Taking the Plunge

I've been working on getting myself motivated to take decent pictures of my Eggplant #1
piece for about a month now. Taking the pictures means having taken a step toward commitment. I'm concerned I wont do it properly, or perfectly, but I need to just step up and do it. What's the big deal about taking some pictures? I'm planning on sending them to a gallery as an entry for a show in early 2008. This would be a first for me.
I've spent a good deal of today cleaning up - both physically and metaphorically. The clothes I've been carrying around in my car, along with some Alex had outgrown (had he even worn them?? They look new), are now in the Salvation Army depot by our house, the basement is vacuumed (now THAT's an achievement), the pictures are now taken, (55, edited down to 6) with thanks to Donna Funnell of my quilt guild for photography hints, and I've been finishing off some, but not all of the many things that need to get finished off.
Out to dinner tonight with a friend I've known since kindergarten and her significant other, who I've also known since public school.
Happy New Year to one and all!

Burning Troubles

Sounds like a good book title - some sort of murder mystery. Unfortunately, it's an issue I'm having when burning organza. I'm getting a dark goo line where I burn. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do?
You can see it around my tulip here. I'm using the Creative Textile tool, but had the same challenge with a regular soldering tool I'd picked up at Canadian Tire. It makes a kind of cool outline, but I don't always want that cool outline.

I'm excited that one of the ladies of the Fibre Art Traders group has taken me up on my Pay It Forward challenge (I'm thinking I've done it wrong, as I KNEW that I was the 8th, and not the 1st, 2nd or 3rd person to reply to the challenge, but I'm still happy to participate - I guess it's more about the giving, isn't it?).
I made progress last night on my soon-to-be-felted knit backpack while out having some wine at a friend's house. I think they thought I was a bit crazy when I told them I'd brought knitting. They're probably right.

Organizing and Playing

IKEA the week after Christmas is a silly idea...but, I now have more nice white boxes and magazine holders, and a few ideas for other storage.
I've been playing with new postcards so I'll have lots of samples for the class at Quilter's Dream.
I like to start with a 12 x 16 inch piece of Fast2Fuse, then fuse down lots of fabric scraps.

Once I've got a good start, I cut the postcards out, then I can add more embellishments to each card so they look different.
I don't worry about bits of white showing through after stitching. Sometimes bits of fabric might not hold, and will flip as I free motion stitch, or there might be a bit of space between scraps. That's where one of my favourite tools comes in:
Anyone who knows me, knows I can't use enough glitz in my work.

Merry Christmas!

Here's the tree that is WAY too filled with ornaments. They have no idea just how encrusted I'd like it to be...Alex forgets I'm an embellisher. The tree's just the start.
I added some vintage ornaments from the Christie Antique Market adventure I had with Christine in the fall. I didn't take a close look at them until I was replacing the wire hangers on them with gold ribbon this month, and found that most are Polish, one is from Czechoslovakia, and one East Germany. Even saying EAST Germany gives me the chills.
This is my big wrapping day, and I have to cook Christmas dinner tonight. I'm panicked about the number of stocking stuffers I have-or don't have, so I'm sure I'll end up going out, despite my better judgement, but when have I paid attention to THAT when it comes to buying gifts?
I've made some marginal attempts to do some straightening in the studio, and will likely make real progress this week, since I've taken the week off work. I've more pictures to take of postcards, as well, so I'll post them later.

Christmas Collage

I did a project from start to finish tonight - it's a Christmas miracle!
I've got a dear friend at work who leaves for a great new job at the beginning of January, so I made a collage tonight in the hope that she'll remember our fun times together. I feel pretty brave making it, as she went to an art university and has a wonderful eye for art, but it's all part of me pushing myself.

I used a prestretched canvas, covered it in mod podge and pressed down a burgundy serviette onto it. I sprayed it with some butterscotch and espresso color washes, then tore some pictures of wine and grapes, along with some altered pages I'd already done, a stamp, part of a bill from a restaurant we used to go to and an Extra Dark Lindor wrapper (we work 6 minutes from a Lindt distribution centre with a store that has wicked discounts!)

To dull it, I mixed some butterscotch wash with some medium brown paint, diluted it with some cold tea in a cup I'd not finished and painted it on. A couple of stamps, another spritz of the espresso color wash, some paper beads I'd made and copper tape along the bottom (onto which I've dabbed the rest of the glass of wine I had while creating, to see if it has a similar effect to vinegar - I doubt it, but it might dull it a tad while it dries), a small tag thanking her for the memories, and it's done. Well, it's wetter than the ocean right now, but it should be nice and dry in the morning.
If I can remember where I put the camera, I'll post a picture of it.

