SerenityisBliss

2009-03-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been two months since my last post. I got in the Fiber Arts Magazine, which I'm really excited about. Here is the card that got it in...

I really love old romance comics and if you need any tips about these, just shoot me an email.

Love Me Do

2009-01-04T18:21:00.001-08:00

Here is another heart for our heart trade on Surface Design. I really like this one. I got out the old needle punch machine and added stitches.

You Gotta Have Love

2008-12-17T09:28:00.001-08:00

This PC is made from a lace heart I got in the garment district last year. I added some dyes, paints and then embossed it with Mistyfuse. The background is hand dyed silk and I added some french knots and beads to accent. You can click on to enlarge and see the embossed silver. Looks pretty cool.

Quilting in the Limelight

2008-12-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who love Philippa Naylor's work. She has a new book out. I've just ordered it. It is called "Quilting in the Limelight". You can't get it from amazon. But, you can get it here.

I took a class with Philippa last year and she has so many tips and tricks for you to make your quilt look great. I'm looking forward to her piping illustrations. Her quilts were so well made and beautiful. I learned a lot in one short class. I think even just for eye candy this book will be great.

My Tutorial is Out

2008-10-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

I hope you all are subscribing to QA Embellishments. My article is now out. It is about using Mistyfuse for turned under applique. I hope you all can use it. I know it has been a big help to me in working on my large art quilt.

I don't have a link yet since it is not in the archives, if you'd like to see a copy and don't subscribe, just send me your email.

Here's a picture of a heart I did with this method and a sneak peak at some lettering..

Been awhile

2008-10-06T17:05:00.001-07:00

I've been working on my really large art quilt. This is why I really don't post too much, since I don't have very many mini projects going. I've been working on it for about 8 months now. I don't get that much opportunity to work on.
I've been also working on a cool tutorial using Mistyfuse. I'll share more once everything is final.

I got these two great postcards from Debbi. I just love to receive things from Debbi. I'd say she is queen of stamped images:) You can't really tell from the photo's but the bird PC has some great glitter doodles all over it. Thanks Debbi!

Times Changed

2008-08-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this. This is from the 1950's. Isn't it so interesting how the ideas of what a woman should do have changed? I guess it's more how it's presented. This almost seems like the Stepford Wives.

I must do "100 strokes MINIMUM" on my hair . Or check this one, "suprefluous hair on legs or under arms can ruin even the most exquisite daintiness". How funny!

Are you a "Budget Beauty"?

September Calendar Girls

2008-08-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

For September for Calendar Girls, I wanted to move away from flowers and focus on a word. So, I chose the word time, which was in the quote. Then, I thought about what was one of the most famous symbols of time...Big Ben. So, I took the image and I manipulated it into photoshop and came up with the backdrop for my piece. I also used stamped text as well. I wanted to make a small clock out of it so I added a time piece. So, this is a clock postcard. Although, you'd have great pains mailing it as a post card...but what the heck it's my wild interpretation:)

Calendar Girls

2008-07-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

I've finished my July Calendar Girls PC. I've been working a lot with painting lately. So, I decided to ink and paint an image. I wanted to create a little bit of a 3-D effect to the top flower so I put a little stabilizer behind it. I think though if I had to do it again I would just leave it without the stabilizer.

Also, I've started my August PC for Calendar Girls to get a jump start so I can fall back into the big project I'm working on. It's going to take me forever to complete. When I get to a good point, I'll post a sneak peak. I'm working on a large art quilt. I think the problem is going to be when I am ready to quilt keeping the puckering to a minimum. But, I've got a couple ideas. And, I think the biggest thing is quilting a big quilt and maneuvering it so you can get even stitches. But, once I've nailed this, it will be easier to do a second quilt.

The August PC was really cool to make, I stamped an image with shrink plastic and then melted it in the oven. I also used some "perfect circles". And, Debbi had this cool netting type paper that she gave me that was great for the backdrop. Send me more Debbi:)

OPPS! SOLD

2008-06-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

I accidentally ordered two of this book. It's newly out and has some really great techniques. If you want to buy it from me, via paypal, for $16.00 including shipping. Just email me or respond to post.

In the mail

2008-05-27T15:16:00.001-07:00

I received these lovely PC's in the mail

The first one is from Michelle. Such beautiful threadpainting!

this next one is from Tracy... I really like how Tracy was able to use one of the photo's she took and enhance it.

This next one is from Carol Straus. What can I say about Carol's threadpainting just amazing. I like how she was able to achieve a 3D composition:

And this last one is from Fannie.. I am amazed how Fanny was able to achieve this hair with variegated thread.

Books For Sale! Making Space!!

2008-04-21T12:12:00.001-07:00

I'm really cleaning out my closets of some things I don't think I need. Please stay tuned for fabrics this will be my next thing to get into. All books in really really good condition.

I'm offering these here before I do ebay. Check em all out! I'll ship out of country for what it costs me to those of you who I know. You can pay via paypal. Just email me if you are interested in any of these. I will combine shipping. There are 10 books

1. Six Issues of Embroidery Magazine From May of 2007 to April of 2008. This is from the UK! It retails for around $9-10 US for each copy!! I'm offering 6 for $30..which would normally cost $60 (I'm also including shipping). THIS INCLUDES SHIPPING IN US ONLY.
SOLD SOLD SOLD

2. SOLD SOLD SOLD Bead Creative Art Quilts by Nancy Eha $5.00 + 3.00 shipping US

3. Tassels and Fabulous Fring $4.00 + $3.00 shipping US

4. SOLD SOLD SOLD Log Cabin with a Twist $4.00 + $3.00 shipping

5. SOLD SOLD SOLD The Modern Quilt Workshop $5.00 + $3.00 shipping

6. Holiday Collage Quilts $3.00 + $3.00 shipping

7. Focus on Batiks Jan Smiley $4.00 +$3.00 shipping

8. SOLD SOLD SOLD Fabric Journey Ruth McDowell $5.00 + $3.00 shipping

9 Cottagewood Quilts Lynette Jensen $3.00 + $3.00 shipping

10. Quilted For Christmas $3.00 + $3.00 shipping

In The Mail

2008-04-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this lovely journal page that I got from Ann Sands. I don't think she has a blog. We did a perfect circles journal trade. Check out that little tiny green circle...isn't it amazing that the edges are turned over? This was a really beautiful journal page to receive. The colors are so fun and cheerful! And, the stitchwork is just beautiful.

