Progress on Placemats & Dear Jane....

I'm still working on these placemats. I finally got them pieced, and now I'm adding some outline stitching to the center panel -- through the leaves, around the crows and maybe outlining the flowers. I dug out my Embroidery Stitch Bible which is the greatest little book with step by step illustrations as to how to execute each stitch. I find that I am enjoying the process of stitching these little details very much. I would like to do more of that. Once I finish stitching in some detail, I will back these, do a little outline quilting, bind them and then they'll be finished and off to their new home.

I have NOT been diligently working on Dear Jane as I find these tiny blocks a bit err, uh ..........

.

.

F R U S T R A T I N G! I do resolve to keep plugging away at them though -- because I do need to learn to ACCURATELY piece (as is evidenced by these horridly crooked blocks!!) so I am looking at this as a learning experience. I am trying to do at least 2 blocks (or more per week). Once school is out and Sabrina starts tennis over the summer, it will be great because I can bring a few with me and work on them at the court. Anyone else currently working on a Dear Jane??

On a Smaller Note....

I've gotten away from doing small stuff lately, but every once in a while it's fun to whip out a post card or two, or three, or four......

Doesn't This DOG Have Anything Better to Do????

I guess the reality of the situation is that Gizmo is probably wondering, "Doesn't this woman have anything better to do than chase me around the house and yard all day with a camera?"

Geeze - Get a Life!

Finally, time to PLAY! and a Mother's Day Surprise....

After a bit of a hiatus -- we are returning to the workroom as it's girl's weekend - once again - we have the house to ourselves for THREE WHOLE DAYS. The sewing machine is fired up, the paints, pencils and pens came out of hiding and we're gettin' busy. Sabrina is in school today so I'm working on a project that I've had lying around for a while - some placemats and a table runner (a gift for someone?!?!?!?) I'm not a fan of "pieced" placemats so I found this nice little example and have
modified it to suit my needs. Instead of fall colors and a pumpkin, I'm using a folk art crow/flower print for the center, complementing colors for the edges and am going to use a floral print for the backing so they are reversible. "Piecing" is not my forte' however I am enjoying the designing process along with combining colors and patterns. I'm using commercial prints, hand dies, tea dyed (that I dyed myself) and some really cool homespuns I bought when we went to Schoolhouse Fabrics after visiting the Mountain Comforts Quilt show a while back in Virginia. I should have these done by the end of the weekend and will post more pictures.

A Wonderful Mother's Day Surprise....
Finally, I just had to share with you what I received from my precious girl for Mother's Day. It seems my daughter has been following my blog and decided that the perfect gift for me would be (and how right she was!) this amazing Van Gogh -- A Self Portrait in Arts and Letters, coffee table book - wrapped in custom made wrapping paper and delivered with a lovingly made card.

This fantastic gift contains about 400+ pages of photographs and translations of the actual private hand written letters from Vincent to his brother, along with page after page of his private sketches, doodles and paintings. I know I've said this before -- knowing the background of an artist or writer or history behind a work of art or piece of literature makes the experience so much sweeter, the connection so much deeper.

Thank you little girl for your oh so sweet and thoughtful gift from the heart - you know me soooo well!! XOXO

Happy Mother's Day Mom

I (we) Miss You So.

So Many Plants, So Little Time.....

In case you've been wondering where I've been and what I've been doing for the last week - I've been planting, moving, rearranging, mulching, fertilizing, pulling, weeding, trimming, watering and replanting. Whew!

We have about 4 acres with hundreds of trees and two buildings on our lot -- which cast tons of shadows at different times of day. Every 50 feet represents a different "microclimate" in our shadowy, hilly yard -- so knowing which plant to put where has been a major problem. They might do well for a few weeks, and then the sun moves over slightly and -- a whole new microclimate has developed which may NOT be suitable -- causing yellow leaves, sparse blooms, root rot, mold and - um- an untimely death. :(

It's taken me two years of documenting shadow zones and times, damp areas, dry crests, etc. to figure out which plants do well where. I've moved things about 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years -- totally revamping the beds - pulling everything out -- putting everything back in - but finally, I think I've gotten it right. My family just doesn't understand that a "true gardener" is constantly moving things around in an effort to locate the ultimate "sweet spot" for each plant.

