Michelle's Stitch & Paint Spot

Art ... Again!

2011-10-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Things have been hopping over at ArtAgain. I almost don't know where to start, so I'll start with a little excitement that is happening THIS WEEK. Jump on over to the Love2Upcycle blog to see how you can win this beautiful computer chip necklace. Yes, I am giving it away! Be sure to come back, though, to catch up on all that has been happening in my little corner of the world.

I am now offering hand dyed shoe laces and let me tell you, they are so much fun to make! Talk about playing with color. I offer 4 sizes ... 45" (for most non-Converse shoes), 54" (low top Converse), 63" (high top Converse) and by custom order only I now offer 72" (X-HI boot style Converse). These are great fun and make wonderful small gifts or stocking stuffers. I can do team colors, or just about anything you can think of. I have laces walking around England, France, Australia, and Singapore. How exciting is that?

Hand Dyed Shoe Laces

I picked up some well-loved quilt remnants and some vintage fabrics at one of my favorite haunts, The Scrap Exchange in Durham, North Carolina.

Vintage Textiles

Well Loved Quilty Bits

I am planning on turning them into coffee cuffs and zippered pouches like these that are made from hand painted dryer sheets.

Dryer Sheet Coffee Cuff

Zippered Clip Pouch

So as you can see, things have been busy in my neck of the woods. I appreciate those of you who continue to follow my blog, even through its dry spells. If you are on facebook, please join me there. The one sentance updates seem to come more frequently than the blog posts. This year, I began donating a portion of my sales to animal rescues and no-kill shelters. I am so happy to be able to do this! It is something that is so important to me and truly speaks to my heart. I do hope to keep my blog updated more frequently, so we will see what October holds.

Ending on a personal note ... many of you who have followed my blog have watched the beautiful puppy we rescued nearly 4 years ago, grow into the most wonderful and loving dog that one could ever imagine. I am heart broken to say that our Rosi passed away this summer, at the age of 3 1/2, due to an aggressive, inoperable tumor. We miss her terribly.

Rosi 11/7/07 - 8/2/11

The emptiness in our hearts and home led us to a high kill shelter about an hour and a half from our home, where we were blessed to rescue this beautiful girl in what would have been her final hours. She came to us underweight and with such a sadness in her eyes, but she is healthy now, and her light is back and her antics keep us laughing every day. She is about 2 years old and we look forward to many adventures with her in the years to come. Welcome, Macey!

Macey 2011

Thank you for spending some time with me today. Now go enter that drawing!!!
~Michelle

The "Stitch" Part

2011-04-28T15:14:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to give you a sneak peek at what's working its way to the top of my list. I got a box of goodies (ie: stuff she was going to toss) from my M-I-L. In that box was this skirt...
A 70's patchwork made by her mother (ie: my husband's grandmother). It's lined with muslin and the elastic is shot. But oooooh, have I got plans!

I am going to use this skirt as the background for several Priority Alzheimers Quilts to benefit the Alzheimers Art Quilt Innitiative (AAQI). Given that my husband's grandmother (and great-grandmother) suffered from this awful disease, I thought it was a fitting use for her skirt. I'm excited to dust off my fabrics and have some fun!

~Michelle

This That and The Other

2011-04-18T11:32:00.003-05:00

I finally came to the realization that I needed to take a break from blogging and focus on some other things. No excuses! But I'm back and ready to bring my blog back to being a regular feature. My goal this year is to diversify my offerings, while keeping within the reuse theme. I have a festival coming up on April 30th in Southern Pines, NC, and I do believe I am ready! I have also spent some time working on my etsy shop. My hand dyed shoelaces have been a very popular item! They really are so much more fun than anything you can buy in the stores. Here are some of my new items, just to catch you up ... This is one of my favorite computer chip necklaces. It is decorated with a scrap from the painted paper bags I made a while back. After adding a high gloss glaze, the piece is really dramatic. The blues remind me of the deep sapphire of the open ocean, and the light sapphire closer to shore. I love how the metallic gold accents the piece. Time to paint more brown paper bags? Perhaps!

We've had some glorious spring weather, and I could not resist breaking out the dyes. In addition to dozens of shoe laces, I've dyed a few silk and cotton scarves. I just love them.

This is one of my latest adventures. I call them Scrappy Cabana Badge Holders. I raided my scrap basket and hand made each piece. The badge holder is retractable, and they have a clip on the back to attach to a pocket. This is one of those things that I could make a hundred of and not get bored.

I've had even more fun making pony tail holders our of ready-to-cover buttons and soda and candy wrappers. It's a bit of an effort to attach the hair tie, but the results are certainly worth it! My kids are under the impression that this means they will get to eat and drink more junk - unfortunately for them, I seem to be able to scrounge up enough material as it is.

I've been wanting to work with Scrabble tiles for a while, but wanted also to do something a little different from the pendants I have seen. Once I got over my fear of drilling holes in the tiles, these bracelets came together. I love this one. It says "IRISH" and I stained the tiles green (because they should be green, right?) On the flip side in a Guinness label. I have made others as well, with words such as "DANCE", "FLIRT", and "PEACE".

I had the great fortune to come across a selection of high quality suede remnants that were salvaged from upholstery sample books. They are not that big, but they were just big enough to make these wristlet keyrings. I kept one for myself and I have to say I love it. It's great to toss my keys on my wrist and be hands-free, and the buttery soft suede feels oh-so-nice.

And probably my most favorite project of all ...

I picked up these belts at a thrift shop. I admired them briefly, and then almost passed them by. I decided they were just to cool to pass up, and am I ever glad that I bought them! They have been turned into fun cuff bracelets. Each one is unique. Some are a New York City theme, and others are Hawaii. I have sold a few already. I am now officially on the lookout for interesting belts that can be repurposed as cuff bracelets.

So there is a sampling of the many things I've been up to while I've taken a break from blogland. Many of these things are available for purchase in my etsy shop, and if you see something you'd like that isn't there, please feel free to contact me. I've set up several hyperlinks throughout this post to help you find your way. I am also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/artagain and on Twitter (@artagain). I am a proud new member of Team Upcyclers on etsy. You can follow the whole team on facebook as well!

Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to. Next up are two custom order t-shirt quilts, and some donation quilts for the Alzheimers Art Quilt Innitiative. The quilts will be made in part from a vintage patchwork skirt. The skirt was made by my grandmother-in-law. She passed away a number of years ago, and suffered from Alzheimers, so I feel it is fitting that her skirt help fun research for a cure.

One last thing ... those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that I am a huge fan of animals. I have decided to donate 10% of my sales income this year to support animal rescue and no-kill shelters. My first quarter donation was made to our local private non-profit SPCA. Second quarter donation has been pledged to Undercats4Life. This group works tirelessly to save cats and kittens from a high kill shelter in South Florida. I am so impressed with the work that they do. I do believe that we can take a stand, and together, we can make a difference.

~Michelle

Mosaics

2011-01-26T09:24:00.002-05:00

I don't really know where the time goes. The "big push" in our family starts with my daughter's birthday at the end of October and continues through my son's birthday at the end of January. I think we squeeze about 75% of the year into those three months. Add in a multitude of festivals, a couple of snow days, and out of state guests, and even if I manage to squeeze in time for some creativity, it's tough to find time to blog.
I do want to share with you what I've been up to lately. These mosaics (each 6x6) are made from recycled CDs. I really love how they turned out and I have a few more in the works. I am trying to psych myself up to make a larger, more intricate one. They are a bit labor intensive, but I think the results are worth it.

I'll be carrying these in my booth at festivals this year. I would like to offer them on etsy, but I need to work out the best shipping arrangement before I list them. Maybe I will list some smaller ones first. I have a shamrock ready to go for St. Pat's. How's that for planning ahead?

Thanks for stopping by. I know I don't post often, and I truly appreciate those of you who still drop in to see my work.

~Michelle

Interview on Be@Home

2010-12-13T20:09:00.003-05:00

I had the great fortune to be interviewed by the lovely Michele of the blog Be @ Home. Click HERE to read the interview and a review of my blog. I was thrilled to be selected and I hope when you are finished reading the interview, you will click on the "Home" key and check out all the other cool things Michele has going on.

And since I can't leave you without a picture - here are some diminutive computer chip earrings, about 1/4" square, that were fun to make, even if they did leave me a bit cross-eyed.
Finally, Natasha, if you are reading this, I appreciated your comments so very much, but I have no way to get in touch with you to send you the information you requested. Please drop me an email and I will send you the information.

Thanks, and Happiest of Holidays to All!
~Michelle

Salvaged Selvage

2010-12-07T21:27:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine saves her scraps for me, and that includes selvage. As I've accumulated it, I've wondered what I would do with it. When I trim the selvage off a fabric I'm using, it's pretty easy to just toss it in the trash ... but when I am staring at a whole bag full of selvage? Then it just seems wasteful. So I started stitching the selvage together and came up with this nifty little zippered pouch. I added (after this photo was taken) a larger lobster claw type clip to the zipper and now I can fit my cell phone in the pouch and clip it to my belt loop and I am good to go! I love it. I kept one for myself and the rest will find their way into my etsy shop (eventually, when I've managed to edit all the photos I took!)

I also made up several with my hand painted dryer sheets. The main body of the pouch is exactly the right size for one dryer sheet. A lucky convenience! These were the colors I happened to have already painted. If the weather ever warms up, I'll get outside and paint some more.

And finally the little bits of selvage that were too short to make into a pouch have found a new home as a coffee sleeve. I love the colors and the graphic nature of the dots. The only problem is that I've used up that entire bag of selvage! So I will just have to wait for my quilty friends to give me some more.

Thank you for stopping by!

~Michelle

(not) Tossing Out Technology

2010-12-02T14:12:00.003-05:00

I was fortunate to get a box of computer chip samples from a friend whose company was going to throw them out. Don't they make great pendants? I only have about a dozen of the square ones, but I've got gobs of rectangles!!!

So what else can I do with these? I would love to hear your ideas!

~Michelle

Leftovers

2010-12-01T08:49:00.004-05:00

It's been so long since I've blogged that I almost couldn't remember my password! How crazy is that. I have been busy. I stepped up the number of festivals I attended this fall, so I have spent most of my time keeping my inventory levels up. I am sure you do not want to hear about pounded bottle caps every day! So here are some of the other things I've been making ... I had a little bit of covered clothesline left over from the bowl I made and shared in my last post. I finally got the idea to turn it into these cuff bracelets. I really like how they came out. I have more clothesline and am planning to make more with my more interesting hand dyes and batiks.

I nearly sold out of my altered altoid tins (I only had one left!) so I spent some time making a few more. They really are a lot of fun. The one with the skull is my favorite.

I have been tie dyeing shoe laces like a madwoman. They are so much fun! I have 45" (low top) and 63" (high top) available in my etsy shop. This pair is one of my favorites.

And I've been using those old felted wool sweaters that have been languishing on a shelf for want of an idea. I would say I am using them up, but there is quite a bit of material available in one sweater! I am also making cuff bracelets with some of the leftovers. The crochet flowers have been a fun little project to take on the go. I have my friend Carolyn to thank for the leftover bits of yarn from her knitted dish cloths.

Speaking of crochet ... I am on my third blanket made from yarn purchase from The Scrap Exchange ... each blanket cost around $5. I've enjoyed dusting off my crochet hooks (finally).

I have one more show this weekend at a local high school. I am really looking forward to it. I have made about 3-4 dozen new ornaments this week, and a bunch of poetry bracelets. Today I am going to work on those aforementioned cuff bracelets and maybe some dryer sheet wallets. With any luck I will have more to share with you before the week is out. Thank you for visiting and baring with my little blogging hiatus!

~Michelle

Tutti Frutti

2010-09-29T16:32:00.002-05:00

I decided I needed to take a break from pounding bottle caps and do something different. I dyed this fabric last year. It was a white tone-on-tone and I love how the flowers resist the dye. The problem was that there was way too much pink for my taste. I like the top and left sides, but the rest, well, what to do with all that pink? Last year, on a whim, I also bought the pattern to make fabric bowls with strips of fabric and cotton clothesline. I've been wanting to try it, but you know how it goes, I just never took the time to do it. Well, I decided to use this fabric, and here is my new bowl ...

I made the smallest size the pattern offered, but made the sides a little taller. It is pretty big! And I love it. Yeah, still a lot of pink but at least it is tempered by the other colors. So I've decided it is my new fruit bowl.

What do you think? Hey, at least I know I can wash it!

Loco Laces

2010-09-21T20:37:00.003-05:00

Empty dye bottles - you know what that means ... I finally got my dyes back out. Today's victims? Shoelaces!

Aren't they yummy? And the best news is ... there's lots more! I plan to carry them in my shop. If my tween doesn't take them all before I get the chance!

One Wild Summer

2010-09-16T19:16:00.003-05:00

I find it rather amusing that I was just wondering what happened to July. Here we are half way through September. Silly of me to think I was going to get much accomplished this summer, and now we are knee deep in all the activities that fall with teenagers brings.

Meet the newest member of our family ... Jasper ... this little guy showed up at our door and decided to stay. He was skinny and flea ridden, but how could we say no? He's very sweet and hasn't even asked to go outside since the day we brought him in. I think he is happy to have a home ...
I made this fish piece for my August show at Eye of the Eagle. The fish are painted dryer sheets and I used lots of odds and ends for the background. I did a bit of hand stitching and beading as well. I finished it just in time for the show, so these photos I have are actually of it hanging in the gallery.

I just received an order from Dharma ... an assortment of scarves, shoelaces (yes, I am going to dye them!) and soy wax to try my hand at batik. Maybe I will have something fun to share with you soon.

Wherefore Art Thou July?

2010-07-29T06:03:00.000-05:00

Well, this summer sure is flying by! I haven't posted anything here mainly due to computer issues, or rather server issues. Actually we don't know what the issue is. We have a temporary workaround while we try to figure it out, but I haven't been online much.
I completed my 3rd t-shirt quilt and it is getting easier. I think this one came out nice. It was the first one I did for a boy. He's off to college this fall. I hope he enjoys it!

I also made a load of charms for Christi over at Earth Traditions. She makes Celtic and earth-themed jewelry and will be incorporating these charms into her designs. It was a lot of fun to go Irish for a bit.

I am sending off another package of jewelry to Art & Soul in Beaufort NC. I'm so glad things are selling well there. And The Raleigh City Museum will be carrying my jewelry, beginning in August, so that is next on my list. I'll be using only NC brewery (and soda) caps for their museum shop.

My show at Eye of the Eagle in Clayton opens August 1st. The reception is Friday the 6th and if you are in the area, I'd love for you to come!

That's about all for me right now. Here's hoping our internet issues are resolved soon and I can get back to blogging on a more regular basis. Thanks for stopping by!!!

