Treasure for You

May you find treasure under the tree all year long!

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Holidays

Santa Clause is Coming to Town

Happy Hanukkah

Time to Trim the Tree

Deck the Halls

Hip Hip Hooray!!!! The Workshop is Ready!!!

I am so excited to announce that my workshop, Mini Treasure Box of Dreams, is finished and ready for the opening day of Stitched on January 1st!  This was my first time teaching and creating a video and I am very happy with how it turned out.  Alma's description was "Amazing ...very creative and professional." My husband told me I looked like Martha Stewart.  I'm not sure if everyone would consider that a compliment, but coming from him I know "its a good thing."

If you want to take the workshop, you will have to Register for Stitched.  It is such a wonderful site with 20 great workshops, I highly recommend it.  I took  sneak peak at a few and I am very excited to take them. I now have something to look forward to in January when the weather can be a bit dismal around here.  If you would like your very own Mini Treasure Box of Dreams direct from me, make sure to register today and email me your mailing address.  My last trip to the post office of the year is tomorrow morning. (Think Christmas gift and your special someone will even have a little something to open Christmas morning.)

Now it's time for me to get ready for Christmas--bring on the shopping and holiday cheer!

The video is done!  Or at least I think it is.  I had thought I was done filming Sunday night, but when I listened to the edits in a quiet house yesterday morning I heard little voices in the background.  Luckily, it was only a short segment and didn't involve sewing or painting.  It did take me three tries to get that few minutes of footage though.  The first time, somehow, the top of my head wasn't in the frame.  Then the phone rang right in the middle of the take.  Finally on the third try, everything turned out great.  I'm so happy to be able to wear different clothes today.  I finished editing and adding little touches to the film yesterday.  Now, I'm just waiting for my husband to watch the whole thing to make sure there isn't anything weird that I missed after watching the whole thing too many times.  My oldest daughter also started watching it last night.  She made it through a segment and a half before bed time -- "Mom, I have to finish!  I need to know what happens with the fabric paper!"

Above it my stack of supplies left over.  I didn't use most of the paints I pulled out, but I always like to have a lot of choices when painting fabric or making fabric paper.  I now have a nice selection of painted, quilted fabric and fabric paper in purple and orange.  You can also see on the far left my pile of boxes.  I think I made six in the process of filming.  Another result of my suppressed perfectionist tendencies.  I had so much fun during the process!  

Yesterday, I also took a sneak peak at some of the other videos on the Stitched website.  It is going to be so much fun.  They were great!

The Video Production Studio

Now that all the Arts and Craft Shows are over for the season, I am having a great time working on my Video Workshop, Mini Treasure Box of Dreams, for STITCHED.  I'm not a very good multitasker, so I am enjoying being able to focus all my attention on the workshop.  I cleaned out my art room, hung my work,  moved my desk to the center of the room and have been filming ever sense.  I'm not sure how many hours of footage I have.  I thought I would have a hard time seeing myself on the screen, but I'm getting used to it.  I've also learned a few tricks, like using my son's giant teddy bear as a stand in so I can focus the camera.  He tends to slouch a bit more than me, but it seems to be working.

I'm very glad that we aren't doing any entertaining this holiday season because I don't think I would let anyone except my very closest friends into my house at the moment.  As you can see the window seat and a good portion of the living room is filled with the contents of my art room.  The kids have found a bit of room for displaying the Lego and Playmobile advent calendars.  The also decorated the piano with our collection of snow globes and filled their own rooms with lights.  This year I am just going with the flow and accepting their contributions with lots of love.  No picture perfect Christmas this year.  Instead, I'm going for the perfect video workshop--an artist has to have priorities!

STITCHED Registration Now Open!!!!

I am so excited to announce that registration for STITCHED is OPEN!!!

I don't really mean to be yelling at you, but I'm very excited.  I can't believe that December 1st is already here. Never mind that the house is a disaster and I have no idea what my husband has bought the children for Christmas.  I'm focusing on the excitement and putting on the blinders to the rest.

