Happy Christmas

on news stands now.

Read how light from my window inspired me to create.
In the new winter 2010 art quilting studio

Discover how I combine layer's with free motion stitching
in the winter issue of sew somerset

learn how this little dress is very near to my heart.
in the January/ February 2010 somerset studio.

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries

~ A. A. Milne

(I never knew there was a advantage to being disorderly...
however if you ever wanted to know my secret to creativity this would be it!)

never lose hope... (hanging by a thread)

That is whole, this is whole
From the whole, the whole arises
When the whole is taken from the whole
The whole still will remain

— Isha Upanishad.

found poetry reads:
Hope: desired: desire: cherish desire; trust.


(hanging by a thread)


Hope


infinity found

hope... (hanging by a thread) without bound or end~

on the 12th day

Each year I take part in a Holiday ornament exchange hosted by Deryn Mentock
we each create 12 ornaments and then send them off to each outer.
we start opening our gifts one by one on the first day of December.

Choosing what to make is always a mind game as all the girls in this
group are oh so very cleaver and each year this swap is always such a treat.

I chose to create a reminder that we must always
treasure heart and home.

its takes some time to complete a dozen...
cutting, stamping, dyeing,
tearing and burning was involved to make all the components.



stitching the word "home"on to layers paper and cloth.



then assembling all the components so I can sew all the pieces together.



after they were all sewn together I wrapped them in a piece of old book text then stiched
them up with wax paper then layered on joss paper a strip of a red shop towel along with
a key and a stamped piece of fabric with a hand and the word five
to represent the day that my gift was to be open.



would you like to know who is in our group?
here is the list of the artists:

Day 1 - Danita 

Day 2 - Pilar Pollack

Day 3 - Jackie Allison

Day 4 - Melissa George

Day 5 - me

Day 6 - Maija Lepore

Day 7 - Crystal Neubauer

Day 8 - Sally Turlington

Day 9 - Joanna Pierotti

Day 10 - Kelly Snelling

Day 11 - Deryn Mentock

Day 12 - Lou McCulloch

Day 13 - Lorraine George

I was away last week so I missed the day by day excitement of opening them up one by one.
never the less me and my daughter Sarah sat down and opened up
all of these stunning ornaments today and they now grace our tree.



Thank ever one for all your Magic!
Happy Holidays!

Earth's Home

To Thee the world be - hold





through life dream



for life and light;



Here in earth's home.

"Heaven & Earth Understood"

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.-- Albert Camus

Friendship is deep, complex and full of many layers...



I returned home last night from my trip to Reno, Nevada to visit my friend
Nancy
She and I meet almost 10 years ago at a girl scout camp-out that we attended with our daughters and found out quite quickly that we had much in common...



Imagine the delight that two of us had when we discovered that we had a love of art and fashion. are girls were great friends and we spent much time creating art together as we watched our young daughters turn into lovely woman.
(Sarah and Sabra will both be 19 soon ! how fast they grow.)



Here I am with Noelle, Nancy's youngest who has always been such a kind soul and to watch her grow into the lovely young lady that she is becoming has been a great treat from me!
(thank you Noelle for still asking me to french brad you hair! it reminds me so when Sarah was a little one!)
Noelle was my guide as she and I walked along a snow covered path as I got to experience my first snow day, it was a blissful walk as all you could hear was the snow gently falling and the cold air on your face.



We must never lose site of the love and light that each and ever-one of us carries within ourselves. we have to believe and see the gifts in everyone and ever-thing around us. being surrounded by nature is such a huge reminder of the dormancy and rebirth in life. I have been blessed to have so many in my life that have always seen the light in me even when I myself could not.



Nancy was such a light for me many years ago, and I have to thank her for encouraging me to journey onto the path of a mixed media artist... it took a lot of courage for me to grow into the artist that I am today but with her faith in my creativity I somehow found my way.



My trip to Reno was a chance for me to play in Nancy's Studio



we wanted to create art together like we used to many years ago when she lived right down the road from me.



when I am in my home studio: with in arms reach are all the supplies that comfort me, its easy for me to be creative in my own surroundings ~



However it was majestic being surround by supplies that were not my own and to dive into colors and textures that were collected by Nancy's keen touch and eyes. It was almost like a step into my past as I made due with things that I would not have used if I were in my own surroundings.
Thank You Nancy for a great time in Reno and for always being there for me!