~Michelle

First Felting Finished!

2010-06-29T12:41:00.003-05:00

I finished the felted piece that I first showed you back in mid-May. I made some cording on my machine and hung it from a bamboo rod. I stitched some shells with natural holes to the cording. I think the rod needs something as it looks rather plain. Any suggestions? I may dip the ends is glue or UTEE and beads. I'm just not sure.
As I worked along, I wasn't sure how I was going to finish the edges. I finally decided that I liked all the raw edge pieces going on and wanted to leave them. I backed the whole piece with a bit of hand dyed scrim that was just the right size. I think it was a good decision.

Here's a close up. The whole piece is hand needle-felted, hand stitched, and hand beaded. It's about 12" x 15" not including the hanging parts. Now I need to figure out what to call it! This is one of the pieces that will hang at Eye of the Eagle in Clayton in August.

~Michelle

Sew Somerset and other good news

2010-06-14T06:05:00.003-05:00

Some good things have been happening while I've been in a creative lull. First of all, I have a few small pieces of fiber art on page 132 of the current (summer 2010) issue of Sew Somerset. And just as exciting is the fact that three of my cyber-friends are also in this same issue! So, if you have an opportunity to check out my work, you can also look for Carole, Normajean, and Leilani.

Nautical Flags, Beaufort NC

Secondly, I will have a few pieces on exhibit in The Green Room Gallery at The Scrap Exchange in Durham NC. The focus of this awesome store is recycling, and I am going to exhibit "Spirit Tree" (see recent post) and a few other pieces along with other members of the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild. The show will run from June 18 through July 10.

Sailboats at Sunset, Beaufort NC

Thirdly, I am gearing up for a solo exhibit of my fiber art at The Eye of the Eagle in Clayton, NC. This is a wonderful little art gallery, tucked away in a quaint little town. Definitely worth a visit! I have to deliver my art by the end of June, so I will be busy, busy, busy, trying to finish up some new work. Wild Horse, Shackelford Banks NC

And finally, as you can see by the photos, we got away the other weekend to the beautiful coastal town of Beaufort, NC. We took a ferry to the undeveloped barrier island of Cape Lookout National Seashore, and just generally relaxed and enjoyed infinite beauty and inspiration. It was wonderful. While I was there, I came upon a delightful art store called Art & Soul. I spoke with the owner and she is going to begin carrying my bottle cap jewelry! I have always wanted to have representation at the coast, and now I do! I'll be making some new "beachy" pieces this week to send to her.

Cape Lookout Light

I hope you've enjoyed this little taste of the beauty to be found on the North Carolina coast, and if you are not too far away, I hope that you will visit sometime. I'll be posting more info about upcoming artist's receptions as I receive details, so watch this space!

Cape Lookout National Seashore

Thanks for taking this journey with me!

~Michelle

A change of paint

2010-05-29T07:54:00.003-05:00

Ain't it funny how the time goes? I started this blog post a week ago, ran out of time, saved it as a draft and here I am just getting back to it. It almost feels like old news now! Anyway, I traded in my art supplies for a roller and some wall paint, and remodeled the kids' bathroom. I thought I'd share it with you. It was time to say goodbye to the palm tree mural that has graced the long right side wall for many years. The walls needed to be repainted, and the kids are getting older - not that they don't enjoy palm trees any more, but it was time for something a bit more sophisticated (or maybe it was just as excuse!)

I painted the walls a soft chalky green (which really doesn't show up well in the photos ... the photo of the shower curtain has probably the best representation. The color is Harbour Town by Benjamin Moore). On the long wall I painted blocks of color and hung black and white prints of photos I've taken on our many family vacations. I let the kids list their most memorable places and use their lists in choosing photos. A nice way to make the space personal! I can always change out the photos whenever it needs refreshing.

I painted the ugly, old orangish oak and plywood cabinets a semi-gloss black and added chrome hardware. Ahhhh ... they look so much better, and set off the white marble vanity, which isn't going anywhere.

I swapped out the old tropical shower curtain and rings for a sleek black and chrome number. I also hung it about 8" higher up the wall which added more drama than I expected.

I, yes, I myself, personally and without assitance, took down the old brass "hollywood" globe vanity lights and wired up these new chrome and glass beauties. And I even did it right the first time! Was a leap of faith to flip that light switch on for the first time, that's for sure.

What's left is the floor (half carpet - what was the builder thinking??? - and half old vinyl), mainly, and a low flush toilet. I am toying with tearing down the tiles in the shower and installing new ones. I am a bit suspicious that there is an insufficient moisture barrier behind those tiles, and better to take them down and find out than to deal with a mold issue down the road. Or, maybe this is just another excuse ...

~Michelle

A Recipe for Adventure

2010-05-12T18:13:00.003-05:00

Here's my little adventure of the week: I wanted to try my hand at needle felting. I don't have an embellisher machine, but I have the little needle puncher and brush mat. The base of this piece is part of a thrift store wool sweater that was shrunk/felted. I have been adding a little bit each day, and I suppose I will keep adding to the piece until it tells me it is done. I hope you can tell that it is a beach scene. I just added the "lines" to separate the water from the sand and sky, and next I'll fill in more water colors to give the ocean depth and (hopefully) dimension. It's been a fun experiment, in spite of the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing!!!

And I made this cake today - we are celebrating the 19th birthday of Pablo, our Guatemalan high school student who is living with us during the school year. The recipe is below ... delish!

Strawberry Fudge Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can strawberry pie filling
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract

1 tub chocolate frosting

(note: you can use whatever flavor cake mix and pie filling you want - apple spice is very good! and you can substitute vanilla extract for the almond, or you can omit the extract, if you want)

Mix all ingredients and bake according to directions on cake mix (about 40 minutes for a bundt pan). Let cake cool, melt some frosting in microwave safe bowl for about 15-20 seconds. Drizzle over cake. Enjoy!!

Spirit Tree

2010-05-11T07:07:00.004-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at the piece I've been working on. I need one more yellow bottle cap to finish it. Hopefully it will come my way soon. I am calling this piece "Spirit Tree". It is a 22x28 wrapped canvas - something new for me. It is for the exhibit at Eye of the Eagle in August and therefore is made with saved/recycled materials.

The background texture is built up with tissue paper. The flowers are fabric paper, and the flower centers are bottle caps and wine bottle tops.

The word "Spirit" rests among the roots of the tree. I have had the gulf oil disaster on my mind while I've worked on this piece, even though I started it before that happened, and it has directed much of the path this piece has taken. When it is finished, I'll share the completed piece with you.

On to the next one ... wonder where it will take me? ~Michelle

Going Green, and Orange, and Blue ...

2010-05-07T06:49:00.005-05:00

In honor of National Craft Beer Week, this bracelet was chosen to be highlighted in the Going Green section of the Try Handmade website. Thanks to Rebecca for choosing to include me in a terrific article, and a special shout-out to my friend and fellow collector-of-all-things-cool-and-reusable, Tracy, for recommending me to Rebecca. Tracy's blog and etsy shop are definitely worth a visit! I've added some charm bracelets to my etsy shop, and will be adding more items during the day.

And just to prove that I still know how to thread my sewing machine, here is a small round-robin quilt that I am working on with a group of three other ladies. We are going to donate these quilts to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Inniative (AAQI) for auction when they are finished. The May quilt auction is going on right now - but ends on Monday the 10th, so check it out! New quilts are available each month and all the proceeds go to fund research for a cure.

I was the third person to work on this quilt. It started with the jar of honey, the second person added the bees (which are amazing!) and I added the clovers. I free motion embroidered the clovers and was pleased with how they turned out. I might have to make some more for myself or a future project, so I don't forget how I did it. I love how this quilt is developing.

I am still working on a rather large canvas piece. It is coming along - I just have to figure out what finishing details are needed. It always seems like that is the hardest part!

~Michelle

Five Rounds of Poetry

2010-05-02T06:14:00.004-05:00

I survived not only my first "solo" street fairs (as in, no one came with me to help set up or relieve me during the day) but my first back-to-back weekend street fairs. The days couldn't have been much different, the first being cool, cloudy, and threatening rain and the second hot, humid, and sunny. Both went well and I received a lot of nice compliments on my work. The only "new" items I made between sales were poetry bracelets, in the fashion of the one that was published last year in Cloth Paper Scissors. It was a challenge, but a fun one, to create little snippets of poetry to fit into five small circles. The people who stopped by seemed to enjoy them and I did sell a few.

This one was my personal favorite. I loved the blued and teals, and of course anything about the ocean! I thought for sure it would sell, but I still have it. It just might find its way into my etsy shop, which is in serious need of beefing up.

This is the same bracelet, with blue and white ocean-related caps. It is almost as much fun choosing the caps as it is designing the bracelet. In case you are wondering, yes, I did add a clasp before heading to the sale! I just took the photos before that happened.

I'm going to do some straightening of the studio before all the street fair tables and boxes find their way back in there. I am also working on a large canvas piece, which is developing nicely, although I've decided I need to do "something" to the background (which could be tricky since a portion of the foreground has been developed already). I am not sure what that "something" is, but I will share the work when it's complete.

Hope you have an enjoyable May. ~ Michelle

My Life in 100 Square Feet or Less

2010-04-27T15:06:00.003-05:00

I thought you might like to see my booth as it looked on Saturday at SpringDaze. The sign is new ... the canvas covered in paper scraps, then painted and each letter made from chip board (cereal boxes, two layers) and alcohol ink-painted CD mosaic. It took forever but I loved the results!

I didn't bring as much of my framed art this year, since I was by myself to set up and it takes a while to hang. I need to come up with a better method for hanging stuff along the sides. I hung the sign by bungee cords, which worked really well, but I'm not sure I'd trust glass frames to that method.

This was the first time I brought the extra card table that I put in the corner. It's up on risers, and I like how it created the different levels. Everything fit well in the space, though it was tight when there was a crowd!

Thanks for visiting ... I hope you'll have the opportunity to stop by in person sometime!

~Michelle

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-22T16:07:00.002-05:00

I love Earth Day. I didn't know much about it growing up, but the first Earth Day I remember well was when I was in college. A group of us went to the Bronx Zoo and I was struck by the field of white crosses, each baring the name of a species that has become extinct. It made a real impact on me. I believe we should celebrate Earth Day every day - not to sound cliche, but it really is the only home we've got!

Here are the magnets I made this week. They are recycled advertising magnets, and other such ones that I have come across. I even took a "bumper sticker" magnet and cut it up. So next time you get one in the mail, or wherever you come across them ... don't throw them out! Use them as a mini canvas and create some art.

I am done creating for the week. The next two days will be focused on preparations for Cary's SpringDaze. Right now they are calling for clouds and a 30% chance of scattered showers. I am remaining optimistic that they day will be cool, and wonderful, and that the usual crowds will still come. Next Saturday (May 1) I will be at Peak Fest in Apex ... a new show for me. Wish me luck!

~Michelle

Preparations

2010-04-21T08:13:00.003-05:00

I'm spending this week getting ready to head to SpringDaze on Saturday, trying to get some additional things made so I have more than just my bottle cap stuff in my booth.

I pulled out some of the mint tins that I've saved up and made trinket boxes out of them. I'm pleased with how they turned out, and hope they will be well received.

This one ended up being my favorite, even though I almost talked myself out of this color scheme in the beginning. All the boxes have "feet" on them so they stand up off the table.

Here are all the boxes. Pretty much they are covered in scraps and recycled materials. It was good to go through my paper box, though I still didn't make a dent in it!

Here are a couple of them opened up. I lined the bottom with wool felt and the tops with various papers. The one on the right is lined with a wrapper from a chocolate bar!

This week, I have also made a sign for my booth (still have to finish the edges and photograph it), some magnet holders/coasters from large canning jar lids, and I am currently working on collage magnets made from freebie advertising magnets that I didn't want or need. I hope to finish those today. The week is flying by, that's for sure!

Flower Shower

2010-04-15T06:52:00.002-05:00

At the March Designers Downtown Market, my booth neighbor was Amanda of Oh Sew Cute Designs. She makes all sorts of great baby gear, and since I was in need of a shower gift for twin girls, I had to take a look. I fell in love with this fabric and bought two car seat arm pads from her (a really great idea ... wish someone had thought of it 14 years ago!!!). The fabric is by Michael Miller and is called "Flower Shower".
I absolutely love the aqua, coral, and pale lime green. A great girlie fabric without the pink and purple. Amanda was kind enough to hook me up with some yardage as well, and I made two small (24" square) coordinating quilts to go along in the carseat or stroller.

I used hand dyed fabrics and the "Bento Box" pattern by Tracey Brookshire. I modified the pattern by turning every other unit 180 degrees to give it a more random appearance. Then I created my own pattern for some flowers and raw-edge machine appliqued them onto the quilts.

To give the quilts some individuality, I made the centers of the flowers different colors. I free motion quilted them, bound (and backed) the in the Flower Shower fabric and then machine washed and dried them. I love doing this, especially with baby quilts. The batting shrinks up just enough to give the quilts a soft hand and a slightly "worn" feel. The effect of the raw edge applique (intentional) was to fray the edges of the flowers.

I had trouble getting a closeup, but I think you can see the effect. I love these quilts and I hope my neices-to-be will love them as well.

~Michelle

Those Little Things

2010-04-08T07:28:00.004-05:00

The leaves are back on the trees (though we need a good rain to wash the yellow coat of pollen away) and the sun is filtering through the leaves and sparkling on my kitchen table. I'd almost forgotten how much I love sunny mornings in my kitchen when the trees are leafed out. :)

Remember those "little things" I said I was working on in my last post? No? Sorry, yeah it's been a long time, but here they are ...

I have two art fairs coming up ... April 24 and May 1 (local friends, see left side bar for details - come say hi!). I made a batch of coffee cuffs using my stash of painted dryer sheets. They are so bright and cheerful!

I made these 1.5" gift cubes back in February and two of them have already sold. They really are cute. I changed the button on the one on the right (which is the one I still have) and made a few more.

Most of them were cut from postcard bases that I had made a while back but had never developed into anything. I just think they're so cute and plan to make them in different sizes. They are all made from dryer sheets, except the one on the bottom left which is paper towels.

This is an ATP (artist's trading pin) that I made for a trade. It is about 1.25x2.25 or so (I don't remember exactly) and is made from silver and purple silk that came from a drapery sample book. I'm working on my hand beading!

A new product for my art fairs and eventually for my etsy shop are bottle cap pins! I also plan to make barettes in this same style. I made some with words, and some (these) without. They are fun to make and have been well received.

