Hartfelt Fabric Art

Sweet Marie

2012-01-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

In my last post, I talked about making a portrait of my mom, inspired by the style of artist Henri Matisse.
This is what i have done so far.

What I'm learning is that it is difficult for someone as constrained as me to let loose and to be as uninhibited as a painter like Matisse. Also, I'm working on an image of someone dear to me, in cut paper no less, so that is a challenge too.

I did the face over and over, from memory and from a few photos, trying to capture the sweetness of my mum, as well as her ladylike quality. After she died, a couple who knew her told me that they always referred to her as 'Sweet Marie' and I thought that was lovely. I included a pillow meant to look like needlepoint, which she did often, her rose pashmina shawl around her shoulders, and a long skirt such as she would wear occasionally. I plan to finish it with a few more items which represent her, a window in the background as is often seen in Matisse's work, and a few more prints and patterns.

I definitely need more loosening up, but it's a start!

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Thanks for visiting!

Mom and Maggie

2012-01-24T23:10:00.002-05:00

Like so many of you who read this, I'm really enjoying the second season of the PBS series Downton Abbey. Bill and I have always been in love with Upstairs Downstairs, which ran in the 70's. He introduced me to the series when we were dating and we've watched it many times since then. You might remember that our cats Rosie and Angus are named after Angus Hudson, the butler, and Rose Buck the maid from Upstairs.
Part of what I like so much about Downton is watching Maggie Smith in the roll of the Dowager Countess. My husband first noticed her resemblance to my mother in her later years, and certain facial expressions bring up fond memories and even laughter as we remember my mum.

These photos aren't the best to show this, but be assured that seeing Maggie in this role has my late mother on my mind lately even more than ever!

I've decided to do a portrait or two of my mom, inspired by the style of my newest muse, Henri Matisse.

And I'll have my first draft, in cut paper, on my blog Friday, thanks to Karen at Sew and Sow Life, who invited her readers to articulate something they would like to accomplish by Friday. A little accountability can be a very good thing!

Hope you are having an excellent week!

Junk Mail Collage!

2012-01-16T11:20:00.001-05:00

Last Friday I took the day's junk mail and recycled it into this collage.

(The scraps went into our normal recycle bin.)

Now isn't this more fun than regular recycling? I may do it again.

Also, I came across this school photo of myself this weekend,

and got a kick out of the similarity between it and my profile picture!

Just a FEW year's difference!

In my Catholic school uniform, hair - already curly -

made more so by rollers, maybe 6th grade.

A fun find!!

Hope your week is getting off to a great start!!

Just Thinking...

2012-01-13T13:18:00.000-05:00

What I'd like to achieve this year...

Striped Robe, Fruit and Anemones by Henri Matisse, 1940

Let's see how I do!

Here's wishing everyone a great weekend!!

Thanks for visiting!

Weekly Word

2012-01-10T21:35:00.001-05:00

K is for....

KATE

Loving daughter,

dear friend -

always in my heart.

Really??

2012-01-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

I found this under the windshield wiper on my car a couple of months ago,

with an ad for a cleaning service:

I saved the paper to use on my blog, but all I could think was,

"Are you kidding??'

I mean, a clean house is a nice thing to have. As we know from TV, hoarding is pretty undesirable and clutter is something we all have to deal with. But I can think of so many other things that are signs of a good life - a loving family, dear friends, work we care about...

Here are a few quotes on the subject that make more sense to me:

"Housework is what a woman does that nobody notices unless she hasn't done it."
Evan Esar

"At worst, a house unkept cannot be so distressing as a life unlived."
Rose Macauly

"My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance." ~Erma Bombeck

By the way, I'm wearing my apron in this photo because I'm making dinner, not cleaning!

Mad for Matisse!

2012-01-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

We returned yesterday from an amazing eleven day trip to California, where we spent the holidays with family and friends. Beautiful weather, fantastic scenery and warm hearted people - how lucky are we?

While in San Diego, I visited the San Diego Museum of Art with my good friend Ann. In the European art section, we came upon a few works by my favorite artist, painter Henri Matisse. Honestly, I just love his work. Something about the freedom of his lines, his use of slightly askew colors, and the textiles he used as props in his paintings - all are elements that appeal to me.

When we got home, I immediately began collecting my various books (including a children's book), note cards and calendars featuring works by Matisse. I'm determined to study his life and learn more about his way of creating. Already I've learned that, for him, color conveyed emotion. I feel that this artist is calling to me in some way - perhaps to loosen up with my work, to be more expressive and to convey more emotion in the pictures I make. In any case, I know that I will continue to admire the great Matisse!

Hope you are enjoying this first week of the New Year!!

Happy New Year Wishes!

2012-01-01T00:42:00.000-05:00

I'm looking at this New Year's Day, as I always do, as a time of great promise.

I have my new calendars, a date book, and a list of resolutions to guide me in the year to come.

"Become a better person, work on my weight and my health, dive into my art with gusto and passion" -

these are the types of personal goals I set for myself.
What kind of New Year's resolutions do you make?

I'm starting this year off with something I've been working on for months - a new website!

I worked with a talented young woman, Elizabeth Salinger, who helped me design a site that reflected my style and complemented my artwork. She was a pleasure to work with!

There's not a lot of work on there - I'll be adding more -

and you may have seen many of the pieces before,

but I hope you'll stop by to take a peek.

I'm sending you my heartfelt wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!!

xoxo Judy

Christmas Craftiness

2011-12-27T16:19:00.004-05:00

I'm visiting with relatives right now, and having a lovely time.

Yesterday, the ladies of the family gathered for a wonderful brunch and

crafting session! My dear sister-in-law Tracy makes beautiful cards with Stampin' Up

products, and she brought supplies and materials for all of us (seven all together)

and gave us great instructions on how to use the stamps and punches.

We all became engrossed in creating "step" cards in a tan, black and cream color scheme.

Lots of fun! Our results were diverse and we had a lot of laughs along the way.

Tracy also made place card luminaries for everyone in the family, with LED candles

in each. At night, with the lights off, the effect is so lovely.

Here are the luminaries for my family. (My husband's family name is Dave)

And, finally, we got together and made a family album/scrapbook with plenty of photos

and tributes from all. The final page featured one of the family dogs, Bob, the English Bulldog.

So cute!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Happy Holiday Wishes!

2011-12-24T18:57:00.000-05:00

To all of my wonderful blogging friends, and to whoever stops by to read my blog,

I'm sending out my warmest wishes to you,

For a very lovely Christmas celebration

and a very happy Hanukkah.

May you enjoy all of the blessings of the season!

Two Peas in a Pod

2011-12-15T22:14:00.000-05:00

Last month I was posting so often for Art Every Day Month. Now I feel like an absentee blogger, as the holidays loom and I'm totally involved in Christmas preparations. But two members of our household are holding it together and going about business as usual!

Out on the porch, where it is chilly, Rosie and Angus huddle together and watch all the action in the back yard. The last photo looks like a lovely embrace, but Angus actually has his mouth around Rosie's neck. He likes to let her know who's the boss, but he never really hurts her.

I'm working on some ornaments and will post them soon. Meanwhile, hope you've had a great week!!

Weekly Word

2011-12-09T08:19:00.001-05:00

J is for...

JOY

I want to share a special link with you - a blog I love to go to for inspiration, a pick-me-up, or some upbeat common sense. Somehow, whenever I arrive at This Way to Joy, I find just the right words to give me the lift I need. Connie has a way of doing all of this with humor, sparkle and a touch of sophistication.

Speaking of joy - 'tis the season!

In spite of all the hustle and bustle,

Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Lovely Mail

2011-12-08T16:10:00.000-05:00

I received a great surprise in yesterday's mail from my blogging friend Gwen, whom I met during Art Every Day Month!! I had commented on her pen and ink drawing (below) which is also stitched with black thread, and she sent it to me!

