BOO! Halloween is Hiding Around the Corner

Here are of the new Halloween pieces that I made for the Etsy Rain Craft Show this weekend at the Seattle Center. After the show I will add them to my etsy shop, just in time for Halloween!

These pieces are each 5"x7" and mounted 8"x10" so they are ready to frame.

These pieces are each 2"x3" and mounted on 4"x6" cards (envelope included) and ready to frame.

Riot of Color

Yesterday's task--dye felt and paint paper. And boy did I have fun with it! In the morning, I took over the kitchen with felt, kool-aid, food color and vinegar. I had five different pans going at the same time and create 29 different 12"x32" strips of colored felt. When stacked up, they are nearly a foot thick. From the edges you can't see all the color combinations. They range from blue, green and purple to pink and orange. Now I just need to do some pieces with the entire rainbow and I'm set for a while. These will be cut into 12" x 12" pieces for the season's craft show and the those still around in December will go into my etsy shop. Plus, I will have a whole selection of 8"x12" pieces left over for my own use. I can't wait to experiment with them. After picking my son up from kindergarten, I broke out the paints. Now I have a rainbow of painted watercolor paper to use for gift tags. I have most of the inchies made, so I just need to put them together before next weekend. Next on the to do list is fabric paper. First on the list is shades of black and purple. I'm hoping to make a few Halloween pieces before the Etsy Rain show next weekend at the Seattle Center. Hopefully my schedule wont turn too crazy because I'm really excited to work on them. Off to make the raw materials.

Celebrate Exuberant Joy!

You may have noticed my new banner and tag line. I have been thinking a lot about my art and goals. Why do I create? Why do I want to share my work with the world? How does my art benefit myself? Other people? Often the questions just seem to big, but occasionally I have time to sit quietly and actually think. And then the flash comes -- I want to embrace joy. I want to laugh at the imperfections. I want to dance in the kitchen. I want to be proud of simple accomplishments. I want to celebrate the details. I want to make the choice to be happy and inspire others to do the same.

So how does that translate into my art. Color! Texture! Imperfection! I'm striving to explore different color combinations. Orange has been my latest challenge. I'm finding that I love it in so many different combinations -- with hot pink or purple and green. It has such a voice that I've just categorically dismissed in the past. I want to turn off those thought that say "I don't like that" and open my eyes to the possibilities. And I don't want color to be flat. I want layers and depth. The trees are never just one shade of green or the sea simply blue. The colors dance and sing when you look closely. Texture is everywhere. From the soft polar fleece of my sweatshirt to the sleek computer, from the cold metal knobs of my desk to my warm socks. I am surrounded by so many little, unnoticed details. Give them life and showcase them. And of course imperfection. I know how perfection can immobilize me. I have always struggled with not wanting to try something I' not already good at. I'm letting go of the attitude of "if you can't do it right, don't do it at all" and allowing myself the opportunity to fail.

Okay, I admit that this all sounds a little high and mighty. I know that I will sometimes fall back into my ruts, I wont always step out and do the things I'm afraid of, I'll get caught up in the negative. But that's okay too. Just get back up and try again! And if I forget, I'm counting on you to remind me.

Circle Chaos

It appears that a beautiful, sunny September day isn't the best for photographing. I'm really not complaining though -- I'll just have to wait to post all my latest work. I'm still having a lot of fun with my circle series! Here is the latest creation and I have a couple more I finished this morning. For now, I need to go enjoy the sun beause it really wont be here for much longer!

And the Winner is...

Mellisa Graham, who left me a the words "cheerful, dazzling and vibrant" via Facebook. My sincere thanks goes out to everyone for your help. I am so happy to know that my work brings cheer and color to so many people's lives. My biggest goal is to bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart. Thank you for letting me know that I accomplish that every day.

I Need Your Help!

I would love a little input from all of you! What three words would you use to describe my art? Let me know and I will send a surprise to one lucky supporter. Just leave me a comment with your description and a way to get in contact with you. I will randomly choose a winner Monday morning and email you for your mailing address. Thanks for your help!

Lollipop, Lollipop

I'm feeling so efficent! Another day of actually photographing and posting my work. I created these peices earlier in the summer and they have been sitting in a box ever since. I just love the fun circles. They remind me of the giant lollipops I would beg for as a kid. Luckily these don't produce any of the sticky mess!

