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Distracted

2012-02-08T16:40:00.000-05:00

So many important things to do this afternoon.

But why?

Especially when I just downloaded Instagram on my phone.

I've been waiting for the right time to model these wire headpieces I made last summer.

little dreamer

in between


she's got it all figured out

Now, what was I going to do?

Cut and Paste

2012-02-05T18:19:00.000-05:00

To this pile of trash,

add
black paper
scissors
and glue.

Within minutes, you will be transported to a happy world of color, shape, and movement. The cares of your day will fall away. About an hour later, you'll have some little bits of cheer that cost you nothing to make. Place them lovingly around your home, in your car, at your desk. Look at them to go back.

Just Make Something

2012-02-01T17:26:00.000-05:00

You don't need a reason.

Screen Printing. Kinda.

2012-01-28T18:54:00.000-05:00

Another day of trying something new and learning from my experience (aka getting super frustrated.) It is just too bad that about 99% of my projects hold their greatest value in the education gained through the process. It would be nice if the end result actually held value as well. Do I hear whining? Am I whining? Ahhh! Poke me with a knitting needle.

Today's experience... tackling the printing project in Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's CPS article, "Find Your Voice." I like this project because I get to carve rubber blocks. I could carve rubber blocks all day long. So soothing.

As I later discovered, it pays to think about the design before you start carving. If you are not wild about it, well... it has been carved, friends. So... some sort of jailbird design later, I have four separate layers carved and ready to ink up.

The only ink on hand? Black and hot pink. Not gonna work. A Saturday trip to the craft store is in order. Thankfully I hit a sale, but had to cross my fingers that the colors would work since the packaging was sealed up tighter than lunchmeat.

Once home, the printing went speedy quick. I tried my new inks on lots of different papers. Not thrilled with the chalky colors nor the rather dull design.

But lets talk about the positives.

One day a cool design will come to me. On that day, I will carve new stamps and perhaps treat myself to a new brighter set of inks. On that day, I will be thankful for the education experience of today. Right?

Getting Sketchy

2012-01-26T17:16:00.000-05:00

As some of you might have noticed, I have a new box over on the right. I decided to join The Sketchbook Challenge. Have you heard about it? Maybe you've already been on board.
Each month the Sketchbook Challenge artists give us a new theme and I can upload photos of my sketches in the group's Flickr stream. I want to do more sketching, so I decided this might encourage me to get moving in that direction.
I finally started using a handmade paper book I have had in my studio for about ten years now. I bought it with the intention of filling it with beautiful sketches or collages, but like wedding china, I never use it because I don't want to mess it up. Can any of you relate?
I threw caution to the wind and glued stuff to the front of the book. There is no turning back now. The glasses and tea cup are paper creations from my collection of scraps and misfires. I never thought of using them together, but like their association with sketching... glasses, a cup of hot tea, and my sketchbook. Happy times.

The inside cover was solid black. Perfect spot for a little intro collage.

This paper comes from a children's book of poetry I found in the discard pile at the library. The whole book is filled with groovy 70's woodblock print.

This page needed some windows.

I'll keep every scrap of this great paper.

Gotta have a little stitching.

Some stencil dots. (That's my new stencil from the The Crafter's Workshop)

And a dreamy bit of encouragement.

Promptly Get Busy Making Something

2012-01-25T17:05:00.002-05:00

"Look at art from a different culture, and then dive into your sketchbook." This was a prompt submitted by Anne Donaghy in the Cloth Paper Scissors article, "A Year of Art Prompts" by Belinda Spiwak & Friends. I never use art prompts because I never feel like I need them. My head is always full of projects and lists of techniques I want to try. But, in the spirit of Rampin' Up My Crafty, I decided to look through the list and pick one.

I enjoyed a few minutes of inspiration from a little coffee table book (impulse buy #999) called Light of India, a Conflagration of Indian Matchbook Art by Warren Dotz. The book is filled with brightly colored monkeys, elephants, religious imagery, and all kinds of scenes from India. I made some doodles and created a picture that combined some of my favorite elements. Then I had to get my markers and fill the sketch with color and the bold black outlines I had seen in my book.

The end result was something unexpected and delightful. I am not sure how I will use this image, or if I ever will. But something tells me I will find ways to put a bit of India into more of my artwork. How can't that be wonderful?

I will be coming back to this list of prompts and sharing new creations with you as I go. If you want to try a prompt and see what happens in your artwork, you can download the CPS list for free. What images and ideas are waiting?

Mod Podge Fest 2012

2012-01-22T18:33:00.000-05:00

It's another gray, cold, and misty afternoon here in Atlanta. There is plenty of housework, laundry, and cooking that I could be doing. But why? Especially when my 9 year old daughter, Bea, and I have the house to ourselves all afternoon. We've been down in the basement studio (with every light on and girlie music playing) going crazy with paper, paint, and Mod Podge. We were inspired by Ann Ellis' "Word Birds" in the January/February issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. Ann glues fun and inspirational words and phrases onto her birds, then puts them on sticks to place in pencil cans, plants, or wherever inspiration is needed.

Bea and I decided we liked our birds wordless and we haven't decided whether or not to put them on sticks. They would be a lot of fun on a canvas too.

We have successfully dreamed and played away hours of a dull afternoon.

We'll be happily peeling Mod Podge off our hands until supper.

I Know You Have Days Like This Too

2012-01-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my crafty cap must have been in the dirty laundry bin. Things did not go well in the studio. I tried to re-create some of the magnificent painted scissors like the ones on the cover of this month’s Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. June Pfaff Daley’s scissors were at the top of my “I can’t wait to make these” list. In preparation, I stopped by the craft store the other day and picked up alcohol-based supplies. I tore into the paint package when I got home from work and launched in. Hmmm. Something didn’t seem right. I read June’s article again, this time with glasses. I realized she suggested alcohol-based paints. I purchased alcohol inks - definitely not the same thing. I dug around in my paint stash and realized I already had some alcohol-based paints, just not many color choices.

I am glad I tried this project, but I want my scissors to be more colorful and June Pfaff Daley-like. Another trip to the craft store might be in order.

My next attempt at craftiness … ink jet shrinky dinks. I had the grand idea to make a chunky charm bracelet with photos from our trip to Jamaica. I carefully printed and cut my photos and popped the tray into the oven. 3-5 minutes later, I had a tray filled with what looked like vacation-colored rigatoni pasta tubes. Every piece curled up and could not be unrolled.

I decided it was time to close up shop and cook dinner. Oops. It was almost 7:30 and my kids needed to be showering already. My husband came to the rescue and picked up Wendy’s value menu baked potatoes and chili on his way home.

At this point, I felt rather low.

Luckily, I picked up a new book to read in bed and inside the cover I read a quote by Pablo Picasso.

The important thing is to do, and nothing else; be what it may.

I picked up my sketchbook and “do”odled for a little while. Not every day will be stellar.

Check out June Pfaff Daley's etsy shop for even more colorful fun!

Straight Out of My Treasure Stash

2012-01-18T16:58:00.001-05:00

Over the weekend, I started my "Rampin Up My Crafty" efforts by taking inspiration from Heather Chevreau's CPS article called "Sweet Vignette Jewelry." Heather creates romantic felt necklaces (and sells them in her etsy shop!) that combine felt and bits of old lace with vintage chains and costume jewelry.