I would love for you to join me on the STITCHED website.  20 fabric artist are creating 20 online video workshops to encourage you to sew, design and create.  In addition to our video workshop, each of us will  provide you with printable pdf files with patterns, supply lists and instructions. Plus, Alma is creating a video workshop titled, Beaded Fabric Jewelry, and 5 additional mini video workshops. And we will be there to support you along the way in a completely private site. All this for the unbelievably low price of $89.  As an added bonus, within the STITCHED website there will be all kinds of giveaways for students. I've even heard rumors of sewing machines, fabric packages and other goodies.

In my workshop we will make these Mini Treasure Boxes of Dreams.  We will explore my quirky method of backwards quilting, make fabric paper, secretly share our dreams and wishes on some fabric beads, and share the big secret of sewing these boxes 100% on the machine.   Plus I couldn't resist throwing in some extras, like Treasure Tea Boxes and Nesting Boxes.  

Register for STITCHED before December 15th and I will send you a free mini treasure box of dreams as a gift to you.  Simply follow this link to the STITCHED registration page and follow the direction.  Then send me an email with your address to send your free gift. Register for STITCHED I look forward to working with you!

Let it Snow -- Well Not This Weekend!

These fun snow men are my latest addition to holiday card collection I'm working on for this weekend's Bainbridge Island Artist's Studio Tour.  This is my second year participating in the tour and it is always so much fun.  I sold out of my snow men last weekend so I had to make some more.  Rosy's favorite is the snowman with the the crown.  When I saw the crown in my stash of embellishments I just couldn't resist.  I'm leaning more towards the friends because playing in the snow with friends is always more fun.  Maybe I need one with just a couple for walking in a winter wonderland.  So many ideas.  I wish I had the time to do them all!

Why I Was Late To Thanksgiving Dinner

I had forgotten how much fun I have making mini holiday art quilts.  I went a little crazy Thursday afternoon coming up with just one more idea that I wanted to try.  Before I knew it, we were suppose to leave in 20 minutes and I hadn't taken a shower yet.  Whoops!  I called in the troops to get the food together (luckily I just had to bring pumpkin pie and dinner rolls that were already made) and took a quick shower.  We were out the door in time to not be the last ones to arrive.  

Santa's Workshop and the etsyRAIN Holiday Show

I've switched gears from preparing for my STITCHED video workshop to frantically getting ready for my first craft show of the season.  I will be at the etsyRAIN Handmade Holiday Show this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, November 26 & 27 at the Intiman Theater at Seattle Center.  I always love this show.  There is so much beautiful work and everybody has so much young energy (I am finding that my definition of young isn't what it used to be).  The show runs from 11-5 each day and the first 50 people each day receive a free swag bag filled with goodies.  I didn't get a chance to send my swag in, but if you stop by my booth I would be happy to give you a free little something.

The last couple of days I have been busy making fabric paper and quilting and painting fabric.  I now have a whole rainbow of colors including lots of Christmas red and green. I have the strips cut, ready to sew together.  I'm making inches for gift tags, always a popular item.  They are such a fun way to add a special touch to a package that really says how special the recipient is. They also can be used for ornaments, place cards or a little bookmark.

These are some of my favorite nontraditional Christmas colors.  I love purple, magenta, turquoise and blue.  They are the colors of the vintage glass ornaments my grandma gave me from her collection when we were first married.  I haven't used them much since having kids--several were broken and I didn't want to risk loosing any more.  For now, I really like using fabric because nothing gets broken.  I make sure to use enough metallic and pearlescent paint that I still have plenty of sparkle.  After zigzagging around the edges of these, I just need to mount them on painted tags, add a ribbon and they are ready to go.  Then of course I have so many ideas for cards that I want to make.  We'll see how much I can get done in the next three and a half days.

An Etsy Day

Today has been a busy day of listing items on Etsy.  Now that I have a new camera, I don't have the excuse of less than desirable photographs.  I can't believe how much easier it is to have a good camera.  The colors are actually right.  The images are in focus.  I don't have to spend an hour trying to get the pictures right in photoshop.  I love being able snap a picture, maybe do a little cropping and I'm good to go.

