Comfort and Joy

Lately, Angus and Rosie have been keeping warm by sleeping together 

in a bed on the sofa. I caught them in this sweet pose, along with this one

and this one!

Bill and I went to his company Christmas party Friday night

and won the centerpiece on our table. Lucky us - so beautiful, with 

white hydrangeas, roses and berries!!

Have a lovely week, everyone!

For Love of Children's Literature

         

Recently I went to a wonderful exhibit at the Concord Museum in historical Concord, Massachusetts. The exhibit was called Family Trees, a celebration of children's literature. Throughout the museum, trees were decorated to celebrate the spirit of various illustrated children's books. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the museum, so I can only tell you how enchanting these trees were.
In the main hall, a large tree was decorated with felt ornaments made by Clare Beaton, the author and illustrator of One Moose, Twenty Mice. The ornaments were delightful, embellished with buttons, beads and sequins, which make the illustrations in the book look temptingly tactile! I couldn't resist buying the book!

Some of my other favorite trees were decorated to celebrate the books The Fabrics of Fairy Tales  (a book I already own), retold by Tanya Robyn Batt and illustrated by Rachel Griffin,  In Grandma's Arms by Jayne C. Shelton, illustrated by Karen Katz, and My Garden, written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes.


I think my avid interest in children's books comes from my years as a primary school teacher, as well as the love of books my daughter Kate and I read together when she was a child. To this day, she has sealed plastic boxes of her childhood books stored in our attic, waiting for the day when she settles into a permanent home with a large wall of bookshelves. 


And I have a small collection of my own of kids' books illustrated with fabric or cut paper. I love, love, love to take them out and pour over them! Here are two of them:

I confess that it has long been on my wish list to write a children's book of my own, with fabric art or cut paper illustrations. There are so many ways to self-publish these days it is becoming a feasible dream.

Perhaps in 2011.....!!

                                                              

Preparing for Christmas

This year, our home decorations will be minimal, partially because we will be away for the holiday, partially because our two little kitty hooligans consider anything sparkly to be toys and theirs for the taking. I've been draping garlands over the doorways and curtain rods, and this weekend I will take out the simple, sweet manger my mother gave me years ago and set it up on the mantle. Perhaps some candles, but no tree this year. (too tempting for kittens!)
More and more, I'm becoming turned off to the commercialism of Christmas and looking forward to quality time with my husband and daughter.  The most important element of the season, to me, is love. Love of family and friends, and appreciation for the blessings that are ours.

Hope your holidays and holiday preparations are going well!

SooKhim

I'd like to introduce my friend, SooKhim Eriksen. We met several years ago in a beginner's  class at our local bead shop and she then came to some meetings of our local fiber arts group. Since then, she has become a good friend whom we all admire.

Each time we girls go out together, SooKhim seems to be wearing a new hand crocheted sweater, shrug or shawl which she has made since our last get-together. She often adds interest by embellishing her creations with beading, and always chooses beautiful yarns.

                                     

                 

                                                                                      

     (click on images for more detail.)                                              

And, even though we met at a beginner's class, SooKhim has far surpassed me at jewelry making!! She is a master at chain maille, beading, bead crochet and design. Here are two of her creations in silver, and a bead crochet necklace she made for me!

It's a pleasure to know and be inspired by such a talented lady!

                                                                                   

Artist Pam Perras

During the month of December, I decided that I would like to write about some of my favorite creative people. I've met many interesting artists online through blogs and websites, but I'm also inspired by people I'm fortunate enough to know in my everyday life.

                                                          "Two Yellow Apples on a Plate"  by Pam Perras                

I'd like you to meet a good friend of mine, artist Pam Perras. Pam is an oil painter who does beautiful landscapes, still lifes and studies of people. I really admire the rich palette Pam uses and the way she captures light in her work. To me, there is a stillness, a beauty and a real sense of a moment in time that shines through in each painting.  Pam has a blog which you can find here, and, if you visit, I guarantee that you will enjoy her work! 

AEDM - Day 30 - Final Curtain Call

 Today is the last day of AEDM - Art Every Day Month - hosted by the inspiring Leah Piken Kolidas of Creative Every Day. Leah has hosted this energizing challenge every November for several years. Even though it is a busy time of the year and even though I can't seem to manage to post every day, nonetheless, it is month of awareness, creative ideas, artistic community and making art a priority. To Leah, I say, "Many thanks for making such a welcoming space for creative souls!"

I'm just getting over a stomach flu and not in the mood for sewing or ironing, so I pulled out my scrapbooking papers, did some fussy cutting and came up with this little landscape. I just couldn't miss the last day of the challenge!!
To all fellow AEDM participants, I've loved viewing your work, making some new friends and sharing this experience with you!
Let's keep the creativity going!!

A Burst of Blooms

Today is day 27 of Art Every Day Month.

I can't say that I've posted something every day, but the challenge has spurred me on to do some things I probably would not have tackled otherwise! So, for that I am thankful!!

This is a small piece of fused fabric art which I have been hand embroidering for the past few days.

It is probably about 9" x 9", and includes some batiks and hand painted fabrics. I'm trying to decide whether to continue with more embroidery on the edges of the flowers, or to just leave well enough alone! (Always a difficult decision - when to stop!)

What do you think?