Working in Photoshop

I have fully completed 16 Tarots and another one needs some hand stitching and beading. This means I am on track to complete 2 more this month and the final three in April. Hooray!!


For The Devil I needed an image of chains. (for addiction).


My attempt to draw some was not very successful. I remembered DH had some heavy chains in the shed so I got those out. I mucked about with paint on fabric, which didn't go anywhere.


I cropped one of the photos I took, manipulated them further in Photopaint and I was thrilled with the result.

This was the cropped photo of the chains on our verandah floor.

This is the image which I then printed on ready-to-print cotton and which became the background for this piece.

I have come to the conclusion that your weaknesses as well as your strengths contribute to developing a style.

Had I been able to draw, I would have done that and stopped there.

Sent the card off

I sent the card away yesterday.
The background is some of my handmarbled fabrics.
Pink Spiral on the left: running stitch, whipped with pink yarn. Little dots are put on the yarn with fabric markers.
Some angelina fibres on the right. French knots in thick perle cotton as well as some straight stitches.
Small indonesian glass beads start in the pink spiral and continue to go around the angelina bits.
What else can I say?

Started my cyberfyber card

I was going to send one of the cards in my stash, but changed my mind when I went through my own handmarbles. Made quite a few years ago when I did hundreds of fat quarters and sold them in my workshop.

I am always amazed at them, each one is different, each square inch is different.
The bits of angelina fibres were left after I cut out circles.
We are off for a week, holidaying in Brunei and Sabah. I am definitely looking forward to it, but I know I will be pleased to return to my studio!

Postcards, postcards everywhere....

I want to participate in the http://cyberfyberexhibitionpostcards.blogspot.com/ which requires a blog, so here it is!

Fabric postcards are a big part of my life at the moment. I am rewriting a course for www.quiltuniversity.com, I am in an art2mail swap, I am sending a weekly card for 48 weeks to someone I love.

My other project is creating 22 small (A4) works based on the major arcana of the Tarot.
More details on my website www.hettyvanboven.com

I will add more to this blog when I get back from holidays!