Karyn Gartel's Mixed Media Landscape Class : Lesson 3

This week's lesson plans for the two online classes I am taking came in yesterday. I was a little behind the power curve today - but did manage to finish Karyn Gartel's Lesson 3 today. As usual for me, I did not follow the directions to the letter, but am, none-the-less, happy with the way this is turning out thus far. I am adding some new, fun techniques to my repertoire and am really learning to totally enjoy mixed media. I will be trying to finish the lesson from Paulette Insall's "All About Faces" class in the next couple of days. I am signed up for her backgrounds class in May and have my heart set on taking a class from Sharon Boggin through Joggles later this summer! Pay day is coming - and then I can sign up! I am, truly, enjoying these classes so much !

In this photo you can see part of an air sectional map I used under the paint.
Karyn's techniques are really very effective.

Shoe Bling

My friend Maria is a fashionista. I have known her for 30 odd years and she was - and still is - always the one who looks like she should be in a fashion magazine. We do however, both enjoy the comfort of Crocs. Maria knows that I love lady bugs - so imagine how tickled I was when a letter from her brought these little ladies to "bling up" my 'serious' black Crocs. I would never have known that this kind of thing existed - let along buy them. I have now discovered Jibbitz though - so I may also be sporting a bumble bee ( or another set of lady biugs come to think of it!)or something before too long ! It's great to have a friend that knows her fashion!!

Watching The World Go By

This kitty seemed so content to watch the world go by outside of his roughly screened window. Maybe the owner screened it in just for him/her? I would be happy to sit for awhile and watch the world go by - taking it all in to use as inspiration for a more energetic day. Happy Monday to all.

I've Been Scatter-Brained Lately

I had a lovely note today from friend Sandra. She had noticed that I had not been posting my normal 'daily'. What a kind friend to notice when your routine goes wonky! It's been a difficult time in our house lately due to some pet illness'. The apple of my eye, Bart, is dying. He has an inoperable growth in his belly - wrapped about his intestines. It's about the size of a lemon I guess. He is holding his own - just losing weight & strength steadily. It will soon be time. I have been bereft thinking of how empty I will feel without his comforting, sonorous purr in the evenings as I fall asleep.... and his warm body curled up next to me in the bed. Not quite 8 years ago he wandered in and adopted us at a time when I simply was not interested in another animal. It took little time for him to win my heart however- and he quickly become my beloved kitty....joining his brothers and sisters. Odie, our 19 year old is still active and mischievous...must be the Vitiman E he loves so well!
In another odd quirk our dog had been off his feed. DH took him to the vet last week only to discover that, for some unknown reason, his kidneys had shut down. They had no idea why. Perhaps , during a walk about, he found a puddle with some antifreeze in it. After the second round of blood tests late in the week he was showing some improvement. Daily bags of hydration fluids and injections of antibiotics seem to be helping. He still has little appetite, but he is wagging his tail again and has a bit more spark in his eyes. We should know more later this week. Hopefully he will soon find food more interesting once again. I have found that there really is a use for those little Vienna Sausages that come in those cute tiny cans ---- he does seem to relish a tin of those !

I am really a wuss when it comes to this sort of stress. My eyes look like heck - swollen and red. I need to take Mary Englebreit's advice and "Just Snap Out Of It" ! I'll be back with some artsy content very soon.

My First Ever Sweater Is Finished - I I Love It !

When I began knitting a couple of years ago I swore that I would never make a sweater. I'm not sure why I was so vehement about this - maybe because I used to be too warm most of the time to wear sweaters much. Maybe because I thought that they would be too hard or too boring. Maybe I felt inadequate and not up to the take of a WHOLE sweater. The too maybe stories of how many first sweaters some out unwearable affected me. I did not want to spend that much time, money and effort making something that I would never wear - or would have to take apart to salvage some of this beautiful wool. I used Noro Silk Garden Nbr. 255 and the three needle bind off was done with a Dream In Color all merino yarn called Spring Tickle. On another note, The Dream In Color Yarn is one of my new favorites. Soft, luxurious , several weights to choose from - and did I mention the lush, dreamy colors. Fabulous stuff ! This sweater became so delightful & super soft when I washed and blocked it too.. Much softer than I had thought it would be. I can even have it next to my skin - on my arms at least. The sleeves on this were a bit too long - and I was told that this was something with the pattern - most people who have made the pattern shorted the sleeves - but I wanted to see how it was knit straight from the pattern. I love the length ! It falls just at high hip- perfect!