Also, I received this spectacular PC from Sharon. Sharon is a wiz at photoshop. I wish I knew even a freckle of what Sharon knows. Aren't those two little girls so sweet?

Love em!!

Glamour Girls

2008-04-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a thread painted lady from my "Glamour Girls" series I am working on. Where ever you see black is thread painted. The image also includes acrylics and inks.

Postcard Holder

2008-04-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

I made this PC holder awhile ago. It's a great way to use up some fabric in your stash.

Mail Call!

2008-03-23T09:18:00.001-07:00

I received a beautiful PC from Sandy. Isn't it just lovely? It's from the Calendar Girls swap for March.

Also, here is another great package from Debbi. We exchanged fairy shoes. These fairy shoes are so beautiful and very special. I also love the package of papers Debbi sent. So many ideas! Thanks so much Debbi!

Wool Vs. Cotton Batting

2008-03-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

I'd appreciate any feedback on what you all think about wool vs. cotton batting. I'm thinking of buying some wool Hobbs batting because I've heard you can manipulate it more and it is easier to get out puckering. Anyways, I'd appreciate any thoughts if any of you have used wool vs cotton?

Advice

2008-03-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

I am planning out doing a really large art quilt. I would appreciate any tips or ideas any of you might have to prevent puckering while stitching. I've heard of fusing the backing and the front and of course the traditional pin and baste technique. I haven't done a large quilt in years and was never really good at keeping it without puckers. Anyone done the fusing technique with success?

Please help! Vicki if you are reading this, I know you are a pro at this kind of stuff maybe you might have some suggestions?

Lasting Impressions From A 3 Year Old

2008-03-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

I just have to share this cute little picture my son did. I thought it would be interesting for him to interpret a Calendar Girls calendar image. I had him look at April's picture and draw what he liked. He wanted me to draw a flower and hearts to show him how. So on the outside border I drew the hearts and flower. Then, he drew his FIRST flower on the inside with little hearts. Don't you also like how me signed his name up the side?

Are you ready for the cutest thing? Check out the little black boxes on each of the corners. I asked him..."So, what are these?"

His response..."This is so you can increase and decrease the size." Is my son into the computer age or what? I thought this was so cute to say for a little 3 year old.

Art That Makes An Impact

2008-03-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

What's the first piece of art that comes to your mind right now? Do you have special pieces of art in your mind that just never go away...they might not be the Da Vinci's or van Gogh's but they just stay with you. I was thinking about this. I'm sure there are many you know but there are few that stay with you. There are a few that kind of just stay with me. This is one. David Hockney's "A Bigger Splash". I think this is such an interesting painting because you have all the symmetry of the building and pool ...and then there is the "splash". There are so many deep meanings you can attach to this painting. I've always liked the "order and disorder" of this piece.

I'd also be interested to hear about any fiber creations that "just stay with you".

Staedtler Proportional Scale

2008-03-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how familiar any of you are with the proportional scale. It is a really cool object to have. It's great if you want to enlarge something and want a proportion ratio. Basically, you say how many inches you want your finished product to be and it tells you what ratio to enlarge. Makes copying that much easier. Pretty neat eh? Also, can use it for reducing ratios.

Well, I bought a few of these and if anyone wants one for $4.50 (includes shipping in US, overseas will be a $1.00 more) and you have a paypal account email me and I'll send you one.

It really is a neat little device.

I found out about this device while watching the Katie PM DVD. It really is a great DVD with lot's of information to make an artquilt

Calendar Girls

2008-03-04T20:27:00.000-08:00

Dianne received her postcard so now I'd like to share. Dianne loves fairies so I figured I'd do a spin on a flower fairy for the March trade. I wanted to do some clip art with thread painting but I gave up on this after a couple of times. It then evolved into the below PC. The little flowers were created in Photoshop from the composition I discussed a couple posts ago. I like how it turned out. The backdrop is Skydyes.

PC From Give-a-way

2008-03-02T10:44:00.001-08:00

I received this PC a little while back from answering a question right on Julaine's blog. Pretty cool eh? I would never have thought to incorporate colored staples into a composition.

Seven Things About Me

2008-02-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Tracy to answer seven things about myself...here goes:

1. I met my husband in Paris.

2. I want to live at Lake Tahoe. It's one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

3. I once studied boxing with a professional boxer. He told me I had to tap into my anger so I would think of how my ex-boyfriend broke up with me and then got engaged to someone else three weeks later.

4. I packed up all my things in my little Saturn after passing the CPA exam and moved from Michigan to Las Vegas (by myself). I planned on only staying 6 months….turned into 4 years. I started out working at the Luxor and then moved to working for most major casinos on the strip auditing their records and doing internal audit. Really interesting to see behind the scenes in the count rooms and surveillance rooms. But, it was nothing like Ocean’s 11. One of the best things I ever did in my life!

5. I never lived in one place for more than 6 months up until I was 10 years old.

6. I don’t like mayonnaise, lima beans or olives.

7. I was born in the UK.

Gifts in the mail

2008-02-20T11:53:00.002-08:00

I received some really beautiful things from Fanny and Pat.

Fanny does the most beautiful machine stitching thread painting. Just look at this beautiful heart. I wouldn't even attempt to try those little flowers she does. And look at the backdrop...looks just like wood. So beautiful. Thank you Fanny!

And, I received this lovely PC from Pat for our Calendar Girls swap. I love the musical background and little wool vase. Just beautiful Pat and greatly appreciated!

Lastly, here are my tiles for the LB trade. So glad they are finally done. It takes some time to do 9 of something!

Photoshop

2008-02-13T15:57:00.000-08:00

I've been working on the March PC swap for Calendar Girls. I was playing around with Photoshop and here is what I have come up. I've almost finished the PC but I'll wait to show. It's funny how interpreted this.

Original photo:

I liked the colors on this altered version:

And here is the basis for my PC. I took a small portion of the backdrop of the original altered it and created a new backdrop. Then, I took one of the smaller flowers and multiplied it in various directions. It may seem like this was a quick process but you can spend hours on Photoshop just playing around.

Perfect Circles

2008-02-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

I'm in a journal trade to do "Perfect Circles". I thought it would be interesting to do just one big circle of the moon. I really like how perfect circles work. The moon is turned under. The trees in front of the moon are thread painted. I'm thinking I did a little too much sewing into the water. If I did a composition like this again, I'd just do a little stitching in front of the moon to show reflection.

