Art Spirals

What you believe about yourself creates your life. – unknown

I was fortunate enough to see the Nash home on our local Open Gardens Tour this month. This family has a lovely garden center that's a visual treat for the artist in me. The plants are arranged so artistically, it's good for the soul to take a walk through. And their gardens are INCREDIBLE at their house. I could have stayed there and sketched all day, if they would have let me, and if I didn't have other responsibilities that day.

The chair reminds me of a worn loved wicker chair I inherited when good friends moved from town. it doesn't have quite the charm this chair does, at least not yet!, but I"m getting ideas from that spectacular garden. Anyway, this is one of the little vignettes they made in their outdoor rooms that flowed from one to the other.

And here is one view of one of the ponds, complete with at least two turtles that I saw.

I've driven by this building several times in the past month going to estate sales in this part of El Paso, and I think it's so cool. Today I was finally able to stop and snap a picture. It's 3D signs mounted to the second floor of what looks like a currently operating plumbing business. Cool, huh?

My new (to me) Husqvarna Viking Quilter's Edition. 10-15 yr old model, loved before me, that's so much better than my 40+ yr old Singer. I'm SO psyched about this machine, so fun to use and easy to figure out what's wrong.

Aren't these GREAT? Can't you see them on some lovely creation? I'll probably take them apart and use them sparingly. They were a (large for me) $4 for the pin but they were just too cool to pass up. The pin back is behind the top one, the other two dangle on a chain. For more finds this a.m. from estate and garage sales, see my piacasa album. Today's sale finds start here and go forward, but you can of course browse the whole album. These are finds from the month of May. And here's another cool one:

it's a polymer clay piece, I think, that was attached to a handmade paper box, ripe for altering.

This one has an ocean theme, and yes, it was made for the swap on CPS, and by golly, it'll get there too! as I was finishing it, I thought...hmmm...don't know if I want to give this one up either! but I will and I am.

The front view. Strata pieced from strips of commercial, handyed, and salvaged silks and cottons. Free motion embroidered and I used some quilting stitches on my new machine. I stitched patterns FME that resembled seaweed flowing around.

Back view with various sea items and charms captured behind netting. The curved edge along the top is part of a vintage embossed hanky with swiss dots on it, charming, and raised roses...they're pretty much covered up with FME and the netting, but *I* know they're there in the layers. and that makes all the difference!

Closeups, you can see the FME seaweed stitching and that's a real lure that I stitched into and under the netting. I love the lime green.

Front hand stitching to hold it together. Sailboat is from an earring.

I'm loving doing these so much, I may do up a bunch in various themes, all different of course, and keep them in reserve for selling at fairs or art days, or giving away.

Interesting reuse of old jeans and bandanas. these were in the windows of a local rib establishment.

I'm in the second year of belonging to a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. While there aren't any CSA's in El Paso, YET!, I am lucky to find one in Las Cruces, NM ...considered local when you're in the desert southwest, even though it's 40 miles away. The CSA is Mysterious Horizons and the produce is WONDERFUL! Farmer Jeff comes into our local farmer's market starting in summer through October, so the pickup is easier once that gets into swing. Here's a picture of the first weekly distribution:

Isn't it beautiful?!!

Last week I was at an arts festival and a vendor was selling lengths of yarn ...cute packaging. I bought a couple.

From Cool Things

The varigated wool is alpaca, and I used it on my wallpocket.
Also got cool shell/bead earrings, really long and dramatic.

I've been on a book and video ordering jag. These two came quickly, and I'm enjoying reading them: Creative Quilts: Inspiration, Texture & Stitch and The Painted Quilt: Paint and Print Techniques for Color on Quilts. And then from Terry White's site I ordered the first of these Free Motion Embroidery videos (the basics) and thought it was so well done, that I ordered the other two. I've watched Designing by Thread video and learned a bunch about tension, needle size, speed of stitching and various feet in using specialty yarns and threads. Can't wait to view the other. The videos are well done, most of the shots are of actual stitching, the feet, fabric, settings on the machine, etc. No affiliation, but I'm a satisfied customer!

Lastly, the new addition to the backyard. A 30 inch deep x 10 foot pool with a filter and chlorine -- Perfect for our size kids who swim like fishes, and I can see it from the living room windows and from my studio bedroom window, so it's ideal. They've been in the thing for three hours running now, and loving it. View from my desk/sewing area.

From Wall Pocket i...

We're having a May Basket swap on Clothpaperstudio group loosely based on the article on making Fabric Cones by Ruth Rae in the Quilting Arts Gifts issue from last Christmas. Mine isn't as ethereal and lacy/vintagy...I went for vibrant colors. And I like it so much, I've decided to keep it! This week has been a total PTA weekend for me, no time for art, but next week I hope to make another cone for the swap. Here's a slideshow of my cone, which I"m calling a wallpocket. I decided to let the flap hang over and decorated it with vintage bead trim found a couple of weeks ago at an estate sale. The body of the pocket is made of dyed disposable paper tablecloth from the UK which has a fabric feel. Decorated it with tons of newly learned FME, rickrack, ribbons, gauzy glittery weave stuff, squares of painted watercolor paper and beads. I made the cord by zigzagging three rattail cords together and then twining it with another ribbon and tacking it at various places. It makes me smile looking at it hanging on my wall. Here's a slideshow of it AND the next wallpocket I made.

Ok, Jenny from CraftTest Dummies tagged me last week...and I'm going to be a spoilsport and not play....well, at least not today. :) But DO check out her site, she's doing lots of cool things there. I'm all blogged out for the night. and I was never much for sports anyway....