Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. Many Blessings and Good Health to All. May your dye pots overflow with beautiful colors, may your cloth be the envy of kings!!!

It's snowing here so I'm really excited tonight!!!

Kimberly

Newfoundland

Someone left me a comment, but I can't find it now, asking if I was from Newfoundland??? Actually my mother was from Cape St. George, Newfoundland Canada. She still has siblings that live there.

I lived there for a very brief time in the late 70's when my mother got a wild hair to leave my dad and moved back home. That didn't last long though, she went back because she missed my brother, who had chosen to stay in the states, and quite fiercely.

What I remember of it was the land was really rugged and lots of fog. My greatest experience was watching the whales with my aunt, and that the water was too cold to swim in, hey what did a little kid from Illinios know???

Would love to go back there someday. The closest thing that resembles NFLD here in this part of the country is the western shore of Lake Superior up nearest the Canadian border, lots of cliffs, rocks, water that is too cold to swim in and fog! Oh and did I mention pine trees?

Got Rocks?

What more could a girl want except a box of rocks??? Pipestone, Chert, and a Tabby Cat. Christmas is complete - well sorta.

Cookie Face

Well his name is actually Pepper but we also call him cookie face.

Sugar and Spice

And Tabby Cats with Mice.

Barley, aka the old man of the woods, woke me up at 5:11 this morning, actually Angel was the one that woke me up with her incessant barking. At first I thought someone was in the house but it turns out that Barley had a mouse cornered, and Angel - being the sheltie she is - was giving the warning sound that danger was eminent, for the mouse that is. Needless to say Barley ate the mouse as I was unable to get it away from him, he ate it head first of course so he was walking around with a mouse tail sticking out of his mouth, like it was a toothpick - that's my redneck cat. It's amazing how fast he can move for a 14 year old cat, I was pretty amazed, and considering he has no front claws he caught that mouse with no problems.

The Inspiration

Ok I did have the fabric first, it had been rust and compost dyed, but didn't know it's potential until Rick gave me this beautiful slab of green quartzite. Front and Back shots.

In Progress

Here's a half way in progress view.

Update

Green Quartzite front detail

Update

Green Quartzite piece in progress.

Backing Fabric

I found the perfect piece of fabric for my Green Quartzite piece, it's indigo dyed and looks as if there is a face on the fabric so I will probably be quilting it from the back side ;-) This will be a first for me, but hey there's a first time for everything.

In the spirit of keeping my sanity, I've given myself permission to quilt and stitch like a madd woman. I've come to the conclusion that working 16 hour days is not getting me anywhere in life, except older and with more regrets - so I am returning to my studio, even if it is only for a week.

More yummy fabric

Two pieces of silk fabric that were natural dye painted and rusted together in tandem. They are next on my list for finishing.

Red Stone Falls

This piece has been in progress for over a year now. I've been working on it mainly when I'm on the road traveling.

Green Quartzite - In progress

This piece is based on a piece of green quartzite rock that was given to me this fall. I had the fabric first, then came along the rock and WOW they could be twins. Anyway... Compost dyed, rust dyed cotton fabric. Now to find a piece of quilt batting and maybe I'll have her done by the morning. the piece is approximately 31 x 36 inches.

One sick kitty

Hopefully the vet will be available tomorrow morning. Aside from cleaning his ears I have yet to figure out what it is that's making Pepper so sick. He was fine yesterday, after I cleaned his ears. One of the perks of his being ill is he is very affectionate right now, but I have to admit I miss his spit fire spunkiness.

This is one siamese that came dressed as a tabby cat. As a general rule I don't like siamese cats, have had way too many bad experiences with them, so I tell everyone that God pulled one over on me when He gave me Pepper because he's a siamese dressed as a tabby! His mother was full siamese, and if you look at him in the correct light you can see his seal points. When he was a kitten I kept trying to wash the dirt off of his face, he was a farm cat rescue, turns out chocoalte seal points don't wash off but they have faded, and considerably so, over the past five years now.

He's definately a daddy's boy ;-) Here he is about half asleep, and purring very loudly, in John's arms.

Mark Making with Nature

Mark Making with Nature

Now $49.00 Reduced from $75.00
Now through December 31st, 2006

Over 2 hours of video workshop material on 4 discs.