A New Blog To Check Out

2008-02-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

I just love the work of Deidre Adams. She has a blog that she just recently started. I suggest you all book mark for some great visual eye candy. It really is amazing to me how some of you out there have this incredible talent of combining elements together and creating masterpieces! Her work really is fine art.

Library of Congress

2008-02-05T18:37:00.001-08:00

I was browsing on art and perception and they had this post about the library of congress and how they released these color photo's from the 40's. Really, really interesting. We are so used to seeing this time period in black and white. How interesting to look in color! It is so interesting to see the women of this time in color and also how simply people lived "in color". Really puts a different take on things.

40's photo's

On my wish list

2008-02-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

I really want this book. I wish it came out before May. I've seen some of Anna's quilts before in person and have been amazed at how they were woven.

Here's another on my want list...can't wait!!

A Winner!

2008-01-31T16:46:00.003-08:00

Doreen K, shoot me an email with your address. You are a winner!!

Joanna

A Winner!

2008-01-31T16:46:00.001-08:00

Doreen K, shoot me an email with your address. You are a winner!!

Joanna

Romance Comics

2008-01-27T06:56:00.001-08:00

As some of you may know, I'm a big fan of romance comic imagery. My preference is the 50's and in particular the artwork of Matt Baker. I wrote an article for the RaggedCafe that I would like you all to check out. Let me know what you think?

This is my current work in process. I'm really happy with the outcome and as I have decided to do a series of studies of comic women images (when I can fit it in!). The background is hand dyed fabric and the image of the girl is done with inks and pastels on fabric. Then, where ever you see black, this is thread painted with black thread. I might do a little tweaking to the background. I need to think it over. I thought about stitching in the background but since this is a smaller piece..I'm not sure. It will also be scaled down a bit upon completion. She has a friendliness about her...like she's inviting you into her world...don't you think?

Matt Baker's women have an immortal beauty. And, he knew how to set a scene with so many details! He was just gifted in his ability to capture movement. He had a bad heart and died at the age of 37. He made such a contribution in such a short period of time. I was lucky enough to stumble onto some of his images that are considered public domain. I know this will take some time to do a series and I am not sure in which direction I will go but I really like how this one in particular turned out. The defined lines are just perfect for thread painting. And, the comic images make a great source of inspiration to work in fiber.

I would like to know what you all think of the article? Also, I would love to hear if any of you already knew of Matt Baker or were a reader of some his comics...or even own some romance comics in general?

And, here are some links to some illustrators/comic artists that are interesting to visit:

Process Recess

Guyshield

Sara's Sketches

Misch

A general blog on 50's 40's imagery, really interesting to look back on some of these ads

Today's Inspiration's

Fabric Dyeing and Giveaway!

2008-01-24T08:06:00.001-08:00

I am also in an exchange with CalendarGirls with Lynda. She is so gifted at working with sheers and really does amazing things with her experiments. Thank you Lynda! Just love it! She also gave me an extra freebie PC. How lucky am I?

I bought some chino dye and worked with adding some fuschia, peach, and golden yellow's to the mix. I think my favorite combination would be chino with a little bit of fuschia and peach added to the mix. As you can see a couple of them aren't really skin tones but they look nice in the mix. Overall, I am happy with the results.

I've also been working on a great little side project I hope to share this weekend. I'm really happy with how it is turning out and I've decided I may also enter it in the miniature category in the local quilt show.

So, now for a give-a-way! I made a lot of skin tones in my experiments. Would you like some? This last picture is what I'll give to the lucky winner. Leave a comment and say you'd like to be entered and I'll draw a name.

Michelle's Gift

2008-01-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

I won a gift on Michelle's blog. She sent me this lovely little bottle cap pendant and a pair of purple and green socks. One of my favorite color combinations. Thank you Michelle!

I know I have been awful quite lately. I haven't had much of a chance to be creative. I'm working on completing the Laurel Burch tile trade I'm in at SurfaceDesign. And, I wrote an article for Ragged Cloth Cafe, such a great website. So, stay tuned for this and add it to your favorites!

Fairy Shoes

2008-01-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

In Stitch magazine, they had a pattern for making little fairy shoes. So, how could I resist? I've also seen some really lovely little shoes on Val's blog as well. They are really fun to make and it makes you think about the little fairy that would occupy them. This is a winter forest fairy. It's really difficult to take a good picture of these little shoes. They are so much better in person. They are made from silk paper and embellished with beads, yarn, and stitching. These little shoes will make their way to Debbie for a swap we are both in. Wouldn't it be neat to make a whole fairy outfit?

**Also, thank you to everyone who responded about my dyeing issue. I received a couple of great ideas. Thank you!

And, I hope to post a really great little package I received from Michelle in my next post.

Dyeing skin colors/flesh tones

2008-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Anyone out there have any good recipes they'd like to share on skin tones. I'm wanting to use procion dyes. I'd also really appreciate a picture of your results if you have any.

I found a link here. I'm wondering if anyone has much success in this area.

Photoshop

2008-01-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

I am such a novice at photoshop but over the last few days I have been trying to learn a thing or two. These are my first attempts at changing an image into a cartoon. I know I'll get better at time. My line drawing could use a lot of work. So, please excuse the edges not being smooth on the line drawing version. This will take some work in But, I really wanted to first understand how you can do it and then practice on the techniques of coloring and line. I did my line drawing before coloring...I really should have done this after so I do have some weird lines but this is just practice.

I'm telling you photoshop can be so complicated!!! I have learned so much though about photoshop. It really is quite an amazing software package.

Stay tuned for the next step....bubble letters.

Original Image

Image with cartoon and line drawing

Image just cartoon

A lovely gift

2007-12-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

A while back, Vicki was having a blog giveaway and I just had to enter. And I won!! Look at the beautiful pastels that Vicki dyed for me and that great metallic fabric. I really have to find a nice way to use these. The pastels are perfect because I don't have a lot of lighter fabrics and it seems when I go to start a project I never have enough color combinations. A big thank you to Vicki for such a thoughtful present! It is really appreciated.

Also, I really admire Vicki's stash control commitment. Wish I could do this but I'm too weak.

