What to do???

I started picking the flowers off and am now debating removing the corn as well, it's flat and does nothing for me.  An option would be to hand couch some more yarns onto the piece to make it more dimensional... or maybe not.

More Frames

Raised panel frames 3x9 inches that John made for me for a new series.

A stack of deep faced frames for my textile work ready to recieve glass, bumpers/spacers, and artwork!

The master and his craft!

Coat number one of black stain now applied to the framing stock.

Framing Material

Frames in Progress

A new batch of deep faced frames for my textile pieces in progress.  So far the framing material has been cut out and sanded multiple times, now for the staining process, these will be black.  I'm truly blessed because my husband is willing to make these for me.

Office Update 021512

Well the computer is still on the fritz!  There are a couple of things that are not working in my favor and one of those is that my power supply, a whopping 650 watts and top of the line back is 2006, is now out of date and too small, I need a minimum of 850 watts to do what I'm doing. 

My fear was what am I going to do now???

 Hubs tells me tonight that the east bedroom, our guest bedroom, is on it's OWN circuit breaker and it's a whopping 20 AMPS!!! How lucky am I, well this does present a challenge because this means I'll be moving my office AND the guest bedroom.  The flip side is more cleaning and down sizing.

Today I spent the day power cleaning my studio, organizing, etc., and spent a whopping 60 minutes stitching.  Tomorrow it'll be more like three hours of stitching.

Photos tomorrow of what I'm not sure but you can be assured there will be photos.

Studio Update 021412

Drying rack now organized, the rest of the studio space through the arch.

Hutch put back together and my work area finally organized.

The second tray finally has paint!

The first tray with it's rather "organic" paint job.

Hutch Update 021212

Shelves are finished, as finished as they will get for the dead of winter, and installed!  Now to load them with the rest of my inks and paints.

Studio Update 021212

Waiting on one of the large shelves to finish drying before I start putting heavy items on it, waiting for paint to dry/cure can be torturous!  The two floral teapots on the top shelf belonged to my mother, they really pop against the verdant green color.

Crayola Twistable Crayons

I grew tired of digging them out of their little plastic containers so I put them in white hobb nail milk glass container I had sitting on a shelf, collecting dust of course. 

Pretty in Pink - Hat Detail

Computer Issues

I'm still having computer issues, and am using hubbies computer in the interim.  We are hoping to have the audio issues dealt with tomorrow, sounds simple but in fact this particular issue won't allow the computer to boot up properly.  In the mean time I'm getting LOADS of things done because I"m not on the computer, which makes this experience quite the eye opener!

Studio Time

Spending time in the studio stitching this afternoon, enjoying the sunlight streaming through my window.

Constructed Cloth Yo-Yo's

Silk throwster's waste made into a sheet of constructed cloth backed with a piece of my silk chiffon fabric that was compost dyed. I made the fabric in December and didn't get any further with the project, last night I was browsing through my flickr and was greatly inspired by Nellsembroidery constructed cloth Yo-yo's and thought I might try it with some of my own constructed cloth made from silk throwster's waste. They are wonderful!

I will be using these, and some that I'm manipulating, for a new canyonlands piece I'm working on.

Mark Making with Nature eBook Update

Mark Making with Nature eBook package NOW includes Getting Started with Natural Dyes.  Yes you can now own ALL four of my eBooks for one low price of $30.00!!!



Cat Creations

Thomas, the cat, got hold of one of my dried pomegrantes and apparently some wool fleece.  I found THIS creation at the bottom of the staircase busted open, gaping at me with all sorts of possibilities.  It's these sorts of happy accidents that make, my artistic life interesting.

Dinner 012912

Thinly sliced hot roast beef on a bun with some Maull's BBQ Sauce and fresh homemade cole slaw.

Roast Beef for Sandwiches

Tomato Hutch 012812

The shelves are a tomato red color, the back a tomato vine green, and the sides a tomato blossom yellowish color, so with that in mind I'm calling this my tomato hutch!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I had a serious craving for Pineapple Upside Down cake tonight, I handed John the recipe and he was off making it and with great joy!  He used the recipe at the Betty Crocker site and it was yummy!

WIP - Riding Out the Storm

WIP - Riding out the Storm - digital prints on silk organza fabric and stabilizer, machine stitched.  I'm working on finishing a pile of WIP's while contemplating my newest body of work.

Black Eyed Peas with Greens Soup

We had this last night, and tonight, served with pumpernickle bread.  Yummy and very satisfying during this cold snap.

Artist Date

It snowed, it's cold and slippery out, and we are down to one vehicle which John has at the moment so this weeks artist date was spent finding a cool container, in the house, to put my crayons in, and time spent coloring because... well I can!  Mindless fun at  it's finest.

Studio Redux 012012

the top portion needs to be finished, the edge of the top shelf needs to be painted black, and then we are ready to put the shelves back into the unit.

Crayons!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Frosted Window.

WIP - grumble grumble

WIP - starting somewhere, anywhere, am determined that I WILL produce completed works this year!

It's the Precious Things in Life

John and Thomas hanging out watching tv.  My uncle Gary, my dad's youngest sister's husband, passed away tonight at the young age of 56, the same age my mom was when she passed away in 2005.  He's one year younger than John, deaths of loved ones sure make you take a second look at what is the most precious in life, all else is just fluff or unnecessary stress.

Inspiration

Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge - Prairie Burn

Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge

From the road!  I finally remembered to take a photo from the road today, I'm not getting out as much as I used to since I no longer have a vehicle.  This was taken at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge, they were doing a prairie burn today, near Prairie City, Iowa.

Prairie Burn

Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge Prairie Burn

Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge

There's smoke off to the right, the DNR was doing a burn today.

Pen Organizer

In August John asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I told him a desk organizer for my pens, copic markers, gel pens, etc.  Well being married to a woodworker is a lot like being married to a cobbler, family always comes last, customers come first!  Any bets on how soon I'll get my christmas present???

My plan is to clear coat the inside with some polyurethane and paint the outside, I just haven't decided on which colors yet.

If you are interested in purchasing an organizer please send me and email and I'll shoot you an PayPal invoice, please allow three weeks for delivery.

Studio Update 010512

Emptied and ready for the shelves to be removed so that I can paint the bead board back a very lovely shade of fern green.  John has some repair work to do to the shelves, I'm hoping  to be able to load it up come Monday or Tuesday.  Until then...

I have a ton of stuff on both my work table and my drafting/drawing tables!  Working on some storage solutions, for all of the ink I seem to own, for the hutch.

Angels New Bed

polar fleece, poly fill, 24x30 inches

Angel's New Bed

Polar fleece filled with polyfil. 24x34 inches and designed to make a sheltie oh so happy!

Getting Started with Natural Dyeing

now available in my store

Getting Started with Natural Dyeing

I spent the day rewriting some old workshop notes on getting started with natural dyeing.  They are now available in my store for $1.99

Redid the studio last night, we moved my sewing table to the west side of the studio space where there was better lighting especially during the daytime, the east side of the studio has a cave like feeling.

Lots of lovely natural light!

Some natural dyed WIP's on my sewing table.