WordPress - a thoughtful change

I am working on transferring this blog to a new host.

My new blog site will be:

http://mariejohansen.wordpress.com

Transferring the Blogger content to Wordpress was a cinch - so all of my post posts and comments are already there. I think I may cross-post for awhile until I get the hang of the WordPress Dashboard - which is very,very different from blogger.

I had thought of using WordPress in the past but never made a concerted effort to learn a the new system. I am currently reading a book about blogging that I will be reviewing (eventually I will also be moving my book blog) and it made a decent case for making the change. I am hoping to have the review on this book posted this coming weekend. It's an excellent read for both beginning and more experienced bloggers.

Would you follow if I changed hosts?

I am considering changing the name of my blog - using my name or something more descriptive of all of my varied interests. Along with this I am also considering changing host.


My question for all of you have have made my days for so long with your comments and notes is:
would you change with me and subscribe my blog under another name and host ???

Thanks for the answer!

ATC's: Why I Love Making Them and Receiving Them!

 The cards in this group came from a wonderful group of very talented women. 

The theme of the swap is "Warped". 

Top row (L to R): Janice Paine Dawes, Wanda Stivison, Christine Predd. 

Bottom Row (L to R): Suzan Morgan, and Linda Edkins Wyatt (2 cards)

After seeing some of the ATC's that I have made and sent away to new homes I thought that it would be fun for you to see the ATC's that have been sent to me. It may help to explain why I have become so infatuated with these small works of art - and why I seem to be spending more and more time making them and building my own collection!

Fist a little background - from the information files at Wikipedia:

"...Artist Trading Cards (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern baseball cards, or 2 ½ X 3 ½ inches (6 cm X 9 cm), small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets. The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland. Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.). The cards are usually traded or exchanged rather than sold.

Artist trading cards were used throughout Europe and America as art training tools. Artists would trade the cards between themselves to study each others techniques and explore new art movements. The cards paid a particularly important role in the Impressionists art movement. The Impressionists utilized both sides of their artist trading cards, art on one side and a kind of brief resume on the other. The Impressionists were the first known artists to use the cards in trade for anything other than more art. Impressionists often traded the cards with art collectors in exchange for room, board, and art supplies.

M. Vänçi Stirnemann is credited in many circles with popularizing the modern artist trading card in 1996,holding trading sessions in Zurich, Switzerland. This resurgence of interest of Artists trading cards has spawned the popular ACEO (art cards editions and originals) movement. Many people consider art trading cards and ACEO cards to be one and the same. Others feel they are decidedly different pieces of art. Clubs, trading sessions, and online mailart communities have largely replaced the original concept of trading the cards during individual encounters, and many ATC workshops end with a trading session...."

Above: The amazing cards are from my friend, Julie Wildman

Below:  a felted card from Sara Figal

The card below was made by Debra Benedict is one of the most beautifully put together cards I have ever seen! It was from a swap on Roses On My Table and the theme was: Alice In Wonderland

Below - another fabulous card from the "Alice In Wonderland Swap" - made by Elizabeth Matthews

More from the Alice In Wonderland Swap.

Top row (L to R):  Astrid Maclean and Corinne Marie

Bottom row (L To R): Mariette and Kathy Noble

The ATC below, made by Donna Funnell, 

is one of my favorites of all - it's rich, rich, rich in detail 

and includes felting, embroidery and most yummy colors imaginable !

Below: This unusual card - I love the shaped effect!- was made by Darlene Pringle

These cards were made through a swap with the theme 

'Mandala' though the Yahoo Group Soul Journaling.

Below:  Windy Kai Savarese and Lay Hoon

Below: Diane Bishop Carey and Chris Tessnear

This lovely card was also made by Diane Bishop Carey (see above) from the "Mandala" swap.

This group of cards were some of the first that I ever received. I had no idea when I began making and swapping trading cards how difficult they can be to make; how working within a theme can really test your abilities (eerhhhhh - rather should I say that they can expand your horizons!); how utterly addictive they can become - or how many wonderful techniques there are to experiment with. This size can be a challenge - but the results are so worth it !