Finished Sunflower

2007-12-28T11:39:00.001-08:00

I finished the sunflower postcard and I actually like it better tailored down.

Catching Up

2007-12-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get a head start on the Calendar Girls swaps. This gives me time to think about what to do next and catch up on some other swaps.

For January, I focused in on the sunflower. I first did a sketch of the flower I wanted to do. Then, I used hand dyed fabrics and also added to the color with pastel crayons. The center of the sunflower is dense machine stitching. I'll need to scale it down a bit. It is now bigger then 4 x 6.

For February, I thought it would be interesting to focus in on the design element of the vase pictured to the left. Here is a close up shot..

So, I copied the "square like" design element within the red vase and used this as the backdrop using a blue/purple spectrum of color. I then added the red flower pictured in the calendar to the center. This red flower was machine stitched.

I also had to spend some time dyeing new fabrics to get some additional colors.

But, I really do just like this color combination on it's own as well...

Another Wish List Item

2007-12-24T16:19:00.000-08:00

For all you Lonni Rossi fans out there, Lonni Rossi has a few new lines out. I've been collecting her fabrics for years and love them. One of them is called Paint Box and has some really great prints...including tire treads...how cool is that? I was thinking about studying tire tracks earlier this year and taking some photo's of tires...they have many interesting tread patterns.

So, if you are interested in a good price on this new line...visit this site.

And, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

I was selected!

2007-12-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

I was one of the ten to be shown on the QA blog. How nice is this? Mine is the first creation of the mixed media cards. I'll be receiving some goodies in the mail. I'll be sure to show you all.

laura Breitman

2007-12-19T05:56:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of seeing a lecture by Laura Breitman yesterday. Go check out the website. It was really amazing these collages she does. So detailed, she doesn't use stitching but she takes tiny pieces of fabric and cuts them out to create these really beautiful life-like works of art. She uses a canvas as a backdrop and uses Golden's gel to stiffen the fabric. Quite amazing! She also has an amazing stash of fabrics to be able to get the right color compositions. I'm thinking next year I might take a two day class with her since she is only about an hour and a half away from where I live.

Amazing isn't it?

Laurel Burch Tile Trade

2007-12-18T07:10:00.001-08:00

I'm involved in a tile trade where I need to make 9 tiles in Laurel Burch style. I have a great fondness for her fabric so this was a nice challenge to try. Here is one of the tiles...now, I have 8 more to make. I think I may embellish this one a little more. The pattern comes from the LB book Legends. I took a small segment of one of the patterns for a quilt wall hanging. The size is 5 inches pillowcased.

Digging the Perfect Circles

2007-12-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

I tried out the Perfect Circles today. Really cool and well worth the $12! I used sizing to stiffen the back and remove the plastic and wallah.. check out the little ones. These are all turned under. This will really come in handy in the future. I've also been dyeing fabric for a future project.

Tim Holtz

2007-12-11T19:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are not aware, Tim Holtz has a blog. Really interesting ideas how to use the Ranger products by the pro himself.

I missed the twelve days of Christmas giveaways...darn! But, did you check out all those comments? Over 1,500 on one day? I don't know how he had any time to read them all...amazing for a $60 freebee.

Calendar Girls

2007-12-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

I've been invited to join Calendar Girls, which is such an honor. We are going to interpret a picture each month into a fiber composition. I look forward to learning from all these fabulous ladies! I was unable to put the button on my blog linking the site. I have no idea why it wouldn't take. I also tried to upgrade my blog and it gave a lot of errors so I reverted back to the old blog.

Also, I was recently in Borders and I saw this book called "The Art of The Snowflake". It really is a beautiful book. My son and I have been looking through it together a few times already and he's only 3. It's interesting how symmetrical a snowflake is and there are lots of snowflakes to get inspiration from.

Got My Perfect Circles

2007-12-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

I got my "Perfect Circles" in the mail. It was really fast. But, I just had to share the smallest one..it's too funny. Check out the size? I have no idea how you can fold over the fabric on this little guy. Stay tuned to see if I can do it.

On my want list

2007-12-07T11:37:00.000-08:00

Check out this link...aren't these fabrics really neat? They are called fingerpaints. I can see a lot of uses for them. Hey, you could even create your own fabrics like this.

Perfect Circles

2007-12-06T05:42:00.000-08:00

I took this class with Phillipa Naylor where she showed us how to make perfect circles with little templates. Anyways, here is an awesome tutorial on how to do by Susan Knapp! Well worth the try! And, I just ordered the templates from Karen Kay Buckley. Can't wait!!

FiberArts Magazine

2007-12-01T05:42:00.001-08:00

For all of you interested, FiberArts magazine is having a call for enteries for valentines. Check out this link.

More Cards

2007-11-27T14:30:00.001-08:00

I am involved in a "Holiday Mixed Media Card" swap at SurfaceDesign. I really like how these turned out. It was quite a challenge to come up with a greeting card. I tried a few ideas that I didn't like. This has Evolon in the center what I blogged about earlier how you can create a "fake resist" by stamping when wet. And, the backdrop is Yupo with color wash spray.

Card Trade

2007-11-24T13:25:00.001-08:00

Here are pictures of some of the cards that I traded with Doreen:

Interesting Find

2007-11-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

I got some Evlon from Dale at the Thread Studio. I have been wanting to use it for a while. I wondered how it would act embossed. THis is not such a great idea since it kind of curls up. But, what I found was quite interesting. I used these color washes as a background and before they were completely dry I stamped them with embossing ink. And, the result is that you can get kind of a batik look. I really thought this has some great possibilities. Interesting eh?

Tree Texture

2007-11-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

I have this challenge at my quilt guild where I need to do something in the theme of "Up Close and Personal". Here is a WIP. I'm trying to recreate in a partially abstract way the trunk of a tree. Next I am going to add some stitching. I did do some couching of threads but I didn't like it so I just added some more layers and now it's kind of imbedded in the background. Any suggestions on stitching or adding to the piece greatly appreciated.

2007-11-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

Doreen and I swap cards every so often.
We decided to do Christmas cards. I received this really lovely package from Doreen. She sent me this beautiful felted landscape piece. I love it and will find a nice frame for it. I also got lots of other little goodies and of course, the three lovely Christmas cards. Thanks Doreen.

Also, a winner announcement, to all of you who responded about "craft vs. art". I really appreciate it. And, I got some really great insights. Thank you all! The winner is TracyB. Email me your address. Thanks everyone for playing!!!

