changes and an exciting opportunity

I've been fiddling around with my header. I thought it was time to use some of my own work instead of something generic. This piece actually hangs the long way, but I love the colors even sideways. Let me know what you think.


I was alerted to an amazing opportunity by Julie involving trading ATCs or artist's postcards with Susan Lenz at Cyber Fyber. Susan has graciously agreed to trade one of my postcards for this lovely little gem:

Again, the colors grab me. I'm such a sucker for this combination. Anyway, the most magnificent thing about this trade is that my piece, along with all the others Susan receives in trade, will be put into an exhibition in January 2009 at Gallery 80808/Vista Studios in Columbia, SC! If I were you, fiber artists who read this blog (and you know who you are) I would be getting in on this! Some high profile fiber artists (read Dale Rollerson, Beate Knapp, Arlee Barr and others) are involved. Go to Cyber Fyber linked above and check it out.

what i need is one more project!

A couple more elements for my commissioned piece. First, a photo of a doorway printed onto fusible pellon. I love the fact that the door is ajar.

This is a swatch of anaglypta (paintable) wallpaper border. I have used this before in a couple of projects and absolutely love it. I saw it in some of Beryl Taylor's work and combed the internet until I found it. I have painted this with Sparkling H2O watercolor in nutmeg. I may or may not highlight with gilding wax.

Because the commissioned piece requires me to let things dry/cure/sit for hours, I wanted something else to do and started digging through my fabric stash, the warm colors box this time. I really have way too much fabric. These are only a tiny portion of one box. (Yes, that's my disreputable looking ironing board cover for the background. What do you expect from a crafty person? You ought to see the old cover!)

Sample A

Sample B

Sample C (OK, so the greens aren't warm colors. I needed a contrast.)

I decided to make some little boxes, pattern available at the Quilting Arts website. I could hardly decide on just a few fabrics, but finally settled on three for the inside and three for the outside. The only trouble now is deciding which three for which...

these, or...

these? Since Dylan has his school music program tonight I probably won't get a lot done in my studio, so I'll have a bit of time to think about it. Happy Thursday everybody!

update

I've been playing around with arranging things on the background I've made for my commissioned piece. The gothic arch will be a wooden piece made for me by my uncle who is a fine woods craftsman. Nice to have him in the family! The dyed cheesecloth (scrim) I'm going to stiffen somehow and drape around the picture of the angel head. This is nowhere near done, and this is only the first of three panels, but the process has been interesting.


I've already titled this piece "Through Open Doors" because I seem to be using a lot of door images and I like the idea of doors opening onto a future of new possibilities. Words are important to the woman I'm making this piece for, so I've hunted up quotes about doors from various sources. Below is a fragment of an Emily Dickenson quote, "Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door." I thought it was fitting. This is printed on ExtravOrganza. I love the way the words look as if they're printed directly on the background. The effect is exactly what I hoped for.

monday, monday

Well, here we are at Monday night again and what do I have to show for it? I've done a bit more work on the background for my commissioned piece. Here's a section. I like the textures in this which aren't all that easy to see in a photo, but trust me, they're there.


Here are the results of my dyeing binge last night. Yes, all these colors will go into one piece.


And finally, since our naughty kitty Tiger has been getting all the press for getting stuck in the tree, here's a photo of Rusty, hanging out in the laundry as usual. Oh well, at least we don't need a ladder to retrieve him!

multitasking

It's a good thing I can do more than one thing at once. I have been more productive after supper tonight than I have the rest of the weekend, completing the postcards I'll be sending to Lesley, Jules, and Elizabeth, dyeing several pieces of cotton velveteen for a future project (using 12 different proscion colors, no less), and getting another step done on the background for my commissioned piece. Whew!

About those postcards, here are some teasers. I will post full pictures of the cards when the recipients actually have them because I don't want to spoil their surprise.

Here's one:



...and the second...


...and last but not least...


I'm going to be mailing them over the next day or two, so if you are Jules, Lesley, or Elizabeth you can be expecting a parcel from me!

Sunny Saturday

Guess who's up the tree again today?


Sigh.

it's friday

I'm feeling better today. My headache is gone, although my tummy still feels a bit uncertain.

I'm pleased to announce that Jules, Lesley, and Elizabeth are the winners of the artist's postcards. The cards are currently in production (they provided a nice diversion when I was feeling really rotten yesterday) and will be on their way soon. I'm feeling Valentine-y, so that's the theme.

I'm working away on the large commissioned piece. I've got a large part of the background made and I'm collecting images and phrases to use. The person I'm making it for is a writer, so words are important to her and will be included in the piece. I'll post photos this weekend.

Thanks for all your well-wishes while I was under the weather.