And then we were three.

So here is my latest I2Q VidPrompt #3: ATC's

Use techniques found in the my book Inspired to Quilt to create Artist Trading Cards to trade with me and fellow readers at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach.

I used the heart motif in 4 different ways to create these super quick Artist Trading Cards. I am going to take a buch of cards with me to the show and encourage you to do the same! I would like to meet up and trade if you want to, wanna say Saturday? I need to see when I am scheduled to do Open Studios and a Book signing, so I will nail down specifics. Will you leave a comment if you plan to meet up?

I am going to give these four cards, featured in the video as special prizes.

This 'Lucky' card will go to the first male quilter who asks to trade a card with me. If there are no male quilters, then it will go to a Lucky duck at our meet up.

This, 'Love Springs Up', ATC will go to the person who brings the most cards to trade.

'Flight of Fancy' will go to the person who uses the most techniques in a single card.

'Tattoo you' will go to the first person who creates a set of four ATC's using a single motif, as I did in this Video Prompt.

So are you gonna play? Leave a comment to say I will see you in Long Beach!

Today our family lost a well loved member:

Monk passed into the romping hills of cat love today. He was with us for 15 good, long years. He was and is well loved and we mourn his passing.

How about this episode?

I will show you mine, if...

well you know that deal.

This is my sewing studio. It is a 6.5 foot by 9 foot room, just off our bedroom. If we were normal people, this room would be a walk in closet for clothing. But we are not normal. We are practical and pragmatic- and we honor or needs not our belongings. At some point in the future, I will show you where I dye and surface design cloth, but until then. Will you join me in taking a video of your studio and talking about it?
I am sorry I spoke so quietly in this video. I will work on that.

Feeling the Love.

I returned home from San Diego after teaching a great group of gals and found this! In my mailbox! Mailed. With postage applied to the back of the postcard and a hand written note from Jakquil (the woman who won my Pretty Purse give away). It seems to have embellished fabrics, a bit of Angelina, and is machine embroidered in glitzy threads. I love the chinese character too. I am going to have to tack this up in my sewing room.

Thank you Jakquil.

This is a drawing I took too long to draw I did while visiting Jane LaFazio. It depicts sites from La Jolla, the Bernardo Winery and a purdy vase of flowers in Jane's home.

Jane likes to tease and told me my drawings are time intensive. She likes to do quick sketches that are complete and uploaded to her blog in a minute and a half (more like an hour, but....). Somehow I can't compete.

Jane organized this teaching event for me and I enjoyed every minute. The group was great, focused and ready to learn my Soy Wax with Monoprint techniques. The San Diego Watercolor Society has a gorgeous work space on a great retired Navy base. It was impressive.

Then go check out what everyone did! This group of photos is also a Flickr badge that is accessible from the bar to the left of this post (scroll down).

Then! I have been asked to do a guest blog appearance! My first! Go check Dawn's blog out and comment, please.

I2Q Vid Prompt #2: Freezer Paper

Hello all!

Hip, hip hooray for Vid Prompt #2. In which, we check out some supplies pertaining to visual journaling, I once again encourage you to draw (drat that darned word), and I talk about freezer paper. This Prompt deals with pages 28 through 33 of Inspired to Quilt. Although I didn't say it in the video; go ahead and print if you want to! Please, be my guest.

Now: I KNOW that many of you hear the word DRAW as a four letter word. I am sorry, here is my rant on that topic:

Just do it.

Do not judge.

When you are done, turn the page and do not look back.

If you always draw the same image, every time you sit down, keep perfecting that.

Save your experiments.

THE FIRST PIECE of art I have ever sold was based on a non-dominant hand drawing warm up. You have to start somewhere.

Judging your first effort is creative suicide. The point in being an artist is to be creative, do not stop yourself before you truly begin.

Be kind to yourself

OK.

I am no video master! I just want to play and have fun with the concepts in the book, so forgive my editing skillz, pl-eaze.

In the next Vid Prompt, I am going to pull the two previous videos together and get you playing with creating ATC's for Long Beach. Are you ready to play? Say, "Yes!"

I am going to be teaching until Tuesday so communication will be spotty. Don't hesitate to use the forums or to ask questions, I will get back to you.

ATC with me! plus, plus.

Long Beach is coming! Are you planning to be there? I am and I have an invitation for you. Please join me in creating and trading Artist's Trading Cards inspired by techniques found in my book!

And the neat thing is, within the next two Video Prompts you will have all the techniques you need in order to do this! I will release the next Video Prompt before I leave to teach on Wednesday morning. This next Vid Prompt will focus of freezer paper resists. The following vid prompt will be about ATC's exclusively, so stay tuned and get your art supplies ready.

I made these 'uber ATC's' for Houston last fall. They are 'uber' because you might like to trade fiercely, track down all the ATC's of this grouping, if you feel so inspired.

Or maybe you would rather find all the parts of this ATC set, I don't know. But I very much want to see you there and play with this idea, are you in? Say, "Yes!"

There are some loose rules, so far. To join in the Long Beach Inspired to Quilt ATC swap:

You must attend the Long Beach Quilt Show or have a friend brinf your Inspired ATC's for you.

Your ATC's must utilize one or more techniques found in Inspired to Quilt.

You may bring as many ATC's as you care to trade, this is a one for one trade. If you bring 5 ATC's, you can take 5 ATC's.

Are you ready to play?? Say, "Yes!"

Now on to the plus, plus part of the post.

I finished spinning this yarn this weekend, it is blocked and ready for knitting and I am very excited about it. The is Shetland wool, 2 ply, and I am ready to dye it! Kettle dye, me thinks. There isn't much yarn though. I find spinning yarn challenging because I am not a great knitter yet and I want to fully utilize the yarn I make, show it off to best advantage. I know. This isn't a knitting or spinning blog.

David and I went to the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend. I have wanted to go to this craft fair for a few years! Now that I live in Brooklyn, I can! And I did.

David bought this mug for himself. It was made by Dan Siegal. Dan also made an awesome owl mug but it had no handle and I find that sort of mug too difficult to drink hot drinks from. I loved it though.

David was also wowwed by Seattle Show Posters There was some really great stuff.

I fell in love with Toadis.

You might remember that I have a new found love for planters. I couldn't resist this little 'creature pot' who came with her own poem:

There are creatures that work in the afternoon hours
To find what they need, they search and they scour.
And they beg a thousand pardons.
For what they take from your gardens,
But it's simply thier job to transport flowers.

The Plane Jane Project made this pot, complete with drain holes, a great name, and a flower. Jane has quite the sense of artistic humor too, check out her art!

We also took a walk over to Baked and this time I tried a Woopie cake, while David tried a lime pistachio rosemary cookie. Yums.