Included is an additional CDROM with a 53-page book describing the techniques used in the video. This book is jam packed with color images demonstrated in the video.

Create unique marks on cloth using nature as your tool and inspiration.

Learn how to use Natural Dyes for:
Screenprinting
Monoprinting
Compost Dyeing
Dye Painting
Bound Resists and much, much more.

Rust and Clay Dyeing Book

Rust and Clay Dyeing Book with Video

Now $24.95 Reduced from $39.00
Now through December 31st!!!

PDF Book on CD-ROM with 4 embedded video clips demonstrating technqiues taught in the book.

Welcome to Hell

I have one half dead cat - and all of the local vets are closed until Monday, one completely dead computer (this is my main business computer I'm referring to with all of the order information on it) 37 orders that are Missing in Action via the USPS and tomorrow is Turkey Day.

Happy Holidays everyone!!! Here's hoping yours will be much better than mine. If I get my bathroom cleaned I'm going to take a long hot soak in the tub.

And this is why

I have to keep my studio cleaned and organized! I've spent the better part of four hours looking for a pile of a fat quarters to execute my new ideas with and cannot find them - anywhere!!!

I know sigh, take a deep breath and keep looking. Who knows where I put them at this point, I've looked everywhere for this pile of fabric - it's compost dyed fabric and the colors/patterns are to dye for, and I really wanted to use them in a project this afternoon. They must be hiding intentionally hoping for a better project in the future.

Xmas Exchange

This is what I recieved from Von Biggs for the Surfacing List Xmas Exchange. My camera just doesn't do his fabric justice~! There are two absolutely to die for silk scarves, a hank of yarn/fibers and two seperate pieces of fabric equalling a fat quarters worth of fabric, and a vial of glass beads.

I'm not used to this intense of a color palette, though it does remind me a lot of the sunsets here. Thank you so much Von!

I'm off to corral a tabby cat now.

Of Squirrels and Men

Ok this is more excitement than what I need in one day, let alone a week. I went to the attic with hubby to help install the newly created attic window - we have found that after a hundred years they start to fall out of the house.

Anyway... I hear some rustling behind me, I turn around, and there in one of the hanging wardrobes, envision plastic vinyle closet and you are there, and there is a squirrel looking at me. Well actually it was leaping towards me. It's amazing how fast a person with bad knees can move when a rodent is flying at you! I moved it hit the newly installed window and proceeded to bounce everywhere in the attic. I screamed and fled the attic. Feed me fish head stew anyday but squirrel wrangling and I'm outta here.

So as I speak the neighbor is up in the attic helping hubby to chase said squirrel out of our attic. And what a ruckus they are making.

More Shelves

Hubby put up more shelves for me today, his perk is his woodworking books will now get to live in my library, where he can actually find them!

Of Men and Fish Head Stew

Or of Mice, Men and Chicken Feet Soup, either way I grossed my husband out to no end. My mother used to make fish head stew for us kids when we were little, and guessie what I've got cooking up right now! Yep fish head stew!

Anyway hubby was even further grossed out when he found out what chondroitan was really made of, various collagen bearing parts of chickens, cows, pigs and whatever else they can get their hands on. I'm thinking making chicken feet soup is a lot better, blanch the feet and peel the skin off first and then boil up with onion and garlic. Or turtle soup, boiled down until coagulating, to get the same exact affects, and at least you know where your collegan came from!

In Progress

Compost Dyed Cloth that I monoprinted over the top, it's long and tedious but well worth the effort. Fabric is Silk Charmuse, approximately 54" wide by 72" long. Yet another topic covered in the Mark Making with Nature DVD.

Ghost Ship

I created this piece specifically for the DVD Mark Making with Nature: Surface Design with Natural Dyes

Beads

10/0 Medium Green - partial pattern on strike-a-light bag

10/0 Dusty Purple and a Federal Blue (shiny pearl medium blue in the middle)

10/0 Deep rusty purple or a maroon color - I'm not sure if they are a dark rust, chocolate with a hint of purple, burgandy or what.

