly...

But I have a music practice this evening (trio at church) and work in The Shop tomorrow, so that's all for now.

Linking to WIP Wednesday over on The Needle and Thread Network...and wishing you a better rest of the week...