She also included a beautifully collaged card.

I was excited to receive mail from England, and I love both pieces of artwork, Gwen!!

Thank you so much!

A Collaborative Exhibit

2011-12-04T22:35:00.001-05:00

This weekend, as our town celebrated its annual Holiday Stroll, our newly formed Artists' Collaborative was given the opportunity to have an exhibit of artwork in an unoccupied store. We set to work on Friday, cleaning and decorating a long untended space. Many hands made light work, and the place was transformed by opening time on Saturday! We named it Gallery 39, inspired by the store's street number.

The exhibit went from 3 to 7 PM. The main streets were closed off, there was music and food to enjoy, a Hat Parade, musical entertainment and all sorts of events in the town.

In our cozy temporary gallery, people gathered, looked at artwork, enjoyed some hot cider and snacks,

listened to seasonal music, and had a lovely time!

I was excited to show some of my work,

and, all in all, it was a memorable evening!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Last Day of Art Every Day Month

2011-11-30T19:14:00.001-05:00

I have not been present every day this month, but I have definitely done more artwork than usual. This has been a lovely opportunity to share artwork, meet new people and see the work of many other creative artists! I'm so happy to have been a part of Art Every Day month!! Thank you, Leah!!!

AEDM Day 27

2011-11-27T11:30:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we went on a longish ride for a wonderful visit with family. While Bill drove, I entertained myself by drawing in my sketchbook. I was looking at magazine photos for inspiration. I find that, by the time I sketch something, change a few details around, and then translate it into cut paper or fabric, it looks totally different from the original inspiration. Just one way of working - often times I just cut or draw directly from my imagination.

What are you working on today?

Hope you have a pleasant day!!

AEDM Day 26

2011-11-26T08:48:00.001-05:00

Is it really day 26? As I write the title of this post, I'm amazed at how quickly this month has flown by! My creative juices have been lagging lately, but I want to finish the month on a good note.
It's a bit exhilarating to make creativity a priority for each and every day - waking up and thinking, "What shall I make today?". It's a good exercise and can make a creative person realize, I love this. I love the stimulation of my art materials, the flow of ideas, the possibilities! It's a good place to be and I'd love to be there all the time!

For now, I have these small efforts to share -

A little artificial flower arrangement I made for my mantle. The colors make me smile.

And a fused fabric background I put together for a soon to be finished picture.

Some flowers, some stitching and we'll be on our way!

Hope you have a beautiful Saturday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T20:48:00.001-05:00

I've been flying under the radar for the last couple of days - but I wanted to come up

for air and wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

I have many things to be grateful for, and one of them is my my blog,

through which I have met so many wonderful friends.

I hope everyone has a lovely day!

This is a wall hanging I did MANY years ago!

I hope to have something new to share very soon!

AEDM Day 19 - Weekly Word

2011-11-19T21:57:00.002-05:00

I is for...

Inspiration

Beautiful Nature ~ always inspiring!

AEDM Day 18

2011-11-18T09:20:00.001-05:00

Recently I've been working with sheer fabrics, but this morning I put together this landscape, inspired by some rich colored remnants I came across in a box while cleaning my studio. The sky fabric is hand dyed, but I can't remember where I got it. That's unusual for me, since I usually remember where most of my fabrics came from - even those I acquired 30 years ago!! I love my collection of materials and each one pretty much brings back some kind of memory. I do recall the deep purple nearest the sky was part of a blouse I wore, which became stained. The front fabric was purchased recently and I folded it over a piece of thin batting to balance the textured selvages of the other fabrics.

I'm happy with how this piece is coming along. My instinct is to add some trees, but then again, maybe the movement in the sky colors supplies it with enough detail.

What do you think?

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

AEDM Day 16

2011-11-16T17:11:00.001-05:00

A wee sketch for today...

Hope your day has been a good one!

AEDM Day 15

2011-11-15T12:03:00.000-05:00

A wisp of a landscape...

made from my stash of sheer fabrics.

Have a wonderful day!

AEDM Day 14

2011-11-14T12:21:00.001-05:00

Today I found another unfinished piece and decided to complete it. This is an embroidery I had started when I was designing my present blog banner.

First off, I determined the size I wanted and printed the words onto some white cotton, freezer paper -backed cotton. I quickly discovered that my current printer does not have an adjustment for paper thickness and I jammed it a couple of times before getting this done. I then drew my kitties with a purple, disappearing ink pen.

I'm not that experienced with hand embroidery, although I did it as a little girl and really love the look of it. Instead of using an embroidery hoop, I fused the piece of white cotton onto some thin white flannel, for stability and so that the stitch ends wouldn't show through. (I pretty much make up my own rules when I do things!) I began embroidering and abandoned it at this point.

Today I finished embroidering everything but the whiskers. I used pastels, this box of which I've had since high school, and a pointy Q-tip to blend the color.

The final step was to add the whiskers. I love the texture of the embroidery, and the softness of the pastels. Now I can add this to my collection of Angus and Rosie art! They are very inspiring subjects!!

Have a Wonderful Day!!

AEDM Day 12 - Weekly Word

2011-11-12T11:07:00.001-05:00

H is for...

Happy!

I'm so happy that it's a beautiful fall day and that I'll soon be going out to visit my sister, and I'm also happy to be a part of AEDM!

This picture is the final version of the piece I started the other day:

As you can see, I've added leaves, stems and other elements, changed the vase fabric and put in what, I hope, looks like a little glass bird. I feel so good to have finished it - although I may tweak it a little bit more!!

Here's wishing you a wonderful weekend!

AEDM Day 10

2011-11-10T23:36:00.000-05:00

I have no new artwork to show today, so I thought I'd share a bit of my day instead.

It was a rainy day, but outside my porch this tree looked beautiful against the gray sky!

If you've ever read Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, you know the value of an artist's date - time spent refilling your store of ideas and inspiration. It could be a walk in the woods, a visit through blogland, or a day like the one I had today. Along with a group of like-minded friends, I went on a fabric shopping trip to two great fabric stores. Our first stop was Fabric Place Basement in Natick, MA. Fabric Place had once been a favorite of New England sewing enthusiasts, and we were heart broken when all of its locations closed several years ago. Now the owner has opened this new store, and we are thrilled!

There were lots of goodies to look through. I bought some beautiful cotton fabrics that said "landscape" to me and some color saturated sheers which will be ideal for flowers.

Our next stop, Sewfisticated Fabrics in Framingham, Massachusetts, was another treasure trove in which I found even more gorgeous sheer prints.

Being surrounded by a wealth of colors and textures is definitely stimulating to the imagination, and I can't wait to start creating some new work with my newfound materials! I'll show you my finds later!

See you tomorrow!

AEDM Day 9

2011-11-09T16:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I posted a fabric picture of a vase of flowers I had done, and Gwen, of Foxglove Hill, asked me to explain how I did it! So I decided to do a little tutorial of sorts.

I started out with a vase template, some sheer and semi-sheer printed fabrics, sharp scissors and a 4"x6" piece of background fabric ( in this case white ) which I fused onto a piece of watercolor paper and then deckle-edge cut the paper around the fabric. For this project I used Wonder-Under fusible web by Pellon to back all fabrics.

I held the vase template, under the semi-sheer fabric, up to the light to select the best placement, then traced it on the back and cut it out.

I freely cut into the sheer printed fabric, making organic leaf and petal shapes. I like to call these 'fantasy flowers'!

Here are the shapes I cut out.

I decided to slim down the vase a bit and started pressing petals and leaves, which had been backed with fusible web, in place lightly with a dry iron. I love using sheer fabrics because, when one shape is laid over the other, beautiful shadows are created. I found a different piece of sheer printed fabric with some darker greens and cut stems out of that.