As I've mentioned before, I am the lucky recipient of many jars, boxes, and bags of old sewing notions and craft room glory from special ladies in my family. After I read Heather's article, my fingers could not stay still and my mind started moving into the netherworld of craftiness. I just had to dig through my collection of vintage trims, buttons, and random doodads. I ended up being drawn to one piece of lace, some old bra parts, a buckle, and a few swanky buttons. I put them all together with some inexpensive jump rings and a chain from the craft store.

I wore the necklace to work today and thought of the unique ladies who kept everything and shared some of that everything with me. I am so glad they did.

Here We Go!

2012-01-15T12:54:00.002-05:00

After much thought, I have decided on a creative theme for 2012. I am announcing it in a little video. Now... before you view this, please know that I already have a list of things I need to correct. But, I want to get things rolling and I know you all are a patient, forgiving, and very encouraging crew, so here goes.

Here's a closer look at my new logo.

I am in the process of purchasing Adobe Illustrator (another Rampin' Up goal) and am excited to make my logo look more professional. I am pretty nervous about trying to learn a new program, but my lack of digital art knowledge is keeping me from exploring so many creative interests.

As I announced, I am going to be delving into the details of the January / February issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. I have already purchased some of my supplies and am excited to share the results with you. Please feel free to comment and link back to projects on your own blogs!

Another Bra

2012-01-11T20:12:00.001-05:00

Today I am singing praises to my bra. As a small-chested person, this contraption has boosted both my bust line and my self-esteem for most of my life. Bras have been creeping into my artwork for many years. I once wrote a farewell to padded bras, convinced that I should give them up and just be my ironing board-chested self. That didn't last long. I missed the fancy ones.

A few years ago, I dreamed up a whole quilt of bra-shaped geometrical shapes. My mom belongs to a quilting group that meets in the basement of a tiny white church in Red Oak, Missouri. I've met the ladies and would love to hear their take on a bra quilt. I actually think they would get a kick out of it.

Last summer, I created a wire and paper sculpture called "We All Need a Little Support." (Some of you might have seen it in the November / December issue of Cloth Paper Scissors.)

And here I go again.
I didn't start this collage thinking of a bra. In fact, I thought it would be complete as a simple patchwork quilt on the math paper. But it needed something and that something was another bra.

I created this little collage to send in for the latest CPS challenge. The challenge is to create a mostly fabric postcard and mail it in. I am a little nervous to mail this, but that is part of the adventure. Maybe I will make a postman (or woman) smile.

If your 2012 goal was to ramp up your crafty, I encourage you to visit the CPS website for the challenge details and enter your own postcard creation. Taking the time to enter a reader challenge has always been worth the effort for me. Every challenge pushes me to think in a new direction. I also enjoy the challenge of creating something within a deadline. Kinda brings a little excitement into my studio.

Postcards aren't due until January 20th!

Throw the Whiner From the Car

2012-01-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

Being in Jamaica for the holidays set me back a few weeks in my normal new year thinking. I thought I would spend lots of hours in deep thought. Instead I spent lots of hours reading delicious novels, working on my tan, and looking for hermit crabs.

It didn't take more than a few hours in the hustle bustle world of the good old US for all my thoughts to return and for my artsy brain to start humming again. It didn't help that I was greeted with a huge stack of mail that included the January / February issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, chock full of eye candy and inspiration.

So, while my son practiced football last night, I stayed in the car and doodled some thoughts for 2012. No big revelations this year. I still want to do everything and lack focus. I still feel frustration over all that I cannot do because of other commitments in my life. I still see so many negatives... And here is where the Jamaican brain break paid off. As I was feverishly writing and doodling and kvetching, I heard myself loud and clear and couldn't stand the whining. Who was this grumpy ungrateful complainer? She had to get out of the car.

After I mercilessly kicked her of the driver's seat, I wrote "What would happen if... I stopped complaining about what I can't do and focused on the possibilities within the life I already have? Get ready for the possibilities to become realities."

Ok. Reflection done. Time to make art.

Next Time I Will Just Pack a Bikini and My Toothbrush

2012-01-03T12:06:00.000-05:00

We got back last night. 10 days in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. What a vacation. Over a week of beautiful sights and sounds, delicious food, and nothing I really had to do but relax. I brought a pouch of art supplies and didn't unzip it once. I decided to turn my brain off and just drink in my surroundings.

We went on fantastic outings. We hiked up a waterfall at Dunns River Falls, zip-lined through a tropical forest at Mystic Mountain, snorkeled at James Bond Beach, and kissed dolphins at Dolphin Cove.

I enjoyed the adventures, but my favorite times were those spent reclining in a chair, listening to the sea, feeling the cool breezes, and talking with my family. Day after day of no expectations, no deadlines, no real responsibility, and no laundry made me realize how crowded my brain had become. I know some of those things will have to creep back in. We do need clean underwear. But how much of that clutter can stay gone?

As I think about the new year ahead, I hope I can keep a little bit of Jamaica in my mind every day. Peace and Love.

Change of Scenery

2011-12-23T19:44:00.000-05:00

It is the eve of our family vacation. I am almost done packing, but had to sneak down to grab some art supplies for the trip. Not sure what these next 10 days will bring. I am hoping for rest, fun, and some great insight into the next course for my life. I will probably have to settle for rest and fun.

Happy Holidays to all of you.

I am so grateful for your friendship and encouragement over the last year.

May 2012 bring bountiful treasures!

Minor Detour Into the Jewelry Department

2011-12-15T17:41:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I live dangerously. I go to the craft store without a list and allow myself to wander aimlessly. If I really want to push it, I bring a coupon. Last weekend I pushed it to the limit. I wandered for almost two hours and brought my "20% off your entire purchase (includes sale and clearance items)" coupon. I walked out with all the supplies I needed to start a new craft, stamped and hammered metal jewelry. (I know, I know, I just couldn't stop myself!)

I bought a book called Stamped Metal Jewelry by Lisa Niven Kelly. It came with an instructional DVD that was helpful with some of the basics. The craft store tools are not top quality, but I decided to try it first and then invest in better tools if I still want to do it after my initial excitement wanes. I tried a few letter stamp pieces and need to keep practicing. They looked a bit like a Cub Scout summer camp project.

I was pretty happy with the hammered pieces.

I found the hammering to be super fun and quite therapeutic. After saying good night to my kids, I got completely ready for bed. Jammies, robe, I even flossed and moisturized. I then went down to the basement and set myself up in front of the TV. Peanut snuggled up beside me in an old quilt. I hammered away on my coffee table as I watched missed TV episodes on my streaming Netflix account and laughed at my hound dog chasing rabbits in her sleep. I will be honest with you. Even with a few thumb smashings, it was a little bit of heaven.

Along with all the hammering, I also played around with inexpensive chains and lobster claw hooks to create a funky charm necklace. I was inspired by some fantastic charm necklaces I saw in a catalog. I loved the funkiness, but did not want to spend over $100 to get it. For about $10 and some time scouring my junk collections, I had my own version.

I think this is an old lamp pull. Found it in my grandma's button tin.

Bead doodad from the clearance bin.

When I get tired of wearing it, I will just dismantle and use the pieces for another project.

I just finished an enormous afternoon coffee. The hammer might be swinging tonight!

