2009 Collage Calendar Giveaway!

Happy October 1st Everyone!
Great to be back after my mini blog break! Hope you all have been well, and your money is tucked safe and sound under your mattresses! But we won't get into politics right now, as I would much rather focus on happier things, such as sharing with you the new 2009 Collage calendar from Amber Lotus Publishing, which I am thrilled to be a part of, and to offer one lucky winner a free copy in my GIVEAWAY! Yay!


Above is the cover for COLLAGE: Artplay for your Creative Spirit. The cover artwork was done by Karyn Gartel, and the inside is graced by an amazing line up of artistic talent! I am so tickled and honored to be included, as I greatly admire all of the artists in this calendar!

So how did I happen to wind up here? Well, last year I was contacted by Lunaea Weatherstone who was the force behind gathering all of the artists for this project and who also wrote words of inspiration to go along with each months artwork, helping to inspire and spark the viewers own creativity. She asked me if I would be interested in being one of the collage artists featured in this 2009 calendar, (um....YES!) My job in this was made easy as pumpkin pie, as Lunaea already knew what piece of mine she would like to use, having seen it earlier in Somerset Studio. So off my piece flew for the second time to California, for another photo shoot. (I think I have said this before, but I will say it again, my artwork leads a much more exciting life then I do!)


This is my piece above, (I am the month of March, which is great since that's my birth month!) It's titled "Best Wishes for Planet Earth". I made it the day after I watched Al Gore's "An Inconvient Truth", (which I hope you all have seen!) I needed a place to channel some of my emotions, and this was the result.


I made the frame from foam core, tissue paper, and paint. Vintage ephemera, lace, buttons, plus seed pods and sticks collected from my garden were used to compose the piece, and communicate my feelings of fear, and love and hope for our dear and fragile earth.

Below are little snippets taken from each of the 12 art pieces featured in the calender, beginning with January's. The artists, (and links to them) are credited below each piece:


DJ Pettitt


Sarah Fishburn


Victoria Gertenbach, (Yours truly!)


Teesha Moore


Jenny Doh


Beth Moran


Karyn Gartel


Paula Dion


Angela Cartwright


Tiffini Elektra X


Christi Hydeck


Elise Peeples

I am delighted that this is an Amber Lotus publication. Amber Lotus is a very environmentally conscious company. They are a member of the Green Press Initiative, and in addition to printing calendars on 100% recycled paper with soy-based ink, they also were responsible for having 33,000 trees planted in 2007!

If you would like a chance to win a brand new copy of this beautiful calendar, just leave a comment below and just for fun tell me what your favorite year(s) have been... I liked 1967 because I was 4 years old, and 4 is a pretty fun age in my opinion. I also liked 1986, as I graduated from art school and got married that year. 1989, and 1994 because that is when my daughters were born, and 2005, (October 1st to be exact) because that is when I FINALLY got to see my beloved Rolling Stones in concert, something I had been trying to do since the age of 12!

By the way, only one comment per person please, and make sure that I have a way to contact you should you win! Should you not be the winner, but know a good thing when you see it, and simply must have a copy, fear not for I am currently also offering a few copies of the calendar for sale in both my BooDilly's shop and in my Silly BooDilly shop. I only have a few, so if you are interested grab one now! (Of course you can also order one here from Amber Lotus!)

I will be randomly picking a winner next Tuesday evening and posting the winner on Wednesday October 8th. Good luck everyone!

The Latest

Below is the most recent fabric that I painted. I actually did this late last week but just didn't get around to showing it. I tried something different with this one. Instead of painting with Dye-Na-Flow, I watered down some textile paints. I'm undecided if I like one paint over the other at this time.



And here's a group shot of all the fabrics I've done so far. They all look so nice together.

Embrace the Face: Tree

I showed the following painting as a work in progress in the previous post. Well I've now finished it except for the varnish/sealer. I like to take photos before this is added as the sealer usually adds shiny spots in the photo.

The painting was created for the Embrace the Face challenge. The September theme is tree. If you visit the Embrace the Face blog, and find the post where the theme is given, then click on the comments of that post, you will find the links to the artists who are participating in the challenge and the pieces they've created for this theme.