I had thought I might use the glass buttons I made but they were all different sizes and the pattern called for quite small buttons - so I made some Dorset buttons (thanks, once again to Stephanie Pettingill!) and then beaded them. They ended up looking quite nice and were just the right finishing touch. This project took me only about three months from ordering the wool to completion - just knitting in the evenings . My next project will be an "Einstein Coat" from Sally Melville's book, "The Knitting Experience: The Knit Stitch". The yarn, from KnitPicks is on the way & is called "Firecracker Heather". Wish me luck !

All About Faces: Lesson 4: Hair & Eyebrows

Lesson 4 this week was just about adding hair and eyebrows. I think I will probably work a bit more on both - but as you can see - they make quite a difference. I was surprised at the eyebrows. My own are extremely pale - and my "coiffist", Allison, is always telling me about how eyebrows frame the face - and telling me that " I should "do something" with mine. Now, I see what she is speaking about - they did make a difference in this painting - though I am still not overly comfortable about "doing something" with my own !

Happy Earth Day Earthlings!

The man whose mind is rounded out to perfection
Knows full well
Truth is not cut in half
And things do not exist apart from the mind

In the great assembly of the Lotus all are present
Without divisions
Grass, trees, the soil on which these grow
All have the same kinds of atoms
Some are barely in motion
While others make haste along the path, but they will all, in time
Reach The Precious Island of Nirvana
Who can really maintain
That things inanimate lack buddhahood?

Chan-Jan

Flat Feet Yarn Is In

My flat feet sock yarn from Conjoined Creations came in yesterday! It is flat knit as you see it here and , as you knit your socks , the yarn unravels. Any kinking comes out in the first wash. It may be a gimmick - but it seems like a fun, good idea. Personally, what I would like to see is the company selling white, ready for dyeing, blanks. Maybe I should ask them ! Then I could really have some fun socks ! We'll see how this knits off. I love the idea though that's for sure. They have some great bright red orange that may be my next pair !

Just For A Bit Of Fun

For a bit of diversion on what I hope is a beautiful day for all of you -go to this link and play.

http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/

For a bit of diversion go to this link and play. Too much fun !


http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/

WoW ! It's Been A Year !

It's one year today that I began this blog. This will be my 318th post. Shocking! In honor of this unintended good fortune I want to have a small "give-away". I must be a bit brain addled since I still cannot figure out what it is I want to offer as a "prize". So you, dear reader, will have to tell me if you prefer: a piece of my hand dyed fabric; a piece of felted fabric (wool); or a mix of things from my 'studio' (and oh ! how loosely I use that word!!) . Someone suggested some of my crow stamps on fabric - that's also an option. Hopefully, some of you will voice a choice and if that happens I will use a random number generator for choosing .... sorry if I am not being too clear on the choices - I just can't think of exactly what y'all would really want !!

These photos are the latest class updates. The top one is Lesson Three from Paulette Insall's class "All About Faces" - it was about eys and lips. They are however, still not complete....next lesson tomorrow ! The bottom photo is Lesson 1 from Karyn Gertel's "Mixed Media Landscapes". I have to admit that I think I will enjoy mixed media more than I thought I would. I have never done any collage and ,thus far, both classes are really expanding my horizons - just as I has hoped they would ! I found both of these classes thanks to Teri Stegmiller - who should get artist's commissions I think - or at the very least - kudos ! Thank you Teri!

For All Serious Cat People

I saw this on Claudine Helmuth's Blog - and just had to spread the fun a little more. Doesn't his fellow look somewhat like George Clooney in "regular" clothes?! These guys did a great job and I thank them for the chuckles !

Tree Face

This amazing tree lives on the property of a friend. I was entranced by it. Tenacious - obviously, and beautiful. Then I stopped for a moment and saw a face - clearly captured within the bark of the tree. Can you see too? Almost like a full figure in the top photo.