This is as far as I got today, and it took one hour and ten minutes. I'm planning to add more details and I'll post the finished piece tomorrow!

Hope everyone is enjoying a great day!

AEDM Day 8

2011-11-08T10:21:00.000-05:00

This fused fabric picture was sitting unfinished on my ironing board. I used some semi-sheer dress fabric for the leaves and flowers, a cotton batik for the vase, and hand embroidered the flower stamens.

The finished size is about 3 1/2" x 5 1/2".

It feels so good to finish up some of the UFOs around my house - more to come!!

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!!

AEDM Day 6

2011-11-06T18:34:00.001-05:00

I had a couple of things -er- people on my mind today! My husband was in the air, flying back home from a business trip to Hong Kong. My daughter Kate was climbing rocks, a quartz conglomerate to be exact, at the Shawagunks in New York. The area is called the Gunks and I wasn't particularly soothed by the cover of the guide which I found online -

The situation made me think of another blog post I did in 2007 about another anxious day - you can read about it here.

The bottom line is, Kate's an experienced climber and has probably had an exhilarating day. And Bill arrived home a few minutes ago, tired from a long trip, but in good shape. I worry too much, I know. And when I cartoonize myself doing it, I can really see the futility and humor of it all! Things just about always work out for the best. I like the Mark Twain quote,

"I have known a great many troubles,

but most of them never happened."

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful week to come!

AEDM Day 5

2011-11-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

My creativity for today ~

Making a loaf of pumpkin bread and a hand made card for my neighbors,

who are so good to me when my husband is away on business.

Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend!

AEDM Day 4 - Weekly Word

2011-11-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

G is for...

...for the blessings, challenges, warmth, richness, difficulties, love,
sadnesses, ecstasies, joys, pains and pleasures
of family.

AEDM Day 3

2011-11-03T08:01:00.001-05:00

Today I'm posting a peek at a landscape that is in progress. Right now it is fused fabric with a hand painted sky. I worked on it a bit this morning, but have a long way to go with it - adding more details, machine stitching and hand embroidery. The white on the top and bottom is the batting to which the pieces are fused.

So far so good with AEDM! I'm off to a quilt show in New Hampshire today, where I hope to find lots of inspiration!!

Have a creative day, everyone!!

AEDM Day 2

2011-11-02T16:50:00.000-05:00

After the Rain

This is a piece of fabric art I had fused together a few years ago, but never stitched. I used some of my hand painted fabrics, commercial cottons and sheer fabrics for the background trees and yellows on the grass. It is backed by thin craft batting, so when I stitched it all down today, it took on a bit of a quilted look. I love the way trees in Autumn look after it rains. The colors of the leaves intensify and the trunks become nearly black with moisture.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Art Every Day Month - Day 1

2011-11-01T14:36:00.002-05:00

I couldn't resist joining in with Leah Piken Kolidas' Art Every Day Month again this year. It has been fun for me before - no pressure, but a chance to push myself and show up more often in my studio and, hopefully, have some new pieces of art finished throughout the month. And that is my operative word this month - finished!
Many things that I'll be tackling will be unfinished projects I've cast aside, but now want to bring to completion. Of course, there will be spontaneous new pieces also, and, of course, CATS!

And so, for my first project, I came across this little paper cut I had started a while ago. It is very small - the cats, in total, are three inches across. I did some more smoothing of edges and added a background and other features, and finally finished it just a few minutes ago.

Sweet Dreams

I will probably never work on something this tiny again - at least not a paper cut! I can't tell you how many times I cut a little black nose and mouth only to have it slip out of my hands into the depths of my dark green sewing room rug! Could you hear me gnashing my teeth?

Anyway, it does feel good to complete something, and I'll be moving on to my Day 2 project later!

Oops - can't resist adding this photo of Angus and friend from last night!

See you tomorrow!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:56:00.000-05:00

" This one?"

A card, hand drawn and colored by my talented friend Elaine!

Hope everyone has a happy Halloween!!

Weekly Word

2011-10-28T19:10:00.000-05:00

F is for...

Flowers!

"Where flowers bloom, so does hope."

Lady Bird Johnson

Have a great weekend!

Weekly Word

2011-10-22T15:01:00.001-05:00

E is for...

Enjoy!!

It's the little things that make life sweet!

Have a lovely weekend!

Last Blooms of Summer

2011-10-18T20:30:00.000-05:00

The weatherman is predicting heavy rain for tomorrow,

so I went out today and rescued the very last hydrangeas from my garden.

This little bud stood out in the middle of older, faded blooms,

and two new bushes decided to put out their very first blossoms

just as the season ended!

So many small miracles all around in nature -

new life springing up in unexpected places!

Creative Ways of Giving

2011-10-17T10:40:00.000-05:00

It's Monday morning and Rosie and Angus say hello!

Saturday was a great day, sunny and breezy, perfect for a yard sale with my friend Debbie. Lately I've been going through my fabric stash, which is enormous - evaluating, paring down and even eliminating fabrics which I know I'll never use. I knew it would be painful to let these many rolled up pieces of fabric go, so I put them out with this sign and an empty vase:

It was gratifying to make some money for a good cause, and people enjoyed rummaging through the fabric and leaving a donation!

Then this morning I read about an fundraising event on my friend Sharon's blog, which I thought was a great idea - a church near her in Wisconsin had an Empty Bowl event to help feed the hungry. Local potters had donated hand thrown bowls, which attendees could purchase, fill with soup and sit down to a delicious dinner for a good cause. Read more about it on Sharon's blog or here.

And, finally, my friend Karen first alerted me to something called the Winter Warmth Project on her blog in September, after Hurricane Irene caused such devastating flooding in Vermont. This project is collecting quilts and fabrics for quilts for the families in Vermont who lost so much in the floods. You can read more about it here.

Oh, and I nearly forgot - I recently bought this book, which is a treasure chest of opportunities for making items to improve the lives of people around the world. There are suggestions, patterns and addresses throughout the book to make giving easy - coupled with the joy of making something useful for someone in need!

I hope everyone who reads this is enjoying a beautiful Monday!!

Weekly Word

2011-10-13T11:39:00.001-05:00

D is for...

A Beautiful Day for a 'Paint Out'!

2011-10-10T10:41:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a beautiful day for the our town's last farmers market of the season.

It was also a day when local painters set up their easels in the park by the lake and had a "paint out".

My friend Pam, a wonderful artist, was one of the organizers and painters in the event.

As I walked along the lake, it was easy to spot most of the artists because of the red balloons tied to their easels. It was a pleasure to watch them paint, ask questions and find out more about each one.

Paintings by various artists were also displayed in shop windows along Main Street.

We're so fortunate to have such a lovely park by the lake in our town,

and it was great to see our talented local artists at work!

The committee who arranged this event did a wonderful job bringing attention

to the arts in our community.

It was a beautiful morning!

Weekly Word

2011-10-05T13:45:00.001-05:00

C is for...

Have a creative day!!

Uncle!!

2011-10-04T10:39:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you just have to throw in the towel and turn your attention to something new!

The saga of this fabric picture pretty much parallels a situation I've been dealing with in my life and I now know it's time to back off and leave well enough alone.

"The Saddest Rose" by Judy H.

I was frustrated with someone I care about who will not accept help, although it is sorely needed.

(This is a person I've never mentioned here and who does not read my blog.)

