Spicy Adventures

I made this bag for my friend Rita -- I'm really liking these b-movie octopi/sea monster kind of images! (it is actually a cover image from a pulp fiction book)

Backgrounds

This took me a good part of a day. Now I have lots (too many all the same?) backgrounds for some journals.First I scraped on some taupe paint:Then I rubbed on some green paint:Some were scraped with green and rubbed with blue:Then I added some texture with stamps and bubble wrap:Voila!

Hello Spring!

Finally, spring. It's been a long and hard winter. Welcome, Spring -- please take off your coat and stay awhile. To celebrate in my neighbourhood I am spreading the joy. Lauren took one that said "one day, it will all make sense". She's writing essays right now -- it's the last few weeks of her 4th year of University. When did my baby grow up?

cuteness

This is my first pincushion. I am loving it! I made it while procrastinating on another project..... It's spring break, you know. I should have waaaay more to post. I'll likely have lots more pincushions coming soon. I have a lot that I'm procrastinating on....
(fabric from the workroom. If you live in toronto, and you haven't been there, you'd better go right now. Before I buy all of the pretty fabrics. If you want to see the pretty new fabrics, go here)
Speaking of the workroom ......

Make and Trade - Artist Trading Card Sessions at

What is an ATC? Well, think of a baseball card. Or a playing card. Only, it doesn't have your favourite ball player, it has a one of a kind work of art. Originally these cards were created so that artists who couldn't afford art would swap with their friends. It has grown to become a movement that let's many people create and exchange original art!

The only rules are that it must be 2.5' by 3.5' and it must be traded.

ATC Toronto wants to spread the good word of Artist Trading Cards and is hosting monthly swaps and card making sessions! Exciting news is that we will hosting a regular trade on the last Sunday of each month at the wonderful Workroom!

These cards are for everyone, not only artists!

Join us once a month to make and trade some cards. Or come with your own cards to trade at our monthly session. This is a great way to meet new people, find some creative time and play with crayons, paper, glue, paint and just have time to make art! We will provide the basics such as cards, paints, papers and glue! Beginners welcome! Please know that this is for everyone! Even if you have never done any sort of art, you are welcome! It’s fun, and addictive, and you can have a great afternoon!

We will also have some vintage paper packs available for sale!

Sunday March 29, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The Workroom

1340 Queen St. W.

www.theworkroom.ca

PWYC

For more info see www.girlcancreate.com

JuBella

I've found a new favourite design blog. I may never have to buy another home decor magazine again!!! This is pure eye candy!!! It is called JuBella.com -- Get your Creative Dose. The editor of the blog is Ericka Taylor and her motto is: Dream It, Create It, Give It Away. Just go there right now and check it out!!! (maybe get tea first -- I've been in the archives for hours). Maybe it will inspire me to create something -- my muse has flown away lately.

Surgery

The poor knit-up was feeling a bit droopy. She needed some surgery (I zig zagged, then trimmed the knitting). After I took off the excess yarn, I removed the very dirty tags and added some new tags and a new label (made of Tyvek and alcohol inks)-- she's back on her pole now, after a days vacation. See, surgery is necessary to make our lives whole again. Or something like that, anyway.
Ray asked me if I could make a wall hanging with the cut off panel. Why, yes, yes I can. I'll attach some of my favourite tags onto it too.
SEIZE THE DAY!!!
Live each day to the fullest. Please.
***later edit -- not to worry, the patient is doing well :)

Vintage Nature

I made these pages for Alexandra in Germany. Her theme was vintage nature. I've had an artists block lately. The cloth work is coming along just fine, but the paper work is fighting me every step of the way. I was almost ready to throw in the towel and surrender, but I persevered and made these!

OWOH

I won another one -- and it came in the mail today -- I forgot to thank Pamela for her super cool bookmark (I won one of these) It is so shimmery and pretty and quilted! I've stuck it in my new Christopher Moore book called Fool -- it is a naughty take on King Lear. I'm almost finished and I love it!
p.s. had the ears fixed today -- I'm going to listen to some music now (the new Franz Ferdinand, methinks)

One World One Heart

I posted who won mine, but I forgot to tell what I won!!! I visited all 911 of the blogs -- and I was so lucky!!! I won 5 giveaways, bookmarked tons of blogs that I loved and made some new friends!
This is what I lucked out with!
A sleep mask from Sonia. It will come in very handy when I'm trying to sleep and Ray is reading. And when I am traveling!
These super fun bottle brush trees! I had actually emailed Kathy when I saw them, because I wanted to buy some. As you all know -- I do a pink Christmas. They look adorable beside my Valentine tree! I may have to keep them up a while longer. Well, until it looks like spring outside. That doesn't seem to be happening any time soon.These candy tags are from Heather! I'm going to have fun with these!Isn't this the coolest purse ever?? -- it is made with chicken wire -- and it has been lined and embellished. Jenny Lewis made it!
And last (but not least is a book by Suzanne Lieurance called Shoelaces -- it was given away from the National Writing For Children Center. This is the coolest website -- if you write for children -- or read to children (or read children's books to yourself)(I have many children's books that I have purchased for myself!)

Lookie what came in the mail!

This wonderful necklace from Maija! We had a trade -- I sent Maija a cuff, and she made me this! She made the bezel(and there is some text at the back too!) and then set the doll head in resin. It is so cool . I am wearing it to school tomorrow!And I bought this heart milagro from Pilar. I saw a similar one on Maija's blog, and I had to have one. Maija is a terrible influence on me. I generally neeeeeeed what she shows on her blog. Bad Maija.