More Storage

My beloved hubby is putting more shelves up for me, I'm so excited~! This is my design studio, I'm finally going to have a place to put the rest of my books, aside from my studio floor. I'd take a pic but don't have my camera handy and I don't know how to retrieve images off of my cell phone so I will have to post pics later.

One of those weeks

Ok so it's going to be one of those weeks! I've felt like I have been wading through a heavy fog all day, after being up sick as a dog last night, now hubby is very ill, same symptoms yada yada yada. So I guess that makes it official we have a bug of some sorts. I actually got a lot done today, shipped out a bunch of orders and the like but this heavy icky feeling could go away and I'd be all the happier. I did get the chicken veggie soup fixed for dinner, maybe this will help push it through our systems faster.

Maybe the picture will post tonight, I tried last night but blogger wasn't cooperating. Here's a pic I took of the leaves a few weeks ago.

One of those days

I seem to have misplaced some fabrics, a HUGE pile of fabrics I might add. This is really frustrating as I was planning on using these fabrics in my classes as examples, they will pushed even further surface design wise.

In other news the weather changed here, the temperature dropped about 30 degrees in an hour, the wind is blowing a good 30+ mph hour now making my allergies scream. More later from the studio front.

So aside from the above I got to sleep sometime after four o'clock this morning. The city in it's infinite wisdom decided it needed to work on the sewer last night, starting sometime around 10is pm, right outside our front door. The equipment they used was noisy, and this is an understatement. Couple that with the weimeraner being very ill with an infected dew claw, I didn't sleep a wink. The dog is doing better, good enough to be tearing at her bandages. I have to go out and get some bitter apple to put on the bandage to keep her off of it for another day.

Embroidery

There's a part of me that thinks I should do something with that piece that is on the frame first, but if I do it needs some paint, foil, possibly some dye and other surface design BEFORE it is stitched. Even then it may look different than the original. The fabric was already attached to the frame so I have to deal with that before I can put my fabric for beadwork onto the frame.

Embroidery frame of sorts

The back, the front and a closeup. I've been told that this may work very well for beadwork, if so then I have another one in the attic that came with the husband when we got married. I don't know if I will use that one or not as it's an antique. His former MIL had all sorts of interesting textile tools.

Rust Dyeing a Primer

You can purchase the book with complete details here Rust and Clay Dyeing Book

Rust dyeing is a surface design method that adds dimension to your fabrics and fibers. I use the technique predominately on cotton or silk fabrics. Natural fibers take the rust colors better than synthetic fibers.

You can rust dye onto commercially dyed and/or printed fabrics. However, fabrics dyed using synthetic dyes, or those dyed with natural dyes take rust dyeing best as they usually do not have anti-stain coatings on them. When applying rusty objects to naturally dyed fabrics the colors will change. Iron, i.e. rust, is a modifier and is used as a mordant with natural dyes. Modifiers change the existing color via shifts in the pH levels. An example would be hibiscus or cochineal, each yield a red color, when you add iron they shift from red to purple. A minute amount causes this color change.

You can place rusty objects next to wet fabric and acquire rust patterning over time. However, vinegar will speed up the rusting process, it aids in breaking the rust particles free from the object that is rusting. Rusting occurs normally due to oxidation, i.e. contact with the air. Be patient. Rust dyeing with water takes about a week. Using vinegar produces color in less time usually twenty-four hours.

I use straight vinegar and all sorts of rusty objects to acquire my rust dyed patterns. Old nails and wire work well for this technique. Wire can be used for bound resist techniques, especially when wrapping the fabric around a rusty pipe. Or you can simply lay the wire in a loose pattern on the fabric and rust it in that manner.

Pole wrapping and bound resist techniques work well with rust dyeing. Simply wrap your vinegar-saturated fabric around a rusty pole, being careful not to tear the fabric, scrunch and otherwise manipulate the fabric to created patterning.

You can sprinkle iron mordant or iron shavings onto your fabric for other patterning. Iron mordant is preferable to shavings. Shavings are often sharp things that can cut you or the fabric. Metal shavings may be coated in machinery oil which would put unwanted stains onto the fabric.

If you like your rusty pieces and want to push the rust dyeing technique further, rinse the fabric and neutralize it in salt water, rinse it again and then rust the fabric once more. This will help prevent the fabric from rotting through.