My painting is a mixed-media creation and I painted it on a 10" x 20" gallery wrapped canvas. I used acrylic paint, ink, pencil, and paper on this. I had sketched this scene about two months or so ago in my sketchbook and thought with the tree theme that it could work well.

Another Tribute To Jim for His Daughter Abby

This 42" X 35" art quilt is made from black broadcloth Cotton for the back ground fabric and backing. The colorful fabrics are all taken from old Hawaiian shirts that belonged to our friend Jim before he died this summer. When we were at his memorial service in July I vowed to make a memory quilt for his daughter to remember her father by. The eight photographs span from 1970 to 2008. Two photos include my DH who was a close friend from when they were in their 20's. They are playing music together in the top left photo. Jim was an incredibly talented musician. Jim was also an avid fly fisherman thus the fishing theme. I pieced a lot of scraps from the shirts together to create the binding. After adhering the eight 5" X 7" photos, which are printed on cloth to the back ground fabric leaving the edges frayed, I free motion top stitched around the framed photos and added embellishments (fish, flowers) with a variegated turquoise Sulky thread.
I wanted to convey water with this sewing.

Finished!!

Here they are, all ready for their trip to Quebec tomorrow. Now I'd better get some housework done......

Ho Hum

Are you getting bored yet with the stretched fabric images? I hope not, because I'm having fun with them and part of the fun is coming up with new designs to doodle on them with the resist. I'm always amazed at how different these look in the photo compared to real life. I feel like the photo shows the colors as more blotchy(?). In real life they seem more blended and have a gentler change from color to color. Did that make sense?


The next photo is a work in progress. I came across a new blog (http://embracetheface.blogspot.com/) and thought I'd try some of the challenges they are having. Perhaps you'll join in too?

9 patch Cross

This one makes 5 weeks in a row I finished quilting a top. Whew!! After 5 I think I can take a break. I'm going away this weekend and next weekend. I want to do some Dear Jane blocks and Judy's BOM. I also now have 5 quilts that need binding.
I had trouble quilting this one when my machine hit the printed muslin it would skip stitches. I tried adjusting the tension changing needles and nothing seamed to help. The Dolly Madison quilt I made with some of the same muslin and didn't have a problem but, the batting is thicker on this 9 patch. The printed pattern on the muslin is sort of a rubberised paint or dye that is on top of the fabric not woven in I think that was causing the problem. So after a lot of frogging(stitch removal) I gave up and made a change of plans. I didn't quilt the muslin and tied those blocks instead. I like the finale result. I think I could make another quilt using this pattern I really like it.

9 patch Cross

This one makes 5 weeks in a row I finished quilting a top. Whew!! After 5 I think I can take a break. I'm going away this weekend and next weekend. I want to do some Dear Jane blocks and Judy's BOM. I also now have 5 quilts that need binding.
I had trouble quilting this one when my machine hit the printed muslin it would skip stitches. I tried adjusting the tension changing needles and nothing seamed to help. The Dolly Madison quilt I made with some of the same muslin and didn't have a problem but, the batting is thicker on this 9 patch. The printed pattern on the muslin is sort of a rubberised paint or dye that is on top of the fabric not woven in I think that was causing the problem. So after a lot of frogging(stitch removal) I gave up and made a change of plans. I didn't quilt the muslin and tied those blocks instead. I like the finale result. I think I could make another quilt using this pattern I really like it.

Finished and Not Finished

As I'm typing this post, I'm sitting on the couch with the laptop and a cat all in my lap. It's a little challenging. My arms are outstretched to reach the keyboard and are on either side of my cat. She sometimes will give me a kiss on my outstretched arm to remind me that she's there and she needs a scratch on her head.

Here's the next framed up piece of cloth in the process of drying. I've been trying to do a new one every day. Having fun with this process. The part I dislike most about it is the heat setting and standing with the iron for what feels like forever.


Here is the progress on my sweater. This is the back and I'm up to the arm hole shaping.