Here are the results of my obsessive/compulsive moving, pruning, watering, mulching, weeding and seeding...... (and it's only Spring!!!)

Front Yard:

Back Yard:

This is a four-tiered water fountain that was constantly getting full of leaves, birdseed, and other delightful birdie tidbits that, if not cleaned out every few days -- just didn't look right. So, I filled it with dirt and planted in it. I miss the sound of the water -- but it makes an awesome planter. I'll probably clean it out at the end of the year and try the "water thing" again next year. But for now .....

Notice my purple picnic table in the background? Sabrina and I love to sit out there in the early evenings and in the mornings and have tea.

Perennial Lavendar - grows fantastic in North Carolina. Green all year and doesn't bloom only in January and February. And smells soooooooooo good....

Gizmo follows me around the yard - everywhere I go.....

and is NOT camera shy in the slightest!!

And finally, the vegetable garden. Hey Tammy - the sunflowers are about 6 inches tall already -- and there are peppers on my pepper plants, and flowers on the tomato plants!!!

Now I can't take all the credit for our landscape as my husband keeps the trees and bushes pruned, the lawn green and the brush cleared -- a HUGE job -- and he keeps things looking great :)

As an aside - I've also been doing some sewing -- but nothing blogworthy. In fact, I am not happy with what I've been working on so I'm not even going to talk about it right now. I'm still ripping out seams!

Enjoy your week.

Van Gogh - set to Starry, Starry, Night

This is beautiful in so many ways. Enjoy!

Vincent van Gogh

"We spend our whole lives in unconscious exercise of
the art of expressing our
thoughts with the help of words."

Vincent van Gogh

Did you know that van Gogh only sold ONE painting during his lifetime???

Did you know that van Gogh's life ended when he tragically shot himself in the chest?

Did you know that van Gogh painted Starry Night while residing in an "asylum?"

I never knew that.

I've recently acquired a fascination with the work of Vincent van Gogh. After I selected his painting Iris for my fractured art quilt I have been picking up books at the library , and doing a bit of internet research on van Gogh's life and body of work. It is a triumphant and tragic story -- the story of van Gogh's Life and death. (van Gogh)

With the exception of a few drawing and pottery classes, and one university art appreciation class -- I have no formal "fine arts" training, however I am able to recognize certain styles, movements and genres in the visual arts movement. What I love about Van Gogh's work is his combination of extraordinary color usage and shortened (impressionistic) brush strokes -- which blend together and make his vivid imagery come alive with movement and texture.

I think what inspires me most about his work is that it is so "uniquely" his. We have a wonderful art museum here in Raleigh, and I have to admit that even after umpteen visits, I still have difficulty at times identifying with certainty the work of many particular artists when co-mingled with similar technique. Even with the unique styles of Monet or Matisse, I still confuse their work on occasion, with other artists. But van Gogh -- ah, now his work is so very unique in every conceivable way that it would be impossible to mistake it as belonging to any another.

As a fiber artist, when I look at van Gogh's paintings I can see his bold landscapes emerging from co-mingled pieces of fabric and his brush strokes transformed into thread painted images. Much like what I (we) did with Iris, but on a more intricate level. I can also see his wonderful paintings (like Starry Night) being transferred into magical beaded images, or embroidered images. Sabrina and I were even talking about how some of his work (like Sunflowers) would lend itself wonderfully to carved clay slab landscapes or still lifes -- with the carvings from clay tools simulating his elevated, short and highly textural brush strokes and layering on the color with bold, high gloss glazes. Do you see the endless possibilities here?

Which van Gogh is your favorite? How would you go about interpreting it in "your" medium?

Hippie Chic......