And in an effort to actually finish some projects, I strung together the pennants that I traded last fall on Fiber Art Traders. The ones I made were the fish skeleton and the jelly fish. I thought it was interesting that the ones I received all stayed within the same colors. I think they look great together. I tied them with raffia and found seashells. They're hanging up in my studio now.

I am working on two small quilts, which I hope to finish this week. I am still not quite done with taxes, but should have them done today. That will be a relief! I have been very absent from blogland, but I know that my friends will forgive me.

Thanks for stopping by ~ I am off to see what YOU are up to!

~Michelle

Impromptu Art

2010-03-22T07:08:00.004-05:00

The kids have been off school for the last few weeks. We recently took the dog to a local park for a walk around the lake. We spied this bit of impromptu art along the way. Someone took some discards and made this sculpture. We loved it! I hope you can see it, it is hard to capture the depth in a photo.
Spring is in full swing here in the Piedmont of North Carolina, but just two weeks ago the signs were just emerging. I loved these fallen logs. The life cycle at work.

And the first hint of maple leaves. Love how they are red and stand out so nicely against the gray. Yes, it is finally spring.

And how could you be any happier than a dog allowed to romp through the creek and then roll in the sand. What's a little dirt in the mouth when you've got spring fever to contend with???

I have been working on a few little things, which I hope to share with you shortly. I still need to do my taxes and when it is sunny and 75 outside it is difficult to accomplish much of anything! I hope you are seeing signs of the changing seasons where you are. We should learn to celebrate each one.

~Michelle

Matters of Art

2010-02-25T07:48:00.002-05:00

This is a new piece I made recently and couldn't wait to share it with you. It will be on display at Eye of the Eagle Art in Clayton, NC, in August. The piece is 12 inches square and I call it "Matters of Art".

I challenged myself to create a piece using only recycled/trash materials. I largely succeeded in that there are around 40 distinct items that comprise the surface of this little quilt, and nearly all would have been destined for the bin. I think the only things I used that don't qualify are a few eyelets and brads, the mirror that is in the center of the bottom central piece, the interfacing, backing fabric, paint and thread.

Each of the 9 smaller vignettes are 3 inches square, created as separate, complete pieces, and stitched to the background (which happens to be covered with dryer sheets). In the one above, I used a brown paper bag, a puzzle piece covered by a napkin, part of a wrapper from chopsticks, some beads from a broken necklace, the metal center of a floppy disk, the calendar dial from an old watch, and the foil top from a bottle of wine.

This is the piece that inspired Jenny's turtle in my previous post. Cut up CD pieces on a piece from an old map.

How many things can you find? Take a close look! You might be surprised.

I haven't had much time in my studio due to the sudden death of my VAN. I have been car shopping for the past week. We are getting close to a decision. I hope we will have something by the weekend. But ... it is still early, no one is open for business yet, and I am going to go upstairs and DO something. ~ Michelle

All sweetness and such ...

2010-02-15T17:23:00.003-05:00

I had hoped to post this yesterday and wish you all a Happy Valentines Day, so please accept the wishes a day late.
This is the postcard I submitted to Fiber Arts for their annual Valentines event. I sent it to myself! It travelled nicely through the mail and arrived right on time. Fiber Arts has their offices located in Loveland Colorado, and each year you can send them your Valentines postcards and they put a special Loveland cancellation stamp on them. Sometime soon they should have all the entries posted on their website. It is always fun to view the collection! A few even end up in their magazine.

We made Red Velvet cupcakes a few weeks ago. They were yummy. I wish I could send one to each and every one of you!

mmmmmm..... Happy Valentine's Day! ~ Michelle

Artists Unite for Haiti

2010-02-04T19:27:00.005-05:00

I just realized yesterday was the three year anniversary of starting this blog. Wow. That's hard to believe!

This weekend is the "Artists Unite for Haiti" art sale at the LoDi Project here in Raleigh. I just got home from dropping off some artwork - mine, my daughter's, and a stack from my daughter's middle school (she share the info with the art teacher and it kind of took off).

It's an "anonymous" sale, in that the pieces are not to be signed on the front. If you purchase a piece, you won't know who the artist is until after the purchase. I am going to give you a sneak peek of our pieces! All art is $25 and all proceeds will be donated to the Mercy Corps to help in Haiti.

This first piece is 5x7. It is an older dryer sheet piece, matted to 8x10. I call it "me encanta".

This is a larger piece (12x16) and also made from recycled dryer sheets. The background is new, I made it this week. The three panels on top were made as one 8x10 piece a few years ago. I split it into three, and finished off the edges. I call it "harlequin triptych". A detail of the piece is below.

The next photo is a portion of a piece I completed last week. I can't share the whole thing just yet as I am waiting to hear if it is accepted into a show. My daughter saw this, though, and it inspired her idea for the piece that she donated to "Artists Unite for Haiti" ...

And here she is with "turtle love". I thought it was such a great idea ... I told her I wish I had thought of it!

The background is an acrylic wash, the turtle is built up layers of tissue paper, and the shell is made from recycled CDs. I just love it!

We are both hopeful that our pieces will sell, and that the sale is a great success. They had hundreds of pieces of artwork there when we dropped off our things. It was humbling to see such a tremendous outpouring from the artistic community throughout the world. If you are on facebook, you can become a fan of "Artists Unite for Haiti" and follow the progress!

Infusing Color

2010-01-26T11:12:00.004-05:00

I am tired of brown, green, gray. No offense to those lovely colors, but the bleak winter landscape has been weighing on me. Maybe it was the cold spell we had, I don't really know. I decided what I needed was some color - bright, vibrant, and warm - to bring me some enthusiasm.
I hadn't painted dryer sheets in a while,so I decided this was a good place to start. Look at these beautiful colors! An instant mood lift.

But then, what to do? I decided to take a stab at making coffee cuffs ... you know, those cardboard sleeves you get with your hot beverage-of-choice so you don't burn your hand? I have a fabric one that my friend Carolyn made for me a couple of years ago and I use it every time.

This is actually the second one I made. The outside is painted dryer sheets, free motion quilting and some beads. The inside is hand dyed cotton. This one is laced up with yarn to keep it closed.

This next one is the first one I did. I had a little trouble with getting the shape right and had to re-do it a few times. Still, I think it came out nice. An unconventional nod to Valentine's Day...

I satin stitched this one closed, which was no easy feat on my machine. I love my machine, but it lacks a free arm ... and stitching inside a small circular shape without one is a trick!

Now I need to test them out ... coffee with a friend sounds like just the ticket! Then I will make more and put them in my etsy shop.

I wonder if maybe I am missing the Caribbean? Spring will be here soon! In the meantime I'll enjoy my soft sweaters and warm socks and get my color fix through paint.

A few finished projects

2010-01-13T17:22:00.004-05:00

I got a new netbook ... it's so darn cute! But I haven't loaded my photo software yet, so I wasn't able to adjust the lighting on these photos. They are a bit washed out, but I wanted to share anyway.

This is a necklace I made (for myself!) from a piece of seashell that I picked up in Grand Cayman. It's my first real attempt at wire wrapping. I thought it turned out pretty well, though I've got a lot to learn in that department. It's a fun souvenier and means more than anything I could have bought in a gift shop.

This is a piece of complex cloth that started out as the striped piece in this post. I have worked with a group of three other fiber artists for the past year+ to create complex cloth. We passed our pieces around and each added something to it. This is my latest piece, and I love it.

I finished my second t-shirt quilt. This one is smaller than the last - throw size. Even so, it was more difficult because many of the "t-shirts" ended up being UnderArmour-type volleyball jerseys and they were a bear to work with. I have now added an exhorbitant extra charge for shirts of this type to my price list. I hope I never have to deal with one again.

And finally, these are on my kitchen window to remind me of warmer days ... sand collected, left to right, from Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Cocoa Beach. I love the colors and how each one is so different. I might do some beading and wire wrapping on the jars. I haven't decided yet.

~Michelle

Christmas Card Ornament - TUTORIAL

2010-01-09T09:43:00.004-05:00

Well, wow, I was surprised to find so much interest in this little project. Thanks to everyone who left a comment ... I hope you'll give it a try. Maybe start a new tradition!

I tend to err on the side of details, so don't be put off by the number of photos and wordiness of my explanation. It's not that hard. I'm including a lot of tips ... things I've learned through experience over the years. And no, I did not mislabel my ornament (first photo) - this is a closeup of the one I made in 2008, to show you how I label them. The rest of the photos follow my process for making the ornament for 2009.

So, here we go!

You will need:
*cards (at least 20 ... although if you have less than that, you can still make it work)
*compass and scissors
*ruler or straight edge
*pencil
*white glue
*small length of ribbon
*paper clips

Dust off your geometry caps! I do this the old fashioned way. Yes, you could use a paper punch and have nice exact circles, but I like the flexibility that making my own templates gives me, and it's much easier to get that pesky equilateral triangle if you use a compass. Read on!

I use the back of one of the cards. I set my compass to a 1" radius which gives me a nice 2" circle ... you can make them any size you want. A 2" circle will yield an ornament that is about 4.5" in diameter.

Step 1: Draw two circles.

Step 2: Without re-setting your compass (it's very important to keep the same measurement that you used to draw the circles!), place the point of the compass anywhere ON one of the circles. Make a mark, further along the circle, at the point where the pencil intersects the circle.

Step 3: Now move the point to the intersection of the circle, and this little line you just drew, and make a second mark like the first.

Continue around the circle in this manner. You should end up with 6 marks, and if you kept your compass at the same measurement, the last mark will line up with the first.

*TIP: Trust me, it's not as complicated as it sounds!

Here is what your marked circle will look like:

Step 4: Using your ruler or straight edge, connect every other mark, across the circle, to form an equilateral triangle. Use the photo as a reference ... you will only use three of the six marks that you made.

Step 5: Cut out the unmarked circle, and the triangle.

TIP: If you are good at keeping track of things, you can use these templates year after year and never have to make new ones! Somehow I always end up making new ones ...

Step 6: Using the circle, cut out images from your cards. You will need 20 circles to make one ornament. If you don't have 20 cards, you can cut more than one circle from each card.

TIP: I deliberately choose trendy images if I have them, because these are the ones that will represent the year and be fun to look back on. Imagine what the cards of decades past would look like now!

TIP: OK, this part is a little tricky to explain, but as you actually work through the project, it will be easier to understand...

In the next step you are going to use the triangle as a template to fold the edges of the circles. Half of the triangles will point UP and half will point DOWN (as seen in next two photos). Some cards will lend themselves to one or the other. The point is, you want the important part of the image to be inside the triangle. For example, the word "Joy" lends itself to the triangle pointing UP. If the triangle pointed down, the J and Y would get "lost" on the folded edges outside the triangle.

This photos shows Santa ... he lends himself to the triangle pointed DOWN because the widest part of the main image is across the top of the circle.

Some cards with all-over prints can be used either way.

I separate my cards into two groups of 10, based on whether I think they will be UP or DOWN. In the photo of the 20 circles, above, the top two rows are UPs and the bottom two rows are DOWNs.

As I start to make my pieces, I may change some around, but you need 10 of each, so it is helpful to start this way.

(that was a long TIP! stay with me here ...)

OK ... what step is this? 7???

So, you place the tringle on the circle. Each point should touch the edge. This is the santa card from above. Now fold the card inward, using the triangle as a hard edge to fold against. I fold all three sides down for a snug fit around the triangle, rather than one side at a time.

This is what the circle looks like after it is folded.

Fold ALL the circles ... remember you need 10 pointing UP and 10 pointing DOWN. Is it making more sense? Keep reading ... the hard part is over!

TIP: I always fold the all-over prints last. This way the cards that have a specific direction get folded appropriately and I can fill in with UPs or DOWNs as needed to get 10 of each.

Step 8: Arrange your pieces into the components of your ornament.

*choose 5 UPs and arrange them into a circle, top points to the center. (top of photo)

*choose 5 DOWNs and arrange them into a circle, points to the center (bottom of photo)

*take the remaining 10 pieces and arrange them in a straight line, alternating UPs and DOWNs.

TIP: I try to arrange them so that I don't end up with, say, three snowman together, or all the white pieces in one place.

Step 9: Glue each section together. Use white paper glue (Elmers, PVA, tacky glue ...). Spread a small amount of glue on one of the tabs (the part you folded around the triangle) and connect two pieces together. I use a couple of paper clips to hold them in place while the glue dries. Hopefully you can see what I mean by the photo.

IMPORTANT: Tie a piece of ribbon into a loop and insert it into the circle formed by the 5 UP pieces before you glue it closed. This is how you hang your ornament!!!

This is how the top of your ornament will look while it dries...

and here's the bottom ... now do you see the importance of the UPs and DOWNs? It keeps your images all facing in the proper direction when you assemble the ornament...

Step 10: I have to apologize because apparently I neglected to take photos of this step, but I think it will be pretty clear ...

The strip of 10 cards (alternating UPs and DOWNs) is glued, first to the last, to form a ring. This is the center of the ornament. Once the three pieces are dry, glue the top to the center ring, in the same manner, using paper clips while the glue dries. Then glue the bottom to the center ring.

When the glue has dried, remove the paper clips and you have an ornament!

If the gaps/holes where the cards all join bother you, you can use more glue and squeeze the points closed, using clips to hold it together. You could also glue gem stones over the holes for some sparkle. They don't bother me, so I just leave them there.

The last thing I do is write the year on one of the bottom edges of an UP along the center ring (see first photo).

I hope you will try one. I think that stitched, and stuffed, they would make a fun baby toy if they were made out of fabric. Maybe I'll try that one day!

~Michelle

Dis-cards

2010-01-08T07:29:00.002-05:00

Every year, after Christmas, I turn these ...

into one of these ...

I date them, and hang them as ornaments on our tree. I just love them. It's a keepsake of holiday wishes, and I don't feel guilty that I'm not "keeping" all those cards! (I do use the rest for other projects, and recycle what I can't use).

These are some of the ornaments I've made over the years. Leave me a comment and let me know if you are interested in a tutorial. If there is some interest, I will happily publish one.

~Michelle

Hooked?

2010-01-05T08:35:00.003-05:00

While doing a little blog surfing recently, I came across Attic 24 ... a blog written by Lucy in England. I was drawn in not only by the gorgeous colors, but by her stunning crochet work. I used to crochet a lot ... oh about 20 years ago! And I have been toying with dusting off my hooks, and Lucy's blog was just the encouragement I needed.
Using one of Lucy's patterns, I stitched up these lovely flowers. (maybe my photography skills will improve this year ... one can hope! ... sorry about the poor photo quality). My good friend Carolyn is an avid quilter and knitter. She makes fantastic dishcloths, and dreamy warm socks, which I love. She passes on the ends of her skeins to me, and I have quite a little collection, which was just perfect for diving into for this project.

so I gathered up some yarn, and dusted off those hooks (miracle of all miracles, I was able to find them without too much stress!) ...

and I spent a little time with Lucy. In addition to the flowers, above, I also made some of her teeny tiny flowers and a few leaves (the largest flower is about 1.5"). I just love them. They are quick and easy and oh so cheerful.