Natural rust is an iron oxide. It comes in about ten or more natural colors depending on what it is in the neighboring the iron ore. Wear gloves and a mask when working with it. Iron in this form wants to bind with your hemoglobin blocking all available sites for oxygen, ask me how I know. You can become gravely ill from too much contact with raw iron products. In addition, tolerance to raw iron varies with each person.

You can mix a small amount natural rust with water, I generally use one teaspoon rust to one cup liquid, or with soy milk to paint fabric. Stir well. Let it sit for 24 hours to ensure that all of the color will dissolve. Then apply the rust solution to the fabric. Use a old brush you can dedicate to this kind of project. Natural bristle brushes work best with this technique allowing the liquid to wick up the bristles and not leave a mess on your fabric. Cure the fabric dry for 24 hours. Rinse and neutralize your fabric in a saltwater solution.

When using the rust technique if you want the process to stop you need to neutralize it with a salt-water solution. Dissolve about 1/4 cup salt into four gallons of hot water. I do this in a five-gallon bucket. Soak your fabric in the salt water about fifteen minutes. Wash the fabric using a non-phosphorous soap or a mild color free shampoo.

I teach workshops on rust dyeing, several workshops on natural dyeing and several for clay/pigment dyeing

Mark Making with Nature DVD

Mark Making with Nature is done and is shipping!!! The DVD is available on my webstore and is currently 40% off.

Natural Dye Topics covered:
Painting
Monoprinting
Bound Resist
Screenprinting
Stamping & Other Resists
Mixed Techniques & More

The DVD is not as detailed as the online classes - many of you have asked me this question - This is a wonderful introduction into the world of surface design with natural dyes, creating art cloth with unique marks utilizing nature.

Over one hour of techniques, and a supplemental PDF file with tips and helps.

And if I can ever figure it out I will put a blurb from the video onto my blog.

Mark Making with Nature DVD

Mark Making with Nature: Surface Design with Natural Dyes - DVD


It's Done! It's Done! It's Done!!!

This has been a steep learning curve for me, technology wise, but was well worth the effort! I'm hoping to have a video clip uploaded to my blog and to my websites later today, another steep learning curve. The reality is it will most likely happen tomorrow as I'm still sitting here burning DVD's.

Topics Covered in the DVD are:

Screenprinting with Natural Dyes

Monoprinting with Natural Dyes

Bound Resist with Natural Dyes

Alternative Resists

Stamping and much much more

Also included with the video is a PDF Booklet (100+ pages) on tips and instructions scouring and mordanting fabrics, making the binders, properly curing your fabrics and much more.

Rust Dyeing

Rust and Clay Dyeing Book The book has 4 embedded video clips and complete instructions on how to dye with rust and rusty objects.

Updates

We have been very ill with that headcold crud that's been going around. I'm pretty thankful as I haven't had the fever like my hubby has. He's missed two days this week now, and my not go to work tomorrow if he doesn't shake this fever.

I have chosen not to do anything too technical, basically been sleeping a lot and doing some beading. More later from the homefront.

Bead Challenge Piece - In Progress

this is my challenge piece I am making, currently in progress, we are supposed to ues a color we don't like, mine is yellow. I think it's also supposed to have 4 colors, not sure on that one yet. Check it out here at Beading with Heart

Pantry Links

Some Links to get you started:

Essentials for your pantry

Stock a Basic Pantry

Must Haves

Buying in Bulk

Three Month Pantry

Now this doesn't have to break the bank. Unless of course you are the proud parents of 4 or more boys that eat like horses. I'm going to go with what I know best, a two member family, as it's just me and my hubby - who eats like a growing horse, and our four pets. I'm also basing my pantry on where I live - middle Iowa - so I don't have hurricanes to worry about. But we do have F5 tornadoes, massive floods, and some kick butt earth quakes from time to time.

When I got married my best friend, who is Mormon btw and whom any offspring we have will be left to, told me how to stock a pantry. It's very simple. Everytime you go to the store to get a can of corn, buy two. If the corn is on sale 4 for a dollar then buy four cans.

Something is wrong with the dsl so I'll will have to come back to this later.

