friday i wanna try this

Now this one might be fun to play with...

this one would be hard to do, but I think it is so very cool

I had been working on a quilt design for a publication that has, it would seem, folded. So, the designs are stitched and they'll be offered soon through my distributor and on the website.  This was the focal square on the small lap quilt.

This is the second block, the complimentary square. I think I'll package the two together. These images were from my 'in progress' file...so I will make sure and get better snaps tomorrow.

a few pretties to dye for

A trip to Rasmussen Woods made today, and although it was a very short visit, I did find a few pretties to try some natural dyeing. Now mind you, I do not have *any* idea what my results will be, as I've not tried any of these plants before, but that's half the fun. I need to stop for alum tomorrow morning and then the experimenting shall commence!

I also spent some time last night working on both Changing Seasons (which I will photograph tomorrow) and the slow cloth piece, Water At Night. 

Some sketching tonight for a few SnowAngelz and something marvelous for supper (although I've yet to figure that out) Then an early night to bed so I can finish up the book I am reading. Took a little bit to get into this one, but now I can't put it down! Good thing too, as I will be making a trip to the bookstore this weekend to pick up Terry Brooks' newest novel. Yay!! 

new space to create

With my son moving off to college, I found myself with an extra room. I promised him I would leave his bed alone so he had something familiar and comfortable to come to, but the rest of the space? It's now become my little haven to create, and I have reclaimed my dining room table and my bedroom!

Here are a few before shots as I moved in...

And after some sorting and organizing today...

Yay! A permanent place for my sewing machine!

Sheep guarding the Apple Notebook

Ronon Kiwi

Dex & Shep 

Who's Got The Button

Finally, I can see what books I have

Felted Alpaca from Dreamhouse Ventures

I can't wait to start creating!!

So I had all these big plans for the weekend...

...big plans, and while I *have* knocked off a few of the things listed on the list-o-projects-to-complete-this-weekend, namely the two pillows that I needed to get done for my cousin's granddaughter and granddaughter on the way and editing the next cross stitch pattern,  I now find myself  trying to get my stitching groove on.  I find myself instead web-wandering and wishing I either had another pot of coffee brewing or a bottle of brandy at my disposal. However, if I had the brandy, I doubt the stitching groove would amount to much, other than a need-to-rip-out-mistakes marathon tomorrow. :/

Maybe I will forgo the other plans I had for today, go out and get a cup of coffee and settle in to read. I've a couple books to read before the release of two new books in August from my favorite authors, one of which I have been waiting for for years now. I am a bit behind on my 60 Books In 2012 goal. 

Maybe a few chapters will spark my want for needle and thread a little later on tonight. 

Today's experiment, trapping items between two layers of fabric to build up a surface for stitching, as inspired by a group on Stitchin' Fingers.  I will snap some better pictures of what I have going on with this tomorrow.  I'm working this on a piece of old linen table cloth with faded yellow flowers.

I also worked for awhile on, you guessed it, Ghoulie Parade. Crap, as I type this, it has occurred to me that I haven't ordered the fabric from Wichelt that I needed! Will have to do that tomorrow.

What did I read today?  Started a new book, Breath and Bone, by Carol Berg.

Web Wandering? I did some more looking around for information on weaving. My goal? To have a loom this fall and to play a bit.  I might make my own smaller loom just to start goofing around with some recycled fabrics and fibers.  In the meanwhile, here is a site I found interesting for weaving with plastic bags!  plastic bag weaving

tomorrow is catch up day for printing and packaging, and I've had a request from a shop for a wholesale price list, so I need to do that too. So, business-y stuff for most of tomorrow afternoon. Oh well, can't play every day!!

thrift store and herbs galore

This morning I finally went and bought the first of my herbs and got them potted; sweet basil, globe basil, thyme and oregano, a bit of rosemary and this year I also tired a little summer savory. I also planted a few marigolds and other annuals and hope to fill out the flower box this week.

As soon as my daughter returns with the camera, I'll shoot some starter pictures!

