Katie Kendrick- Artist Extraordinaire

Do you know Katie? Have you seen her art (http://www.katiekendrick.com/) or read her blog (http://www.joyouslybecoming.typepad.com/)? Have you taken her classes? One very smart lady (http://www.praterposte.blogspot.com/) told me to SELL MY SOUL ( I decided selling my body was just easier) to go to Katie's class... Sooo my husband insisted (Who I am to argue with that man?) that I go, and like a good little wife, I did. And I am so very glad that I did! What an awesome time I had! She is so talented, so generous with herself and the knowledge that she has. I met so many talented women, painted a cool picture of a "delightfully frustrated" lady (we will call her Katie Girl from here on out) and just generally Had A Blast!
I met Kristi Steiner. Ohhh and I believe that I am going to go to her Retreat this September (http://www.kristinsteiner.com/). It's called "Believe in Yourself Retreat" and I hope that my good friend Paula will go with me. I'm in the process of begging her right now.
And even though I had "talked to" (via email) Jane Powell, owner/operator of The Best Shop Around (http://www.randomartsnow.com/) I got to meet her face to face. She is just as cool as I felt that she would be. We actually had quite a few things in common and had a really great talk over lunch. And yes, Cheryl, I gave her a hug from you!
There were 12 people there (including me but not Katie) and they were all awesome. And very talented. Oh, wow and you should have seen what Meg Fowler created...I wanted to take it , and her for that matter, home with me. I will post some pictures. I failed to get everyone's name but there were 2 people there from Alabama, some from Georgia, NC, SC...all to see our beautiful Katie. Does everyone that meets her love her or what? A lot of them were staying for the 2nd class but I had to go back down the mountain. I was just pleased to have one day with all of them.
I love, love, love Random Arts. It is the coolest store around. If they had a quilting corner, it would be The Perfect Shop. Oh, and chocolate...but you can get that fairly quickly outside the shop...so we'll let that pass for now!
Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful men that are Dad's.

Necessities

This is the completed piece for Fiber On A Whim/It's A Journey donation. I hope that it passes to someone that will receive as much pleasure from admiring it as I did in creating it.

I used the same rust dyed fabric that I used in the letters to make the label on the back.

It reads as follows.

I did add the "In Loving Memory" for my husbands mom (Taffy Sloan), his grandmother (Rita Kentusky) and my sister (Cindy Davis). All three ravaged by cancer, all dearly loved and missed but never, ever forgotten.

Fiber Art Alliance

Last month I joined a wonderful & talented group of fiber artists in NC. Collectively they call themselves the Fiber Art Alliance Group (http://www.ashevillequiltguild.org/FAA.html) but separately the names that they are known by may be quite well known to you. I must say I am in awe of the talent, vision and focus all of these women have. The small sampling of work that I have seen in the meetings is nothing less than breath taking.

The speaker this month was Judy Simmons (http://www.focusfabricart.com/). Her topic was Ink jet Printing on Fabric.

What an awesome teacher she is! If you ever have the opportunity to go to a lecture or a workshop with this talented lady, please do so.

She was so organized and the material was so concise and understandable. And the samples that she brought! Wow! They were all organized in notebooks with the type of fabric, backing info, all the necessary info to reproduce the results right there at your fingertips.

I have asked Judy if she would mind if I posted pics on this blog and she has kindly allowed me to do so. Have a look at the quilt with the roses on it. It is named "Memory Collage I- Japanese Beetles". There is a cute story that goes along with it that I believe is on the back of the quilt. We all need to take a clue from Judy here and be sure to document all those precious memories and the details about our art. Imagine how you would feel if you had a piece of art work or a quilt from your ancestors that had all those details on them. That would be priceless.

Look closely at the beautiful background fabric.

