Merry Christmas

My mother gave me this little manger scene when I was first married.

Over the years I have thought of updating it, but each Christmas,

as I set up the sweet little figures, I think of my mom

and know that it is just perfect.

I hope that, as you read this, you are enjoying a very 

Merry Christmas,

Happy Chanukah,

or simply

the blessings of 

the winter season.

With love,

Judy xo

'Twas the Week Before Christmas...

I'm a bit behind in my preparations for Christmas, as usual, but so far, no panicking! As I dig through the remnants of materials used to make artwork for two different shows this Fall, I keep coming across old or unfinished projects. Here are a few I've found:

These two snowscapes, which need a few stitches

 and some bright red cardinals to complete them...

My hand embroidery, which is nearly finished.

I added some color and I'll add more stitches after the holidays…

And an older fabric appliqué, made with sheer fabrics and beads.

I'm so looking forward to having our daughter here for Christmas and her boyfriend

Jason arriving Monday. We'll have some good conversations, cooking and eating sessions,

lots of laughter, perhaps a movie or two, a visit to my sister, and some much needed advice 

from daughter to mother about my various electronic devices!!

Our tree is on the porch, away from the cats, until Christmas eve 

when we'll bring it in to decorate with treasured ornaments.

For now the lights are festive enough!

I hope that your week is going well, not too stressful

and filled with anticipation, as mine is!

xo Judy

Paper Angels and a Landscape

I really loved the little angels I made for a recent show.

I've always had a thing for angels and these were inspired

by some kraft paper doilies I found in my stash.

Since they were so much work, I decided to frame them instead of using them for cards,

and, since they did not sell, I'll use them as small Christmas gifts!

I was also pleased with the cards I made from small fused fabric landscapes.

I made the landscapes exactly the size I wanted for the cards,

had them copied at Staples on white linen paper,

then cut them to size and glued them to the front center of some

Strathmore watercolor cards I had purchased a while ago.

This one came out a bit dark, so I enhanced it with a gold pen.

If you know me at all, you know that I don't often praise my own work, 

but I felt something different coming over me this past weekend.

As I looked at my artwork, I felt a fondness for it, and a quiet

satisfaction that I am finally identifying with my own style

and it is ok.

I'm looking forward to trying some new ideas in the coming year and

I'm grateful to have this blog as a way to share them.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a wonderful week!

A Holiday Exhibit

Our show was very enjoyable this weekend and

I'm so happy it's over!!

We had gridded racks on which to hang our work,

and I brought two small folding tables to place in front

with a tablecloth over them.

I hung a quilted collage piece which I've shown here before

on the back of my display.

The building was packed with people on Saturday, 

and a bit quieter on Sunday.

I explained a bit about my work to several interested onlookers,

enjoyed chatting and laughing with other artists,

but sold only two cards, which paid the fee for my participation.

A bit disappointing, but it was such an enjoyable show!

Now to move on to preparing for Christmas!

Our daughter is coming for a visit for the holiday

and I can't wait!

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend 

and that you'll have a terrific week to come.

I plan to continue blogging regularly,

so please stop by again!

A Final Piece

I've posted a photo of this piece before, but today I added some

lines of stitching to the scene, and a frame.

It is my last piece for this weekend's show.

I'll be putting my cards together tomorrow, then on to cleaning

up all the messes I've created all over the house lately!

Being in an art/craft show is a good experience - it's nice

to put your work on display, talk about it to interested people

and hopefully sell a piece or two.

But it is also a tremendous amount of work and this will be my second show this Fall.

I'm looking forward to drawing, doodling, making faces with little stories

and generally, being creative at a more leisurely pace.

Thank you for stopping by!

Hope your week has gone well!

AEDM - Day 30!!

Here we are at the last day of Art Every Day Month!

I did pretty well, missed some days, but worked on something creative 

nearly every day. It helped that I had the deadline of an exhibit at the end.

Today I went back to my angel design, wanting to get it right.

I'm finally happy with it!

I have her on a Strathmore watercolor card and 

will make a few more cards and one to frame.

I also have another design in the works and should have one done tomorrow.

If you've followed me through the month,

Thank You!!

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

AEDM - Day 29, and Some Words about a Friend

I've been working steadily on cards and pictures for this coming weekend's show.

Today I worked on this little fabric landscape. Can you say French knots?

I've also been working on some printed cards as well as a few 

totally handmade cards. I'll share pictures soon. 

*************************

This week I received word that a good friend 

whom I've known for many years passed away 

after a hard battle with lung cancer.

Her name was Peggy and she was a wonderful mother who raised

two beautiful daughters by herself. She was also a dedicated teacher

and school principal who made a big impact on her students and her community.

I had lost contact with Peggy, but she sought me out a couple of years

ago and, after we reconnected, I remembered what a kind and generous 

person she was and what a wonderful sense of humor she had.

We saw each other again this summer - she went out of her way 

to see me and we had a lovely visit with her daughter and two of her grandchildren.

I'm writing this because I will miss her very much and I wish I had kept in 

touch with her over the years. I'm so glad that she found me again.

Her death reminds me not to take friendships for granted. There are so few people

we really connect with in the course of our lives, it is a shame to treat

these special relationships as anything less than the gifts they are.

I wish that I could tell her how grateful I am that she found me again.

Or maybe I just did.

I'll miss you, Peggy.