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!

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!