Dear Little Blog,

So, here we are – more than a month since my last post!  I’ve thought of you, dear little blog, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of excitement about writing.  You see, people change and little blogs need to change sometimes, too.  It’s my fault, really.  My interests have been moving into new areas.  This isn’t a bad thing.  In fact, I’ve been having a lot of fun learning new things, making messes, and so on.

When I started writing, this little blog was all about making dolls and sewing and happy crafty endeavors.  Then we shifted into quilting and sewing little bits of fabric together to make bigger bits.

And now, I am moving into a more artistic phase.  I am doing an awful lot of work on my computer, as well as on paper.  And I find myself “scrapping” photos – something I swore I would never do!   OK, I think we’ve established that change happens!

So, in the future there will be more posts of the Art Journal variety.  Oh, don’t worry – there will still be dolls and the occasional quilty post.  But, if I am going to keep you alive, little blog, we will have to make room for the news things, too.

In that spirit, here are some Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) I’ve been working on this month.  An online group (Tangie’s Art Journal Emporium) gives us a one-word prompt for each day to do our Daily Art Dose.  Some people draw pictures, one is working on lettering – I am making ATCs.

These have been a lot of fun to create.  I’m sure there will be more to show you as the months go by.  I have a few other things coming up, too, so stay tuned.

So, I’m sorry you’ve been lonely, little blog.  Let’s start over and see what new things we can discover together.  OK?

Serendipity Sunday–But Not So Much

Continuing with this book I started preparing to make the second flower project.  I started with the layout of stems and leaves that will support this week’s flower – roses.

I also prepared and cut the fabric for the flowers.

Building the vase was fun.  I used some hand-dyed fabric I got from Vicki Welsh and some more of the gold print used in last week’s vase.  The vase is all assembled and tack-fused on release paper – a favorite Chicago School of Fusing technique.

As I zigzagged around all the leaves I had some time to think.  Sometimes it’s good to do a simple, mindless task and let your mind wander.  Sometimes it’s a dangerous thing, too, but we won’t go into that just now!

Anyhoo . . . .

It occurred to me that there is a lot of preparation for each of the projects in this book and one afternoon really is not enough time to finish.  So I asked myself what I’m really hoping to accomplish.  Especially in regard to Serendipity Sunday. 

Serendipity is defined (by Wikipedia) as “the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it.” I began these Sunday posts as an exploration of new and/or different techniques, choosing books from my craft library as guides.  Taking an adventure through the resources I’ve been collecting over the years and hoping to find some good/useful things along the way.

And I realized that, while enjoyable in themselves, fusing vases and zigzag stitching leaves is not at all different or new!  What a surprise!  LOL!  What I really want from this book is to learn some new flower making techniques. 

Therefore . . . .

Next week I will concentrate on actually making roses!  And in the following weeks I will go directly into constructing the flowers for each of the remaining projects.  I will focus on completing at least one of each flower – more if time allows.  The backgrounds, leaves, and vases can be completed at another time. 

Maybe someday when I’m caught up with all my other projects!

M.I.A.

 

Some of you might have noticed I haven't been around very much lately.  I've been here, but not here.  Know what I mean? Well, what can I say?  Life can take you by surprise sometimes.

 

Once upon a time (in a land far away), I thought that if I could manage my time well enough and keep working hard, things would turn out pretty well the way I expected.  

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Wasn't I the naive one? 

 

Now I know that Life is an unpredictable adventure - more like a roller coaster, full of ups & downs and loops and OMG what was that????  Then, there is that lovely calm stretch so you can catch your breath.  And when you look back you realize how much fun that was and you want to go again!  Sometimes I wonder about that!  LOL!

Whatever.  I think I'm back amongst you all again.  I have been working on lots of fun projects which I hope to share with you soon. 

More Thinking (Deep thoughts)

Since I recently asked myself why I blog, I've done some more reading, as well as 'discussing' the idea with e-mail and blog friends.  One word that keeps coming up is Connection.

I've read it many times - and it is true for me as well - that someone started blogging in order to keep friends and family updated on their activities.  I had moved halfway across the country and wanted to stay in touch with people in my old home.  This is a very good reason to blog, and for many people is as far as it goes.

But after I'd been blogging a little while, I noticed that it was growing into something a bit larger than that!  As I read other blogs, I felt I needed to leave comments occasionally.  That led to receiving comments on my own posts.  Oh boy!  That is such a high!!!  So I wanted more, of course, and started looking at how to get it.  Connecting, that's how.  One makes a comment and receives a response which triggers a conversation through which common interests are discovered.  I found myself connecting to people all over the globe!