Book Still Up For Grabs

2007-11-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

If you are still interested in getting in on the discussion points I posed in my previous email, the book Speaking In Cloth is still up for grabs. I'll draw a winner next week. I'm going to extend the timeframe. If you are interested in the discussion, please reply to the previous post. This is where I will draw a winner from. As a recap...I posed the following questions..

how do you find your artistic voice? What's your opinion on crafty vs. art?

I got two really great responses from Michelle and Karen.

Karen wrote:
"craft is often very artistic. As an art quilter I want my work to be thought of more as Art and not so much as craft. Yet the craft of it is such an integral part of the whole that one cannot remove that from its being.So in the end I will have to say that craft is just one of the many many forms of art. Art,after all, is subjective to the obsever.
finding my artistic voice.After exploring many different artforms I was drawn back to fiber. fabric specifically. I love the textures,the mixing of different mediums. That this art form flows so swiftly from vague idea to definite form still amazes me sometimes. Though it may take me ages to complete a work I dont tire of it. This is how it feels for me. The work is a part of me. In essence it becomes my voice."

I like what Karen wrote about craft being an intergral part of art. It is a soothing thought that they are interrelated. Many thoughts well said.

Michelle wrote:

"How to find your artistic voice? Be true to yourself, I guess. Don't follow the whims of others. Recognize when the artistic path you are taking is not the path you wish to be on, and make the changes you need to make. Easier said than done!

As far as the art vs. craft dilemma, this has always bugged me. I feel diminished as an artist (even though I shouldn't!) when people comment on how "crafty" I am - as if I'm good with a glue gun! Well, I posed this question on a list a few months ago and this was the explanation that I liked the best. It really makes sense to me!

"If you design a quilt, that is art. If you are a skilled technician
in assembling and stitching a quilt, you are practicing a craft. I
think the distinction is original "creativity". I think craftmanship
connotes hand workmanship, but art is "created" first,in the mind.""

I love what Michelle said as well. I can really relate to the fact that when someone comments this is quite crafty that it isn't what you want to hear. The quote she posed is something I am going to print out and put above my sewing machine. It's well said. "art is "created" first in the mind".

Thanks ladies for the posts it's really interesting to hear about what is
"your artistic voice" and "craft" vs. art.

I hope to hear more thoughts.

Finding your voice

2007-11-08T09:41:00.001-08:00

I just bought this book called "Speaking in Cloth" by Ann Johnston. If you don't know Ann Johnston, she is the master of dyeing fabrics and her quilts are amazing. This is truly a wonderful book. It isn't about techniques (you won't find any tutorials) but about the "language", "themes", "challenges" and "processes" these ladies go through to create their art. It is about 6 different views. It really is interesting that just like in fine art on canvas there are certain artists you can pick out their work and their styles. I hope one day to find my language theme etc. I really admire those ladies that create these breathtaking quilts and look at their work as an art form. It really is a process to get it to that point. I know many people and "many husbands" that look at what we do as being crafty and not really art. I know personally I look at a lot of what I do and see it as "crafty". It's not a bad thing and I do like to things that are crafty. At times, I'd like to take it to another level. It's just a process to have your piece have a "voice" and in my case a big commitment. I'm curious at what level you move from craft to art. I hope one day to be able to create larger pieces with themes achieving harmony and balance. It's a difficult thing. And, I give these women a lot of credit. I have an extra copy up for grabs. I will do a random drawing on Monday for a winner. But, you must answer these two questions, how do you find your artistic voice? What's your opinion on crafty vs. art?

I've been working on holiday themed small projects. Here's one...not sure if it will translate into a card or not. It's from the idea I posted earlier.

Photoshop

2007-11-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

Susan D was making these really great photos into sketches with Photoshop. So, I figured I would also give it a shot. Thanks for sharing Susan!

Progress

2007-11-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

I haven't made much progress in anything lately. The children have been sick and have been taking up quite a bit of my energy. Boy, I'd love one of those quilting getaways! I am next week going to take a class with Phillipa Naylor, which I am looking forward to. She does the most amazing satin stitching with tiny circles. She was also a big winner in Houston.
I am hoping that late next year I can do a weekend seminar with the Hudson River Valley Workshops. I'm hoping Katie Pasquini comes back. If you need some inspiration, pick up one of her books.

I've always had a great love of art deco works. It really seems they are quite timeless. Below is an idea I am working on, I don't know if it will translate to a card, but I will give it a good shot.

Also, I got this great fabric from Fabric Paradise. I've been trying to build up my black and white stash. I don't have many varieties in black and white. I am also really fond of this Klimt inspired fabric. It's funny when I was back in university and I was taking art history classes Klimt was never really interesting to me. Now, I really like the designs, motifs and compositional elements in his work. Funny how our tastes change over time.

2007-10-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

I made this card for a special friend and I used MistyFuse to adhere the outer edge with some of that great fabric I found in the city. I also used the embossing MistyFuse technique for the center.

Cyanotype Printing

2007-10-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

You know I'd never heard of this before reading Maggie's blog. This process looks really interesting where you use sunlight. Has anyone else done this before? Looks like you might need a bunch of materials. Any thoughts...greatly appreciated.

Also found this website that has supplies...I think they even sell the pretreated fabric...interesting.

No Stone Unturned

2007-10-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

We are doing a trade on SurfaceDesign where you create something influenced by a Jan and Jean technique. I was thumbing through books and came across "No Stone Unturned". There are a lot of great ideas in there. I built up many layers experimenting. And, I also used my MistyFuse embossing technique this works great. In their book they talk about adding demensional paints but you have to wait for these to dry. But, with my method, instant gratification. I also zapped some felt and added layers of cheese cloth. I layered each layer with MF and really made it easier to layer. It's not quite a stone..but I love the surface.

BTW, for those of you who don't know, two of their new books just came out!

Central Park

2007-10-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

I thought these pictures were really lovely of Central Park...they span a couple of years and were taken by my MIL.

2007-10-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Doreen tagged me...so here it is...

Seven honest things about yourself

1. I often find myself buying things with the thoughts.. "hmmm, this has a great future use"...and as a consequence I believe I have too many things and spend way too much money! Speaking of future uses (lol), read down for my latest example.