I also stopped at the thrift shops today. Found a few goodies, including a book called
Weaving Designs for Needlepoint by Sally Nicolleti from 1978.

Chock full of motifs from various cultures, the book has lot of needlework designs that I think will  translate to  cross stitch. I have been looking for a source book for a long time with decent motifs that I can rework into pillow covers, bags and the like. So yep, was really rather tickled when I  found this gem tucked into a basket at my very first stop of the day!!  Another addition to my art library!

I also found two bags of wooden beads and some fun vintage handkerchiefs.  I think I might work a little more slow cloth to make  part of the garment for her...

I found this primitive, muslin doll form at the shop as well and started painting her face this afternoon. Hope to get a little more done later today after she dries.

Meanwhile, I think I need to lay down a few more stitches on Ghoulie Parade, and then maybe  figure out a little more of the quilt I'm doing for Irish Quilting Magzine.  After figuring out the layout and the measurements, its time to get all my supplies. Too many fabrics out there to choose from!  I am leaning a little more toward batiks.

Stitching the four cross stitched blocks will begin next week (I hope!) as I have a few days off with my brother and his family visiting. I always seem to get so much done whenever they are home. Weird, I know, as it should be just the opposite, but I am really creatively motivated when my family has the good fortune of all being together!

reading & flip-phone-photoshop stuff

Finished reading Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo last night. I enjoyed the book, even though the subject matter was difficult.  Now I'm working through Walter Lord's A Night To Remember, a novel about the Titanic sinking. Copies were given out by the school district encouraging people to read and then pass the book on. It's an interesting read. What I am finding a lot is that specific quotes from this book were used in the movie. I expected some of that, but there is even more of it then I thought there would be.


I've opened up the stories I have been writing as I am starting to feel the itch to write again. By fall, I hope to have my NaNoWriMo novel from last November ready to send off to a publisher. I borrowed the copy of the 2012 Writer's Market from the school library and I am going to study that for pointers and possible leads. Next year I might give the script writing a shot too, I believe its the month of March through NaNoWriMo. 


Yesterday's flip-phone-photo exercise involved more of the ground beneath my feet, only this time it was cracks in the pavement when I was outside on "after lunch monitor" duty at school.  I wanted to do something with the images that would take some of the industrial feel away and add a touch of the organic.

Today is looking to be a beautiful day, and I will be done with my shift at school in time to enjoy some of the sunshine. Maybe a few stitches out on the deck with a cup of chai tea. House cleaning can wait for a rainy day!

flip-phone-photos & slow cloth

Gah. I didn't get to Hobby Lobby today for floss or sock wool. It was just too cold and windy to do much more than get in my truck after work and come on home.  There are always other things that I can putz around with of course, and so, I did.  

I have this long-standing fascination with slow cloth, and have been enjoying the work I've been doing off and on with a piece that I am making from vintage handkerchiefs that have grown beautifully thin or tattered. The pieces are coming together and this new piece of cloth is slowly evolving as result.

Very relaxing and satisfying, this work.

At work today I was drawn to the floor, or rather, to the lights reflecting on the floor from the bright lights overhead. For my flip-phone-photo exercise today, I took a few pictures--you guessed it-- of the floor. And then I played around with shaped and blocks of color.  

Tonight I think I will work a while on the slow cloth, and then perhaps I will curl up with a book given to me today at work, A Night To Remember, by Walter Lord, a Titanic story.  Only problem is, I'm a tad bit sleepy and am afraid I might just doze off.  And that, come to think of it, might not be such a bad thing either.

stitching & playing

The weekend is shaping up to be a rainy one.  Good too, as we need a few of those spring showers to make up for the snow we did not get this winter.  It also means a weekend of stitchy-yarny-sketchy-bookworm-ish activities.  I've started a good book, The Sharing Knife, by Lois McMaster Bujold and I do believe tomorrow morning (seeing as I know I will be up at 7am even though I don't have to be up!) I will stay under my quilt and read for awhile.  I also brought home from the school library, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo .

