Some trials, some post

This is a sample postcard for an exchange with the theme Earth Day - I had an idea that I'd quite like to get a lot of "earth" in the picture, and I think this works. The finished card will also probably have some beads, etc in the underground bit, and maybe some glitter in the sky or something like that. When making this, I'm reminded why I make postcards in groups (when I'm doing more than one on a theme, which is most of the time) - fiddling around changing the thread colour every two seconds is a beast, isn't it. The rest will be done with all the roots first, them all the stems, and so on. Maybe I'm just lazy, but that's the kind of palaver I really can do without.


No idea how I will edge it - normal satin stitch an option of course, but other suggestions gratefully received.







Again, here are some test cards - I thought I'd share them, as I find the processes on other blogs interesting - sometimes more interesting than the finished product, or at least as interesting. The theme for this swap will be spring, and I had an idea to do a window, grey and blah, and then you open it and hey presto - spring. The card on the right was the first attempt, but won't work, as it's too thick. I might try a variation on it not using two layers of pelmet vilene, but just fabric for the shutters on the window - and turn the orientation the other way, so you get more spring when you open the window.

The one on the left I like a lot, but not sure it will travel well - I have used velcro to keep the "blind" down, and more velcro so that you can roll the blind up and see the spring outside the window. I guess I could post them in plastic sleeves. I have two separate spring swaps with different groups, both needing 5 cards, so perhaps I will do some of each...

Thanks to my littlest helper for opening the window!




And it was also a nice day for things in the post - yesterday was a bank holiday, so no post arrived at all, I guess today was making up for it. The pile on the left is my swapped blocks back from the black and white and bright carefree nine-patches I made a little while back - a good variety of blocks back (those are all pairs, which I haven't yet separated), so I will have fun working with them - good baby quilt(s), I think.

And on the right, postcards from my EuroSwap swap (no theme) from Nadine (top) and the favourite colour swap (which I did the brown ones for) on FAI from Mari. Great cards, ladies, thanks!