Val Cowan - Prayer Flag Swap!

Val has sent very beautiful, extraordinary flags for our swap -- all the way from Scotland! She has been doing art swaps with me for a number of years. Since 2008, I believe! You can see all of her gorgeous swap art here, on this blog.

Val also made me the sweetest gift. 

It is funny, too!

I already have hung it up in my studio, thank you!!

This makes me giggle! 

The plaid will make me think of Scotland - and Val's kindnesses.

So glad you could participate, Val : 0 )

Barbara (BJ) Meier - Prayer flag swap!!

From Barbara Joan in Vancouver, British Columbia -WOW! Such color and beauty and things that will sway in the wind. Barbara wrote a lovely note on a delicious Zentangled postcard she made:

wow! I have done a little bit of Zentangle myself -so appreciate this!

Barbara writes about how doing the hand stitching on these flags was a great conversation starter! She used quilting cotton for the base and decorated with ribbon, trim, Derwent Inktense watercolors pencils . . . . some fabric pastel sticks, embroidery floss and buttons. She wonders if I will like them???!! I think your flags are fabulous, BJ! thanks so much for the extra one for me.

Just wonderful, thank you! 

Vickie Trancho - prayer flag swap!!

I really must include a part of Vickie's personal email to me when she sent her flags . . .

When you lose people you dearly love from this planet, it can feel devastating until you realize their soul, their spirit is always there. The wonderful Prayer Flag swap really brought that back home in a beautiful way. I started my project with some gorgeous ethereal silk I've had for ages. The colors always made me smile. Perfect for the flags. As I started to cut the pieces the material kind of bunched up and the edges were so uneven. I took one look and knew that was just what I wanted. Life and death are so uneven. Then my printer quit. More hand work...beautiful. I made these flags with the intention of impermanence. The only thing certain in life is change. Their delicate nature reflects how I feel about life these days. It is so beautiful. It is so fragile. We should fly with every moment we have. Love, Vickie

I really cannot add much to those insightful words! Thank you Vickie, for adding your feelings to your art. To me, that makes the whole process much more special. And thank you for the extra flag especially for me. Not to worry, I used a permanent marker and made a "creative recovery" by adding an "n" to my name on the flag. It would be beautiful without the correction, but I like seeing "lenna love"! I love the blue feathers and the extra fabric on the left, on the flag below. I can just imagine these flowing in the breeze.

love to you Vickie, so glad for your participation! 

Gretchen Peacock - prayer flag swap!

From Gretchen, who I believe has recently landed in Maine, we have 3 lovely, layered prayer flags. She sent me an email about them and I will share that with you here . . .

This is the first time I have made these. For the base I used a fabric that I could 'true' up and then fringed the sides and bottom. I then cut pieces of fabric from my fabric stash and applied them via my sewing machine to the base fabric in different designs. Once these were done, I then sewed on embellishments as well as a slip on the back with my name and the name of my blog and it's address.

Amanda's Baskets at http://amandasbasket.blogspot.com/

Thank you for hosting this swap. I have enjoyed the experience.

Gretchen Peacock

- I'm very glad you enjoyed the experience, I have enjoyed your participation, Gretchen! 

update: prayer flag swap

Just an update for you: I have caught up with all the incoming flags (smile) and they are all uploaded to the blog. I have received 24 swaps. 1 person had to drop and I am waiting on 15 packages to arrive on or before Saturday September 15th. If you are wondering if your package has arrived, please check the swap participant page. I will mark your package as received when it comes in. Sometimes it takes me a few days to scan and upload all the packages, so thanks in advance for your patience.

I have also updated the blog a bit with a collage of some of the prayer flags that have come in already. I used Picassa and Picnik (now part of google's picassa) to do this and it was my easiest attempt at a photo collage yet. I also changed some of the fonts and the colors on the blog and hopefully it is easy to read and view. Of course, comments are welcome! I look forward to receiving the rest of the swaps and exchanging them for you!!!!!!!!!!

Shirley Bentsen - Prayer Flag swap!

This is Shirley Bentsen's very first Creative Swap and I am so glad to have you aboard, Shirley! You have done wonderful work, so bright and coolorful with a variety of yummy hand embroidery stitches. Thank you.

This is the story that Shirley added to all of her flags, explaining her theme . . . 

A larger view of one of the three flags

Below, the same blue flag as the top picture with the attached tag flipped over to see what Shirley used to make these. Click on the picture for a larger view!

Plus a sweet note with some exquisite goodies as a gift for me -

Thanks so very much! 

Susan Norwood - Prayer Flag Swap!

From Susan in Pennsylvania, we have 4 wonderful prayer flags made with vintage materials. Thank you for the extra flag, Susan, I feel so very blessed! You can read more about these flags and see more photos on Susan's blog, Sudio's Studio.

