Current Online Class Registrations

Now registering for the Paper Quilting Explorations online workshop.
More details here.

The last day for registering is May 2.

Collage Mania 2008

Collage Mania is a benefit with 100% of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Over 100 talented artists have donated 235 collages made from paper, fiber, fabric, and more. The benefit actually starts May 5 and all pieces of art will be available for a minimum donation of $80 on that day. If any of the art is still available on May 6, the minimum donation goes down to $40. Starting tomorrow (Apr. 28) all the donated collages from many, many talented artists will be available for viewing.

Be sure to check out all the fabulous art. For more information, visit Virginia Spiegel's site here. Below is the piece I donated.


Also, just a reminder that the Paper Quilting Explorations online class starts tomorrow. If you are interested in joining, you still can, and I will be accepting registration through this week yet. If you aren't able to take this class at this time, it is going to be offered again in July, through www.joggles.com.

Faux Leather Journal

Here is the journal I made this week from Sue's journal class. I would have been done sooner with this, but my brain must have been on overload because I completely misread or didn't read the part in the instructions where it said to make more than one sheet of faux leather. So making another sheet took another day or so. Then I got this hair-brained idea that I would paint a design on my front cover. So alas, I finally have finished. Happy weekend!

Happy Arbor Day

Go plant a tree! Tee hee. Happy Friday too, by the way. The above photo shows what I'm doing today. Our weather has been chilly the last couple of days. Down in the 30's with lots of wind. Brrrrrr! Good day to be inside with the wood stove burning and working in the studio.

Class Progress

Here's my progress on the two painting classes I'm taking. First is the mixed-media landscape class. This week we painted in our sky. I am creating a day and a night-time landscape.


And next up is the progress on the face painting class. This week we painted hair and eyebrows.

Six Days

Hi All! Just wanted to mention/remind that there is six days until the Paper Quilting Explorations online class begins. Hope those of you who have joined are getting as excited as I am. There's still plenty of room left in the virtual classroom for any of you who have been thinking about it.

I've been working the last few days on a small art quilt. It is for a challenge that I joined called the Grab Bag Challenge. I found out about the challenge through QuiltArt, an online mail list that I belong to. Anyway, the challenge goes like this: the participants fill a gallon-sized ziplock bag with fabric, fibers, embellisments, etc. and put it in a USPS flat-rate envelope. The envelope shouldn't be bulging at the seams, just a nice variety to fit comfortably in the envelope. The envelope is sent to the coordinator, who then shuffles them and resends them out. I received someone's envelope contents, but I don't know who it belongs to. This is all kept secret until we all receive our own quilts back. I then make a quilt 20" x 20" using at least 1/3 of the contents of the envelope I received and add in whatever I want from my stash. I send the quilt back to the coordinator and she then sends all the quilts back to their owners. We have until early June to get our quilts done and sent back. I've finished the quilt I made and wish I could show you now, but (sigh) I can't until after the challenge is over. I'm very excited to see what I get in return with the ingredients I sent.

I was playing around with my metal embossing tools the other day and came up with the following. It is postcard sized (4" x 6"), but I haven't officially made it a postcard yet by attaching something on the back for a message/address area. Not sure yet what I want to do with it.


I made the above card from scraps that were from making this box. A holiday themed box. I guess it's looking like Christmas in April huh?

All Homework Complete

Whew! I just finished the last of this week's homework for the online classes I'm taking. This is a fabric journal that I made from Sue's class. This measures 6.5" x 9.75" and went together rather quickly. Front and back views. Enjoy!

More Homework Done

Here's some more of my online class homework. This week in Paulette's face painting class we painted the eyes and added quite a bit of detail to those, not sure if we will be doing more to them or not. And we also blocked in some lip color. My photo didn't turn out really well as there seems to be a glare on the lips.

Homework Done

Here is my progress from week 1 of my Mixed Media Landscape class with Karyn Gartel. This lesson didn't take up much of my time at all. The most time involved was drying time. This canvas is 10" x 20". The largest I've ever worked on to date. I also have some 12" x 24", but am keeping those for when I feel I'm worthy of them.

