A Little Break

I'm off to Houston and won't have my computer with me, so I'll catch up with everyone's blogs in a week. I'll take some pictures at the quilt show and hope to share some of my favorites when I get back.

Have a great week!

Applique Collage #2

Here is my second applique abstract collage this week! If these abstracts seem like a departure from my usual style, I should tell you that this one and a few others have been sitting around in my studio for at least a year, waiting to be stitched and finished. Although I usually tend to work in a realistic style, I've always had the desire to experiment with abstract!  In fact, I started the year off by laying out an abstract hanging which you can see here. I never did finish it, but should try to do so at least before the end of 2008!!

I'm also interested in doing some tiny ones (I love tiny!) to make into necklace pendants! It's on my "list" of ideas! Don't we all have one?

Anyway, I added some beads to this piece and had fun making it!

Applique Collage

Here is an abstract applique collage I just finished. I used commercial fabrics and some textured threads. Each element is sewn down with a zig zag stitch and I added some metallic elements I found in my "collage" box. I'm working on a few abstracts and hope to finish at least one more before next week.

That brings me to some exciting news! 

Next week I'm going to the International Quilt Festival in Houston with a group of friends!!

I'm so excited - it should be wonderful! I'm looking for inspiration and new techniques, and fabrics and embellishments at the huge vendors mall!

What a fun trip to look forward to and I'll have plenty to blog about when I get back!!!

A Great Weekend

                                                    Bill, Kate, me, Janice and Lorna

What a weekend!

My daughter Kate home for a visit...

Spending time with her and my husband Bill...

Getting together with family and friends....

And leaping into a new decade!!!

Happy Birthday to me...

I'm 60!!!

(It didn't even hurt!!!)

Breast Cancer and Me

Thirteen years ago I had breast cancer. 

I had just moved to a different state with my family and was a little behind in finding new doctors and setting up appointments. When I finally went in for a yearly physical, the doctor noticed a lump in my breast. Try as I might, I couldn't feel it, and later, even the surgeon couldn't feel it. But a mammogram did show a mass, so I had a biopsy. When it turned out to be cancer, a lumpectomy followed, then chemotherapy and radiation. I was 47 years old. (Do the math, I'll be 60 next week!) It was stage 1 breast cancer and no lymph nodes were involved. Thank God, I've been fine since then. 

So why am I writing about this on my art blog?

If you've stopped by and read this and are putting off a doctor's appointment or mammogram, please think of me. If my cancer had not been detected so early, I might not be here today. It was a crisis, it was a hard year, but I survived.

I'm so fortunate. 

Please take care of yourself, and be proactive.

Life is precious.

 

ATC Swap

Here are the ATCs Janice and I swapped for September. Janice has combined stamping and many textures to create what I interpret as a transition from summer to autumn. My card is pretty simple - just a tissue collage of an early autumn scene.

We've already agreed to continue our swap next year! I love receiving Janice's little masterpieces in the mail each month!

For the rest of October I've decided to have an abstract theme - just color, texture, prints -  in fabric. I have so many little pieces of fabric I think it would be nice to make some small collages and mat them. We'll see what I come up with!

Fall Swap

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently participated in a Fall Swap and my partner, Shanan, made me a beautiful fabric throw. As part of the package I sent to her, I included this cut paper picture of her three boys. I drew the images from photos on her family blog, placing the figures in an Autumn setting. The materials used were scrapbook paper, cardstock, stickers and markers. I was so glad to hear that Shanan liked it!

Lucky Me!

Hello all! I have several things to catch up on!

To start with, this award was given to me recently by my good friend KJ. I could definitely say the same thing about her blog, Eye-Dyllic! Really, I have several blogs I look to every day for inspiration, humor, and just to see what my online friends are up to!! This blogging community has become a part of my life, and writing a blog is something I truly enjoy!

One blog I look at nearly every day is that of talented fiber artist Sue Bleiweiss . After commenting back and forth on our blogs, and discovering that we live only about 45 minutes away from each other, we met for lunch recently. It was great to see actual samples of each others' work, and Sue completely floored me by giving me this beautiful hand crafted journal!

She treated it casually, but it's something I really appreciate and treasure.

Another gift that arrived by mail recently was a tin of Cranberry Autumn tea, sent to me by KJ! It is truly delicious!! Thank you again, KJ! I have photographed it with a china tea cup with a cover which my husband brought back to me from one of his trips to Hong Kong. Behind it is the bag the tea cup came in!

And finally, I participated in a Fall Swap hosted by Lori at Morning Glories and Moonflowers, and received a beautiful package from my swap partner Shanan at Sizzle and Sparkle. In it were some lovely Yankee Candles in yummy Autumn scents, a crossword puzzle book (how did you know, Shanan?) this beautiful handmade card AND a handmade blanket in a soft floral, lined with a very soft heart-strewn snuggly fabric! You really outdid yourself, Shanan! Thank you again! When I know she has received my package, I'll share what I made for Shanan. Hope she likes it!