Going on a Safari!

One of our recent Challenges at Art4Mail was a going on a Safari. I found this wonderful border print fabric of everything I wanted (especially the giraffes for Katy!) and decided that it needed further embellishments in order to make a more interesting and textural fabric postcard. Part of the border included animals drinking at the watering hole, but the card I kept doesn't show that. However, I used metallic blue for highlighting the water which turned out wonderfully.
The trees were needing something so I brought out my Bernina #7 foot - the tailor's tack foot and used it. I saw a demo on this technique recently and decided to try it. While it uses A LOT of thread, it gives a wonderful result - something like a caterpillar going across the surface. I found that when it was ironed, it became flat, so my challenge was to get the fusible on the back of the card without too much flattening. Some of the cards sent out would be flattened anyway by the USPS, but wanted to prolong the nice texture if I could. I also free motion-quilted the grassy areas and also added several silk leaves to the bottom edge as well. I am pleased with the results and will have to give this techinque further usage.