The sound of silence.....

I haven't been able to hear for 2 days now. I got some water in both ears when I swam yesterday morning. Yes, I wear earplugs. I readjusted my earplugs when I was in the pool -- I think that I pushed water waaaay into my ear. I've had one ear plugged before, but never both. This isn't just a bit plugged. I can only hear if someone who is standing right in front of me yells. I can also hear my dog bark, which will help me if there is an emergency!

I can't hear
cars passing me on the street,
people talking,
children screaming,
the phone ringing.
I only hear
my own thoughts
and my voice
seems buried in a dream.

So, I can't watch tv. I can't talk to my family or friends (well, I CAN talk, I just can't listen. Perhaps this is to my advantage....) But I can read, surf the internet, do my report cards (due tuesday) and visit my knit up. It's a bit droopy, but I can't pull it up, because it's frozen. (note to self -- don't mix acrylic and wool in the same knit up). But I can't concentrate in all of this silence! Cross your fingers that my hearing is back by Monday. My students thought that yelling at Ms Brown was fun for a day, but I think that they will start to take advantage of me in a few days!

Well, what's a post without a picture, right? I'll finish off February with the rest of my Valentine Swap pieces.The fabric covered hand-made journal is from Arlene Tavnik-- I can't wait to write in it! The dangly collage is by Nicolette Anderson -- I've had it hanging on my Valentine's tree. The glittery key pendent is by Dawn Supina -- very fun and glittery! And the glass tile heart pendant is by Kim Mailhot . You can see much better pictures on the groups blog! They (we) are a very talented bunch. I am a very lucky person to be part of it!!

Guerilla Love :)

Well, I didn't join the knit up so I would get wonderful comments from my neighbours. That's just a bonus. So far, nothing unpleasant. I can't believe that all of the tags were full when I checked it out today! It's freezing out, yet people took the time to add a comment. I added some more blank tags. I can't decide when I should remove the tags, if ever. I kind of wanted to make a tag book with the comments, but I like the idea of leaving them there too......Here are some of them!

Guerilla Knit Up

When Dneese announced her Global Guerilla Knit up I thought it would be a lot of fun to join. I was not disappointed. However -- it is summer over in Australia! It's a bit hard to sew a "pole sweater" (a passer by's word) when it is below 0!!!!! Many thanks to my neighbour Martina who admiringly called this a "senseless act of beauty". And a big thank you to Ray who provided the moral support as I stood on a stepladder on the side of a semi busy street, sewing a sweater onto a pole. He took hundred of pictures on our new Camera (a Nikon D40x)(Ray WON IT at a trade show!) He did a great job -- you'd never know that I was incapacitated with stomach flu for the past few days.
This was truly a family affair. Lauren knit many rows and my mom and Ray each had a go too. While, we did measure the pole first -- my finished wrap was over a foot too wide -- what a waste of stitches!!!!! there is a big overlap at the back.
Hopefully this will stay up on the pole. some possible outcomes are:
a) it becomes a pole legwarmer when it slides to the ground
b) one of the neighbourhood old men cuts it off (definitely a possibility)
c) a homeless person takes it off to use as a blanket (I welcome this possibility)
I added some tags and a pencil so people could add comments (I got this idea from Seth) -- I'll swing by tomorrow to see if anyone actually does. And if they do, I'll add more tags.I'm going to add more decorations throughout this park over the next few months (years? decades?) for those of you in Toronto -- the park is McCormick Park -- on the East side of Brock Avenue between Dundas and Queen. Enjoy!

Bookmarks

Made from paper and transparencies. Sewn together by machine.
On the back is the quotation:

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.
(Oscar Wilde)

Valentine Apron

Do you remember the one that I made? Well, this is the one that Anita made for me -- it is beautiful!!!

Catching up...

I am still catching up with Valentine art!!! I'll be posting it all this week.....These are the Racy ATCs that I made for my ATC night (the romantic ones are in the previous post)

February ATCs

The theme is ribbon and lace, or maybe trims....... anyway, these are what I created! They are for our ATC night at Bizzy Bs (in Toronto -- the second Friday of the month) If you want to be put on our ATC mailing list for our meetings, please leave a message on this post or email me.

One World One Heart -- the winners!

I used a random number generator to pick the winners!
The robots picked.......................
Deirdra Doan for the cuff!
and......................
Kim Mailhot for the pin! Kim has a blog called Queen of Arts! Coincidentally , I am right now wearing a necklace that she created!
Hurray for you both! I know how to contact you both -- and will be doing it shortly.
Readers: if you have a chance, go to their blogs!
Deirdra makes these really cool dolls and is teaching at ArtFiberFest in June 2009 and Art and Soul in October 2009. she also sells her wonderful dolls on etsy!

Valentine Pins

This year my valentine pins are more funky and less vintage. I made a bunch of them but forgot to photograph them. Some said "Adore", "xox" , and some other words that I can't remember. Document, document, document -- why can't I remember that???

Valentines Apron

(due to technical difficulties, Day 6 of the Valentine exchange will be shown at a later date :)I was in an Valentines Apron Exchange with my Fabric in Altered Art Yahoo group. I got a beautiful Apron from Anita, but haven't photographed it yet. But it is all brown and pink and polka dottie! yummy!!!! This is the one that I sent to Anita. Lauren is modeling it over the rubber ducky jammies that I made her for Christmas. Quite a colourful clash, but you get the idea :)