It is all hand dyed by Judy. She told me that the background was dyed in the microwave. It was then dyed again in a different color. Also areas are over dyed and then fused to the background. She has several overlays of photos, old recipes (handwritten) on muslin and organza. She used various painting techniques, sponging included along with metallic Jacquard paint as well. All combined it tuned in to a fabulous piece of background fabric.

When I first saw it and heard the story, what came to mind was that the quilt actually looked like what a fading memory would appear in your mind. Does that make sense? Anyway, it's beautiful and has so much dimension. If you look closely at the above photo you will see the Beetles eating away at the leaves of her Grandmother's roses...those petals are sure to be next...

The next quilts is one where Judy was encouraging us to use non copyrighted images for our fiber art...like her fingerprints to be exact! This was for a challenge , involving glass I believe but she used her fingerprints for some of the images here. Isn't that the most creative thing you've heard of?

Speaking of creative, look back up at Judy's shirt. She not only made the shirt, she colored the fabric! I can't remember all the techniques but discharging and dyeing were two of them. It is so beautiful and looked to be so cool and comfortable as well.

She is teaching a workshop in August that I hope to attend. You can check out the details at the Asheville Quilt Guild web site. (http://www.http//www.ashevillequiltguild.org/). Go to the Workshop page and scroll down to August. Here is the description from the newsletter sent to me by a dear friend.

Fabric To Dye For
Students will learn the basics of low water immersion
dyeing and microwave dyeing. Using Procion MX
fiber reactive dyes and low water immersion techniques,
students will create beautiful yardage to use in
quilts and wearables. Students will also experiment
with microwave dyeing, which creates a pale mottled
fabric wonderful for backgrounds. Both techniques
are fun and easy and students will go home with beautiful
fabrics (10-15 yards) to add to their stash. Many
visuals for inspiration and many handouts given. Supply
fee ($20) includes dyes, activator, urea and synthrapol
– payable to instructor. WEAR OLD
CLOTHES. Cost: $35.

Now, for non members, it's an additional $15. But what a deal! To borrow a catch phrase from the younger generation...I am so on that list!

Now, I've included some "candid" shots of the crowd...some names are included.

This is my buddy Patsy Thompson, with the blue shirt on. Perhaps you've heard of her or seen her awesome machine quilting? You should go to her web site and check it out. (http://www.patsythompsondesigns.com/)

There's Mary Stori and Gen Grundy oohing and aahing over the notebooks of Judy's samples.

If I have time later, I'll add more. I'm so behind in things now that I probably won't though...

Have an awesome day!

Stage Two Rose Applique

I've been working on a small quilt for Fiber On A Whim donation/It's A Journey, to benefit breast cancer research. I posted a picture of the original sketch on my blog. Here is a picture of the actual piece in fabric.

I used hand dyed batiks on all the fabric. I utilized Wonder Under as my fusible webbing medium. I prefer this type as it is fairly flexible and doesn't show needle holes quite as readily as other brand names. Some of the cheaper ones really harden as they get older. I've had that trouble with Heat & Bond. I stitched the leaves & stem down with the smoke colored invisible thread and the rose petals with the light or clear invisible thread. I used a tiny Microtex Sharp Needle (60/8) to try and diminish the needle punctures as much as possible.
I then started out with Neocolor II crayons as my shading medium but wasn't pleased with how that turned out. I then turned to the Golden Acrylic Paint that I purchased at Random Arts (http://www.randomartsnow.com/). The Alizarin Crimson Hue mixed with Matte Gel worked great on the shading. I love how the Golden paints do not lose their pigment when you mix them with other mediums.I didn't have a green paint (in the Golden colors) so I just went with the Neocolor II crayons on the leaves. I did highlight them with Lumier Metallic Olive + Matte Gel. You can see the shimmer on the picture. It is also on the rose itself. I used the Pearl White mixed with above Golden Paint and gel.
Now all I have to do is decide on which letters to use...I have a bunch of leather coasters (made from actual baseballs) that I covered with gesso then painted with acrylics. I hand lettered each tiny little square with really beautiful font that is a mix of a couple that I have seen here, there and yonder. I also made a set out of tiny quilt sandwiches...fabric ones that I hand drew then filled in on the sewing machine. I don't have an embroidery module, so I had to do free motion embroidery. You can see a little bit of it in the above pictures. The one in the pictures hasn't been finished around the edges though.

