I am finding myself less and less willing to waste (in my opinion)time dealing with whiners. I have done my share of whining in my life and occasionally I'll catch myself whining still. I am losing patience when I whine too.
As each year goes by, it seems to do so at a faster and faster pace. Maybe the closer you get to the end of the chute, the higher the speed. At any rate, I think I've finished spending much of my remaining time on earth listening to or participating in whining.
I want to play more and love more and try to enhance to some degree the time others have here. I want to take responsibility for what I do and get on with it. Times a wastin'.
09 January 2010
19 December 2009
This is a new small quilt I've done called "Happy ME". There is a good amount of metal on it from the door latch "face" to pull chain hair, strapping , some other metal thing I liked and a bell. Most things I do have to grow on me but I've liked this from the start and even at the finish. The back ground fabric were scraps of fabric I picked up off the floor and I used some decorative stitching to hold them down, long hand stitching in rows of three and I did that blanket stitch around the edge. I really like this. It reflects my happiness around being able to do creative work now.
I am working on another quilt and I'm almost done. I'll probably have it up in a few days. I like this new one too. It's called, "You're the one".
I am working on another quilt and I'm almost done. I'll probably have it up in a few days. I like this new one too. It's called, "You're the one".
10 December 2009
Loon Quilt
This is a new quilt I made. It is NOT an original design. Two and a half years ago, the weekend before I went to Florida to bring my parents up, I attended a quilt show in Augusta. I knew this would be my last great hurrah and I signed up for three days of classes. It was WONDERFUL. While there I bought a pattern and fabric from a vendor but never made the quilt because it seemed so daunting.
Well, we were expecting a snow storm AND I had a good book on CD so the two conspired and I gladly started and finished this quilt. Both Brian and my mother said, "Oh, that's nice". Not rave reviews. So I've decided to give it to Jane. I kind of like it myself which is unusual for me. I'm usually not satisfied with my projects. I think Jane will like it because I made it and it also will look lovely in her kitchen.
Well, we were expecting a snow storm AND I had a good book on CD so the two conspired and I gladly started and finished this quilt. Both Brian and my mother said, "Oh, that's nice". Not rave reviews. So I've decided to give it to Jane. I kind of like it myself which is unusual for me. I'm usually not satisfied with my projects. I think Jane will like it because I made it and it also will look lovely in her kitchen.
06 December 2009
Solstice cards
I have made and sent my own design solstice cards for most of my adult life. Each year I try to do a night design card with the moon in the phase it will attain on that solstice. Inside each card I write either a poem or thought that I've encountered during that year that expressed an idea or philosophy that touched my heart in some way.
This year I've decided not to send out the cards. I designed a card and chose a poem I wanted to include but can't muster the enthusiasm to make and mail the cards. I'm not sure why but I've thought about it.
This fall my dad had a spontaneous hip fracture and had a half hip replacement. His poor outlook has not served him well and he continues to decline losing more and more function. He now requires a walker and oxygen to walk. I doubt if he will drive again. I also don't think he will be able to DJ is dance at the YMCA any longer but he's surprised me before.
I have entered a new phase of my life too. All I want to do is grow spiritually and artistically. I have had some challenges lately in the spiritual arena but I am making inroads and find myself slowly finding my way back to the red road.
In the artistic realm I have found some support and encouragement from a woman I met at a craft fair. I think this will be a great union and we can provide each other with that spark that is so necessary to fresh creative concepts.
I would like to close this posting with the poem I chose for this years solstice card. No sense not sharing that with at least the handful that read this blog:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
This year I've decided not to send out the cards. I designed a card and chose a poem I wanted to include but can't muster the enthusiasm to make and mail the cards. I'm not sure why but I've thought about it.
This fall my dad had a spontaneous hip fracture and had a half hip replacement. His poor outlook has not served him well and he continues to decline losing more and more function. He now requires a walker and oxygen to walk. I doubt if he will drive again. I also don't think he will be able to DJ is dance at the YMCA any longer but he's surprised me before.
I have entered a new phase of my life too. All I want to do is grow spiritually and artistically. I have had some challenges lately in the spiritual arena but I am making inroads and find myself slowly finding my way back to the red road.
