a peek into 2011

I think most people feel like I do....*where did 2010 go?*

I have spent the last 3 days cleaning and straightening my studio.  Did I ever make a mess in 2010!!! WOW!!!  I am still not finished and want to get to my sewing machine but can't see it right now.  Plus, I don't dare start working while there still a mess in that room or I will become too comfortable with that and the cleaning process will never be completed.

I found quite a few (okay far too many to admit to) UFO's while rearranging and sorting, and decided this is my main goal for 2011......to finish, finish, finish!!!

Thought you would be interested to see a few.....and throughout the year you can *encourage* me to post pictures of finished pieces!!

Well first there was the huge rubbermaid container of quilt tops (made by me) that need to be quilted.  Below are just 6 that I spread out on top of the quilting machine.

A few of my favorites were hanging up.  I must have thought I was going to get to them soon!! HAHA!!

I am so in love with this red pineapple one.....I MUST MUST finish that one first!

There is this one that I started right after I got married......over a decade ago!!! EEEKKK!

It is a king size so that took some time......like a decade!!  I have another one, that will be a king size one day also,  that I started around the same time and the blocks still need to be sewn together.

And I also found tons of little projects that need to be *finished*.

These house blocks were meant for a give away quilt but I couldn't get the finished size right, so I think I will make them into placemats.

This is another unfinished placemat, just needs quilting, that I made up with a variety of sampler blocks.

Oh and let's not forget the crochet!!!  Two years ago I FINALLY figured out how to crochet and do not have one finished project that I own to show for it!  I have given away lots of things!

The granny square below will be a pillow.  I am working on it right now, so perhaps this will be the first UFO that is completed.

Then there are a few crocheted scarves that are so close to being finished.  It has been REALLY cold here also....so I could really get some use out of these!

This was my first big crochet project....and it only needs like two more rows of hexes to be a throw.

Here is a scarf I finished for a swap:

Speaking of swaps.....I have blocks from a Bee Liberated Group I am in on Flickr, that need to be sewn together and added to that pile to be quilted.

I have been fortunate enough to have some great swap partners this year and below is just a sample of some of the pieces I have received. 

I almost forgot about my Baker's Dozen Group on Raverly.  I have received all my blocks and now need to stitch them all together.

One more item that is long over due is my bathroom vanity counter.  I have been in my house for 8 years this February and I have painted this poor cabinet three different colors, at three different times.  Then I had it ready to do an aged technique on it.......since then I re-primed it and have mermaids drawn on it, but they are too light to see in this picture.....I would really like to finish this project!

So this list of things should keep me busy until about July 2011!!!

And I didn't mention art shows I am signed up for in January and February, orders I need to fill, dogs to train for agility, that knitting hobby I need to conquer, and new jewelry ideas in my head that need to come out!

Please keep me accountable on these projects :)  I am grateful for all of you that miss my long, crazy posts when I disappear from the world of blogging!  Thanks for asking where I am!

Incase you don't hear from me before....have the best 2011 ever!!!

Hooray December!

This is my favorite time of the year!  I love the weather, Christmas, the decorations......everything!

What I love most of all is my busyness is over for about a month!  In the last month, or so, I have travelled to Nassau to do two art shows where I got to sell my quilts and jewelry and I ran into friends that I have not seen in years!

It was really windy and I could not use all my jewelry displays, so please excuse the horrible table display.  It didnt stop people from buying and that is what counts!  The joy of outdoor shows!

In between the two art shows we had dog agility trials here.....

My potcake, Trixi, got her Novice Standard Agility title and two legs towards her Novice Jumpers with Weaves.

Above are most of us with our ribbons!!! YAY!!!

It was a week of training, trials, great friends and food!

Speaking of food.......back in August I went *VEGAN*!  I've been a vegetarian on and off for the last 17 years and swore I could never give up cheese.  Now I can't believe I didn't do this before.  I feel like a million bucks, my running is better, and I have lost most of the weight I had put on over the last two years.  So in the midst of my busy life I have been trying new recipes and enjoying every step of this new lifestyle.  I will have to do a post on the whole story another time.

After the two art shows I organized a dessert auction in aid of the humane society I work for, Friends of Abaco Animals.  It is called "Designer Desserts".  We auctioned off some amazing desserts (and some were vegan!) and sold some vegan cupcakes.

The auction started off pretty slow but in the end we did better than 2009!  The money from this fundraiser will help spay and neuter more Abaco animals.