In my frustration, I went to my fabric painting studio, aka my laundry room, and freely painted a "doodle" of a rose. I used Pebeo transparent fabric paint with water, looking for a "watercolor" effect. The watery paint created blurred edges as the color seeped into the absorbent fabric. I then ironed the fabric to set the color and outlined the shapes with a black fabric pen. I fused the piece to a thin craft batting and went over the black outlines with black machine stitching. The background needed something, so I used the black pen to make a dotted design. I then added more paint and the result was pretty bright, so I toned down the color when editing the photo on my computer. All of this work took place over several days. I am totally ugged (I just made up that word!) with the finished result and it will find its way to the bottom of a pile somewhere!

I know I can't give up on people, but I'm finding out that, as with creative work, sometimes my efforts and persistent nudgings are just not helpful. The caring can continue, but I have to step back and accept that I can't control everything and everybody.

And so it goes...!

Thanks for reading. I'll be back on a brighter note tomorrow!

Just a thought!

2011-10-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

Facing a challenging afternoon,

so I'm taping this photo to the dashboard of my car,

to remind myself of something I should remember

every day of my life!

Have a great Monday!!

Weekly Word

2011-09-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

B is for...

Rosie and Angus' Big Adventure

2011-09-23T11:05:00.001-05:00

This, of course, is a fictional story. You can create your own article here!

Here's wishing everyone who reads this

a very enjoyable weekend!!

See you soon!

Judy

Paper Portrait: Emily

2011-09-21T15:58:00.001-05:00

I love to make "portraits" of imaginary people and then create little stories about them.

I'd like you to meet Emily.

She's a sweet girl, rather shy, but a very loyal friend to those who get close to her.

She plays the flute, writes poetry and likes to draw pictures of wild flowers.

And, once in a while, if you're at the park on a Saturday morning,

you'll see Emily, wearing jeans and a baseball cap,

speed skating with her friend Duane.

There's more to Emily than meets the eye!

Weekly Word

2011-09-19T09:55:00.001-05:00

Just a thought...

A is for...

It's all around us - we have only to notice it.

"Too often we visit the well of divine abundance with a teacup instead of a bucket."

Elinor MacDonald

Finally...

2011-09-16T11:03:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to have my new banner up. It took me forever to finish it! Sometimes the simplest things take the longest! I knew that Angus and Rosie would set the right tone for my revised blog.
What do you think?
So, I've been cleaning and organizing my materials, and that means going through boxes of papers! I was amazed at all the ideas I've come up with and never developed. Here is just a sampling of all the lists and sketches I found:

My new goal is to execute some of these ideas and others, and share them on my blog. I'm planning to work in series and post more often. Wish me luck!

On a different note, I had happy news yesterday during my yearly visit to the oncologist - 16 years cancer free! (I had breast cancer way back then.) Always a reason to celebrate!

I treated myself to a bouquet of flowers, shown here on a doily made by my grandmother.

I wish everyone who reads this a very lovely weekend!

See you soon!

Judy

Changes are Coming!

2011-09-07T13:26:00.001-05:00

I'm working on some changes which will take my blog in a new direction,

and this will happen very soon!

Meanwhile, I snapped this picture recently when my husband pointed out the fact

that the lower windows on our porch are like high definition TV for cats!

On that particular day there were at least 15 little birds in the bushes

and Angus and Rosie were quite excited!!

See you soon with some new ideas!

Thanks for visiting!

Glorious September

2011-09-01T12:06:00.001-05:00

"The breezes taste

Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."
John Updike, September

I love September so much! It always feels like an exciting time to me - new beginnings, a foretaste of Autumn, a shifting of light. It probably stems back to the fact that I always loved school. New crayons (although back then we had the 8 crayon box in my family), new school supplies, a new uniform for parochial school, and a feeling of expectation.

I was the dorky shy kid who got good grades and lived for my teacher's praise. Later, I taught kindergarten and then second grade, and I think I was as excited then for the start of school as when I was a child. Oh, I know it's sad that summer is coming to an end and some people feel down when autumn approaches, and I feel bad for you. I wish you could feel the tingly sense of excitement that I have. Go smell some crayons and pencils, picture the gorgeous fall foliage to come and enjoy the change in the air!

Here's wishing everyone a Happy September!!

After Irene

2011-08-29T11:18:00.000-05:00

The house is still standing,

the sun is shining,

and all is well.

Do I seem obsessed with my hydrangeas?

I just love them as they take on their late summer colors!

And if I seem to be having an identity crisis,

(as I keep changing my profile photo!)

it's because my eyes get all squinty when I smile and

I feel like they look closed in most pictures!

Ah, well!

Bill will be home tonight and all will be right in my world!

Hope your world is a happy one today!

Wind and Rain

2011-08-28T16:52:00.001-05:00

First off, thank you, thank you, thank you to my dear blogging friends who have left concerned comments about me and my husband and good old Hurricane Irene. I can always count on you for support and advice when I need it! Where else would I get solutions to my sewing machine tension problems (works great now!), learn the name of a flower I happened upon, and receive comfort when I'm alone in a hurricane?

So far, Hurricane Irene has been less aggressive than predicted. In fact, she has been downgraded to a tropical storm. This photo shows what it looks like outside now, but we have had some periods of very heavy rain at times. I live up near the north shore of Massachusetts, but I know that things have been worse on the south shore where my sister lives. She has been without power all day.

Meanwhile, now that the winds have subsided a bit, the cats are in full sleep mode on the porch!

Rosie fell asleep on top of two placemats. ( they will need a lint roller treatment! )

And Angus sacked out on a chair, on top of one of our former living room pillows.

I'm grateful that (so far) all we'll have to do is clean up a few leaves and branches when this is over, that my husband will be home tomorrow night, and that better weather is ahead.

I'm keeping in mind all who have had any hardships as a result of this storm, and hope that things get back to normal very soon!

P.S. Since I began this post earlier, I did lose power for an hour and a half, but it could have been so much worse!!

Hope everyone has had a great weekend!

Forces of Nature

2011-08-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Today the news is filled with warnings about the coming of Hurricane Irene. I've spent my day running errands, buying food, stocking up on bottled water and generally preparing for the storm. My husband's flight from Japan has been cancelled, for which I'm both grateful and anxious. I would love to have him here with me, but I'm certainly glad he won't be flying into a storm.

To distract myself, I hung a poster I had purchased recently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It's an image of Spring in Central Park by Adolf Dehn. I had it framed as soon as we returned and it will always remind me of a very special day.

Then I turned my attention to the mantle in the same room. I found a fabric art piece I had done a couple of years ago, pulled some pretty colored glasses of my mother's from the china cabinet, put a hydrangea blossom in each one and added some other items from around the house.

The hydrangeas have now turned many lovely shades of blue, green and purple!

I'm hoping that the forecasters' predictions are not fully realized and that the storm does not cause too much destruction. This is a good time to take a deep breath, keep in touch with loved ones and hunker down for the duration. I have a feeling that everything will be fine.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

A Beautiful Creation

2011-08-24T23:02:00.001-05:00

We've been having some gorgeous summer weather this week, despite the earthquake some areas of the east coast experienced yesterday. I felt nothing, but some people in our region have reported swaying light fixtures and shifting furniture. On top of this, Hurricane Irene is on her way, and we should be getting some rain and winds beginning Sunday. Since my husband will be returning from Japan Saturday night, I'm hoping that the bad weather will hold off until he gets home!

On Monday, I had lunch with some friends and then we went to my friend Andrea's studio to see this beautiful quilt made by the very talented Nedra. It's hard to believe that the motifs on this pieced quilt are entirely hand appliqued! There are Sunbonnet Sue figures tucked in here and there, and the name of the quilt is "Sueville Album Quilt".

Nedra was asking our opinion as to what she would use for the outer border....

There was a general consensus that the inner border should be repeated. Nedra has already attached the border, and this is the result :

I can only say that, in person, this quilt is a real joy to behold!! The colors dance, the workmanship is beautiful and now it just needs to be quilted. I predict that it will be an absolute beauty when it is done!