"Friends are the sunshine of life."
-- John Hay (1871)



"Heaven & Earth Understood"
is a altered book journal project that is just in its infancy and the little snippets that I have shared with you here will soon unfold once I connect all the pieces and complete it.



But for now I invite you to take a few supplies away from your normal creative comforts, perhaps try a new product or work with color that is a few steps from your norm and see what you can come up with!

Happy Creating!

goals

Eating toast and sipping on hot tea, trying to connect to my day...
I have been busy over the last few weeks tiding up the loose end and completing a few art commitments.



at long last these loose ends are all just about tied and I now I am officially commitment free for the rest of this year, I have a wonderful ease with in and its easy to breath one more!

I need goals and for the last few years I have had many, doing two books back to back was a true test of self.



I look forward to be able to spend time playing and growing with out boundary's in the new year...many new ideas have been collecting in my head and I look forward to sharing them with all of you soon.




I will leave you with these inspirational words:

The great teachings unanimously emphasize that all the peace, wisdom, and joy in the universe are already within us; we don't have to gain, develop, or attain them. We're like a child standing in a beautiful park with his eyes shut tight. We don't need to imagine trees, flowers, deer, birds, and sky; we merely need to open our eyes and realize what is already here, who we really are -- as soon as we quit pretending we're small or unholy.

~author unknown.

Thankfulness...

I have a wonderful life ; gratitude is a part of my day-to-day way of living…

I am eternally grateful for the love of my family and the treasures of home life with the ones I have assembled my existence around.

(word heart made with paper-clay)

I am grateful for your support of my blog and art
I am thrilled that to be allowed to create and express myself freely ~

Now for a little fun!
There is A Thanksgiving Giveaway for my new book "Layered, Tattered & Stitched" over at: Calamityville
so go take a look at a project that Kim made from my book
and let her know what your thankful for
and you just may by the lucky winner of my book along with a small piece of art!

Life Lines

“But tomorrow, dawn will come the way I picture her,
barefoot and disheveled, standing outside my window

in one of the fragile cotton dresses of the poor.
She will look in at me with her thin arms extended,

offering a handful of birdsong and a small cup of light."

~ William Collins

Craft Diva™

Please join me this afternoon from 12 to 1 pacific time for a live online interview with
the Craft Diva
(my call in time is 12:30)
it will also be archived if you choose to listen at a more convenient time.

"Art"

art 1 |ärt| noun 1 the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power :

Layers and textures intrigue me.

The idea of creating a cocoon to encase my art is just as important to me as the art its self.

I often use wax paper to create pockets to house my work as its reflective ghost like quality adds a depth and intrigue.

The transparent layer allows your eyes to image that what lay beneath...

Once opened you will discover layers of fabrics and papers connected with a sewing machine, threads are deliberately left and tied together. Stamps and ink are used to add extra texture and help to anchor the various layers that were combined.

(TIP: if you use a sewing machine to sew on papers you will need to use a 4 or 5 stitch setting to keep your paper from perforating.)

In march of 2007 I shared how I made fabric ATC's (art cards)
for the most part my process is still the same, I hope you will take a look and try your hand at creating your own small art.

small art~

"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. It is not enough that a thing be possible for it to be believed."
~Voltaire

I made these pieces of "small art" last night as they will be going around the world along with signed copy's of my book ...
(you can order one here)
one will be traveling all the way to Singapore! how fun is that!?
(I wish I could make a guest appearance in that package!)



I must admit that I have not been creative for weeks so making the "small art" was a nice exercise for me to "play"
I think that its important for us to remember to have fun with our self's and never forget the power that "play" has on us.

"Man is most nearly himself when he achieves the seriousness of a child at play."
~Heraclitus

I have a lot of new ideas but have not had the time to work on them so hopefully in the weeks to come I will be able to make them a reality so I can share them with you all!

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
~ Gail Devers

small art: altered papers & cloth with etched silver.

"I am Thine, Thou art mine."

small art: altered papers & cloth with thread.

"Hopeful, cheerful, undaunted,
My path I safely tread."

small art: altered papers & cloth, buttons and paint.

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving. And we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing."
-- Louisa May Alcott

small art: altered papers & cloth, ink and pencil.

"Two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one."
~ John Keats