Any creative feedback is welcome.

Random Arts Store

My friend, Paula and I went to Saluda NC this past Thursday on a Retail Therapy Expedition. My primary focus was this tiny little art / mixed media shop in town called Random Arts. I had read about it in Cloth Paper & Scissors and visited their web site...but NOTHING prepared me for the veritable feast that had been laid out when I arrived!

Here you have a small, picturesque mountain town with beautiful views, shops that carry local artisans work, scrumptious restaurants (The Purple Onion...a MUST try), and rather quiet old-timey grocery stores...The streets are bumpy, the shade from the trees a welcoming site as you stroll along the main sidewalk, shopkeepers wave as you pass. Things feel slower, um, more laid back, you know ...relaxed.

Then.....

you turn to the doorway of Random Arts. Open the door slowly please because the sound will blow you away...

Sound?

What sound, you may ask?

Why, it's The Sound of Music ...as in Music To My Ears...My Eyes...My Senses...This place is AWESOME! I can honestly say that I have never been in a shop like this before...never had so much fun just visiting in a shop as this.

Jen was there (Jane, the owner, had a yucky dental appointment) and man, was her excitement contagious! She ia so cool, from her sparkly green eyes (right Jen?) to her handmade batik bracelet , right down to her tiny little toe...this girl is The Bomb. Lol! She has more talent in her Little Toe than most people have in their whole head! And judging from what I saw of Jane's artwork, she is afflicted with the same malady.

The walls, the ceiling, most of the floor is covered with a plethora of mixed media goodies that by the time I left, I feared I would swoon. I couldn't focus on one thing before darting to another and another...and so on.

It is, without doubt, The Store Of My Dreams. If you could add Random Arts to Fiber On A Whim you WOULD have The Perfect Store.

I could have stayed there all day, laughing, talking and learning from Jen but we had two other places that we had to go while in NC. I WILL go back! I will make sure that I have lots of time next time though.

They had all kinds of ephemera, found objects, art supplies (Golden products! Yeah!), rubber stamping supplies and notions, papers...oh, the handmade papers are to DIE for! Ribbons, tags, charms, buttons, patches, books, paints, lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

You MUST go!

I had had several Golden Products on my "list" that I carry about with me. You just can't find them anywhere around here so when I can upon them , I started lining them up on the counter. Jen demoed most of them for us, the rest she talked us through. The paint is awesome! I wondered why everyone always said that their paint was the best...now I know. The pigment is so bold, so concentrated that if you mix water with red paint...it doesn't turn pink like most paint does, it just gets a bit thinner...the color stays the same. How cool is that?

Anyway, I had to share this with you all. Oh, I didn't even mention that they have awesome workshops with really well known and talented artists! This is one time that "Too good to be true" is just not true. It's real. It does exist.

Random Arts at http://www.randomartsnow.com/ or visit their blog at http://www.randomartnotes.blogspot.com/.

Letter Geeks Like Me (or Artful Alphabets by Lisa Engelbrecht)

Do you know Lisa Engelbrecht? I am just beginning to get to know her...and what an amazing artist she is! A few postings ago, I entitled one "My 26 Favorite Things'. In this post I professed to being a "letter geek"(thanks Lisa for the title!). Lisa and I share those 26 Favorite Things...she is also a self-professed "letter geek". When I opened an email from Pokey Bolten

(CPS) today, I saw her DVD about Lettering on Fabric. I had JUST seen it on Creative Catalyst Videos (http://www.ccpvideos.com/) and placed it on my list of "Things To Buy". Go to their website to view a clip from the video.