2. I have lots of time to think about things and little time to actually focus. I have two young children that take up most of my time.

3. I own too many books I haven't read.

4. I'm jealous of those of you who are able to go on workshops and quilt trips.

5. I too often worry about what other people will think.

6. I need to take things a little more easy and stop thinking about the future and being on time or making the optimal use of time. The other day I was out shopping and I was getting my daughter into the car when my son (who I should learn more from) started splashing around in water puddles with no concept of time or what was to be done next and I was rushing him into the car telling him to hurry up. Sometimes..we should all just live in the moment and enjoy.

7. All in all, I really do have a good life...so why complain!

And, on to my latest acquisition, I found this fabric on sale and really thought how basic and interesting it is. It really brings me back to school when we had to map things out on graph paper. Wouldn't it be interested to do a quilt equation? Maybe, I need to ask my husband..haha..he's the math expert...this fabric has some possibilities!

Garment District Finds

2007-10-03T08:53:00.001-07:00

This first picture was my most expensive purchase but I just loved the fabric it is a silk and had a matching chiffon with grey and black circles.

The laces and trims were unbelievable. I really love the copper look so I settled on some copper trim and also some gold trim. These were not badly priced. I got them for $2 a yard. They are so ornate and shimmery. I also came across some great metallic netted prints and a really beautiful lace cloth that I am going to dye in parts. All in all, I am very happy with what I have and I hope to show you these things in a piece.

They also sold this really fine chiffon but this is silk chiffon from France. I am thinking the thin scarfs that I see that are being used in projects are polyester chiffon? Anyways, I have to do some research on this because silk chiffon is really expensive $30 a yard.

I also thought it was really great how you could get swatches of material so one of the shops I went into had them already cut so I grabbed a few.

Garment District

2007-10-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

I took a trip through the fashion district today. I haven't been in the city in a couple of years so I thought it would be a nice opportunity to get out.

First stop was Mood fabrics... I had to stop by as I LOVE Project Runway and this is the place they go to. All I have to say is...I don't know how they get their fabrics in one hour. It was so overwhelming.
The garment district has so many little shops selling notions, trims, and fabrics. I saw so many different fabrics that I felt really overwhelmed. So, many different types of knits, silks, brocades etc!
Tomorrow I will take pictures of my finds but here are a few pictures of the places I visited. The information booth in the garment district had a big button and needle which I thought was really cute. My favorite place was B & J fabrics. It's amazing how much a yard of fabric can run...some fabrics could be $200 a yard...can you imagine? I did splurge and bought one that was $30 a yard but even then I thought that was quite expensive. If you do go, bring your scissors! I didn't realize it but some of the shops let you take swatches. So, you can get a small swatch of some of that $200 fabric for free!

Had to share

2007-09-23T19:23:00.001-07:00

Karen, a while back had a list of some of her favorite blogs. One of them was France Belleville. When I saw her work, I just knew that I would love her to draw my daughter. I am very fortunate that France could do this for us.
Can you believe someone can actually draw like this? Just amazes me. Check out all the details...her little teeth coming in, the curl of her finger, the folds in the fabric..amazing!

Cool Website

2007-09-22T09:46:00.001-07:00

Check out what this lady does with cards. Really neat eh? I love the stair one...and how cool is the shadow dog one?

And, if you'd like to try a hand at one of her tutorials.

Love Metro Blue

2007-09-20T19:31:00.001-07:00

You know I really think I'm going through a phase. Lately, I have been interested in commercial prints. There is one line that I really love the color combination of brown and blue and that is Metro Blue by Marcus Brothers. I think it's been out a while and I just hopped on the band wagon. I'm not quite sure what I will do with it but I wanted to get some while I could. I just love the colors. I've also been picking up some Lonni Rossi prints that have been on sale.

Tomorrow is a sale at the local quilt shop..oh no!!

Laurel Burch

2007-09-19T06:33:00.001-07:00

I am such a fan of the color composition and art work of Laurel Burch. I just learned she passed away! How sad! You can visit her website and leave condolences.

Artist Muse

2007-09-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

The artist muse group is going away after this month. So, I wanted to try one last challenge. I just a silhouette in fabric. I'm thinking next time I'll stay clear of commercial fabrics for the silhouette they tend to fray. The challenge was to use black and white and I chose the descriptive word of "elegant".

Misty Fuse

2007-09-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

If you have the current issue of Somerset Studio check out page 129. My little lime is in the Mistyfuse ad. Pretty neat eh? I was so happy to hear that they wanted to use it. I must now give a plug to my favorite adhesive. I'm telling you all...it's really great stuff. If you haven't yet bought some, do go try some. It can be used in so many ways and really is the lightest weight fusible I have ever used.

Been a while

2007-08-31T08:40:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last post. My daughter is starting to crawl now and requires more attention. She is so sweet. Also, I've been working on a series of small designs that has been keeping me busy. I hope to have them done in the next month. So many things to think about...so little time! In the meantime, I figured I'd post my submission I did to QA. I'm not sure if it will make it to the next issue, so send some blessings my way! For the challenge, it was called "Doorway to Your Imagination" so I thought about what would be the keys that would unlock the door? And, so I thought about what was needed in your imagination...like having aspirations, dreams, vision..etc. The door itself was done in pastels and I accented all the stones, steps, etc with black thread. I also used webbing spray on the fabric.

A Cool Website

2007-08-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

I just thought this was the coolest thing. I was searching around for pictures of the inserts to the 45's because I think they would make an interesting compositional element in a quilt and I came across this. So, I decided to produce my first record. You can make your own record here. If you do, please email me back, I'd love to hear what you decide to "record."

On my wish list

2007-08-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for some time a good product where you can get airbrush results without a compressor. So, when I saw this, I thought this is a great "wish list" item. The problem is you also need to invest in the pens. I wish I knew how this would work on fabric. I wonder if they bleed? Maybe I should buy one pen and see. But, they give some really great results on paper from what I've seen.
This product (Copic) you just attach the pen to an air can. Pretty nifty eh?

Gifts from Abroad

2007-08-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

I received Doreen's package. And, boy, what a treat! Check out all the goodies! She made me 4 lovely cards. We did a trade using shaving cream, fairies and artist choice. I'm thinking Doreen needs to teach classes at her local shop not take them. I really like the torn paper effect she did on the art deco lady. And, the shaving cream card is made with fabric...isn't that cool. Also, Doreen gets these really special paper flowers and she sent me some. I'm very lucky to be able to trade with Doreen. Thank you so much for the trade!

