The Last Sampler for MIU?

A definate work in progress, this 12x12 quilt will be the last sampler I finish before the Chicago Quilt Festival.

Not sure why I stitched a piece of white (with tiny black circles) fabric to the golden yellow piece for the background. Maybe it had something to do with taking a walk on the wild side the other evening.

Let's see...let me tell you what happened right before I started this: I took Jason out driving for the first time!!! Oh, yes - that's what did it. I figured that if I could handle that one, why not challenge myself with a background that I normally would not start with?

The hand is from one of my hand carved stamps. It has always been one of my favorites.

Well, Fed Ex just came...ooh, there's some of those new Tee Juice markers in the box...hmmmm ~

More Samplers for Open Studios

I've been playing with the newest stamp that I've carved. What I've realized by leaving the 4x6 inch block (Mastercarve) intact along all the edges and just carving a design inside, is that this size is perfect for postcards. Think of the possibilities...

Okay, so no postcards here, but I have used the same stamp for these three pieces. The first and third are samplers and the one in the middle is a notebook with pockets inside, one which holds a small legal pad and pen.

Those who can't dye because of the weather, paint! And that's what I've been doing alot of, getting ready for the Open Studios this year. I'm excited because I have something new to share with those who come to visit
Make It University™ with Cloth Paper Scissors®

Thanks for the link, CPS...

Open Studios 2008

I'll be participating in Make It University™ with Cloth Paper Scissors®
Open Studios again this year at the IQF-Chicago!
Click on the link to see who else is coming...

"Creating Texture for Mixed Media Artwork" will be the focus of my time there, working on fun, surface design techniques on fabric and paper that are perfect for small applications Monoprinting, marbling, stamping, and more...

Life Comes at You Fast

You know that, don't you?

Let's see...car problems x 2 with same car in the shop in a matter of 3 days ~
Monday, March 10th update - both cars had to have their front tires replaced because of the horrible pot-holed streets here in Rockford. Like I told my friend..."I'll put supper in the oven, there's a chocolate cake mix in the cabinet, and I'm not coming out of the house until June" (or at least for the Chicago Quilt Festival)...

Our beloved kitty died, and suffice it to say that her body is wrapped in a shroud of cloth in her carrier out in our shed in the back yard. The ground is too frozen to bury her, so we're going to try (I know, it sounds really weird) to warm up the earth just enough by setting a bag of charcoal ablaze on the ground, then we'll dig.

Computer started acting funny. In the hand of the local tech dudes, aka Papa Chips. Guess where I am right now...at the library.

Because of my recent long-lasting illness, this fat little goddess of out of the box textile stuff has been challenged with a lower back has been sending me messages that it's not happy. Seems I can stand or lie down with no problems, but as soon as I sit for more than 5 minutes, this stinging and burning pain hits me. It's worse when I'm driving. Help me, Lord, I am so done with doctors, I don't want to go and see the orthopedic guy who will just tell me it's because I'm fat. Geesh, I know that...

Okay, enough with the crap. I do have some good news to share...I will be one of the fabulous artists participating in the Cloth, Paper, Scissors "Open Studios at MIU" again this year. It was a blast in 2007! Will write more when the tech dudes tell me it's okay, and Jason has everything hooked up...

See ya!