Posts by ShellyStokes
Whipped Chainstitch Bands
I’ve been working on the next piece in my StarFlower series, and I was looking for a new and different way to create a heavy band along the edge of a shape. After some trial and error, I settled on a Whipped Chainstitch Band. Before we start, here’s a peek at the center of…
Read MoreStar Flower: A Paint+Stitch+Bead Adventure
As part of my “timeout” from the business here at Cedar Canyon, I’ve spent a good deal of time on my Star Flower project. It’s the first of my Paint, Stitch & Bead adventures that will be a completed piece of art instead of a learning tool. I created the design using the Silhouette Studio…
Read MoreA Simple Stitch Separator
While I was preparing a lesson for a recent class, I decided to paint up some panels for a new computer tote. I wanted something with a lot of color, and I found this piece of hand dyed fabric in my closet and decided it had suffered in the purgatory called my stash…
Read MoreGot Glass Rubbing Plates?
One of my favorite things about working with Paintstik Rubbings (and teaching you to use them!) is that we can make rubbings from just about anything that is reasonably flat and has a texture. Including glass. [Tweet “See how you can save Grandma’s pie plate on fabric.”] During one of the recent classes, Kathy Maras…
Read MoreTesting A Flower Collage Overlay
Do you ever have an idea for a project you are working on – but hesitate to check it out because testing the idea could destroy all the work you have already done? I often find myself wanting to play it safe rather than pushing ahead with something that might be really cool. The nagging…
Read MoreA Kraft-Tex Bag Corner Tutorial
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Almost 3 years ago, I made a lovely bag from some of my painted fabric. And, for the first time, I added pieces of Kraft-Tex to the corners to corners of the bag to protect them from wear and tear. (See Kaleidoscope Bag post here.) Just last week, as I was posting this link…
Read MoreRubbing Plate Surgery
Several years ago, when Zentangles were very much in fashion, I designed a set of rubbing plates I called Doodles. Many of the designs were divided into sections instead of having one distinct design for each plate. [Tweet “Build your own textures with Rubbing Plate Surgery!”] My favorite plate in the collection is the one…
Read MoreClay Prints with Zahava Sherez
As a teacher and a Creative Mentor, I’m always encouraging you to Try Something New. And you know what? It’s good for me to take a dose of my own medicine! So… On a recent “sisters” trip to California, I arranged a private class with Oakland artist Zahava Sherez. I met Zahava during my travels…
Read MoreMake Time For Your Creative Nature
Do you ever open a fortune cookie and see something that makes you sit up and take notice? This bit of wisdom found me after dinner a few years ago – and I still have it posted right next to my desk. For me, it’s a valuable reminder of the long path I traveled the…
Read MorePiping Hot Experiment Comes Full Circle
Don’t you love it when things come full circle? Just before Christmas, I returned home to find a gift bag hanging on my front door. Inside? A lovely little zippy bag made from my Piping Hot Experiment blocks! Thanks Deb – I love it! [Tweet “Check out the latest on Shelly’s Piping Hot Experiment.”] In…
Read MoreWhat Is A Whole Cloth Collage?
As I have been preparing to teach my new Whole Cloth Collage with Paintstiks and Textures course, I have been trying to pin down an answer for an interesting question – what exactly is a Whole Cloth Collage? According to our friends at the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a collage is A) an artistic composition made of…
Read MoreJust Me And My Shadow At The Ranch
We arrived at our friends’ ranch on Sunday, and I took advantage of a beautiful Monday for a walk about. Our time “at the ranch” is my favorite time of year. If I were to pick up and move to another place in the US, I expect it would be to this corner of…
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