Halloween Ornaments

I made these for a swap on Creative Chix. They are pretty much all fabric except for the resin coated paper on the skull. I printed my favourite Halloween ATC (the little witch) onto fabric! (that ATC was featured in Somerset's Holidays and Celebrations Publication last year)

The ones that I made for the swap are double sided (girl on one side, skull on the other).But I made 2 single sided ones for myself :) I'm super busy with school right now, and am scrambling to keep up with art commitments. I made the Halloween pieces in the summer -- I try to only do swap art on my vacations (Summer, Christmas and Spring Break). The Round Robins and tip ins keep me busy the rest of the year!

The Raven

Marion's book theme is "Ravens and Crows". I used images from a beautiful cabinet card that I bought recently. The oldest daughter has flown away with the Raven. Was she taken? Hmmm, I'm pretty sure that she wanted to go for the ride.......

Halloween Charms

These are for a charm swap hosted by Megan. They were hard to photograph -- I didn't use a flash, but I still got reflections. I used the same image that was on my Halloween Apron (I actually made the collage for the charms first). I wish that I had put some black patina on the solder.....

Halloween Apron

This may be my favourite apron ever. The pocket (the fabric collage part) is detachable (for laundering). Or, a new pocket could be made every Halloween! The central image is from a paper collage that I made from an image of an old paper/cardboard lantern -- and I embellished it. Then I scanned it and printed it out on fabric. It has been sent off to Pam for a swap -- To see the apron that she is sending me -- please go to Pam's blog -- I just love it and can' wait until it comes :) I LOVE Halloween. Many more Halloween Goodies will be posted over the next few weeks :)

Nature's Hidden Treasures

Nature's Hidden Treasures is Natalie's theme in my FabricGirlz RR. I was originally doing a bird theme (hence the nest) but this face really wanted to be part of it. There are tags hidden in the nest. The back is one large pocket -- it holds a cd -- my favourite songs to listen to while I'm working on art.

Self Portrait on the last day of summer

With Andy -- just hangin' out in the back yard.

Winter Wonderland!

Okay, it's about 80 degrees outside. And I'm making winter wonderland art. I made these pages for Janis' book -- her theme is "winter". So I made a little icy cabin in the woods and used one of dj Pettitt's images for the bright and beautiful ice queen. They are sparkly too -- but that doesn't show up in the photograph.

What is this plant?

Although I promised that I wouldn't get out of bed today, Rupert Everett's biography didn't hold my interest for the full day. And it is a beautiful, warm, sunny day, this second last day of summer! To my suprise, my purple asters are all out in bloom! And I have tomatoes ready to pick! But I have this really interesting mystery plant. I've never seen this before. I quite like it and hope it returns next year..... I am just itching to work in the garden, but I know that I'm better off just looking. For today, at least. Tomorrow is supposed to be a fabulously warm and bright day again! Yay!

sniff sniff

atchoooo! I'm sick. The little germy fingers of kindergarten caught up with me early this year. I plan to spend tomorrow drinking Ginger Ale, eating chips and watching a DVD in bed. I did my best to prepare the little ones for the substitute teacher tomorrow. Yes, there were tears already...... oh, the guilt.........

Flirty Apron swap

I made a pretty pretty pretty apron for this swap. The premise for the swap was to make an apron representing your partner's fantasy vacation. My partner wanted to drive through the country, stopping in antique stores and buying vintage linens, books, etc..... I used some new fabric, some vintage fabric, and vintage trims and buttons. I wrapped it all up in brown paper and string and added in some of her "purchases" for the day (a vintage homemaking magazine, and some vintage linens and a book!). We were supposed to add a recipe too -- but the magazine has tons of them in it! (tomato aspic -- yuck!)

Here is the before:
And the after:
(that's a key hanging from the ribbon)

oops, wrong photos last post!

I accidently uploaded the photos of the pages before they were embellished. Here they are with the beads on them. The key wrap is from the pocket with the green fibres sticking out.

Finally, new art! and ArtFest...

