Rebirth

Remember the surface design project I did the other day? Well, here is the first of the prayer flags that was made from that batch - I call it "Rebirth."

A new year is soon to be rung in; for many of us, this is a time of reflection and planning. Like a phoenix is reborn from the ashes of its old self, come January 1st many of us also feel reborn, recharged - we are full of ideas, dreams, and plans. May your year ahead be one of discovery and joy :-)

An Exercise in Surface Design

Earlier this year, I joined a group of artists in making prayer flags on Vivika Hansen Denegre's blog, The Prayer Flag Project . If you haven't yet heard of it, please check it out, as it is so wonderful to see everyone's flags. I only made 3 flags before I got stuck on a particularly difficult one (emotionally difficult, that is). I have decided that it is time to put that one away for the time being, and concentrate on other flags that I would like to make.

So, with that in mind, yesterday graced me with enough time to prepare about 16 flags, each painted differently. This is a great project to take on the go, or to work on when you need a break from a larger project. And the meaning behind the flags is something that I find particularly beautiful; the thought that people around the world are posting flags for the wind to carry their prayers to all who need them is something that fills my heart with joy.

Here are the flags that I prepared yesterday:

On some, I used salt as a resist; on others, a stencil, a nifty paint brush, stencil sponges, brayers, and regular paint brushes. I used both Seteo fabric paints, and liquid acrylics, from F&W and Jacquard.

The flags are very easy to make - simply measure and tear fabric into about a 5 inch by 11 inch strip. Next, fold one short end over about 3 inches, so that you can hang them. I usually use embroidery to seal the hanging pocket, but you can use whatever method works for you. In the end, you should have about a 5 inch by 8 inch flag, to decorate in any way that you choose.

Today is my fellow's birthday, so I won't be working much on them, but I am planning to very soon, and will post the finished results when I do. In the meantime, perhaps you will make some flags, and post them to the group (if you like, you can also send them to me; I would be happy to share them on my blog as well!)...

The year, as we know it, is drawing quickly to a close (I say "as we know it," because our calendar is way off, but that is another discussion) - I can personally say that this was a challenging year for me, filled with many changes, as I know it was for many others; I am so happy to say good-bye to 2011, and to take my fond memories with me while I leave the less than pleasant ones behind, as much as I can, anyway.

I am also very excited for 2012; I have so many great plans for the year, including a collaborative effort with a fantastic tattoo artist/illustrator that I know, as well as some other experiments in quilting and surface design. I hope that you will continue to share in my journey, and to include me in yours. I only started blogging late this summer, but already feel that I have made a few blogger friends; I'm glad that I started this journey, and thank you for all for welcoming me into it. I wish each of you many dreams come true in the following year, and am looking forward to seeing what we all create!

Last Quilt of 2011

Well, I did it - I finished the quilt that I was commissioned to make. It was proudly delivered this afternoon, and was met with both enthusiasm and appreciation. Want to see it? Here it is:

This is the full quilt

And this is with some detail

I was so proud to deliver this quilt to the fellow who commissioned me; I was invited in for tea, and we had a lovely chat about art in different forms (he is a wonderful photographer), as well as other things. I was asked if I would do a commission for the same price again, and honestly, I wouldn't; however, for this man, who I knew would enjoy it so much, I was happy to share my work for what I consider a very fair price, considering I have never been commissioned for work before.

Christmas is but a few days away, and this is likely my last posting of 2011. Before I sign off, I want to thank you all for joining me in this new journey of blogging. My wish for each of you is that you are able to spend some time soon with people that make you smile. Friends and family are important at any time of year, but during the holiday season, and especially nearing the end of a year, it is good to take stock and connect with those that you appreciate.

Many happy holiday wishes to each of you; I look forward to sharing our journeys together next year.

Inspired by Nature

Last week, I decided to take a walk, to see some sights and get to know my new camera. I was so blessed to be able to see hawks, herons, flickers, and the rare snowy owl on my walk. Nature is inspiring in so many ways - the lines, the shades, the beauty just waiting for someone to notice. I returned from my walk refreshed and inspired. A new year is about to begin, and one resolution I have is to make more time to connect with nature, and to look at things with new eyes. Below are some photos that I hope will inspire you to connect with nature, wherever you are in this beautiful world.