I wonder where this rekindled passion will lead me? Thanks, Lucy, for the inspiration!

0102 2010

2010-01-01T19:24:00.007-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm happy that it's 2010. I love the look of that number. Here's to hoping it will be a great year. To start it off, I thought I'd share some photos that inspire me. They are from our recent vacation to Florida and the Caribbean. Enjoy!

beautiful patina on this cannon in St. Augustine

love this color combo!

THIS is why sapphire blue is my favorite color

funky cool marble mosaic

sunset in Mexico

ummm... yeah, what's not to love?

more impossibly gorgeous water

and yet more - I never tire of it

how's this for a beach? (Grand Cayman)

sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico

and the sunrise of a new year! Happy New Year.

Dashing All the Way

2009-12-28T07:34:00.003-05:00

That sums up the month of December for me. It was jam packed with visits from family and friends, celebrations, a much needed and enjoyed family vacation, and a wicked head cold. Since I haven't worked on anything the last few weeks, I thought I'd share a few pieces that I made last month but never had the opportunity to post. They are all 5x5, not inlcuding the hanger.

These two (above and below) have spent the holiday season at Eye of the Eagle Art in Clayton, NC. They are two of the pieces I submitted for their "Biggest Little Art Show". They are for sale, so I am hoping that they will spend future months brightening the living space of new owners.

The photos are mine, printed onto fabric and sealed. Above are some beautiful poppies from Santa Fe, NM. Below, a visitor to a bloom at the North Carolina Zoo.

The next three are pieces which I made for my etsy shop. I hope they will be available in the next day or so. I also hope to get a few more pieces of my bottle cap jewelry loaded and available for purchase. I'm a little late for the holiday rush, but it was the best I could do this year.

Anemones (Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham NC)

Poppies (Taos, NM)

detail: Blue Door (Taos, NM)

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends and love. ~Michelle

Spreading Holiday Cheer ...

2009-12-02T13:32:00.003-05:00

A couple of fun online holiday events that you might enjoy ...

Tim Holtz's third annual "12 Tags of Christmas" ... one tag a day, tons of Mixed Media fun, and his talent will blow you away!

Lisa Vollrath of "Go Make Something" is offering a download-able image each day for 25 days. Her "Countdown to Christmas" is a treasure trove for anyone who enjoys using vintage images in their art.

Check them out, and have a creative holiday!

Seeing Red

2009-11-30T20:24:00.002-05:00

First of all, I have finally opened my etsy shop! I hope to have it loaded up with plenty of goodies by the middle of the month!
This gorgeous (unretouched) sunset happened in late October. I was standing on my front porch when I took this picture. You would never know that we live in the middle of suburbia and there are houses in front of those trees!

And here, finally, is the promised photo of my red door! I love it. I love how the house turned out, love the color, love my red door, love the new hanging light fixture we installed. I might have to start using the front door!!!

I hope all my US readers had a nice Thanksgiving. Are you ready for December? It's time to turn the calendar. Where did the year go???

THEE Quilt!

2009-11-18T11:34:00.003-05:00

Here is the quilt that resulted from the blocks I share in this post. The finished size is about 42" square. There are 36 blocks.
Here's a closeup shot so you can see my swirly quilting. I used a variegated blue thread and was surprised that it showed up so prominently on the quilt. These are the two pieces of hand-dyed fabric that I used to make the quilt. The first one isn't quite as pink and green as the photo suggests, it is more blue and purple. The pictures of the quilt are a better indication of this fabric.

This one was my first attempt at a one yard spiral. It came out ok, but I think it looks better all chopped up!

I forgot to get a photo of the back, but it is pieced remnants of these two fabrics plus a third hand-dye because I didn't have quite enough. I really like this pattern and will probably use it again.

Sweet!

2009-11-17T09:55:00.003-05:00

This is my new autumn candy dish ... what do you think?
The talented Leilani led a challenge on Fiber Art Traders, and this was completed in 5 easy steps.

If you look closely, it has "inchies" with beads and shells stitched to it. I think it looks terrific and very festive, sitting on the side table, holding goodies.

The problem is ... I can't seem to keep it filled up. So I guess that means my family likes it too!

The End is Near

2009-11-15T08:50:00.002-05:00

Our year-long house front swap on Textile Challenges comes to an end this month. I just completed my last house front for Pam in the UK. Her theme was "In Need of Repair".
Turn down any country road in central North Carolina and you will see bits of the old south ... simple homes, once painted white, with tin roofs and wayward vines still in glorious bloom. These homes have always intrigued me. They are quite modest, but always boast an inviting front porch and I'm sure these homes saw many a summer day with rockers creaking and neighbors stopping by to sit a spell with some sweet tea and biscuits. I am sending a bit of the old south across the pond, to sit a spell with Pam.

Minor Breakthrough

2009-11-10T15:52:00.002-05:00

I have figured out how to use the scanner with this borrowed computer and so now I can finally share some of the things I am working on. I should have a new computer soon, but until then, at least I am not totally cut off from the blogging world!
I am working on a baby quilt for a dear friend of mine. Her baby shower is this Friday ... at MY house ... so you know what I will be doing this week. I promised her a baby quilt, and although I'm sure she'd take an IOU, I'd really like to give it to her on Friday. These are the two 6" blocks that will make up the quilt. I have 14 of them done. Not sure how many I want to make, but I know I need to make more!!!

I tie dyed two pieces of fabric. One is a spiral done in Cayman Island Green, Bright Yellow, and um, I don't remember the third color, but it's an aqua/turquoise type. The other was done by banding portions of the fabric and dyed with orchid, caribbean blue, and aquamarine. I love how the different colors show up in random ways when the fabrics are cut up. I think it's going to make a really nice quilt. She doesn't know the sex of the baby, so hopefully it will work for either a boy or a girl. I think it will.

Today's Agenda

2009-10-23T10:15:00.002-05:00

Painting Painting Painting ... no not me (I wish!). Today is day 5 of the great house painting adventure. They guys have been working hard and squeezing out every ounce of daylight. There were a lot of repairs that needed to be made, so that took care of the first few days. We've been fortunate that the weather has been perfect this week. Rain coming tomorrow, but I think they will finish up today.

My front door is being painted red as I type this - I think the color is called Fireweed. It's a red with some brown in it. I think I'm going to love it! The house already looks so different.

In the meantime, I am dyeing a color run from Musk Melon (Prochem) to Sky Blue (Dharma). I hope to end up with some nice browns in between. I have never been successful at achieving an even color in my dyed fabric - usually I don't want an even color, so that's fine, but in this instance it would be nice. They just started batching, so we'll see what we get later on.

I am also down to the wire for planning my daughter's "eco-friendly" birthday party, which is tomorrow. I need to make the cake, buy snacks, rent a movie, figure out lunch, etc etc, but I don't really want to leave home with my doors hanging wide open, so I'll get out later. We are going to tie dye silk scarves and make some recycled creations. It should be a good time. Hopefully it won't rain too much! there's always the garage...

I hope you are enjoying your Friday, and that life brings you joy!

A Sweet Autumn Treat

2009-10-21T12:12:00.002-05:00

Still no photos - sorry! I am working to build up my bottle cap supply for fall sales, the first of which is in early November. I also learned I have until the end of the month to get those ten little pieces made for the show - so of course, I am procratinating!

We are having some faulty siding replaced on our house this week and soon it will be painted! The new color ... Sherwin Williams Oyster Bay, a soft gray with a blue/green tint. I can't wait! The current color, called Moonlight, is a buttery yellow, so it will look like a new house when it's finished! I'll share photos when I can.

I thought I would leave you with a recipe for a quick autumn treat that is warm and filling and not too bad for the waistline .... enjoy!

Take one apple, core it and cut it into wedges. Put it in a small microwave safe bowl. Top with a small bit of butter (about 1/4 tsp), a sprinkle of brown sugar (about 1/2 tsp), a few raisins and a few chopped walnuts. Microwave 1 minute on high (1.5 minutes if the apple was in the fridge!). Let cool just slightly and enjoy! You could dust it with cinnamon, too, if you want. Mmmmm...

My First Priority: Alzheimers Quilt Sold!

2009-10-15T16:36:00.002-05:00

I can't access my photos right now :o( so I have nothing to show you, BUT I recently donated two small quilts to Ami Simms' Alzheimers Art Quilt Innitiative. It is something I've wanted to do for a while. These quilts went with 1000 others (yeah, 1000) to Houston Texas for the International Quilt Festival. All these little quilts are for sale, with proceeds going to fund Alzheimers research.

Ami is sending out "tweets" as quilts sell, and one of mine sold today! I'm so pleased with this! I thought I had a photo of it on my blog, but I can't find it, so if you want to see it, go HERE and it is way down at the bottom - quilt #4428. The other one, which is still available, is the first one that you see on this blog post HERE. I hope it will sell soon!

It must be something else to see all those quilts together!

Another New Adventure

2009-10-07T12:20:00.003-05:00

I made this little piece today ...
It is 5"x5". I am participating in an art show/sale where the pieces have a maximum size of 6x6. When I signed up, it didn't really register that the pieces are due in the middle of October. Yikes! So here is my first one. I like how it came out. I am debating adding a word, as that was my original intention. I printed some of my photos onto fabric - this one was from our recent trip to the zoo. I decided to solder the edges, since these are required to be "ready for hanging". It is my first time soldering, although I've had all the supplies for quite a while. It wasn't too hard. I'm not that good at it, either, but I'm sure I'll improve with practice.

I had to offset the hanger due to the weight of the beads on the right. I kinda like it that way.

I would enjoy constructive feedback on this piece.

A little problem solving goes a long way

2009-10-06T09:10:00.004-05:00

Phew. The final September obligation is finished ... just a little late. But I am pleased with the results, I learned a lot, and I'm glad I forged ahead. As a firmly left brained analytical person, I have often pondered what draws me to art. Through this project, I think I have realized it is the problem solving ... it's what I do, and it gives me great satisfaction.

I belong to a small group of women who help to manage a larger online group. We have been working on our own little project since February, called "A Dream House". We are making 8x8 pages for each other to put together into a little book. Each page is a "room" though we've used that term loosly. This is my last one to make. It is for the lovely Leilani aka Studio Gypsy. Her dream home was a sculptural and poetic, creative place in the hills of Tuscany. My room for her is actually a threshold ... the "Doorway to inspiration". It is the first piece of interactive fiber art I have made ... thus the need for problem solving.

Of course the "key to creativity" is what opens the "Door to inspiration" and I had fun beading this old key.

Whenever Leilani is feeling a creative block, she can find inspiration here ... by pulling the strings on the left up or down, she can choose a color direction...

By spinning the wheel in the upper right corner, she can set the mood ...

By flipping the tags on the right she can settle the details of her piece ... each tag is has its opposite on the reverse side.

The background is a piece of fabric which I knew I would not use as is, so I painted it in the colors of Tuscany ... reds and orange like the poppies of the fields, lavendar (well, maybe that's French, but I used it anyway) and olive green. I free cut some petals from the fabric before adding the olive green details and made these flowers, which I am rather fond of. I hope that Leilani is dreaming of the Tuscan sunshine and finds inspiration wherever she looks.

One Down

2009-09-28T05:26:00.002-05:00

I finished one of my September commitments. Did you ever read "Catch 22"? I read about half of it ... never could finish ... but I remember one character. His name was Major Major and he became a Major ... so he was Major Major Major and he could never tell if his subordinates were being respectful in addressing him, or were calling him by his first name.

So this month for the house front swap on Textile Challenges, I had to do a Greenhouse. I decided to make it a "Green" Greenhouse by using as much recycled material as I could. I even considered (and started out) making it mostly green (in color) so that it would be a Green Green Greenhouse, but as you can see, the monochromatic thing didn't really happen!

Below is a peek in the door ... cut from a coffee cuff from Panera Bread. You can see the green background, which is a piece from a wallpaper sample. The flowers are old embroidery samples that belonged to my grandmother. The nameplate on the door is from a paint chip, and even the wire is from a string of bamboo beads that I took apart.

The roof in an aluminum can which I ran through a crimper. The vent/fan is from a floppy disk. The brass "blades" actually spin. The venting solar windows were made from the thin plastic that housed some fancy dog biscuits. I recently learned that No 6 plastic is actually shrink plastic! It shrinks A LOT but what a great discovery! I just used a heat gun to do the shrinking. So check those cookie trays before you toss them!

Oh - and eat more cookies!

A Zoo of Inspiration

2009-09-25T06:19:00.006-05:00

September has been a busy month, not least of all because my kids have been out of school for three weeks. We've managed to have some fun ~ mostly of the non-fiber art variety. Last week we took a day trip to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, which is about an hour and a half west of us. The day dawned gloomy with a promise of rain, but we went anyway. The rain held of, except when we were eating lunch (inside), the crowds were extremely light, and the animals were all reveling in the cool moist air. It was a perfect day at the zoo!

I always manage to take tons of photos - of the plants and the animals - and always find inspiration. I thought I'd share some of my favorite photos with you.

The Zoo is huge, and divided into two "continents" - Africa and North America. The original plan was to have all 7 continents represented, but it has since been scaled back. Above is a banana palm and some baby bananas. I love palm trees. Can't get enough of 'em.
We had the incredible good luck to visit on the day a new baby baboon was born. He (or she!) was born in the morning before the zoo opened. Here are mama and baby, and the proud papa. It was quite amazing.
There was also a little one month old baby baboon. Her main goal was to escape mom's clutches and go exploring. Good thing for mom she has that tail to hang onto! Are you sensing the animal world is not too far off from our own???
Near the baboons were these gorgeous flowers, many of which had gone to seed. The seed pods were just as beautiful as the blooms.
This guy preferred the blooms ... and happened to land right where I had my camera focused!
Purples do not usually show up well with my camera, so I was very pleased with this photo.
They have built a platform that extends into the giraffe enclosure. You can walk right up to the fence, hold a branch with leaves and the giraffes will come up and strip the leaves and eat them ... eating right out of your hand! The platform just opened earlier this month and it is a terrific addition to the zoo. I can imagine it would be awful on a hot, crowded day!
And how can this NOT be inspiring! Just absolutely gorgeous. This is the same giraffe as above. She is about a year and a half old and one of the smaller ones at the zoo.
I was pleased to get such a crisp close up of this lantana bush. I was reminded how much I love this plant ... so much so that I bought one to plant in our yard. You gotta love a plant that blooms in yellow, orange AND pink, and all at the same time!
This bloom was about 1/2" wide. It looked like a tiny hibiscus flower about to unfurl.

