Dyed and Toted . . .

I am back from my trip to Santa Cruz where I learned to dye fabric with Lorri Scott and to create a tote with DJ Pettitt style. Linda and I started out early on a sunny Saturday morning from San Diego and headed up to Santa Barbara to pick up Bette. There we stopped for lunch and a quick shopping trip in the Art From Scrap store. They had an exhibit by Charlotte Valestra entitled Anything Goes, which was very interesting to see. Wow, that was fun! I can tell that will be a regular stop for me when I go up to my mom's from now on! We had a nonstop talk fest on the rest of the ride! We met up with Karen in Santa Cruz and the four of us spent the weekend creating together.
It started on Sunday morning at Lorri's studio. She introduced us to arashi shibori and tie dying on silk, cotton and linen fibers. Lorri was good enough to set up an indigo vat so that we could also experience that. The day was hot and we were busy all day long playing with color and texture. We created treasures to use in our totes which we were going to make on Monday and more to take home for future creations. My favorite was the shibori dying. That night it was off to the wharf for a chance to unwind and eat dinner watching the sunset.
Monday morning we were off to the same general location for our workshop with DJ. We spent the day learning how DJ goes about composing and constructing her purses. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to finish our projects, so the pictures I am posting of mine are still in the beginning stage. I will continue to work on it and will post the finished project once it's completed.
The frosting on the cake was the ride home yesterday. We came all the way down the coast on Highway 1. This is my most favorite drive in the world. If you have never had the good fortune to make this trip, you owe it to yourself to make this happen before you leave this earth - it is beyond words. It always fills my soul to overflowing when I get to do this. I posted a picture of Linda, Bette and myself at the spot we stopped for morning coffee and the chance to sit and soak it all in as we started at the north end near Big Sur. Life doesn't get any better than this!
I had a really good time, laughing till my stomach ached, getting to meet the infamous DJ Pettit, good times with the girls sharing about life, art and funny stories. After the long day of driving, it was good to get home.

Fun in the Sun with Fabric Weekend . . .

I am off in the morning for my weekend workshop with Lorri Scott and DJ Pettitt. Can't wait to see the cool stuff we are going to create! See you guys back here the middle of next week!

Vintage Spoon Book Project done with my BFF

I know these pictures don't do this project justice, but I so want to share about this on my blog. Several months ago, my friend Tamsie and I decided we wanted to start growing as artists by picking projects to do together. The only problem is I live in California and she is in Minnesota. Okay, it's not really a problem, we can use the mail to get things back and forth and the element of surprise is a big bonus. Tamsie picked the first project and it turned out to be one that we both initially agreed to,(something to do with a lot of blackness and we found that we couldn't really get into it after all.)
So the next pick was from Cloth Paper Scissors May/June 2008 edition. It's a Vintage Spoon Book by Kelli Perkins. This was just the ticket! We used alcohol inks, fibers, vintage spoons, vintage buttons and text. We both made one complete spoon for each other, and then we just colored one and sent it on to be decorated by the recipient. My spoons are the pinkish ones, and Tamsie's are the adorable little ones done in browns and moss greens. I put my "book" on an antique key I picked up at the flea market in Paris last year. What fun this was!!! It is my turn to pick the next project. I'll keep you posted!

Lazy Summer Days . . .

Today finds me in the mood for love - not like you're thinking!!! Well, there is nothing wrong with that kind of love, but right now I am thinking about the love we express when we use our time. I was fortunate last week and found a used commercial paper rack for my art room. Most of you don't know I have been hoarding my papers in a rubber maid container, that wasn't really working out very well for me. I am ecstatic to have a real live paper rack for the art papers I am addicted to buying. Of course, the next thing was putting it in the room and then moving everything out of the way for it. One thing leading to another, total art room clean up. Ahhh, such a good feeling to have things at my disposal and the clean work spaces to play on!
I had such a fun class on Sunday. I taught a PMC class and the students were great! I love watching how people express their creativity using the same mediums. I don't know why, but I get blessed with the best students!
This weekend I am leaving for the Santa Cruz area to play at a workshop with Lorri Scott and DJ Pettitt. I am excited about a girls road trip with the express purpose of making art! Other than getting to go back to France, my next favorite kind of trip!
So today I have posted a picture from the first page of my new sketch book. It makes me happy to think I have already used all the pages in my other book and am now starting on a new one! Today, life is good and I hope a little of that joy finds it's way into your corner of the world.

Another jewelry challenge piece . . .

I finished this piece for the summer jewelry challenge a couple of weeks ago, but I never got around to posting it because I thought I would be making more. Well, this is the only one I made and because I am wanting to get on with the other projects I am posting this today. I had a dickens of a time finding my book yesterday because I put it in a spot I don't normally put books. I must have searched high and low for at least an hour last night looking for it. I finally gave up and put my cranky self to bed. Then low and behold, this morning I found it sitting on that shelf I don't normally put books on!! What a relief! I am looking forward to continuing on the jewelry challenge journey. Yesterday I had the opportunity to do some more metal etching and I know I will find good uses for it in the projects to come.
I have been working on cleaning up the little art room in the back. It has become a bit unorganized and I have found myself wanting to create outside of it, so I know it is time to get it back into shape and make it the space I love to be in. I am not a neat freak by any means, but I don't like not having any open space to set things down on. It always feels good to get things back in order.
I realized I haven't left you with any inspirational words lately, so today I am leaving you with these: "Life is love, beauty and wisdom, as well as energy and imagination. You will be able to use It's power in exact proportion as you embody Its essence." - Ernest Holmes, The Art of Life

Hi from SoCal

I can't believe it's been this long since I last posted. Wish I could tell you I've been out of town, or busy in town, but the truth is, I've just been hanging out. I have been working on trying to develop a class or two, finished one of the pod projects for the jewelry challenge, and have been reading a bit. I've been combing through my art books for some inspiration and direction. I'm trying to look within and get accountable for myself (urghhhh!). Summer is my least favorite season of the four. It's hot, it can be humid, and I just feel very lazy and not very productive. My time in the summer makes me feel like I am just waiting. I don't know what I am waiting for (fall?), but maybe in the natural rhythm of cycles, we need this down time, too. What are your thoughts on the season of summer?