Mail Order Collage

2011-12-12T16:57:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned last week, Cloth Paper Scissors is having a Free Art Show in NYC over the holidays. Anyone interested can submit an unlimited number of collages to be given away to lucky passersby.

I carved out some time over the weekend to create some pieces from my scrap pile. I just couldn't resist.

I enjoyed making these collages because I didn't put much thought into any of them. I just had fun cutting, gluing, and sewing. Knowing they were gifts for strangers made the whole experience quite joyful. A perfect holiday treat for myself.

What are you doing right now? Don't you have time to glue some scraps together and create a collage to share? All collages are due to CPS by December 19th.
Collage, my friend! Collage like the wind!

Share Some Collage Love

2011-12-08T18:05:00.000-05:00

I just read about an exciting opportunity to share some art with New York City. Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine is hosting a sidewalk free art show in NYC. This is such a fun way to create and share art with random abandon.

Sending art to strangers intrigues me. I like to imagine who might pick it up and where she will put it. Refrigerator door? Cubicle wall? Space between the toilet tank and the towel bar?

This project reminds me of the magic I felt one day in a badly-lit Target dressing room. As I reluctantly turned to check the back view, I saw a yellow sticky note on the mirror that said, "you are beautiful!" I felt such a connection with the genuine good intention of another person. That little sticky gave me hope that there are still regular old good folks all around me.

Meanwhile, I need to get collaging.
I can submit an unlimited number of 6" x 6" collages!

Fuzz Here, Fuzz There, Fuzz Everywhere

2011-11-30T21:02:00.000-05:00

I am surrounded by fuzz. I've been washing Peanut and her bedding and I have been sewing felt necklaces. Both lead to fuzz on my clothes, in my eyes, and up my nose. I feel a bit like I have been peach-picking on a hot and sweaty day (an activity I vividly and uncomfortably remember from over 30 years ago.)

The felt necklaces are coming along.

If I could get my act together, I'd put some in my empty Etsy shop. But, no time. I need to watch Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer with the kids, take said dog for her annual vet visit, and make sure we have enough Cheerios for breakfast tomorrow. The shop can wait.

Lots of things can wait. Last weekend I found myself stirred into a frenzy of why am I not doing this? accompanied by a case of I need to do that too! I nearly drove myself and my poor husband crazy. The pressure inspired me to create a Twitter account and start tweeting until I realized... I have nothing to tweet! No one will follow my boring life. That realization sent me into another type of panic called why can't I think of something fabulous to tweet?

Thankfully, the ridiculousness of that last panic sent me back to reality and I wisely just turned off the computer for a few days. I spent time folding laundry, reading, cleaning the tub, and mindfully wiping counter tops. I also turned my attention back to the people (and doggie) I love. I needed to clean out the fuzz that was taking over my brain.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but sometimes I just hit a wall of too much. Facebook, crafty blogs, and (have mercy) Pinterest. My head starts to feel like a Jiffy Pop popcorn pan, expanding and filling with ideas and images every second.

Instead of being inspired, I start to feel overwhelmed. And suddenly (gasp) my creativity is gone.

So here I am again, peaceful creative woman on her own path with her own timeline.

I give myself two weeks before Jiffy Pop brain returns.

By the way, Peanut feels like silk and her bed smells quite different.

My Neck Is Cold

2011-11-21T18:53:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I catch myself thinking old lady thoughts.

1) Now, where did I leave my glasses?
2) Darn it, I thought I had some tissues in my pocketbook.
and
3) My neck is cold. There must be a draft in here.

When did I become a blurry eyed, drippy nosed, woman who feels a draft? It has taken me quite by surprise. In response I have broken down and purchased reading glasses and I now have a whole basketful of scarves and several cardigans in my closet. However, I refuse to tuck tissues into my sleeves.

On the subject of scarves, here's a fun project. I purchase wool-blend felt by the yard at my local fabric store, then wash and dry it in high heat to create a nubby texture. (make sure the felt is at least 20% wool or the nubby texture will not happen.)

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I cut the felt into rectangles and stitch them together to create scarves with all kinds of wonderful color combinations. I like to make my rectangles in different lengths and don't follow a pattern because I am drawn to the random combinations and the super long length. (I like to think the length makes my legs look longer!) The last piece on each end can be easily fringed.

If you're feeling really kooky, you can play around with the felt scraps and create flowers or other decorative shapes. Drafts beware!

A Fresh Set of Eyes

2011-11-17T16:55:00.001-05:00

I've been burning the early morning oil this week, getting up at 4am almost every day. This just seems to be the only way I can work uninterrupted. If I wait until the kids go to bed, I fear I will gouge my eyes out as I fall asleep on top of my sewing machine. So 4am it is. Coffee helps. Lots of coffee.

I've been sewing some new felt creations. I am making felt flower necklaces. I don't have good photos yet because it's been stormy and dark here lately. (My brightest light is here in the basement, and these basement florescent bulbs make all things look like they are being photographed in a morgue.)

I am noticing a few things as I work so diligently this week.
Observation #1) My vision is getting worse as the week goes by. Mascara application this morning was tricky and my eyeliner is starting to look more and more like a crayon mark. This lack of sharp vision leaves me feeling a tad anxious. Do I have lipstick on my teeth? Am I wearing different earrings? Have I missed a random hair sprouting from that witchy mole on my chin?

Observation #2) After making a few necklaces in different colors, I feel my interest waning. Is this normal? Does this mean something? Is my work truly morphing into something strange and ugly? or do I just have snakes in my head from waking up so blasted early?

Clarity came this afternoon. I dropped the kids at home to do their homework and went to the grocery store after work. When I got home, I pulled into the garage, tore open a bag of Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn and just sat in the silence and ate the whole bag. I felt like crying.
This pathetic moment taught me something.
It's time to get some sleep.
I'll come back with a fresh set of eyes.

Hold On To Your Treasures

2011-11-12T17:30:00.003-05:00

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I am a pack rat. I love the idea of being a minimalist, but I can't help collecting just about anything. If it has a pretty color, texture, or design... well I have to hang on to it. I also like to see my doodads. So before I know it, my house looks like a Kindergarten classroom with old bird nests resting in the bookshelves, random doodles pinned to the wall, and quilts piled up like nap mats. Hopefully it does not smell like a Kindergarten classroom, but with two children and a dog, well... who knows.

We've been thinking about trying to sell our house lately. I would like a more spacious kitchen and better bathrooms. What I have works, but my husband and I can stand in the middle of our bathroom and touch both walls. Things get dicey at 6am. The kitchen works too, but I like to say it is a single butt kitchen. I would like it to be big enough to fit at least one more butt, especially for Thanksgiving.

So thoughts are turning to cleaning out and packing up. Evaluating what really matters and what I need to keep. I read somewhere that the guideline is to only keep a thing if it is a) useful, or b) a thing of beauty. This will be tricky for a person who uses almost any little thing in her art (hey, this dryer lint ball might look pretty in a collage!)

Cleaning out is a good thing. It makes me think about my real treasures. My family, my friends, and my stinky hound dog ... all are both useful and beautiful in unique ways.
I think I will keep them.

Peep Show

2011-11-07T17:17:00.005-05:00

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A few weeks ago, I was featured in a Cloth Paper Scissors magazine "On Our Radar" article in the November / December issue. I created some special pieces for the article and I was excited to see them back on my doorstep when I got home from work today. I think there was some curiosity about the bra I made from wire and rice paper, so I thought I'd share more detailed photos so that everyone could take a peep.

