Mixed Media Embroidery

My current obsession with tubular bead crochet eased off enough to allow me to work on some embroidery pieces. I ordered a sheet of mini art works printed on fabric from Stitch & Fable and they were lovely:

I sometimes like to do mixed media pieces and these mini artworks were perfect for my purposes! I used to create my own manipulated photos printed on fabric but I’ve lost the software, or it’s out of print, and I have made any art prints on fabric in years. Does anyone remember the smaller, more usable (for me) version of Photoshop that was out years ago? I can’t remember the name. Can anyone recommend photo manipulation software I newbie can handle?

My first piece in this series. Part of the fun is trying to figure out the design and what will go where.

This one took a bit to work out. The pink/red embroidery up the sides was easy but the middle took some pondering. I knew it needed something but it took me a while to figure out what that should be. Eventually, with a little help/suggestions, I went with mirroring the side embroidery along the strip up the middle. That little bit was just what it needed.

The silk rosettes I learned in the embroidery class I took last summer continue to wow me. I just love them! They seemed perfect for the four corners of this lunar piece. The embroidery is minimal but there’s just enough to accent the roses.

My fourth piece I’m still not sure about but it’s starting to grow on me. Is the lace medallion pulling the picture across the felt? Is it a flag waving in the wind? I don’t know. Tell me what you think. I’m curious to hear other opinions.

This is the last one to date. I still have four more of the little art works left but as I type, I haven’t used any of them yet. I’m considering framing these up and trying to sell them at the Ann Arbor Artisan Market on Sundays (in November and December) in Kerrytown but this one I’m keeping. It’s my favorite. This one had a couple of iterations before I settled on this embroidery design. I really like how it turned out. A lot!

I’m currently between projects and it’s gray and rainy outside. I need a little pick-me-up. I think I’ll go take a look at those little art works… and maybe add some beads…