So blogging is becoming about expanding my circle of friends as much as staying in contact with the old ones.  I find myself feeling part of a community.  Blogging has been called a social activity and I'd have to agree.  As humans we are hard-wired to need a certain amount of social interaction.  If you live in a small community - as I do - there is plenty of interaction, but it tends to have little variety - and variety is another thing we seem to need.  Blogging gives me a sense of belonging to a broader community and my thinking and creativity are energized by the diversity.

While one friend cautioned against letting the blogging world become more important than real live and real friends, she admits there is a "blurry bit in the middle".  Others have mentioned that real life becomes more interesting when you know you will be blogging about it.  Composing a post in your mind gives you a fresh perspective on everyday matters. 

As with most of life's activities, blogging and other online time needs to be balanced appropriately with the real world.  Each aspect enriches the other and that's what we all reach for . . . a life well lived and well loved.

This isn't the end of my thought processes, though.  Later I have some things to say about creativity and the blog world. 

Dollmaker's Syndrome

There has been a lot of discussion around our house lately about a newly discovered disease. You won't read about it in the American Journal of Medicine, but I think it's only a matter of time. In the interest of saving pain and anguish among younger crafters, I am posting this article on what we know so far.

In Dollmaker's Syndrome, the brain of the sufferer begins to turn to fiberfil. This may be a very gradual process and you may not notice early signs of the disease. These signs may include forgetting to attach files to e-mails or hitting Reply to All on potentially embarassing messages.

As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more noticeable, although they may be disguised as absent-mindedness or ordinary forgetfulness. CATscans will reveal the frightening truth . . . the patient's head is filling with air!

Following is a list of the more advance symptoms. Please keep in mind that this list is not all-inclusive by any means.

• you write one or more blog posts in your blog writer and then forget to post any of them
• you let the dogs in and then forget why you are standing at the door, so put them out again
• you stitch an entire row of blocks to the quilt UPSIDE DOWN
• you send your to-do list to a random person in your address book
• meals at your house have become sandwiches and microwave soup
• you mis-calculate number of blocks for a quilt - and POST those impossible numbers on the internet
• you spend more time shopping in the hardware store than in the grocery store
• you make up a shopping list - and leave it on the counter at home
• you collect a craft supply and carefully pack it away where it will not get damaged, then six months later tear the studio APART looking for it
• the only dusting that gets done is the dolls that cover every flat surface in your home
• you make up an entirely fictional disease and post all about it on your blog

If you are experiencing these symptoms - or similar ones - please see your health care provider immediately! Do not panic! This disease is not now known to be fatal. It is also important to note that the patient may believe their behavior to be perfectly normal. So listen to your loved ones and get help!

Thinking Out Loud . . . (deep thoughts)

I've been reading the latest issue of Artful Blogging.  (Actually it's the Summer issue; I see Autumn is out already!)  I like to get this magazine primarily for the eye candy, and I consider any inspiration or knowledge to be an extra bonus!  There's always plenty of eye candy!

This issue had something that started me thinking.  It wasn't particularly a new idea, but apparently I was ready to catch the ball this time.  You've seen this question lots of places, and probably been asked it yourself:

Why do you blog?  What do you get from it that makes it worth the time?

I usually have some easy answer - spoken glibly and quickly forgotten.  But, there have been some bloggers I follow who have decided to stop posting lately.  They have sound reasons and I am not going to try to second guess any of them.  But my mind seems to be worrying this puzzle a lot.  I spend quite a bit of time blogging, but I spend a lot more time reading others' blogs.

So I'm wondering, what is the attraction to the whole blog, Facebook, twitter deal?  I get the standard reasons about connection and all that.  What I'm looking for is a deeper, truer answer for why do I (me, myself) put my deepest thoughts out there - and look forward to seeing what others have posted?  Are we looking for meaningful responses?  Is it a form of reaching out?  If so, for what?  And should there be some kind of balance?  Should my time spent reading other blogs balance with the time and effort I spend on my own blog(s)?  And I don't even want to get into Commenting yet!

If you are still reading this far because you want to know the answer - well, I'm sorry.  I don't have one.  At least not yet.  I'm still forming the questions! 

I expect to be doing a bit of thinking off and on about this.  I may share with you as I travel this road.  For those of you who prefer to just see pretty pictures, I'll put the phrase Deep Thoughts in the titles so you can skip those posts!  And I promise lots of pictures on the next post!  Really!!!

