Snow Flower

The next full moon is almost upon us, (Sunday, Feb. 28th), and this one is called The Snow Moon. There is so much visual imagery waiting in those words. Even though this is a sunflower from last season, I like the roundness of it and the snow lightly dusting it. It holds the promise of new growth while still clinging to what is present.
There is a lesson in there for us. It seems to sum up all that I have experienced in the last 2 weeks; enjoy our daily gifts of love and laughter, sunshine and snow, knowing seasons of change are always waiting in the wings.

My fingers are itching to stitch again (sewing 6 little girl aprons doesn't count) and my gardener's heart is yearning to go muck about in the dirt. Neither will happen today but that doesn't mean I'm not always thinking about the next project, and the next, and ....

I have threads, ribbons and wool that will be perfect for this image. Even if all I do is pile them up and make a sketch, my hands will be happy for another day.

Something Wonderful

Something wonderful and fabulous IS happening. We just have to open our eyes and accept it, each and every day. Not necessarily a new concept, but to put myself in this space to let it happen is not always easy. When I do that, the day is just better. It takes true bravery to trudge on in what looks like insurmountable odds, to hold on to that dream, and they did it anyway! The dream Melody and Kathy had is an incredible, beautiful, far reaching reality.

These are two pages from my 'Beautiful Life' book I made at camp. The lesson for the day was truth and lies. I chose to make a book of affirmations of what I know in my heart to be true; miracles, blessings, the becoming of who we are meant to be and all the help along the way if we let it.

Just under 2 years ago, turquoise became MY color. It has a strong voice to it, and speaks of water and wide open skies. It speaks to my duality and fragility of self. This book is sooo turquoise and it makes me smile everytime I look at it.
I hope everyday it will remind me that I'm great at what I do, even if it is different from someone else. I'm not someone else; I'm me and I'll be brave in my own little way, every day. And that is the best lesson - ever.

So Be Brave today and everyday-no more excuses.

Hope, Peace & Joy

A few more words for the day and ones I HOPE to keep close to my heart. Life can get so busy we forget that peace and joy is within our grasp-everyday in some small way.

This was the cover of my promise book I made at Brave Girls Camp on the last day. I didn't have a lot of energy left after 3 near sleepless nights and two previous intense projects. (So much art and stories to share! and the very best food ever to eat!) The other book I'll show you slowly as it is very full and has a story in itself.

It speaks to me in a different way than my house. Visual journaling is something I've been wanting to do forever and it is amazing how each piece will almost create itself from whatever your heart is trying to say.

This little bird is so happy in his little nest, under the swaying pine tree! I pass this curvy pine tree every day on the way to my studio. I'm sure it was meant to grow straight, but I love its curves. The curves speak to me of the winding road we all take to get to where we need to be. It just looks happy to be finally swinging in the breeze because it's strong enough to take it.

This art gives me a simple peace whenever I look at it. By this time at camp, I truly did have hope which leads to peace and joy. Peace in knowing that I have what I need right now and joy in knowing that is enough. We all hope for more and that is okay too, but I'm learning to have peace and joy in the moment.

Inside page of my promise book. It seems very stark in comparison to everything I had done to this point, but it is just right. I need to remember what I really need to do. I am very lucky to have nurturing friends and family AND a soulmate who expects me to honor the artist in me.



I Promise

Brave Girl Camp - the beginning

Brave Girls Camp = art, life, love, miracles, trust, safety, clarity . . . I know there are more words than this, but for now it is enough to just savor these few, inadequate words and nurture the boundless love I feel for all my Brave Sisters


How can one not feel the love, love, love from this kind of detail, knowing that our hostesses put their hearts into every single step taken to ensure our knowledge of wonderous things about to happen.



And wonderous things did happen under the twinkle lights and lanterns. Life-changing experiences are just that and the best ones are the least expected. They can knock your socks off, take your breathe away, dispel the gloom and open up those doors one thought forgotten and closed.



A foggy day can be beauty sublime, but it is still a foggy day. It takes work sometimes to find that spot in the sun. And while I still have a long way to go, I am so much stronger for the journey thanks to the wonderful girls who made their dream of Brave Girls Club come true and for all my new brave sisters taking this walk with me.



I am a firm believer, (even more so now) that what you sincerely write/journal will come about in ways we never can imagine. It took me all day to visually journal the tender dream my sweetie and I have for the future. And though I wish and hope for a certain future, I realized after looking at my house, that I have it all today, right now!



Brave Girls Camp - Ya just gotta do it!!! Thank you Melody and Kathy!

Here is a little sound of heaven that is forever embedded in my heart along with all the tears and laughter that went with it.

"I'd give up chocolate, but I'm not a quitter." Mae West (?)



