Friday, November 1, 2013

The Vintage Wooden Spool Rolling Blog Hop

Hello everyone!  I'm so happy you stopped by today.  I hope everyone who celebrates Halloween had a great day yesterday. 

One of the nicest things about blogging is the people you meet and become friends with.  The blog hop I'm sharing today came about because I found a blog friend named Christine.  Christine makes wonderful jewelry and is a very generous caring person.  A few months ago she contacted some of us and told us she was sending us a package.  In it we would find some vintage things she had found at an antiques store and some beads.  We could do whatever we wanted with the beads but we had to use at least one of the vintage items in the package.  It would be  a rolling blog hop so we wouldn't feel pressured to finish a project on a specific date.  We had the option of participating or not.  See, I told you she is a very caring person.  She, like the rest of us, has too many things to do and she didn't want us to feel pressured.  When the package arrived we found that the vintage items were thread spools.  I knew immediately that I wanted to use at least one of them on a canvas with a sewing/thread theme.  Here is what I made for the challenge.




It's called "The Fabric of Life".  I found that phrase on a piece of scrapbook paper in my stash and I knew that was my direction.  The friends we make become a part of the fabric of out lives and I thought this was the perfect project to use it for.   I made this canvas in a class my daughter and I took last month.  The class was taught by Michelle Ward.  Michelle has become another friend because of our blogs.  So another thread in the fabric of my life.  Michelle is not only a great artist but also a great teacher.  This class was called Recess and I knew that this was my project for this hop.  I would spotlight the vintage spool on this canvas.

After covering the canvas with gesso we took an empty match box and positioned it where we wanted it on our canvas.  Then we cut around it with a craft knife.  The match box was inserted into the hole and glued in place.  After applying more gesso we dry brushed the canvas with paint adding layers of paint and wiping some off.  I chose the green paint because the printing on the top of the spool is the same shade of green.  Unfortunately you can't see that in the pictures.  Before I started painting I tore my paper and glued it down.  To make it part of the canvas, and not the focal point, on Michelle's advice I sanded the edges.  I wanted it to be very subtle so that the spool was the focal point of the canvas.  I used a stencil with heavy body gel to add some dimension and lined the matchbox with some old pattern paper from a child's vest pattern I used for my daughter when she was a little girl.  More threads.  Finally, I glued the spool into it's little recess.  When I got home from the class I added the scissors above it.  The scissors was a gift I found in an order from Linda Coughlin, The Funkie Junkie.  Another kind person I met on the blog. 

So, that's the story of my vintage spool gift.  There were more spools in the package and I'll be using them all eventually.  I'll share what I do with them.  For now, here are some details which will speak for themselves.




Thank you all for visiting with me today. You all  are part of the fabric of my life and it has become a very rich fabric indeed!    I hope you have a wonderful day.  




16 comments:

  1. Wow so cool Maryanne, I love the canvas and all the little details you put into it so simple, but yet makes a big statement. I am so glad to be a part of your fabric.
    Therese

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  2. Wow! I can tell you had fun with this process, and I am in total awe of the colors, textures and space in this piece.

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  3. This is awesome! Have I told you that my mother is a seamstress!! This would perfect on a wall for someone who sews! In addition to the cool saying, I was fascinated to read that you used a matchbox of all items for the spool backing! Totally awesome - I love this!!

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  4. This artwork is beautiful! The threads of the spool, who taught the class, the scissors...all blog people in your life. This minimalist piece seems so appropriate, like each one of us can add our own mental touch to it, since we all contribute to your fabric...and you to ours :-) Maryanne, I just love this piece. The ladder texture is a nice addition to keep the eye going up or down to see the key parts. And the recessed box, with the pattern tissue paper! That was my favorite memory of when my mom made clothes~the tissue paper. I loved the muted color and the sound and what was written on it. Once, I opened one of her patterns just to play with it. She wasn't happy. Having a touch of your daughter in here really is lovely. Thank you so much for doing this Hop, for offering up such kind words, and for bringing this piece to life. The spool~that simple wooden spool~really shines :-)

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  5. What a beautiful use of the vintage spool! I love how you have kept it bare. The symbolism of friends being the fabric of our lives is so perfect!

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  6. oh my gosh! I just love this! I love the meaning behind it and the texture and color... Wonderful unique use that tells so much.

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  7. oh cow I love this piece! the detail that went in to this .... looks effortless, but you can see just how many layers go into the fabric of life! just such an amazing work of art, and statement about friendship and life! I said this on Christine's post, but seriously .... this should be hanging in a gallery!

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  8. Totally stunning and I have to say I just love the words and the thought behind it, - so very true! The background to this piece has so much depth and subtle texture and I love the little recess with the spool! Fabulous make!!

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  9. I absolutely love this page, Maryann! It is just stunning!!!!! I love the texture and color and everything about it! And thank you SO MUCH for stopping by my blog, too!

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  10. What a beautiful post. And what a wonderful metaphor - the fabric of life. Much as I love pretty things, in my old age I've come to appreciate art that that was purposefully created to represent a message. A lot of art subconsciously does that, and with time and patience you can untangle some meaning. Your piece has wonderful simplicity and clarity, really GREAT. Those scissors are super sweet too. They added the perfect touch.

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  11. Love, love, love, love. And adding part of the vest pattern!?!?! Meaningful and ingenious!

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  12. Wow, what a stunning piece of art - I love the composition, and I especially love the thoughts behind it - beautiful. I wish Michelle Ward taught over here in the UK - it must have been an amazing experience doing one of her classes! Thanks so much for visiting my blog, I so appreciate it. Hope you had a good Halloween.

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  13. I am just in awe of your piece! I love the mixed media and all of the detail you put into it. I loved Christine's thoughts behind the spools and I love how you expanded on it -- just fabulous.

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  14. Wow! I just love what you created with a spool. Love your work -a broad scope and very interesting ;)

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  15. Wow! That not only looks like it was fun to create and learn, it turned out so awesome! I really like how you used the theme in both your piece and running through this post. Fabulous job!

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  16. This is gorgeous, Maryann! I just love the art you've created with the spool Christine sent. Fabulous!

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