More Mail

Going to pick up the mail has certainly gotten interesting since I joined these on-line swap groups! I just never know what I'm going to get next!!!

Postcards

Last week I got this postcard from Rhona. She was inspired by tidal pools at the shore and it really makes me think of walking along the beach. That has to be my favorite activity - other than stitching, that is!

This swap was not a one-for-one type, so I sent my postcard to Sue in the UK. I must confess I did not make one specifically for this swap (I know, for shame!**) but sent one I have had on hand.

Last fall I posted an explanation of how I like to make my postcards (see this post) and this one was one of the few not mailed from a set of six.

Here is what the original piece looked like before cutting. I had an old blackwork embroidery piece that was not being used - or enjoyed - anymore. I added a framework and bits and pieces, along with some machine stitching.

Then I cut it into six 4" x 6" pieces and did some further embellishment. Some of my readers may recognize a card they've received from me!

But wait! There's more!!!

Stitched mail art

Another swap I recently participated in was something called Mail Art. I had not heard of this type of swap, but it has been quite popular in some parts of the world. The concept is to embroider an envelope - including the addresses (smudged out in these pix) - and send it in regular mail.

My swap partner was AnnieB and I was excited because she does beautiful cross stitch. I was not disappointed!!

Isn't that a great picture of a house? And check out this lovely bird on the other side.

I had quite a time choosing what to stitch to send back to her. Planning out a Mail Art piece is somewhat more complicated. Not only do you need to plan how to make your envelope, but also where to place your stitching so everything comes out right side up!

I am quite pleased with the overall piece, although I know several things that I will change the next time I do a swap like this. . . assuming there is ever a next time!

For one thing, I will make a much smaller envelope! This is about 6" by 7" and just barely fit into a 9x6 *envelope! And I think I will put some more thought into choosing my stitching motif. This one was from a larger kitchen scene and I pulled specific pieces out of the overall piece and sort of rearranged them.

One thing I've learned a lot about through the internet is copyright concerns. I used to rearrange stitching patterns all the time, with no thought about what the designer might think about what I was doing. Nowadays I am much more aware so I will explain here that the original pattern was from a 20+ year old magazine which is no longer being published. If I knew the designer I would give them full credit here (I think the full piece is wonderful!), but if you recognize your own work here, I apologize. And please let me know who you are!

* Here is where another confession** is required. Both Annie and I opted to put our envelopes inside another - er, envelope! After all that thinking and planning and stitching, no way I was going to send this thing nekked through the postal service!

**Confession is supposed to be good for the soul. Is this going a bit overboard? I mean, who really cares about whether an envelope is an envelope? Or if I've made a brand new postcard just for this swap? Am I conceited to think anyone would notice? Paranoid, maybe???

This post got way longer than I intended. I hope you don't mind my ramblings. I've signed up for more swaps, so stay tuned for pictures!

Finished TIF for, um, August

OK, so August was awhile ago!  But, this was all done by hand, so it counts as "slow cloth" - right?

For this month's Challenge theme, Sharon said:

"I my chaotic and hectic life I often admire people who are able to maintain balance in their lives. What is balance to you? Do you maintain a balanced life? How do you balance aspects of your life? That is the challenge this month - balance."

I do admit that my first thought was, "Balance?  What is that?"  But I have thought quite a lot about this topic since August first.  That is the idea behind this challenge, ya know?  Of course, one of the first things I did was Google Life Balance.  That led me down the path to lots of web sites, discussions, theories, and strategies.  This is obviously a big thing for lots of people!

It's also a complicated issue.  In fact, I've come to the conclusion that Balance is something we work for all our lives.  It is not a target or goal - it is the process of Life.  Pretty deep, huh?  While I learned a lot of interesting things - and helpful ideas - how does one turn that into a piece of textile art?

So, I settled on the concept from Debbie Lessin's "Life Is A Balancing Act".  You can see some of Debbie's articles (including the following quote) here.  She approaches the idea very logically and refers to the struggle this way:

"We are balancing the wheel of our lives. The balance wheel encompasses the following aspects of your life:
 Work
 Play
 Mind
 Body
 Spirit
 Space
 Relationships
 Money"

Now, there is an image I can work with!  So, after all that discussion (and time!) the finished piece is really pretty simple.  A balance wheel!

One thing I like about this piece is that it really doesn't matter which way is Up.  It can turn any way and be the right way!  Ha!  Balance!!!

This is all embroidered on linen with various threads.  The wheel itself was embroidered on a separate piece, wrapped around a used CD, and appliqued in place. 