We loved watching the otters play. This one found an acorn and was having a ball with it. He would drop it and then chase after it while it sank.

Bonus animal! This guy was hanging out near the Elk enclosure. We have lots of lizards in NC, but I haven't seen one like this before.
My son wanted me to take a photo of this sign. He found it quite amusing!
The prickly pears were fully fruited. How nice it would have been to pick a few to enjoy with our lunch!
And even at the end of the day, the animals were enjoying themselves. I think they enjoy posing for photos! This was just before quitting time (5:00) so this guy was about ready to punch the clock and call it a day.

I hope you enjoyed my little diversion. Back to the studio!!!

The results are in ...

2009-09-15T15:30:00.002-05:00

Here are the pieces I dyed yesterday ... I'd like to try them again using different colors. The fuschia is a bit overpowering and I always get speckles...

This is the piece that was wrapped up. It's a one yard piece of fabric, so that's one big heart! I think it kinda looks like it has a smiley face in the heart. Not sure if I will use this for the quilt or not.

These are the stripes I had hanging on a clothesline. Kinda cool. Looks like a rainbow zebra. I think I'll enjoy cutting this piece up.

And this is the tone-on-tone that was in my sink. Kinda fun. I wish there were more blues yellows and greens over on the right, but the fuschia decided to set up shop on that side. I think it's kinda crazy with all those wild white flowers popping through. Sort of like a garden in reverse.

Just a Little Time Today

2009-09-14T12:53:00.002-05:00

September has proven to be a busy month. The first two weeks were spent clearing out and organizing my studio. It doubles as a guest room, and this week we have guests. They have taken the kids to a movie, so I set up some dyeing that has been long overdue. The weather is gorgeous - mid 80s with tolerable humidity and blue skies. Lovely late summer weather. Perfect for dyeing!

This is batching in my sink ... I'll have to rinse it soon, as I don't want to leave it for when they return. It's a tone-on-tone and hopefully the background will retain a decent amount of color and make an interesting piece with the flower resist.

This is a one yard piece which will hopefully be the basis for a baby quilt ... if it turns out well!

And this is a piece on which I drizzled the dye while it hung on the clothesline. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. Right now it is just dripping a line of dye on my mulch.

I used Fuschia Red, Cayman Island Green, and Bright Yellow for all three pieces. I thought I had Turquoise, which is what I wanted to use, but I guess I don't have any more. The CIG will hopefully be a decent substitute.

Stop by again soon to see how they turn out!

Forty-tude

2009-09-05T04:42:00.003-05:00

My friend Tracy had a birthday yesterday. Well, I won't be the one to tell you how old she is, but I made her this little book and I wanted to share it with you! Tracy was having a bit of trouble accepting her new age status, so I decided she might as well head into the new decade with a bit of attitude! I followed the directions for this nifty little tutorial to make a one-page book. Instead of paper, I used interfacing as my base.

I made some soda can charms and beaded dangles for the spine. I loved that part!

Tracy's hubby threw her a big birthday bash at a local brewery, so I stitched a little vinyl pocket to each page for her to insert photos of the big event. Hopefully they remembered to take lots of pictures!!!

Each page has some little impertinent saying on it, as well as little bits of this and that which I pulled from my scrap bag. This page has painted paper bag pieces on it.

The trick was to decorate the pages in the right orientation and in the right order before folding and stitching the book. I made a paper sample book and labelled everything. Even then, it took a bit to make sure I folded it exactly the same way. If you are directionally challenged, just go slowly! It was a fun gift to make, for a great cyber-friend who really has nothing to be worried about in the age department! Happy Birthday, Tracy!

The Rhythm of the Samba (and some new earrings)

2009-08-26T18:14:00.003-05:00

This month I got to create an 8x8 "room" for my good friend Gabriela (follow the link to her blog ~ rumor has it she's having a giveaway!). Her theme for her dream home was her family home in Brasil. So naturally, having never been to Brasil, when I think of that country, I think of Carnaval ... and that means SAMBA! So here is Gabriela's dance hall...

I love the passion and the joy of the Latin culture and tried to capture that feeling in this piece. The walls were actually cut from a piece of fabric that Gabriela gave me. The floor was a black and white piece, which I painted with thinned textile paints to reflect the colors of the walls and give the illusion of all those colored lights radiating around the room. I've wanted to try a silhouette for a while now, and finally I have. I don't expect it will be the last time.

These are some soda can earrings that I made today. I've been wanting to come up with some ways to use the cool graphics on the cans. I hope to explore this medium further, so stay tuned!

This is a closeup of the "Fresca" pair, which have already been claimed by my daughter. I think if a pre-teen snaps up a piece of your jewelry, that is a very good sign!

I want to take a minute to thank those of you who follow my blog, those who leave comments, and those who don't. Know that I appreciate you being here and sharing my art with me.

~Michelle

Fish Bones and Tentacles

2009-08-24T07:13:00.003-05:00

I couldn't resist participating in a pennant trade of Fiber Art Traders. Well, I might have been able to resist, except the theme was "seaside" and well, I couldn't resist. We could make up to two sets of three pennants or "buntings" as they are called by Heather, our Scottish trade hostess. So here are my pieces, and I actually made an extra of each one to keep, so I can add them to the swag once I trade these out. The fish have a glass bead eye and the jellyfish are made from sheers. The "body" is a really cool green sheer with attached crystal-like bits on it. I sewed a circle, gathered up the edges, stuffed it with some blue organza, and stitched the edges together. I was pleased with the results. I think they really look like jellyfish!

I'll be sure to share the finished piece!

Check! and Check!

2009-08-16T12:13:00.003-05:00

I crossed two things off my list and managed to do it while only adding one thing on! The ATCs are done... My favorite part is where there is open space to see through. Especially the cheesecloth. Here's a closeup of the texture...

And I finished the t-shirt quilt. That's a HUGE load off my mind! There are over 30 shirts in this quilt. It's backed with flannel and free motion stitched in a big loop pattern. It came out good, I think. I hope she likes it.

Now I just need to make two pillowcases from the leftover flannel. That won't take long. Then I can get on to the other things I need to finish this month! It does feel good to cross a few things off the list. ~Michelle

The "Mess" Progresses...

2009-08-14T05:21:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd share the progress of the mess of strings and fiber from my previous post. I am doing this purely to explore technique and see what happens. It is going to end up as ATCs. Nothing terribly exciting, just a good learning experience. So...the step you saw in my last post was a smattering of selveges and threads and the skinny little pieces of fabric you get when you square a piece up. I layed them down on top of some cheesecloth and sandwhiched it all between Sulky Solvy (water-soluable film) and machine quilted (free motion) the whole thing as much as I could stand it. I used up odd color bobbins and ends of old thread spools. Used up quite a bit, which was nice. Then I rinsed the solvy out and let it dry, and pressed it flat - that is the piece you already saw. Above is the same piece with a coat of gesso.

Once the gesso dried, I used some leftover emulsion house paint (a small sample that I've had for a while) and coated the whole thing as best I could. That's the reddish color. While I like the color, it was very thick and dried rather plastic-y so I think I would opt for textile paint next time. Still, it was good to start using up some stuff! After that dried I added a wash of a gold Golden Acrylic (will have to get the color name and edit the post later...). Then a very watered down wash of gesso to tone it all down a bit, and finally I dabbed some watered down Lumiere (Halo Blue Gold) around the piece. I loved this effect. The blue tended to wander into the crevices and the gold tended to stay on top, but it still blended. I was going for a rusty effect. Not sure I exactly accomplished that, but it's still interesting.

I was surprised that the most interesting parts were the areas that were thin, with just the cheesecloth and maybe a yarn or two exposed, so that you could see through it. I may do this again with the goal of achieving that effect.

It's been a fun process and a good opportunity to use up some stuff that would normally go in the trash. I'll post the ATCs when they're done.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blissful Avoidance

2009-08-10T21:16:00.002-05:00

Well, the t-shirt quilt is coming along. The top is together, I just have to piece the back and quilt it. I know it's going to be a heavy monster, so I am trying to avoid it right now. I'm doing a pretty good job, too!

I put this mess together the other day:
So, I have plans for it ... plans that I don't know will work or not, but I'll let you know the outcome!

I've had a bit of a run with paper beads ... made some bracelets. Actually made quite a few but here are three, not tied off yet (well, actually they are, but not in the photo), but I really like how they came out. The turquoise one is my favorite, and I was surprised how much I liked the one that used just black and white text. Now there's something else I need to keep!!!

Since blogger decided to load all my photos in reverse, here are some of the beads I made. They are 1/2", which is a good width for bracelets.

And here are the magazine pages. It's so interesting to see what they look like all rolled up. In general, the more colors across the page, the more interesting the beads are (ads seem to work well), but I do think the sailboat photo turned out nice (upper left in the above photo) and of course I love the turquoise.

Fun times!

Really, Can you blame me?

2009-07-31T07:44:00.003-05:00

Can you blame me for loving the ocean? Last weekend we travelled to the southern edge of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We were there for a baseball tournament, but managed to enjoy plenty of fun times on the beach. The last morning (Sunday) I got up early and took a walk on the beach while the sun rose. It was beautiful!

I thought this would be a good time to also share the photos of the bracelet that was published in the current issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. This is the front (which was in the magazine):

And here is the back. They did not include a photo of the back, but I used a series of beach-themed bottle caps, and I like it just as well as the front:

I can't quite believe it is the end of July. The year is flying by at breakneck speed. I haven't spent too much time in my studio, and I certainly haven't managed to get it cleaned and organized! I have managed to take a walk, every morning, with my dog. I have also finished two books this month: Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz and The Broker by John Grisham. Both were good, though not the best I have read by these authors. I probably liked The Broker the best of the two. My all-time favorite Koontz novel is By the Light of the Moon. Truly an excellent book. You should read it!!!

Knee Deep in Jersey Knit

2009-07-21T20:44:00.003-05:00

I have to turn this pile of t-shirts ... ...into a quilt by the middle of August. This ought to be interesting .....

Friends in Blogland...

2009-07-21T20:28:00.002-05:00

Tracy, Wanda, and Leilani have all given me this "Karma" award during the past week. To say I am flattered is an understatement. I am supposed to post the "directions" (which are below) and pass the award on to other bloggers. Well, I say "right back atcha" ladies, and to all my other friends in blogland ... consider yourself duly awarded... and thank you for being my friends.

Here's the particulars:

The Karma Award: These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kinds of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to some bloggers who may choose more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

A little daydreaming...

2009-07-18T19:37:00.002-05:00

Here's a little piece (it's 4" square) that I made this week. I finally got out my foils and used them. They are really easy to use, I don't know why they make me so nervous! The base of this piece is a paper towel which was used as a pressing cloth to iron crayon wax off a piece I did a few months ago. I painted over it, and I like how the wax resisted the paint. I even did some hand stitching (Clevelandgirlie will be proud of me!). But ... it's hiding a surprise, and I'm not telling what it is for a few more weeks, so you'll just have to wait. ;7) ~Michelle

Shakespeare was a working man...

2009-07-14T17:40:00.003-05:00

I can't find my puffy paint!!!!!!!

(ok, rant over...)

This month I got to create a house front for the lovely Alis over on Textile Challenges. Her theme was "Shakespeare lived here?" So of course, being the creative working sort, where else would he live but the theatre? The Globe Theatre to be precise.

So here is my house front for Alis. A bit of a liberal take on the Globe. The "siding" is pages from one of his plays. There's even a "prithee" in there! The thatch roof is hand dyed raffia, which soaked up the dye in an interesting way. The windows are bits of leftover fabric paper and the shrubs are melted tyvek. I learned that it is not easy to stitch 1/8" strips of peltex with any precision. Still, I think it came out pretty well. I hope Alis will like it!

I am grateful this is a bi-monthly trade. I have until September to come up with the next idea. Now were IS that puffy paint? It's maddening really. Must be time to get organized!

An Emotional Week (but that was the point...)

2009-07-10T19:47:00.002-05:00

The lovely Leilani issued a challenge on Fiber Art Traders to create a series of five 5x5 abstract fiber pieces that reflected five emotions (which she chose). Since I've hit a bit of a dry spell, I thought this would be a good little project to get me back into the studio. Below are the results ... see what you think!

"Joy"

"Sorrow"

"Surprise"

"Fear"

"Love"

Ahhh...summer

2009-07-08T16:22:00.003-05:00

We've spent the last few weeks galavanting around the northeast visiting family and enjoying the slow pace of summertime. Here are a few photos for you ... it's back to the studio tomorrow!
To say that Rosi enjoyed the freedom of a big back yard would be an understatement...

Meet Mocha, the alpaca ambassador at the farm we visited. She followed us everywhere. Alpaca's are fascinating animals and oh so cute!

How's this for a 4th of July scene ... this is Saratoga Lake. We fought the clouds the entire time but managed to squeeze in plenty of fun.

We couldn't manage to get ALL of the cousins together, but I did tie dye shirts for all of them. Here are some of them modeling their shirts... the littlest one didn't want to be in the photo which made it a little difficult to get the picture, but I like how it came out anyway.

And here they are all smiling away ... along with grandma and a big tray of 4th of July cupcakes.

I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start - and if you are down under, hope you are cozying up to a toasty fire and enjoying the gentleness of winter...

It would have been a good blog post...

2009-06-24T05:52:00.005-05:00

I've done something I haven't done in a loooooong time ... finished a fairly large (about full size) quilt. I free motion quilted it, with much denser quilting than I have ever taken the time to do. It's for my daughter's bed, and she loves it, although she keeps the bright orange and aqua batik I used on the back as the "up" side. lol. I need to take a picture of it on her bed - it looks great in her aqua and lime bedroom!

As I was quilting (and quilting and quilting), Robert Frost kept popping into my head. "Miles to go before I sleep" ... and then I thought, yeah, more like miles to go before SHE sleeps (with this quilt!). Of course this all transpired over the last few weeks when my computer was down in the dumps again and I did not have the capability of posting photos. So I took the above photo, thinking I had my next blog post lined up, and as it turned out, the quilt was completed before the computer was fixed!

So this is the finished quilt. The pattern is called "Yellow Brick Road" and I actually pieced the top a few years ago. The pattern is crib size but I enlarged it. I quilted blue free motion flowers over the entire top and then went back in and stippled around them in orange. I was inspired by the book Quilting in the Limelight by Philippa Naylor, which was given to me by my good cyber-friend Joanna. I have a long way to go before my quilting is as inspired as Philippa's, but I'm just glad that I actually completed the quilt before my daughter's tastes changed! Hopefully she will love it for a long time.

