So here’s the book I’ve been waiting for!  It came earlier this week and I’ve been devouring it, loving the projects and crying over the need that exists.  It’s Quilting For Peace, a book that features loving charities across the globe and the sew -with-love projects that can benefit them.

My initial thoughts were of the where to begin variety when, as usual, Claire shows up with an answer to a prayer she didn’t even know was out there.   There will be a Sacto Area craft fair/indie tunes show on Friday, Feb 5th to benefit Haitian orphanages through H.E.L.P or Help End Local Poverty.  Ten percent of sales will go to this organization.  There’s not any press out yet that I can see, but as soon as it emerges, I will post it.  Leave me a comment if you’d like me to send you the details when I get them.

Everything I have to offer with end up here at this show.  I’m going over every piece to see that’s they are ready and that my pricing for this event entices buyers while still making money for the organization.  What this means is keep an eye on the stores (in the side bar) as specially marked items will reflect this event, the price changes and how it will help.

Outside the world is busy blowing itself to bits and I’m enjoying my portion of warm inside before I have to get out in it.

I have recently hopped on the patchwork bandwagon and have been brushing up on my piecing skills.  It seems crafters everywhere have discovered quilting, but I’ve stayed away.  Piecing and quilting used to be the things I practiced, the practice I worked at a lot to perfect my stitches and keep me out of mom’s hair.  There was no “Bend the Rules” or “Stack and Whack.”  There was a small piece of shirt board, cut into your shape.  Trace, cut, trace, cut.  Piecework was that thing I practiced, got ok at and immediately abandoned for rough stitch applique!

(Note: Hey folks, you know why it’s against your city ordinance to have one of those stupid basketball hoops in the street?  It’s because wind like this knocks them down and cars drive into them.  Guess whose homeowners insurance pays for that, genius.)

Sorry, just an observation from the sofa.

All this new interest in patchwork (and the brilliant new techniques that come with) has caught my eye and warmed my heart a bit.  I have brought out my scraps and I’m seeing what I can do.  These  pot holders won’t be leaving my kitchen, but were sure fun to make.

Practice doesn’t seem like such a chore, now.

In other news, Lookie what my girls brought me!

Maybe you had family game night as a child, we had Poetry Night, where over peppermint tea and gingersnaps, we would take turns reading our favorite poems to each other.  One of my favs back then was Custard the Dragon.  There was something hilarious about rhyming irate with pyrate!

There he is now!

But have no fear, Custard will save the day, then cry for the safety of his cage.  Always be yourself, and folks will know the real you!

Thank you, girls, I love it.

Man we are overjoyed with the blue skies around here!  Get outside, push up those sleeves and FROLIC!  So, there’s little posting time.  I did manage to put together these little blankies for the preschool munchkins from some of my stash.  All the baby dolls were stylishly wrapped up in them yesterday.

Speaking of stash, Mom asked what my stash plans were.  Right now, I am cutting it into charm squares and 2 1/2 inch strips.  And I chucking the left overs.

This is my fabric.  It’s all my cottons and quilting scraps, already separated from all the other textiles I’ve accumulated.  The table creaking below it is 4×6 and the piles reach 2 ft high in some places.  I must do some de-stash work.  De-stashing was actually my resolution last year, but I have only added.

This pile has already been sorted by color and since I snapped this photo; I have divided it further into fabric I really like and stuff that is cute, but doesn’t exactly ring my chimes.  I bagged up the  ‘not so much’ piles (about half)  and they are ready to do some good in the world.  I have a book coming soon and we’ll talk about that when it arrives.

Here’s my first de-stash project.  These coasters are wonky and didn’t use a whole heck of a lot of fabric, but my desk appreciates them!

“Words can never make up for what you do.” (Likke Li)

Screen Saver Pot Holder

and Ray Gun

These new potholders just felt cool and modern to make in the new year.  I like the way the quilting looks a bit like red work.  The ’space age’ design is meant to show off bits and pieces of the new MoMo ‘Wonderland’ fabric I bought.  They came out super square, but just try telling that to my clothesline or the early breeze!