The group below:

Top  (L to R):

Heather Robinson   (when I swapped with Heather I knew nothing about making ATC's really - the swap with her was the beginning of my obsession!)

Bottom (L to R): Victoria O'Neill, Terri Stegmiller, Ann Tyler

This is the simple way that I store my ATC's - just a three 3 ting binder with protector sheets. Some of the thicker or larger pieces need protector sheets that hold photos instead. I love paging through this book, adding to it and participating in swaps. I learn so much in making ATC's - and I think that they have really helped me expand my technique "tool box" . I also really enjoy looking at the early trades I have done - like the one I did with Heather Robinson - it helps me to keep tract of how much I have grown my making these small, wonderful little works of art !  Hope you have had fun enjoying all of this eye-candy. I could have added pages and pages of photographs to this list. There are so many that I want to share - I plan to do another post so that you can see the work of more artists soon. One person who is a driving force in my lust for ATC art is Christina Zinna Galliher. Her site, Roses On My Table, is a fabulous place, the women are wonderful and Christina does an amazing, job keeping us all on the go. Her work will be showcased in the next ATC post !

I would love to know your ATC

Book Review: "A Is For Apron" by Nathalie Mornu

I LOVE aprons and wear them whenever I cook - or craft for that matter too.  Nathalie Mornu has a talent for writing wonderful, well illustrated books and this one is no exception. he book offers a wealth of information about aprons and is plentifully illustrated with photos of wonderful vintage and new aprons. All styles are included: full aprons, half aprons, smock aprons, gardening aprons,5o's-ish aprons that are more fashion than function, aprons for children, flirty aprons - just all kinds of wonderful, wearable aprons!

Included is an excellent instruction section in the front of the book that covers apron construction basics and includes sections such as: making cool bias tape, inserting Rickrack in seams, flouncing, making yo-yos (yes for an apron!),mitering corners, fused applique, transferring designs, hemming, basics on embroidery stitches. Aside from the photographs of vintage quilts there is also an interesting section called "Aprons -A Short and Lively History". I saw some vintage apron patterns that I would love to get my hands on!

Each of the 25 apron projects in the book are very well illustrated and contain complete, easy-to-follow, directions. The back of the book contains the templates for the aprons with measurements and cutting instructions.


If you love aprons like I do this book would be a very welcome addition to your library!

ATC Theme : 'Warped'

Life is a tapestry:  

We are the warp; 

angels, the weft; 

God, the weaver.  

Only the Weaver sees the whole design. 

~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

Recently I was invited to join a small, very talented group of artists who swap Artist Trading Cards. For some odd reason I have recently become rather obsessed with these small works of art. Learning what things work and what doesn't work  with the small size of ATC's has been a challenge for me to learn but I thoroughly enjoy working in this size now! I am having a great time building my collection  of ATC's and I've also been enjoying trying out new techniques! The members of this small group are some of the most amazingly talented women I know and I am dumbfounded and grateful that they invited me to play! Have a look at The Disoriented Quilter, and this great web site, or here, or here - or here to see the work of some of the very talented artists! WoW! I am so pleased to be able to swap ATC's with them! I was behind on the time line for the current swap and I was not sure that I was going to be able to participate. Compared to the talents in this group I feel a bit behind the 8 ball but that's always a good thing because it makes me ready to learn, grow and evolve my talents. I am honored to be a part of this group!

The first swap that I got to join in on had a theme of "Warped" - as soon as the weather clears I am going to post photos of some of the utterly amazing cards that I have received - I promise you that they different than any ATC's you have seen before - thoroughly different and fun! These are photos of my first four cards - I am half way done now.  I used the little poem that I posted at the top of the page as my inspiration for the theme. I do believe in angels and I used gold threads as a symbol of unity. I am so excited to now be a part of two ATC swapping groups - the other is through Roses on My Table from the ultra lovely, very talented Christina Zinnia Galliher.  Zinnia makes very cool videos of all of the cards in the swap The "Roses" are fabulous group of very talented artists and I always enjoy our every other month swaps ! I am so lucky to have found two groups that allow me to grow and expand my creative horizons!