This piece started out as a wire-only construction. 20 gauge wire and pliers. And reading glasses. And very sore hands.

The rice paper "fabric" came later. I wanted to create a soft inner layer and decided to experiment with paper. I wrote words of encouragement over and over on a large sheet of rice paper using a felt tip pen. Then I covered the whole piece of paper with a mixture of watered-down acrylic paints. I cut out a bra shape by just eyeballing the wire shape, then lined the rice paper pieces with pattern paper and sewed the whole thing together.

I decided to add some real bra parts and buttons using pieces from my grandma's old button jar. I guess she hung on to old parts just in case she needed to make a repair. I love the resourcefulness of that generation.

The inner "fabric" layer is attached to the wire frame with fine gauge wire. I added tiny flags and encouraging phrases taken from an old childrens' book.

The piece is called "We All Need a Little Support."

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Feeling Felty Again

2011-11-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

Now that Halloween is over, my mind is already thinking about winter. I am feeling the itch to stitch some felt again. I love to work with felt, especially wool or wool-blend. A while back I purchased wool blend felt by the yard from my local fabric store. I washed it in hot water and dried it in high heat. The result? A bumpy, soft texture that I cannot resist. I've been machine stitching some wool blend felt into flower shapes that could be used for jewelry, ornaments, pillow accents, or who knows? I haven't decided how to use them yet, but I love the color combo.

While wool felt is my favorite, I still like the cheapy craft felt too. I am playing around with a stack of felt squares I bought at the craft store for 25 cents a piece. Not sure what I will do with these flowers either, but I love the cheerful pop of color.

I am envisioning a wreath covered in these flowers for my front door. I might burn out before I make enough flowers to do this, but I like how it looks in my mind.

I'm Breaking Into the Candy Corn to Celebrate!

2011-10-25T19:34:00.000-04:00

I just got my November / December issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine and am thrilled to share that I was included in an "On Our Radar" article!
I really cannot say enough good things about Cloth Paper Scissors. I started entering their challenges a little over a year ago. The challenges have always been fun and have pushed me to explore new materials and styles. Within a year and half of entering the first challenge, my work has been published in three of the magazines and a calendar. When I decided to start entering their challenges, I never dreamed I would be featured in an article.
The experience of submitting art and seeing it get published has been incredibly exciting and encouraging. As a result, I feel more confident about sharing my work with others and am more open to the possibility that art can be a bigger part of my life.
If you are a mixed media artist, I would strongly encourage you to check out CPS and submit some work of your own. Working on a project, meeting the deadline, waiting for results, and seeing your work published are all experiences that will enrich your artistic life.
Now for some celebrating!

I almost forgot... my mixed media house was also featured in the "home sweet home" challenge!

What is With All the Cats?

2011-10-19T19:19:00.001-04:00

Last weekend's happy hour with my girlfriends was a blast. Super sweet and funny ladies, Sangria made the day before, and a gorgeous fall day. Having company really motivated me to pull out all the fun decorations early. These cats are cut from black acid-free cardstock. I made them about 7 years ago and they still look great. Sometimes I put them over my kitchen cabinets, sometimes on the mantle. I used a pattern from a vintage paper craft book from Denmark. My mother-in-law is Danish and she gave me the book many years ago. The Danes make some amazing paper creations and over the years I have used this book to create many of my own.... Now if I could only find it.

I made eight of these 4 cat sets using a cutting mat, a tiny exacto-knife, and very small, super sharp scissors. I also made these before I needed glasses. Perhaps these cats even led to my need for glasses. No matter. It was worth it.

Even though I used a pattern for these cats, it would be easy to create all kinds of patterns using your computer or just doodling. These are a simple design cut from cheap folded paper. Think of all the designs you could create for other holidays. Hope your wheels are turning.

Update: Found the book!

Here Kitty Kitty

2011-10-13T21:29:00.001-04:00

After work today, I flew into a frenzy of fall. I made Spicy Sangria for a happy hour tomorrow after work and I pulled out every bat, pumpkin, and orange object I could find. I've been decorating all afternoon and having a blast. Although I might add more doodads to the Kitty collage at a later date, I really want to use it over my mantle today. So... time to complete this project!

Once I outlined all the pieces with the goldenrod embroidery thread (a task that left my hands more gnarled than they were already), I used these buttons to stitch all the pieces together. I am using these vintage buttons from my Grandma's button box. I love the candy-like colors and different designs on each button. You just don't see these details on buttons anymore.

I added some black paint to the cat collage and hung it over the mantle.

I made lots of black paper silhouettes. I don't think the fire marshal would approve of all this paper next to all these candles, but I love the look and it is fun to think of different shapes to add to the mix. I tried to tone down the orange candles by using map pins to attach more vintage buttons.
As I looked at my completed decorating project, I was happy to think about my Grandma and all the little scenes she set up in her house for each holiday. (In fact, the ceramic pumpkins are from her Halloween collection.) As a child, these decorations were magical. As an adult, I find myself drawn to make them for my own children. And who am I kidding, I make them for myself too. Life is too short not to enjoy some silly fun.

Update: The yummy Spicy Sangria recipe is at Lifestyle Maven.

Inner Granny

2011-10-11T17:04:00.002-04:00

Perhaps the fall coziness is bringing out my inner granny, but lately I am itching to stitch.

I made this table runner a few years ago and embroidered these fun sayings. Unfortunately, I stuffed said runner into my handy dandy "Halloween Decorations" bin alongside some cheap orange candles and now there is a vomitty orange stain right in the middle of it. Perhaps this year I will cut the embroidered ends off and turn them into throw pillows.

I started a new Halloween collage for above my fireplace. Stitching is making its way into the project. So far, I am thinking funky black cat, playful vintage buttons, background made of old math textbook pages (math can be quite scary.)

I cut the cat parts (ok that sounds evil) from smooth bristol paper and painted each piece with black acrylic.

I started stitching the pieces with this goldenrod embroidery floss.

I feel like a Kindergartener working on my sewing cards.

I'll keep posting on that project. Hopefully I will finish it in time for Halloween. A funky black cat is just not going to work for Thanksgiving.

On to other stitching...

A while back I posted the base for this project, a quilted piece using all neutrals. Now I am adding some science fictionesque embroidery. These shapes make me think of a space ship or a chemistry lab.

I have no idea what my goal is for this piece, I just keep adding creepy parts.

Oooh Eeee Ooooh.

Give a Hoot!

2011-10-05T16:16:00.000-04:00

I'm starting to drag out the Halloween decor. These are my favorite. I made them a few years ago and love them on my mantle. I haven't cleaned it off yet, but wanted to share with you all just in case you feel like whipping some up with felt you might already have on hand. I didn't use a pattern, but stuck with simple shapes and stitches. The felt I used is a wool blend washed hot and dried in the dryer to create the yummy texture. The trim and vintage buttons came from my Grandma.

Hope these inspire you to start decorating. Have fun!

One More Day 'til October!

2011-09-30T15:35:00.000-04:00

This painting is putting me in the fall mood. It started as a collage in orange tones, but I've been adding layers. The brown circles are the latest layer, but I am not sure they are the last. Right now it makes me think of coffee stains.