~Michelle

I'm IN!

2009-06-19T06:54:00.002-05:00

I received a box from Quilting Arts the other day. In it was the bracelet I submitted to the Cloth Paper Scissors "Life's A Beach" reader's challenge. Also in the box was a comp issue of the July/August issue of CPS, with my bracelet on page 78!!! It was so exciting to see it there on the pages of a magazine.

I'm not going to show the bracelet just yet ... when the magazine hits newsstands, I hope you'll check it out! But here's a photo of the box I altered to send it to the magazine. I figured I will hold onto this piece and it needed to have a happy home.

I am really thrilled to be published, and hoping this experience will give me more confidence to put my work "out there".

Sometimes, Something's got to give

2009-06-08T06:57:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, that something has been time in blogland. Jenny (DD age 11) finished 5th grade last week. She is on a year-round calendar so she finished a week earlier than her brother, who will finish Wednesday (he and I both wish he was already done!). Here, elementary school is K-5 so finishing 5th grade is a big deal. There were many "fun days" and celebrations. I created a bound memory book (nothing artsy, more like a yearbook) for the 5th graders, which took up quite a bit of my time. Pablo, our Guatemalan student, finished exams last Wednesday, and we put him on a plan early Saturday morning. He gets to spend the summer with his family and will return mid-August for his sophomore year. I think his family gets the short end of the deal with this, as they only get to see him for a couple of months a year. What a sacrifice for them to make so that he can have a better life.

Rosi and I have been out for some good walks *almost* every day for the past few weeks. I really enjoy it, and I think she does, too. I try to go every day, but when you get a 6 am phone call that DH and DS have been in a car accident, some things just don't happen. That was last Friday, and I thank God that they are ok because it could have been really bad. Joseph (DS) banged his elbow a little, but he played 4 baseball games yesterday and was able to pitch well in the last game, so I think he's ok, maybe just a little bruised.

Here are some things I finished up recently. Unfortunately I haven't been able to accomplish much art beyond my obligations. Soon Soon Soon...

This is a "meditation room" (8x8) that I did for a "Dream House" swap. The person it is for said she wanted a place of peace and solitude. The Shoji screen is crinkled silk and has a pretty sheen to it that you can see in the photo. The paper lanterns were made from tags colored with alcohol inks. The floor mat is stuffed, and I wish I hadn't used a fabric with rectangles on it because it sort of ruins the point of perspective. Oh well! I hope she will like it.

This is the "Victorian House" I made for the Textile Challenges year-long exchange. I didn't want to do traditional gingerbread moulding, bay windows and all that stuff, and someone already did tea dyed lace and roses, so I tried to think - what's Victorian? Of course the clothing came to mind and that led me to the corset. After a few failed attemps, I finally put a plan into action that I was quite pleased with. The contour lines on the corset are wire stitched into the bodice...might as well go for accuracy! The photo below is the back ... a photo transfer of Queen Victoria (ink jet and heat and bond lite) and a famous quote of hers ... which I imagine was probably exclaimed on a day that the corset was tightened a notch...

I have another room to make in June, and hope to start on it shortly. I signed up for a beading class on Quilt University and it has just started. I am gearing up to do some painting ... of the wall variety ... and will share my progress with you.

My friend's three young kids are coming over in about an hour and staying for the morning while she goes to work. Rosi and I are off on our walk as soon as I close here. I want to thank those of you who still pop in to see what I'm posting, even though you are seldom rewarded these days. I really appreciate all of you very much! I'm hoping to spend some time in blogland today catching up with all of you.

xo ~ Michelle

Glorious Fabric and One Funky Tree

2009-05-14T17:18:00.002-05:00

I have some new fabric. Well, it started out dyed orange and black, except the dyes were old and spent. I knew this when I dyed it, but I thought I'd see how it turned out anyway. It was not attractive in the least. So when the little fabric round robin group (that formed due to a trade on Surface Design, and stayed together through 3 rounds of complex cloth, and counting!) decided to continue with another round, I grabbed that pale peach and gray fabric and overdyed it with blue and gold. Here's what I sent along...And here is the glorious fabric I got in return! Isn't it fabulous? I need a new handbag, so I think that's where this piece is headed. The circles are huge, and the bubble wrap stamping is so cool. I can't remember everything they did to this piece, but I never thought I'd love it as much as I do. You can still see bits of the peach peeking through, which actually lends a really nice effect. Go figure! So thank you, ladies, for my beautiful fabric!

And about that Funky Tree ... you may recall a few months ago I shared a photo of a fiber leaf that I was sending to the International Fiber Collaborative for The Interdependence Tree Project. Well, you HAVE TO go check out the tree. It is amazing! Be sure to click on the photo to see a larger version. You will be blown away. In August it will be on permanent display at the Earlyworks Children's Museum in Huntsville, Alabama.

I received some beautiful art in the mail this week and I hope to get it photographed to share with you next week. Thanks for stopping by!

puzzled

2009-05-11T12:36:00.002-05:00

Just a quick little photo today ...

I'm doing a swap later this year with a small group that I belong to. We are making pieces for an advent calendar ... I have day 12. I decided that I needed to take a little break from my other commitments and work on something different, so I made my pieces. I used puzzle pieces from and old puzzle. I coated them with black gesso, then added a pink and gold tissue paper to the top. On that, I added some pale green crackle paint. I painted the edges bronze. I'm pleased with how they turned out, and that's one more thing off my list!

This project has got me thinking about making advent calendars for my neices and nephews for Christmas, using recycled and repurposed items. If I manage to actually do it, I'll be sure to post a picture. I think it would be fun!

I'm thrilled that my collage sold during Collage Mania. The event raised over $18,000 for the ACS. I believe the grand total for the last few years since Virginia Spiegel began Fiber Art for a Cause is near $200,000. Isn't that amazing? My collage will be on its way to Tennessee soon!

Collage Mania Happening NOW

2009-05-05T15:10:00.003-05:00

You have less than 3 days to acquire a beautiful piece of original art for a great price and all to benefit the American Cancer Society! Collage Mania is going on but only until Thursday at 5 pm CST. Please head over to the Collage Mania Website and take a look at all the beautiful pieces that are available. My piece is on page 31!

See you there!

Old News

2009-05-01T07:51:00.003-05:00

Or at least that's what I used as a base for these ATCs I made yesterday ... They are for a swap on the Fiber Art Traders group called "Recycle Spring". I am keeping the one on the lower right with the red flowers and trading the other three.

The requirement for the swap was to use recycled materials and not buy anything new. Works for me! I decided to try something a little different and I'm pleased with the results. I hope to work this into a larger piece sometime. I took an old newspaper (a few days old ... truly headed for the recycle bin) and tore some of the articles into small bits. I collaged them onto my Peltex base and painted them. Once they were dry I stitched them by using up all the bobbins of colorful thread that were left over from projects gone by.

The moose in the upper right is from the top of the wrapping of a wine bottle. The three red flowers (lower right) and one larger flower (lower left) were punched from a soda can ... scraps from another project. The large flower was colored with alcohol inks.

Around the edges I couched some yarns from a rope toy that Rosi destroyed in about a day. On the back (which you can't see) are scraps from an old map. And finally, because I could not resist, each piece has a recycled spring on it - some were painted and others were colored with alcohol inks. I could not help but to truly "recycle spring".

Collage Mania and a taste of Spring

2009-04-29T18:58:00.003-05:00

The collage preview is now online for Fiber Art For a Cause Collage Mania. There are 39 pages filled with 383 pieces of gorgeous art that will be for sale May 5-7. This is an awesome opportunity to acquire a piece of original art for a reasonable price, and even better, the money is paid as a donation to the American Cancer Society! Virginia Spiegel has raised over $170K for the ACS through FFAC. My collage is on page 31.

These photos are from a couple weeks ago. I have been really busy lately and needed to take a break from blogging. Hopefully I will be back in the swing soon. For now, enjoy these photos of April in North Carolina, all of which were taken at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

Wisteria. This stuff is gorgeous when in bloom and smells divine, but the vines are so strong they will pull down all but the sturdiest structures!

This tulip was begging to be photographed. Isn't it beautiful?

Lilacs! OK, I grew up with lilacs in Western NY, but they need the cold winters to set there blooms. Lately I have heard rumors of a new variety that can bloom in our warmer climate...could it be true? Oh I hope so. This bush was gorgeous and it has been YEARS since I've had the opportunity to enjoy lilacs.

There was this little patch of purple Anemones hiding under a tree. They were so sweet and impossibly purple. No matter what I tried, they photographed blue, but the looked like they'd been doused in grape KoolAde. Something else for my garden!

And fianlly, bamboo, better in that garden than mine! Some of the stalks had been cut down and were sending out squiggly new green shoots. Very cool.

I hope you are enjoying the season, wherever you live, and whatever it may be!

Life's A Beach!

2009-04-13T06:30:00.003-05:00

I told you it was madness! I have been feverishly working on bottlecap jewelry for the Cary SpringDaze festival coming up on April 25th. If you are local, please come and stop by and say hi!

I also have some GREAT news! I entered the "Life's a Beach" challenge offered by Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, and my piece was selected! It is in their hands and I am hoping it will make its way into the July/August issue of the magazine. I will let you know!

In the meantime, I made another page for the book page swap that I am doing with a private group. The theme is "dream home" and this page is for Lori, whose dream home is at the beach. My room for her is the Lanai, or back porch ... with a view, of course!

The sea shell wind chimes sway in the breeze, the coconuts are buttons made from coconut shell, the flowers are punched from a tin can, and the sea foam is made from a cellophane gift bag.

On the back, I included some items necessary for life at the beach... most importantly, margaritas with salted rims!

This month I am making a page for Heather in Scotland. I have my idea and hope to begin work on it by week's end. I'll be sure to share the results! Just think, I might actually post twice this month. Gasp!

Madness

2009-03-24T08:49:00.002-05:00

No, I'm not talking about the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament...though I am doing quite well with my brackets. I would be doing better if Florida State hadn't lost in the first round.

March has turned into a bit of a crazy month. First it snowed, then I was sick for about a week, and in all of this I have been working madly making bottlecap jewelry for a sale at the end of April. I feel like I have so much to do!! Oh, did I mention my daughter has been off school for three weeks due to the "year-round" schedule she is on? She goes back next week and we have done a boatload of cleaning out in her room (it's looking great!). I did manage to accomplish one creative thing, and another is in the works which I hope to finish this week. Above is the house I made for Gabriela for the bi-monthly house swap on Textile Challenges. This is the same swap that is scoring me the gorgeous tropical beach cabanas. I am so grateful that it is bi-monthly!! Gabriela's theme was "homes around the world" and of course I could not pass up the opportunity to represent Guatemala!

If you google "Antigua Guatemala house" (or "street") you will see images from the colonial capital that inspired me. Antigua's streets are cobblestone, bordered by narrow sidewalks and connected house fronts. The walls are generally stucco and brightly painted. I used clear caulk on blue fabric to represent the stucco and then lightly rubbed a darker blue to give some detail to the roughness of the paint. The homes generally have a large wooden door, which I represented by some hand painted and stamped handmade paper. The window (often just one) is often shuddered and protected by iron bars ... as much to protect from road debris as from rifraf.

The roof is spanish tile - which I represented with a gorgeous coppery fabric. I fused the fabric to paper and ran it through a crimper to get the grooves, then brushed copper paint on top to accentuate the raised areas. It's hard to see in the photo. Some of the houses are topped with a cupola, but never a pointy roof. The only hint to the gorgeous courtyard that awaits those invited in is the cascade of flowers spilling over the roof. These were punched from an aluminum can.

I really had a lot of fun representing the homes of Antigua Guatemala in fabric. I think my challenge for May is "Victorian". I'm glad I have a while to think about it!!

Treasures in the Mail

2009-03-09T12:31:00.002-05:00

I've received some really lovely things in the mail lately, and I wanted to share them with you. First off, my friend Tracy sent me this unbelievably gorgeous journal. We are in a dyeing group together and on this group they play Bingo (sounds strange but it's lots of fun). The winner receives a "small" gift from the hostess and then gets to host the next round. Well, Tracy was the host and I won! She sent me this wonderful journal. No small gift! The pictures don't do it justice. It is hand dyed bamboo fabric and eyelash yarn. The yarn looks royal blue in these photos, but it is more turquoise. It is stunning.

Tracy has an Etsy shop called Squiggle Chick Designs. She has some amazing things for sale, including some to-dye-for journals ... so check it out!

I also received my second tropical beach cabana for the swap om Textile Challenges. This one is from Marie Nutt (I'm not aware of a blog). Isn't it wonderful? She made a hammock from a piece of vegetable netting. I just love it. It reminds me of Key West.

And finally a while back I joined a black and white charm swap with Amber Dawn.

I made bottlecap charms (mine is in the middle with the dove) and here are the charms I received back. They are wonderful and I can't wait to put them on a bracelet.

I feel so lucky to be connected to so many talented artists and to share in the treasures they make. Hopefully those who receive my work feel the same way.

In like a Lion

2009-03-06T08:14:00.002-05:00

Well, the first week of March sure has been an eventful one! We went from 70s to snow in three days (and back to 70s today). Kids were off school on Monday, then home sick on Wednesday, busy busy busy and not getting much done. Next week doesn't look much better, but hopefully the weather will cooperate and no one will get sick!

I made an ATC a few weeks ago for a challenge ... there was no guidance, just make an ATC. This is what I came up with.

I had a small piece of coppery background left over from an old project, so I started with that. Then I couched a fancy yarn onto the background in vertical rows, using copper thread. I was surprised at the effect of this technique - and I really like it! I will use it a lot, I think. It has a very interesting feel. I had a leftover inchie, a metal word and a small piece of copper mesh to add the details. I was really happy with how it turned out, and I get to keep it!

I then used the same technique to make this leaf. It is going to be a part of the International Fiber Collaborative (click on The Leaf Project). I need to mail it TODAY because it is due by the 15th. Nothing like the last minute!

I've received some really awesome treasures recently that I want to share with you. Check back soon and hopefully I will have the photos loaded.

Whadda Ya Know?

2009-02-28T07:27:00.003-05:00

Not much! You? (ok, that was a joke ... fans of National Public Radio might get it...) anyway - Whadda ya know, I finished a UFO (unfinished object aka old project) ... took me long enough.
I traded 1.5" alphabet tiles with the Art Techniques group, waaaay back in late 2007. I have had these tiles in a little box thinking they were all cool and not having a clue what I would do with them. I finally made a decision and here is the result. The mat was a store-bought black mat when I started and I glued and painted and worked it to death until I finally felt it suited the piece. I think the hardest part was deciding which word to put in the center. Even with my choice, I wish the W were a bit larger. I guess I could change it, but that really isn't the point of a collaberative art piece. Click on the photo to see it close up. The tiles are all unique and pretty amazing.