The day after the auction my friend, Amy, and I had a display of vegan food and environmentally friendly cleaning products at an environmental film festival put on by Friends of the Environment.

People were pretty impressed with our food.  We had raw energy cookies, black eyed pea hummus, no-egg nog (made from walnuts), vegan cupcakes.  I hope more people can realize the impact of slaughter houses on our environment, not to mention the impact on the animals and our bodies!

When all of this was over, last Sunday, we were finally able to get together with family and friends for a thanksgiving dinner.

When January comes (and it is coming very quickly) I will be preparing for an art show, Art for the Parks, which is the last weekend of January, and possibly another art show before that (which is a bit of a secret for now).

So I am going to throughly enjoy December.....family, friends, food and holiday gatherings......cannot wait!

Fall Inspired Jewelry

I have been a bad blogger again!  It was terribly difficult for me to do my last post, about Maya, and it is just as hard to put up another post over this one.   To keep me moving forward it is time for my ArtBeads Design Partner Challenge.

ArtBeads challenged its blogging team to use the Pantone Fall Palette to create a piece of jewelry.  Of course I was drawn to the blues and greens in this palette.

From ArtBeads I ordered Natural Wood Rectangular Bead Frames, which I love so much!  These frames the perfect compliment to the glass beads that I make and they come in a round shape as well.   I also ordered a Hill Tribe Silver Hammered Spiral End Toggle and some Bali Silver Hollow Round Beads with Flattened Swirls.

I think I may call this one "Opposites Attract".  The round beads with the rectangular frames; the wood with the glass; the silver with the wood....you get the picture!

The other half of the necklace is a combination of the Bali Silver Hollow Round Beads, some fine silver wire that I antiqued and then coiled and then the Hill Tribe Silver Hammered Toggle.

One thing I love about this necklace is that it can be worn with the wooden frames in the front or with some of them in the front and some of the softer links in the front.  The clasp is pretty enough to be a focal also, and the entire necklace is very light weight.

Back to the work bench for me.  I leave for a show on Thursday and I never complete what I set out to complete.

The Artbeads.com products in this post were provided as a promotional gift by Artbeads.com, as part of their Design Partner & Blogging program.  I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion - good or bad.  My comments and opinions about these products are my honest, personal opinion and I have not been paid for any endorsement.

Guess Who???

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted.  I am so thankful for all the emails I have gotten asking where I was and if I had given up on blogging.  For those of you that don't know, here is what happened.....

 Four days after that last post my golden retriever, Maya, passed away.  I knew my next post would have to be about this and I just wasn't ready.  I am still not ready.  Putting it into words just makes it seem so much more real.  Maya was my faithful obedience dog for about 8 years.  We sure had our ups and downs, but that just made me love her more. She was never an easy dog to train and always had a mind of her own....kind of like me!

The above picture was her finishing one of her Rally Obedience legs.  Her and our 10 year old yellow lab, Lucky, were best buddies.  He is still looking for her and it breaks my heart.

They had this strange little game they played when they went outside.  Lucky would go out first and wait at the back door for her to come out.....he still waits, with that crazy look on his face.....I'm not sure how to tell him.

Life goes on after a loss.  I have shows to get ready for and orders to fill.  Thankfully my artwork is my therapy and is a great place for me to get lost when I don't want to think about anything else.

In between the two upcoming art shows we are having agility trials, and I have been training one of my potcakes, Trixi, for the last year.

At our last trials she finished her Rally Novice title, so I am hoping for an agility novice title this time.  The last few weeks she has been more confident and has made me so proud.  She is a slow and steady learner, but once it clicks she never forgets.

One piece of jewelry I completed in the last few weeks and am especially proud of is this piece.....

One of my online/blogging friends asked me to make this for her, Kristen Beason.  Kristen is a halloween artist (she does other themes as well) and I am totally in love with her work and have a few pieces.  So I was flattered when she asked me to make something for her.  Go check out her website and blog.

Below are a few art quilts I have been working on as well....

"Hansel & Gretel"

"Morning Songs"

"Undersea for Baby"

I Kinda Fell Off the Face of the Earth

It is kind of embarrassing how long it has been since I posted.  Thank you for the emails asking where I was and if I am okay.  It makes me happy that there are people out there that like to read my ramblings! Life has been like a roller coaster.  My 10 year golden retriever, Maya, has been sick the last two weeks and needing a lot of my attention, then on Sunday my 17 year old cat passed away.

