More Goodies & Happy New Year!

A package I ordered from Dharma Trading arrived yesterday - more goodies to play with in the New Year!

A couple of scarf blanks and 5 yards of fabric for dyeing, along with 9 (!!) new colors of dye.  Guess I'll have to figure out when to fit that into the schedule.

That's the story of my life right now - trying to figure out some sort of schedule in order to accomplish the things on my to-do list - something I'll be working on in the New Year.  Having retired this past Sept. 1, I've not yet settled on a routine that feels productive.  I have been going to exercise in the morning, but I feel like it really delays the start of my day as far as being productive in the studio.  So I've decided I will flip things around and spend mornings in the studio, and go to exercise in the afternoon.  I feel like I will be able to accomplish more that way.  At least until something else interferes, like dentist appointments, etc.  Another wrinkle is that my mother, who is 92 and has been in good health, has had some recent health issues that will have me traveling to PA more frequently to help out the siblings who live near by, so they aren't saddled with all the care.  She is recovering but it is a slow process.

So, no big resolutions this year.  Just an effort to establish a routine that helps me reach my goals.  (That list would be way too long to share.)  Hopefully focusing on the routine will help the other things fall into place.  I wish you all a healthy, happy, prosperous and creative 2014!

Holiday Goodies

It was a good holiday, time spent with family and friends.  We are still eating the leftovers!

I received a few books from my wish list, and also some items I selected for myself from my favorite quilt shop, Quilting Adventures, in Richmond, VA.  For 10 days before Christmas, they offered a series of "Stuff My Stocking" specials - different items available at special prices each day.  You chose only the items you wanted.  At the end of the 10 days your selections were available to be picked up or shipped.

The books in the picture were gifts. The Shibori book was recommended by the instructor of the dyeing class I took last fall.  I can't resist a good book, especially one of technique, and the Joen Wolfram book is just that.  Being of PA Dutch descent,the book of designs seemed like it could be inspirational.  My stocking treats included a pair of Gingher scissors, binding clips in 2 sizes, a bundle of fat quarters, and a magnetic pin cushion.  I'm ready to put them all to good use!

Holiday Screen Printing

I can't believe its been nearly a month since my last post.  That was not my intent!  However, I was side-tracked by a family emergency and spent 12 days in Pennsylvania.  My 92 year-old mother had a gall bladder attack and infection that kept her in ICU for 5 days followed by 4 days in a regular room and now is in rehab.  It was a tough time but she is getting better every day.  Since I've been home, I've been trying to catch up on Christmas preparations, so the blog has fallen by the wayside. 

When I left town, Elizabeth and I were preparing for a holiday Open House at Artistic Artifacts.  We planned a demo/make & take of holiday postcards and gift tags.  I found some copyright free vintage holiday images that I made into screens and we purchased card stock postcards & tags.  We used Speedball printing ink in red, green, gold, silver & white.  Unfortunately I had to leave town before the event, but Elizabeth carried on without me.  Here are some pictures of printed cards and tags.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we enter the holiday season by celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, I want to wish each and everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  I am thankful most of all for my loving and supportive family, and grateful for the many blessings of this life we live.  I hope you have a wonderful day surrounded by family and friends, a dinner with all the trimmings, and whatever other traditions your family enjoys.  I know for us that will probably include football and some games, and lots of food!  My mother, at 92, is still the baking queen!  Enjoy!

Gelatin Plate Printing

I recently took advantage of an opportunity to take a Gelatin Plate Printing class with a new local teacher, Susan Gantz, at Artistic Artifacts.  This was another chance to play with a technique I haven't used much recently, although I have played extensively in the past.  Susan had some really wonderful and intriguing samples and I did get some insight into how she gets her results.  However one difference is that she prints more on paper than fabric, so the results will vary.  Some of these prints are on paper and some are on fabric.  Can you tell which is which?

  

Paint Stick Class

At the VCQ meeting I took the paint stick workshop with Karen Lee Carter of Virginia Beach.  I've used paint sticks before but was happy to play with them again and pick up a few new tips and ideas.  Karen Lee was a well-planned and organized teacher.  It was a relaxing and enjoyable day.  These are some of my sample pieces.

 The piece on the left was done using a torn file folder, applying paint to the edge and then shading it off the edge.  The piece on the right is done with a stencil.

 The pieces on the left and center were rubbings over hand-carved rubber stamps.  The one on the right was masked with tape and shaded around the edges first, then laid over a piece of mat to create additional texture marks.

Here, the left and center were both done with rubbing plates; the right piece was rubbed over a hand-carved stamp.

The class was a good opportunity to practice some techniques I hadn't used recently.

VCQ in Virginia Beach

A few weeks ago the Virginia Consortium of Quilters held our November meeting in Virginia Beach at the Resort & Conference Center on the Chesapeake Bay side of the city.  We had 88 people attending for a day of workshops and the annual business meeting.  Workshops included playing with paint sticks, a 10-minute block class, a wool project, an angle play project and a miniature mystery, as well as Come Quilt with Me. Here are some class show and tell pictures.

My friends and I stayed over an extra night to play tourist a bit; Sunday turned out to be a gorgeous sunny day, 71 degrees.  We had breakfast at Pocahontas Pancake House in VA Beach city, walked along the beach and climbed the Cape Henry lighthouse, the first lighthouse built in the US which was in operation from 1792 to 1881.