Unfortunately, this is just for fun...

2009-02-26T08:29:00.002-05:00

I saw this on Kate's blog and thought I would do it, too. To play, do an internet search with the string: "unfortunately, your first name" and see what comes up. Here are some of the more amusing ones...

Unfortunately, Michelle was made redundant in July 2007

Unfortunately, Michelle has a habit of going much too far

Unfortunately, Michelle's prediction proved quite prophetic when disaster struck during the party

Unfortunately, Michelle is not mass murderer

Unfortunately, Michelle had now begun to associate with known-gang members

Unfortunately, Michelle is not one of them. Deal with it.

Unfortunately Michelle never got her due

Unfortunately, Michelle has to deal with stuck up Tracy (sorry, T!)

Unfortunately, Michelle thought she didn't need any help

Unfortunately, Michelle is getting a bit fussy, and starting to whimper

and on that note...

Thinking outside the Crayon Box

2009-02-24T08:42:00.002-05:00

I can't remember who gave me this idea ... it was probably someone from the Art Techniques yahoo group. Anyone who has kids probably has gobs and gobs of used crayons languishing somewhere (an old lunchbox in my case). I have melted crayons onto fabric and paper before, and I have done the proverbial crayons between waxed paper art project with kids. But this is the first time I have transformed something like this:

On the left is a piece of handmade (not by me) paper in various shades of gray. On the right is the same paper, after I went at it with crayons. Below is the entire colored piece, which I have used as the back of another project I am working on.

I wrote the poem on the paper first, in permanent ink. Then I used a Clover mini iron (it is handheld with a small triangular plate) to apply the crayon. I melted the wax onto the iron, then swiped it across the paper. I continued until the background was covered, then I went back in with a pink crayon and used the triangular shape of the iron to create petals for the flowers. After I was finished, I sandwiched the paper between paper towels (I think plain paper would actually work better for this) and then put all that between parchement and used my regular iron to heat the piece. The towels absorbed the wax (most of it) and left the pigment behind.

This is a piece of fabric (plain old cheapy muslin) that I treated the same way. When I finished appying the crayons, I added a thin wash of textile paint to the back side to fill in the remaining white areas. It was more difficult to remove the wax from the fabric, but boiling it with a little detergent seemed to help. It still has a little stiffness to it, but with a little effort I'm sure I could get all the wax out. If you have ever tried batik, you know what I mean. Lots of potential in this technique!

The Shape of Lightening

2009-02-20T12:02:00.002-05:00

Those of you who have read my blog for a while might remember the tree that was struck by lightening right in front of my house late last summer. I speculated whether the old oak would live - sadly, it did not - and it came down last week. Once it was felled it was quite clear that it took the full force of the lightening bolt and really had no chance of surviving.

That black gash in the center of the tree is the path the lightening took - it blasted its way straight through the trunk and down into the ground. The black is charred wood and the inside of the chamber is filled with ashed and cinder.

Here is the stump - you can see where it went all the way through. The tree was very close to our house - maybe 15 feet away - and clearly spared our house from being struck. I'm only sorry that it had to give its life to do so.

Here is a closeup of the hole - I think it sort of looks like a bat - it is the shape of lightening.

And the Winner Is ...

2009-02-16T20:43:00.002-05:00

KIWICAROLE !!!!!

Congratulations!!! Send me your address and I will have a package off to New Zealand (down under Down Under?) this week. Thanks for being a great Cyber-Friend! And many thanks to everyone who left me comments. I hope those of you who were new to my blog enjoyed your visit and will stop by again. To those of you who commented that you wanted more information on a technique ... my contact is over on the left side of my blog, and I look forward to hearing from you. ~Michelle

Happy Valentine's Day (a little early)

2009-02-13T18:43:00.002-05:00

"Kiss Me"

These are the Valentines ATCs that I made for a trade. They are my first done on a paper base in a Mixed Media/Collage style and it was a tremendous challenge for me. I had several failed attempts before coming up with a layout that I liked.

Well, now you know where the lips ended up! I made a little pocket (from a paper punch) out of an old map and hid the lips tag in there. The ATCs are entitled "Kiss Me" ... appropriately enough ... and the kiss in there for the taking. Hope you like them! And have a Happy Valentine's Day. At my insistance, we are foregoing the (rather pricey) cards and chocolate and instead will enjoy some wine and a movie at home. Nice.

TUTORIAL - Embossed Paint Chips and a GIVEAWAY

2009-02-11T06:33:00.006-05:00

This is my 200th post, which seems quite unbelievable. I really appreciate all the support I get through your comments here and all the new friends I have made though blogging. Thank you. Here is the tutorial for the smootchy kisses (prior post), the pieces that are in my current blog header and the bookmark and tags below ... hope you will give it a try! Be sure to read to the end to find out about the giveaway! And as far as those smootchy kisses go, it's a rubber stamp (which I bought at Michaels) so whatever image you want to portray, that's where you've gotta start!

Well, if you're like me, your need for color extends beyond your art. My walls are not white!! I have a box full of old paint samples that I've picked up along the way. That one on the very top? They don't even make that brand anymore!!! Well, dig 'em out and put 'em to use in your art. If you are making tags or need a unique shape, be sure to cut the shape before you start. If you are just going to trim away excess, you can do this later in the process.

The first thing you need to do is find a rubber stamp that you like, and stamp the image with a colorless embossing ink (I use Versamark, there are other brands). Then sprinkle CLEAR embossing powder on top. It is important that it is clear ... the colors that you see showing through in the finished pieces are the original colors of the paint sample. You can even see the white lines (which I happen to like). Heat the clear embossing powder to melt it and let it cool.

Now take Gesso and paint over the whole sample. Note: some samples are extremely glossy and the gesso does not like to stick. If this is the case for you, you can lightly sand the paint sample first, but you might lose some of the color. I just chose not to use those samples. Let the Gesso dry.

Now that the Gesso is dry, take a soft cloth (paper towel, Handiwipe, cotton cloth, etc) and **very lightly** dampen a part of it. Gently rub over the embossed section to remove the Gesso from the embossing powder. You don't want to remove the Gesso from the background, but you will probably remove a little bit. That's ok. If you feel too much has come off, just repaint with Gesso and repeat, a little more gently this time. I go back afterwards and buff with a dry part of the cloth just to get the last traces of Gesso off. Don't obssess, the imperfections of this process are what make it so cool.

Now take some acrylic paint - in a color that contrasts with the color of the paint sample - and paint over the entire piece. You can paint a solid color, or paint more than one color. Whatever you'd like. On the lips, I painted first with a flat gold paint and then went over that with a thin layer of gold metallic. Let this dry completely. Several hours is best.

Using a water proof ink (such as StaZon) or paint (I used silver paint on the black samples), stamp words or some other overall pattern onto the piece. This will give added interest. You can skip this step if you want. I did not use this step for the lips, but I think it adds a lot to the other pieces. If you used paint, let it dry. If you used ink, carry on!

Using your slightly damp cloth again, rub gently over the embossed image to remove the paint and reveal the original sample color. Again, be careful not to rub too hard or you will remove some of the paint from the background (as you can see in the reddish pink piece...) If this happens, just let it be. With a dry cloth, buff the surface to remove any last traces of paint. Again, don't get hung up on perfection.

This is how your pieces should look. Trim them down to the size you desire. I just squared these up.

Using a liquid gloss varnish, coat the piece. The gloss varnish really brings out the details. I used Liquitex brand on my pieces. Let this dry.

If I am making a bookmark or tag, I attach watercolor paper to the back of the piece to make it more sturdy and to cover up the writing and any paint on the back of the sample. If I am just going to incorporate the piece into an artwork, or use it on a handmade greeting card, I skip this step and use it as it. Regardless, the last step for me is to get out my Versamark ink and embossing powder (this time in a color that complements the piece). I "dip" the edges in the ink and then in the EP. I usually do two edges at a time, then melt the EP, let it cool, and go back in to finish the remaining edges. This gives a nice finished look to the piece.

I hope you enjoy this technique. It is my own technique developed as a result of wondering what I could do with all those paint samples that I surely don't need anymore. Please feel free to use it in your art, but please don't publish it without permission. If you make something with it - please send me a link so I can see!

Stay tuned to see how I used those smootchy lips ... and leave me a comment! You will be entered into a drawing. I am not sure what the entire prize will be, but at the very least I will send you some items made with this technique. I will surely throw in a few extras as well. Drawing will be held Monday 2/16. Thanks for visiting my blog and supporting my art through 2 years and 200 posts!!!

Coming Soon...

2009-02-08T13:22:00.002-05:00

Wanna learn how to make big, smootchy, permanent kisses ... well stay tuned! I think the next post is my 200th, and on top of that, February 3rd was the two year anniversary of my blog, so I thought in honor of both milestones I would post a tutorial and have a giveaway. I came up with a new technique and I will share it with you this week, so check back often!!!

ATC Treasures

2009-02-06T17:26:00.002-05:00

I thought you would enjoy seeing the ATCs that I received in the Surface Design swap... Top left is mine. The theme was "Show a Technique".

Top Center: Aynsley McKay - made from melted plastic shopping bags (yeah, seriously cool)

Top Right: Debbi Baker of Australia, made from painted, crinkled tissue paper (it's gorgeous)

Center Left: Marga Korioth's paint on canvas, which came in a beautiful handmade sleeve

Center: Tracy Borders fused cheesecloth to fabric, wove it with plain fabric, and painted it ... the results are stunning

Center Right: Jan Ziebol's silk fusion and felted wool. The teture of her quilting is amazing.

Bottom Left: Mags from Wales (who has a lovely view out her window) made this piece with painted paper towels ... it really is incredible what you can make from such lowly items

Bottom Right: Judy Alexander made amazing painted and stitched landscapes by painting a large piece of fabric, then cutting it up and "finding" the landscape.

They are all just amazing. And now you see why I trade...

Check out my NEW HOUSE!!

2009-02-03T16:34:00.002-05:00

Isn't it wonderful? Don't you just want to be there? It was made by Pam Jones of the UK. I don't know if Pam has a blog ... if I find that she does, I will add a link. It is for the same trade on Textile Challenges that I made the "House of the Rising Sun" for. This is the first of 6 that I will receive. My theme is "tropical beach cabana". Yum. Pam stitched individual strands of raffia for the house, and more raffia for the thatch roof. The vine has little bead-flowers on it. Click on the picture to see the details. It is so perfect, I just love it.

Collage Mania - Fiberart For a Cause

2009-01-29T16:13:00.003-05:00

I am participating in Virginia Speigel's Collage Mania again this year. What a great experience! Her goal is to raise $20K for the American Cancer Society. This is my collage titled "Fleur". I hope to make at least one additional collage. This one was made with handmade and commercial papers, and I tried to choose things with a French flair. If you are an artist, please consider making a collage for Virginia's project! If you are not an artist, please consider a purchase ... you won't regret it. Follow the link above to check it all out!

Spring Cleaning Gone Mad

2009-01-26T08:29:00.002-05:00

OK, didn't think this first pic would loom so large...guess you don't need to click on it to see the details, eh? So this is the latest trick up my sleeve, and no, sadly, I do not have a cleaner house to show for it... I used the soft scrub along with a foam stamp as a discharge agent on a previously dyed piece of fabric. Here's a look at the results:

The dots are from the end of a dowel dipped in the Soft Scrub. The thickness of the SS makes it stay put. I dipped the stamp in the SS (on a plate), but I think using a brayer would allow for an even more distinct image. The bleaching action was pretty immediate and the whole piece was rinsed and soaking in Antichlor (a must to stop the bleaching process) within about 10 minutes time. I thought it was interesting that the green bleached out really fast, but the purple took a bit longer. I love the results.

This is another piece of fabric that I played around with. It is for a round-robin. The dragonflies are not my doing...they are a glue resist done by the originator. I used the same flower stamp as above. Afterwards, I went back in with textile paints and painted the flowers...

I also added some Lumiere Super Sparkle (greatly thinned with water) to the dragonflies. I love how the yellow flowers pop out against the background. Here's a closeup...

So what do you do with YOUR cleaning products??

For the birds...

2009-01-23T08:45:00.005-05:00

I made these ATCs for an exchange on Fiber Art Traders. I have never done much work in assemblage, so they were a challenge to me. I used all recycled/repurposed materials. Someone pointed out to me that they are pink flamingos. Yes, they are, though that was not in my head while I was creating them. Below is the whole flock. Here's what I used. For the body - I punched a flower shape from an aluminum soda can. The tail is a petal from a silk flower. I disassembled a broken necklace and used various parts for the legs and the wings. Other legs are the hang tags for ski lift tickets, and the other wings are can tabs. The heads were the most challenging ... scissor buttons and charms that I had hanging around.

I also got to practice hand buttonhole stitch, something I have wanted to figure out for a while. They are Rare Birds, indeed.

Snow Dyeing: The Results Show

2009-01-22T22:06:00.002-05:00

Here are 5 of the pieces I dyed with snow. I actually did 7 pieces, but for some reason I can only upload five pics per post, so I left out a light green and another piece which I forgot to take a picture of anyway. About that piece...I did that piece like I do my ice dyeing...I put it in the sink, covered it with lots of snow, poured the dyes on top, and let it melt. It looked very similar to my ice dyes, which was good news, since ice is more available than snow!

Yesterday, I dyed some fat quarters, each in a single color, using some of the new dyes I got from Prochem. Here's how they came out...

Above is Watermelon #302. Interesting pattern and nice areas of light and dark, but no separation of colors.

This is Musk Melon #200 - same as above, no separation of colors, but a pretty sherbet-y orange.

This is Golden Pineapple #100. I did get some separation of colors - either that or some of the Musk Melon migrated, and that's not really a big white area in the upper right, it's just a pale spot.

Now we're getting to the good stuff. This is Lapis #4148. Mmmmm, I love this color. It looks like it will be a really nice cool purple, which is hard to come by. The colors separated nicely. I definitely want to try this with ice dyeing.

And this is Blue Violet #810, which I was hoping would be a nice cool purple, but it obviously has a lot of red in it. The colors migrated nicely and this is a very rich piece. Obviously red and blue travel at different speeds, so purples are good colors to use when doing this type of dyeing.

If you want to check out some gorgeous snow-dyed fabrics, visit Karen and Judi - they are the masters!

sNOw WAY!

2009-01-20T17:39:00.002-05:00

It snowed in Dixie! We got close to 6" today. It came down furiously this morning, so we took Rosi for a good long walk. That dog absolutely adores the snow. She was so excited! So was I.