Card Trade

2007-07-30T09:35:00.001-07:00

Doreen and I have been involved in trading cards since we both like paper and fabric! I wanted to wait to post some pictures until she got her parcel.

Our theme was to use shaving cream, fairies, and artist choice.

For the first card, I had great fun using shaving cream! I used some inks in the shaving cream and then I stamped the image. I also used inks to color in and some pastels for the skin coloring.

For the second card, this is made with paper fairies built in layers and then the backdrop is hand dyed silk.

And, I love the 3D effect, so I tried this with a commercial print fabric.

This last fairy wasn't apart of the trade. Just another I did, it has a backdrop of silkfusion and silk.

Only a Mother Could Love..

2007-07-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yum! I guess this is what a person with a fiber fetish would say! I got this great deal...this is what 50 yards of cheese cloth looks like. But, I must say it's better than cheese cloth. I'm thinking it's more a long the lines of scrim. I've bought the cheese cloth from the grocery store and this holds much better. We have this shop near by called The Rag Shop and they were going out of business so I bought it for .60 a yard. Do you think this is a good deal? I'm thinking it was. It was originally $3.00 a yard but I would never pay this. It dyes beautifully and I love the texture. I can't wait to put it to good use!

Black White and Blue

2007-07-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I was on the quest for some "silver grey" for my silk fabric. Well, I did end up with quite a bit of pink, which will ultimately be turned into something else. I did figure out that you get a really beautiful "grey" when you dye blue really light. I'm thinking I like this. Also, it was funny, I was in a rush to finish up some of my black and grey combo fabrics and I didn't have a midrange grey, didn't feel like dyeing anymore, so I just thought I'll use blue. So, I'm digging the result of using greys and blues together. Here are some of the fabrics I dyed...

Dyeing Commercial Fabrics

2007-07-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

Remember the black and white fabric in a prior post? I thought it would be interesting to dye on some black and white fabric combinations. I'm thinking next time I will use really bold colors. These colors are kind of mid-range.

Winner

2007-07-23T06:29:00.001-07:00

My son picked number 2 which is Sequanna. Please email your info and it's yours!

M.Roberts Blog Back in Action

2007-07-22T09:48:00.001-07:00

I just wanted you all to know that one of my favorite quilt artists has her blog back in action. Margaret Roberts was on one of the earlier covers of QA and does some of the most incredible landscape quilts. Here is here blog and here is here website.

Card Addict

2007-07-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

I've been finishing up a couple of cards for Doreen for a swap that we do together. She just makes some of the most wonderful cards and I'm so glad I found her through blogland! We both love to do cards and work with fabric. I wanted to show you a small tag that I worked on in addition to some cards. I got this really tiny fairies to make 3D from. They are called 3D Mini. And, can I say, boy, were they tiny!! I put a quarter next to it so you can see how tiny I had to cut them. Quite a challenge! I thought that they would be great to do as little tags.

Also, I wanted to show you the lovely cards I received from the SurfaceDesign trade for color composition. They are all just so well made. Thank you ladies! From, left to right, they were from Norma, Judy, Carol, Jan.

A Give Away

2007-07-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

I know it isn't too big of a giveaway, but I have much more "pink grey" fabric then I need. So, my mistake is your reward, if you so desire. This is silk. Remember the last post? Well, these two pieces are yours, just leave a comment by the end of Sunday, if you want them. If more than one person wants it, I'll draw a name. And, if nobody wants it, I'll experiment redyeing. So, leave a comment if interested. I'm thinking you have somewhere between 1/2 yard and a yard of fabric.

Since when did grey become pink?

2007-07-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've been dyeing up some grey combinations...here are just a few pictured. I used two different types of dyes. One was procion and the other was sabracon. The sabracon seemed to turn the silk pink (big raspberry). I really wanted this light grey. So, now I will just use the procion to get the light grey. I am wondering if it turned the silk pink because it was close to a year old or if it just doesn't like silk. Now, I have this load of light pink which I am not sure if I am going to try and redye or not. It is kind of interesting on the one piece how I got red and green in there...wierd. I guess this just means I stick to procion with black dyes. It didn't seem to have an effect on cotton.

Arthur Rackham

2007-07-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

My next project is an art quilt based upon an Arthur Rackham illustration. This is going to take me a long time. But, it is something I really want to do. So, I hope you will all enjoy my walk through the process. This draft is to test out how I like certain colors and how to go about doing them. I won't be using this particular one because I don't like how the hand turned out on the blue fairy. But, this was a great start and I'm loving how the water color look is going. I don't mind that it runs off in certain areas because the fairies will eventually be cut out onto another piece. I also learned that when doing this I should start out with the lighter colors first then move the darker colors. I love the look of the black fairies hair but I don't like how it kind of has a little bit of a muddy look in small patches. So, on my next draft this should be remedied. I sure hope I'm not going to have ten drafts. I had another version with inks but this looked really bad, so this is the second draft. This image is copyright free so I'm trying to be true to it. I love Arthur Rackham illustrations they are so detailed. This is also just the smaller part of it. The biggest fairy is seperate. So, stay tuned for more as I slowly progress. After I'm done painting all the images, then I need to thread paint them all. Hopefully, I'll be done by next year .

Tag Book

2007-07-14T06:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of taking a class to make a mini-photo album scrapbook style. This is the first time I have taken a class in scrapbooking. I thought it was really interesting and boy do those gals work fast! It was a great experience and I learned about some "tricks of the trade" and some must have tools. Once a quarter, they have this get together for weekend retreats, where they scrapbook into the wee hours of the night, quite the die hards! I hope to take some more classes in the future in making little books and cards. I still have to put in the photos of course. I was really interesting learning how to do little pockets, tags etc.

Charm Clock

2007-07-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Here's my finished latest creation...a charm clock...improved from my first test.

Doreen and Paposue

2007-07-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

You two are winners, Doreen and Paposue. Papoosue..could you send me your email address? Congratulations! I hope you like the fabric.