Winter Survival at Home in a Blizzard

Hubby and I have discussed this, the only thing we don't have is a generator - someday. We are also sorta stuck because we don't have a fire place or a wood stove, we would like to move and live someplace were we can have the wood stove, if not two of them. We may be able to install one on the second story of our house, ideally we would like one that lives outside of the house and the heat is pumped in. We'd also like to be off grid with solar/wind enegery and a ground pump for heat. We do have a kerosene heater and a propane heater, both varities that are designed to be used in living quarters - or so they say - but they are only good as long as the fuel lasts and then too bad.

Ideal situation that demands survival sitaution: Mind you we both grew up in the country and there are times when a person just can't get to town. But if the blizzard/ice storm is bad enough then even townies will need this stuff.

Generator and fuel for electricity - to power the furnace and major appliances.
Note TV and Computers don't count as major appliances.
Source of Heat if you don't have the above and don't have electricity
Lighting - flashlights and fresh batteries. We prefer oil lamps to candles and have a few that mount to the walls making them pet friendly!

Food: You should always have enough food and water for every member of your family - including pets - for a minimum of three weeks - I'm thinking the ice storm of '78 here, and preferably 3 months. We could survive three months, would need water source, but anything beyond that is a crap shoot.

Water - You would be amazed at how much water you use, turn the water to the house off for a day and then note the number of times you need to flush or wash your hands and this doesn't even include drinking water. And I have noticed the pets seem to need more water when it has been shut off - twice this summer when the city put new water mains in.

Winter Survival Gear - A Partial Listing

This was being discussed on a list I'm on so I thought I'd post part of my list here. This is obviously going to vary depending on the part of the country you live in. NOTE: I own a truck w/topper and I'm a military brat so I am programmed, by my dad who was insistant on teaching us winter survival skills, to be prepared for every possible situation.

I also live in Iowa and my most likely winter survival situation involves being stuck in a ditch someplace, Lord willing my vehicle is not in water, upside down, and/or not on fire!

It can get dangerously cold here (Windchills of -60F or greater which can freeze you to death in minutes) in the winter. If your vehicle is trapped in snow STAY with your vehicle it makes for a much bigger target when searching in the snow! And buy a car color other than white for Pete's sake!

So that being said here's my list: (And if you are good little kiddies I'll take pics of it for you later)

TOOLS (The big Stuff for your vehicle):
Shovels - two differnt species: large scoop shovel and a flat blade shovel (Make sure the handle length is appropriate for YOU and this will make shoveling easier and faster producing the least amount of sweat).
Ice Scrapers and Snow scrapers
Tow Chain/Strap - A TOW CHAIN because someone like me might come along and can pull you out of the ditch!
Chains for your tires
Kitty Litter/Sand for those slick icy situations that don't require a tow chain/truck
Spare Tire, and tire changing tools - you know this should probably go without saying but you should ALWAYS have a spare tire in your vehicle - I carry two, for my truck, in the winter and 6 when I'm pulling my tandem trailor!
Hammer, Screw Drivers, Ratchet Set, Wrenches, Channel locks, Vise grips (all in a small tool bag) -whats that you don't know how to work on your vehicle - well someone may come along and can fix it for your if you have tools!
Jumper cables - Make sure you have a new battery for your vehicle every few years.
Flashlights with fresh batteries
Flares/Emergency placards you put on the ground
Oil - 6 quarts and this one comes from personal experience
Antifreeze
5 Gallons of Gas - If I'm going on a really long trip and I'm not sure about the area, better safe than frozen to death!

NOTE: Most folks end up stranded because they have run out of gas - so fuel up before you head out.

CLOTHING:
Thin wool Hat and Gloves
Insulated wool Mittens that fit over thin wool gloves
Sheepskin bomber style hat that fits over wool hat
Down Parka with hood
Thin wool sweater
Down vest
Thin winter coat that fits over sweater and under the vest and under the parka
Carhart overalls - the insulated variety
wool long johns
wool scarf
Wool Socks a thin pair and a thick pair to go over the thin ones
Boots rated to -40F
Cleats (boot cleats) for walking on ice - you'll have to go to the bathroom eventually

Wool removes moisture from your body and doesn't allow it to freeze on your skin. Cotton and other fibers promote hypothermia!!! Wet and cold equals a quick death if one is not careful. In extreme colds a lot of the fashion fibers will actually break and they can catch on fire easily - nylon being one of those fibers that burns easily. Wool doesn't burn so easily.