Tomorrow is my "blogi-versary". "Who would 'a thunk it" ? I am, truly & utterly surprised that I have had such an enjoyable year. I am also grateful for the friendships I have made and for all of you who stop by to have a look and leave comments. You keep me focused on days when I would wander aimlessly about! I want to a drawing - but for what i am not yet sure? What y'all like to have? Felt? Fabric? A goody bag of bits and pieces from my world?

Hummers Back In Full

We have close to our full summer time complement of hummers now. At peak season we have 5 quart sized feeders up & they are drained by these hungry babies every day! Right now we have 3.5 quarts available & they are going through two full and part of the third in day. All of this hunger and there is SNOW in the forecast for tomorrow and Saturday. Go figure ! I always worry about them in such cold - even though I know how tenacious and hearty they are.

The Comfort Of Tradition: 32 Blocks Done; More Work To Do

Finally! I have finished all 32 quilt blocks for this xtra long queen sized, ultra traditional quilt. I am ready to begin adding the sashings, cornerstones, and setting triangles. It's going to be a beautiful quilt & I like it well enough that I want to make another one for our bed. All of these blocks were made using Judy Rothermel's fabrics from Marcus Brothers. DH has been kind enough to continue my subscriptions to both of her reproduction lines for some years now- mid eighteenth century types & 30's. It's always great fun to open these packages - and it's a gift that continues to bring me much enjoyment. As I worked on each block I thought it was the prettiest one yet! Scrappy traditional quilts ares still my favorites & I think they prove that all colors can, in fact, work together.

Oddly enough I am doing a lecture in May that is about what we call our quilts and what we call ourselves in relation to our quilts. Is there a difference? Is quilt art for the bed as well as for the wall - or is a quilt for the bed and textile art for the wall? An interesting dilemma at times. I am most fond of traditional patterns. They calm me down and comfort me. I LOVE having a hand made quilt on my bed. I am also, however, a person who makes "art quilts" that are meant solely for display on a wall (or maybe in a cat bed!) - so am I a quilter, an artistic quilter, an art quilter, or a tectile artist? Am I an artist at all? What do you call yourself? What do you think of this "naming" issue? I would love to hear your comments - I need information for this upcoming lecture ! I still have not started my notes for it !

Book Review; "Creative Felting" by Lizzie Houghton

I just had to see what lay in the pages behind the cover of this lusciously illustrated book. The illustrations & the text in this book are fabulous. Rich color, gorgeous real life photos, lyrical text. Ms Houghton has a well illustrated section on techniques in the front of the book and then she introduces the use of the the techniques in a series of near essays on color families. "Fern" as an illustration under 'Greens'; "Forest Floor" under 'Oranges' etc. Personally, I found the projects a bit difficult to follow BECAUSE of the beautiful photographs - and also because the "how to" section is in the front. Surely many(maybe even most!) folks will not find that to be a deterrent ! I MUST buy this book (I got it from our wonderful Inter-Library Loan this time) & I think it is a very worthy addition for any felt enthusiast's library. It's beautifully done and provides glorious eye candy. For simple "how-to's" however, I think there are other books that might serve a bit better - especially for beginners. I am so pleased to see that more & more good books being published about this amazing craft that has absorbed my attention so thoroughly in recent years! Thank you Lizzie Houghton and all of the other wonderful author's who are writing inspiring books on felts and felting!

You Get What You Pay For; Erasers Are Not All Equal

First of all, I cannot believe that I am writing about an electric eraser - of all things - much less touting the fact that I own one! I have been doing a lot more sketching recently - thanks to Paulette Insall's class. I am enjoying it a lot too! I am also needing a good eraser more than I used to. One of the books I have been reading recently is "Secrets To Drawing Realistic Faces" by Carrie Stuart Parks. In her book she recommends a Sakura electric eraser. I balked at the cost of it & opted to order a much less expensive Helix brand from Dick Blick. It worked for all of about 15 minutes. It had a cheap feel too. Dick Blick was very good about crediting the costof both the eraser & the refills I had purchased. I like Dick Blicks' catalogs & web site & I generally buy all of my art supplies from them. I was pleased to learn that they are good with their customer service! After some more thought about whether I REALLY just HAD to have an electric eraser (I am so weak!) - I sprang for the Sakura model - and yes, it is true, you definitely get what you pay for - even with electric erasers! It works so quickly, cleanly and evenly. No smudges, no lines. Terrifc little gadget!