If you love letters, lettering, calligraphy, writing on fabric or any of the aforementioned activities or have interest in them, then you MUST purchase this DVD! You can purchase it directly from her and receive a special print from her. Go to http://www.lisaletters.blogspot.com/ for details.

Lisa has a book coming out imminently (publication due date is July 1st) entitled "Modern Mark Making".

I can tell you this is one lady that is definitely Making Her Mark in this world. She has a love for the letter arts that I appreciate and understand. She is also featured in Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine. Go to http://www.homecompanionmag.com/ for more details about the Artful Alphabet.

My friends and family know how much I LOVE and ADORE lettering...I have been asked why I sit and draw letters...Why? I ask...Because they are the basis for all that we know...Without the alphabet, we would have no written word, no stories, no written history, no love letters, no recorded music with words...we, as a society, would not be able to share and past down our heritage...those 26 letters ensure the survival of our cultures, our families and our passions. They ARE the key to past, present and future.

Rock on fellow Letter Geeks!

Needle Case

I forgot to add pictures of the case closed.

Here you go.

Couching on Fabric

I belong to the Quilt Art Internet mailing group and the past couple of days there has been some discussion of couching on fabric. It made me think of my crochet needle case that I made. Every time I pull this thing out, people love it! And it was sooo EASY. It really looks difficult but all I did was couch various yarns onto the existing design of the fabric. Ta Da! A scrumptious dimensional piece of fiber art! I did utilize the Bernina Couching Foot that makes it extremely easy to do. But you could just as easily use a regular foot and guide the yarn where you wanted it. Try it! If you look down the blog, you will see the same fabric in various stages of another project...I love the fabric and bought several yards off of eBay a while back. I don't know that it is available any more...

26 of My Favorite Things

Here's 7 of them from my sketch book...The letters of the Alphabet.

My 26 Favorite Things. I love drawing letters...these came from a Dover Book I was looking at. I love the beautiful swirls on them. I'll use this style letters on the Fiber On A Whim piece I'm working on.

Garden News

This is a row of our Gourmet Mix Lettuce. We thinned them out last week and had our first salad from the garden this year...so tender!

We have a big flower bed in the front yard that, among other things, has Purple Coneflowers in it. These are two of the first blooms this year. I transplanted about 20 seedlings this weekend. I'll probably plant them along the back fence line with the Bearded Iris in our border garden.

A close up of the same young blooms. I love the way that the blooms begin their life with the petals standing straight up towards the sun, then begin to hang downward as time passes. One bloom we have has its' petals so far down they are almost touching the stem.

This is a strawberry pot that I have sitting on the front steps.

I have three that are in graduated sizes, large to small. They all have Hen & Chicks and small ferns in them. I usually plant an annual or Lemon Thyme in the top of each one in the summer. I haven't found Lemon Thyme yet but did find Lime Thyme. They stay green all year on my steps.

This is a close up of one of the Hen & Chicks.

We have so many beautiful container plants on our front porch and patio. We manage to keep a lot of things all year on the porch, I guess there is an awesome micro climate there.

I'll try to remember to take pictures of the topiary that I made a few years ago. It turned out quite nice.

I also have a Dahlia bed, a smaller bed with Gardenias in it and a "good sized" flower bed at the side bank...can you tell that I love flower gardening? I actually am a certified Master Gardener. I haven't volunteered at anything in a few years though. You should check out the program at your local Extension Office and get involved if you love gardening.

My husband is really the "Master" at gardening...vegetable gardening, that is. We have a huge garden every year. Some how it keeps growing...We live beside a church and when our harvest out-grows our ability to eat, to freeze or give to friends, we leave bags at the side church door for the members. We have the garden right along the fence next to the entrance and we love to watch people stop and point and look. Several friendships have been made at that fence because of the garden.

The Master himself...nice arms Farmer Sloan.