Aloo Gobi & Paying it Forward

I'm starting my day with some cooking - there's a snowstorm going on that's dotting our windows with snow and ice, so something warm is in order. Aloo Gobi sounds just right. It means potato cauliflower. Pretty simple sounding, incredibly simple to make, yet amazing taste! Many thanks to Nupur of One Hot Stove, whose recipe I'm using. The perfect dish, if you can believe it, for a Canadian snowstorm! Not heavy like a chili or stew, but wondeful, warm spices to combat the snow, and the colour! Beautiful in a bowl over basmati rice, which is steaming now.


Twice today I've read of a Pay it Forward blog challenge, and it sounds like such a lovely idea, I've decided to join in. The thing about my joining, is that it's highly unlikely that I'll have anyone to send to!

Linda Teddlie Minton's great blog, Fiber Reflections, had the following posted: To the first 3 people who leave a Comment of their intent to “pay it forward” in my Comment section and also a promise on their own blogs, I will send a handmade item of my choosing within the next 365 days.

Here are the rules lifted borrowed from Linda, who borrowed from Carla:

Pay it forward rules: I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a Comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange, and who make the same pledge on their own blogs . I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward.

5 Random things about me

I got tagged...sort of. Lisa Call got tagged, and tagged everyone who read her "5 Random Things About Me" post, so here I go:
1. I've not been to Europe yet. One of my favourite movie lines comes from "The Impostors", after Stanley Tucci gives an impassioned description of Paris. Lili Taylor says, "You know Paris very well. Have you been there?" Tucci replies, "Not physically". I feel like that.
2. Speaking of movies, I like some pretty strange ones. (see #1) I now own a movie I remembered watching on Channel 7 out of Buffalo one Sunday afternoon when I was a kid, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum".
3. I have a fondness for what I call my "Dead British People" shows and books. I love Agatha Christie mysteries, Brother Cadfael mysteries, Midsomer Murders, Rosemary and Thyme (of course! they're gardeners) and other, what I believe are referred to as "cozy" mysteries.
4. I don't think I'll ever have a "decorating style". My friends have definite, and excellent taste, and for all the magazines I have around this place, you'd think I'd have absorbed some sense of style, at least by osmosis, but, no. Do piles and piles of books everywhere count as a decorating style?
5. Few things make me happier than seeing students' confidence in their abilities grow during classes with me. I don't think I really "teach", so much as coach and mentor people through classes, and I find that incredibly rewarding. Watching the talented people I've taught develop their styles is one of the best things about teaching.

There, random, and wordy. Another random fact. If it can be said in 5 words, I'll manage 10. I'm going to do the same thing Lisa did - if you read this post, then please do the same - I'd love to see your post on your blog, or if you don't blog, put your random things either in the comments, or email them to me. If you're reading this, we likely have something in common already, and I'd love to hear from you.
There's to be a major storm this weekend, so I'll have to get things done today.

When it rains...

I haven't headed back into my book. The challenge with posting is that I always start poking through other people's blogs (I have some stunningly creative artists listed on the left hand side - check them out!). It usually leads me into playing. I received the most wonderful gift to play with this week, from a friend who truly knows me! That she "gets me" makes the gift all the more special.
I knew something was coming, and this week, a big envelope appeared in my mailbox. Inside, a lovely card, and shimmery, shiny fabrics! Nothing better for me. It was so much fun looking not only at the fabrics, but their origins. This was no ordinary fabric - some pieces were sleeves, some vest fronts, others were harder to identify, but no less lovely.

I've been looking at them over and over, and I have a couple of ideas I think will do them justice. What a wonderful, Christmasy thing to do!

I'm Free!

This is Noel; a cherished gift.
Both classes are done now, so yesterday I started a book purely for pleasure! "This is My Country, What's Yours?" by Noah Richler (yes, Mordechai's son). No textbooks for another month, and only one course at that. It's been a tough slog since my last post, but I'm ready to tackle the future.

I'll be teaching a couple of classes in the New Year at Quilter's Dream - I didn't take on much as I still have that one course to get through - and I've got lots of ideas, especially for the postcards class. I had so much fun making them on retreat that I can't wait to play with a classful of creative people!

The house is now festive; I've sprinkled Christmas all over the place. I know I've been successful, since Alex is complaining that, "you can't move anywhere in the house without getting Christmased." Ah, success! I remember when he used to love it all. I decorated our stairs the way our quilt guild president does - rather than putting garland and lights around the top (and therefore potentially killing people going down the stairs at night, I hear), I strung the garland, lights, and balls from the base of the posts. It looks lovely, I think.
I made some sourdough baguettes and lentil soup for lunch - perfect for such a miserable day. Back to my tea and my book.