Joanna

Fabric Purchases

2007-07-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

I recently bought these two fabrics. Although I don't often buy commercial prints much anymore, I couldn't resist these two. I'm thinking of dyeing them and seeing what happens. I really like this computer print..isn't it interesting? What is also interesting in the written text fabric is that it looks a little smudged where the change in color on the cloth appear. This must be intentional and it does make it look more authentic, both are interesting prints. And, since you were so kind as to read all my thoughts today, if you are one of the first two to put into your comments, "send me some", I'll send you some of the text fabric, around a fat quarter size, since I got a few yards of it on sale.

All Time Favorites

2007-07-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Are you all ready for my all time favorites? I hope that you have all enjoyed looking at my reflections back and haven't been bored. I hope now in the future to spend more time on larger compositions. I'm in the middle of projects but have a great idea for a quilt. I really hope it can turn into something great. As I get to a stage where I think it might happen, I'll post pictures. My problem right now is thinking about how to do a backdrop. This will be an art quilt but I don't want it to have a one piece single hand dyed fabric as a backdrop. So, I'm thinking how I will do this.

Now on to my favorite PC, this is by Carol Straus. And, the reason it's my favorite, if you can't already tell, is all the incredible detail that is in this little card. This is all free-motion stitched..no embroidery machine. Check out the little souls of the little elves shoes, which are a different color. It amazes me. Also, the tree is made with felt and free motion stitched. The black foilage you see in the backdrop is thread..free motion stitched. This gives me something to aspire to.

Here is my favorite PC, it's based on a painting by Franz Marc, who is one of my favorite artists. I just love the color play and how it came together. If you've read my blog in the past, you know how certain colors meant certain emotions to Marc and I really love the depth and thought that went into how he created a piece. It was funny when I was creating this PC, I didn't have to look to far to get the right color combinations in my dyed fabric stash...because they were colors that I loved.

My Favorites

2007-07-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've shown you my top ten I've received. And, here are the top ten I've made... I'll save both my all time favorites for the next post.

Cool Website

2007-07-05T14:32:00.001-07:00

I really thought this was really interesting. It's an artist who works with construction paper. I found the link on PaperFriendly's web blog.
Check it out!

Also, check this out aren't these little men really cute? Doesn't he look like he's breaking a sweat?

A Look Back

2007-07-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

It's been over two years since I began making postcards, so I figured I'd take a look back and show you my top 10 best I've received and top 10 best I've made. I'll start with the ones received. These are in no particular order and it was difficult to choose just 10. There were many more I wanted to include but I also wanted to limit the pictures. I am showing you the 10 and leave my all time favorite for a later post. I also challenge all of you to post your own favorites and those you've received. It's a great reflection back and I know I love to see what others have done.

From Ann:

From Francoise:

From Hetty:

From Heidi

From Michelle:

From Carol:

From Kim M:

From Kerri:

From Patti:

From Jan Z:

Experimenting with bubbles

2007-07-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I was experimenting with bubbles. I think I need to think about it some more. I didn't get quite the looks that I was anticipating but I figured I'd share my results. I took dish washing liquid and blew into it through a straw till the bubbles went over the surface of the cup. I tried this with food coloring, different inks, and water color. I tried this on paper and fabric.

It looked really cool when wet, but when the bubbles started to pop. I didn't get quite the effect I'd hope for. I think it's just best done with regular card stock paper. And, also best done if your bubbles are dyed in some fashion before you apply to paper. It didn't work at all with fabric, as fabric absorbed the bubbles right away. The red bubbles were made on regular card stock which seemed to work best.

I'm thinking I like the texture on the tissue paper best! The last picture is what the bubbles looked like when wet...interesting eh?

Nugget Box

2007-06-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

These are little Hershey chocolate nugget boxes. You can make them in all shapes and sizes. I'm sure this could also be done with Timtex and fabric. Hmmm..maybe that's my next experiment. I guess the drawback to making these little chocolate boxes is that you eat the chocolate as you are making it! But, I guess some may say, this isn't a drawback at all.

I learned how to do these cute little Hershey chocolate boxes here.

QA Door Challenge and Gifts From Abroad

2007-06-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

I received these lovely cards from Doreen. They are all so wonderful and I will treasure them all. In addition, I got some wonderful paper. I have an idea what I will do with it...so it may come back to you Doreen. I also received this beautiful tassel from Doreen. For our next batch of cards, we are going to do fairies and shaving cream. Ideas are swirling! I also did a 3D card in fabric, but I think I will not show this and this will be one of the cards I will give to Doreen. I really like how it turned out. I think I did it the difficult way though. I used tear away stablizer and batting to layer but now I'm thinking Timtex would have been easier...so I'll try this as well.

Also, sometime soon, I'll show my QA submission for the door challenge. At first I wanted to alter it in photoshop, but then the rules stated it had to be 75% in tact so I played it safe and just did it as is. But, wouldn't some of these ideas been cool?

SerenityisBliss

Love Me Do

More Post Cards

You Gotta Have Love

Quilting in the Limelight

My Tutorial is Out

Been awhile

Times Changed

September Calendar Girls

Calendar Girls

OPPS! SOLD

In the mail

Books For Sale! Making Space!!

In The Mail

Glamour Girls

Postcard Holder

Mail Call!

Wool Vs. Cotton Batting

Advice

Lasting Impressions From A 3 Year Old

Art That Makes An Impact

Staedtler Proportional Scale

Calendar Girls

PC From Give-a-way

Seven Things About Me

Gifts in the mail

Photoshop

Perfect Circles

A New Blog To Check Out

Library of Congress

On my wish list

A Winner!

A Winner!

Romance Comics

Fabric Dyeing and Giveaway!

Michelle's Gift

Fairy Shoes

Dyeing skin colors/flesh tones

Photoshop

A lovely gift

Finished Sunflower

Catching Up

Another Wish List Item

I was selected!

laura Breitman

Laurel Burch Tile Trade

Digging the Perfect Circles

Tim Holtz

Calendar Girls

Got My Perfect Circles

On my want list

Perfect Circles

FiberArts Magazine

More Cards

Card Trade

Interesting Find

Tree Texture

Book Still Up For Grabs

Finding your voice

Photoshop

Progress

Cyanotype Printing

No Stone Unturned

Central Park

Garment District Finds

Garment District

Had to share

Cool Website

Love Metro Blue

Laurel Burch

Artist Muse

Misty Fuse

Been a while

A Cool Website

On my wish list

Gifts from Abroad

Card Trade

Only a Mother Could Love..

Black White and Blue

Dyeing Commercial Fabrics