A Sneak Peek: Art Unraveled

Art Unraveled is just around the corner! I will be participating in The Teacher Showdown Competion, Meet the Teacher, taking a few classes, vending, and teaching my Double Double class (There's still room and still sewing machines available, if you want to come. Details are the sidebar of this blog.) You will receive enough materials and "patterns" to make two different sized books, so this really is double. Below are pictures of the kits my students will receive for participating in the fun. This is only the part that goes in the class folder. Fabrics, ribbons, more papers, etc. are in a separate sharing place. Among the things inside the individualized folder are personalized labels for their books, a little gift certificate to my table at the shopping extravaganza, and a sewing badge, just for fun. Below these pictures are samples of finished Double Doubles, so easy to make, even a beginner can do them!

And since people have been wondering what I will be selling at the extravaganza, here are a few sneak peeks since I can't post them all. I will also have some fabrics, rubber stamps, and miscellaneous supplies.

Cigar boxes that can be used as purses or for storing precious memories and goodies

Notebooks in different sizes, greeting cards, postcards, etc. from my Scrappy Paper Collection featured in a recent edition of Sew Somerset Magazine

And lots of journals in various designs, staring with some Double Doubles

that when open look like this

One of my Barely Bare White Journals, (great for babies, weddings, vintage photos, christenings, or everyday occasions), Sew Scrappy Journals, Selvage Journals and one Black and White Journal

You can click on any photo and make it larger. This actually helps with the glare and my bad photography skills, so you can see the details better.

I'm so looking forward to seeing old friends, working with my students, and making new friends as well.

Stronger Every Day

It's a funny thing, the kid and me. When people meet my four-year-old granddaughter and me, the most common response is, "You two look just alike." The funny thing is that I am discovering we think a LOT alike as well. Before she was even a year old, I had her in a fabric store, and she reached out to touch bolts of fabric as we went by. When I stopped and allowed her to do so, she smiled and giggled. She didn't do this in the other aisles of the same store. Hmmm. She loves being in the studio and talks about making clothes and what goes with what. Yes, really. She knows just what I like and what I can tolerate. She knows the difference between when my checking into something is what she calls "an emergency" and when what lies before us is just not worth noting.
Yesterday, when she was sleeping, I was looking for a good online tutorial for something. Now, there are A)some darn good tutorials out there, and B)some exceptions to that, disappointing for a variety of reasons. Once in a while, you just get what you pay for when somethin's free. Anyway, when she awoke from her little nap, she came in and took a seat near me, to the right and sort of behind me, where she couldn't see my face. She watched in silence. It was one of those category B tutorials, no doubt. I was wondering what she was thinking being so quiet, but said nothing. At the close of the video, she broke the silence with, "Nona, does that just make you want to cry?" If that hadn't been so funny, I may have, but you gotta love a kid when you know that your bond gets stronger every day.

We're In Cahoots, It's Official

I feel like I could have a heart attack. While just messing around today with "the devices," I discovered that I could take one of Keegan's iPad designs, download it to a company that will transfer it to custom made fabric. That has been done, and I am just waiting for the mailman. Here is her original design:

When I downloaded this to the fabric site, I got to choose the way it would be printed and chose a mirror pattern. The result can be seen here.


I think it is pretty amazing, and I love the way a set of K's came out in the mirrored image. This will become part of a dress for her. Those little dress forms won't be naked for long! We are officially in cahoots!

Heart Racing / Just Ain't My Style

I didn't realize how far I had drown myself in my day job until I started looking in to new possibilities of how to spend my life. Don't get me wrong, I had a plan. I started easing in to being an artist, submitting to publications, teaching adult art classes, making sure I would have supplies so I wouldn't be need to be running to the store every five minutes, so to speak, several years ago. I didn't want to be one of those people who are so lost when retirement comes that they just go back to work for anything to do. I thought I knew what I was getting into, and I did, but only to some degree. I forgot what it felt like to feel my heart race, but it has all come back to me several times since June 2nd. When your heart skips a beat, you know you, you remember it, and you realize how you have missed it.
The most recent skipping can be attributed to what is in the photos below. They came yesterday. I raced downstairs when I heard the doorbell, opened the box and put them together immediately. They are dress forms in child sizes 3-4 and 5-6. Are they stinking adorable or what? I considered putting jewelry or fabric on them first, but decided that will come later. In the last few days, I have been thinking not only about what these two will be wearing but what fabric and designs will be incorporated into the clothes. Don't be surprised if you see some hand painted fabric or something you may have seen on one of my journal designs in the clothes that are coming. I won't be limiting myself to ordinary stuff. Just ain't my style.