You may recognize this bag as one similar to the one I made for Monica a few months ago. I liked it so much I decided to make myself one. I'm always toting around sketch pads, books, magazines, notebooks, waterbottles, etc. and I typically carry small purses, and I don't like to load them up -- so I decided to make myself a cute little tote bag for my necessities. The outside fabric is a really cool batik and the blue Kaffe Fassett fabric I used for the inside lining, the trim and the peace sign. I love this combination almost as much as the hot pink and orange with black and white that I made for Monica. I liked that one a little better because the embellishment really stood out. I didn't really use a pattern this time I just winged it. (Tammy - I carry the pen you made me everywhere I go!!)

I made some pretty cool flowers in Jane Sassaman's class and as soon as Sabrina saw them she snatched them, picked out some black and white batik fabric, a bright orange print for the lining and handed them to me, gave me a big kiss and said, "pretty please!?!!!!?" What do you think my answer was?????

Love this Weather....

.....the weather has just been too beautiful around here to get anything done "inside." I have all this stuff piled up to do - inside the house -- but I just can't bring myself to do it. Spring is in full swing - everything is blooming - stuff is growing unbelievably because it's really warm during the day -- and cool and breezy at night - and flowers (and vegetables) LOVE that. Every time I finish one area of the property, or a little corner, or get some vegetables in -- I find something else to do. Thank goodness it's rainy today -- that is going to force me to do some real "work" (real estate stuff) and then maybe this evening, I can finish some of my fiber"y" stuff.

I have a bag I've been working on that, at the urging of Monica (Girl-Gone-Thread-Wild), I'm going to submit for publication and tons of other stuff in the works.

My new lifestyle (see details on sidebar) is really kicking in and giving me the most unbelievable energy. I can't stop moving - I started out exercising every other day or so - now, I find myself "needing" to do it every day or I feel horrible. It's addicting. The protein shakes, and other changes I've made are really making a difference too. And muscle has incredible memory. There was a time when I taught aeorbics classes and worked out with weights almost everyday. Some of those muscles are starting to come back. There are days when I am so sore - I can't hardly sit down!!! THAT -- is a good thing. I never got sore when I was younger - no matter how hard I pushed.

Blaise is also doing it with me and he is doing fantastic. I won't harp on this cause bottom line - if you're not ready to do it - you won't be successful at it no matter what anybody says.

My class with Jane Sassaman was A M A Z I N G. What an earthy, gentle, and authentic artist she is. She was so inspiring and I learned more about myself, and my own style during those 6 hours than I have in the last two years. Can't wait to put some of that knowledge to work. Do yourself a favor, and visit her website and spend some time getting to know this fabulous lady.

Do leave me a note and tell me what YOU've been working on as I haven't even had much time to visit my bloggy friends. I really wanna hear about -- whatcha' workin' on, whatcha' readin' and where ya' been?????????

Carpe Diem!!

Van Gogh Iris slice is DONE!

Ifinally finished my slice of the Van Gogh Iris painting. (Technically it's not "quite" finished as I still have some thread painting to do -- however I'll do that once I sew all the slices together and threadpaint the entire thing for unity. )

This was such a cool project -- I LOVE Van Gogh and it was really interesting attempting to mimic his unique style with acrylic and thread.

To the left is a close up version of my finished piece. Down below you can see the original slice of his painting (print) on the left, the first layer of color I did in acrylic in the middle, and the final piece on the right.

I have received all but one of the other slices and I will be taking photographs and posting those over the weekend. I can't wait to share them with you as they are amazing -- each slice representing the unique talents and abilities of the artist who created it.

More Practice....

One more little 6x6. I have been practicing using Tsukineko Inks. Because the ink likes to run, I used a Settliere Wax Stick to outline the flowers and leaves, THEN inked the color on. I've got a 30x24 piece sketched out that I would really like to work on using Tsukineko and Acrylic Paint - maybe on a silk organza layered alternatively over muslin and duck cloth. I'd like to enter at least one piece in one of the upcoming fall shows -- there's two that I'm particularly interested in - one in Northern Michigan and one in the Dairy Barn District of Ohio. I'm going to be placing links to a few of the more interesting call for entries up in a day or so -- in case you get the urge!

