every-single-day

Staying Centered

I thought perhaps telling a bit of our whoa's would help me open up a bit and continue to blog. When I get stressed I tend to look inward and shut others out and true to form that is what I am doing.
So. Well. I am still here.
Exciting things are in the works. Things I can't totally discuss if a public space, like a blog but I will speak of some of the things.
Like a recent commission that I think I will start tomorrow. I have been commissioned to create a baby blanket. Notice I didn't say quilt? This will be a chinelle quillow in hand dyed silk noil. Pink and orange; my favorite colors together. Remember when I made this other commission? Word gets around (when I good job is done) and happy customers tell thier experience of working with you... and you get more commissions.
An article featuring aspects of my creative history will be published in Jane Dunnewold's HeART Cloth Quarterly, which comes out next week or so.
I will be teaching Soy Wax with Monoprinting at the Main Street Mavericks down in Scotsdale, Arizona, December 1 and 2, 2007. Email me for more info.
And have you seen this finished piece, I've uploaded it to my web site!?

When my folks were here, my mom purchased a bunch of books for me. I started off with a bit of light but ever so much fun reading, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. It is just the right sort of reading for my stress addled mind, I love it.

Folks and fessing up.

When we first moved I honestly thought my Pop would never come out here, I thought his fear of airplanes would overwhelm his need to see me and our new home.
I was wrong.
My dad not only took the plane ride, he is reveling in his ability to fly again and to other places. I wish you could have seen his look of wonder at the palm trees down in Phoenix, hear his exclaimations at each new site. I just can't wait to show him the Grand Canyon.
My mom will be coming up from a sales meeting down in Phoenix tomorrow afternoon.
It has been great to be in my Pops company. I love him so much.
Today we went to the Museum of Northern Arizona with David. We saw Kachina's, fossils, and an installation about therizinosaur's.There is also a fantastic showing of contemporary art called Trappings of the American West, which was fantastic. All works were for sale and everything was of fantastic quality.

My Pops bought me this great little tool which features a scissor, just perfect for sewing on the go! Not to mention that one of the screwdrivers is just the right size for replacing a broken sewing machine needle. At 2.5" long, it is a very petite knife!

I haven't been writing much because once again, our lives are in upheaval. Back in September, David lost his job, you know, the one we moved out here with or for. I have taken another job or two, and feel overwhelmed.
On the exciting side, one of the jobs I am working right now is putting together a fiber art workshop series for next July through the Coconino Community College and a showing of fiber art to go with it. We'll be advertising through FiberART and the Surface Design Journal, and the entire event will be called Surface:Layered.
We will have Carol Soderlund, Barb Wills, Darcy Falk, Kathyanne White, myself and a few others. If you want to be on the mailing list, please email me privately.
A lesser exciting job is as a machine embroiderer for a local screen print/embroidery shop in town and that is on top of teaching children art a few days a week.
We don't know what we are going to do yet, though there are some good things brewing.
I thought I would break the silence by giving a heads up.

Havasupai

Is Heaven on earth.

Above is a photo of Harry, David and I during this last week, at Havasupai. Harry was a tour guide in his time, true to his abilities, last week he arranged all the reservations, supplied us with packs, camping gear,and enthusiasm.

The hike down into the canyon was about 8 miles and was challenging. Not because it was especially difficult but because we each had about 40 additional pounds strapped to our backs (I wore the wrong shoes and paid the price).

But the pain of blisters is definately outweighed by the rewards of the place. I mean this was our campsite. At which, one night, David made a kick-ass soup, really we ate like Kings and Queens.
Harry's calling in life is to hike and his theory is that when hiking he treats himself as a King.

We mostly hung out at Mooney Falls. Getting down to the bottom of the fall is an amazing event of being reborn from the earth! At the top there are a few switchbacks, then you enter a cavern that has a sort of porch like landing with chain to keep you from falling. Just past this is another cavern leading you to a portion of the climb, guided by chain and 'steps' in the stone wall itself. Straight down.
The water at Havasupai is a fantastic, opal blue color.
The whole three days was amazing.