Thanks for sharing your creation, Nedra!

I hope that everyone who reads this is enjoying a terrific week!

Sewing Machine Woes and A Quilt Show!

2011-08-19T13:45:00.002-05:00

My last post was about this pillow which I'm making for my great nephew. Unfortunately, the tension is acting up on my sewing machine and my zig-zag stitch is not right, so I've been stuck!

I did decide to add a border around the name and I like that look much better. Today I'm putting some time into cleaning and oiling my machine, which I hope will put it on a path to smoother sewing, so that I can finish up this project!

Meanwhile I went to a great quilt show yesterday with some friends. When I got there I realized that I had forgotten my camera so I enjoyed the quilts without taking pictures, then headed to the vendor's booths - my favorite part!

I bought an array of cotton fat quarters, each one mentally assigned to a future applique.

I loved this piece of border fabric - I'm picturing little frames for fabric portraits!

I love the variations in the design of this Japanese fabric!

And there were wonderful hand dyed wools which I couldn't resist. I'm using these in a project for my sister, which I'll show soon. The scissors are for her also because she has a black cat!

Hopefully I'll get my sewing machine back to work today!

Here's wishing everyone a happy Friday!

Make Something Monday: Little Boy's Pillow

2011-08-15T17:13:00.003-05:00

I'm starting the week off with a long overdue project - a pillow for my niece Amy's third son. I had made "name" pillows for her first two boys years ago, but little Finn never received one.

I ran out of the teddy bear/baseball fabric I'd used on the first two, but found some brightly colored fabric that will do the trick, with a different baseball fabric for the back.

I started off by putting fusible web on the back of my red fabric, then making the letters of Finn's name backwards so that they'd read correctly when I cut them out and ironed them on.

I ironed the cut out letters on to white fabric, then spent a few minutes figuring out the best placement of the name on the patterned fabric. Then I cut out a window in the car fabric and placed it over the edges of the white. I had previously put fusible web on the back of both fabrics and I fused them to light interfacing to stabilize everything for machine applique.

I still have to zig-zag stitch the letters and the edges of the window, pin the rickrack and finish the pillow, but I feel like I accomplished a lot today. I hope to post a picture of the finished pillow tomorrow.

It was a dull and rainy day and, after looking around for Rosie and Angus for a while, I discovered them tucked away on a chair, under the dining room table! A good day to snuggle up together!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic Monday!

Happy Monday!

2011-08-08T17:03:00.001-05:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful week!

Celebrating...

2011-08-07T09:14:00.003-05:00

Today Bill and I are celebrating our 34th anniversary!

We'll have our traditional meal at Longfellow's Wayside Inn, where our wedding reception was held,

and then visit the Martha-Mary wedding chapel
where we made our vows so many years ago.

I'm so grateful to my loving husband for
34 wonderful years!

Definitely a reason to celebrate!
Cheers!

Favorites at MoMA

2011-07-30T17:19:00.002-05:00

Some of my favorite paintings at the Museum of Modern Art in New York:

Anna Zborowska by Amedeo Modigliani

Cat and Bird by Paul Klee

Two Paintings by Vincent Van Gogh

Goldfish and Palette by Henri Matisse

I and The Village by Marc Chagall

A Girl at her Mirror by Pablo Picasso

Repose by Pablo Picasso

There were so many more, but these are some of my favorite artists!

Well, we are certainly into the dead heat of the summer here in New England,

but there is a nice breeze today which lessens the impact.

Recently, I found this beautiful lacy blossom alongside the supermarket parking lot.

Is it a weed? I really don't know.

Or Queen Ann's Lace?

Whatever it is, I felt that I had found beauty

and couldn't resist plucking it from a weedy patch!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

A Proud Day

2011-07-23T21:45:00.001-05:00

My husband and I have just returned from a trip to NY City where we previewed a new exhibit at MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art. The exhibit is called 'Talk to Me' and our daughter Kate's work is in it! The exhibit explores computers, devices, environments and communication.
The weather was sizzling, the streets were busy, but our entire focus was on getting to MoMA.

Once there, we were excited to see the design aspects of the exhibit,

The corridor was lined with monitors showing fascinating projects

and in the center of the main room were two of Kate's hats, the Muttering Hat and the Talk to Yourself Hat. Always an out-of-the box thinker, Kate brings humor to questions of communication and socialization through her various devices, while seriously considering the relationships between things and people.

Also on exhibit was a group project she co-created called Botanicalls. If you follow this link be sure to click on "classic" to see a clever "newsreel".

I've seen these projects many times, but seeing them in a museum setting moved me to tears! Can't help it - I'm a proud mom!

Kate is currently a professor at OCAD university in Toronto, just finished directing a summer program at New York University and this past March gave a TED talk in California.

As we left the museum and went on to other adventures, we bid a fond

Such a memorable experience!

Art With a Heart

2011-07-17T12:18:00.003-05:00

Recently I was searching for paper artists online, and I came across the beautiful work of cut paper artist Vanessa Stone. After looking at her creations, I went to her blog and read about an idea she had to give away a piece of her artwork in exchange for the recipient donating something to a favorite charity!

I was fortunate enough to be the first to respond, and received this lovely papercut all the way from England!! In return, I am making a donation to my local food pantry, which is always in need of support.

I think this is a fantastic idea, and I urge my readers to visit Vanessa'sblog, see her wonderful work, and look forward to her next gift offering, which she hopes to do monthly.

Many thanks, Vanessa!

Images of Cape Cod

2011-07-15T20:27:00.003-05:00

While I was on Cape Cod this week, I snapped a lot of pictures.

These are some of my favorites:

At the Seashore

An Abundance of Flowers

Janice's Summer House

Collected Seashells, Sea Glass and Stones

And a Gift for my Hostess

(The four shell buttons in the nest represent Janice's four sons.)

A very lovely visit!

A Visit to Old Cape Cod

2011-07-14T21:57:00.000-05:00

I have just spent a wonderful three days on Cape Cod with two dear friends.

We visited a lavender farm in a town called Harwich,

walked through fields of lavender,

and, in the woods, saw a little, child-sized castle,

behind which little girls were building a fairy house out of leaves!

After our walk, a visit to the gift shop, a tiny building, was a treat!

More about my Cape adventure coming soon!

A Colorful Experience!

2011-07-04T09:39:00.003-05:00

First off, today is Independence Day here in the USA

and I'd like to wish everyone a very

Happy 4th of July!

Next, I want to tell you about a wonderful experience I had recently.

My husband and I went to the Chihuly glass exhibit

at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

We were unprepared for the explosion of color and artistry that greeted us!

A huge glass sculpture greeted us when we entered the museum's new wing,

and above us was a row of gorgeous, lighted glass windows.

Room after room was filled with beautiful collections of colorful blown glass sculptures,

as well as beautiful, luminescent chandeliers!

But my favorite room was the one in which the entire ceiling was a glowing glass canopy!

It was a great experience seeing such amazing color and artwork.

I'll write more about the new wing

and the Art of the Americas exhibits in my next post!

Missing Mom

2011-07-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

I love this picture of my mom as a young woman -

how pretty she was and the details of her dress and shoes.

I just heard the news of my dear friend's mother's death,

and I couldn't help but think back to my own mom's death

right around this time four years ago.

Sending loving thoughts to my friend Lorna and her family,

and remembering my own sweet mom with love and great affection.

The Little Things

2011-06-29T20:44:00.003-05:00

Life is pretty quiet around here right now. The weather is good, but too hot for me, so I'm keeping myself busy with sorting photos, fabrics, piles of assorted papers and all the little untidy areas around the house. Pretty mundane stuff, and I'm feeling the urge to get back to my artwork, so that will happen soon.

