Wow!

Yes, wow! When I talk to friends these days and we discuss what we want to do next year, next year is in like, less than three weeks. Three weeks! And we'll have another year to deal with. I still have this month to deal with and right now, today, I'm feeling pretty good. I will be back in the studio today to longarm a small quilt, someone will pick up their quilt and then I have my quilt guild holiday meeting tonight.

I won something in an online giveaway. I rarely win anything and I love this artist's work. Her name is Diana Rader Shrome. I got a wonderful little doll in a peppermint dress and bow and she through in some Halloween guys because she knows I love Halloween.

And another friend sends me ornaments she paints every year. I'm going to need a bigger tree. The table top one is filling up. She also send me a fountain pen (which I've wanted for a long time), and miniature items. A truck and pen set for my miniature roombox that I'm working on.

Nice, early gifts. I'm still debating if I will get myself something for Christmas. I don't know if I want to be in the crowds. Maybe if I go when the store opens, I'll be okay.

Happenings

I'm still in quilt mode which is a good thing but I took a break and attended a workshop called the Necessary Clutch Wallet. It was quite intense but everyone finished their piece. I now have my first Christmas gift done and will start two more. Those I won't be able to show because those people are on my social media.

It has pockets for credit cards, a slot for receipts and dollar bills, a zippered pouch for coins, and a spot for a cell phone.

I also put the hardware on, there are rivets, a strap, and the piece to keep the wallet closed.

I also finally got around to sewing the rest of my Bargello strips together. They are two large pieces that will be cut up hopefully this week. I've got to get this one done by Christmas too. Or at least New Year's.

Trying to keep up with posting on the blogs and get to my Halloween dolls. They're still a bit under dressed. And a few more are waiting to be born. I'm glad I have a couple of more days left in this month.

A Gift

I've been making more Day of Dead doll pins.  I'm going to have to make a real doll at some point.  This little gal is a gift and I hope the intended recipient is not a follower of my blog. Got this one done yesterday after a morning and afternoon filled with laundry.  Ugh!  Oh, the mundane things in life sends the creativity flying.  Away.  Far, far away and I'm trying to reel it back in.

I also wanted to show how big this painting was. 24" x 36".  It comes up to the handle of your standard door.

Well, what do you know?

We're still here.  Those Mayans... what jokesters. Hardy har, har.

Well, I'm glad I'm still here.  Got lots more creating to do.  I'm glad you're still here too.  Welcome.  Yesterday Maya and I painted a mural on a friend's nursery wall.  It's for Amanda's baby who will be here in March.  It was also Amanda's Christmas/Birthday gift from me and Maya.  This was planned back in November, on Thanksgiving Day between me, Maya, and Dennis (Amanda's husband) all while Amanda was in hearing distance.  She didn't have a clue.  Maya had an idea and told me and then I came up with some ideas.

I got up stinking early to get myself over to Maya's so we could get to Amanda's. We had to make a coffee stop or were just weren't going to be any good that morning.  We got to the house, pulled out our supplies and Maya had forgotten her sketch. It didn't matter. But then the wall she was going to put the mural on was packed with baby stuff. Dennis had moved everything over so that we could make use of the largest wall. Even better.  We were about to start drawing and Maya couldn't remember how they were spelling the baby's name. I said no 'h', so Maya called Dennis, again.  Then we got going.  Giggling all the way.  Both of use injured (she had burned her hand and my thumb is still bothering me) and trying not to elbow each other.

I did the people and fairies and other items.  Maya was the flower Queen.

We incorporated things that mom and dad liked.

This could be Zanna Joy reading.  Her mom loves to read.

Amanda loves bats, and she and Dennis love UFOs and aliens.  The lady bug is sporting sunglasses and is attached to a balloon.

Dad Dennis loves skulls.

We both signed our masterpiece.  And I put the date before the end of the world.

Here is the final.  All of this done between 9:30 AM and about 3:00 PM.  We did break for lunch and it was all freehand.  Dennis almost cried because he wasn't expecting what we did.  Amanda, when she finally saw it, was just in awe and it was great watching her pick out the details.  Already she's planning on asking Zanna to make up stories from what's in the mural.  She's planning a story a day.  That is so awesome!