Rose Applique Design

Yesterday I drew out this idea for a Victorian Applique style quilt. This is a picture from my sketch book.

I originally thought of it for a piece of 5"x7" fiber art...we'll see what comes of it (if anything). But the drawing is done so that I can copy it, then cut out the individual pieces for applique work. It could also be altered for stained glass.

If you have never tried the Marie Seroskie method of applique, you should. It makes the stained glass method of applique sooooo easy! Check out her web site for samples http://www.katielane.com/. She has a really cute Big Mouth Fish Bag pattern too!

Rayna Gillman

I "found" Rayna's website and blog yesterday while reading another one (Jane Davila). Wow! Have you seen her fabrics? I love them!

Look at the gallery on her website...the quilts are absolutely breath taking, especially the "Poland" series. The story there will really touch your heart.

And she has a book coming out very soon. I am going to purchase one asap.

Her web site has a place where you can receive an email when the book hits the shelf, so I sent my name in. Imagine my surprise when Rayna emailed me back! She seems like such an awesome person , I can't wait to meet her in person.

Perhaps she will do a book signing at Fiber On A Whim? She taught there 2 years ago and I'm hoping she will teach there in 2009 or 2010.

Have a look at the website http://www.studio78.net/ and her blog http://www.studio78notes.blogspot.com/.

House Pictures...

Well, today I thought I'd post some pictures of my houses...yes, that's right. I said houses, plural...some of you will be shocked to know that I actually own a pink house, a Federal House, a barn, a book store, a market and a small beige house.

Wow, impressive list. The tenants refuse to pay their rent though...they expect me to do their dusting and they do take up a bit of room...

on my mantle, that is!

These are all "Rock Houses" that I painted a few years ago. I altered a couple of them with wood filler but most are just plain rocks or river rocks.

It's amazing how your vision of a "rock" changes after you paint one or two. You see a house, a foot, a car, a dog...all sorts of things.

So, learn from the master , Lin Wellford (www.linwellford.com). Her books are so easy to follow that anyone can do it!

I used whatever acrylic paint that I had on hand then a coat of enamel sealer.

Enjoy the pictures of my homes.

"The Painted Lady"

This house measures 3 1/2" x 3 1/4", so that's pretty tiny ferns on the porch. Here's a close up of them.
The ferns are on a teeny tiny ridge that I built up with wood filler. They measure about 1/4" wide.

Here's the back of my Painted Lady.

The Federal Building measures about 3 1/2" x 2 1/2". The only area that I built up was the triangle above the porch.

And here's the back of The Federal Building. The topiary measure almost 1/4" wide and 1/2" tall.

This is Johnson's Book Store. I will be renaming it, as it was sold to the Sloan's in 2005. But they still have the same great service!

The front door measures about 1/2" wide by 1" tall...can you imagine how small that "open" sign is? I don't think that my 40 something eyes could paint THAT small again...

No alteration here, just a square rock. Here is a picture of the bottom to show you just that!

There's plenty of customer parking on the side.

But they only accept deliveries at the back door.

Did I mention they are having a big sale?

Next will be the Beige House. This was the first House Rock that I painted...the beginning of many years of "Rock Hunting".

And here's the bottom....a quartz rock?

My Barn, complete with hay fork.

The rear of the barn...now where did that horse go?

This is The Market that I run , it's right beside Johnson's Book Store.

And the bottom of it.

So, there you have it...my village of Rock Houses.

My personal favorite, The Gnome House, was given away...my mom loved it so much that I couldn't help but give it to her.

I also painted a Pebble House, and I do mean a "pebble"...one of those they use as a mulch medium. My eyes have aged too much to even try that now! My mom has that also. I'll try to get pictures of them both to add.

When my son was in elementary school, I painted a School House Rock for his teacher. It was really cool.

They make awesome gifts and people love to see their own homes in Rock Form.

Try it, you'll like it! I could call my business "Rock, Paper and Scissors". Hey, I just might do that!