Now!  I am working on October's challenge and then I will be caught up again!  Only two more months.  Hmm.  Wonder what's next.  Anyway, here is a Sneak Preview.  Some handwork involved in this one, but hopefully it will go faster!

Goals - Halfway

Time for another 6-week Goal Review. Well, this six weeks has been pretty bad as far as goals go. No progress on anything! OK, that’s not quite true (purty durn close, tho!). But it won’t take long to go over the details.

1. Take It Further – just finishing up May’s topic. Hey, I’ve been thinking about the June challenge and it’s possible – just possible – I could get something done in the next 12 days.
2. Stargaze Tome – Nada
3. Hatmaking class – Zilch
4. Using the books and tools – I did some blackwork on the May TIF. Not sure that counts though. Just a touch.
5. Doll making – Worse than nothing – I’m about to be late for the library project. Aargh!
6. Hoffman Challenge – Zero.
7. Goal review – Oh hey! This one is done! Woohoo!!

Well, they say that even failure should teach you something. So what have I learned – and just what the heck happened here?

Lessons Learned

I knew going in that these goals were overly ambitious. I did not prepare myself to get majorly sidetracked – or realize that sidetracking would mess with my head like it has. Get real, Liz. They’re just goals. You know, like the Pirate’s Code is more like guidelines? So, I have learned . . .

* I’m still pretty much a perfectionist. Even though I’m getting better, I need to work on letting go some more.
* A year is too long for some projects. New things come up and it is OK to set the old aside to explore something else for awhile. It’s OK to shift priorities.
* Life happens. You can’t change it and you can’t change how you feel about it. Just cope.
* Halfway is always a good time to take another look. Is it still important to you? Is it working? What needs to change?

What Happened?

At first I thought my Dad’s death caused a break in my art, but I realize that my creativity did not go on leave during this time. I’ve stayed busy and yet found enough time to create. Not as much as I may have liked, but enough to maintain sanity. Isn’t that what it’s all about? What really happened is that I set myself some rigid guidelines. Inside I knew the deadlines were self imposed and really didn't matter. I got caught up in the "oulda's" (woulda, coulda, shoulda) and I finally burned out.

What’s Next?

Time for a slight refit. I am dropping the once-a-month requirement on all but the Take It Further challenge. Goals 2, 3, and 4 will still be on the list, but if I don’t feel like making a hat this month – fine. Maybe I’ll make four next month. I still want to enter the Hoffman Challenge, but when this doll is ready to come out of my head, she will. I am going to stop nagging my Muse. She’s pretty contrary and it just doesn’t work! (sigh) She might cooperate which would be great. If not, oh well.

I really need to stop stressing myself out over this.

I didn't have any pictures to show today, so you get treated to some clip art. Oh yeah. Next review is - um - July 29, or thereabouts. Not rigid, see?

She's a Doll!

As I was working on this doll today, I realized that I don't really think of these projects as "dolls" until they get a face! Once the face is done, her personality starts to emerge. It doesn't matter if it's only the head - or the whole body is done. It ain't a doll without a face!

This doll is for my doll club's Rainbow challenge. We are using a pattern from one of Patti Culea's books and we have six pieces of fabric in the colors of the rainbow. I have a couple of ideas, but nothing specific planned out yet. But at least she's a doll now! I am calling her Iris, at least for now.

I stuffed the pieces while at doll club this weekend. This gave me another thought. It has been a while since I did very much stuffing and I was concerned that I would have trouble. Sometimes the stuffing just does not cooperate and I get lots of lumps. This time everything went just fine. I think it's because I wasn't THINKING about stuffing. We were talking and laughing and watching what everyone else was doing and I just let my hands do the job - unsupervised you could say. This is true about so many things in life. The stress of paying too much attention can cause the task to be more difficult than it needs to be. Of course, there are lots of situations where you really do need to pay attention. Now, the hard part is to recognize the difference! My goodness, who knew doll making would be a metaphor for life itself?

Finished March TIF

Here is what I did with the March Take It Further challenge. I worked with the colors on this, although this shot is not very accurate. I posted the fabrics here and those colors are closer to true.

This is a 10 1/2" block called Missouri Puzzle. As usual, I have a little story to go with this. Back in the early 1990's I was doing a lot of yardsale-ing to find some dressers or cabinets for storage. I went to an estate sale where I found what I was looking for, but I also found a box of crafting supplies. In fact, there was one whole room with patterns, fabric, and so on. The box I wanted had some swedish embroidery cloth in it - also known as huck toweling - along with some other items. At the very bottom of the box was this little booklet.

