Stitch doodle 2

This is what I messed with over the weekend. I started with some cotton batting with a piece of blue silk on top. Needle felted some scrim and colored roving on that.

Then I did some stitching. No beads on this one, just a couple of sequins. What a weird nose, not sure who I was channeling when I found that face in there. I didn't intend to make hearts but after I finished the needle felting I discovered two of them. I like to let things come out of their own intention.  I did help the one along after I noticed it, but the other was a surprise. 

The weather was fairly nice over the weekend. Not sunny but not rainy either. I spent some time with a Les Miserables DVD. That kind of singing can bring tears to my eyes. "Bring Him Home" certainly does. I let the show play 3 times, the third time with the lyrics displayed so I could catch the few words I hadn't already figured out.

Today I am listening to Radiohead. Does that give you a little idea of my eclectic musical taste?

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Where did Spring go?

I have been practically bragging about how spring like it has been here but look what I found on my poor lilac yesterday! Yes, that is some soggy wet snow! Poor little lilac buds. I think they will be okay though. Today it rained all the live long day. That's okay. That's normal for here.

I love standing in this bundle of maple trees and looking up through the trunks. Almost dizzying.

When Rocky and I went for a walk, the neighbor dog, Sudz, decided to come along. Isn't he handsome?

I love the way some trees grow straight up out of the earth. Like a hair out of my scalp. Look at this big ol' tree, just sticking up out of the ground so straight and tall. Sudz is impressed. He thinks there might be a squirrel up there.

I want to welcome a follower, a fellow Oregonian, Tam Hess at http://artinflight.blogspot.com/.  Thanks for coming by Tam, hope to get to know you better.  She is a mother of 3 and yet she finds time to make some very creative and whimsical art.  Check her out.

Today I have been listening to a new album by Anais Mitchell titled Hadestown, she calls it a folk opera. I am infatuated with it. She has a lot of guest singers helping her out such as Greg Brown (the reason I bought this album) Ani D'Franco, BonIver and others. I need to find out more about the basic story so I can understand this opera better. Greg Brown as Hades is magnificent, and Ani D'Franco is Persephone. Excellent music.

Be well.

Stitch doodle

Finished this piece last night. Finished? I suppose it is finished, at least for now. I used painted batting for the background, then needle felted some dyed scrim and roving and other little bits of stuff.

Then I set to work just doodle stitching on it. Didn't use any beads on this but the french knots look a lot like beads. It is only about seven inches square. I did sew on a few buttons that my friend Martha gave to me, thanks Martha.

I believe I like it. Yes, I do.

Before I forget, I want to welcome a couple new followers.  First there is Judi at http://approachable-art.blogspot.com/  She has been doing some beautiful fabric dyeing lately.  Also Robbie at http://robbiespawprints.blogspot.com/  Oh, her beadwork is so gorgeous!  Thanks for signing up to follow!  I'm edging up to 30!  Maybe I will jump on the bandwagon and have a giveaway after I hit 30.  Followers, that is.  I hit 30 years old a few years back.  Quite a few years back.

Be well.

Little Flame Guy

Here is another doodle that I finished the stitching and beading on. Now what to do with it? I drew and colored on fabric using a pen and caran d'ache watersoluble crayons.  I love those things!  They are so bright.  Also used some fabric paint for the gold areas.  I backed it with cotton batting and then stitched and beaded it.

I have this hand dyed old linen table cloth that is rather wild but the colors are similar. Maybe I will stitch this to a piece of that. I have several of these bits that for lack of a better name I call doodles. I put them up on my design wall when there is space so I can at least look at them. I have given a few away. What to do with them otherwise? What do you do with all of your art work, especially small practice pieces like this? I guess some people call these slow cloths. Is that right? Jude Hill at Spirit Cloth makes lots of bits and pieces. I wonder what she does with them all? Someone with her reputation probably sells them on etsy or some such place. Maybe I will have to have a giveaway on my blog!

Thanks to Marlene at http://marlenes-musings.blogspot.com/ for signing up as a follower. I see her smiling avatar everywhere, she is good at leaving comments which as everyone knows, everyone appreciates. I sure do!  Plus she does some lovely work, lots of originality from her.

I would especially like to hear what you others do with your finished work that you don't sell. There must be piles of it! I have donated pieces to worthy causes many times and will continue to do so but still, I have lots.

Now I need to make a little baby quilt, my niece is due next month.

Be well.

ATC trade

Inka Heaton of http://alteredartifacts.blogspot.com/ is trading ATC's with me. I received hers in the mail today. She titled it "Vision". Isn't it great? I love it, Inka, thanks so much. She also sent these extra goodies. See the black card letters? For my name, of course. cool. I'll add Vision to my ATC display.

I'm also excited about my new followers. Anna Rosa of http://annarosadesigns.blogspot.com/ and Mariann of http://mariann-johansen-ellis.blogspot.com/. Thanks for coming to my blog, I hope you will return often. I hope I can keep this interesting enough that you will want to.

I never would have guessed that blogging was so much fun and that it would open up such a new world for me. I live way out in the boonies and yet I feel a part of a world wide community. Anna Rosa is from Australia and Mariann seems to be from both Singapore and Spain. So many creative people from all corners of the world. Thanks for letting me be a part of it, making me feel welcome.

Be well.

New followers!

Welcome to two (count 'em, 2!!) new followers!  Thanks for coming over, you are so welcome here!

First is Bead Babe who lives down the coast from me.  She blogs at http://beadingatthebeach.blogspot.com/.  We've never met but I ♥ed her Etsy shop a long time ago.  She does some lovely bead work. Very inspiring.

Also Pam over at http://yoborobo.blogspot.com/ came by.  She makes the cutest creatures and has an all around entertaining blog.

I appreciate you both and hope you will check in frequently. I'll try to be interesting enough to make sure that happens.
Thanks, and welcome to my blog.

Be well.

Botanik

I found this old book in a thrift shop.  I can't read it but it had a lot of cool drawings in it.  So I bought it, thinking it would be inspiring in my artistic endeavors.  The photo below is the first drawing I chose from the book to develop.  The next, color photo is the drawing I made and next is the beading I am doing on top of my drawing.  I drew on a piece of muslin with pens.  I'm having trouble with this post because I can't figure out how to make my words show up where I want them.  Haven't been blogging for very long, I still have a lot to learn.  Thanks for bearing with me.