In the photo above you can see the lines I erased (using some elbow power too) with my trusty Sanford pencil eraser (yes, I also did try a variety of other erasers I had on hand as well)and next you can see nearly the clean paper where I used the Sakura. Obviously, since it broke so fast, I can't compare the Sakura to the Helix! So,it is a foolishly small thing in the general scheme of life, but I am now a real convert to electric erasers - if one plans to do much sketching - and likes clean lines too - it's a good thing; embarrassed as I am to admit to that !

Sunday's Crowing

I just couldn't help myself! I had to try my hand at carving a crow today. I am fairly happy with the way he came out too. There will be others to follow I think. The bottom photo is the tag I designed for the "Epley Series". I sure am having fun! Anyone who says that getting older is bad - must surely need compelling hobbies to focus on ! The more I learn - the more I want to learn!

All About Faces Lesson 2

This weeks lesson from Paulette Insall's class ,"All About Faces", concentrated on creating a very simple background and then painting the face shape onto the canvas - and shading. Paulette calls this the "rough under-painting" - which will be enhanced and completed with her technique that utilizes Caran d'arche Neocolor II . I am SO looking forward to learning this technique - and am sure that, once I learn it, I will want to go and get a full set of Neocolor II's.

It was interesting to make the backgrounds and I had a lot of fun just priming and painting canvas'. I am also finding that I enjoy carrying my smaller sized sketch book around - nd look forward to finding a few minutes to sketch. Paulette has already taught me quite a bit. Small things that I wouldnot have even thought to ask about - or wonder about before.

A Door Worthy of News

This door will lead into a new shop that is going to open near my "coiffist". I am thoroughtly in awe of this door. It is how I would love MY door to look ! The colors are perfect. It is going to be, I believe, a tile store named "Infantile". Several of the tiles are stamped Infantile. What a perfect name for a tiles tore.Make me want go and make tiles !

Photos That Reflect The Weather

I must be into a dooryway - or view to the outside - phase or something. The skies have continued to be the perfect gray for a backdrop. Muted colors rather than rich reflections of the Spring that wnats to get sprung !

New Clover Felting Tool

I have to admit to being a gadget gal, but there have not been too many felting tools that I have felt the need to buy. When I was "in America" the other day for the Quilt Show I picked up this new little pen style felting tool from Clover. It cost $14.50. I find that Clover tools are generally very well thought out - and the quality of their products has never disappointed me. This tool is no exception. I thought that it might be a gimmick - and perhaps in a way it is - but it works very well - especially in tight spaces. The only "gimmick" may be that the needles that the tool uses are shorter than standard felting needles so you need to buy replacement packs - offered in fine and heavy weight. Replacements are available at Joggles - and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were not outrageously priced either - running about $7.40 - for more than just the 3 needles needed in the tool.

The tool is preloaded with lightweight needles. I broke a needle working on Epley and found that, in fact, standard size needles work just fine in the tool - you just can't use the cap on it with the longer needles. What I like about the tool is that the needles are placed close together - making it an excellent tool to use in tight spots - and you ARE able to take needles out to utilize only one or two at a time rather than three.

Here is my standard small felting tool shown with the Clover tool. The pen style is more comfortable for me to hold - another things I like about it.
Here you can see it being used in a tight space on Epley - on the belly between the feet.
Here you see the shorter length of the Clover needles compared to a standard felting needle. All in all I think this is a good addition to any needle felters tool chest.

Corvid Eplus - Ready To Go To His New Home

Y'all must be getting tired of all my crow ravings - but I am quite excited that this one is done!
Since he is a commissioned piece I wanted him to be as perfect as I could make it. I tried some new techniques - which might not always be a good thing to do on a piece that is commissioned - but, thankfully, it all turned out just as I had hoped. I made the beak out of polymer clay, used a better sized eye & created a new method of finishing & stiffening that has worked very well. The legs are the most difficult part of the process - and I decided that they needed some sort of stabilization. These legs are made for woodcarvers, and as such are intended to be set in wood. I need to cut off part of the metal - and then finish them with paint and texture. I fashioned the stabilizing pads from polymer as well. Much better than the original. I made a leg band for him and will include a "care & feeding" card. I sure have fun making these ! Thanks for looking - and I promise I will not post more crow photos for awhile.