FOOD:
Peanut butter crackers - well if you are allergic to peanunts then substitute accordingly - can be bought in bulk at Wal Mart for very little money
Snickers Bars
Beef Jerkey or those sausage rolls
Gatorade

Extreme cold means you burn a LOT of calories protien is the way to go!

If I'm traveling with my dog I put a bit of kibble in the truck for her as well.

TP (Ok not food but I'm including it here anyway)
Handwipes - well you know, do I really have to explain???
Charger for cell phone - might be wishful thinking here but it can't hurt.

TOOLS: The necssary stuff!!!
Gerber multi tool (tis what I have)
Big knife (not sure what the brand name is)
Trowel/small hand shovel - for bathroom breaks (see TP above)
water proof and wind proof matches
instant light mini logs - if you need to make a fire
Those pocket/glove/boot heaters in the sporting goods section

Down Sleeping Bag rated to a minimum of 0F -40F would be better and is attainable with a down insert (Mine is Mountain Hardware)
4 Season Tent designed to withstand high winds (Mine is a Mountain Hardware)
the tent is in case you have to leave the vehicle!
2 wool blankets

Other TOOLS/SURVIVAL GEAR:
MSR Stove and Fuel Bottle
Water purifier (I think mine is a MSR) & tablets - btw ditch water isn't all that yummy
small pot for melting or boiling water
Head Lamp (Flashlight on a strap that you can put on your head) these are great when you need to change that flat tire in the middle of the night.
Fishing pole and small tackle box, small hand net
Edible plant book (small pocket variety)
Walking Stick with pointy end - gives you extra balance on the ice

FIRST AID KIT
plenty of band aids & butterfly bandages.
Kotex (heavy duty pads) - can be used to absorb blood from major wounds (lets say your hunting and get hurt and then end up stranded due to an injury) each heavy pad holds approximately a half pint of blood and this lets emergency personnel know how badly you are bleeding!
Styptic pen (men use those for shaving) stops bleeding on small wounds.
Scissors
Tweezers
Small mirror

I'm sure I will add to this later on - it's time to go winterize my truck as we went from summer like temps to winter like temps in a heart beat.

Winter Survival Gear - A Partial List

This was being discussed on a list I'm on so I thought I'd post part of my list here. This is obviously going to vary depending on the part of the country you live in. NOTE: I own a truck w/topper and I'm a military brat so I am programmed, by my dad who was insistant on teaching us winter survival skills, to be prepared for every possible situation.

I also live in Iowa and my most likely winter survival situation involves being stuck in a ditch someplace, Lord willing my vehicle is not in water, upside down, and/or not on fire!

It can get dangerously cold here (Windchills of -60F or greater which can freeze you to death in minutes) in the winter. If your vehicle is trapped in snow STAY with your vehicle it makes for a much bigger target when searching in the snow! And buy a car color other than white for Pete's sake!

So that being said here's my list: (And if you are good little kiddies I'll take pics of it for you later)

TOOLS (The big Stuff for your vehicle):
Shovels - two differnt species: large scoop shovel and a flat blade shovel (Make sure the handle length is appropriate for YOU and this will make shoveling easier and faster producing the least amount of sweat).
Ice Scrapers and Snow scrapers
Tow Chain/Strap - A TOW CHAIN because someone like me might come along and can pull you out of the ditch!
Chains for your tires
Kitty Litter/Sand for those slick icy situations that don't require a tow chain/truck
Spare Tire, and tire changing tools - you know this should probably go without saying but you should ALWAYS have a spare tire in your vehicle - I carry two, for my truck, in the winter and 6 when I'm pulling my tandem trailor!
Hammer, Screw Drivers, Ratchet Set, Wrenches, Channel locks, Vise grips (all in a small tool bag) -whats that you don't know how to work on your vehicle - well someone may come along and can fix it for your if you have tools!
Jumper cables - Make sure you have a new battery for your vehicle every few years.
Flashlights with fresh batteries
Flares/Emergency placards you put on the ground
Oil - 6 quarts and this one comes from personal experience
Antifreeze
5 Gallons of Gas - If I'm going on a really long trip and I'm not sure about the area, better safe than frozen to death!