In the artistic realm I have found some support and encouragement from a woman I met at a craft fair. I think this will be a great union and we can provide each other with that spark that is so necessary to fresh creative concepts.
I would like to close this posting with the poem I chose for this years solstice card. No sense not sharing that with at least the handful that read this blog:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
25 November 2009
My idea journal
This is a new cover for my idea journal. I actually use this book just about daily. I decided to cover it after getting this cool Asian fabric. I also wanted to experiment with image transfers so I picked these leaves, dried and pressed them, scanned them then transfered the image to the rust colored fabric. I also like the twill tape and attached bead book mark. My friend Donna gave me a gift tried with that tape. Also catch "Walk with Maggie" below. Check out all the images in large format on the flicker slideshow.
Walk with Maggie
This is a new 8X10 quilt I made after being inspired by walking with Maggie, Betsy's dog. I was walking her around the block and I found a man's leather glove probably from last winter that had been run over and absolutely flattened. I took it home and thought I'd incorporate it into a quilt about walking Maggie. When push came to shove, I found no way of including such a large three dimensional object so I kept it as a Muse.
I asked Betsy for a photo of Maggie and she gave me her "graduation picture". If Maggie had on pearls it wouldn't have looked more appropriate. I scanned the photo, re-sized it and used that image to make a hand carved rubber stamp of Maggie's head. I also hand carved two leaf designs. I also added a commercial stamp of a dog foot print and various paints to stamp these images onto the fabric. I free motion quilted around each stamp design and added a 1969 Maine dog tag which I colored orange and a handmade ceramic disc with d o g imprinted on it which I had done a few years ago. It suited perfectly. Lastly I fussy cut some printed leaves out of organza and singed with a candle til they curled up then stitched them around the boarder of the quilt. I'm pretty happy with the results. You can see a larger picture of the quilt by clicking on the flicker photostream to the right.
I asked Betsy for a photo of Maggie and she gave me her "graduation picture". If Maggie had on pearls it wouldn't have looked more appropriate. I scanned the photo, re-sized it and used that image to make a hand carved rubber stamp of Maggie's head. I also hand carved two leaf designs. I also added a commercial stamp of a dog foot print and various paints to stamp these images onto the fabric. I free motion quilted around each stamp design and added a 1969 Maine dog tag which I colored orange and a handmade ceramic disc with d o g imprinted on it which I had done a few years ago. It suited perfectly. Lastly I fussy cut some printed leaves out of organza and singed with a candle til they curled up then stitched them around the boarder of the quilt. I'm pretty happy with the results. You can see a larger picture of the quilt by clicking on the flicker photostream to the right.
05 November 2009
My favorite magazine
I should probably call this post, my favorite company. I just remembered how I found this magazine in the first place. My local PBS station had this lame quilting show on so I stopped watching it. Sometime later that year I noticed another quilting show on and checked it out. From the first show, I was in love. I remember my remark as the show ended. HOLY COW! It has single handedly opened up a whole new world of fiber and mixed media art to me.
I checked out the shows website and started to order the magazine, “Quilting Arts”. It is so much more than quilting though. I found like minded people with a real passion for creating not only with fabric but metal, paper, plastic, paint, dyes and so much more using color, shape, placement and texture in a way I’d rarely seen. I feel like I’ve found my peeps.
I put a link to the magazine on the front of my blog just under the photos. I would recommend a look at the website http://quiltingarts.com/ . You can check out the various blogs and get some free eBooks. Maybe it will spark that creative muse hiding was down inside you.
Craft on…
I checked out the shows website and started to order the magazine, “Quilting Arts”. It is so much more than quilting though. I found like minded people with a real passion for creating not only with fabric but metal, paper, plastic, paint, dyes and so much more using color, shape, placement and texture in a way I’d rarely seen. I feel like I’ve found my peeps.
I put a link to the magazine on the front of my blog just under the photos. I would recommend a look at the website http://quiltingarts.com/ . You can check out the various blogs and get some free eBooks. Maybe it will spark that creative muse hiding was down inside you.
Craft on…
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