My specialty group (a subgroup of the Capital Quilter's Guild) is meeting this Thursday. I'm psyched because everyone will be bringing their "slice" of my Van Gogh Iris art quilt. Mine is almost done -I can't wait to get all the pieces. It should be pretty cool!

She's a Stunner.....

Meet "Love Squared!"

You can't help but notice the "Pink Artist" button on the right side of my blog. As you may recall, I joined this group as a response to a call from Monica Magness of Girl Gone Thread Wild:

"the pink artist"is a community of artists joining together to create one joint art doll to benefit the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. When the doll is complete, it will be mailed in to Art Doll Quarterly™before finally being auctioned off on eBay at a later date. ALL PROCEEDS WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT CHARITY." Upon hearing of this call, back in January I sent four art squares to Monica - three for the cause and one for her.

Here are the squares I sent:

Here also just a few of the squares others sent. To see all 180 squares, you can click on Girl Gone Thread Wild and take a tour of not only all of the squares that were sent in, but you can witness the creation of Love Squared from start to finish as Monica and her husband Jeff documented the entire process.

Grace of Grace Beading made the beautiful crown that sits on Love Squared's lovely head which doubles as a bracelet for the lucky winner of the auction. Take a look at Grace's blog as she too has been and continues to be involved in many worthwhile causes.

Three months have elapsed since squares began pouring in for this cause that has touched so many lives. During that time Monica has labored unselfishly receiving, sorting, stitching these beautiful squares to a beautiful art doll body and face that she lovingly created.

I'd like now to quote Monica's introduction of this beauty:

"Her name is "Love Squared." She wears 180 two inch art squares. 182 artists total created her.
She is just under 40" tall and weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces.

She smiles because already she knows love
and is able to give love unconditionally.
To many, she is a symbol of hope.
She stands for COURAGE and was built
by a community of givers. "

Love Squared is a physical manifestation of the pain, heartache, heartbreak, hope, love, inspiration, hopelessness, hopefulness and joy of the artists who created her -- many of whom suffer from, or love someone who suffers or has suffered from breast cancer.

Yes, Love Squared is a stunner -- but unbelievably - her beauty pales in comparison to the beauty contained within the hearts of her creators and the hearts and "souls" of those for whom she was made - those touched by breast cancer.

Please take time to visit Monica's blog to experience Love's journey -- from concept to completion. Also, please visit some of the blogs of the wonderful artists, like Grace, who donated their time, talent and love to make Monica's vision become a reality. You can find most of the artists listed on Monica's blog roll -- on the left side of her blog.

Love is going to be photographed and included in an upcoming issue of Art Doll Quarterly prior to her auction on E-Bay. As details concerning the publication of the magazine AND the E-Bay Auction emerge, I will certainly post them here.

Let's NOT allow this to be the end of the journey -- but rather, the begining. Hopefully this inspiring project will light a fire beneath many of us to take it "one step further" - whether it be creating something else to raise money, donating money, or volunteering time to this, or some other vital cause.

"Wild Girl" to you I say --- I suspect you have no idea as to the magnitude and impact your vision has and will continue to have -- in the future on the lives of the people you have touched with this project. You -- are a force to be reckoned with!! I can't wait to see what's next! XO

It's Done.....

I kept looking at this and decided it needed another layer of ink. I wanted the flower to appear a deeper shade of blue. After adding more ink, I decided to add some Czech glass beads to the center for sparkle.
Finally, after much deliberation as to how to bind this -- I've decided the "best" binding would be "no" binding, that an "organic" finish would compliment this just fine. So, I put some pretty green batik on the back with a message to Wurzerl on it, stitched up the sides with some aqua cotton thread, stitched two pieces of satin ribbon on to the top and attached it to a nice branch I found in the woodpile as a hanger. Now, it's off to Germany to Wurzerl and her "Garten." I hope she likes it!