"Artist Trading Card Workshop" has been one of my favorite books on ATC making. Filled with lots of very cool techniques! I just ordered a used copy of Rubber Stamping Artist Trading Cards - the reviews say that it has lots of eye candy and shows lots of techniques. I love used books in good conditions!

Below: The back of the cards

 Don't forget - should you want to - the photos can be double clicked for a larger view

Sure Signs of Spring!

The weather has turned decidedly warmer now and creatures are venturing out to see what spring has to offer. This pair of deer were ambling leisurely through the yard - the photos were taken through a screen - so they're a little bit fuzzy.

Best of all is that the Goldfinches have returned!! I am always thrilled to see their beautiful golden wings flitting around the feeders. Sort of the same way I feel when the Hummingbirds come home to feed in March. Goldfinches are so glorious - and they make me smile! Spring is full of these small gifts from Nature.

The following Goldfinch information is from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - if you are a bird lover and don't know about the site yet - you owe it to yourself to check it out ! I love the feature that identifies the particular bird's song!

• Size & Shape

  A small finch with a short, conical bill and a small, head, long wings, and short, notched tail.
  

• Color Pattern

  Adult males in spring and early summer are bright yellow with black forehead, black wings with white markings, and white patches both above and beneath the tail. Adult females are duller yellow beneath, olive above. Winter birds are drab, unstreaked brown, with blackish wings and two pale wingbars.
  

• Behavior

  These are active and acrobatic little finches that cling to weeds and seed socks, and sometimes mill about in large numbers at feeders or on the ground beneath them. Goldfinches fly with a bouncy, undulating pattern and often call in flight, drawing attention to themselves.
  

• Habitat

  The goldfinch’s main natural habitats are weedy fields and floodplains, where plants such as thistles and asters are common. They’re also found in cultivated areas, roadsides, orchards, and backyards. American Goldfinches can be found at feeders any time of year, but most abundantly during winter.
  

View dynamic map of eBird sightings

Aran Pocket Shawl - Finally Finished!

I seem to be working my way through Cheryl Oberle’s book “folk Shawls”. This is the second shawl and I have yarn ordered for another project from the book “Heartland Shawl”

This shawl was knit with Misti Alpaca 100 per cent baby alpaca yarn in pea green (color C815 200 meters to 100 grams). I did not find this to be a difficult pattern at all - though I did find that a row counter helped me keep track of what row I was on - so I could pick up the needles after leaving it alone for some time. I love the texture that this simple pattern affords. If I made another one I might use a yarn that is a bit heftier than the Misti Alpaca - although this way the shawl is lovely and soft. I think a thicker yarn would have given the pattern more definition (as the example in the book shows) and the pockets would not have a tendency to droop with something thicker.

This was worth making - and I am already enjoying using on cool mornings at work or nippy evenings at home! I got the yarn from Yarn.Com - it was on sale then. Jimmy Beans Wool is another great place to get the yarn from - and Ravelry is simply the best place to see other examples of the patter and projects. If you knot and are not a Ravelry member - you need to be !

Making Progress Every Day

Here she is - becoming more comfortable every day. The first and last photos were adjusted because the shadows were too dark in the photos - so she does not have quite the smudges these two photos indicate! The second photo is the most true to real!

Her tummy seems to be okay now - hope that will continue. Last night - in the middle of the night - she decided that she wanted to explore the blinds that are at the top of the bed. Back and forth, back and forth. I am so enchanted by this little minx! I promise I won't bore you with continual cat photos. Next post will be back to something fiber and art related !