- front and back -

 A beautiful vintage prayer flag that reminds us to treasure . . . . Susan inserted vintage photos into the pockets! Susan used this word because of how she feels about "old beautiful things". They should be rescued, remembered and appreciated.

Isn't this lovely??

- front and back -

There are additional photos that are much nicer on Susan's blog! I have been doing scans as it is easier when recording so many flags. Now, I know this is your first swap with me here, Susan - you did a fantastic job and are welcome back anytime!!

Joanna Urbani - prayer Flag swap!

From my friend Joanna in the UK - hip hip hooray! Her prayer flags have made it on time even though she was sending from "across the pond". Joanna so kindly made 4 flags, which means she made one flag as a gift for me! I am so happy. I'm going to have a very long string of prayer flags to share with you when the swap concludes! In fact, we can all share, as I will add a Link-up Tool at that time for sharing photos, that will be fun!

Jo made her flags out of a tan, plain linen-like fabric combined with swatches of her daughter Hope's old plaid school dress!! You can read more about it on Jo's blog, Fiddlesnips.

She hand embroidered all 4 flags very nicely. I would say her embroidery looks a lot better than what I did on one of my flags! Jo's flags are basically the same with a few variations in her embroidery and trims. I adore the frayed edges and think that will look very nice blowing in the wind, spreading the thought of 'learn from nature'. ; 0 )

thank you so much, Jo!! 

Beth Bynum -Prayer Flag Swap

Beth has made 3 wonderful prayer flags for the swap and an extra special one for me.
Thank you! She really gives a wonderful account on how she made them on her blog, BethBynumArtist. Please go check it out!

Below: back (L) and another front -they are all slightly different

Below you can see there is a flap of fabric with a hidden word!

This one was made especially for me with a tiny gold guardian angel (top right) 

and a feather.

I so appreciate this thoughtfulness, Beth!

I have a few more packages here and will try to upload them later tonight or tomorrow

- stay tuned! 

Terri Heinz - Prayer flag swap!

I have copied photos of Terrie's Prayer Flags from her blog to share with you because Terrie wrapped up her flags individually. I did not want to disturb them! Instead I am borrowing her photos so I can send her flags off just the way she packaged them.

There are more details on her blog, artful affirmations.

Thank you Terri for your exquisite work!

I'm so glad you enjoyed participating.

lenna young andrews -prayer flag swap!!

Did you know I participated in this swap too?
I made 3 flags for the swap and 3 extras to be hung in Florida with my swapped flags - I can't wait! Most of the flags were made while I was visiting Wolfe Island, Ontario -so I either sewed by hand or used glue, as I did not have my sewing machine with me . . . Below you can see 4 of the 6 flags on the table in the cottage that looks over the St Lawrence River!

The flag below was photographed at home in Florida, but created on Wolfe Island . . . with a prayer for a happy home.

The textile beads that hang from this flag are some real beauties by

Carolyn Saxby. I just love her beads!!

Another prayer flag I made in Canada with a wish for peace . . .

The stitching is drawn with a marker -this one was put together only with glue! 

The prayer flag below was hand-stitched and beaded. It uses a linen cocktail napkin (with the little fish) that was my Nonie's. The wish for 'energy' was clumsily hand embroidered by me, but I still like it!

You may recognize the 1st prayer flag I made below, used in my lesson for you. While I was in Canada I outlined the white stamping ink I used with a black sharpie for more definition. Balance.

'Tranquility' was made with vintage linen. After writing my prayer with a permanent marker, color was added with watercolor crayons and I sprayed water to release the color. When that was dry, I used an aerosol artwork sealer to provide some protection from the elements. 

Freedom!  I made this with a piece of fabric that I hand painted on the banks of the St Lawrence River in 2009. I brought it back with me in 2012 in case I wanted to work with it. I cut it to size but did not actually make this flag until i returned to Florida. I was so happy to have my sewing machine available that the first thing I did was add a decorative stitch across the top to make the sleeve. I noticed there was a slight sheen of gold in the fabric from a light wash of Lumiere paint and that caused me to add strips of gold fabric which I hope will sway in the breeze . . . . 

I left threads hanging on purpose and wrote my wish by hand with a gold marker.

That certainly was fun, they are addictive (so quick & easy) . . .

And I'd love to make more! Do you have a favorite of mine?

Swap note: I have gotten caught up with the incoming prayer flags, at least for now! All flags  received are uploaded on the swaps blog. If you sent from overseas I am keeping my fingers crossed because I know a couple of you are waiting to hear of swap package arrival. There are 9 mailing days left for packages to reach me. They due in my hands September 15th, so I hope to see them all. If you cannot make the deadline, please let me know.

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.
  ~ Mikhail Baryshnikov