Meanwhile Angus and Rosie are totally loving the porch and all the squirrel, chipmunk and insect activity outside the windows. Rosie is an expert at climbing the screens as she goes after a fly or hornet. Poor screens!

Our huge hydrangea bush is in full bloom, and taking over the whole front garden. In the fall we'll cut it back, but for now we are just enjoying all the flowers.

The day lilies are blooming too - we have a clump in the front garden and another small garden full of them.

My one creative effort this week was to make a math practice book for the student I'm tutoring.

I found a small sketchbook with sturdy pages and covered the cover. A little chart keeps track of his practice, and I put math facts on every page, with answers on the back of the page.

When I gave the book to Jake, I expected him to roll his eyes and complain. Instead, he was quiet for a few moments, then said, "I can't believe you made this for me. Thank you very much!"

That pretty much made my week. What a sweet boy! These are the moments that make teaching a joy!

Hope your week is going well!!

Lily

2011-06-21T00:34:00.000-05:00

Although I've been concentrating on landscapes this month, I also finished a mixed media portrait of my friend's granddaughter, Lily. I used a combination of paper, fused fabric, ribbon, buttons, paper lace, Pigma pens and colored pencils. Lily herself liked the results and I've heard that she's been looking at it and saying, "That's me!" I must have done well if she recognizes herself!

Moving Along

2011-06-20T11:41:00.001-05:00

I've been working on my latest landscape this morning, adding some layered, painted netting for foliage, and some shadows on the house. Since I really like this piece, I've been fearful of ruining it by adding the "wrong" elements. Finally I had to say to myself, "Get a grip and do what you want. It's YOUR artwork!!" We perfectionists can be pretty irrational at times! I have more I want to do to it, including some simple stitching, and I hope I'll have the finished result to share in a few days!

On a different note, I've been observing the hydrangea in front of our house

getting larger than ever before - nearly 5 feet across, with so many buds!!

The very first blue blossoms are appearing, which really makes me happy!

Poor Rosie sits inside the front screen door, longing to come out,

but we live in a busy corner, so she will have to be content being an "inside cat"!

I wish everyone who reads this a wonderful week!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-18T23:26:00.000-05:00

This Father's Day, I'm remembering my Dad,

a hard working and talented man

who taught us always to do our best.

I miss him.

And I'm thinking of my wonderful husband,

who is a warm and loving dad to our daughter Kate.

They make a great team!

Here's wishing all the dads in your life

a very happy day!!

Flower Dis-arrangement!

2011-06-18T15:13:00.000-05:00

I made an arrangement of artificial hydrangeas for my dining room table.

In the still of the night, my little furry guys come and pull flowers

out and I find them all over the floor.

My question is - do they agree with Oprah, who says that

artificial flowers are tacky,

or do they just love chasing little petals and stems around the house?

Hmmmm...

I'm Working On...

2011-06-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

A new landscape!

Right now it is just fused together, and I definitely want

to add stitching to this one. I've been fooling around with ideas for foliage,

other trees and bushes, but right now I'm liking the simplicity and

the combination of hand painted and overpainted fabrics,

along with some commercial batiks.

This is a beginning, and I'll post more about it later.

Meanwhile, Angus and Rosie are busy with their

neighborhood watch at the front door,

and the sound of the word "treats"

is about all that can distract them!

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!!

After the Rain, Part deux

2011-06-16T08:09:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to work on bringing tasks to completion.

Often I make a fabric picture and photograph it for my blog without

adding a border or having it completely finished.

Then it goes in a drawer and never sees the light of day again!

When I looked at the piece in my last post, it felt very incomplete to me.

So, I've spent more time on it, added more detail, and this is how it came out.

It seems like a more finished piece now, and all the beading was fun

for a change. The whole picture sparkles in the sun, reinforcing

it's title, "After the Rain".

I'm already working on my next landscape.

June is half over,

It's a beautiful day,

and the Bruins won the Stanley Cup last night!

And Boston rejoices!!

Hope all's well in your part of the world!!

After the Rain

2011-06-14T11:26:00.004-05:00

After it rains and the sun comes out,

nature sparkles and looks freshly washed.

That is the look I was going for in this landscape,

using snips of fabric and beads for the leaves

and intense colors for the sky and grass.

Here's hoping everyone is having a great week

and enjoying some nice summer weather!!

What I've Been Up to

2011-06-01T21:07:00.004-05:00

I was going through my bead collection recently and thought to myself that I really needed to edit my stash. Even tubes of beads take up space when there are enough of them!

Serendipitously, on the same day I read a post on the Craft Hope blog about an Orphan Outreach program looking for handmade bracelets for children in Russia. You can read about it here. I was immediately inspired by the idea of making bracelets to bring smiles to abandoned children's faces, so I've been beading away while watching tv at night. If you're interested, the deadline for this project is June 15.

And, as it is a new month, I'm declaring June to be "Landscape Month" on my blog. I've talked about this before, the fact that I had begun some fabric landscapes, and this whole month will be dedicated to finishing them, and creating others in mixed media!

So, stay tuned........and, by the way, Happy June!!!

A Day of Remembrance

2011-05-30T10:28:00.002-05:00

Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-22T15:34:00.001-05:00

Fourteen readers left comments on the post about

Rosie and Angus' giveaway!

I put all the names on some foam flowers I had left over

from a children's workshop I did a few years ago

and put a tiny bit of catnip on the back of each flower.

Rosie went right to it and chose an orange flower...

which had Mika's name on it,

so congratulations to Mika from Mika Art!!

Mika does sweet mixed media paintings which often include adorable cats

and other animals. I hope you'll take a moment to visit her blog!

I'll send the cushion and toy on to you, Mika, as soon as I get your address!

I've made a variety of posy cat toys for everyone else who participated.

If you left a comment on my last post, just drop me an email at

judyeh(at)comcast(dot)net

and I'd love to send you a toy for your kitty!!

Thanks so much for joining in!!

Rosie and Angus' Big Giveaway!

2011-05-17T18:24:00.001-05:00

To celebrate my 500th post, Rosie and Angus decided that we should have a giveaway!

Lately I have been experimenting with some new ideas for cat toys. With two 1-year-old kitties in the house, my floor is usually strewn with a variety of dead looking mice toys, elastic ponytail holders (their favorite thing) and other strange little creatures. I thought "How about a pretty flower toy?"

So I made one, stuffed with a little organic catnip and a stem that curls up a bit,

creating a "handle" for carrying it around!

Angus likes to carry his,

while Rosie just looks pretty posing beside hers!

Once in awhile there's a "face-off" over it!

I also found the prettiest daisy fleece, and made a kitty cushion with it.

It's loosely stuffed so that Angus can sink down into it and sleep to his heart's content!

So, for our giveaway, Angus, Rosie and I are offering a daisy kitty cushion and a posy cat toy

to the person who wins the drawing!

And, if you don't have a cat, (although many of my readers do),

you could use the cushion as a pillow and give away the posy cat toy to a friend!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post, or send me an email, (tell me whether you have a cat!) and we'll draw a name

this Sunday, May 22. By then I may have a few more cat toys made for some runners-up!!

I will send the cushion and toy to any country, so no worries about that!!

Thanks so much for joining in!!

My 500th Post!!!

2011-05-16T09:52:00.001-05:00

On New Year's Day of 2007, I started a little blog called Fabric Art and Crafts.

Knowing nothing about blogging, and very little about using a computer,

I sought advice from my daughter Kate, who helped me get started.

Our cat Kristy made frequent appearances,

and I wrote about the work I was doing with fused fabric,

needle felting,

cut paper,

and hand stitching!

I started a second blog, Paper Perks,

and changed the name of this blog.

Through it all, Coach Irma urged me on,

and when our Kristy sadly passed away last year,

we later adopted two kittens who have brought us great joy.