The "White Wonder" and The Season of Glorious Sunsets Has Begun

Here she is! Our new family member. Her name has been Smudge but we are looking for a more fitting name. Tillie is being considered. If you have any thoughts on a name for our beautiful white kitty I would love to hear them!  On Wednesday I drove up to Bellingham - near the Canadian border - where this little beauty was waiting with a sign on her cage that said "I'm Going Home!"

As I mentioned in an earlier post - I fell in love with her on March 31st. Lauren and I did not have time to go and get her after my medical appointment that day but I filled out the adoption paperwork and spoke with the lovely woman who runs BelWest Cat Rescue several times - and I developed a really good feeling about her genuine love for the fabulous felines in her care. 'Tillie' was owned by a woman who had three cats. She died from cancer two hours after releasing her 'kids' into the care of Zella Chapman and BelWest Cat Rescue. The lovely thing is that before she passed away she wrote a letter about 'Smudge' - what she is like, what her habits had been and how she had been raised. I have the letter now and am really touched and honored to have it - along with the opportunity to now be  'owned' by this beautiful cat!

I had her in a carrier until I got off the freeway and picked up DH. I took  her out  of the carrier while we waited-for 2 hours- in the ferry line and she sat in my lap during all of that wait, the hour and half boat ride and then the drive home - very calm and sweet. I just carried her into the house! All in all in she remained calm and collected in my lap for 5 hours! Amazing. She is a bit skittish  - and I gather from the letter that she has always been somewhat that way, but she's a mix of skittish and amazing calm. I can;t blame blame her - she's been through a lot! She stays in her new bed in the window of the bedroom - and I have, temporarily set up food and litter in my bathroom which is near the bed. She ventures out to the living room more and more each day. Her appetite is good and her grooming is immaculate. Last night she discovered that she is welcome on the bed and we spent the night with her jumping up - waking us each up in turn for pats & purrs - then she would jump down again and it seemed like she was thinking "I wonder if I can wake them up again?!" She's met our grand dame, Cleo, who is still spry at 16. They have some issues to work out but Cleo is pretty much ignoring her now - and life continues as always.

I was nervous about getting another family member at first-but I followed my gut on this and I am so pleased that I did. Finding her has been a bit of kismet. When I considered going into the pet store that day I thought 'wouldn't it be weird if if there is a white cat in there?'. Sure enough there was - and I am so pleased that she has joined our family!

Name suggestions anyone?

I picked up a "Furminator" cat hair grooming tool at Pet'sMart on Wednesday after reading about it on JenClair's blog, Bayou Quilts. I am generally skeptical about new pet products but I thought I would try it out. It's a wonderful tool - and the cats actually seem to enjoy being groomed with it! Very good! It's sort of like a mat cutter for dogs but the teeth are MUCH finer and not as sharp. It does an excellent job of getting the shedding done faster!

We have been enjoying some lovely early Spring weather and the sunsets have started to be breathtaking again. This was what the sky looked like about 8pm this evening- look at those colors! Have a wonderful weekend. Be well and be happy!

A Few Views Of Sping

I wandered around outside yesterday for a bit - enjoying the sounds of the birds,

feeling warm sun on my face and relaxing in the perfectness of a joyful Spring day!

Enjoy the walk with me!

How can we possible call these cheerful English Daisy's weeds?!

A Couple Of New ,Small, Projects

My dearest friends - who are really my family- just moved into a new home after a long and frustrating year. I wanted to send them a card, of course, but I wanted it to be more than just a Hallmark card - so I made this for them. The front is raw linen fabric; the inside is muslin and I used C&T's double sided fusible Fast-2-Fuse as the stabilizer. It's been a favorite product for my art cards for some time - and now it is available in bot regular and heavy weight.  The inside of the card contains a lot of "home" related quotes and warm wishes. My cyber friend, & artist extraordinaire, Julie Wildman, wrote the word "Rejoice" on a book mark that she gave to me and I have tried to copy her style. If I could afford to take a class from the calligrapher who teaches this sort of gestural calligraphy I would .. but in the meantime I need to practice from lettering samples from Julie!  I had to have a chirping bird since we all enjoy the winged ones so much.  This was a fun card to make - I enjoyed playing with a cut-out design. Of course, as always, I also now see many ways that I could have made this card better!

