An Owl of a Journal

I told you a few posts back how I have been sooooo inspired by birds and I thought it was time to let you see a project.

This is a journal cover I started a few weeks ago.
Had it all fused and ready to quilt and then lost my inspiration for that particular project, but found it today and got it all quilted.
The above picture is the back......sometimes I love the back more than the front.  It looks like a doodle.  Actually this will be the inside of the journal, not the back.
Took a picture to remember it since, when I put the sleeves in it, to hold the book in place, this doodle will be covered.


Here it is over the cover of the journal.  The book I am using for a journal is actually a very nice datebook that was given to me by my insurance company.
Since I already had a cool Kelly Rae Roberts datebook, and I couldn't stand to throw away a book full of paper, I decided to make a journal or a notebook out of it.
Tonight or tomorrow I will add the sleeves to hold the book inside and the binding.  I will post a picture to show it to you as well as some photos of some more things birdy :)
I would like to stitch a catchy, maybe even corny, "owl" saying onto the front of this also.....anyone got any ideas?

Busy as a Bee

Just a quick post today to let you know what I have been up to. Spent most of the last week quilting quilts!
My Mom and I make quilts (she usually does the piecing and I do the quilting) to donate to different local fundraisers.
This one is the last one that I quilted.  This quilt will be auctioned in Cherokee this weekend for a local gentleman's medical expenses.
I haven't been very good at taking pictures of the quilts before they leave and have to get better at that.
Yesterday the weather here was rainy and dreary so I had to fold the quilt over a rocking chair in my studio and take a picture of it.  Maybe later today I will get a better picture.....outside where it is sunny and warm for a change.  My thermometer is reading 82 F right now and hasn't seen that temperature in a few weeks!
Bye for now....back to quilting :)

Valentine's Day and Birds

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

The photo above shows a heart I crocheted today after seeing it on the Attic24 blog.  The pattern is actually here.  Lucy, from Attic24, was kind enough to send me the link for the blog the pattern was on.

All the crocheting I have done so far (successfully) has been granny squares.  I started to think I could only crochet in a circle, but I am quite proud of this creation!  I made a few mistakes, but also learned how to increase and decrease!

If it weren't for the Attic24 blog I don't think I would be crocheting today.  Her colors and her patterns are so inspiring that I had to conquer crochet.

I am not sure why but ever since last fall I have had this obsession with birds. Not that I want to own any  live ones, but just birdy things.  Just before Christmas Attic24 posted a pattern for this bird, and I just had to make a bunch! You can find the pattern for this cutsy bird here.

So I have been a busy bird making birdie things.....quilts, pillows, jewelry, ceramics......and will post different items in upcoming blog posts.  I was also quite pleased with my new "obsession" when I opened my new Pottery Barn catalog and saw that birds are the "in" thing.  There were pillows, decorations etc...

Here is a quilt I had at the Art for the Parks Show, called "the early birds".

Good-bye for now.  Have a wonderful Valentine's Day :)

Kim and Kim

A couple years ago I fell in love with two of Kim Rody's paintings and we agreed to trade work.  So here is the quilt I finally got to finish for her.  Check out her website and you will fall in love with her work too. We are standing in front of her booth at the Art for the Parks show that took place this weekend, in Marsh Harbour.
She loved her quilt and it is going to live in her and Mark's cabin in North Carolina.  I just may have to go and visit that quilt!

Here is a photo of my booth from the show.  It has been an awesome show.  I have sold three originals so far and some jewelry!  Today is the last day for the show so we will see what happens today :)

Art Show this Weekend!!!

A quick post to show you a new piece and remind those of you living in Abaco to come out to the Art Show this weekend.

Tonight is the opening night, and is invitation only.  I hear the Prime Minister will be there!!!

Saturday the hours are 10am to 5pm and Sunday 12noon to 5pm.

There will be a children's craft area, and speciality food booths also.

Anyway, have to go pack my car and set up for a great weekend.....see you there :)

Sneak Peak at New Ideas

Yesterday was a busy day....painting, sewing, flameworking, beading.....scattered, but busy.  I had to find something to do while paint dried!  Eventually the puzzle pieces in the picture will become a piece of fun and funky artwork to hang in my booth for the Art for the Parks Show.

Are there other artists like me?......when you should be concentrating on a show there are other creative things calling your name, begging for you to work on them, when they have nothing to do with the upcoming show or order.

One of my new years resolutions was to learn how to knit.  I knew how to cast on, knit and pearl, so on Sunday my Mom showed me and a friend how to do the cable stitch.  It takes quite a bit of concentration, but I am pleased with my results.  Guess what?.....its going to be a scarf :)

I hope to post more snippets as they are created.

New Year......New Work

The first three weeks of 2010 have been crazy-busy!!! I started out the new year taking a plein air painting workshop from Walt Bartman of Yellow Barn Studio.
It was an amazing experience! I hadn't painted with oils since high school, so I learned (or re-learned) alot!  Here are the paintings that I did during that workshop.
Hopefully I can take what I learned in this workshop and apply it to my art quilts.  I plan on doing this workshop again in 2011 to continue to learn from a great teacher.

In my last post I showed a small piece of  a quilt I was working on that had been ordered for a Christmas gift.  When I first got the call about the quilt, the lady told me she wanted a pink, lavender, butterflies, very girly design.  This is what popped into my head and she loved it.
I am actually surprised at myself and how the actual quilt came out like the drawing.
This design has sparked a whole new set of ideas for quilts which I will be showing at the Art for the Parks Show, here in Marsh Harbour Abaco, the weekend of January 29th.

So here is the final quilt.  It measures about 3 feet by 4 feet and I hope that it is something that Sarah treasures for a long time.

So now its time to get to work and get some quilts and jewelry and "other stuff" finished for the Art for the Parks show.  Below are a few beads that I made with the torch yesterday.  Hopefully they will turn into a piece of artwork that someone can wear on their neck.

  

Back to work I go!