I'm grateful to be part of the blogging community,

I love the friends and connections I've made,

and I'm promising myself to post more often from now on!

And as part of my 500th post celebration, I'll be announcing

a giveaway tomorrow!!

Here's wishing everyone who reads this a very lovely day!

Check back tomorrow to see what I'll

be sharing!!

Happy, Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T22:58:00.003-05:00

Wishing all the mothers who read this the happiest of days!

I have a lot to celebrate -

being mom to a wonderful daughter,

the memory of my own lovely Mom,

My Mom with baby Kate, 30 years ago.

(The afghan, the white baby blanket, the baby sweater and the needlepoint pillow were made by Mom.)

and the knowledge that being a mother

is one of the most important jobs on earth.

May your day be joyful and your heart be full.

Happy Mother's Day!

What I Wore to the Royal Wedding

2011-04-30T18:38:00.003-05:00

I really enjoyed watching the TV coverage of William and Kate's wedding

and I think the outfits ( especially the hats ) of the guests were wonderful.

I thought it would be fun to create my own hat

and I scouted around my studio to see what I could come up with.

I had already made the bird for another project.

Some leaves, beads, colored paper

and a tracing of my profile photo led to this caricature.

The best part was that I could use artistic license and make

myself as slim as I wanted!

Wish I could really have been there!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T08:24:00.001-05:00

May this Easter day

be a celebration of new life,

a day of family gatherings,

Easter egg hunts,

or a day of creativity.

Whatever Easter means to you,

may you have a happy day doing what you love.

Earth Day, 2011

2011-04-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

Our home,

our precious responsibility.

Happy Earth Day!

A Package of Possibilities

2011-04-21T20:34:00.000-05:00

This week I received a package in the mail from C&T Publishing.

Of course, a certain someone had to investigate!

For some time now, I've been painting cotton fabric with textile paint.

But I'm anxious to watch my new instructional DVD by Mickey Lawler,

learn some new techniques and hopefully have some results to share soon.

I also purchased a canvas book for an online course I'll be starting May 1,

and two arched board books which I'm eager to use for some collage.

Lots of possibilities in one package!

A New Week!

2011-04-18T19:52:00.001-05:00

I'm so happy to see flowers blooming in the garden!

Rosie and Angus are enjoying being back on the porch...

I'm feeling the need for some organizing in my sewing room...

or maybe a forklift to clear off my worktable!

Can't wait to get it back to this state again. It will take some work,

but will be well worth it!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Crafting a Rural Spirit

2011-04-14T21:37:00.003-05:00

My friend Karen from Sew and Sow Life is having a birthday, a giveaway, and announcing the opening of her new etsy shop!! I spent time with Karen last week (more about that in another post) and completely fell in love with her beautiful note cards, and I've loved seeing the wonderful items she is offering, often using repurposed materials and inspirations gathered from her much loved "bit of earth" in Vermont. I've also been the lucky recipient of a few original treasures from Karen which you can see here and here. Everything Karen makes is handcrafted with love and fully reflects her rural spirit.

Happy Birthday, dear Karen.

I hope this post brings even more visitors to your shop,

and may you have great success!

Looking Out for Spring

2011-04-09T22:24:00.002-05:00

Everyone is talking about Spring, but so far we have just a few shoots coming up and tree branches are still bare. Happily, we had a warmish, sunny day today and another is predicted for tomorrow. Can't wait for the trees to sprout some of those first spring green leaves, like the ones depicted in this fabric picture!

I did the picture in two layers, drawing the outlines in the top piece with heavier thread, then appliqueing a bit of lace and using colored pencils for the cats and the lower wall. For the bottom layer, I used normal weight thread to draw the tree and hand embroidered the leaves. The bird was so tiny I just fused it on!

This was an interesting technique, which I'm planning to use again, but next time I want to try coloring with smudgy pastel chalks. I think that would be a rich contrast with the crisp thread outlines.

Hope everyone who reads this is enjoying a great weekend!

Felt Daffodil Tutorial

2011-03-31T13:48:00.002-05:00

I'd like to share this design with you - a pattern I created many years ago. It can be

made with paper or felt, but I thought felt would be best for this tutorial. Please feel free to

print and enlarge the pattern and use it however you'd like!

You will need: yellow and green felt, flower stamens (from a craft store),

craft glue, a needle and yellow thread, and green florist's tape

First, cut the pattern out of yellow felt, using pinking shears where indicated.

Cut an X in the center of the blossom.

You'll also need 4 stamens, twisted together, from a craft supply store.

Put some craft glue on the bottom of the trumpet piece, lay the stamens on it

and have your needle and thread ready.

Pinch the sides of the trumpet together and slip stitch the entire side closed. You can

then pinch the bottom even more and shape and open the trumpet with your fingers.

Slip the bottom of the trumpet through the X in the blossom and pull it up.

Wind florist's tape around the bottom of the trumpet and the stamens.

If you would like the stems to be longer, twist a piece of cloth covered wire

around the bottoms of the stamens before wrapping in florist's tape.

You could pin one daffodil to your lapel with a corsage pin,

or cluster a few together for a bouquet as I did.

I found a perfect little pot to put my bouquet in, after cutting a few narrow

green leaves from felt, and I held the bouquet straight in the pot by adding a few

pebbles for stability.

This is only my second tutorial. My first was for a lace bird, which I made back

in 2009. I enjoy creating my own patterns and designs and

hope to make more and share them with you. Hope this one was

clear and that you'll try a daffodil or two for yourself!!

Happy Creating!

A Sunny Day

2011-03-25T15:03:00.005-05:00

Although it has been in the mid thirties all day,

the sun was strong and the kitties found the sunniest spots in the house!

Angus wriggled with joy on a dining room chair

while Rosie slipped between the vertical blinds

and spent the morning on the front window sill.

I managed to scoop Angus up for a photo with me,

but Rosie was elusive, as always.

It looks like she put herself in a corner, but I guess she felt cozy

in this little spot on the chair when the sun shifted away from the window!

Here's wishing everyone a great weekend!!

The Comfort of Creativity

2011-03-22T22:32:00.000-05:00

Today I had a tooth pulled. Just imagine - it has been in my mouth for over 50 years and today someone pulled it out in less than a minute. Yes, it was in the very back corner of my mouth, cracked and infected and beyond hope, but I actually felt sad to lose it forever. I haven't lost a tooth since I had my wisdom teeth removed at 19.

On the way home, numb with novocaine, I treated myself to a tiny bit of retail therapy.

A small pad of scrapbook paper (this photo doesn't do justice to the colors)
and a little canister of half-size colored pencils,

plucked from the stationery department of a discount store. Cost? Less than five dollars!

I sat down and decided to use the limited color pallette of the paper pad,

designed a little cut paper whimsy, and did the cutting while
watching tv after dinner.

The result - an impromptu spring design, and I'm feeling no pain.
Creativity is a wonderful distraction!

Welcome Spring!

2011-03-20T21:09:00.000-05:00

Today was a sunny day, a good setting for the first day of spring.

The air was chilly as Bill and I set off for a walk

along the edge of the lake in our town.

Looking up, we could see buds on some trees, and the sky was a brilliant blue.

I could imagine the transformation that will soon occur, as the neutral landscape

transforms into every possible shade of green.

In one place, a trail led to a small patch of beach, where a mom and her child sat on the cold sand.

Like all of us, I'm sure they felt the hope and expectation in the air ~

warmth, growth and pleasurable days to come.

Welcome Spring!!!

