I Got ART Mail!!

It's been a good week! Easy for me to say now that it's Friday. I've worked my behind off nite & day at The Job. Then I managed to mame myself one last time with the Bernina while satin stitching fabric flower petal edges. But I'll spear you the bloody details this time.

Ah, but what special surprises from a couple of awesome fiber friends I'd like to share!

OMG - Terri at StegArt sent me this BEAUTIFUL fabric birthday postcard!!!. I just joined Fiber Art Friends ring and we have a birthday card swap going that I have not even yet signed up for but she sent me this! It MADE my DAY yesterday and I've carried it to work and played with it every time I needed a smile. I've got to make some of these! I love them because they're bigger than an ATC and you can mail them! What a thrill to get it in the MAIL....THANKS so much TERRI ! It's so beautiful and I will cherish this and get my rear in gear to spread the fiber love!

Tonight we ate my favorite Mexican restaurant and I had just one Margaritas. Once home we discovered my friend Mary left me a couple of lovely surprises!!! Hehehe...

First, this "Fiber Art Art For A Cause" Postcard called "Mom and Cat" by Jan Rowan Miller:

I Googled the artist Jan Miller and found her email address to let her know I had received her Fiber Art For A Cause card. She responded and said that she was inspired to create this piece when her good friend's mother was suffering from Altheimer's. Ms. Roark held and caressed this kitty because it gave her comfort. How wonderful to know the human emotional story that inspires great art.

Two of my very first Fiber Art postcards in one week must be a sign from God! Gorgeous. And also this Must-Have on every dollmaker's wish list: Ssweet! Look inside and get it here: JOGGLES

This means that the only Patti Culea book that I now do not own is Cloth Doll Couture" ....hint hint. : ) Thank you Mary!!!!!! I Totally Love Them!

Ok, as mentioned I injured myself in a horrifying way earlier this week late at night...sewing. Who knew sewing was a dangerous sport. As Judy in the Dyes husband had commented something like, "It's a damned good thing my hobby isn't Archery"

So last night I was scared of the Bernina and wanted to catch up on safe non-needle-related activities. The Fiber Art Friends technique to try this month is Tyvek. Luckily I've been saving DHL envelopes because I knew I'd want to paint and melt them one day. I tried heating them over stamps but it just didn't work out at all like Micki's lacey pieces or Terri's cool pebbled tile look. So, I went for the super easy Tyvek beads:

Then I put a piece of painted Tyvek over the face of a Sculpey mold from my Barbara Willis class and created this lovely scary mummy doll mask! Pretty scary but in an artsy fartsy kinda way. And these pieces of...um well I call these colorful melted DHL envelope pieces:

And guess what? Not one 3rd degree burn from the heat gun!

Houston! We have Woodknot!

I'm calling the woodknot finished! And the same goes for his or her little wooded world of puffy painted poison mushrooms, hand-wired dyed fabric ferns and embellisher punched, silk infused with sprinklings of roving through her tunic and hat. Oh, and the gathered hand-dyed moss and homemade tree trunk.

During this project I made the first perfect stitch with the Bernina through my index finger. Mmmhmm.....I'm recovering and it will not happen again! Then tonight I injected a darning needle between my thumb and nail. Good times! But as I the blood pooled beneath my nail, I just kept going.... not stopping to care, laser focused on the birth of the woodknotress. As much as I wanted to be done with the woodnut, I'm actually considering starting a mermaid doll. This doll thing is addicting and for someone who flits from one technique to another or one class to the next it's just what the doctor ordered for me! Isn't she photogenic!

Probably the best doll I've made so far! (hmm...I say that with each successive doll)

My supervisor was my major motivation to complete this project in a timely manner:

Goodnight lil' critter. I forgive you for the punctures and lacerations. You've made me proud and a little child happy to share her mom's art with her friends.
This pattern and complete dvd instructions available from Allison Marano Faewyck Studios

Happy BirthDots 2 Me

Like me, my dolls get better with age and practice. My boy woodknot has experienced a sex change and after a few finishing details, she should be finished by Sunday. I stayed up late late last night trying to finish her so I could bring her to my doll club's show & tell this morning. But by 2 am, I accepted that she would not be finished by morning but I will definitely make it to the 10am doll meeting regardless. Nope. I slept through the snooze button and Mary's 3 phone calls and missed doll club completely. Then I remembered that today is my birthday and I'm old and mornings like this are perfectly legal.