It is made of plain paper and held together with brads. Inside are a great many clippings of quilt patterns cut from magazines and newspapers. Now, one thing I found particularly interesting is that I found this estate sale in Yakima, Washington. All of the newspaper patterns, however, are from the Kansas City Star. The ones that have a date are from 1930, '31, and '32. This little book traveled from the midwest to the pacific northwest - and now has traveled back to the midwest over a span of 75 years!

Well, I decided to make the Missouri Puzzle - there are several I would like to try - mainly because I am familiar with the 9-patch and half-square triangle so I knew I could figure out how to construct at least one block (and it did take some figuring)! And someone, sometime, had marked it with a 3-cent stamp. By making this block, I feel there is a connection to the past somehow. A bit tenuous, perhaps, but there nontheless.

And now that I think about it - that fits "Sometimes the small things become emblematic for something larger. " The stamp, by it's denomination and location, represents a sense of the past. U.S. postage was three cents for quite a long time, and went up very slowly at first but has increased more rapidly of late. How about that for fitting into this month's concept? This piece is a twofer!

I still may do another piece for the concept. I've had lots of ideas buzzing around as previous posts show. But for the immediate future, I have several other projects in the pipeline. So if I run out of time, I have met this month's TIF challenge at least.

TIF Challenge for March

SharonB posted the Take It Further challenge for this month a few days ago:

Do you ever notice the little things, the small moments, the details in life? This months challenge is to do just that, pay attention to the tiny details. Sometimes the small things become emblematic for something larger.

And the colors look like this:

I really like the colors and have been thinking about how to use them, but the concept has really led me to do some Deep Thinking. (Yes, the caps are on purpose!) Like many of the other participants, I started out by taking my camera around the house and doing a lot of close-up shots. This can be a fun exercise and I may decide to do it more often. Lots of interesting details show up.

For instance, this shot of pins on a magnet holder. In fiber arts I use pins an awfully lot - and they certainly lead to larger things. They could be symbolic of all that working with fabric and thread means to me.

Or, how about the daily pills? There's a wealth of Deep Thoughts that go with that one. I take the pills to stay healthy and that is certainly a bigger idea. The number of pills in each day's cubicle is also emblematic of the aging process. Remember when all you did was pop a multi-vitamin? Not sure I can remember that far back!

Ah. Then there is this one. A basket, you say? Notice one little detail? There's a loose thread hanging. Let me tell you about that. I am terribly nearsighted. No, really, really, nearsighted! I got my first pair of glasses when I was about 10 or 11. I'm sure I got that old without them because my last name began with 'A' and each year the teachers would arrange students alphabetically. So I always sat in the front row. One year, the teacher reversed the order and I believe my grades started sliding. Whatever the real reason, a trip to the family eye doctor revealed my myopia and glasses were required. That first day with glasses, I realized that curtains had threads hanging, trees had individual leaves, and so on. I had never known that one was supposed to be able to SEE those things!!! I did not know that the children at the back of the class were supposed to be able to read the blackboard. When I think of the days before vision correction, I'm happy I live in this century so that I can see the details. What would my life be like without it?

So how's that for some Deep Thoughts? There are more: blood vessels lead to all that is living; a stack of CDs symbolizes the "Information Age" and all the changes that have come about recently; a stack of paint bottles lead to creativity. I have no idea where this will all lead me, but it should be an interesting trip!

Sumptuous Surfaces

I decided to give this item a post of its own. I have been taking a class on-line called Sumptuous Surfaces. On Friday I finished my first piece. We have talked quite a bit about design principles and how different threads and stitches work to convey your concept. My original design was about bone health, but as I worked through it I realized it has more to do with aging not so gracefully. I wanted to show a contrast between youth and healthy bone and the more chaotic brittleness of aged bones. And the final result shows me that there is a beauty in the chaos. We are always telling each other that older women are more beautiful and interesting, but I have trouble believing it sometimes. I think I will frame this for my bedroom so I can be reminded each day that older is not uglier. It is beautiful -- just in a different way.

Man, that's way too deep for me! I did not intend to get all philosophical in this blog. Sometimes you just can't help it I guess. Art deals with life and life can get pretty deep.

One last comment. If you ever sign up for an on-line class, be sure to participate in the forum or bulletin board or whatever discussion tool they have. I have taken classes where all I did was print out the lessons and take it from there on my own. The interaction between teacher and students and among students really adds to the courseware and it's worth that extra time!