I am super excited for my favorite month, October. Why is it my favorite? The weather is finally cooling off and I love orange and black. Halloween is such a silly holiday, but so much fun to decorate for if you like black like I do. This year I am going to amp up the Halloween decor in my den, starting with pillows made from black denim. This project is going to start this weekend. I will post pics as I go, so stay tuned.

Collage-O-Rama Wrap Up

2011-09-24T15:41:00.000-04:00

After a few days of battling a nasty cold, I am back to wrap up Collage-O-Rama.

Here are Day 6 and Day 7.

Now I have a pile of eye candy I can play with when I need a diversion.

What a fun distraction.

Now... what's next?

Collage-O-Rama Day 5

2011-09-22T17:27:00.000-04:00

This one brings out my inner Donnie and Marie.

Pink and Purple. (One of my secret favorite color combos.)

The red foil part is a cut and sewn Lindt Chocolates bag.

The fabric pieces are leftover from another collage.

The stamp is cut from an old eraser.

This one might be my favorite so far.

Collage-O-Rama Day 4

2011-09-21T17:40:00.000-04:00

This yellow makes me think of funky shapes.

These doodles are cut from a page of doodles I had on hand.

The textile is one square from a big piece I made last year.

I like the feathers. Maybe I'll make a whole page of them the next time I am bored.

Collage-O-Rama Day 3

2011-09-20T17:16:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm in a neutral state of mind.

Cool phrases and words from an old algebra text book.

Copper thread.

Black Glitter.

A metallic scrap from another collage.

Collage-O-Rama Day 2

2011-09-19T15:49:00.001-04:00

Despite the fall weather, the turquoise color made me think of the sea.

Even though I don't eat eggs, I love the cheerful graphic image of a fried one!

Collage-O-Rama Day 1

2011-09-18T18:57:00.001-04:00

With no big projects on my horizon and a gorgeous fall afternoon, I decided to take my supplies outside and get my hands moving. This week I will attempt to find a few minutes each day to make a small collage. Yes folks, Collage-o-Rama has begun. I cut illustration board into 3 inch squares, then grabbed my favorite paints and a box of scrappy trash.

Since it was Sunday, I went ahead and painted each collage background, choosing a different color for each day.

It is nice to create for fun and not worry about trying to sell, get published, or expand my skill level. Just little kid, get your hands dirty art fun.

Here is Sunday's collage. I'm not really a "bling" kinda girl, but I think the word is funny. I found this piece of text in a children's book from the 1940's. I think it was used to describe the sound of the bells on a fire truck. Quite a different meaning today.

No great work of art, but a small work of fun instead.

The First Day of Fall At My House

2011-09-16T17:01:00.000-04:00

I know that Autumn does not officially start until September 23rd. But there is a chill in the air this afternoon and I am going to start my celebration now. Maybe later this weekend we will light a fire in the fire pit and tell ghost stories. My husband likes to tell corny stories about growing up in Pennsylvania where he and his brothers supposedly experienced Sasquatch and other mystery beast sightings on a frequent basis. My son has started to lovingly call these "The Pennsylvania Tales." My specialty is a series of "Swim Team Zombie" stories. I am proud to say that my son usually goes indoors to retrieve his winter coat so that he can zip up the snug hood before I start my storytelling.

Fall crafting is on my mind. Fall and winter make me think of the juiciest fabrics. Felt, denim, and wool make fantastic decorations, accessories, and pillows and all embroider beautifully. I have white slipcovers on my couch right now and I am leaving them on until October, when I hope to have some fabulous spooky pillows made with black denim. I planned to do it last year and still have the black denim folded in a crate, but this could be the year it happens.

Vintage buttons and buckles put me in the mood to embellish a fall pillow or make a collage using the aged papers. These buttons and belt buckles belonged to my grandmother. She is 91 and no longer sews, but has kept every sewing notion all these years.

The belt buckles were treasures I found in her sewing notion drawer. I am sure she cut them from dresses she no longer wore. The glass one is my favorite.

So I have the entire delicious weekend in front of me. I have that magical Friday feeling and all the optimistic plans involving projects, relaxation, family time, cleaning, cooking. A real Martha Stewart weekend is brewing in my mind. Before I know it, Sunday night will be here and I will be disappointed with my lazy self. But for now I can dream.

Summer is Fading Out

2011-09-10T18:18:00.002-04:00

We slept with the windows open last night. I had to get up early and dig in the guest room for the fluffy down comforter. Fall is trying to arrive. I know the air conditioner is not done for the season. We probably can't say good-bye to that until October, but today has been a reminder of what is to come.
We went for a long hike this morning. Peanut was in rare form, sniffing and running so hard she created saliva foam that hung from her muzzle in glue-like strings. The leaves are still deep green and thick on the trees overhead, but the air feels different. The light falls and casts a richer glow on everything. Summer is fading out.

Enjoy the Silence

2011-09-04T18:01:00.000-04:00

A day of squirrel brain left me discouraged and thinking. I felt like I had lost all focus. I had run out of things to say. I realized the problem was just too much noise. I've always got background noise, whether I want it or not. Usually the noise is actual noise like people talking, phones ringing, music playing, or a video game blazing in the other room. But sometimes the most disturbing noise is the noise of checking Facebook, or texting, or reading a magazine that only gives me anxiety about the world around me and my shortcomings in it.
Today I decided to just be quiet. I am here writing, but that is the only interface with technology I am allowing myself today. This afternoon, my husband and son were gone for almost three hours. My daughter and I sat at the kitchen table and doodled with our art supplies. It was so quiet I could hear the ice trays being refilled in the refrigerator. The glorious silence was short-lived, as the boys returned clomping in cleats, crunching chips with their mouths open, and in all ways making the kitchen theirs.
But the quiet time helped. I remembered where I was going and got back on my path.
I started no big projects today, but concentrated on the act of making and getting my hands moving. It felt good.
I made a sheet of eyes to use in future projects.

After painting them with watercolor paint, I cut them out and put them in a box. So now I have a box of eyeballs whenever I need them.
I found it appropriate to spend a day making eyes. No ears, no mouth. Just what is needed for looking, watching, and seeing what I needed to see.

Squirrel Brain Day

2011-09-03T12:24:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's too much coffee, but I am having trouble focusing today.

I've got a bad case of squirrel brain.

I've been working on a collage for a friend of mine and I am almost done.

Perhaps my brain is already searching for the next nut, I mean project.
I am completely distracted by everything in my studio.

Ooooh shiny paint!

Old lace. I want to touch it!

Hmmm....What could I do with these?

Ok, so back to the collage... it has been fun. I made it for my friend's son,
a young, jazz-loving musician.

I tried to summon Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis as I put the pieces together.
Hopefully I have not also conjured up Jim Neighbors and Zamfir, King of the Pan Flute.

I get a little rattled making art for someone else, but I know it is good for me.

It is challenging to stay true to your own style

while trying to make something that you think someone else will like.
Since I am new at this, I wonder... does that feeling of "gee, I hope they like it" ever go away?

Now that this project is almost complete, I need something new to tackle.

I can't decide where to start.

I think I will have to ride out the rodent state of mind until something sticks.

This part of the creative process is annoying,

but it will pass.

In the meantime, I have holes to dig out in the backyard.