I have been a little behind with the Etsy shop and have a lot to list.  Christmas time is always busy and I would love to provide some wonderful gifts for people looking for affordable art and fun, unique cards.  Make sure to check out the journals, mini boxes, art cards and other art in the shop.

Samples for STITCHED

Part of my busy schedule the past few weeks has been filled with creating project samples for my STITCHED workshop.  I'd doing "Mini Treasure Box of Dreams" with includes a 1.5" box filled with fabric beads.  I of course couldn't make just one for sample photos, I had to create an assortment in every color of the rainbow.  Plus I added in Treasure Tea Boxes and a set of 10 Nesting Boxes.  My new camera just arrived this week, so now I need to take fun and creative photos.  I'm hoping the sun will continue to shine so I can use a bit of natural light coming through the windows.  Off to work before the rain comes.

STITCHED

I have been so busy with costumes, travel, birthdays and preparation I've neglected to mention by biggest project.  Alma Stoller invited me to be part of an amazing new project, STITCHED.  Twenty  fabric artists are creating twenty new online video workshops.  With your paid subscription you can have access to all the workshops and the STITCHED website, including PDFs, 5 mini tutorials by Alma and lots of bonus information. 

My workshop is Mini Treasure Box of Dreams.  I'm excited to share all my quirky, not traditional methods of quilting and create a project that is special to my heart.  My little digital camera died on a hiking trip this summer.  I used this project as an excuse to buy a new Nikon digital SLR.  As I wait for it to arrive I'm working on samples, photos and all the step outs so ready to start shooting when my new camera arrives. 

Houston -- What an Experience!

Twelve by Twelve exhibit from the red carpet

I am still trying to a handle on everyday life after spending four days in Houston at the International Quilt Festival with the Twelve by Twelve exhibit.  Thanks to the Del Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection all 288 quilts from the last four years of our project were on display.  It was truly amazing to see them all in person for the first time.  Plus, nine of the twelve of us were able to travel to the show.  Our remaining friends were there in spirit and as cardboard cutouts.

Brenda, Terri, Kirsty, Terri, Diane, Gerrie, Francoise, Karen, Deborah, Helen, Nikki, Kirstin

I couldn't believe the size of the quilt show.  Deborah measured the convention center on Google maps and it is 7/10 of a mile from one end to the other, a full 3 city blocks.  This small town girl has never been around so many beautiful quilts. Notice the golf cart in the middle of this picture -- that's how big the show was.



Entrance to the exhibit with the Orange Colorplay mosaic



I was bit overwhelmed  spent most of mine time in our exhibit.  It was a perfect home in the middle of everything.  Plus I felt like a rock star signing autographs and loved talking to people about how much fun the whole experience has been.  We had people taking our pictures.  Several times I had a hard time writing my name because of the bright spots in front of my eyes. 

Book signing



I loved how people would look at the mosaics, traveling from one to the next.  When the figured out that each mosaic had a theme or that the same artist did the quilt in the same place of each mosaic they would gain a whole new appreciation and would have to start over at the beginning.  I can't tell you how gratifying it was to have so many people tell us how wonderful the exhibit was.  Quite a few even said it was the best part of the whole show.  Even better than that though, was for so many people to realize that they can do the same thing.  We're not superstar quilters that are better than everyone else.  We're just twelve women who came together for inspiration and fun.  So many people went home with plans to start their own challenge groups.   





The paparazzi



A Halloween Birthday

My daughter's birthday is coming up in a couple weeks.  I'm actually leaving the morning after her big day for the International Quilt Festival in Houston so we are doing her birthday party the weekend before. She decided to go with a Halloween theme.  I am using a print of my "Beware" art quilt for her invitations. I just love the copper wire broom.  I don't know if it will be evident in the prints so I will have to have the original on display. The party is also suppose to include a Haunted House--that one I am going to have to put Dad in charge of.  He always comes up with the creepy, gross stuff.  And I haven't even started thinking about costumes.  How does one mom get so far behind?  Maybe I will have to convince them all to be something made out of cardboard and I can put Dad in charge of that too.

