The winner is...

Natalie Crabb!

Natalie - I will email you with the details.

Thank you all so much for the lovely comments.
My blog is so very happy with all of the words from like minded people!

I would love to get that many comments on every post...I guess that I would have to have a give-away every post, huh?

Maybe not!
Thank you all. The blog hop over at the Sketchbook Challenge is still going on, so hop over and check it out!

Quilting Arts Gifts magazine

I have an article published in the 2013/2014 Gifts magazine!

I wrote an article about creating (really nice) scarves out of cotton jersey, thermofax screens and deColourant (a color discharging product).

On one of the scarves, I wrote (copied) a poem in longhand with the deColourant in a small-tip container.
Here's a shot of editor Jane Davila wearing it in her "Editor's Note" in the front of the magazine.
It looks good on you Jane!

The staff did a great job setting up the shot.

So - run out and get a copy.
Then go home (or to a friends home) and make something!


Okay one more thing.
Go to my Etsy shop and look at the thermofax screens there.
They are exactly what you need to make one (or several) of these scarves.
If you want one of the fern screens, comment here and I'll set up a private sale for you.
I don't think that those screens are listed there. The fern on the black scarf is there not the one on the red scarf though.
But the bee in the red scarf is! I drew that honey bee so you will find it listed under the "Artist Drawn" screens.

Now, my friends, you need to keep flexing your creative muscles.
I know that I haven't been flexing my writing muscle (i.e.blog writing) but I've been flexing my drawing, painting, stitching and dyeing muscles while I've been quiet here.
Oh and my fishing muscles too!

Seriously, I do know how very important it is to keep being creative.
It is the oxygen that I breathe in.
It helps me to blow off anger, illness, guilt and sadness.

Without creativity, I am nothing.
It sounds dramatic and it is...I would be boring, depressed and very, very ill if I allowed my creativity to whither.
You will be as well if you don't keep exercising that particular muscle!

Just.
Do.
It.

Houses and Hideaways

Thanks for following me here from the Sketchbook Challenge blog.
If you haven't read my post over there, hop over there and read it so you are up to date about what I'm talking about.

I wanted to use the whimsical house imagery on a couple of projects but didn't have the time (or the inclination) to redraw it every time.
Enter my beloved Thermofax machine.

I drew three houses that I liked and created screens from them.
A large, a medium and a small one (even though they all look to be the same size here, they really aren't).

I decided (after several false starts) to make a small bag from Multipurpose cloth.
I have been wanting to make a pouch to throw my loose strings in (to sit beside my sewing machine) and this seemed to be a good time to try it.

I always say this after I make something that it sure would be easier to think things out before I make them...but, alas, I did it again.
I jumped in with only half an idea and made up the remainder as I went.

Using my handy dandy thermofax screen, I printed one of the houses onto the front surface of the
MPC (Multipurpose Cloth).
Then decided that I wanted to do some stitching on it.
Then realized that the screen printed image would be Wonderful to use as a stitching guide!
Great news for someone (like me) that isn't too adept at free motion stitching (especially if it's a recognized shape).
But free motion stitching with an outline is a piece of cake.
Easy.
Peasy.


Instructions:
1. Screen print onto fabric.

I was so excited about the easy stitching that I added a tree
and a small yard for the house before I realized it!

 2. Stitch loosely around lines of house (or whatever imagery you have printed).

No need to worry about stitching outside of the line
with my painting plans.

3. Paint inside (or outside) of stitching lines.

I loved one of the houses in my art journal so much
that I decided to use it as inspiration in my paint colors.

I thought that the scene needed a cloud or two.

I used the same color but added a glazing medium to it to thin the color out some.
I also added a bit more color to the tree trunk.
And now it looks a little suspicious to me...

Just as I suspected!
There is a giraffe in that tree!

A quick sketch to confirm it.

And there he is, peeking from behind the tree!

I felt that I needed to add the "real" tree trunk
since the first one turned out to be the giraffe neck.
Now to stitch the real trunk in.

Now it's all done.
Well, I do need to add more grass to the front yard...

Almost finished.
I just need to add the strap to hang it from my cabinet door.

I did add more stitching and paint in the front yard.

4. Stitch up sides of pouch.
5. Enjoy!


The best part of all of it is the playing part.
The learning, screwing up and figuring out a better way to do it.
That's the place where you hear your own creative voice whispering to you.
And it usually starts with "Hey, I wonder what would happen if I did it this way?"

I think that I promised a give away in my Sketchbook Challenge post, didn't I?

I'd like to send someone a thermofax screen. I was going to give away one of the house screens but I think that I will let whoever wins pick out what they want from my Etsy shop or one of the whimsical houses.

Here's the deal - leave me a comment and make sure that you include your email address (or some way to get in touch with you) so I can notify you.
I'll give the winner that I choose (from a random number generator) about a week to let me know what they want.
It's open to everyone so please comment!
I'll post the winner on this blog on Sept. 26 so tune in to see who wins.
I'm thinking that I might add a few more surprises in the mailing but you will never know unless you are the winner.
Good luck everyone!

Blog Hop

Whoops...I meant to post  this on Sept. 8 but didn't do it.
Better late than never, right?

This is a re-post from the Sketchbook Challenge blog.



The sketchbook challenge hosts have a surprise for you.  For the next 21 days we are celebrating this months Houses and Hideaways theme with a blog hop!  Each day, beginning tomorrow, you’ll find a new post on this blog related to this month's theme that will also include a link to the artist's own blog, where you’ll find tutorials, video’s, studio tours, exciting giveaways and more!  

Take a look at the line up of posts below and come back each day to be inspired!

Sept 9 - Gina Lee Kim http://ginaleekim.blogspot.com/

Sept 10- Jacqueline Newbold http://djnewbold.blogspot.com/ 

Sept 11 - Sue Bleiweiss http://www.suebleiweiss.com/blog  

Sept 12 – Jackie Bowcutt http://stitchworks-jackie.blogspot.com/

Sept 13th - Kristin La Flamme http://kristinlaflamme.com/musings  

Sept 14- Jane Davies http://janedavies-collagejourneys.blogspot.com/

Sept 15- Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.com/blog/

Sept 16 - Terry Grant http://www.andsewitgoes.blogspot.com/

Sept 17- Carol Sloan http://www.carolbsloan.blogspot.com/ 

Sept 18- Leslie Tucker Jenison http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/  

Sept 19 - Lesley Riley  http://www.lesleyriley.com/weblog/  

Sept 20 - Traci Bunkers  https://www.tracibunkers.com/blog/  

Sept 21 - Lynn Krawczyk http://smudgedtextilesstudio.com/blog/

Sept 22 Desiree Habicht  http://myclothesline.blogspot.com

Sept 23 – Jamie Fingal http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/  

Sept 24 - Mary Beth Shaw http://mbshaw.blogspot.com/ 

Sept 25 –Kari McKnight-Holbrook http://backporchartessa.blogspot.com/  

Sept 26 – Deborah Boschert http://deborahsjournal.blogspot.com/  

Sept 27- Susan Brubaker Knapp http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com/  

Sept 28- Laura Cater Woods http://www.cater-woods.com/weblog/  

Sept 29- Jane LaFazio http://janeville.blogspot.com/