Reasons to Celebrate

2011-03-19T08:39:00.000-05:00

My heart is happy with the sunny weather we're experiencing, Spring is right around the corner, and Rosie and Angus are celebrating their first birthday!! A year ago these little guys were born in an empty garage and abandoned (they are not siblings and Angus is a couple of weeks older) but our local PAWS organization rescued them and they went to a wonderful foster home until they were old enough for adoption. PAWS had an adoption event at our veterinarians office and there we fell in love with little Rosie. Angus had already been put in a foster home, where we saw him shyly hanging back while other kitties chased a toy. They were both so cute back then, and it has been a rewarding adventure bringing them up to this point.

Baby Rosie and Little Angus

Now they are a year old and into everything -

I caught Angus hanging over the stair railing the other day,

while Rosie looked startled as I caught her scurrying up from downstairs!

Outside, the snow is about 99.9% gone, a random patch of white still hanging on in shady places,

but Spring is definitely in the air! And everyone is more than ready for it after a long winter!

When I next post here, it will be the first day of a new season!

Have a lovely weekend!!

A Day of Silence

2011-03-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

Like most other people, my heart is heavy these days as I see the news reports about the horrifying disasters in Japan. I'll be observing the Bloggers Day of Silence tomorrow, which I found out about on Lyn's blog. You can learn more about it here.

Things to Come

2011-03-11T16:42:00.003-05:00

It's been a rainy day here in New England, but despite the gloominess,

I still managed to get myself out to the gym this morning!

The kitties were hunkered down on the guest room bed,

and still there when I returned.

I think they have the right idea!

I've been a bit sluggish with my blog lately, not for lack of interest, but rather because I've been renewing my desire to make art with fabric and thinking out what I want to create. I've decided to begin with a series of landscapes.

My usual method of making a picture in one sitting and then sewing it immediately wasn't really working for me. Like many artists, I would be dissatisfied with the finished product and that would hold me back from starting something new. Where is the joy in that?

So I'm taking a different approach.

I've been slowly setting up a few pictures, pinning them up on a design board - a piece of foam core which I can move from room to room - and letting them sit, adding elements from time to time, but mainly just living with them while letting them develop slowly. It's almost a meditative process, working slowly, and reflectively and I'm hoping to come up with some good pieces in the end.

With the recent rain, we are finally seeing an end to the snow ( we hope! ) and I think it's about time to change my blog's snowy banner! So, soon there will be a new look here at Hartfelt,

some new work to show,

and always new pictures of Mr. Angus and Miss Rosie!

I know we are all thinking of those who lost their lives in the tsunami today,

and all those who were affected by it.

May everyone who reads this have a happy and safe weekend.

Angus and Rosie: The Saga Continues...

2011-03-06T10:28:00.001-05:00

Rosie loves to squeeze between the plants on her way to the window sill...

and Angus looks very serious, wondering who that is looking over his shoulder!

Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful weekend!

Birthday Love

2011-03-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

Thirty years ago today, a beautiful light came into our lives.

Funny, smart, inventive, creative, savvy, kind,

thoughtful, independent, resourceful,

loving daughter:

We celebrate you today!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Kate!

Happy March!

2011-03-01T12:02:00.002-05:00

Recently, the fragrance of a hyacinth plant in the supermarket stirred up a strong yearning in me for green grass, leaves and flowers. I settled for my favorite plant - miniature daffodils, wrapped in the brightest of yellow papers.

Of course, Miss Rosie had to investigate....

and later, Angus wondered what was under the soil.

And, although we had another 5 inches of snow last week...

I can see that the forsythia bush outside my porch window
is busily preparing

to sprout new blossoms when the weather cooperates.

All things in due time,

but meanwhile I think I'll cut a few branches,

bring them inside,

and enjoy a pre-Spring showing when

they burst into bloom!

Wishing everyone a happy March !!!

Stop and Smell the Roses!

2011-02-14T10:14:00.000-05:00

Just sending out wishes to everyone who stops by

for a very happy Valentines Day!!

This is the card I made for my husband, a fabric picture

of the Kids (as he calls them!).

Angus cannot resist investigating

and smelling my Valentine roses!!!

I love you all, my blogging friends. I'm always thrilled to get comments and to read your blogs.

I always wanted to have a penpal when I was a girl,

and now I feel that I have such friends all over our country and in other parts of the world!

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

xoxoxo

Just a Few Things...

2011-02-11T14:02:00.000-05:00

February has always seemed like kind of a dark month to me, and this winter has certainly had its challenges! Here in New England, we're buried in snow, have leaky roofs from ice dams and are now going through some truly freezing weather!

But there are always ways to create mid-winter cheeriness

with color and comforting things!

I received this wonderful hand cut valentine from my clever friend Elaine! She tells me that, at one time, some men's neckties had designs like this. I can't imagine what would be written on a necktie these days!

I recently purchased this book, after perusing its pages for just a few minutes! A really spontaneous purchase! Maybe it was the phrase "25 Heartfelt Projects" on the cover, or maybe it was some of the sweet projects and photos within:

I love the combination of quilting, embroidery and beading here,

and the wool applique combined with quilting here.

It's a bit late to start projects for Valentine's Day, but I think this book will provide me with plenty of gift ideas to use throughout the year.

I'm still recovering from the surgery I had at the beginning of February. Apparently it was a difficult surgery - the gland was quite inflamed - and the area is still swollen. Today I put on makeup, felt great and went out for brunch with a friend. An hour later I was in pain again. So, this is definitely a time for patience. I'm trying to live in the moment, enjoy being indoor with the kitties, and work on a few low-key projects. I hope to share some of my landscapes soon.

Spreading out fabrics, embroidery threads, beads and fibers is always uplifting to me!

I hope that everyone who reads this has a wonderful weekend!

I certainly intend to!!

Hearts and Flowers

2011-02-07T18:54:00.000-05:00

With Valentine's Day approaching, I took out some of my favorite papers and fabrics, preparing to make some special cards. As I grow older, I find myself attracted more and more to the color pink or soft rose. In my stash there are plenty of examples of this color, in various prints and patterns, so I don't have to buy a thing! This is always an enjoyable part of February for me.

And in the spirit of Valentine's Day, my friend Andrea sent me some wonderful photos of a tree in a neighboring town which is decorated every year with handmade hearts. The tree stands in front of a church and gladdens the hearts of all who see it! A great idea for any tree - I've thought of trying it myself!

Tree Photos by Andrea Willey

And I just have to add these funny photos of the kitties.

Today, as I came into the living room, I caught sight of this display.

No, Rosie is not falling out of the bed -

She is sleeping this way,

and stayed like this for about twenty minutes!!

You could say that she was just

"Hanging Out"!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Hope everyone has a great week!

This and That

2011-01-31T19:22:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting in my living room, listening to the evening news as I use my computer, and I realize that I've heard the word "snow" around thirty times in the last two minutes. Yes, we are buried, and yes, we have 2 new storms coming this week. The snow is piled about as high as a snowthrower can throw it, and snowplows have created mountains on every street corner, making it impossible to see oncoming traffic at intersections. Heavy accumulation is expected and the news media is doing a great job of intensifying everyone's anxiety!
So, I went through my photos, looking for something non-snow related to share!

This is a quilt I bought several years ago from a fellow member of an arts and craft society I used to belong to. The quilt artist's name is Diane Johnson and she used silky fabrics from a book of decorator fabric samples. It hangs on the wall directly opposite our front door and I love seeing when I come into the house. The colors perfectly reflect colors in our living room, so there's a nice flow.

I've been busy organizing my fabric

and my notions in my sewing room!

No, seriously, these photos are from Mood in New York City,

yes, the same Mood we see contestants go to on Project Runway.

We went there a couple of years ago when visiting our daughter.

I was so overwhelmed I didn't buy anything!

And, finally, I've been revisiting some fabrics I painted last year

and I'm readying them to create some fabulous landscapes!!

Tomorrow is my surgery and I'll be back in a couple of days!

Have a great week!