NOTE: Most folks end up stranded because they have run out of gas - so fuel up before you head out.

CLOTHING:
Thin wool Hat and Gloves
Insulated wool Mittens that fit over thin wool gloves
Sheepskin bomber style hat that fits over wool hat
Down Parka with hood
Thin wool sweater
Down vest
Thin winter coat that fits over sweater and under the vest and under the parka
Carhart overalls - the insulated variety
wool long johns
wool scarf
Wool Socks a thin pair and a thick pair to go over the thin ones
Boots rated to -40F
Cleats (boot cleats) for walking on ice - you'll have to go to the bathroom eventually

Wool removes moisture from your body and doesn't allow it to freeze on your skin. Cotton and other fibers promote hypothermia!!! Wet and cold equals a quick death if one is not careful. In extreme colds a lot of the fashion fibers will actually break and they can catch on fire easily - nylon being one of those fibers that burns easily. Wool doesn't burn so easily.

FOOD:
Peanut butter crackers - well if you are allergic to peanunts then substitute accordingly - can be bought in bulk at Wal Mart for very little money
Snickers Bars
Beef Jerkey or those sausage rolls
Gatorade

Extreme cold means you burn a LOT of calories protien is the way to go!

If I'm traveling with my dog I put a bit of kibble in the truck for her as well.

TP (Ok not food but I'm including it here anyway)
Handwipes - well you know, do I really have to explain???
Charger for cell phone - might be wishful thinking here but it can't hurt.

TOOLS: The necssary stuff!!!
Gerber multi tool (tis what I have)
Big knife (not sure what the brand name is)
Trowel/small hand shovel - for bathroom breaks (see TP above)
water proof and wind proof matches
instant light mini logs - if you need to make a fire
Those pocket/glove/boot heaters in the sporting goods section

Down Sleeping Bag rated to a minimum of 0F -40F would be better and is attainable with a down insert (Mine is Mountain Hardware)
4 Season Tent designed to withstand high winds (Mine is a Mountain Hardware)
the tent is in case you have to leave the vehicle!
2 wool blankets

Other TOOLS/SURVIVAL GEAR:
MSR Stove and Fuel Bottle
Water purifier (I think mine is a MSR) & tablets - btw ditch water isn't all that yummy
small pot for melting or boiling water
Head Lamp (Flashlight on a strap that you can put on your head) these are great when you need to change that flat tire in the middle of the night.
Fishing pole and small tackle box, small hand net
Edible plant book (small pocket variety)
Walking Stick with pointy end - gives you extra balance on the ice

FIRST AID KIT
plenty of band aids & butterfly bandages.
Kotex (heavy duty pads) - can be used to absorb blood from major wounds (lets say your hunting and get hurt and then end up stranded due to an injury) each heavy pad holds approximately a half pint of blood and this lets emergency personnel know how badly you are bleeding!
Styptic pen (men use those for shaving) stops bleeding on small wounds.
Scissors
Tweezers
Small mirror

I'm sure I will add to this later on - it's time to go winterize my truck as we went from summer like temps to winter like temps in a heart beat.

More Studio Disaster Pics

Now you can see what my stubborn little sheltie dog did to my studio floor! She refuses to be house broken!

Studio Clean Up

It's in progress! This is what I've been doing in between DVD burns and video editing bouts - cleaning the studio. I've ignored far too long now, to the point that I can't get to anything. I'm also purging a lot of junk that has accumlated - giving me a lot more floor space. The next room to get this treatment is the east bedroom, that room I'm turning into my loom room! My two Navajo style looms and my Leclerc floor loom will live in there, along with the spinning wheel and all of my spinning supplies. The Navajo looms are home-made jobs from plans I found on the internet but they work really well for the task at hand. I'm also putting my beadweaving looms in there, I'm hoping to start using the one my dad made for my mom by christmas.

Winter is Coming!!!

Count me as odd but I love this time of year, it'll be warm again this weekend, but it's COLD outside!!! The only thing that would make this weather perfect is snow!