Wurzerl's Garden

One of my favorite blogs to visit is Wurzerl's Garten. Wurzerl has to be one of the most talented and knowledgeable gardeners I've ever met. Whenever I visit her blog I am totally mesmerized by not only her knowledge of nature and flowers, but of her amazing ability to transform her little corner of cyberspace into the most amazing visual and intellectual -- natural adventure. I wanted to thank her in some way for the hours and hours of pleasure I receive reading her stories and looking at her pictures so - I selected one of my favorite pictures - a lovely Hepatica Transsilvanica - she has photographed, and transformed it into a little art quilt just for her.

I recently received a lovely little 6x6 from Fannie wherein she utilized Neocolor II crayons (see post below with the sunflower.) I am so enamored with Fannie's technique, I decided to give it a try myself on one of Wurzerl's flowers. Because I typically work with acrylic paint -- this was an adventure for me. Water Soluable Crayons are a little unpredictable (as are my Tsukineko Inks) as they bleed and you have to be good at anticipating their "bleed" so as not to ruin your design. I don't have Neocolors, but I do have Aquarelles which I think are basically the same thing -- watersoluable high pigment crayons.

Here is an abreviated version of my procedures:

First, I selected the flower I wanted to make (top pictured left.) I then blew the photograph up on my photocopier to fill 8 1/2 x 11.

I decided upon a white organza for the base fabric - a choice I was hesitant on - but ultimately am happy about because it gives piece a nice shimmery quality. I sketched the flowers out on to the organza with graphite. Then I laid in some flower and leaf color with Tsukineko Inks.

After the ink dried, I went back in with the Aquarelle crayons and put in some detail on the petals and leaves. Then my favorite part - the stitching. I created the center of the flowers by freemotion stitching with shiny blue rayon thread around the yellow Aquarelle center. I then went about the piece and free motion stitched details in the petals of the flowers and the leaves.

With that done, I went back in with some holographic thread and did some basic fill in quilting around the flowers and leaves to fill up the background and add more shimmer.

To finish the flower off -- I added some dimensional paint for the stamens of this flower which I think really made it come alive. I still have to bind it -- and my next post will be about asking your opinions on which of four fabrics to use as I am stumped.

Please be sure to stop by Wurzerl's Garten - but make sure you have poured yourself a nice cup of tea first -- as I'm sure you'll be there a while. And Wurzerl -- if you're reading this -- I hope you like my interpretation of your lovely Hepatica Transsilvanica -- it's my way of saying "Thank You!" for all the joy you bring. XO

Fannie's Work is Amazing....

Take a look at this gorgeous and unique sunflower that I received from Fannie. Believe me when I tell you that the picture does not do this justice. It is absolutely stunning. Fannie utilizes Neocolors II in her work which, if you are not familiar with them, are these cool little crayons that are highly responsive to water and act like watercolors, but are very pigment dense. After Fannie lays down the neocolor picture, she then freemotion stitches an image with black thread and the results are spectacular. I immediately fell in love with this technique and have been working on a piece myself. Visit Fannie's blog for a real feast for the eyes. She is one talented gal!

A Giveaway -- In Honor of Spring !!!

A Heart for You.......

To enter - you must leave a comment under this post with your name and e-mail address as well as..... your favorite childhood memory of Spring!!! That should be easy.

Friday, March 28th - before I go to bed (the winnner to be announced Satureday) - I will pick a name from all the posts and maybe do a little search for the winner for another prize like I did last time - as y'all seemed to enjoy that.

Good luck. Now you have until 10:00 p.m. Friday March 28th to enter - so let's hear those memories.

How We Celebrated the First Weekend in Spring....

Sabrina has been saving her allowance for the last three months for a drafting table from Jerry's Artarama. So - she did a little drawing....


And while I worked outside --- she did what she does "best" - she stared at my from inside the windows... (she's not much of an outdoor girl - DOESN'T like to get dirty and sweaty - she doesn't get that from me, that's for sure...)

I did a little planting under the cherry tree on the side of the house - where I love to sit.... The jeep comes in very handy for carting dirt around in the trailer - it's like my own little John Deer (with a great stereo!)