I Need a Remedy

2011-08-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

My sweet friend from Alabama so clearly described a feeling for me one day.

While talking about a funk she was in, she lightheartedly said, "Oh, I've got snakes in my head."

I loved that phrase on so many levels. 1) It was said with an Alabama accent,

2) It so perfectly described the frustration of being in a funk,

and 3) Snakes can be driven out.

Instead of thinking about the blues as a lingering fog that stays with you indefinitely,

the concept of snakes implies a temporary nuisance that will slither out rather quickly.

After years of struggling with fog issues,

I have finally learned that making stuff helps me clear out the snakes.

There is really no need to over-analyze a funk.

Most of the time it is caused by something random that creeps along my path.

I don't try too hard to clear it out on my own, I just notice it and get busy with my hands.

The snakes leave on their own while I am working.

The remarkable remedy drives them out.

The Junk Collector

2011-08-16T18:55:00.003-04:00

When I was a girl, I was quite a junk collector. I saved every trinket I could find and

traveled with my Junk Collection, an assortment of gumball machine toys, Cracker Jacks prizes,

feathers, broken jewelry, and rocks delightfully housed in an old Pringles can.

I still have trouble leaving sparkly bits and trinkets behind.

Thankfully the world of mixed media art has renamed junk and raised its status in doing so. Useless pieces of junk are now called "found objects." What was previously a greasy chicken sandwich wrapper found on the side of the road is now called "found paper." I love the new terms.

They reflect the sense of mysterious good fortune I feel when I find something to save.

I like to find such objects and paper in junk mail, on the floor, and in the scrap pile left behind when I work on a project. Last Saturday I decided to tear all

my found pieces into tiny bits and sew them together. These are some of my creations.

Change Gears

2011-07-17T10:27:00.000-04:00

I have had a quiet week because both children were at camp. With hours of precious solitude on my hands, I tried my hand at something new. For about a month, I've been thinking about making dreamy pieces using wire. Armed with wire cutters, pliers, and many spools of 20 gauge wire, I've been bending and snipping all week. When I work with something so detailed, I've got to have a diversion for my eyes. I need to look up and refocus every few minutes in order to let them rest.

My diversion this week was watching Art 21 episodes. Listening to artists talk about their lives, their work, and their ideas was incredibly inspirational. I realized that I need to slow down a bit and enjoy the process of making art, to ask more questions, to create more worlds with what I do. I don't need to trade in the car, just change gears.

In his now famous commencement speech to Stanford University, Steve Jobs talks about the importance of doing what you love. Setting all the carpe diem aside, I heard a specific message when I read this speech. The importance of change.

If what you are doing each day is not in line with what you love to do, make a change. Jobs doesn't say to throw it all out the door. He simply says, "change something." I think of driving a car. If you have run off the road, it is best to make a slight adjustment to your steering. Over-correcting can cause you to lose control of your car. (Unfortunately, I know this from experience.)

I'm not ready to make my wire sculptures public, but I am happy with what is happening. I will still get up day after day and empty the dishwasher and go to work and sweep up dog hair. But I will also change gears, turn around, and correct my steering every once in a while.

Where Did I Leave My Glasses?

2011-07-11T12:17:00.001-04:00

Since turning 40 a year ago, I have noticed a sharp decline in my visual abilities. After a life of perfect vision, I am continually surprised that I cannot see the eye of a needle, the details of my husband's face when we kiss, and my armpits when I try to shave them in the shower. It is a humbling feeling to so vividly understand that something is shutting down in this machine of mine. Recently, I was even more humbled when I shopped for cheap reading glasses at the local junk store and stood near giggly teenagers wearing their short shorts and flip flops. It was like looking at my sister and me over twenty years ago. Peachy skin, tanned legs, carefree silliness. I felt quite moldy.

So now I find myself saying things like, "Now, where did I leave my glasses?" and "Let me get my glasses!" I have added a pause to my life. I can't just pick up a book and start reading

or remove a splinter on the fly. I have to stop and get my glasses first.

This is frustrating.

Somehow I know there is a message in all this. What am I supposed to learn from this experience?

Enter Yoda. My children both have Yoda moments. These are moments when they speak nothing but truth that I need to hear. My 9 year old said something the other day that stuck with me. We were having breakfast and she said, "Mom, I don't understand that phrase about nothing being perfect. To me, life is perfect. We have a nice house and a good family and nice friends. Seems pretty perfect to me."

She wasn't dreamy-eyed about it. She was quite matter-of-fact.

I realized she was responding to a woman she knows

who gripes and complains about what she doesn't have.

I heard her message.

I think the new pause in my life is one that I need.

It's time to question how I perceive what is in front of me.

Do I really see it?

So now I have turned into one of those ladies who can never find her glasses.

So far, they have never been on my head all along.

But I know that day is coming.

Still a Happy Trash Picker

2011-07-03T07:56:00.001-04:00

As a little girl, I regularly sat on the floor while my mom sewed.

The floor was a magical spot, as it was covered with fabric and trim scraps.

My sister and I crafted many purses, belts, and doll clothes in our younger years.

Nowadays, I don't sit on the floor anymore, but I use the scraps from the floor in all my work.

Tiny pieces of paper, fabric, trim, and even balls of discarded thread

find their way into my collages and quilts.

While I am scavenging the floors, my mind takes me back to being with my mom and my sister.

I experience vivid memories of my mom's sewing machine humming away,

an old western or Godzilla moving playing on the tiny black and white TV,

and sweaty glasses of iced tea.

Those little nuggets of memory make me happy.

They connect me with my family and bring a sense of calm and confidence that I am in the right place.

Perhaps this is not the grand lesson my mom hoped to impart, but somehow

I know that picking trash off the floor is what I am supposed to be doing.

Lesson from mom: Never underestimate the power of regular old life.

Art Among the Toilets

2011-06-25T21:27:00.000-04:00

Cleaning the bathrooms is high on my list of least-favored activities. I know I could hire someone to do this, but I am plagued by some sort of deep-rooted sense of obligation to do it myself. Perhaps I know in my heart that I need to humble myself regularly. I wouldn't want to be getting too fancy here.

Today, I decided to break up the job into three parts and to create a series of mini-rewards to keep me motivated along the way. The three parts = the three bathrooms. The reward...art time. After each bathroom, I went into my studio, turned the music on and painted until I needed drying time. Then I turned the music off and moved on to the next bathroom. Once that bathroom was clean, I returned to the studio to work on the next collage layer until I needed to break for paint to dry again.

The whole experience was quite pleasant. By the time I finished the bathrooms, I ended up spending lots more time making art. The end result... clean bathrooms, a completed collage, and a happy me.

My husband even got in on the mini-rewards as he did yard work. His reward... beer.

Letterpress Class Blues

2011-05-10T19:31:00.000-04:00

It is almost over. My letterpress class has almost ended and I am sad.

I have become close friends with an old Vandercook machine.

I learned how to set the type, register my image, and clean up all that ink.

The scissors are printed using a linoleum block that I carved and have used when printing fabric. The lettering is set in metal type.

Metal Type

Wood Block Letters - notice the imperfections (which I like)

I have a new appreciation for letterpress printing, as it takes at least 30 minutes to get everything set up before you even start the machine. All the machines are at least 50 years old. They don't always run smoothly, they get wonky, and you have to do lots of fiddling and finagling. For some reason this really appealed to me. Perhaps it is refreshing in this age of software to have to face problems relating to moving parts, gears, and true grease. It must be the farmer in my blood.