Me and the family packed it up and headed off to Galveston for a beautiful Saturday at Moody Gardens. Because it was my birthday, I forced them stop at Quilts by the Bay. This was my husband's VERY first time physically inside a quilt shop! They were good sports and I bought some birthday Solvy stabilizer, 7 spools of Medeira and Sulky metallic threads for a $1 each, and an assortment of other necessities. Later I took the above close-up of my daughter's rainbow dippin dots because I think they're just the coolest thing.

My published commitment: I will Post a Finished Woodknotress by end of day tomorrow!

All Dolls All Weekend - The Material Girls Doll Retreat

What a lovely weekend we had at Camp Lonestar in LaGrange with fabulous doll artists and friends. I'm pretty exhausted with the time change and having to go back to work after such a creative weekend filled with wine, women and dolls!
(See Trudi's beautiful woodland critter pictured above)

I will not post my Wood Knot until he's finished and he's very close. I have no problem posting others unfinished wood knots however. We LOVED Allison Marano and she loved us Material Girls too! (though we freaked her out with our red-eyed, leprosy-spreading Texas armadillo stories)

Mary W working her whimsical magic on her psychedelic rebel wood knot: Trudi and Liz working their doll mojo

Mary and Kathy's Wood Knot Happy HourMy Retreat Roomies left to right Kathy, Me (I'm not drunk it's just morning) and Mary

My next post will be my finished Wood Knot darnit! It is complete with fabric moss, bark, ferns and Woody the Wood Knot. My biggest challenges this weekend 1) sleeping 2) sculpting 3)staying up with these doll-maniacs.

Doll Retreat Weekend and No Blogging?

I'll be in La Grange with the Material Girls all weekend so I won't be posting until I return. I hope I don't do anything embarrasing at the retreat because I'll will be photographed and I will be compelled to post it. I'm bringing silk fusion pieces, my homework woodknot, and plenty of other items to play with. I'm too excited about hanging out in the woods with my doll-homies and Allison Morano, doll creator and workshop host. I didn't finish the flower pin doll and that's just how I am. I will finish her and maybe put her up for trade here! Thank you all for your comments - they all ways make me smile! Ya'll have a great weekend!

Shiny Happy Pin Doll in Progress

One of my many practice doll heads resting among pretty petals stitched with Ricky Timms metallic threads through the bobbin. The stringie things are hand felted somethings that will be put to a specific/undetermined use. Cloth Paper Scissors offered a great article this month on fabric flower bouquets so I'm turning that into something I need by Friday! I'm optimistic that she'll become a lovely pin doll for a beloved Material Girl this weekend at our doll retreat in La Grange., TX. The theme is "all natural" and I could have made a naked hippie doll swinging from a river rope...but nah....I'm going with Spring flowers! Be sure that the finished flower girl will be posted before I leave for sewing Nirvana this weekend. No Internet connection in the woods??? Now that's roughing it!

Silk Fused Padfolio and Teddy the Yorkie

Something positive evolved from my silk fusion breakdown! This wonderful little padfolio/worry journal/artistic sketchbook/to-do-list keeper. I've had padfolio envy since I've seen so many of these SueB Padfolio's blogged around the world. I could surely use more satin stitching on the edge practice but I really like how it turned out. I may change the cording and make a few silk fusion beads from Sue's latest lesson. This week's project is a silk fusion box and who knows, I may wake up at dawn Sunday and marathon box sew until noon like I did today. "What's for breakfast Honey?" uhhmm...hot pockets...


There are two inside pockets and it's satin stitched and fused together. My colors look a whole lot like Sue's blog header in fact! Such a cool easy-to follow project by the magnificant Fibre Artiste and Textile Art Educator Extrordinaire, Sue Bleiweiss
On Thursday, a little Yorkie dog came at me head-on in the middle of the street. No collar and no one chasing him. I stopped of course, got out of the car as he jumped into my arms. So what else could I do but take the little guy home and try to find his owner? We all fell in love with the little pooch, though he "loved" on my child's Hello Kitty toy just a bit too much! We found his owner Friday night and after many heartbroken tears and seeing him returned to his happy mom, we're now talking Yorkie shopping..... Goodbye Teddy! We all missed you this morning! Everyone except for our cats and Hello Kitty.