Here is a fingerless glove I knit. Yes there's only one. After I completed it, I decided I'm not happy with the fit, it's a little loose on my hand. Too big? Or is that how they are supposed to fit? So I'm undecided at this point if I'll make another this size or rip it apart and start over and see if I can adjust the pattern.


And I've finished the knit pouch. I'm rather happy with how it turned out. Here's the front.


And here's the inside. I used a handmade polymer clay button on the flap and velcro holds it closed.

East End Cake Decorating Club - September 21st, Meeting Summary

The meeting commenced at 2:00 pm. There were 14 members and guests present.

Diane K. welcomed everyone.

BUSINESS MEETING
Diane K announced the winners of the Sugar Art contest and distributed the certificates.

The Club Executive is now as follows:


President: Lyne Coderre.......Vice President: Yvette Belfonte......Treasurer: Cynthia Thorn.....Assistant Treasurer: Diane Kingston......Secretary : Diane Kingston......Membership Chair : Verdie Jackson......Email Correspondent: Diane Matheson......Telephone Correspondent: Jean Skinner......Refreshment Chair: Shirley Peters........Raffle: Shirley Peters

Dues for the year were collected. As was agreed at the June meeting, there will be no pay-as-you-go alternative. Guests are free for the first meeting and, if they like it enough to return, they will pay the dues and become members.

Diane M and Verdie Jackson led the workshop on quilling. Just some of the pieces members made at the workshop.

At October 19th's meeting Diane K will lead the workshop and show how to make shoes with no cutters. If time permits, a small purse will also be done. A list of tools and ingredients will be emailed.

It was a good start to our new season and members were pleased that most meetings will be in the form of a workshop and will be hands-on.

More progress and a reminder.

My little fingers are almost raw, but I'm within sight of the prize! Just have to finish to band and sew it up. There's a little bit more embroidery on the yoke, then put the sundress together and it'll be done.

Just a reminder that I'm having a drawing for a prize to celebrate my 100th blog. The first message was on the 99th post. Just leave me a message and tell me where you are writing from and you will be entered into the draw.

Monday Schmunday

Did you notice that title up there? Yeah, this was one of those "I don't know what to name this post day".

Anyway...a while back I showed you the magazine pattern below that I found and liked. Well then in another post I showed you the yarn that I fell in love with. Well all I did was put one and one together and came up with a new project to work on. I still haven't started on the striped sweater I showed before, but will do that soon.


Here's my next stretched fabric piece. Just finished putting on the color here. It's hard to see in the photo but I used two different colors of Dye-Na-Flow....turquoise and teal. The teal is greener and you can see that better if you were standing right next me looking at it.


Happy first day of fall!!!!

Latest Cool Tool

A few days ago I showed you one of my latest new gadgets/tools that I've added to my studio. The stretcher frame. Well I've also added another great tool/contraption. This spinning wheel (found it used on Craig's List).


I've actually had the wheel about two or so weeks and after the initial learning curve we've gotten to know each other quite well and get along now. I must admit though, that I think I've gotten spinning cramps. You've heard of writer's cramp right? Well, my left hand, which controls the amount of wool being spun has gotten quite sore lately. I think I need to take a day or more off from spinning to let it get better. I hope it's just a case of using muscles that I don't normally use and they'll get stronger over time. I do know that about ten years ago a doctor told me that I had the onset of carpal tunnel, so I don't know if this is related or not. I definitely hope not.

Here's some of my latest yarns.


And the next photo is a pouch that I knitted with some of my handspun yarn. I felted it slightly and now it is drying. I plan to add a fabric lining and a flap or something for shutting/closing. This will hopefully be a prototype of a bag design that I'd like to make more of.

Progress!

Here it is Sunday and I've finished the back and sleeves. The fronts are cast on and ready to go.
The yoke is coming along too. I still have a few seams to do and a thistle to embroider somewhere for our Scottish heritage.

The Results

I finished the fabric that was in the stretcher frame the other day. Here are my results after stamping and stenciling more designs onto the surface.


Here's a closer view.


And here's the next piece on the stretcher frame. I just finished applying the Dye-Na-Flow when I snapped the photo, so it's still wet.