My "crocheted flower with stick stem" project was a bust. They are just too 'heavy". So I need to play around with that a little more this weekend too, and I've a cardinal to start (but not all of the colors I need to start him with!)  While the kids are getting haircuts tomorrow, I might find myself at Hobby Lobby picking up that handful of colors so that I can get started on that piece. I find myself scattered if I do not have a piece beside my chair to pick up! Right now there is a basket of orts and empty Q-snaps. That just won't do!

Tree Branch

Here are my three flipphone shots for today....manipulated in photoshop.

Pens on the Desk

Crack on the sidewalk

And now, off for an episode or two of Everybody Loves Raymond before tucking in for the night.

new year's eve

First there was booming thunder and lightning.

Then rain. RAIN!  

(I had to double check my driver's license just to make sure I was where I thought I was)

Minnesota, December 31st. 

Last year? 40 inches of snow by December 28th, 2010.

And then, just when I thought about getting the lawn chair and summer clothing out from the back of the closet...

Big beautiful wind driven fluffy wet flakes! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Things have been set right once more.

(I know, Shan...shhhhhh! be careful what you wish for!)

Productive day...finished a piece and should have it photographed tomorrow. I finished up the first draft of my novel that I started for the NaNoWriMo challenge.  Researched vendors for natural yarn for dyeing as I am going to  play around with some natural dyes in the new year. (And I think I have a couple of pals that will be willing to try out the yarn and give me an unbiased opinion as to its quality) Two new designs sketched and charted, bits of new Wichelt Imports needlework fabric sorted and a few chapters 

read in GRRM's  A Dance With Dragons.

Now its wine and The Big Bang Theory marathon. 

Stitching & A New Book

I spent my morning stitching, and I hope to get a bit more done this afternoon.  I took a break to take my textbooks to the book store for buy-back,  and I found myself with a little more money  then I thought I would. So, I made a trip to JoAnns for some odds and ends I needed to finish up a few things for the craft shows, and as I usually do, I stopped to look at the books. (And drooled a little.)

This book, Crafter's Devotional 365 Days of Tips, Tricks & Techniques for Unlocking Your Creative Spirit by Barbara Call just jumped out at me. Well, actually, it fell on the floor as I tipped it forward to see what was behind it.

I picked it back up and paged through it, and immediately stuck it in my basket!  I have attempted a 365 Days of Creativity thing before on this blog, and gave up about 100 days in as things just got too busy for me to try and do something separate from my usual work every day.  I think I might try to experiment a little with the new year and at least be thinking about something creative every day if nothing else!  There are some really neat things in this book and I look forward to exploring it further.  I have a few other books with daily inspiration and ways to put art into your life every day. I like to think I have done a pretty good job of that already, but I know there is so much more out there that I want to dig into and learn about, even if I never actually *do* some of it.

Book Description:  "There is something elemental shared among artists and crafters, regardless of chosen medium: creative energy. Crafters dabble, collaborate, muse, and make, all in their own way and on their own timeline. For all crafts, there are established techniques to follow but wild, innumerable ways to experiment, using the basics to launch crafters to new heights. Crafter’s Devotional can aid that launch. Each day of the year is given its own focus, on which the reader will find a daily dose of craft content that inspires, instructs, and illuminates."


I also stopped at Michaels for some yarn as they had the Loops & Threads Country Loom brand on sale. I created a new scarf with the skein I had and really liked the way it finished. So now its off to crochet some more even though I said I was done and ready for the shows!

the comfort of books

A trip through the thrift stores today left me returning home with a few new books for my collection. I really need to talk to my brother about building a library on to my house. Or, I can just wait until my son leaves for college and let the books take over his room instead! After all, he won't be moving back home, right?

Beadpoint, Journal Making & Silk Painting

Treasures of Tut, African-American Artists, Van Gogh & How To Draw What You See

I finished one set of the wooden ephemera tiles to my liking, and one larger focal square.  I found some wooden tape measure pieces and wooden puzzle pieces in a shop on Etsy, and they'll be arriving soon. I plan on seeing what I can do with those as well. 

Backstitching my latest design, Garland. I hope to finish it up tonight and have it posted tomorrow!