Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Green Bag Fabric

We just got this in at the store yesterday! It's the fabric that "green" bags are made of, and I figured I'd get a little to see what's possible. Polyester, 60" wide and a whopping 2.99 yard. I know I could easily make some gift bags from it for my patrons at this fall's Greenwich Art Fair.

There were at least 2 other bolts: one with multi-colored circles on it, and a plain white one. I chose the animal print...just because.

I've described the surface design/color processes on each photo so you can get an idea of my experiments, none of which were well-thought out. I'm still learning how not to spend too much time on the first round of experiments. I used too much paint on a few of them, so instead of wiping the excess color away, I mopped up the extra with blank ATCs. Ding! Now that's an idea! Think about having this wonderful collection of ATCs with at least a background design on them...

Monday, April 19, 2010

Sunday at IQF

Wow! I had never been to festival before on a Sunday. Everyone always said that it was quiet, laid back and you could walk through the vendor aisles without any problems. This had always been a little troublesome for me, as I am very claustrophic.
It's always a sure-fire way to initiate an attack of vertigo for me...

Wanted to share some photos of Bobbie and I at our gig for Open Studios, and some from my workshop...the students were so much fun and overflowing with artful gifts of their own, and I was honored to have Lynn of Fibra Artysta - Mixed Media Fiber Art in my class!

Alas, as you probably know, this was the last year for the festival to be held in the Chicago area. We here in Northern Illinois have been spoiled for 8 years...















Sunday, April 11, 2010

25 Kits for MIU!




Okay, so I admit it, but I always try to cram as much stuff as possible into one box or other container when toting supplies around: my mission yesterday was to make this happen when packing the 25 kits for my "Create Texture and Dimension with Gauze" mini-workshop at Make It University! Spring 2010.

I had found this small wheeled tote a couple of years ago at the store at a clearanced price - $5.97. I think it was meant to be for knitting because it has all these wonderful compartments and pockets, but at that price, you know, it doesn't matter if you use it for it's intended purpose or not.

There's nothing in the kits that would be crushed, so I started packing...and to my delight, everything fit perfectly! Extra supplies and water bottles will fill the outside pockets, and the outside flap will hold personal stuff, so there's no need to carry a purse - yeah!

What's in the kits, you ask? Neocolor II artist's crayons, Fabri-Tac adhesive, cheesecloth, a piece of 140 lb. watercolor paper, cotton balls and swabs, paper cups (the kind I use with the kids at Emmanuel), a pre-threaded (dmc floss) needle, buttons and charms, and a piece of gauze that has been stamped, embossed and inked. The only thing missing in the kits are little pieces of chocolate, not to be forgotten you know...

For my Open Studios gig with Bobbie, packing should be very easy. We're showing shisha mirror embroidery and how to create embroidered beads. Small, lightweight supplies packed in a small tote.

I'm also showing a photo of this gorgeous blue rayon fabric that I got today at the store. It has a little nylon in it which gives it a slight sheen, similiar to some silks I've seen. It will hopefully be transformed into a new top for me to wear at the festival. Easy and quick pattern, 2 hours max, comfortable.
Come see Bobbie and I at Open Studios on Sunday, April 18th at 10:30 am. AND...
Come, put your name in the lottery for my workshop (with all the cool supplies) as soon as you can. We start at 12:00 noon.

At 1:00 pm., I'll be off to pester the vendors and see some quilts. WHERE SHOULD I SPEND SOME MAD MONEY THIS YEAR? - I HAVE 2 HOURS AND DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYTHING REALLY GOOD...GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS, PLEASE!!!

Friday, April 02, 2010

Sherrie Spangler Blogs!

It's about time, my friend!!! I guess you just needed to leave Rockford and move to the Pacific Northwest...

Oh, and the little incentive from Quilting Arts, LLC -

Here's the link - do check it out and leave a nice comment. In addition to being a great inspiration to me some years ago, she's also a wondeful writer!

Sherrie loves color!