I believe in my first ever post I made the comment that I have ‘no constancy of thought.’  So true.  I don’t know why I can’t just make a choice a nd stick with it.  I just have to learn by experience I guess.

All set to simplify further by slinking this blog back itnto an older one I realize I really like the way this is set up.  I like coming to my homepage and using my links and I like the way my shops are highlighted.  So, when my domain name runs out and this is http://creativestudioarts.wordpress.com again, I just hope people can find it!

My domain name for this blog is running out soon, and I won’t be renewing it.  I’ll be integrating all this back into my older blog, Things are Lovely.  It’s all part of the simplification that’s going on around here.  Soon, I should be down to this, one store, a facebook and my poor abandoned flickr.

Bookmark the go to page for future reference, eh?

Luv-luv.

And poof!  November is gone.  All my plans to Make Art Every Day just sort of fell apart. What I found though is that even when I wasn’t actively in my studio, my mind was constantly focused on “being” more artfully engaged.

In my cleaning, my cooking, when I doodled or played with children, my head was always wrapped around the idea that other artists everywhere were thinking creatively whether or not they had time to act on their thoughts.

All this focus shifting helped me sort out some stuff I’ve been dealing with.  It seems that all the time I’m focused on consistent production in the studio, I’m more automated in the rest of my life.  Before my complete attention when to creating, everything I worked on held that extra glow of being lovingly care for.  I find myself now slapdashing through moments I ought to be more single-minded about.  In the month of November I really noticed how much I miss that.

What brought me to a halt was the “bits and pieces” project I began for the Glitter and Grunge Design Team.  I wanted to create a piece that really reflected bits of my life, but when I started it became all too clear.  I had no useful ‘life’ to focus on.

So I just froze up and could do nothing for a couple of days.  Faced with a dead-line, I finally a mess of supplies together and pushed my mind out of the way.  What I spontaneously created floored me.  Each 2×2 inch piece depicted a part of my life I really missed focusing on.

Reading, thinking, prayer, time with my husband and daughters.  All this poured out (and thankfully coordinated!) and I was quickly at a place where I could photograph the collage.  Exhausted, I hung the incomplete work on my wall to look at and meditate on and begin to focus on these forgotten bits of home, family and community.

So where am I?  I’m baking.  I’ve picked up my Rosary.  I’m taking my time with the Christmas decor.  I’ve even completed my final Challenge for Glitter and Grunge.  It’s something just for my own house.

“Let There Be Light” is assembled from cards and envelopes,  simple tools people use to communicate.  It is a love letter to myself.  My wish, my prayer and my new focus for the New Year.  Soon to be shining from my home, my business and my social network…

It only takes one sneeze, right?  then it’s all over.  All that lovely art becomes the simple effort of making yourself not look terrifying when ya go outside.  Then there’s the art of “not letting this become a flu – or pneumonia.”  Sheesh.  Which is to say that I have significantly dropped the ball on a whole bunch of stuff.  Most noticeably, the whole taking photos part of things.   Yeah.

I’m coming back, I promise, give me one more day, k?

And take care of yourselves, because no one wants you sick.

And if you get sick, wash your hands because, Dude, no one wants your germies.

xoxo.

Art Every Day Month

Sunday

Sunday Nov 8: Taking a day of much needed rest, I looked around for something I had already created but not really ever seen as ART.  This swatch collection has hung on my wall for some time and only Sunday did I really look at the layering of it.  The Service slip for a diner, with sketches of friars and nuns under bits of fabric I hope to create them with.  Like seeds in a garden, these scraps hold lots of potential.

monday

Monday: Cold and craving some serious nutrition, I put together this soup of butternut squash, rainbow chard and garbanzo beans with rosemary from my garden.  Mmmm, it was a hippie dream!

tuesday

Tuesday Nov, 10: Sketches.  I’m pondering a new direction that a bit bigger than anything I do.  I’m feel uncertain about time and expense, but this brainstorming session helped me gain some confidence.  Go me.

wednesdayWednesday, Nov 11:  Scott and Shannon are Lovebirds.  It’s true!  This is a 2×2 inch part of a larger project.

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