Seamrippstress Breakdown = 200 mgs of Silk Fusion Prescribed

And here we have a representation of the beautiful liquid essence of a woman's once colorful spirit dripping from her soul to the dirty garage floor. Good thing paper towels (dyed rubbish that she hordes like a crazy loon) are being splattered with her misfortune so that they may qualify for her job when she gets whacked. It's been a rough month. The thing is, I'm one of those welcomed folks who call you out of the blue to sell you advertising. And when I really get on your nerves, well that would be toward the end of the month and this one has ended short, very short of my goal.

I wonder how all of you x-corporate cogs turned your fabric fetishes into careers? Was it Etsy or teaching or are you just so talented that you knew you could make a go of it. Because I'm about to go to "It's a Stitch" and ask them if I can sell sewing machines! My DH wouldn't care for the pay but wouldn't I be a happy little retail girl!

Here is my map of Houston sales targets, maybe this will explain my numbers this month. Look at the pretty WIPs! Wouldn't it be nice if they were finished or made into something useful? Or even better, if they could generate revenue!

Thanks sincerely for coming to visit and inspiring me with your comments and prayers of joy, hope and divine peace : )

Doll Therapy Retreat: Allison Marano Woodknots Homework

I was happy to learn recently that I'd made the waiting list to join the Material Girl's Doll Retreat to be held in LaGrange, Tx March 9,10 and 11! Wow, but there's homework that must be completed and the retreat, well it's now only two weeks away! I spent Friday and Sat nights finishing the little guy's wired hands, feet, strange little head and pointed ears. He's a cute little "woodknot". (well he WILL be cute) I've promised him to my daughter who wants me to add a secret letterbox to go in his hollowed log. I also have to make a pin doll for trade! All of this in the midst of my Silk Fusion Joggles Class, the last lesson of Silk Dyeing and my Bernina Stitch Regulator Delight class at It's A Stitch tomorrow night! Thinking of using silk fusion pieces to make his little costume. I can't wait to hang out with the Material Girls and learn from Allison Marano at the retreat!

http://haha.nu/creative/creative-photos-by-chema-madoz
My darling husband sent me this cool link today. Go see the very creative shots of plain ole things.

My American Idol Prediction- Blake Lewis

Announcing the next American Idol....Blake Lewis. He's the beatboxer but the kid was the best tonight. Very DepecheMode meets U2...or NO the Smiths yeah the Smiths. Blake Nation wewwwhoo! I've wanted to see a rock/alternative win since Daughtry lost to...who'd America kick him off for? Anyway, so if you really wanted an update on another TV reality show you'd have tuned into your TV instead of my blog!

Letterboxing "Chloe's Hide"

A couple of years ago, Chloe reached into a tree trunk hole in our neighborhood park and discovered an airtight box that contained a tiny booklet full of stamped images, dates, messages, a stamp and pad, as well as a web address: www.letterboxing.org. What a thrill to find that these little treasures are hidden in cities and towns all over the world with secret directions posted on the website. She and her dad hid their own Letterbox this summer and this morning received an email from a family that had found Chloe's Letterbox at Herman Park. Today we decided to visit the museum's new Frog Exhibit and check out her little letterbox. WELL, over 11 families have found her box, stamped and dated it and tucked it safely away within the tree! I can't tell you how fun it was to look through her letterbox and see all of the personal stamps, dates, names and ages of children who've found it! The last entry was from an Austin family that had just found it today!

Chloe's Hide: http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=25785&boxname=Herman_Park_-_Chloe

We plan to make a silk fusion booklet and hide another!!

And the frogs were lovely and resting warmly......zzzzzz

It was such a lovely day in the Chinese Gardens...

And look at these painted cowboy boots!

