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Monday, November 28, 2011

 

Hey folks. Well, I just finished playing with the beer cap beads that I made, and had a blast. I'm thinking about doing a lot more, since I do have two jobs and want to give all the girls something for Christmas. Since the last post, I melted embossing power and put them on the beads, and it changed all the colors and made the beads look elegant. I totally LOVE them. Did I mention that I totally LOVE them? First I made pair of earrings for my darling oldest daughter (since she was skeptical regarding the results....) and then I made a bunch of pendants with the domed beads for the girls at work. I strung them on sari silk ribbons and used a few silver Tibetan beads and I even impressed myself. Check it out...I think you may be hoping you are one of the girls I work with. Well, I do have some other friends that need presents, so I think I'm going to have to make some more.


I'm working on a few quilts at the present and have some awesome ideas for several more, but you will have to wait to see them.
Until next time, carry on and keep quilting...

Monday, November 14, 2011


Okay, I couldn't wait to get home from Houston so that I could do these. I had the most fun, as a non- mixed media person could have... I read an article in cloth, paper, scissors-nov/dec 2011 ( by Laura Ryan) regarding making beads from beer caps and since I had many of friend save me caps (sorry about the alcoholism folks. I finally used a few. It didn't make a dent in my stash but oh well. I had to order a few supplies that I couldn't pick up in Houston and got started yesterday. Oh what fun... Here are the pix.


I first punched holes in the caps then domed some (way fun). I didn't follow the directions because it wasn't working for me, so I soldered the caps together, then applied a little rice paper and then tissue paper.
 

I now have used newspaper, stamps, old magazine pages,and whatever else I could find. I then used paint, stamps and lots of other things to make them pretty. I love them (mostly), I thought that the alcohol inks and walnut inks? were too dark. So, here are the pictures.


I have now moved on to earrings. I didn't dome these and still need to add glitz and glimmer but that will have to wait until my next day off. So until then, keep on quilting my friends.

Friday, November 4, 2011



Ok guys. I'm here in Houston at the International Quilt Show. I believe it's my seventh year and it still amazes me. I get to rub elbows with the best of the best. I recognize faces that I see every year and in the quilting mags. I was on the airplane with Sharon Shamber. I was in the booths with Pat Blair and Anna Buzzalino. All this creativity is making me want to go home and get back to quilting.. and painting...and making cool stuff..The quilts on display are amazing as usual and they continue to raise the bar.  The classes are also amazing. I took a beading class with Nancy Eha- here's my beaded dragonfly.Way cool.



I also took a two day class with Esterita Austin on how she does her portraits. I didn't finish mine but here it how much I got done. Will work more on it when I return home.



Today I had a photoshop class with David Taylor. My daughter is going to be very happy when I can photoshop my own photos and she doesn't have to. Love you, Casey, and thanks in advance. Tomorrow I have a class with Mary Ellen Kranz called Photos + Words + fabric = Poster Quilt. Should be interesting. I'll keep you informed.

Until then, remember.....It's all about the quilts.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Okay, so I haven't been keeping up with the quilting going ons lately...But I'm trying. I've spent a lot of time on a current piece but I cannot show it yet due to it being a competition piece and that would be a no no. I have been doing various other things that I can talk about.








I recently read an article about dyeing fabric with ice cubes in the latest edition of Quilting Arts. Here are the beginnings and the results. It was fairly easy and I got great results.



Well, I have spent approximately 16 hours beading on my current quilt project. I'm no beader so all I can say is WOW. True beaders are crazy. I only did it because the quilt cried for it. Don't think I could do it all the time because it is crippling. Had to go see the chiropractor after two days of continuous beading. I am truly impressed with the people that do this all the time.. As soon as a find a competition to put my quilt in, and it gets accepted, I will post pictures. Until next time...Keep quilting.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

A lot has happened in the last year since my last post. I moved from the East to the West Coast which, hopefully, will expand my quilting experiences. I just finished a nine day vacation on the "right" coast, and have some things to share.









Upon visiting Virginia, I made a visit to Virginia Beach Beads. Dale, the owner was very helpful, as usual. I bought just a few things to play with since I haven't used any of my previous stash. I did browse a lot and put plenty on my hope list. I met a delightful lady by the name of Shirlene Cox who does beautiful work. She gave me a very attractive sun catcher in exchange for some fabric beads I promised to send her. (Can't beat Southern charm). I did buy some extra fine glitter (in another shop) to finish the fabric beads with, so I'm ready to play.

During my visit, I got to see a very close friend of mine, Cathy B. She is an amazing mixed media artist (among other things). Here are a few of her small projects she made after watching a video she bought from Interweave. I can't remember the title, but once I do, I will be sure to let you know. I have this video (somewhere), but haven't produced anything from it yet. Be sure that I will because these are amazing .Leave it to Cathy B, to excel and show off...


I've been working on a few memory quilts over the last several months. One for a friend from her baby daughter's clothes and a tee shirt quilt for an in-laws coworker's daughter who just graduated from High School.



 Whew, glad to do done with these. I have a show quilt that I'm working on so I'll put up photos regarding the progress of this soon.




I was juried into a SAQA show called "Shared Stories" that will be at the Frontporch Gallery in Carlsbad CA from July 9-Sept 4. If anyone is in the area, please stop by and check out all the wonderful quilts on display. Here's a copy of the invitation.



I'm sure there is more to share but I'm writing this on the airplane ride back to the "left" coast and am missing a wonderful opportunity to nap. Soon it will be back to work and in the studio keeping the love of quilting alive. Until next time, remember, It's all about the quilting.