I have been so busy with back to school that I haven't created anything in awhile. Here are the pages that I made for Dawnie's book. It is part of my Fabricgirlz RR -- the theme for all the books is "hidden treasures". This is the front and back of the same page -- both have some hidden things in the pockets. The rest of the book was very zetti -- and purpley and black and white. (the images of the zetti girls are by Teesha Moore).

Speaking of Teesha -- is anyone out there going to Artfest? I'm working on some trades.....

Thank you!

Thank you for all of your support (emails, comments, donations) about Karen's passing. It was extremely hard for Lauren being all alone through it (I was so far away) -- and participating in the running event gave her a focus. So far she has raised over $3000 for research towards finding cures for the "below the waist" cancers. The Toronto run raised $700,000. Hopefully cures will be found in our lifetimes.

In memory of Karen

(Karen and her husband Craig)

Lauren's best friend(Deana's) mom, Karen passed away on Saturday. She was diagnosed with uterine cancer in May, and quickly declined. Karen was like a second mom to my daughter, and I am very close to Deana. We'll miss Karen very much.

Here is a note from Lauren:

Hi everyone,
This upcoming Saturday I'm participating in Sunnybrook's Underwear Affair 10k run which funds life saving research for cancers like prostate, colorectal, ovarian, cervical and others that occur below the waist.

My best friend Deana Slater's mother, Karen McCullough, was diagnosed in earlier this summer with uterine cancer. Unfortunately it was very aggressive and Karen passed away at Sunnybrook Hospital early Sunday morning-I'm doing this run for Karen.

I've agreed to raise at least $400, but I've set my personal goal at $500. So I need your help! Would you please consider making a donation? Every bit counts.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Lauren

please click here to donate:

http://to08.uncoverthecure.org/site/TR/Events/Toronto2008?px=1473493&pg=personal&fr_id=1100

(if this link does not work go to uncoverthecure.org, click on 'donate' and search for Lauren Brown)
uncoverthecure.org

Ludgera would have stopped....

Ray is not so great at stopping at yard sales. We must have passed 50 in the last 2 days (and 3 States). Made it into one super overpriced antique store. I guess that you need to go to stores off the beaten path -- not on the main highway... (Highway 2, by the way).
I'll go yard saling with my mom in NS next Saturday. Wish me luck!

Skowhegan, Maine

Okay -- something is wrong with this picture. I am camping. It is a beautiful night. I'm drinking sangria by the river -- there are about a billion stars out. HEY -- this campground has FREE WIRELESS. And I just can't resist getting the most for my money.
Here are my notes so far. Road signs in Vermont are terrible! I'm seriously going to write someone about that. On the upside, there are no taxes on shoes in Vermont... and I really needed shoes. Did I get the black pair? or the other black pair? Well, yes, I did.... Next year we plan to just travel to Burlington ,Vermont and camp or stay in a cabin for a week. Driving to Nova Scotia is too far. And I've already played all of the cds.....
(although.... This campsite at The Two Rivers Campground is beautiful. If I do ever drive here again, I'd stay here for sure. That's my tourist plug for Maine)
Tomorrow -- on through Bangor, and up into New Brunswick and then to Nova Scotia.

Road Trip!

Off now to Nova Scotia! Via New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and New Brunswick. Whew, I'm getting tired just thinking about it..... See you next week!

(and of course I need to bring all of this:
-books (4)
-magazines (5)
-pencil case full of jewelry supplies (in case I find something cool on the beach to make into jewelry)
-pencil case full of sewing supplies (I'm going to make cuffs in the car)(wishful thinking?)
-case full of journal supplies (larger than a pencil case -- it's a rubbermaid bin)
-school planning supplies (I might be really bored)

House Collage in Progress, Part 2

I was sick yesterday, so no time for posting. But here they are!

I added some painted textured detail :
ThenI added some of Anahata's collagey strips: And then some children in the doorways, and some more text:
FINALLY, I added some charcoal detailing to add more depth, and a bit more paint to pull it all together. Voila! I'm finished. Hmmm, I like this.... maybe I should keep it.... LOL -- just kidding, Elizabeth, it's off to you -- sorry that it is late......
(the size is 9x12, by the way)

House Collage in progress

I made this house collage for Elizabeth -- here are my trials...
(starting today -- I'll show the finished project tomorrow)
First I gessoed the canvas, then added coloured paper to the sky and white paper to the houses. Then I washed gesso over the houses. At this point I planned to make the houses all white.......
Then I added more black and white paper to the houses,
but it was too busy, so I decided to add some gesso washes to tone it down...... (oops, maybe a bit too much) Then I added some details with graphite pencil.
I decided that it was too white... so I added some washes of colour.....
and then......