I brought in the last of the chili peppers, tomatoes, and the basil. My hands smell wonderful now. We didn't have much in the way of ripe tomatoes this year so what I have is green and I have plans to fry them up - yummy. For dinner tonight I am making chicken vegetable soup.

Here's a pic of the boys, they think it's really cold out but what do they know??? Pepper has taken to sleeping in this basket, and Barley aka old man of the woods has found himself a pile of wool blankies to sleep on. He is old and cranky and about a month ago has taken to sleeping under the blankets with me, I'm assuming it's to keep his boney old hide warm.

Finished?

Well this is what I do when I'm up late, unable to sleep but too tired to do anything else. Natural Dyed Silk Cocoons, Ink and Natural Dyed Silk Dupioni, Shiva Paintstiks, Machine Stitched. Approximately 8.5 x 11 inches. I think I might put it up on my Etsy.com store for sale - see link in the side bar.

Artist Ruck Sack

Here's a pic of my traveling art supplies. I have a small cosmetics bag filled with several brands of watercolor pencils (I once had one of those kits but have been replacing the colors one-by-one and buy what I can find locally), Dewert Graphitint Pencils, a few drawing pencils, and some erasers. In the main bag I carry a small jar of water, with screw on lid, brushes, technical pens and my water color palette, the portable one, and last but not least my Paperchase journal. For watercolor in my journal I back the page I'm painting onto with waxed paper.

Sometimes I even take my box of Caran d' Ache crayons with me into the field, I have the big box of 60 Neoart Aquarelle's (these are very creamy) and the big box of 84 Neocolor II. I typically take these when I'm going to be very close to my vehicle, or inside of it like when I go to the prairie to draw and paint the buffalo.

And of course I have my digital camera with me, you never know when an opportunitiy will arise.

Yoga

Ok I'm part way into this dvd, I thought I'd watch it first you know for safety purposes - right. Anyway I gotta tell you a lot of these stretches look a lot like the ones we did in PE back in high school.

Fall is Here

In the northern hemisphere (my part of the world is Iowa) the leaves are now falling from the trees, some colors are spectacular, most are quite muddy this year. The trees are heavily laden with seeds and fruit, in preparation for next summer.

This is an excellent time to go out and photograph nature. Digital cameras are a great tool for this, and can be had for very little money now, as you can see the image immediately and delete any unwanted images.

During the fall I look for patterns, noting the way the leaves have fallen from the trees, how they are interlaced with blades of green grasses.

Going out after a rain storm can also yeild many beautiful images as this is a prime time to capture rain drops laying on leaves, some have formed puddles in the folds of the leaves, others are simply sittng there as if carefully placed there for good keeping.

Because the leaves are falling from the trees the patterning of the bark can be seen in all it's glory. Experiment with photographing the bark at different hours of the day and in different conditions, a cloudy foggy day as opposed to a bright clear day.

I also enjoy photographing the fields, after they have been harvested. Pattern dominates everywhere in the countryside on both a macro and mircoscopic scale. Don't be afraid to get down on the ground and look at the base of the plants themselves.

In addition to my digital camera I take my sketchbook and watercolor pencils into the field with me. I also have a portable watercolor tray that I take along. I keep all of this in a small ruck sack I bought, but have found a small toiletries bag also works well.

- Kimberly

Yoga Yoga

I checked out a dvd from the library called Yoga Conditioning for Weightloss. They use real sized women in this video! I need to get a yoga strap, I t hought it was just for tying up the matt. Oh well. I'm not sure how long the strap is I may be able to sew one up if I had the dimensions.

More later from the land of breathe and stretch.

Wild Sage

Here is about 20 pounds of the wild stuff, Spirit Bro' Chris brought me this from Wyoming. I hear tell that his wife was really happy to get rid of the stuff as she is very allergic. I made a bang up greenish color with it in an old iron pot at Beaver Creek '06.


My vat is now fermenting away outside, I'll have to bring it in before it freezes so the pot won't crack. Sage doesn't get that slimy smell to it, it's one of it's better qualities. The yarn would be darker if the sage had been allowed to sit in the pot for several days, instead this is the color you get after a few hours.