A Heartfelt Project from Beryl Taylor

When I think of mixed-media fabric art hearts, mixed-media artist Beryl Taylor immediately comes to mind. Beryl can take a bit of silk and a few beads, and, with a stitch here and a wash of paint there, magically transform them into an embellishment you can appliqu onto a fabric paper wall hanging or glue onto a card. With Valentine's Day approaching, I thought I'd share one of Beryl's simple yet stunning heart projects with you. These adorable tags are made by layering pieces of silk onto hanging garment tags you usually throw away. Sweet Heart Tags By Beryl Taylor I like to keep the tags from new garments to paint them and use them in my work. You can use them as is or alter them by painting over the text and graphics, cutting them to a different shape, or layering fabric over them. Materials: Hang tags (re-used from garments or new, plain ones) Paint or gesso Silk (squares and strips) Craft felt Beads (and/or sequins) Hand-stitching supplies Glue or gel medium Ribbon or novelty fibers Sewing machine Hole punch (optional)

Fabric art heart tag by Beryl Taylor.

Directions: 1. Paint the tag with acrylics or gesso. 2. Cut a small square of felt to fit on the tag. 3. Cut a square of silk and lay it on the felt. Cut and lay silk strips on top of the square. Machine stitch over the silk pieces to attach them to the felt. 4. Hand stitch beads around the edge of the square. 5. Cut a piece of felt into a heart shape. 6. Cut a piece of silk slightly larger than the felt heart. Lay the silk onto the heart and turn the edge under. 7. Hand stitch the beads onto the heart. 8. Hand stitch the heart to the silk square. 9. Glue the finished square onto the tag. 10. Make a hole in the top of the tag and thread the ribbon through to hang. Beryl's beautiful mixed-media fabric art is based on the build-up of many little tricks and techniques. They are not hard to learn, and Beryl encourages experimenting and playing to make them your own.