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Archive for September, 2009

One Down and One to Go

Monday, September 28th, 2009

greenflashfinal

I am not sure how I am feeling about this piece. I love the colors. I think it evokes a gorgeous sunset. I had some trouble with my green flash, using just the mica chips, so I ended up embellishing with some glass beads in gel medium. It looks better in person than it photographs.

Here is a detail:

greenflashdetail

I don’t have time to dwell on this. I learned a bit about adding mica chips. I have to move on.

Next on my agenda is the final 12 X 12 piece in the current round. Terry selected twelve as our theme. I have known what I want to do, but not exactly how. Last night it hit me!! I have already started working on the images as it required quite a bit of computer work. Now I have to decide whether I want to print the images from  my computer to fabric or to make thermofax screens and print them. I am leaning towards the thermofax screens. I am very excited about my plan. I better be because it has to be done by Thursday morning.

I am bordering on exhaustion. Mr C is not able to do much so I am doing all the dog walking and training, and the work around the house that he usually does – which is quite a bit. I almost had a melt down at the puppy training class yesterday. The exuberant Scooter, who loves all other dogs and any person he encounters, was almost beyond controlling. He weighs well over 50 pounds and just about did me in trying to play with the other dogs and jump up and hug the humans.

Tomorrow morning, I have to take time away from creating to take Mr C back to the Dr’s office to have the catheter removed. I think he will feel much better after that. I am waiting for things to return to normal. I may have forgotten what normal is!! LOL!

Good Mail Day

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Wright

This is Fault Lines by Diane Wright who lives in Connecticut. I purchased it in the SAQA auction. I was so excited to get this piece. No photo does it justice. The fabric is raw silk. It is beautifully pieced, stitched and beaded. Mr C has given it his stamp of approval.

The other night, I went shopping in the Etsy shops of some Face Book friends. From Carol Dean Sharpe, an avid beader, I ordered a pendant. I opened the package to find this pretty box.

tealbox

Inside was this pendant. Since I do not like chokers, she added the lovely crocheted ribbon. It also has a copper wire, if I want a different look.

beadednecklace

From Shibori Girl, Glennis Dolce, I ordered a bag of shibori scraps. What a deal. there was a whole scarf in the bag. You can see a closeup under the pendant.

shiboriscraps

Mr C survived his surgery. It was a long and arduous procedure to pulverize the two large stones in his bladder. Then they did a rotorooter of his prostate. It is usually 2 hours, but it was a little longer than 3 hours. He spent one night in the hospital and came home today.

Scooter was having some tummy problems, but seems to be getting better. I have decided that Scooter and I are good at making messes and Mr C cleans up after us. I make my mess in the kitchen. Scooters messes will not be spoken of.

I really need another good night’s sleep. I need to spend the week-end getting green flash done and I also need to get the next 12 X 12 piece done by Wednesday. If I have no interruptions, I think I can do it.

Steph left tonight for Portland, ME. She and Maria will be signing their new book and shipping them to those who have preordered. The new book is a Year of Evenings. You can see details here. Jack will be able to take care of M & M since she will be back on Monday night.

3191Evenings_main

That is it for tonight!!

Getting Back in the Groove

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

greenflashfull

It was good to get back in the studio to do some work today. I got the green flash piece constructed and fused to the batting. This is just the bare bones. The stitching and mica painting will make add to the design and complexity, I think. I found this great fabric in my stash for the back.

greenflashback

I decided that my cruddy feeling yesterday was caused by my seasonal allergies returning with a vengeance. It was very windy and dusty yesterday. I started my ritual of saline rinses and sudafed and felt somewhat better.

Mr C is having his surgery early tomorrow morning. We  have to leave the house around 5:30 am. Steph is going to come over and walk Scooter, who seems to have some kind of tummy problem going on. I hope it is not serious. We have been giving him some new food for the training exercises. I think that it is not agreeing with him. Just one more thing to worry about.

If you live near Scranton, PA, you might want to check out this show. I have a piece in it. The show opens September 25th.

dodpostcard

I keep forgetting that I need to get my 12 X 12 piece done by next Wednesday. I  know what I am going to do and it is going to be fun, but i wanted to get the green flash further along.