I am seldom ready for a trip before schedule-but miracle of miracles, today I am and it has left me time to ponder. . .

I usually do not give Ash Wednesday much thought and am usually amazed and impressed when I hear of people giving things up for Lent. Which led me to thinking of what I could, if I was so inclined, give up for a period of time for reasons other than shedding some pounds.

Things I won't give up because there is real evidence they are good for me :)

Chocolate, deep, dark, rich and satifying to the depths of my soul
Red Wine, ditto of the above and strong evidence 1/2 cup 3 times a week is good for the heart.
Well, I guess that is it on the food front because I could live without bread and broccoli if I have to, so they don't count!

I've heard of people giving up facebook and the internet, but that has to fall in the arena of staying current, having some kind of social life, managing a business, checking out everyone else's business . . .

Then I figured out some things I could give up:

I can give up being so hard on myself and not thinking I'm good enough to realize my dreams,
I can give up guilt and feeling bad for past failures, be they personal or business,
I can give up thinking I'm not worth taking some time for myself as much as I love and adore my family.

So with Lent starting tomorrow, I am ready to give up and begin a new adventure. What better way to start than with a retreat that will give me time for myself among the company of other like-minded creative women.

See you next week. I hope you can take the time and ponder new beginnings as we prepare for whatever adventure comes next.

Heart of Mardi Gras

I just love working with cotton velveteen and silk velvet and all things purple and green! These colors remind me of the bright beads of Mardi Gras. Carnival is coming to an end and the soft tones of early Spring will be taking over; tender green grasses, pale yellow baby chicks, the pale turquoise of robin's eggs.

This little heart just cried out for more and more glitz. So I was brave and kept adding on. It is always hard to know when to stop embellishing and when to 'go to the max', much as it is in our day to day lives.

I was feeling brave because I am getting ready to go to Brave Girls Camp in the mountains outside of Boise for a 4 day art/life retreat with the fabulous Melody Ross! Check out the link to Brave Girls Club on the side bar to see what fabulous treats are in store for me and plan your own Brave Girl retreat.

Above all, be brave and put your whole heart into evertything you do!

Heart and Soul

"Nothing is impossible to a willing heart" - John Heywood

This heart is partially hiding behind the guitar, but the two are connected. You can't have great music without soul and you can't have a fulfilled life if you're not connected to the world, willing to live and give. Recent world events have again shown us the power of music and giving to others through our passions.

I'm not a musician, though I wish I was. I love music of all kinds. I love the words and melodies because they create pictures in my head that I then want to create in fiber. My passion of creating with my hands doesn't leave much time to learn to make melodies. The two are so very similar. Both come from inside us, are a product of everything we take in and mingle with the deep well of ourselves, and are expressed through our hands. Both take discipline and determination to honor this passion.

Choosing what we will give our 'heart and soul' to is not an easy thing to figure out, especially as we are bombarded daily by so many truly good and interesting causes and activities.

Determining focus is one of my goals for this year and something I've been working on for a long time. Honoring and acknowledging the passion for what is authentic and true for me has been a long journey. I'm slowing realizing that doing what I truly love is what I should have been doing all along! My heart is willing to go on this new journey and I am beginning to believe that if I stay on my authentic path, my dreams are not impossible.

Amore

This little heart is no bigger than 2" x 2". It is rubber stamped on white fabric that was sponged pink. A few metallic thread stitches and some beads, and you have an adorable heart to hang on a tiny box of chocolates!

My heart is sad today as I wait to see if my amore will make it home tonight from the Ohio Valley area. With the new storm laying down yet more snow, the odds are slim. My heart goes out to all travelers stuck where they didn't plan on being and those impacted by these massive storms.

A Different Kind of Heart

My heart is still pounding this morning from another poultry palooza! Seems my lab retrievers like nothing better than to devise ways out of the backyard and into the chicken coop! Two chickens and one turkey are still missing, but if today is a repeat of Saturday, they will wander back when their little hearts settle down!

I love this 'no sew' heart. It is put together with eyelets and gold thread, with lots of fun embellishments. Ultrasuede comes in so many fun colors and can hold up to lots of wear. Because it is so thin, eyelets are perfect for holding it together. I've also used red liner tape on other hearts. I used the red liner tape on this one and then added gold leaf on top of that.
It is great for holding scissors. You can put an extra layer of suede at the bottom to keep those pesky scissor points from puncturing parts of your body you'd rather not. (I'll have scissors for a great price on the website next month)

Even if you don't have new ultrasuede, I've picked up some awesome leather pieces at the thrift store. Quite often I buy clothing just for the fabric or the buttons. The fabric can be dyed or stamped over. More on that later this year when the weather is conductive to working outside.