And I Planted some Hostas..... (which Vicki NOW tells me the deer will gratefully devour - thanks for telling me NOW.... :)

I took a break and played frisbee with a very patient Gizmo who was waiting outside the backdoor for me to come and play with him.... (Tobie is Sabrina's dog and you'll notice -- that while Gizmo is with me every minute outside - Tobie (like Sabrina,) is NOWHERE to be found) he is inside taking a siesta on the fainting couch!!

When I was almost done outside - I spent time trying to decide what to plant on this hil in the backyard l (besides the hideous lariope that are there) as nothing wants to grow there because it gets way too hot on the curve of it in the summer.... I'd love to do a mass planting of lavendar and cover that hill - maybe that's an option to consider. That's a big hill and that's going to be ALOT of work.

I also spent a good part of the day dodging Sabrina and her camera as she LOVES to torment me and take pictures of me for her scrapbook -- but for some reason -- only when I'm at my very "best"or in the most precarious situations.. I was in the middle of a sneeze in this one.

Later in the day, I did a little reading outside on the downstairs patio. Late Sunday morning, I baked a carrot cake from scratch for Easter Dessert... I'm not showing you a picture of it because it's not frosted yet - and it's a bit crooked!! My cakes always come out crooked - not sure why.

Finally - one of my favorite chores - giving the kids a bath. Oh how they DO love their baths (almost as much as I do) and they are so good!! I fill up the sink in the garage with nice warm water and bubbles and they're in heaven. I LOVE my pups!

What a great way to start the weekend. What did you do? Did you spend it with family? Did you spend it enjoying the peace and quiet??? However you spend it -- make it memorable! XO

P.S. Blaise worked on our taxes all weekend AND poor Sal had to work all weekend.

Did some Painting & Stitching this Weekend....

I painted and dyed some cheesecloth and linen this past week. I love working with cheesecloth -- it's airy properties make it fun to experiment with layering. Here are two 6 x 6 pieces I worked on this weekend using dyed cheesecloth, linen, wire mesh, hand embossed copper shim and some copper foil I had laying around. I free-motion stitched with copper and purple metallic thread and embellished them with Swavroski Crystal, amethyst stones and glass beads.

One of these I'm going to use as a giveaway and one is promised to someone already. I love working with 6x6.

Cathie et Sabrina dans des leurs nouveaux bérets français leur ont envoyé toute la manière de France......

Andrea, vous sûr savez rendre deux filles américaines très heureuses. Votre attention et bonté sont profondément appréciées. Nous avons combattu l'excédent qui a obtenu le rose -- Sabrina gagné ! Grande étreinte à vous mon ami ! XO Cathie

Bonjour Andrea. J'adore mon béret rose ! Comment avez-vous su que le béret rose serait mon favori car il est l'une de mes couleurs préférées ? Je me sens très français quand je le porte. Je l'aime particulièrement parce qu'il y a juste un peu de cheveux d'Oscar là-dessus ainsi j'estime qu'il est avec moi partout que je vais ! Je l'aime tellement.

Votre ami, Sabrina. XO

Eye Candy Sunday......

It was a busy weekend. Friday was Sabrina's BIG show -- she took a 1st place Blue Ribbon (out of 12 schools) for her watercolor sunflower. So that piece won a blue ribbon at her school level AND the regional level. (Good Job Honey!!) Below are pictures of both her 1st and 2nd place pictures.

In between working outside on the herb garden and filling up bird feeders, etc., I did manage to get some work done on Dear Jane. What a !@#*$!@#*$!@# delightful experience this is. The pieces are so small that I end up sewing and ripping apart each block at least once or twice. I am quickly learning the importance of absolute zero tolerance accuracy with regard to cutting, and sewing that "scant" 1/4 inch seam allowance. I can see my efforts improving little by little, and by the time I'm done with this -- my skills should be formidable. I got 6 blocks done.

I did get this cute little cutting mat/ironing pad and a tiny little iron to iron the teeny tiny pieces because my regular iron was too huge to deal with those little 4 1/2" blocks and I kept burning my fingers. It was a bit on the expensive side (about $50 for the set) but worth every penny.

