Art Squares tutorial

Firstly let me apologise for the lack of photot's having never done a set for a tutorial I never photographed all the stages, I will have to make a set for me and take piccies.

Step1 - Right, firstly I create a background, now I have just fused plain fabric to a backing of cotton backed interlining, but mainly I like to make a more detailed background.

I used 3D medium to stamp onto red felt for the red one.I then sprinkled gold embossing powder on theo the 3d expanding medium and blasted with the heat gun. This expanded the 3d medium, made the embossing powder metallic and made the lacey bits in the melted felt.
The gold one I put the acrylic felt onto the back of some taffeta (polyester) and free machined. I then melted the felt to make the taffeta shrink and bubble ( you have to be careful not to melt the taffeta, I am producing a hanging at the mo with this techique).

Step2 - Cut the backgrounds up into 9 squares.
Step3 - Embellish. I have sed buttons, beads of all shapes and sizes, Sequin waste, home made and paper beads, Pieces of stitched felt blasted with the heat gun, charms, sequins, hand stitching, hot glue and embossing powder or microbeads etc etc. I have finished some with a buttonhole stitch and others are left raw edged. They are going to be mounted by the recipient and so I have not inished the backs off neat, you can see where i have jumped around while stitching, but I guess they will be sewn or glued down so it doesn't matter. I personally am going to mount mine on canvas and put it up in my lounge.

I hope this helps all the people who have been asking about these squares. Sara Letchner who runs this swap does a great job, but I think is bowing out of these swaps, organisation is a lot of work! I have totally loved doing these, all that is left is to photograph them all together!