Northern Flicker

Cool logs

King Heron

Berries

The beautiful and elusive Snowy Owl

This break gave me such peace, and also the energy to work on a quilt that I have been commissioned to make, due to be delivered before Christmas. I am nearly done quilting, and hope to have the binding on by tomorrow, so that I can stitch it to the backing over the weekend. My goal is to have all things for Christmas made and ready to go by Wednesday of next week, so that I can truly relax over the holidays. I usually think that a day offers way more than 24 hours though, so we will see how that goes; after all, there is still holiday baking to do as well.

I hope that everyone is finding and sharing beauty at this time of year, and that you are all remembering to gift yourselves with some time for you. After all, without you, the world would be a less beautiful place. I will post pictures of my commissioned quilt when it is ready to be delivered; until then, I wish each of you peace and joy during the holidays and always.

Art, in All its Forms

This weekend was spent creating - I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend another encaustics workshop (I have to admit, I am loving this medium!), and this is what I made:

This diptych is in memory of my Nana, who passed away many years ago, but nonetheless too soon.. She was my very best friend, and I miss her daily. My Nana was born on the 8th of August, therefore, it is the 8 of hearts piece that represents her; I was born in June, and am kind of goofy, so the Jack of clubs represents me. The little dots that you see represent our time together, and all of the memories that we shared. There are more dots on my piece, as I am still remembering her, and honoring her whenever I can, especially on her birthday. I am happy that I made this diptych, as it is one of the few tangible memories that I have of my Nana, my friend...

I also spent time making coffee cozies as gifts - I made 16 of them this weekend (although some time was spent during the week on them as well) - of course, I needed to replace the one I gave away, and my boyfriend wanted one as well, so that leaves me with 14 to give as gifts. Here are the fabrics that I used:

The backing fabrics are also pretty cool, but I didn't photo them, since I used the same one on all of the dark cozies. You can see though, just how versatile they can be. I hope that each of you has had some time for art, in whatever form you choose. Art is a powerful thing, and I am finding that the more time I spend creating, the more time I spend wanting to create... My wish for each of you is that you make the time to do the things that make you happy in this world, because life is just too short not to... I'm going to go for a walk now, because today, that is what will make me happy...

Making the World a Better Place

Lyric Kinard has started December with reminding us that there is joy to be found in being of service to others, and beauty to be found in kindness. This sentiment is one that I have shared for years, with anyone who would listen. Lyric wants to make this concept as big as possible, and I want to help her. Won't you grab this button that you see above, and share the news? Let's all help make the world a better place, by showing kindess every day. Today I made a bunch of coffee cozies, some of which will be gifted to teachers etc. The others will be gifted randomly, since I was already able to see the joy that this brings; last week I gave my cozy to a barista at Starbucks, who was "oogling" it while she made our coffee, then while she was sweeping the floor.

Join me and the others who are sharing in this spirit of paying it forward, won't you? Let's spread some magic around, and make the world a better place together!

How to Value a Quilt

My friend Janet had quite the experience the other day; on a number of occasions, we have discussed how people love hand made items, yet have little to no appreciation of the time that it takes to make them. In this world of instant gratification, so much has been lost - gone is the appreciation for not only the time that it takes to make hand made goods, but what is also lost, is the appreciation for the process, and for the peace that the following the process can bring to the artist. Consider the quilters of Gee's Bend: their whole community is built on respect for time, and for process; there is no question that these talented women create beautiful art, as seen below:

How anyone could not understand the work, time, and most importantly, love, that goes into creating something by hand is beyond me. And, while I know that there are people out there who do appreciate these things, I am astounded by just how many don't - those who think that work comparable to ours can be purchased for a fraction of the cost at a big box store.

To hear the full story of my friend Janet's experience (and believe me, it's worth the read), visit her blog, which is located right here.

I hope that you all spend some time this holiday season, crafting gifts for those you love. And, I hope that you take the time to somehow relate to people what it takes in order to create your gifts. Let's band together as artisans, and make a point of educating people of the value of hand made items, whenever and wherever the opportunity arises - happy creating!!