Making gifts for friends doesn't have to cost alot. The time involved is the greatest cost for many of us. I'm sure that is why hand crafted gifts are so appreciated. Time is such a factor these days; there never seems to be enough of it.
Time management and gift making are two of my goals for this year. I hope to make several gifty things every month to put away for the holidays. This will be one of them.

Cupcakes

Did I get to any stitching yesterday? Sadly no, not even a stitch. Besides a list of errands that shall remain nameless, I did get to do one of my next favorite things - spend time with my granddaughters.

We decided at around 5 pm that we would make cupcakes (for practice and research of course!) in preparation for the youngest cupcake's upcoming birthday party. We made up and heavily sampled lemon icing and chocolate icing. Sugar headaches and messes abounded and a good time was had by all.

Naturally we all had cupcakes before breakfast this morning and have begun yet another creative mess making valentines.

Maybe a few stitches will be sewn tonight after the cupcakes with their cupcakes go home. Meanwhile, I now have visions of sewn and embellished cupcakes dancing in my head!

Heart's Rhapsody

Not a stitching project/picture today. I am sooo tired of being cold and tea fits the bill on this gloomy, foggy morning.

I just love the image on this label! Sitting and sewing requires something warm to drink and this tea fits the bill this month. Heart's Rhapsody is a lovely organic herbal tea that is loaded with 'good for you' herbs. Designed by the Tea Mistress from Shangri-la Tea. If you are lucky enough to live in the Boise area, they have a fantastic tea room and vegetarian cafe. Click on the link on the side bar to learn more.

Heart of Silk

We hear about 'hearts of gold' and 'hearts on fire' but what would a 'heart of silk' look like?

Silk is, well - silky! It is luminous, can drape or hold shape. It reflects light in subtle nuances. You can wear it or sew with it. I especially like to applique with silken pearl thread and embellish with hand dyed silk ribbon. My favorite supplier of this is The Threadgatherer from Boise. The color selection is just incredible.

It has an amazing history and an entire trade route was named after it. I am currently reading "Shadow of the Silk Road" by Colin Thubron. I'm going to spend some time getting to know the history of this amazing textile.

If you want to practice with silk fabric, head to the thrift store. There are amazing finds there that cost very little. Silk is also great to stamp on with rubber stamps and metallic ink. One of my favorite's is Stewart Superiors Palette Metallic Ink. There is a great stamped purse with directions on their site under designers.

Enjoy this pastel version of yesterday's pieced heart. These hearts can be made into small tokens of friendship, new baby ornament or for a bridal shower momento.
There is kit for this version for sale on the web site.

More with less

This is another piece that got started in a hotel room while I was away to a trade show. Trade shows can be so overwhelming and the brain gets supercharged by the sheer amount of creativity and new ideas. The only way I can refocus and settle myself down is with a bit of stitching or retail therapy, (shopping!) Both give my mind time to rest.

I usually don't have alot to choose from in this kind of situation and because the choices are limited, I'm able to do more with less. When I'm surrounded by all my 'stuff' in the studio, I get quite overwhelmed and don't know where to start. That is where I'm at right now; trying to focus on just ONE project, and that is very hard.

Doing more with less is once again becoming fashionable as we begin dialogues that include the environment and our pocketbooks in all of our purchases. It's also good for our creativity!

The fabric of choice on this trip was silk! Piecemakers in Costa Mesa, California, was a veritable treasure trove of silks, ribbons, threads and trinkets! It made my hands itch to start SOMETHING.
Just like the blue heart, the strips were hand-pieced and then the heart cut out and appliqued onto the vintage jacquard. This heart had ribbons and threads added to it.I must have been a bit sad and missing my family that night as there is a silk ribbon going down the center of the heart. More silk was added for a border and then lots of ribbons and embellishments.


Grab some scraps today and see what you can stitch up!

Red - It's Everywhere



Even though Spring is a solid two months away, it seems like we have rounded a corner when February arrives. Red is just right for this month, though I must like it much more that I thought: I drive a red car, wear a red wool coat, and now I have a new red journal with wonderful heavyweight watercolor paper inside! I read recently (by a shoe store owner naturally) that every woman should have a pair of red heels, that they go with everything. I'm going to try this theory out this month.

I can't ever seem to tie myself down to one color but this month I will spend more time working with red. When you are out and about look for all things red and how they brighten up even a dreary day.

The thesaurus is a wealth of descriptions for the color red and all of its nuances. They invoke a multitude of images and feelings. See if they don't for you too.

Here are just a few for this first day of February:

Burgundy - Carmine - Carnation - Chinese Red - Crimson - Faded Rose -
Flame Red - Maroon - Poppy - Ruby - Royal Red - Scarlet - Strawberry - Naples Red - Lobster - Fuschia Red -Cherry - Vermillion - Cardinal - Rose