Hand Work To Go

Lately I haven't had any studio time.  It is go-go-go around here with all the activities.  What little time I've had at home, I've spent prepping work to go.  Above is all the bead work that I did on my daughter's birthday present.  She loves to draw, so I made her a journal I keep some of her precious sketches.  I'm still debating between the bottom two.  She loves pink and purple, but I really like the splashes of green.  I have two weeks to decide, so I wont worry about it for now.  I did learn the hard way to make sure the bead container is closed tightly. Whoops. At least it was in the storage area in the door of the car when it opened so the mess was contained.  I think I still have a few spare beads rolling around in there--just in case I need some when I'm out and about.

This morning I'm making a bunch of fabric beads.  I'll then have all the little scrolls to tie with ribbon and yarn waiting in the car for when I have a few spare minutes.  At least I shouldn't have to worry too much about them scattering everywhere. 

I actually have a day at home today.  I really need to do a lot of free motion quilting.  I ran my first ever half marathon on Sunday and hopefully my leg wont hurt too bad to push the foot pedal. 

What I Unearthed

The studio is officially clean, well at least it was when I took the pictures.  I now have space to work and a lot of projects to work on.  I even managed to find a couple projects that I started last winter and literally haven't seen the light of day since. 

One project was based on my Pizza Planet quilt from the Eggplant Twelve by Twelve challenge.  All those squares are suppose to be sewn together and then fabric paper circles appliqued.  I might have time to work on it after Christmas, but something tells me that it might be another year before that one gets done. 

The other was a bubbly circle quilt with the colors I used for the Chartreuse challenge.  That one has a little more chance of being finished since it is simpler.  I think a few of the fabric paper circles were stolen though when I was working on our Orange theme. 

State of the Studio

A pretty sorry state!  Now this would be part of  the reason I have created very little this summer and blogged even less.  As you search through the layers you can find evidence of the Spicy, Gray and Orange Twelve by Twelve challenges.  The boxes in the middle of the room and sitting on the table are from the Bainbridge Artist Studio Tour in August. And the latest layers are finds from my late Grandma's house as we are cleaning it out.  I admit it, I haven't cleaned in months unless you count moving the boxes around to find something at the bottom of the pile.  The kids are now back in school and I have had a couple of weeks to get the rest of the house in order.  I think it is now time to attack the studio.  I really would like to get back in there to work.  I miss my art! But if I don't come back out -- SEND HELP!

Spicy Reveal Day

Today's reveal day again over at the Twelve by Twelve blog!  The latest challenge is filled with Spice -- Paprika, Asafoetida, Cumin and Turmeric to be exact. 

Power



Power
3"x5"

 Don't we all wish we had magic powers.  I could definitely use them to get all the chores done -- nothing too big, just a clean bathroom and Mt. Laundry put away neatly.  And the driving, I could do without the 1.5 hours of driving/waiting for kids every day.  But of course it can't be that easy.

The truth is I know where real power comes from.  I'm just a little too scared to be that vulnerable.  I'm learning to trust, although I've taken a few steps backwards in the past few years.  Today's goal, step out of my shell more.

Spirit

Spirit
3"x5"

When I think of spirit my first thought is high school cheer leading.  "We've got spirit, yes we do.  We've got spirit.  How 'bout you?" No, I wasn't a cheerleader--more of a goofy nerd who was just trying to find her way like everyone else.  But that wasn't what I was aiming for with this little quilt.  Instead, I meant the spirit inside that longs to fly with grace and beauty.  Sometimes I'm not sure if I've really come that far from those days longer ago than I really want to admit.  Other times, I feel much more confident with myself.  But most of the time, I think, I'm just too busy to worry about it much.  For now I will just ride this roller coaster and pray the screams are for joy.