"Snorkel"

I adopted him when I moved to Abaco, and he was by my side through a lot.  It was kind of sudden even though he was 17!

In the midst of all of this I have deadlines looming, and it is not easy for an artist to work when they have emotional and mental stress.

I thought I would post a few projects that I had finished, just so you know I am still around.

"Love Birds"

"Fish Kiss"

"Whimsical Seating"

"Bahama Pottery"

I have more items to show you that I need to photograph and download.  Hopefully I won't be gone so long in between posts this time.
Thanks again to all of you that checked on me.

Just for Me

Life has been so crazy the last few weeks that this afternoon I just had to sit down and make something for ME!

Some of you probubly know that I have been teaching myself how to crochet the past year or so.  I keep seeing these cute coin purses online, but could never figure out how to make them.  Today I found a tutorial on this blog.....www.sparklepetal.wordpress.com

Not sure what I will use it for, but I love little bags, so I will find some useful job for it.

First I crocheted a 6 inch circle, then made the lining and put the zipper in.

You can find the tutorial for the circle on the Attic24 blog.  That is the blog that really made me sit down and make myself learn how to crochet, because her stuff is so beautiful!

Look Who Arrived......

In my last post I shared with you the Quiltie Pal that I sent off to my secret partner.  On Tuesday I received Flossie the Flamingo!!!

She came from Susan, aka FlossieBlossoms.  Check out her blog here.

Susan also sent some awesome green batiks and a cute card.

Flossie the Flamingo has sat on the deck by the pool and eaten sea grapes.

And got to meet a few of my potcakes who were very excited to see her.

Flossie is a quilt, with the three layers, in the shape of a flamingo with legs.  Pretty amazing work!

I love her and she will hang in my sewing room unless she is out on an adventure with me.

Trying to get back on track........

WOW!!! Can't believe how long it has been since I blogged last!!  My life spun slightly out of control, but I think I am getting back into the *normal* (whatever that is!) swing of things.

Last week I was supposed to send out some swaps, and I was behind on that ........

Wanted to tell you about one of them.  It is called "Quiltie Pal Swap".  Each person in the swap makes a flat quiltie pal, takes it to various locations to take pictures, then sends it off to a secret partner.

My pal is Goombay the Bahama Turtle.

Goombay is a street festival that they have in the Bahamas, and it is also the local soda that is pineapple flavored.....YUM!

First Goombay was in the sea grape trees looking for sea grapes with Trooper, my number one helper!

Then it was off to the vet for her shots to travel, since she is going abroad!

Then a final look at the harbour, here in Marsh Harbour, before her journey begins.

I haven't received my quiltie pal yet.....maybe this week!

Off to continue catching up on my life :)

Have a great week!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Just a really quick post today.....it's my 38th birthday today....I'm a firecracker baby!

Yesterday I had margaritas with some girlfriends, which was nice because it had been a stressful week, finding out about a friends cancer diagnosis.  Puts life in a different perspective!

I am also taking a photography e-course thru bigpicturescrapbooking.com.

Yesterday's theme was centered and here is my picture:

This dog, Lucky, always wants to be the center of attention, but I love his big wet nose in the center!

The day before was "Splash"

Been having lots of fun using the manual settings on my camera.

Later we will have dinner with friends and family and watch the fireworks!

Be back in a few days to show you some awesome swap stuff I got in the mail.

Happy 4th of July!

A New Design Obsession......

Whenever I have a show ahead of me and orders coming out of my ears, my imagination is running wild with new ideas.  In my last post I showed you the pillow that I did for a Flickr swap I was in called {Pillow Talk}.  

"home sweet home"

I have had a collection of vintage fabrics and laces for quite some time now and could never figure out what to do with them.  After that pillow for the swap I am on a roll!

I incorporated the lace into this one.  I also have another one that is waiting to be quilted, in blues and greens which I will be keeping for myself!  I am calling this one "this old house".

I even did piping and a zipper on this one!!! SO PROUD of myself, under the instruction of my Mom who is a master sewer, although she wont admit it!  The below picture shows the piping and the zipper together....quite an accomplishment for me!  I always tell people I cant sew straight lines!

It probably is a strange color selection, but I pulled the vintage fabrics first for the house and then added the solids to compliment.   One of these house must have an owl in the yard at some point also!

I also have a wall hanging started with this same concept, and I have jewelry pieces in the works with a house theme.   It is a real sweat shop in this house right now and I love it!

Have a great weekend!