I also worked on some "folk art" sketches for a kid quilt I'm designing. I want to do a "whole cloth" Egyptian Cotton with folk art applique -- so I've been sketching out some little applique designs for whatever.

Finally - here are Monica's package (I can't show you because she'll see it and I want it to be a surprise!) and Tammy's package (the sunflower wall quiltlet ready to go out in the mail. Monica has been working diligently on our art doll for charity - so she hasn't been around much. I'm hoping she'll have pictures up of the doll soon as we are all getting anxious. Tammy's package went out last week but was returned because the address label did not stick the paint on the envelope (duh!).

Finally, I'm working on another little contest in honor of ONE YEAR of blogging which - came and went without me even knowing about it. Oh well. Anyway, I'm working on something for that and certainly want to make it interesting - So... keep your eyes peeled as details will be coming about that sometime this week. Tammy wants me to do another hide and seek as she really enjoyed going through my suitcase and drawers!!! Maybe I'll do something in my closets this time -- you guys should have alot of fun going through those. We'll see what I can come up with.

Anyway - Have a great week. And remember, inspiration is everywhere -- create something wonderful! XO

Road Trip 2008 Planned....

The airline reservation has been made and the map is on the wall. We've booked our 2008 excursion -
Destination...... Everywhere.

This year instead of the Harley - we're jeeping it all across Colorado and Utah - with Moab being our ultimate destination.

Moab is on the southwestern tip of the Colorado Plateau, a unique geological feature that encompasses more than 130,000 square miles of the "four corner" states. I understand the unique attributes of this place very well because I did an honors paper on the Colorado Plateau in college. I actually travelled out there, took soil samples, rock samples and studied the geology and landformations for months.

Without going into detail and really boring you, suffice it to say that the Moab area which was once full of lakes, glaciers and waterfeatures, is now dry - exposing over 2 BILLION years of geological history by virtue of sediment and layering. You can touch and smell earth which existed over 2 billions years ago. Every time we head out there I never come home with less than five pounds of rocks, pods, dirt and sand. And yes - I would leave my favorite pair of Kate Spades in the trash if it meant either the shoes or the rocks gotta go in order to get my suitcase through that scale at the airport! And while I come from "five star" hotel stock (admittedly my family is made up of bunch of hotel snobs - but I love 'em!!) NO HOTELS on this trip. We typically camp for a few days and then head into town and stay in a hotel or at one of my family's places in Aspen or Lake Tahoe. But this time -- we are totally going au naturale. With the jeep Blaise and I can head off the main roads and go up into the mountains or down into the gulches and find a perfect spot out in the middle of nowhere to set up camp where we will stay for one night and move on in an effort to traverse as much terrain as possible. (NOTE TO SELF - remember to hide "unsensible shoes" better this time in suitcase so they don't mysteriously end up "M.I.A." only to find them under Blaise's side of the the bed when we return home.)

In any event - the trip is a few months away so we are now in the planning stages. But I'm one of those wierd people that get almost as much pleasure out of the planning and fantasizing as I do the trip itself. It all comes together as one event for me which is cool because instead of just a 10 day vacation - mine lasts for months.

Finally, and I promise I won't talk about it any more until AFTER it happens -- comes the most important part of the planning. I now have a few months to do a total revamp on my body, health and stamina and I have to get myself into the best shape ever. I really started the first of the year (that was one of those resolutions I wouldn't tell you about .) Well -- I have LOTS of work to do and I've totally changed the way I am eating and exercising to accomplish major health overhaul on my 5'1 (on a good hair day). I've done this two other times in my life - once in my 20's and once in my 30's -- Now that I'm in my (um - this is the hard part) 40's it's time to do it again .

Have a great Sunday. We're off to church - then I'm planting, sewing, reading and baking today. Do something spectacular today and BE INSPIRED!!!

PS - NO that's not us on the vertical incline - it's just some crazy guy - but gives you a good idea of the Extreme Moab - where NOTHING is off limits!

