Summertime

Hello!  I do hope you all are enjoying your summer and your weather is not too hot, not too wet, not too cold but is JUST RIGHT!

I have been working through the workshops in the 21 Secrets group and one is produced by Erin Bassett. 
Her workshop was on altered art and she showed how to decorate shoes.  I found a pair of new canvas shoes at the thrift store for $3 and gave Erin's instructions a try.

I used Luminart paints and the stencil in the photo.

Here is my result.  I rather like them!  

I wore them to a baby shower and the gift I brought was some onsies that I tie dyed.  Actually they were more technically fold dyed....

I used up my excess dye with some scrim and also tried some rice paper.  It took the dye beautifully!  I'll do more of that.

I forgot to get photos of the baby garments but here is one with the mother to be, Jamee Meir, holding one.  Cute, huh!  T-shirt is kinda cute too.

I picked a winner for my book giveaway and it is Cynthia at oldblackcatboo.  Send me your address Cynthia and I'll get the book Cabin 108 off to you this week.  
Until next time, 

be well. 

New author, new book giveaway!

I am pleased to announce that a friend of mine is a newly published author and I would like to give one of my readers a copy of his book.  The authors name is Glenn Stenson, you can check out his book web site here at Cabin 108. 

Love, Lust or Just Plain Lost?

Unloved, Gordon’s hungry heart yearns for life’s magic once more. Beautiful Laraine then enters his world and touches him like none before. Fireworks fly, emotions rollercoaster, and his spirit soars to new heights. Gordon has found his soul mate.

Or has he?

Packing away his low self-esteem and a learned distrust of others, Gordon steps into a world of cow pastures and kindness. His gentle ways, quirky humor, and mastery in the kitchen endear those in his new and safe surroundings, allowing him to hone his talents, self-worth, and aspirations. Exploring both love and lust, these relationships challenge his values as he struggles to rediscover, redefine, and reinvent himself. The path, crooked as llama teeth, leads to no straight answers as he searches to nourish his spirit with truth and tranquility. In the end, a new, stronger, more aware Gordon emerges as the adventure changes him, his morals, and his boundaries.
It is a fun and definitely lusty novel.  I'd love to see more people buying this book and getting the word out.  You may purchase it direct from Glenn's web site and receive a signed copy, or it is also available on Amazon.

If you would like to receive this signed first edition copy, just leave me a comment and I will choose a winner on July 14th.  Please be sure I have a way to contact you if you win.  Good luck!
 

What have you been up to?

I've been busy in the yard and garden lately so haven't been on the computer much.  I'm also participating in the 21 Secrets on line art journaling workshops and enjoying those very much.  Above you can see a piece I did following the Kate Crane class.  Fun!

I've been creating cards, lots of birthdays this month.

The above one I sent to my brother.  It shows a picture of our grandfather and a copy of a registration certificate I found in Grandpa's papers, showing his immigration from Bulgaria to the USA.

Three headed llama?

Following Ro Bruhn's workshop in 21 Secrets, I created these flower drawings on the inside of old envelopes that have the security design inside.

I then cut the flowers out and glued them on these card fronts.

This card was inspired by reading Blue Eyed Girl blog.  I love her blues!

I used some bird prints from napkins on this little piece.  They become rather transparent when glued down to a substrate.

Playing with my gelli plate and following the instructions on the gelli blog, I made these tape transfers.  I will turn them into book marks.  Maybe.

close up of the book mark tape transfer.

Here is a spread from my art journal that I was rather happy with.  I used some colored molding paste through a stencil for the flower shapes.  Created the birds on other paper and then cut them out, glued them down. 

Yesterday I finally began doing the quilting on the king size quilt that has been patiently waiting for me.  I listened to the Joni Mitchell interview while working, helped the time pass.  If you are a Joni fan, I highly recommend this interview although I'll warn you, it is rather long. 

Lastly, here is a recent picture of my old boy Tonka.  He is rapidly failing so this might be his last opportunity to make it live onto my blog.  Poor old fella, he is 18 so has had a good run.  Isn't he pretty?  He's got the softest fur.  And the most horrific breath!  But I love him and will miss his dunder headed ways.

Well that is a taste of what I have been up to lately.  It is raining here in Oregon today so it will be another good day to spend in the studio.  I hope you all are enjoying this transition to summer.  Such long daylight hours now!  I love it.

Be well.

The Latest News

I finished another quilt awhile back.  This one was a stack the deck style quilt.  I was a little disappointed when I finished it, I thought it seemed a bit muddied up compared to the quilt blocks before I sewed them together.  But after pulling it out into the sun today to photograph it, I find that I do like the colors very much.  Windy likes it too.

This is what the blocks looked like before they were sewn together.  Sadie thinks it's boring.

