An Artful Journey Begins Today

I am off for a real, authentic, art retreat today.  I am taking Katie Kendrick's class "Nourishing the Creative Heart"  Three days of creating mixed media paintings.  I think I'm out of my box but this is what I need to do.  Explore my creativity and be among others who want to share an artful life.

I need to finish packing but am mostly ready.  I have my art supplies packed and just need to finishing packing my items for vendor night.

Here's a peek of some of my items I will have for sale.

Home from Tucson

I arrived home on Wed. late afternoon after being gone since Feb. 2.  It seems like such a longer time than that and I met so many people and met up with friends and relatives that I can't even begin to write it all down.

This show was a different type of show than I've ever done before so was very interesting and I am signed up to do it again next year.  I'll see how it goes.

 Part of the boutique set up with Joanna Peirotti's fabulous "Boho Tool Belt Aprons".  See me and Barb Montague Solem wearing them below.

Boutique set up

Nuno felt wrist wraps and flowers

I had wonderful students in my classes and know that some of them will become good friends!

laces I purchased from a vendor

Sorry I don't have time and energy to post more but I'll be back soon.

The End

The Disarray of Not Knowing What to Pack

Good morning readers.  I am sitting in my office while I wait for my studio to heat up a bit. There was frost on the ground this morning so I had to turn the heat up.  I'm contemplating in my mind how I will set up for the Tucson show and what I'll need to take and if it will all fit in my car.

I listed a few more ribbon items in my Etsy shop.  I will leave it open until Feb. 1st and then I'll be packing everything to take with me to Tucson.  I've wrapped ribbon on these vintage brass ended bobbins and am selling them with the bobbin.

 Vintage buckles and hand dyed ribbon packs

Here are photos I took last night before I shut the lights off and this is what will be there to greet me after I finish writing this post.  Will all this fit in my Subaru Outback along with a folding screen and garment rack?  And the equipment I need (two tubs full and a microwave) to teach?  That is the challenge.

I've piled props onto this table and created a mock up of how things will get displayed, sort of.  I can't really know how the set up will be until I get there.  It won't be the usual square footage with a table space as it's a front room of a motel suite minus the couch and a few other furnishings.

I still have many dyed ribbons to wrap onto cards.

It always takes longer to list items on Etsy and write a blog post than I anticipate.  Here it is 10:15 and I'm still in my jammies, geez.  Better get in gear.  Have a lovely day!

Nuno Felt Wrist Wraps

I have created a few new wrist wraps using the nuno felt technique.  If you don't know what nuno felt is Wikipedia says "The name is derived from the Japanese word "nuno" meaning cloth. The technique bonds loose fibre, usually wool, into a sheer fabric such as silk gauze, creating a lightweight felt."

I only had time to photo one which I have decided to keep for myself.  I am teaching this class in small groups at the Tucson Bead show in a couple of weeks and I'll be teaching it for Art Is You in Petaluma this September.  You can view this class and all classes at the Art Is You site and registration will began soon!  Hope you can join me for a class this year.

Vending items for Tucson Bead Show

vintage buckles and silk dupioni

vintage hand dyed and upcycled slip dresses

Mahogany Rose Red and Tea Dyed

some for sale at Etsy shop

Joanne buttons and hearts

Eco dye print scarves, fabric strips, and ribbon

vintage reconstructed scarves

upcycled garments

"Sweet Sisters" Gift

My Sweet Sister

I received a belated birthday gift in the mail from my sister Jan (my only sister) that sent me over the moon.  She commissioned Suziqusthreadworks to create this beautiful art book that has felted pages to put my needles and pins.  I am very surprised I actually got the booklet, I know it was delayed in the mail coming from Australia, but more than that is the fact that my sister let it go.  See we have this habit of buying things for each other and then keeping them.  We don't live near each other so when we do get to visit I might say "Jan I really like that sweater you're wearing" and she'll say "well I bought it for you"  lol!

Go take a look at Suziqu's blogsite to see more of her fantastic works.

Here is one of my favorite pics of me and my sister as young girls.  The picture was blurry when taken and I don't know if there is anyway to make it clearer. The fact that it's from 1959 and aged a bit adds to the poor quality. But I love we're in the swing that hung from the big oak tree in our back yard growing up, wearing matching dresses my mother made us.

~ SHIV SHARMA

A sister is someone who loves you from the heart,

No matter how much you argue you cannot be drawn apart

Or my sister might prefer this quote: :-)

Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.  ~Charles M. Schulz

Art Unraveled 2013 Registration Open!

Registration is now open for Art Unraveled 2013!!  I can hardly wait to dive into creating garments with my class and then we get to have a runway show to show them off and raise a little money for charity with a group project to be auctioned!  If you are planning to attend the retreat I hope you will join me in "Workshop Runway" and if you aren't planning to attend you might consider it as we have a fabulous time there and you have lots of classes to choose from. Go take a look at my class here for more info!  And of course I'll be vending on vendors day too.