pinch me, please!

I can hardly believe I got to meet Patti Digh,
the illustrious author of these amazing books:








and look - here she is -holding up my art quilt, called Shine!


She and Jane LaFazio are fast friends, sharing a love of their new cowboy boots.


Such a privilege to be invited to be in the picture with these extraordinarily talented women, Patti, Jane, Linda Bannan and Wendee Lee


Near the end of Patti's inspiring talk we were invited to choose, without looking, a rock from her collection
Oddly enough - here's mine:



Shine is surely on my mind these days,
from my art to the shine stamp Davi gave me before she left, to David Crowder to This Little LIght of Mine at mass on Friday.
I'll do my best!

If I had a bucket list

a class with KC Willis would be on it.

Never did I imagine that I would be able to travel to CO to attend a real collage camp, BUT, lo and behold, KC is coming to San Diego, and I was lucky enough to hear about it in time to sign up for a one day class.

Her art is certainly one of a kind and incorporates all the things that I love.



Small art quilts, which I was first introduced to by Jane LaFazio are right up my alley!
Small enough to finish, detailed enough to be really interesting.

In the class I hope to get better at transferring photos, especially vintage family ones, to fabric and embellishing them with this and that.
Here's a sample of one I did a while back, and I can't wait to add one with Lila and Larkin.


Should you have any interest in joining Davi and me on July 21st at the Urban Barn in Escondido (which sounds like it's worth a trip in itself) I'm posting a link to KC's website. You can get more details about the class in the sidebar, Workshops and Videos and once there at the tab, KC on the road.
There are a couple of spots left, but will no doubt be snatched up quickly.

Another plug

The newest issue of my favorite magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors arrived and in it is the work of two artists I very much admire, Jane LaFazio and Diana Taylor.

I owe my blogging life to Jane atJaneville, who was the first one to suggest I blog.


Here's a picture of the article featuring one of the techniques she teaches in her mixed media class.


Can't wait to see Davi's finished project.

These are examples of Diana Taylor's Ficklesticks.
Some of you have seen my ficklestick necklace that I love wearing, partly because it's so unique and partly because it goes with everything.



I'm awfully tempted to start making my own ficklesticks.
Ficklesticks

Congratulations to both Jane and Diana!

Resolution

Davi,
You asked people to share their New Years' Resolutions. I ignored your question until this morning, when I was looking at Jane's blog, finding reference to an interview with Danny Gregory.
Here's the link to the interview: DannyGregory

and a partial quote from the interview:
"I am interested in the neurological benefits of drawing and how it connects to meditation, and what effect it has on the preservation of visual memory as one ages. I am also interested in using journaling to help people deal with tragedy and disease. And finally I am thinking of how drawing helps you to appreciate the mundane and everyday in a way that could help be an antidote to the rampant materialism that is at the heart of the current economic crisis."

So now I do have a resolution: DRAW!

Join me????

I need you!

It's a long story, but I had a funky Thanksgiving, missing 4/8ths of my family (that includes cousin Mary), so when Friday came I moved right into Christmas, playing Christmas music long before I usually do, thinking of a time when all 8 of us plus will be together. I can only hope that I won't get sick of it before Christmas, but I don't think so because we'll be so blessed to be together.
Anyway I have a burning question for all of you readers (some weeks I get up to 63!). I know there are a lot of lurkers out there, which normally I don't mind, but now I want to know - What's your favorite Christmas album???????
Here's mine for today:


I'm sooo grateful to Davi who comments nearly every day on my blog and Lynne who sometimes jumps in.
What about the rest of you? I'd so love to hear from you. Two of my favorite bloggers, Davi and Jane LaFazio, have both said, "I live for comments." I don't feel that strongly, but just this time couldn't you pleaaassse join in? And if not, maybe you could email me and tell my why because I'm wondering if I have the settings wrong and it's too difficult.

international quilt show in long beach

one more heart

now that you're in on one of my obsessions - here's another one:


This is part of the poster created by several artists to advertise an auction for artsurvive a free arts program for kids facing challenges. The portion in the lower left hand corner was done by JaneLaFazio. It sold for $450 and all the money went to Arts-A Reason to Survive.

thinking Embroidery

Jane,
Thank you for bringing me back to embroidery. Have many samples around my house from years and years ago, but would never have gotten back to it if it weren't for your art quilt class.
This is from aimeeray.
She has many more pieces on her site.

proud of myself

finished my sube sac (sweet bag) very quickly thanks to kristen laflamme's tutorial
subesac
it's lined with fabric from both my mom's and Rod's mom's stash, ribbons from Katie's wedding, and fabric painted in Jane La Fazio's Art Quilts class JaneLaFazio
I love it!