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Archive for the ‘Rant’ Category

Good Riddance to a Bad Day

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Thank you to everyone who voted for which photo to send to the PAQA show. I was amused at how many of you thought the first picture was angry or scary. You should see me when I am really angry!! Here is the photo that I sent. I retook my picture today. I decided I wanted a solid top, in my favorite color and I actually did my hair and put on some makeup. I hope I am smiling enough for all of you.

I  have had one of those days where too many things have gone wrong!! I needed to ship the Fragments quilt to North Carolina today. I had to update my resume, print out a photo,  make some new business cards, fashion a rod per their instructions and make a new label. I also planned to go to the tile store to select my final colors for the bathroom tile and to pick up a supply of fruits and veggies at my fave organic store.

I couldn’t get a good print of my photo because one printer needs a new color cartridge and the other needed head cleaning. Got that done. I started to print my FedEx labels for shipping and return shipping. Since my last shipping, they have changed the layout and method of inputting data and printing a label. I could not get the d___ thing to print. I e-mailed help. I tried calling help, but Mr C was on the phone. Then as I was about to smash my monitor, I figured it out.

Last week, I received a shipment of boxes and self-stick sleeves for the labels. I could not find the box of sleeves. I looked in every room, every closet, in the garage, in the storage room in the basement. They are not to be found. So, in frustration, I used the clear tape dispenser which usually makes a mess.

By now it is quarter to five. I had to get to the FedEx drop off and get to the market. Forget the tile today. When I left the market, I must have dropped my wallet in the parking lot cause when I got home, my purse was very light. So back to the store in a panic. I saw the two guys who had pulled in next to me as I was leaving. They recognized me and asked if I had lost my wallet!!!! I could have given them both big kisses, but I probably would have frightened them to death. They had turned my wallet in to the store.

I came home and crashed with a glass of wine before I could think about making dinner. How was your day?

Retreating

Thursday, March 13th, 2008

rants.jpg

I am giving up on the occasional political rant on this blog. You can find my rants on my new blog — Gerrie on Politics. Why? Because I need to have a place where I can say what I need to say without interrupting my artistic endeavors. I hope those of you who come here because you enjoy my rants will come and visit at the new blog. Nuf said.

I am all packed, except for the requisite food, for retreating to the Oregon Coast with my STASH group. I love this group of women. We will be eating ice cream at the Tillamook Creamery. We will be laughing a lot. We will visit “It’s Good to be Green” where Terry and I will get to see our video interviews! The weather looks ominous so I am not sure there will be many beach walks.

I am going to knit, read and work on some collages for Collage Mania, an American Cancer Society fundraiser organized by Virginia Spiegel.

I think there is WiFi so I will take the IBook and entertain you with our activities.

That Crazy Woman Named Geraldine

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

The content of this post has been moved to my new political blog. The comment from my very good friend June has prompted me to find a more “appropriate” spot for my occasional ranting.

I just want to say that perhaps I lost it when I wrote that post, but I am not alone. I recommend taking nine minutes of your time to listen to the commentary by Keith Obermann last night.  Or, read this editorial on the Daily Kos.

Primary Fatigue

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

As you know, if you read this blog often, I am a political nut. I loves me some good political discussion, but tonight, I have to admit to being so over Hillary Clinton and the primary. I wanted it to be over tonight and it didn’t happen. I believe that Obama will be the candidate, but we are going to have to endure months of scaring, religion bias, “you like him better” whining and bad pant suits. Enough said.

On with the creative side of my blog. Just a reminder, when I started my blog back in 2005, the header said: “The artful creations of a high fiber grandma with occasional political rants.”

Here are 3 little pieces I did for the class with Liz. The assignment was to do 3 compositions where the focal point changes from far to near, using the same design idea. I did a lunar eclipse with indigo aspens.

aspenseclipse.jpg

oneaspeneclipse.jpg

aspeneclipsecloseup2.jpg

I started on a vintage Japanese fabric collage composition today. It will also be my final composition for Liz’s class.

The first step is to put a large piece of Teflon on my pressing table, followed by a layer of Misty Fuse. Misty Fuse has no paper backing. I love that it does not change the hand of the fabric significantly. I then layer the pieces of vintage kimono fabric over the Misty Fuse.

kimonofabricsready2fuse.jpg

Another sheet of Teflon is place over the fabric, and I fuse the fabric with a hot iron.

teflontop.jpg

The fabrics are cut apart and are ready for use.

fusedkimonofabrics.jpg

Next, I cut squares of the fabric and start arranging a background for the collage.

backgroundkimonofabrics.jpg

And that is it for tonight. At least I don’t have to wait up any longer for primary results. Bonne Nuit a Tous!

Wednesday Potpourri

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

First, some eye candy. Look at this gorgeous fabric that has been arriving. I am working on a commission piece that will be a collage of vintage Japanese fabrics with reds and yellows as the main color theme.

redjapanesevintagefabric.jpg

Next, I just had to share this delightful e-mail that I received through my website contact form. It really made my day!! I disguised her name, but she is from Scotland.

Just found your blog and website whilst trying to find a reason why after 10 years doing a proper job I can’t get my procien dyes beyond the level of wishy washy! I’m not a blogger-haven’t got any idea what its about, but thought this woman thinks a bit like me when I meandered facsinated around your website-I hope I haven’t got completely lost here-I am talking to the lady who has a bottle of pinot gringio in amongst the threads-aren’t I?
Anyway, I’ll work the recipe out, I always work stuff out or remember in the end, I’ll have multi coloured fingers for a while but I’ll get there. I just wanted to e-mail you and say its nice to know that I’m not the only middle aged woman who finds fibre, colour, and cotton wrapped round the vacuum cleaner exciting, in fact more exciting than most things except homeless people, running, chocolate, cats and maybe that other thing that people do when they’ve got time!

Be interesting to hear from you-great site.

Rxxxxx

P.s I’m a lapsed textile designer, batik in particular, but the ex-husband wanted ‘stuff’ and I meekly responded by getting a proper job. I’m now divorced-yeehaa! Liberated and making my way back to my creative soul-and for the first time in over ten years re-discovering textile, colour, design, dyes, cloth, beads and art! What a relief, I thought I’d lost not only passion but even interest forever-but its back!

Fatima, on the other hand, is making our lives a living nightmare. Someone, or some robotic Internet form filler, is using the name Fatima and our phone number to apply for every loan and mortgage available on line. In fact, I got one message that she was pre-approved for a business loan of $270,000. The calls have been coming about once an hour on average for two days. A live person that I talked to says that people often use a fictitious phone number so that they won’t get phone calls. I have taken to answering the phone with, ” Fatima does not live here. Don’t ever call here again!”

On the weight loss front, I lost almost 2 pounds today. I am at a new low weight. I think it is because I gave up cheese for Lent. I can’t wait for Sundays, when I can break my fast and have a little cheese, yum!

The big news is that I finished the Art Cloth. I produced a computer journal of my process with photos — it was burned to a CD and all will be overnighted to San Antonio tomorrow. I am really happy with my final result.

Tomorrow is STASH meeting. We are going to meet at Terry’s new house and get a tour of the estate, then out to lunch. It will be a lovely day. Mr C is taking me out for Lover’s Day tomorrow night. If I am not careful, I will gain the 2 pounds back!

And Liz, if you are reading this, I am so behind on my week 4 homework!!

Happy Heart’s Day to all my blogger friends. I really do love you!