Since the sun has finally returned I was able to lay my big queen size quilt out so I could pin baste it.  Above you can see the backing and batting.

I made these fabric weights out of big metal washers which I covered with Sculpey.  They work pretty well and and are fun to use.

Here is Tonka next to the quilt top, wondering when he will be able to get on it and cuddle up.

He will have to wait until all the pins are out of it!

Another project I finished today was to take these old bowling balls and turn them into garden art.  I covered them with Mod Podge to glue the aluminum foil to them.  I then rolled them around on my floor which effectively smooths the aluminum out and ensures it is adhered to the ball.

Then I colored the balls with alcohol inks and this is the result.  My redneck garden gazing balls!  The first one I made held up for a couple of years outside year round.  I was able to peel off the aluminum and re do it today.  Now I have two!

I'm taking part in the 21 Secrets online workshops and enjoying it very much.  Maybe my next post will show you some of the work I'm doing inspired by these journaling classes.   Check it out, the classes run till December 31, 2013 so you have plenty of time.  

That's it for now.  Hope all of you are enjoying some fine spring weather, or autumn.
Be well.

Book confession

I must confess, I have a book collection that might be getting out of hand. 

These are the books in my bedroom, on my head board.

Here is one of the shelf units holding some of my collection of beading magazines.

These are on my bedside table, the ones I'm reading or plan to read soon.  I'm currently reading A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin.  I'm also reading Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and really want to dive into Pukka's Promise by Ted Kerasote.  I loved Merle's Door by him. I believe Pukka's Promise is the only book on this table that I bought brand new.

Most of my books I buy at garage sales and thrift stores.  Here is another book case in the bedroom, along with a few photos and my Oz clock I got from Linda at Olde Baggs and Stuft shirts blog.  Still ticking away!

This is the lower half of the same book case.  Barney guards this one.

Random pile in a corner.  I also get a lot of books in trade through Paperbackswap.  If you enjoy books you might want to check them out.  You can trade books for free other than postage.

This is one of the cases in the library.  I also have 4 shelves of some of my CD's and at the bottom you can see the ragged tops of some of my vinyl albums.  The cats liked using them as a scratch post unfortunately.

Another library case.  Many of these shelves have a second row behind the first, hidden gems.

More library cases.  
About 18 years ago I helped my Dad move and he couldn't take all his books.  It was really hard for him to choose which ones to keep.  I took the ones he didn't want.  I didn't keep them all!  Heavens no!  Most of them I took to Powell's City of Books used bookstore and they bought quite a few of them.   I shared them with friends and family and kept a lot including that set of History of Civilization you can see on the bottom shelf if you care to.  Maybe I will actually read them some day, one never knows.

The last few boxes I donated to a book sale fund raiser for a public radio station.  I got a tax deduction certificate and gave it to Dad.  They estimated the value of those remaining boxes at $400.00.  I know I got about $200 credit at Powell's.  Dad told me to keep it for my effort.
Here is the final shelf unit.  Hummm, it looks as though it may be slightly bowed in the middle.  Anyway, back to my story about Dad's books.  I swore then that I wouldn't keep getting more book cases but instead would get rid of books when I needed more room for the new ones.   I've mostly stuck to that promise, getting around it by double shelving and the random piles in corners.  I'm not even showing you the shelves in the studio with my art books and more CD's.  
So now my question to you is, do you consider me a hoarder?  I don't.  I consider myself more of a bibliophile.  
Funny, as I have written this blog post, I'm listening to Pandora radio and twice songs have mentioned books! 
By the way, in case you haven't guessed, I don't own a Kindle or any other e-reader device.

Happy Spring to you all!  I know too many of you have scenes like the one above.  I took that in my yard on the first day of spring.  Poor little daffodils!  

Now, this is one I took today.  That's more like it!  I hope this will be your view too, if it isn't already, where ever you all.  While you are shoveling snow, I'm mowing the grass.  I just love Oregon!

Be well.

Blue House Cafe display

I was invited once again to bring some of my work in to hang on the walls of the Blue House Cafe in Vernonia, Oregon.

It's a nice space, serves wonderful Mediterranean food, and sometimes live music on the weekends. 

If you can stop in there, tell Eleanora, the woman who runs it, hi from Jan, and buy a Gyro platter.

I've been making quilts this winter.  Above is one, the pattern which I purchased from Keepsake Quilting, is called a Dime quilt.  

   I finished it last night.  I like it, not my usual all bright colors.

 This is another one I'm working on.  I have the top finished but keep putting off basting it for lack of sufficient space to spread it out.  It measures 90 inches by 90 inches.  The dime quilt is only 56 inches by 64 inches, much more manageable.  

So that is what I've been up to.  How about you?  Are you keeping busy this winter?  Nearly spring now.  Daffodils are blooming here.

Be well.