a day in my stuido. (and a winner)

Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can't get there by bus, only by hard work, risking, and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you'll discover will be wonderful: yourself.--Alan Alda

Amazing words so well said! I am still trying to understand my self and these words just may of helped me out a bit!
If you pay special attention to this slide show, you can get a sneak peek at a project that I am currently working on for my mixed media fabric book that I have been feverishly working on, as I will be filming the step outs for this book in Ohio at the end of august!

The winner and the next person that must pay it forward was picked by the random number generator
is lucky number 18! congratulation's Cory!
please email me you address at: ruthrae@gmail.com

A Huge thank you to all of you that voted in my little side bar poll, I will be announcing some really special news connected to the poll very soon!

Creative people who can't help but explore other mental territories are at greater risk, just as someone who climbs a mountain is more at risk than someone who just walks along a village lane.--R. D. Laing

Happy Creating!

"pay it forward," give away

Artists today think of everything they do as a work of
art.
It is important to forget about what you are doing..
then a work of art may happen.
::: Andrew Wyeth :::

I tell my self its all about play, but I some how got a little lost along the way... its time for me to forget about the work and fall in love with the process!

Now onto some fun!

I won these wonderful earrings form Nancy in a "pay it forward give away"... now girls if your in the Southern Californian vicinity and love vintage jewelery findings, chain, ribbons and trim then you must rush on down to Gilding the Lilly Vintage
(and if your from out of town then you can buy from her online shop!)


So now its time for me to "Pay It Forward" the rules are simple if you enter to win these
made with my own two hands: Apple Green Quartz Microfaceted Drop Briolette earrings all snug in there little stitched and sewn fiber gift folder, then you must host a giveaway with something made by your own hands. Anyone who wants play just has to leave a comment, and commit to be the next one to "pay it forward" with their own giveaway.


I will be going away for a few days so I will be closing this give away on Monday at midnight and will pick a winner on Tuesday!
(and if you would be so kind, please vote on the side bar poll.)
Good luck !

Drenched in Color

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
~ Marcus Aurelius

(a day spent dyeing cloth)

"Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposively, to cause vibrations in the soul."

Wassily Kandinsky [Russian-born French Expressionist Painter, 1866-1944]

(Art card for Kristen)

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.”

Georgia O'Keeffe

Long Beach Quilt Show: July 25-27

This week's Show Me theme is "sewing machines"

Fun fact about me...

I would like to think that the reason why I received a very bad grade in home economics at the tender age of 14 was because I was insanely creative and my teacher was just jealous of my immense talent...

but the hard cold truth was that I was really bad!
and I could not wrap my brain around cutting a strait line let alone sew one!....
I failed miserably at sewing ....

lets just say that my pinwheel pillow (I am so sorry there is no photo to share but it was so bad even my mom did not hold on to it!) it was the van Gogh of pillows (beautiful yet insane!) my center corners did not match up! but because I stand behind everything I make and being that I am a true dreamer (aka stubborn!), I came up with adding a round piece in the center and went as far to stuff it a little: a very large button if you will... I handed this in as my final project (and yes you can bet money that I waited to the night before to create this gem! not a lot about me has changed in 2o years!) needless to say when I handed my pillow in, she shook her head and said... "Ruth you need to go to your desk and rip out all the seams and start over!"


fast forward 20 plus years and you will see the I prefer ripping my fabric to cutting and I use so many stitches in my work that you can not tell where I start or begin...

it tickles me every time I get a email from someone asking me advice on sewing machines because I am still that little girl that received a D in her sewing class.
(D stands for delightful after all!)

But that said I do have advice and I am here to tell you that newer is not always better and spending $5000 plus on a new top of the sewing machine with a computer has only gotten my self something that is smarter then me. ( I chose this model because of the foot free hand guided free motion stitching that I have yet to fully explore) But brains aside this is one great machine it can truly do what ever it is that I need it to do right down to hands free auto sewing a button hole!

Now when I started out sewing mixed media I used a old Montgomery Wards machine from the 70's (it was yellow) it worked ... but a few years ago my world opened up as I was working on a big project it was 100 degrees out and as my studio did not at the time have air condition and the machine was housed in a large cabinet and it could not be unbolted or moved easily so to my rescue was my Neighbor who offered me her sewing machine, a Bernenna 1020, after a few seconds I was in love! this was the machine of my dreams! it was strong and so easy to use! I had tears in my eyes when I had to give it back to her! But I have now moved on,

can you guess who comes packed in this delight sturdy time loved case?

after over 80 years of use the leather is worn but the handle is still very strong because of the metal hinge.


the top shelf holds the Bakelite foot peddle along with bobbins, tools and accessories.

and look what is inside! my Singer Featherweight 221 Sewing Machine,
(you can find out more about them here)

I call her Little Sheba! she weighs only 11 pounds!

and as you can see she looks amazing from ever angel!


She purrs like a kitten and takes what ever I send her way!

Her backside is attractive even at her tender age (her birth year is 1936)

but it is her scrolling face plate that captivates me the most! she is one elegant lady I think you will agree!
(more details and slide show here)

Now the real reason why I got little Sheba was for when I travel to teach or for Demo's,
and if you will be attending the
Long Beach Quilt
show
July 25 -27

Long Beach, California

you Can meet Sheba and I at:

Make It University!™ with Cloth Paper Scissors®

I will have some of the jewelry from A Charming Exchange along with a copy of the book for you to preview and hopefully books to sell.
I will be making some fiber jewelry and creating some mixed media painted pages and altered fabrics that I will be sewing on.

for “Open Stuido's; along with fellow artist:

Artists in Open Studios include:

Alisa Burke

Lisa Engelbrecht

Allyson Faulkner

Jamie Fingal

Jane La Fazio

Ruth Rae

Beryl Taylor

I can hardly wait to meet all of these amazing women, I admire all of there art so much!

But for now you will find me in my studio playing with my girls
Sheba and Sabine!