Saturday, September 20, 2014

Flying the Prayer Flag!

There's something about doing an art swap that motivates me. It gets me to work on schedule, I meet other bloggers and sometimes I even work outside my comfort zone!


 

Joanne's Prayer Flag swap fit into that last category in particular. Why? Because I don't sew and these had to be 4x6 vertical flags made from cloth with a space for "stringing" onto a cord or ribbon.


So, I went the easy way. Is anything easier than burlap? It instantly fringes, it's very easy to hand stitch a straight line for the ribbon space and has some heft to it, so it doesn't need to be sized.


 I have a ton of angst about my flags. I know I'm working with a lot of artists (including Joanne) who are miraculous seamstresses and who gracefully combine fabric and threads with mixed media for an incredible ethereal look.


As you can see, mine are all pretty simple and follow my joyful life principles. For color and texture I used washi tape on the burlap, Scrabble letters, paper clay embellishments and a few naturals. I'm very into nesting these days so I made two of those!


Guess I'd better "trust" they'll be OK!

20 comments:

Beth Leintz said...

Your flags are great. I love working with burlap, it's very forgiving!

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Jeanie,
I love your flags! You do such beautiful work.
Thank you so much for visiting and leaving such a sweet comment.
Enjoy your weekend.
fondly,
Penny

Anonymous said...

Jeanie, your flags are beautiful! What fantastic work you have done!

Stepping out of our comfort zone is a good thing. Of course, it's hard or even terrifying to do so, but in the end, the satisfaction we derive from doing so is enormous. Congrats to you for stepping out of your comfort zone.

Love,
Patti

littleRamstudio said...

They look very contemporary, do like what you did with the scrabble tiles.
Here we have a different name for Burlap, we call it Hessian. Do wonder how the different names came about?
Heather :)
PS. Looking forward to sharing that bottle of Bordeaux one day!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

I just love the creative exchange that blogging offers us dearest Jeanie! What would we do without art?

HAVE A LOVELY SUNDAY! Anita

Mae Travels said...

They look interesting and fragile! Where will they hang?

Anonymous said...

I think they look really cute!

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

I LOVE your prayer flags - especially the use of the scrabble tiles! I think they are so pretty and I really like the use of burlap!

shoreacres said...

The flags are great. I got two books not long ago from a small press. They were wrapped in burlap bags of a sort I'd never seen. The weave was slightly tighter, and the color was wonderful. Now, I can't remember if I threw them away or have them in the closet. If I have them, I'll stick them in an envelope to you. They're really unusual, and I wouldn't have thought of using them for a craft project.

Happy weekend!

Jennifer Richardson said...

Such a cool idea!
I love the texture and
weight of them.
Really cool, friend:)
Fly 'em high:)
-Jennifer

Joanne Huffman said...

They're more than OK; they're wonderful!

must love junk said...

Jeanie, I love them! You did a great job! :)
Susan

Marilyn Miller said...

I love your flags~
What a fun project.
I am thinking about doing something much simpler with construction paper to hang inside the house for the holidays. I have the paper, scissors, paper punch, and templates ready. May need some red and green paper for a Christmas one.
Yours are a delight that anyone would love receiving.

Roses, Lace and Brocante said...

Your prayer flags are beautiful Jeanie!
It's lovely to see you creating.
The nest one with the feathers is my favourite!
Swaps are a wonderful way of sharing ideas and creativity.
Enjoy your week
Shane

Tracy said...

LOVE, love, love your prayer flags, Jeanie--they are BEAUTIFUL! I love the tactile qualities of your--so much texture and variety of materials! They are such happy things... And what a beautiful project too. I've always loved prayer flags, and using textiles to communicate positive and/healing messages. :o) Happy Days ((HUGS))

Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures said...

Burlap is one of my favorites to work with, so versatile! Love your pretty creations.

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeanie! Oh, how I love your little flags. Don't sell yourself short as you did a fantastic job on them! Thank you so much for popping in to see me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeanie, I am with all those comments above. Your prayer flags are wonderful. I, too, like the nest one with the feathers, because that is how I feel when I am "nesting with God" in prayer. Thanks for sharing.
Kitty

Bella Rum said...

Jeanie, your flags are beautiful! Don't be anxious at all. They exude your embracing attitude about life.

The Artful Diva said...

I've thought about making one of these flags, just never got around to it. Like yours!

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