Artist of the Month

I am featured Artist of the Month at Olde Mill Eclective at the Bethania Mill Shops. Yay me! If you're in Bethania, NC, stop by and see my setup. It will be up until the end of October. There are other lovely shops in the mill and Muddy Creek Cafe is right next door. Yummy food and local beers. There's parking in the back, and if that's crowded, there's parking at the Bethania Visitor's Center across the street.

Olde Mill Eclective

in the 

Bethania Mill Shops

5455 Bethania Rd

Winston-Salem, NC 27100

336.813.3774

We are also on Facebook. www.facebook.com/oldemilleclective

Be sure to support your local businesses, shops, and artists this holiday season. Thanks!

5 Days In

Wow! Five days into the new month. Still a little behind but that's okay. Life is good. The seasons are changing and I'm so looking forward to cooler temps. Olde Mill Eclective had their opening on September 1 and it went well. We were blessed with having four media types out that day. One local blog, the Winston-Salem Journal (local paper), a new art magazine/blog, and North Carolina Weekend TV show. Woo hoo!

Me by my kids. I will be getting a table to go underneath the cabinet for more display space. I've got more Halloween pieces coming.

The space is a great size for us and we have more room to add more art. It's nice that it isn't so packed.

You can barely see the items in the baskets but they are belts, bracelets, and key rings made of old bicycle tires. Way cool. By artist Andrea Brill.

There's Andi with the scarf and Vera in the blue dress in the background. She is amazing and has wonderful jewelry and a cookbook that's on my Christmas list. The center table will be used for special setups like holidays. Or Halloween. The cookies were donated by Muddy Creek Cafe for our opening. The owner has a white chocolate cherry cookie that is to die for. I really don't need any cookies, but those are some good cookies. They also have great sandwiches too.

Vera's cookbooks, her husband Jack's wood boxes with doors from the old Winston-Salem post office, and music CDs by our wonderful leader Andi Reese.

I will have more pics later and everyone's full name. Duh! There's Suzanne who makes really cool pajamas, pillow cases, and pillows. Denise is a painter in pastels, oil, and acrylic. Diane is our clay artist. Jack is our wood guy. Pat makes the purses. The whole community is always promoting local businesses and artists. Please support them this holiday season.

Olde Mill Eclective

in Bethania Mill

Tuesday thru Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM

5455 Bethania Road

Winston-Salem, NC

www.facebook.com/oldemilleclective

Still working on my lists.

Needle Felted Skull Ornaments

Here we go now. Remember those cocoon things not too long ago? Here's one finished. My first Skull ornament. I think he's kind of cute. Not as scary as I had thought he was going to be. More mischievous. Like he's hiding the good rum and we should see him when the pub closes. There are small Pony beads that separate him and the crossbones. They're a good size and I have embroidery floss as his hang thread. I think I will try a thin pearl cotton. It would be nicer I think.
Here's another guy, maybe a gal, waiting to come to life. The crossbones are like little dog biscuits. LOL There's nothing like getting the first one done to see what can be improved.

Several more just waiting. Now that I'm not afraid of them anymore or how they would turn out because I'm my own worse critic. I'm really excited. Getting poked by a felting needle through the fingernail is not cool. It hurts. This time there was no blood. But my creative spirit is flowing through these critters.

I have the greatest group of women in my applique workshop. Sheila crocheted these beautiful bookmarks for everyone. I'm normally not a pink person, this one is kind of mauve. Desert Rose. Ha! That's an artist for you. Not just dark pink. I love it.

UFP Project: Bird Pincushion

This wasn't on my huge UFP list but it is in that category of unfinished projects. My new studio is shaping up and I've moved in my sewing machine and table. I have stacks of stuff, magazines, and unfinished works. I believe that stuff is blocking my creativity, so I've decided to start to go through the stuff and start tossing. Any projects found not completed, I would have to make a choice to either finish it or get rid of it.

This little guy was started in my applique class and was suppose to be a X-Mas gift for my mom. It didn't make it for whatever reason. I really liked it, it is a stuffed applique technique that we learned. I had so many wonderful ideas of what to do with the top, that I ended up not doing anything at all.

So today, I pulled out the rest of the project and primitive quilted the top. Sewed it together and stuffed it, adding the buttons last. It is pincushion #4 -2010, I'm taking count of how many I make. I'm glad I finished it and it will now go into a gift container to await the appropriate time for giving. To stuff it, I used stuffing that someone had given me and I didn't want to throw out.