On another note, the Paper Quilting Explorations class starts in just under two weeks now. Actually it was two weeks from yesterday. There's still plenty of time to sign up and join the fun. I'd love to see you in class. Well, I guess I wouldn't really be 'seeing' you now would I. But anyway, as soon as you register for the class I send the supply list to you, so think about it. Oh, and if the dates don't work out for you this time around, it will be offered again this summer through Joggles. The exact date hasn't been set up yet, but I'll let everyone know when it is. For more information on this class, go here.

Anybody?

Did anybody happen to get to the Chicago International Quilt Show this past weekend? Did anybody happen to get a glance at my paper quilt that was hanging in the Quilting Arts/Cloth Paper Scissors area? Did anybody happen to get a picture of my quilt hanging up with all the surrounding quilts? Here is what my quilt looked like, just to jog your memory. Anybody?????

Lesson Lesson

I've been a good student this week and completed my lessons before the next lessons are posted on Monday. I'm currently in two separate online classes. The photos from Sue's journal making class are shown first. I've filled the inside with watercolor paper and there is pockets for adding in some pens, pencils, watercolors, etc. I created the outside fabric by painting a design on cotton duck. Remember those big, chunky buttons in the previous post? Well I added color to one of them and put it on this journal.



The next photo is my progress in Paulette's face painting class. Even though I have painted some faces previously, I am really learning a lot in this class. I think though, because I sort of just taught myself how to paint from observing the work of others and by reading books and tutorials online, that I sort of just developed my own way of doing faces. But now, learning from Paulette, I think I'll have some of those questions I've always wondered about, answered.



Oh, and if two online classes aren't enough at one time...well...let's add a third. Yes, I start another class on Monday. This one is a mixed media landscape class given by Karyn Gartel. I really am enjoying online classes. They are so convenient and I can work when I have time and energy, which lately, seems to be hard to find. Hmmmm, I wonder what more I can add to my to-do-list.

You know, with all these online classes....I should at some point earn an online degree huh??????

Button Button

Hi all! Wow, I must say I'm amazed at how fast this past week has gone by. Shown below are a couple things I did during the week. The first photo is some polymer clay buttons I made. There are times when I'd like a large, chunky button for something and I never seem to have one on hand. So I thought I'd make some. I'm leaving them uncolored for now and plan to add color to them as I need one, so that I can customize the button to my color scheme.


And here is a Daisy Doodle quilt that I finished. My online Daisy Doodles Quilted Wallhanging class was over the course of the past couple of weeks and I made a quilt along with the others in the class.


Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Week 1 Journal Making Class

I'm taking an online class (Yes! I LOVE online classes). This particular class is called Journal Making for the Fiber Artist and is being offered by Sue Bleiweiss. You can find out all about the classes Sue offers here. The class will be 5 weeks and we will create a new journal each week. I've just now finished my first journal and I can really see lots of potential for getting very creative with ways to personalize these. Here is the front cover of my journal:


And the following photos show some views of the inside.

Week 1 Face Class

I'm enrolled in another online class that started this week. The class is called All About Faces and is given by Paulette Insall. She is the same instructor I took the background class with. Info on Paulette's classes can be found here. Paulette is a marvelous instructor and delivers the lessons via video format. It's fun to actually get to see her do her 'thing'.

For the first week we are basically practicing drawing the facial features. I have been drawing faces for a while now and so I don't feel too totally intimidated by this part of the lesson. But drawing often keeps your skills honed and helps you improve. I go through times when I draw daily in my sketchbook, and then there are some days when I go for a week or more without drawing. I guess I get busy with other things. I've heard other artists say this and I totally agree....if you want to improve at something such as drawing or painting, you need to do it every day. Even if you can only do it for a few minutes. I totally believe this philosophy and try and subscribe to it daily, but with busy, hectic lives, it's easy to put some things off.

Sneakin' a Peek

Here are a couple of peeks at what I've been getting ready for the Paper Quilting Explorations online class coming up at the end of April. If you would like more information about the workshop, visit the link up at the top of this blog. Thanks for peeking!