I am not sure that I will be checking in tomorrow. Mr C is staying in hospital over night and I will probably hang out with him unless Scooter needs  me.

This and That

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

micachips

Just a quick check in. I think the activities of the past two weeks have caught up with me. I hope I do not have the flu because Mr C has surgery on Thursday and he needs me. So, I am off to bed soon.

The photo above is my experiment with tinting mica chips for the green flash piece. The photo is not that great because every thing is reflective, but you get the idea.

Today, I had fun helping one of Jane Dunnewold’s Mastery students make thermofax screens for her next project. Barbara recently moved back  here to Portland. She used to have her own clothing design business, but now designs fabric for other designers. The Mastery program is a 3 year program with twice a year week long classes in San Antonio with Jane.

On Sunday night, Mr C and I took Scooter to his first puppy training class. He is doing so well. We have homework every day, and he is a very smart boy. He can come, stay, sit and go down on command. (As long as a treat is involved!!) Here he is n class, touching Mr C’s hand to get a treat.

scooterschool

I am done for the night. Ta!!

Whew!!

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

saturdaymarkjayme1

I have been partying  up a storm with the family, celebrating the marriage of these two, my son, Mark, and Jayme. They have not gotten married, yet. They have the rings, they have the commitment, but they are just going to go to city hall in San Francisco some day and do it. Jayme orchestrated a get-together of both sides of the family here in Portland.

On Thursday night, they put together a delightful meet and greet dessert party at the Sellwood Yoga Studio where Mark had done the landscaping for his friends who moved up here from SF. Here is my daughter, Steph and M & M sitting in the courtyard.

yogastudio2

On Friday night, we had everyone at our home for a beautiful meal catered by Papa Haydn, a restaurant noted for their desserts.

fridaycake

I had purchased lots of fall flowers  – sunflowers, dahlias and zinnias, which Lisa and Clay arranged in vases for all the tables.

fridayflowers

The food was fabulous and the service was impeccable. We received rave reviews from every one. We were able to arranged seating for all who came which required some furniture rearrangement. We like the new living room arrangement so much that we are going to keep it for awhile.

Saturday was the day for the picnic out on Sauvie Island at the Kruger Farms. We awoke to a steady rainfall, but the weather forecast called for sun by the afternoon. And we were not disappointed. What a great time we had. This was coordinated by Mark and Jayme. They bought the food, rented a huge BBQ, and thought of every detail for a fun time in the country. Some of Jayme’s relatives cooked some great sides and Stephanie made killer cookies.

We took Scooter with us. It was his first long drive for an adventure. He had a great time. There was the cutest little dog who lives on the farm who kept running over to our site to play with Scoot. He looks like a cross between a chihuahua and a Jack Russel Terrier.

saturdayscooterandlittledog

We were right next to the corn maze and at one point, Scooter ran off into the maze and it took some time to find him.

Here is a photo of everyone who was there, except the photographer.

saturdayeveryone

We took about 6 attempts to get a photo of our family. Here is one of the takes. It is almost impossible to get Miles to look at the camera, especially when his Uncle Mark is giving him the elbow!!

saturdaycongdonstake2

It was a wonderful 3 days. We loved Jayme’s family. We loved having Steve’s brother Mike and some of his family and David who came all the way from Florida. Right now, I am pretty exhausted. If you are interested in seeing all the photos that I took, they can be seen on this Flickr set, Mark and Jayme Celebration.

Here is some other stuff going on in my life. I was very excited to have Mystical Forest purchased on the first day of the SAQA auction for $750 by Teri Springer, who is becoming a patron since she owns two of my pieces.

I didn’t get into Quilts=Art=Quilts this year. I am disappointed, but that frees the work to enter in another show.

I now have the correct diagnosis for my brother-in-law, Ray. He has myelodysplastic syndrome which prevents the making of white blood cells. The only treatment is a bone marrow transplant, and he is considered to old to get it. I am deeply pained for my sister and her children and grandchildren.

There is a lot of other stuff rattling around in my brain, but it will wait for another day.