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!

Show Me Wednesday--Your Dressform

I have been struggling to blog more, but it has become a challenge as I am up to my ears working on my fabric art book and I really can not share what I have been making so when I discovered show me Wednesday I was one happy girl!
today we are sharing our dress form or forms
(please join in on this as I would love to see yours!)

I have dreams to one day acquire a true vintage dress form
like this or even one like this
but for now I have this lovely child size one!

You will find her simply dripping with
WEDDING Trade Beads and conus shells
most days.

But a few weeks ago I decided that I needed a apron that expressed the true me!

This is the Prof that I am a nerd at heart!
just in case I forget my name!
its a little slot that I added to hold my business cards.

and we must never forget to inspire!

I used Kukui nuts
on the back of my neck strap so it looks like I have on a necklace.
and I used some crazy stitching to connect the ribbon to the tie.

I stamp text on coffee stained muslin then I created the ties.

and we must always have heart so that we:

"Let The Beauty We Love Be What We Do"

The ArtisTree

A lot of people ask me what kind of camera I use. I have 2, one is a "small one", I got for my purse because I was tired of lugging around my "BIG CAMERA" but I must say that the big one is worth the trouble as it can express my imagination the best and still after many years of use can still take my breath away!

(Creative packs that I designed)

Last week I was at Reno helping my friend Nancy, with the last minute details of her
gallery for creativity
The ArtisTree.


I helped out by creating samples and designing kits

(I made this apron sample for a display)

here are some of the photos (taken with my small camera) that I quickly shoot moments before the guest arrived for the grand opening! (you can view a slide show of all of the photos here)

The artistree houses artist work from California and Nevada and has a workspace that will host workshops from local as well as national teachers, along with amazing art supplies and kits to inspire the artist in all of us!

I displayed some of my published work and demostrated how to make a wire ring along side Toni who was weaving.

I had a wonderful time getting to know Nancy's Amazing staff and it was my joy to work by there side.

Reno is one lucky town to have such a creative new store along with its owner Nancy to guide them along there creative path!
Good Luck Nancy with your new endeavor!

Fire & Light

I just got home last night from a week in Reno, Helping set up for the Artistree
grand opening gala.
(I will post about this amazing store in a few days!)

so I missed
Show Me Wednesday--Your Everyday Dishes

But I do think that my dishes are worth the wait!

are they not just the most brilliant glass dishes that you have ever seen ! ? !
I own just about ever piece and all the colors of this recycled glass dinnerware.

I also have a thing for small hand made ceramic bowls, as I like to put little snacks out for my family to nosh on when I am cooking in the kitchen.

I was looking for a poem to share about family, as I not have a lot a time to cook, but when I do find myself in the kitchen its all about my loved ones and there favorite foods.
these words I found online some how sums it all up.

Family life settles into a monotony.

There's comfort in family life.
You know these people and they know you.
You can act out in front of them and they might not like you
but they will love you.
Family life equals security.

Show me ~ Wednesday.

“It is difficult to inspire others to accomplish what you haven't been willing to try”

I may be a day late, but I still thought that I would give this a try.
Hazelruthes
has came up with Show me ~ Wednesday, and this week she wants to see our bulletin boards.

I have two bulletin boards in my life that I would like to share with you first is:

"RUTH"
Yes, my name is on my inspiration board. I was Named after my Grandmother, And when I see our name, I think about her and all the gifts that she instilled into me~

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go,

only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”

~Karen Ravn

This board is in my studio. I keep projects that I am working along with little scraps that inspire me, that have the dream to one day become something more ~
(the little me doll was created by Holly)

Here are the details of the board, I took a normal bulletin board and painted the frame red with craft paint then with staz-on ink, I stamped my favorite word stamp
all over the frame then I took a piece of cloth that I had coffee stained and stamped with different text stamp and did some machine sewing with red thread for detail. Next spray on glue was used to secure the fabric to the cork. Once I completed the bulletin board it occurred to me that it look like a BIG atc card!

This is my Jewelry board
It holds my jewelry and it is in my closet.... I painted this frame gold then used a hot glue gun to attach the pink trim, black cording and fake fur as my background. Head pins with golden balls are used to hold my jewelry.

I hope you share your bulletin boards, I would love to see them!

“The creative mind plays with the object it loves”
Carl Gustav Jung

Where Women Create

If you really want something you can figure out how to make it happen.
~Cher

A few weeks ago I was in a tail spin trying to get my studio ready for a visit from Jo Packham,

now most of us have her book "Where Women Create" but I was honored to have Jo along with two photographers (Wanelle Fitch, Marina Artiste) along with Jenny Do and Kristen Robinson (who's heavenly studio's were photographed before mine) all jammed into my personal space!
I have not fully soaked in the entire experience of it all... but it was one amazing day! to be surrounded by brilliantly talented women who are all passionate about there work and life is intoxicating to say the least!

Wanelle Fitch, Marina Artiste, Kristen Robinson , Jo Packham, me, Jenny Do
toasting at the end of the photo shoot of my studio.

When I was first asked to be part of Jo's new magazine that is based on her book, I flat out said "NO WAY!" then went on to say...

"My studio is not that kind of a space its a working studio not a inspirational studio"

Then I thought about my space, and it occurred to me how it came to be almost 10 years ago, I was working out of a small closet in the house and kept the over spill in the garage, I desperately needed more space as my artist endeavors started to grow. This caused a dilemma that was solved when I decided to set up my space in the one of the bays of our three car garage.
I truly believe that if we need something in our life we find a way to make it happen.
Yes I dream of one day having a 2000 square foot work loft with amazing natural light along with huge cutting tables and room to roam, but my small space works and ever inch is utilized and loved!

So would you like a little peek into my space? the place where I go to create?

I took this photo of Photographer Wanelle Fitch in my studio.

My space is long and narrow I have two working tables and lots of shelving, here is the table where I have all my beads and jewelry supplies all close at hand, I work on my layouts for my fabric art and I paint and do messy stuff on this side.
I keep my markers and beads in plastic boxes in over head shelving, the beads are sorted by type and color and are priced out by the bead.

On my jewelry desk I keep more beads in Multi drawer parts storage organizers , along with my jewelry tools with in arms reach.

This is my sewing side, I really keep this desk as a zone for sewing and I also use my lop top here as well.
a few of my favorite rubber word stamps and inks along with
a little peek at my ribbon draws and seed bead collection.

here are a few close up views of my sewing table.
The mannequin ( a gift from Nancy) hold WEDDING Trade Beads and conus shells both are a great point of inspiration to me.

This old ladder holds some of my hand dyed fabrics. The old suite cases hold more of my hand made fabrics. I hope you have enjoyed a peek into my creative space and as soon as I know of the release date of the new magazine I will let you know!

(close up of hand dyed fabrics)

I am a solitary person at heart, I think more within myself...
its hard for me to put into words just how I feel.

I have been so fortunate,
my life has been so full of amazing opportunity's!

I almost have to pinch myself so I know its really all true.

its...
as if...
my dreams and my life
have become one~

ARTfiberFEST 2008

Registration for October 22-26, 2008 ARTfiberFEST, will start this Thursday.

To make it into this very popular event, it is very important to note there is a May 1st postmark date. The workshops that I will be teaching are:

soulful doors
Learn the secrets of creating the foundation for multi faceted interactive doors.
(how to make resin papers and charms will also be included in this class)

Ethereal Fragment Squares
Create an enticing texture-filled piece with hidden
fragments and meaning.
(how to make a fabric cone will also be included in this class)

I hope to see some of you there!