Where Did April Go?

2011-04-27T17:40:00.001-04:00

Where did April go? What happened to my creative life this month?

I needed to read. Sometimes I just have to take a reading break.

What did I read?

Patty Smith, Just Kids. Patty's recollection of her life with Robert Mapplethorpe in the late 60's / early 70's. She writes like the poet she is. I came away thinking two things. 1) I would be horrified if my daughter ever lived like this, and 2) I'm glad her parents let Patty live like this. Her story of genuine love for Robert is touching and inspiring.

John Steinbeck, Cannery Row. One of my favorite authors. Every paragraph is so beautifully constructed. Even his description of an octopus eating is worth reading at least 4 times.

David Sedaris, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. I love David Sedaris and could read his essays each night before I go to sleep. They make me laugh and make him so endearing.

Nic Sheff, Tweak. Nic's plight with drug addiction. This one is seriously disturbing, but interesting and seems honest.

Poetry by Allen Ginsberg and Mary Oliver. Allen makes me go "hmmm." Mary is just plain good stuff.

A whole month of escape on voyeuristic journeys into the lives of artists, poets,

writers, and madmen in general.

All while cooking dinner, cleaning toilets, going to work,

folding at least 100 white tube socks,

and watching all these flowers grow in my garden.

I think my creative juices are almost back.

I'm In the Basement... Learning to Print

2011-04-05T12:03:00.001-04:00

Yet again, I have discovered that something that looks easy is really not that easy.

Aprons and dishtowels.

I loved carving these blocks. My hands are sore, but the concentration required is so good for my brain.

Cheers to anyone old enough to catch the B-52's reference in today's post title.

Gossip Blossoms

2011-03-25T15:56:00.001-04:00

Gossip. A topic that makes me uncomfortable. I don't like to think I do it.

But let's be truthful here. I do.

As much as I'd like to announce that I am above it,

I am not.

Gossip is a topic that comes up in my artwork quite often.

Perhaps because it makes me uncomfortable, it also fascinates me.

Gossip can be blatant, but it can also be quite sneaky.

It can be cloaked in kindness.

A bit of a tricky thing.

Leaving Suburbia

2011-03-23T05:50:00.000-04:00

I started my 8 week printmaking class last night at Atlanta Printmakers Studio. I had signed up with a friend, but she had to back out. I was left with a decision.

Should I make the excuse that I do not feel comfortable driving downtown into a sketchy part of town on a school night without my friend?

Should I buck up and do it, knowing that there will always be an excuse?

I bucked up.

So glad I did.

Sit and Look

2011-03-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

I'm a bit overwhelmed after a busy weekend.

I have a few minutes to be productive down here in my studio,

but I just can't get myself to do anything.

I am tired to the bone.

So I am sitting and listening to the hum of the washing machine and looking around.

This is what I see.

I am so used to seeing all these items, I don't really notice them anymore.

Take some snapshots of your immediate surroundings.

It is always good to look again.

Galerie Matilda

2011-03-18T15:48:00.000-04:00

Something special happened this week. My work is now in a gallery called Galerie Matilda in my town of Roswell, Georgia. The gallery is filled with funky, fun, and colorful folk art. Last night was their grand opening. I was thrilled to be included.

My friend Tamara was my first Galerie Matilda patron. I sold two other pieces as well to two complete strangers. What a special connection and honor for someone else to recognize a special part of my heart.
Happy Happy.

Under the Rug

2011-03-16T04:53:00.000-04:00

I finished it! The big collage I have been working on since before Christmas! It has taken many shapes. But this is the final one. I renamed it. Under the Rug is the new title.

Under the Rug

Under the Rug Detail

The layers beneath:

What is beneath the rug?
Needless things. Sweep them into the dustpan and toss them to the trash bin.
Treasures neglected. Polish and shine. Bring them back to light.
Harmless fuzzballs.
Hmmm.

Newfangled Contraption

2011-03-15T16:52:00.000-04:00

I did it. I cut the quilty textile thing I have been creating over the last week.

It felt good to cut it, paint on it, sand it, and glue it down on a canvas. My newfangled contraption is a quilted television. As you can see, the screen is rather small. Perhaps this is acknowledgment of the diminishing role of t.v.in my life and the increasing role of art. I hope to keep it that way. I have to think I will be a happier person if I fill my brain with colors and lines instead of scary reality show people.

Felt Like Making Pins

2011-03-14T05:04:00.001-04:00

It may have been 80 degrees outside this weekend, but down in my studio I was still working with wool felt. I am participating in an artist's market at Matilda's Cottage in a few weeks and part of my inventory will include wool felt scarves and pins, so I allowed myself to create just a few more.

Not sure if you noticed the interesting textile in the background. Yes, that is my evolving scrappy quilty thing. I added gesso, black acrylic smudges, and tons of stitches in a variety of threads. This is how it looks now.

I'm still not sure how I will use it. I am starting to think it would make cool fabric cuff bracelets. I made a trashy looking flower pin to go with.

I am also imagining pieces cut for collage on canvas. Photos don't really do it justice (well... my photos anyway.)
Textiles are so much better in person.

I Should Be Cooking Dinner Right Now

2011-03-10T17:21:00.000-05:00

I must take a break from being so responsible.
Instead, I must share my fun project inspired by a recent article in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine. Susan Pickering Rothamel and Frankie Fioretti wrote an article on creating restructured paper using all those beautiful scraps most of us have in abundance. I did not have all the supplies on their list, but I knew I could make do with what I've got.

I gathered up a pile of paper and fabric scraps, matte gel medium, a paint brush, and a smooth plastic bin lid. I just smeared some medium onto the lid and started adding scraps. After the first layer, I added more using the medium to adhere the pieces. I threw in a few fabric scraps, tulle, and paper cording.

Then I let it dry.

This afternoon, I peeled it right off the plastic.

Here's the back.

And here's the front, ready to be used as a collage background or accent, journal page, book cover, or ripped into new pieces for additional collages and accents.
The whole process only took about 15 minutes. So much fun to just make a mess, let it dry, and peel it up later!

This is Fun

2011-03-07T05:37:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by a Cloth Paper Scissors' challenge to make a fabric swatches for their swatch exchange. I decided to use my scrap bin to make a deliciously textured and wildly colorful fabric.

I started by sewing random scraps of fabric directly onto muslin. I did not try to match colors or select my favorite fabric scraps. Even the ugly stuff went in. Whatever I grabbed got sewn down.

I covered the entire surface with fabric pieces.

Next, I ripped black and white fabric into skinny strips and sewed them all over the face of the fabric. I also used a variety of threads to sew lines across the surface. This helped the fabric lay down and gave the fabric a more quilted texture.

At this point, I do indeed have great texture and color, but now I am supposed to cut this into 9 inch squares for a fabric swap. I am not sure I want to do that. I am also thinking of taking the color down a notch by covering the whole thing in gesso.

Super fun. Mindless bursts of color, loud music blaring, sewing machine smoking. Good times.