(you'll have to check back tomorrow to see what I did.... Did I wreck the whole thing and toss it out? Did I manage to finish it and love it? Stay tuned.......)

Nature

Our theme for ATCs this month was Nature. I made mine at the cottage -- collected some twigs, then sewed them on some pattern tissue-covered cards. I used a very cool flower stamp set too.

Somerset Home!

Hey -- this came while I was away. I'm on page 65! I like how they wrapped the tie around the title at the top. I made this apron last year and wore it almost the whole school year!It is my favourite apron with the large deep pockets. I hope that it comes home soon, so I can wear it at back to school time. Although, I'm totally in an apron making mood right now, so I'll be making lots in the next few months. Remember how I said no more swaps??? Well, there are lots of apron ones right now. What's a girl to do?I was supposed to have a little article in this issue, but apparently they weren't happy with how the photography of my art turned out, so it will be re-photographed and put in the next Sew Somerset.

Miss Martha Mae has returned!

a terrible picture of me, but I promised.......

I went with Martha Mae Bobby Rae, but that was too long so I shortened it. Every year I make a little piece of art for the wall of the cottage. Here is this year's entry:

Next year we will be pirates! I'm SOOOOO excited!

And now for the draw..............

And the "Name that Southern Belle" Winner is..........(I put everyone's names into a hat --all of the names were all SO WONDERFUL !)
Congratulations Catherine!!! I'm emailing you right now!

I made lots of little collages this week, read a few books (Water for Elephants and Airborn, a YA Novel by Kenneth Oppal). I did may hours of prep work for back to school. I also ate waaaayyyyy too much and perhaps drank a bit much too. We watched some great movies (Jezebel and The Beguiled). And I also finished my ATCs for my ATC group meeting this friday. You have to wait 'till Friday to see them though.Some people say that words such as "dream" have been over-used. But what do we have left if we give up our dreams?

I'm off now to read over 300 emails........ and tomorrow I'll post about all of the cool snail mail that came while I was away....

Gone Fishin'

I'm on my annual trip to the cottage. See you next week!

Remember? it's my southern belles weekend. I made a CD for the week. Here's my playlist:

Battle Cry of Freedom
Dixie
Camptown Races
Oh Susanna
My Old Kentucky Home
Aura Lee
Beautiful Dreamer
Georgia on my Mind
(Almost the whole soundtrack from Oh Brother Where Art Thou)
Southern Man (Neil Young)
Sweet Home Alabama
Jackson (Johnny Cash + June Carter Cash)
It Ain't Me Babe "
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Cotton Eyed Joe
Dueling Banjos (Deliverance)
Okay, so it's Southern Belles with a Deadwood kind of slant!

A Charming Exchange!

FINALLY, the book is out -- I've been waiting a year and a half for this!!!! I am so thrilled. You can order it through Canadian Amazon, Chapters/Indigo, and of course, Amazon for my American friends!
Ruth Rae and Kelly Snelling organized this whole collaboration -- we sent in individual pieces and Ruth and Kelly combined them into beautiful pieces! (there were also other collaborations , but I wasn't a part of that)

The photography is stunning! And the projects are absolutely brilliant! There are many step-by-step projects, but this book is not your average how-to. This book is all about sharing and collaboration between artists.(I made the little square beads with the birds on them -- so cute)
[this picture is from Catherine's blog -- she does fabulous PMC work and is featured prominently in the book!!!!]

Thank you Ruth and Kelley for putting this together -- and thinking of me when you were looking for contributing artists! Not only to I get to share the pages with you two talented artists -- but with so many other wonderful artists. Yay for us!
Go buy one now!
You can also visit the website/blog for the book -- www.acharmingexchange.com
(all of the jewelery in the book will be auctioned off at a later date -- to raise money for breast cancer research. Stay tuned for that)