Dear Jane - Chapter I

Well, after auditioning just about every interesting print with contrast I could find (I even cut some up and arranged into blocks) -- I've decided on doing my Dear Jane with this cool Kaffe Fassett print as the tiny sliver of unifying "focus" fabric that I am going to put in every block, with white dimples as the primary fabric and perhaps, and this dotted Mary Engelbreit print and/or this variety of "dimples" in all the colors that complement the Kaffe Fassett print as little punches of color in the blocks. This should make a nice clean yet visually interesting piece.

Here is a link to my favorite fabric designer, Kaffe Fassett. His is a really interesting story -- and his artwork (fabric) is just glorious in every way. He has a way of bombarding colors together that creates a mood of power and passion and in many ways reminds me of Taos and the West - as they are so NOT afraid to combine unlikely colors and elements. Andrea, you may find his story particularly interesting, and Tammy, you may find his fabrics interesting because they are a great springboard for crazy quilting. I have known people who utilize fabrics with patterns such as these (the bold Kaffe Fassett print above) for crazy quilting and for art quilt pieces because the color elements in the fabric lends itself to some fantastic beading - simply by following the design in the fabric. FYI!!

Have a great weekend guys. I think it's going to be a fun weekend because as of now - it looks like the "men" are all going to be out and just the girls at home - which always makes for some partying in the studio!!

I'd love it if you guys would give me a shout as to what you think about alternative fabric selections. Let me hear from all of you because even though you may not work in fiber, and express yourself as a "beader" or a "painter" or "collage artist," your eye for color and texture speaks volumes and I so respect your opinions. I'm not sold on any of these fabrics yet as I plan on playing with this just a bit more before doing any "hard core" cutting. The only thing I'm certain on - is the KF print which will be the focal. Everything else is still up in the air. Let me hear from you - okay??

Tammy LOVES Sunflowers.....

Tammy and I are doing a little private trade and she told me she likes Sunflowers (and cows?) so...... in honor of Sabrina's first place ribbon in her school ( grades K-12) art show - I used her fabulous watercolor piece as inspiration - and created this little folkart piece for Tammy. Since her piece won first place, it now goes on to a larger show with many Christian schools that takes place on March 14th. We'll see how she does. In any event, Tammy will shortly have a reproduction of a first prize winner and maybe a grand prize winner !! I hope she likes it.

Be sure to visit Tammy's blog and check out her folk art crows she stitched. I love them and MUST have one. I don't know what it is but I've gotten into a folkart frenzy -- I am fascinated by it. I guess it reminds me of Ohio - I don't know. But I love it. Click here and I'll take you right over to Tammys to see her crows and her SNOW pictures which always make me homesick!!

Artists LOVE to Share......

I came home after a wonderful weekend to a little brown box in my mailbox -- from Grace. What was in the box, well - take a look. Look at all of these beautiful glass beads and teeny tiny doll form. What to do with these - I have no clue -- but Grace has a tutorial on her blog (along with some stunning beadwork she has done. ) Be sure to check out the doll she made to donate to the "Bead for the Cure" cause here, that is currently holding an auction on e-bay -- she is absolutely stunning. Also check out Grace's blog to see her other beautiful items AND a wonderful beading tutorial. I can't wait to try this -- although I'm not so sure of the outcome - I'm gonna give it a go! I'll be sure to post a picture when I have her finnished. But don't hold your breath -- it's gonna take a while to sew all of those miniscule beads onto that little doll!

We're Back - Safe and Sound.....

Hey Guys!!! It's so nice to be missed. I've gotten lots of e-mail (all of which I will answer shortly) and even some goodies in the mail!!! We had a great time even though the mountain goat (my jeep) has a broken axel (Hmmmmm, I wonder how that happened - I was really, really careful climbing up that huge rocky hill behind the new Super Wallmart they are building - I promise!!!) Anyway - we had to take the Harley and let me tell you -- with 40 degree temps at 60-70 mph which equates to a 30 below windchill factor AT LEAST!! I froze my 1!@#$!@#$ off. But we had a great time - pictures and details to follow.

Anyway, while you are waiting for me to update (I have much to share!!!) which I won't finalize until probably tomorrow, here is the trailer and