These Just Make Me Smile

2011-02-27T21:10:00.000-05:00

No art was created today, but my workspace is shaping up. Lots of things went into the trash can. Don't worry. They were things like a coffee can filled with scraps off the floor, dried up pens, empty wrapping paper tubes, and a rose-scented candle that reminded me of a truck stop restroom air freshener every time I burned it. (It was a gift and I feel huge guilt throwing out a gift. I did try to like it.)

My daughter even got into the act and cleaned out part of her craft closet. Her craft supplies are classic little girl. Looms to make pot holders, pony beads, pom poms, feathers, and pipe cleaners.
Little kid art is so much fun. Since I have no art to share tonight, I thought I'd highlight a few pieces from one of my favorite artists.

Notice the ipod.

She has never visited a laundromat, but she thought it would be an interesting setting for this pig. I have to agree.

Diligence Please

2011-02-26T19:46:00.000-05:00

Sometimes my best teacher is an 8 year old girl that lives in a pink bedroom upstairs. My daughter and I were having a social studies chat the other night when she told me that all the great people she was studying had a very important quality... diligence.
As some of you might have noticed, my blog has been quiet this week. That is due to a large pity party I have been holding for myself. I have spent much of the week wallowing in frustration with my lack of direction. I have also managed to find many ways to procrastinate effectively. I finished "The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo." I gave myself a pedicure complete with blackberry polish. I ate an entire box of Girl Scout Samoas. I also cooked a lovely beef stew in my new pressure cooker. I did not put a toe in my studio. I think I was mad at it.
Then I heard a little person tell me all about diligence. And I realized I was on my way to giving up.
So, today I got back into my studio and decided that part of the problem was the studio itself. It will never be completely neat. But I have to draw the line when I can't find the supplies I need. Then frustration sets in. Then I start the pity party back up. And the whole cycle starts again.
Today I decided to get back on the path I am supposed to be walking. I started small, by tackling one thing that is driving me crazy. Today, it was the ribbon bin. This was the current state of the ribbon bin. If you pulled one ribbon out, a mound of other ribbons would come out with it. The ribbon bin also contained about 15 empty cardboard ribbon spools. The entire thing took up half a shelf.

I spent a good part of the afternoon pulling out each ribbon, winding it into a neat bundle and placing it in a small zip-lock bag. Once done, I arranged all the bags by color and loaded them into an antique Pepsi bottle crate. Ahhh. Pretty to view. Easy to use. Easy to keep organized.

It took a while. It was not exciting. But if I really want to make art a crucial part of my life, I need to make it easier to do the work. I need to set myself up for success. It matters.
It is worth the effort.
Diligence: constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken.
Cue the Rocky theme.

Charming Confession

2011-02-21T07:07:00.001-05:00

I must make a confession.

I know I made a commitment not to buy any new supplies, but this weekend I broke my promise.

I just needed a rut buster.

I got inspired by watching Julie Fei-Fan Balzer making these cut tape transfer charms.

The only had to purchase two new supplies: Tim Holtz Fragments and silver foil tape.

The process is quite easy. The charms are just plastic and are going to get scratched up over time. But they were silly fun to make. And sometimes I just need a little silly fun.

Now back to more serious fun.

Off the Cuff

2011-02-20T07:45:00.000-05:00

While searching for something this morning, I stumbled upon a project I started working on about two years ago. Fabric collage cuff bracelets. Totally forgot I had made these! They are really just fun and easy ways to use up scraps, vintage trims, buttons, and stuff from the doo-dad jar. Back then I did not have an Etsy shop, so I quit making them because I wasn't sure who might be interested. Now I know there are all kinds of people who like handmade everything. I think I might ramp back up on these and do a shop makeover. The cuffs look great with sleeveless or short-sleeved clothes, so they'd be perfect for spring.

These are the bracelets I have on hand.

The gears are turning.

Paint Some Doodles

2011-02-18T05:45:00.000-05:00

Today I just needed to use my watercolor paints.

It's been too long.

I scrounged around and found some small doodles that needed color.

Not sure what I'll do with these mini pieces, but they were a great Friday project.

I am not sure why I am drawn to toasters, tvs, and clocks, but they keep showing up in my doodles.

Back on Track

2011-02-17T05:31:00.000-05:00

I'm back.

Thank you blog friends. Sometimes a girl just needs some advice. I took it!

I started cleaning up the studio a bit.

Touching my supplies makes some sort of brain connection and the lightbulbs start coming back on.

I also looked for colors I don't normally use.

For me, this would be neutral tones.

I love them, but am naturally drawn to red, purple, and turquoise.

I haven't made a quilt in a while, so I decided to start a new one.

The last one I made was a baby quilt for some friends up in Brooklyn.

I think I will make another.

Wonderful therapy... cutting strips.

When I sew a quilt, I just start sewing. No plan. No end in mind.

I love to paint, but get a bit nervous when putting the paint on the canvas.

Mistakes are sometimes tricky to correct.

Not so with my kind of sewing.

I love to just start stitching things together haphazardly.

I always have my good friend, the seam ripper, standing by just in case.

I made a rectangle ladder from an old muslin curtain panel and a dish towel.


I sewed tucks into plain muslin. Great texture and visual interest.


I like to make interesting patches for imaginary holes.


After I piece the top, I will add text and images by embroidering with black thread.

"White...is not a mere absence of colour;

it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black."

G. K. Chesterton

My next project will probably be a return to bold color, but I am enjoying the peaceful look of white.

The lack of bright colors forces me to look at my design in a different way.

Looking in a different way is always a good thing.

Unlock the Block

2011-02-15T04:50:00.000-05:00

Now what.

I finished a new piece (no pics yet.) And I just had great news (see February 11th.)

Now I am sitting in my basement studio, surrounded by paper clippings and thread pieces

and scraps of anything that can be made into scraps.

Nothing.

No ideas are brewing, no images are flooding my brain.

What will unlock my block?

Any suggestions?

WaHoo!

2011-02-11T20:39:00.000-05:00

Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine just announced the winners of their 2012 calendar contest and my name was on the list! I don't know which month will be mine, but I don't care where they put me. I am so thrilled to be in it! I will keep my piece a secret until the calendar is published.

For now, I will share an artist trading card I made several years ago. It is called "stay busy."
I've found that staying busy with art has kept the snakes out of my head and the happy in my heart.

Imagine a Moment

2011-02-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

Imagine a moment in the future. A dark classroom. The sound of a small motor running.

You are listening to a lecture. The presenter is using an ancient machine called a slide projector.

The images on the old-fashioned roll-down screen? Clocks.

Someone finally figured out how to live life without counting the seconds as they tick away.

The clock is a historic relic.

The concept of time is obsolete.

Today I just needed a little science fiction fantasy.

Thank you for your patience.

Get Out of Your Zip Code

2011-02-07T04:57:00.001-05:00

My friend Kelly and I got crazy on a school night and took a Valentine card printing class at Atlanta Printmakers Studio. This required us to drive down to 30310 on Super Bowl Sunday night. Nutty gals.

We got lessons and had a chance to print on Chandler and Price Old Style platen presses (one from 1899!) and two different kinds of Vandercook presses. We also had a quick lesson on lining envelopes to match our newly printed cards. Margot Ecke was our kind and patient instructor, while four other artists helped us operate each press (and kept us from pressing our hands instead of card stock.)

This machine was built in 1899!

1890's Stair Master

Viola!

Now we are both itching to take an 8 week letterpress class with Margot Ecke. Anyone interested?