As always remember that you can double click on the images to get more close up

This next little project was a Creative Troupe "call-out" from C&T. Their "call-outs" are fun to do and there are some goodies offered in exchange for the play time.  This "call-out" was to play with the newest Lutradur product - ultra light weight. I printed my photographs on the Lutradur - using the seasons as a theme; added some color enhancement with inks and paint as needed and then backed the prints with vintage kimono silks and added lettering and skewers wrapped in ribbon knitting yarn. I received the package with the Lutradur a week ago yesterday and, since I knew I was in for a busy week, I finished and mailed it by Wednesday. Phew! That was a bit of a rush for me !

Each 'card' is 4"X6" - I think I would have preferred making the images less close together 

- but that's hindsight now - so I will know better for the next 'seasonal' project!

Happy Sunday to all!

Quilt Show! Fidalgo Island Quilter's 2010 Part II

 

Here are some more of the amazing quilts that were in the show that I attended last weekend. This wedding braid really struck me - the colors just radiate and sing don't they! Although this is not a quilt that I think I would make myself it is really an amazing work of art - and such a wonderful use of color, fabric choices and luminescence!

 

WoW! Can you believe how alive this hexagonal quilt looks? 

Another tour de force made with some of my fabric choices of color and designer ( reds andKaffe Fassett) choices. Once again, I think that this quilter made amazing, wonderful choices in color. cloth and joyous, bouncing color! Yes! I could see myself making something like this !

 

I have to confess that I have not seen too many red, white and blue quilts that really make me want to jump up and down, but this one really make me happy to look at!  It even made me want to think about a patriotic quilt for myself. The use of a traditional pattern that literally sings with vibrancy and color. Such perfect use of USA colors!   It's a treasure!

This quilt in white,black and yellow also really spoke to me. I really love simple quilt patterns - sometimes I truly do believe that that the 'KISS" principle is a good way to go with quilts. I think that this quilt, once again uses color and a simple pattern to utmost advantage. What do you think about simple patterns? Do you like them? Do you think that using more sophisticated patterns generally also mean a more experienced quilter at work?

 

I love this block detail! WoW!

As I wandered through the show there were the two quilts that just reached out and grabbed me. I was only slightly surprised to discover that they were both made by the same, amazingly talented, person.

This quilt plays on one of my favorite color schemes of yellow and blue. For years now I have told myself that I would make a yellow and blue quilt - and yet I still have made one! My general idea of a yellow and blue quilt has been clearer, brighter blues I guess. I am not a person who uses much blue n any of my work and I think that has been part of the issue why I have not yet my first steps toward this particular quilt goal. Now that I seen how I can effectively use these yummy, rich, dark shades of indigo and blue along with such a fresh yellow I may just get to work - don't time me though! Isn't this quilt wonderful? This is also such a marvelous example of kaleidoscope work - another technique that is on my "want to do'" list. I can't believe that this technique has been around so long now and yet I have not made one for myself!

Below is the other quilt that I fell in love with from the same quilt artist -

so effective and so vibrant! It's perfect to my eyes!

I have a third section of the quilt show coming up and one post that is just some of the wonderful wearable art that was exhibited ...

Enjoy the eye candy and have a wonderful rest of your weekend ! We have been basking in sunshine and real, Spring-like temperatures in the afternoons. The birds are singing gloriously after the very brisk nights (it's been in the 30's at night - colder, almost,  than we had all Winter!) . It's music to my ears.  I am going to pick up "Smudge" on Wednesday - and am more and more excited about seeing her sweet blue eyed face around the house! I am hoping that Cleo - who is a spry 16 - will adapt well. Of course she was used to house full of fellow felines - so hopefully the transition will go fairly smoothly.