every-single-day

A Warmed Home

JJ, a good friend from back east, both made and sent this house warming gift to both David and I. She has an awesome outsider, folk art, sensibility, don't you think? It is like a reliquary of David and I, me with a paintbrush and palette and David with his guitar, glasses and all.
When we opened it, David laughed pretty hard at the glasses, saying they were the best part.
The details in the little things are awesome. You can't see it, but the guitar has little wire strings that twist and are flattened and connect to the head (?) of the guitar. The paint brush is just great.
And once again, getting a key in the p.o. box is an awesome adventure.

Brushin' Off My Top Hat

Today, when I got into my studio I gave myself perameters. If I were to stray from sewing I could clean the studio, paint the floor (talk more about that in a second), or do something to get rid of more boxes around the house. Do you notice that emailing, web site building, surfing the web are not on the alternate list of things to do if I get pulled away from sewing?
I did well.
I got a fair amount sewn on this piece and I feel good about it.
It is time for me to build the habit of going to my studio. Time to set a precident for myself on how to spend my time off. Time to get back into the swing of actively engaging in my art.

On to painting the floor:
When I had the door put into my studio, the carpenter didn't do much beside install a pressboard threshold between the two rooms. An eye sore to say the least. Yesterday I started gussying the old threshold up. As you enter the dye studio from my sewing room, you'll step over the word, 'dye' and as you enter the sewing studio from the dyeing studio, you'll step over the word, 'sew'.
So far half of this idea is complete. I will need to purchase some white paint tomorrow.

Luxury...

When I was home visiting my folks in Connecticut, my mother told me about this book. I was immediately intrigued. My mother loves to describe books, and she got me on this one. I asked for the name again and she popped out of her seat, ran over to the computer and ordered a copy for me to be delivered to my P.O. Box (which I love, as a concept. Going to the post office to pick up mail is so wonderful. And to turn the dial of an old brass box, in a studied calm manner is superb in itself).
So when it came, I immediately read two chapters and knew that although I was not finished with the book I was reading at the time (I only read one book at a time), I would love reading this one.
Now it may seem odd to you, I don't eat red, white or pink meat. I do eat fish. I can't call myself vegetarian, really. I am just a healthier eater, but I love hearing about and reading about food. Not to mention eating good food. When I sit across from people who are eating good looking meat, I must know how it was made. I just like thinking about it. Like the time I cooked for a family I worked for, I didn't eat meat then either but they wanted me to make a stuffing of dried apricots, rosemary and garlic to stuff into pork. I didn't even try it, but I knew it would be awesome. It smelled too good not to be.
My favorite podcast is Good Food out of KCRW. And truly, I like it better when cooks come on, or when they review restaurants. It makes me want to shop in the local farmers markets and to go to Los Angeles.
But really! Receiving a book, through the mail! Such LUXURY! It makes me want to order books through the mail all the time.

Oak Creek Canyon

Yesterday started off sorta wonky but ended up pretty nice. I went to Oak Creek Canyon in Sedona with a group of friends. My friend 'T' invited me to go down and celebrate her birthday with her. It was great to meet her boyfriend and to hang out in such a beautiful place.
I was a steep walk down, about 100 yards, maybe more. The hike back up was harder than going down but both were pretty refreshing. Being outside will always purify the oddities of the mind.

Just a small B!tch

Just before we left for QN and the East Coast our computer crashed. Total failure, new hard drive needed and all programs and devices needed re-installation. I know this is a no-no, but I had a burned copy of an old version of DreamWeaver. I cannot re-install it, do not have the key code number and am now faced with purchasing it for 400$. Which we can't really afford. But as I do all my own web design, I need to afford it because I have been needing and wanting to update my web site. Which is feeling old and in need.

More QN '07

I didn't really take pictures while at Quilt National. I did bring my camera and hoped to document my total enthusiasm in being juried into the show. But my joy superseded my focus to that end. So while I did get a photo of myself standing near my poster, I never got one of myself standing near my piece!
Hmm.
But can't you see my happiness in this photo?

These three small pieces were sent to The Dairy Barn for display and (hopefully) sale in thier boutique. I sewed these in January when we were living in the Whoo House. This blue piece was the first of the three,

followed by this yellow piece,

and then this red one. Because these are variations of the piece that was accepted into Quilt National, I was hesitant to show them here on my web site, thier rules are stringent. But now that the show has opened and the book has been released into the world, I figure it must be OK to show and tell.

Back!

David and I are back and settling into life here in Flag.
Quilt National was fantastic. My piece looked great, I met some fabulous people and!! David came out to experience me and my art and my contemporaries! I got to hang out with Lisa, a woman that I love in so many ways and deeply. I sat in her workshop about Technology Wise Investments in your Art and was wowed by the amount of info she presented and the depth. I know Lisa and understand her process; she showed me her notes prior to the workshop... at that point when I read through it, I was overwhelmed and didn't know how she could get through all she hoped to impart, I need not have thought twice! Even through several interuptions, she stayed on course. Amazing.
I miss the immediacy of living close to people that I really know.
Then we went on to visit my folks, eat, spent time at the beach, talked and relaxed. There was not enough time or home cooked meals! Though we did have time for lots of entertainments and home-made chocolates (at a place called The Village Choclatier-no web site!).
Just before we left, my computer crashed. Totally crashed, as in it needed a whole new hard drive. AND! all that happened after a meeting with the director of the Coconino Community College art director. Who told me enrollment in my class was too low and did I have a list of contacts I could muster enrollment from?
Well. I did some fancy footwork and a few ANGELS surfaced! I now have enough people to make it a go and after I stop blogging I will create a flyer to hang around town to get a few more enrollees. Phew!