Rainbow of Felt

I finally found the time to list my dyed felt on Etsy. It has been on my to-do list for the last six months and for some reason I haven't made the time. Usually my excuse has been bad light for photography. I typically rely upon the sun and it has been either too bright or raining. Today we had a night overcast day, so I got to work. I managed to photograph, edit and list around 30 pieces in only a few hours. I know the advice is to space out listings on Etsy, but I knew if I didn't finish now it wasn't going to happen. I'm sure tomorrow something would come up and I have plenty on my to-do list anyways. So now I can cross this one off.

Circle Symphony

Check out our latest work over at Twelve by Twelve. We have a lot of exciting news coming up, so stay tuned for a preview of the book cover.

Time to Celebrate

Being the artist of the group I was put in charge of the invitations for one of my best friend's going away party. Their family will be heading off to Conneticut in September. We are all going to miss them very much. I'm hoping this will give me the excuse I need to hit the east coast and have some fun girl time!

For the invitations I went with a house on wheels. The joke around here is that people are going to think we are celebrating the purchase of a mobile home. Or perhaps we could all gather around to watch house movers move a 5 bedroom split level across country. I'm sure that would be quite entertaining.

Also on the agenda is my seven year old Princess Rosy's birthday. I'm a little behind on this one since her birthday was on July 4th, but whose going to complain about a party, even if it is a month late. Now I just need to figure out what to do with 14 princesses for two hours on Thursday. Wish me luck!

Art-o-mat at the Smithsonian

I'm so excited to learn that Art-o-mat has installed a machine at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Work has the chance of being in another famous museum! I really wish that I could travel as much as these little pieces of art. One of these days I'm going to make it to Washington DC and New York City, one of these days. Maybe we'll need to take a grand road trip around the country in the Airstream. For now I will be content that a piece of me is seeing the world.

Check out the news on the Art-0-mat website: http://news.artomat.org/

Summer

Have I told you how much I like summer. The sun does me well. I love the warmth, but like a true Pacific Northwestern, I love a cool breeze. I'm a wimp when it comes to hot. I really do try not to complain. I simply hide in the shade and not move or head to the water. These two art quilts, Summer Heat and Summer Reprieve, are my interpretations of summer and I love them both. Give me the heat to warm my soul and a cool breeze on the water as a reprieve.

Beautiful Summer Day at the Bluegrass Festival

Saturday was a perfect summer day, sunny and 80 with a gentle breeze. We couldn't ask for better weather. I had fun at the Bluegrass Festival on Bainbridge even though there weren't many shoppers. Everyone who was spending money was there on vacation. I think us locals were used to the heat and chose to just sit and not move. Regardless, it was a wonderful day to be out at the park. I remembered for the first time to bring my camera and take a picture of the booth. Usually I have so many things on my mind and in my hands that I forget the camera. The sun was pretty bright and I couldn't even see what I was focusing on. I'm happy that I now have a record of how I set up the booth so I don't have to think as hard the next time.

I wouldn't exactly say the show was profitable, but at least I more than recovered my costs and had a good time. Sometimes I wonder why I do the shows. I'm sure I'm not attending the most popular shows. This is the first year that I have done it so I really don't know what I'm doing. I don't know which ones have the best traffic, most eager buyers or fit my work the best. Those I have chose have been easy. I didn't have to do a lot of research or travel very far. I'm a little intimidated by a three day show two hours from home. I think I need a little help if I am going to bite the bullet and go for a big show. For now, I'm learning. I'm figuring out what works for my display and what to look for in a show. Any advise would be appreciated. And then I know that I need to update my Etsy shop. I have a lot of new work and different things that I haven't listed. The to do list can get so long and I'm trying to enjoy the summer, my family and friends. Trying to give myself time to figure out what it is I really want and where I want to go. Life is so grand and there are so many options. I really want them all. For now, I will try not to pressure myself, but remember to take baby steps towards my goals.

Purple and Gold

In preparation for tomorrow...

New Art Cards for Father's Day

Here's a few of the Fiber Art Cards that I've created for Father's Day. I know I'm a little behind on listing them in the Etsy shop, but I've decided that I need to give myself a break. I would love to take my art career more seriously, but I just don't have the time at the moment. Instead of making it fun, I'm just putting too much pressure on myself and sapping out the joy. For now I'll do what I can. I hope you enjoy the cards!