Once again, Getting Ready for Shows

Shall I said I've been busy?????? I seem to be always busy when I'm home - nonstop! But am I having fun! Here are some pics of: examples of my seamaid and sea turtle pins; two altered books. One is an altered children's board book: I carved windows in the pages and decorated them: 1. image and words on a transparency; 2. free motion stitching on organza; 3. free motion stitching on netting with beads and buttons pocketed; and lastly, 4. collage needlefelted heart with lace heart on top, dictionary page defining "heart" and trim. The pages were tissue paper bits and acrylic sponge painted. I added yarns and ribbon to hang from the binding. The fabric book: used 2 pages of a children's board book to stiffen the covers, and torn book pages and old book tree images printed on organza as well as my dyed and printed leaf fabric (the lightly colored side. The dark side is commercial batik with silk leaves machine embroidered on. Both sides have the following quote machine stitched on: "Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf." Rabindranath Tagore. Both books for for my local art association challenge for October and November. I learned a lot and had great fun!

Now I'm getting packed for my next 2 shows: Neptune Art Festival, Virginia Beach, VA September 28 - 30 and Christmas Made in the South, Franklin, TN October 5 - 7.
I'll be gone for 2 weeks!

Enjoying My Time in the Studio

Having a ball working away. My sister wanted me to take time to smell the flowers. I have. Well, I really took time to walk the beach in between the wind storms. The wind was been furious but there was a little lull and I took advantage of it. Boy, do I ever enjoy the beach, surf, sky, sand.... Heaven! And I do frequently gaze out at the view: sand dunes, ocean and sky. My sewing machine faces that ever changing view. I am one lucky woman!

What have I been doing????? 10 Palm 4x6ers, 6 beach pins, 6 quilted fabric reproductions(around 4x5"), 3 sea turtle and 3 fish 4x6ers and a bunch of ornaments - those are done and packaged. I did play with the embellisher/needle felting machine the other day. What fun. The sea turtle pic shows the needlefelted sea grass. I felted some yarns to Kunin felt and will made a person pin. I sewed up some sea turtle and mermaid pin bodies - will stuff and embellish the next few evenings. I've started some altered books - 2 mini board books and one hardback. I'm suppose to get at least 2 altered books done by Tuesday for my local art association's challenge - time will tell. I've waited til the last minute once again. The challenge is to use an old book or parts of, so I may come up with another plan.

Tomorrow I head for the Jacksonville Quiltfest with my fiber friends of Fernandina and Jacksonville. Can't wait for the eye candy as well as the vendors.

Back Home Working

Back home after the Yellow Daisy Art and Craft Festival in Atlanta and a visit with good friends in the NC Mountains. The mountains were simply beautiful. And they provided rest and relaxation. The show - the weather and crowds were great. It's good to be home at the beach and in my studio. Once again I'm getting ready for several shows. Three "Christmas Made in the South" - Franklin, Tenn., Savannah, GA and here at home(well almost at home): Jacksonville, FL. Carolina Shows, Inc. runs the shows. I did the Jacksonville Show last year - great potential is there. I do a bunch of little items - items I enjoy creating yet on the craft side. I hang my fiber wall hangings up on the display panels as well. Indoor shows are much easier to do from the artist and artist's husband's stand point. No setting up the tent. No taking down of art at the end of each day as I do for outdoor shows. No worry about the weather either! Wish me success! I have 2 outdoor shows as well: Neptune Art Festival in Virginia Beach, VA Sept 28 - 30th and the Amelia Arts Festival, here in Fernandina Beach, FL November 9 & 10. Geez, I'm tired already!

Been creating small items, most incomplete as yet: 10 Palm quilted artcards, 2 beach pins, numerous orange lady pins and wonderfully wacky lady pins, some artdolls(working up different patterns I've drawn up). I am!!!! going to play with my new machine needlefelting machine!!! Today!!!!

Pics include: artdoll, Wonderfully Wacky pin and 4x6 Palm

Art Drop Off and then pack up

Been way too busy finishing up work for the Fiber Show, Neptune Beach, FL and the Yellow Daisy Art Festival, Atlanta, GA. But I am having fun, fun, fun! Love working in my ever messy studio. Well, maybe, the studio could be a bit neater. I can only blame "creativity" for just so much of the mess. Too much mess tends to stifle creativity. Cleaning up the studio a tad is first on my list when I get back from the show!

I had to redo the sky in a large sunrise scene. Redoing was a bit tricky but I do like the result. The sky is a digital photo of an Amelia Island sunrise printed on special fabric. A spot appeared in the top middle of the sky during one of my outdoor shows. I couldn't remove it without removing the color. So I redid it. The sky looks great, if I say so myself.

I finished up a small sunrise I had pieced earlier. The other one that I posted sold!!!!

I finished up the leaf collages. Have one more to stretch. Have to buy more stretcher bars.

Almost completed 5 4x6ers - designed for the Red Hatters. And in the process of creating Fancy Lady pins for the Red Hatters as well. I machine embroider the faces, add yarn hair and a red hat to make pins.

Shortly I'm off to deliver some of my art to 1st Street Gallery, Neptune Beach, FL for their Fiber Show. I'll be doing a wee bit of shopping before I head home to pack up for the trip.

Tired thinking about all this! I'll be back the 14th, hopefully with news of great sales!

Good to be back in the Studio Working

Though I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Maine and the wonderful art workshops, I'm quite contented to be back in the studio. I've finished up some work I had started before the Maine trip: 4 leaf collages (12x12's on stretcher bars), 4 4x6er's leaf collages, 10 music collages 4x6er's. I'm in 2 fiber shows September and October. One with the First Street Gallery, Neptune Beach, FL. September/October. And the other with FAN (Fiber Artists Network), a wonderful bunch of artists from Jacksonville and Fernandina. We're showing at Magrieta's Quilt Shop, St. Augustine, FL Oct. 5 - 27. So I must organize for those two shows. The Neptune Beach one is first - I must deliver my work Monday. I'm just about done. Want to do a Beach Scene. The piecing was done a while ago - must put on a border and quilt it!

I've included a pic of one of the leaf collages, 12x12 on stretcher bars. I leaf printed and then collaged with different fabrics. I'm pleased with the results. This one will go to the Neptune Beach Show.