I love living someplace where, when it snows like this, schools and offices are closed and we can all just play and enjoy. It is supposed to be 60 on Friday, so it will soon be a memory. A bonus to today's snowfall was that the kids got to stay home from school and watch the Inauguration of Presidnet Obama. I'm glad they are old enough to remember it.

Here she is ... love the frosty whiskers. Hard to see, but terribly cute. And late in the day, she got to go visit some friends with a big fenced in back yard... look at the fun they were having!

I think she is going to sleep for days. As for me, I scooped up some snow, and I finally get to try snow dyeing. The snow is melting on my fabric right now. I'll post pics, and probably try more tomorrow and the snow should stick around at least that long.

The Dream

2009-01-19T22:06:00.002-05:00

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. The great Civil Rights leader, well known for his "I have a dream" speech given back in 1963. Even though I have heard parts of the speech, and some phrases have even become common, I realized today that I had never actually read, or listened to, the speech in its entirety.

I was fortunate to have the radio on a station that played the speech and it was very moving. If you have never heard it, or read the text, or if it has been a while, please check it out. Here's one link, but there are many, just google it.

Peace.

The finished Quilt

2009-01-18T14:52:00.002-05:00

I forgot to post that I finished this quilt back in December. I just love it. My machine quilting improved noticeably over the time I spent quilting it. I used up leftover solid fabrics for the back and the binding and just about used it all up. That makes me very happy! The quilt is in my family room on the couch and is a nice bright, warm touch.

The quilt is the product of a "row by row" exchange with my local Cyberbee group. I made a row (mine is the 4th from the left, the rows are vertical in this picture, if you can't tell) and set the parameters ... solids only, black background, each block different, each non-black piece within each block a different color, 1/4" border around the block in a different color still. It travelled through the hands of 5 other members who each completed their own row as I worked on rows for their quilts. When it got back to me, I had 6 rows to set as I chose. I just love how it turned out, like a bowl of bright colored candy. I probably should come up with a catchy name - something other that "the solid quilt"...

In order to take photos of anything bigger than a wall hanging, I have to put it on the floor in my entryway, then run up stairs and take the photo from the second floor landing. It was lots of fun to get a photo of the quilt, as you can see, a certain someone though I was straightening it out so she could dive bomb it. She's such a funny girl.

Experiments and Challenges

2009-01-10T08:57:00.003-05:00

I've thought a lot over the last few months about why I join swaps. I decided that as long as I am judicious in my swap selections, that they challenge me to experiement and grow as an artist. I will almost always try something new or work within a theme that I wouldn't have thought to choose on my own.

Probably my biggest commitment for this year is the house front swap on Textile Challenges. I'll make 6 houses over the course of the year - the pattern was provided by list owner Carol T. - in the theme of the recipient's choice. My first one goes to Kate in the UK. Here theme is "The House of the Rising Sun".
I had to do a google search on her theme, because the only knowledge I had of it was the folk song. Well, it turns out that's all there is to it. It's about the sordid life in New Orleans from the perspective of a child of a gambler. So I researched New Orleans architecture and my first "house" is above.

I don't know why I always feel compelled to explain my art. Probably because so much thought goes into it that I want others to know about. So on this piece, I first started with a piece of Ice Dyed fabric which had shades of red, orange, and turquoise. I cut three arch shaped doorways from it and backed them with a piece of nubby green silk. I had to add the playing cards! What a lucky gambler. I added some walnut ink, french words (this IS New Orleans after all) and a rust colored sheer, which I burned away in spots. I kept thinking "smoke and mirrors". Anyway. I tried to suggest spanish tile for the roof and of course an iron balcony. The exterior is adorned with sultry southern flowers. The ones along the bottom are punched from paint chips and the ones along the balcony are punched from an aluminum can that I painted with alcohol inks. I had a lot of fun with this. Now I just need to get the song out of my head!

These are some ATCs that I made for an exchange on Surface Design. The challenge was to show a technique - so I chose UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) on fabric. It was a really good learning experience, and a technique I might use again, although it was not quite as easy to execute as I thought it would be.

I am getting more and more excited about the poppy project - lots of ideas swarming in my brain!!

A Big Blank Wall

2009-01-07T14:54:00.002-05:00

Well, if I'm to believe the dashboard when I log on to my blog, this is my 200th post. However, I'm pretty sure if you add up the number of posts noted over there on the left, it clocks in at around number 188. Strange. But since I would like to host a giveaway, I'll go with 188 and start making plans! My 2 year blogiversary is in February, so I may just have to throw a party.

I'm not sure how a week of the new year has passed already. I haven't even blogged since New Year's Eve! I haven't set a lot of goals or made any resolutions this year. I know what I've gotta do, but we'll see how it goes. I do have one particular goal in mind, however. I have this large (maybe 7-8 feet wide) blank wall next to my kitchen table (above). It has been clammouring for some art work but I've really not been inspired. Until now. So I'm thinking that I want to make a rather large (for me) art quilt to hang here, and my inspiration for the piece is below:

I took this photo in Santa Fe in June. I love these poppies. So the idea is formulating in my mind and as soon as I get some other things out of the way, I want to start working on it. It's a bit daunting, but I just have to believe in myself.

Another kitchen project that has me befuddled. I really want to paint my cabinets. I really hate the color, it is an orangy-mid tone oak. The flat center piece of the door is particle board (as best I can tell). The trim is wood, and the drawers are wood, but that inside panel is el-cheapo builder grade yuck.

Now, I painted these same cabinets in our master bath and they look great! They are a dark chocolate brown. My problem with the kitchen is that I'm just not sure what color I want to paint them! I could paint them white (easy answer) or black (might look cool), or a lighter less-orange honey tone, ivory with a dark glaze, or just about any color under the sun! Eventually I want to replace my countertops (they are white-ish laminate now) and tile the backsplash. I would also like to tile my floor, maybe with terracotta tiles. I love the spanish influence. I do like my walls, which are a pale brownish green. Anybody have any suggestions???

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T13:29:00.002-05:00

I almost forgot to share this bit of art with you. It was for a "12 Days of Christmas" ornament swap, and I had "A partridge in a pear tree". My ornament was not opened until Dec 23rd, by which time we were already in New York. So finally, here it is:

It is made from a laminate sample, using molding paste, a rubber stamp, and paint. The bird is made from shrink plastic. I was pleased with how they turned out. Below are all the pieces I did. There were 14 of us in the swap, but we made it work! All the ornaments were just beautiful. I will have to take photos and share them with you.

So here it is, New Year's Eve and tomorrow we have to begin to remember to write "2009". It hardly seems possible. We usually stay up until midnight, but don't do much to celebrate. We talked about heading to downtown Raleigh for the First Night festivities, but as the weather is supposed to drop to the 20s and the winds are gusting quite strong, and I have a raging head cold that not even the best of meds seem to be able to conquer, we are staying home tonight, and I probably won't stay up.

In Raleigh (The City of Oaks) we have a copper acorn sculpture that is hoisted into the air and "dropped" at midnight. You can see a photo of it at our local news channel's website. It is tradition in the southern United States to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck in the New Year. As I grew up in the north, I haven't bought into that one yet. How do you celebrate where you live?

Home

2008-12-30T18:53:00.003-05:00

First of all, Susan Lenz's Cyber Fyber exhibit is coming up in January. Check out all the Postcards (mine is #155) and ATCs (mine is #36) that will be in the exhibit. Be sure to leave a comment if you like what you see! She is having a Peoples Choice award.

We travelled to New York for Christmas. We had a wonderful time, but it is good to be home. We ordered up some snow and got plenty of it! All of it fell before we arrived - about 18" worth. My kids have certainly seen snow, but not much and not in a very long time, and our Guatemalan exchange student had never seen it. We got some serious winter fun in...The snow was up to Rosi's belly in places, but she had a blast. We would throw the tennis ball, which would of course sink under the snow, and she would use her nose to sniff it out. The hardest part for her was that there was no grass on which to do her business, and it took her a while to accept that she had to use the snow!

Later in the week, after a little rain and warmer temps, the snow was great for packing, so of course we had to build a snowman! That's my neice in the blue.

Earlier in the week, the snow was very powdery and made for an incredible day of sledding. Do you know there was only one other family at the hill we went to, and they were also from North Carolina?! Go figure. In the photo below, Joseph jumped on top of Tom for a ride down the hill, and my nephew Max seized the opportunity and hopped on top just as they started heading down the hill. It was pretty funny.

Tom and I have decided that although the snow is fun, we do not miss wading through slush in parking lots and shiverring every time we go outside. I also do not miss all the muck that gets dragged in on boots all day long. We are happy to live a bit further south and visit the snow on occassion. And if you were wondering if it was cold, well, just look at this guy - he was freezing!

Treasures

2008-12-17T07:06:00.002-05:00

My local quilting group had a secret santa exchange last Saturday. The person who drew my name happens to also share my birthday, so of course I loved absolutely everything! But this took my breath away. June is a quilter (it's a quilting group) and has never ventured into the world of altered arts and mixed media. She did this just for me and it is beautiful and I am so touched. Above is the outside of the altered altoid tin. Beautiful, yes, but when I opened it up...

You see, June has been snooping around my blog, unbeknownst to me. She used photos of my art and inspirational sayings to fill this accordian book that was hidden in the tin. Isn't it just amazing? I will cherish it always. Thank you June!!!

I drew Janice's name. Now, I happen to know that Janice reads my blog (thank you Janice!!) so although I was making some things, I couldn't really share them because it would have ruined the surprise. I did give you a peek of one thing, so here is the big reveal...

This is a laminate sample made into an ornament. I made it non-Christmassy so she could hang it year round if she likes. I used molding paste for the dimension.

This actually didn't go to Janice, but I did something similar for her. The tag is made from a paint sample (you can still see the lines that separate the different shades). I will be doing a lot more of these for a swap in the New Year.

And finally, here is the journal - or actually it holds a notepad - that started out as hat icky brown calico. I think it looks much better now. :o)

I have a few other things to share - I finished the quilt and have received a few other gifts - but it may be a few days before I am able to post again. My husband's grandfather passed away and the family is all staying here. The funeral is tomorrow. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Moving Right Along ...

2008-12-10T09:51:00.003-05:00

I still have a lot to do, but things are moving along. I simply cannot believe Christmas is in just two weeks. Where does the time go?

I finished quilting the quilt in a swirly pattern which came out pretty nice. I am very much a novice at machine quilting, but I can tell from looking at the back that I improved even just over the course of this one quilt. I still have to attach the binding. You can see that I have a helper who likes to come supervise, at least when the sun is shining in that window!
I made an ATC which I'm quite pleased with. It is going to ... well I can't tell you because it's a secret. The background is a cotton upholstery sample. I intended to do just neutrals with no color but I couldn't quite manage it. It seems each time I set out to work without color, somehow color sneaks in. Anyway, I do like how it came out.
This is the finished project from the piece I showed a couple of posts ago. Well, I can't show you the whole thing yet, but I bet you can guess what it is.
My Christmas Camellia is really blooming this year. This is the first year that the plant is covered in blooms. I am so happy when I see this beautiful plant bursting with color in Decmeber. I think I must plant a few more! Today is warm with a misty rain and the drops on the flowers were so pretty this morning.
And finally, what else? This ice-dyed fabric happened yesterday and it astounded me. I used three colors - orchid, chartruese, and sky blue (all from Dharma) and it just came out this absolute riot of colors. I'm still not sure how it happened. I have another piece melting away right now with the exact same dyes, so we'll see if I get similar results.

Have a wonderful day!

The Tutorial - AT LAST!

2008-12-09T21:24:00.000-05:00

At long last, here are the instructions for how I paint up paper lunch sacks to make a really cool background that you can use in collage, or to cover a journal, or to make just about anything. The end result is a very sturdy paper. You can see the samples in my earlier blogpost here.

So first, gather up some paper lunch sacks, or better yet, buy a bottle of wine and save the brown paper sleeve that you carry it home it. Anything much thinner than this will not hold up well through the process. Cut the bag open at the seam, discard the seam and the bottom of the bag.

Now mix up some white glue and warm water until the glue dissolves. I'd say about 4 parts water to 1 part glue, but I'm not sure it's that important. Take your bag and crumple it up into a ball and submerge it in the glue/water. Remove, squeeze, open and crumple again to repeat the proceedure. Twice is fine, do it a third time if you want extra wrinkles AND if your paper is holding up well. Open up the bag and place it on top of a protected surface (I put it on top of a plastic trash bag so it doesn't stick).

Next take acrylic paint (I use craft paint at this stage) and paint your wet paper bag. Paint it however you'd like. You don't need a thick coat of paint, a little goes a long way. Think about the colors you want to end up with.

Once your paper has dried, iron it front and back (between pressing cloths or parchment). This will seal in the wrinkles and make it easy to work with.

Finally, I like to dry brush accent colors on top to highlight the wrinkles. On this piece I started with the yellow (craft paint) and then added silver metallic highlights with Lumiere. If you want to, you can put a glossy acrylic glaze over the whole thing when you're done.

I hope you get a chance to try this. It's a lot of fun!

What I'm Doing with What I've Got

2008-12-06T07:29:00.002-05:00

I've got several projects in the works - nothing new for me given that it is two.something weeks before Christmas. I am working on a few last minute gifts and an ATC for a trade (which I don't have a photo of yet). I have also discovered that I am nearing my 200th post, so I will have to start thinking of a little giveaway to celebrate.

I am planning to post the paper bag tutorial that I promised ages ago, in the next few days, so stay tuned for that. Meanwhile, here are some things I am working on:

I have turned the above, uninspiring brown calico into what you see below ... using molding paste, dynaflow paints and lumiere paints. Messy but fun. No word yet on what this will become, but it's turning into something!

I participated in a project several years ago (need to pull out my journal to find out just how many) with my local quilting group and the quilt top pictured below was the result. Now that I have a nice machine, and have located black batting, and purchased ungodly expensive variegated thread, and pieced a backing from the leftover solid fabrics ... I am finally qulting this piece. My local group meets in one week and my hope is to take it with me and sew the binding on while I'm there. I have another top from the same group that I'd like to quilt as well, just not sure it will be happening this week!

And finally a closeup of my third piece of ice-dyed fabric. This one done in raspberry, orange and yellow. I ordered a few new dye colors and will make more once they arrive. I'm hoping to make some drawstring totes for my nieces for Christmas, so we'll see how that goes.
Well, I am up early for a Saturday. Someone (not me) accidentally set his alarm to go off at 6 am and someone (not him) could not get back to sleep. Ahhh well, I am enjoying the quiet (and a rare second cup of coffee) and Rosi is happy to be out of her crate. Have a wonderful day!!!