MAP to Chloe's Hide in Herman Park. Email me if you find it!!

http://www.letterboxing.org/BoxView.php?boxnum=25785&boxname=Herman_Park_-_Chloe

Silk Fusion Envelope

A little silk envelope for keeping....well... Notions maybe? Innocent enough. (Click on top pic to see my embossed script stamp extravaganza)
...Hmmmm...Secret love notes? Not that I know a thing about anything like that. Fabric cash stash you don't want your DH to find? Don't be ridiculous we don't need no stinkin cash stash. What-nots might you consider keeping in here?

This is our first project from SueB's Silk Fusion. I stamped the silk fusion piece with embossing powders and turned the heat gun on. Then, I didn't like the off-white cloth buttons I chose so I embossed them with metallic powder too. Next, we'll make a bag and I will start on a http://suebleiweiss.typepad.com/padfolio/

Silk Fusion!

Guess what... I'm taking another class! Sue Bleiweiss Silk Fusion from Joggles and it is really really cool! Just go see her blog. It's helped get me off the embellisher binge if for a fleeting moment. The process is similar to nuno-felting except textile medium is used to stick it all together instead of beating and rolling it 1000 times as needed for nuno-felting. The picture really doesn't do it justice but just wait until you see what I can make out of it!

Happy Love Day!

Made by my daughter with the embellisher.

"Mommy, this is so much easier than drawing!"

Embellished silk and whatnots evolving

My little Sunday experiment has moved into Monday night with hand-dyed silk habotai base over water-soluble Sulky stabilizer. Mmm I love how the silk rousches under the needles. I didn't like the red wool stripes yesterday but I'm feelin them tonight. I may cover them tomorrow. Funny how that happens. I'm infatuated with this needle embellisher but it sure helps to perpetuate my hermit-like tendencies.

I've started covering the silk in fiberish delicacies. I'll stitch a few wavies and loop-tee-loops to keep it together then soak to dissolve solvy and the little puncture holes. Then, I'll make something really damned fabulous...a little bag perhaps? Or wait! It's evolving into a web-eaten wacky apartment building from a dream.












I'm so having Manhattan fiberflashbacks. It could take a while but now I must need to needle-embellish the whole rest of the Big Apple. I embellished little ribbon curtains and webbies galore once the velvet windows materialized. Do you see an apartment building in there or is it just me? Not like a real one, more like a Dr. Seuss dream NYC apartment that's been eaten by colorful webs and a swarm of purple cotton candy? I could happen in NYC.

Sure, but now look at the mound of rubbish piled on my Quilter's Dream table. "Lucy! Juewgatta Lotta Cleanin to DO!"

Embellisher Foot Installed and I may never leave the house

Oh man, this is too much fun! I finally installed the switch plate and multi-needled contraption on my machine and here's my first experiment. I used wool rovings including the Angelina/wool mixture and whatever else I could find next to the kitty's fur. More 2 COME!

How to Discharge Instead of Washing Dishes and Other Important Shopping Events

Several of you've asked how I discharged the Bob Marley lyrics and it is very complicated but allow me to demonstrate:

First, you need these expensive supplies:

That's off-brand liquid dish gel with spot fighter (bleach) and a plastic bottle with a metal tip. Find the bottles in art supply stores where fabric, batik and dyeing supplies are sold or order online from Dharma Trading. Pour the liquid dish gel into the little bottle and write on your fabric. (Darker over-dyed fabrics work best or any dark commercially dyed fabrics work well too but only NATURAL fibers, ie cotton, silk)

Now for the fun part. Let it sit for a while flat and watch the chemical reaction! The dish gel will wick into the channels of the fabric. Leave it for as long or a little as you'd like and hold the fabric up to the light and check the bleaching from the backside to see your script or design materialize. I usually can't wait longer than 20 minutes or so. Rinse REAL good and wear GLOVES to maintain your dainty moisurized hands. Dry, press and Wahlaa!

NOT that you can really READ it but doesn't it look cool! And here are a few complicated designs I've played around with:(I can't stick to one topic or technique for long) Just LOOK what I found today while on my round of sales calls at The Hen House , a quilting, felting AND knitting shop! Combed dyed wool with flippin Angelina Fibers mixed in it! It Screamed my name so I bought 3 of the 6 hanks left: