Coloring the Masters Exhibit

This past Wednesday we hung our 'Coloring the Masters Exhibit' at the library in Ortonville.  Our exhibit consists of art work we created based on our Interpretation of a Master artist.   
Here's our exhibit...some of my pieces, you'll recognize from my blog...but you'll be totally impressed with some of the work from my buds:  Mary, Carol and Lois Ann! 

Guess who!, Mary and Carol - Lois Ann was missing 

You may recognize  the names, Carol and Lois Ann, they were the artists who painted the utility boxes I posted on!

Inspired by the Master:  Ugo Nespolo 

These were by Lois Ann

You'll recognize my hex horses

Mine and Lois Ann's

Inspired by the Master:  Mary Ann Beckwith

Mine, Lois Ann's and another of mie

These are all by Lois Ann

Inspired by the Master:   George Rodrigue/Blue Dog

Mary's and two by Lois Ann

Mary's and two by Lois Ann

Inspired by the Master:  Dr. Seuss

Carol's, Mine and Mary's

Mary's and Lois Ann's

Inspired by the Master:  Louis Comfort Tiffany 

Lois Ann's, Mine and last two by Lois Ann

Mary's, Lois Ann's and mine

Lois Ann and Mine

Inspired by the Master:  Rick Loudermilk

Lois Ann's - canvas wrapped

Mine - Quilted piece attached to canvas

Inspired by the Master:  Peter Max

Lois Ann's, Carol's and last by Lois Ann

Mine and last two by Lois Ann

These three by Lois Ann

Mary's work and Lois Ann

Fall Happenings

It's that age old statement "I can't believe it's fall already"!  I know I say it every year too.  Bob and I enjoy watching our hummingbirds feed each day so when fall gets here we are sad when they leave.  We have the feeders set up so we can see them while watching the news in the a.m. and at night.  

Well, our hummers are finally gone!  Boo hoo!   We last saw them Sunday p.m.  Actually, two were eating most of the day.   We always worry about their huge travel they have to make!  This is an explanation on their travel I found on Google (where else!):

Each year, thousands of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly over the open water of the Gulf of Mexico rather than follow the longer shoreline route. These brave little birds will fly non-stop up to 500 miles to reach U.S. shores. It takes approximately 18-22 hours to complete this amazing solitary flight.

 Got to give those little birds so much credit!   But with the hummingbirds leaving we also have the leaves falling!  Yep, another sad time of the fall!  One of our favorite fall jobs!  NOT!!  But Bob has a new leaf blower so we're hoping that will make this job a tad quicker.

  




I just  had to pick up some of the more colorful leaves on the ground.  I haven't a clue what, if anything, I'll do with these leaves but had to save them.  

And on another side note...I've been a blog reader, as well as FB bud, to Janice Paine Dawes an artist who does so many sewing/dyeing/art techniques, you have to go to her blog and/or web site to see for yourself.  Janice mentioned on a FB post a few weeks ago that her father, who is now living with her and hubby, turns 95 on October 15.  She wanted to have as many BD cards sent to her father so I thought I'd make a fiber card for him.  I'm mailing a regular card just in case this doesn't make it to him!  HA.  In all the years I've made fiber cards, I've only had one not make it!!  That's pretty good for all of the fiber cards I've sent out...but you never know!  

I found a free coloring page that I printed out onto fabric and then used fabric paints to color it!  Then it was sandwiched and quilted.  

I use I like to use Sulky Totally Stable for my label.    I either paint with some diluted Setacolor paint or I'll use oil pastel chalk (not crayons) and wipe with water to just color the Sulky. You can see the paper has been painted with blue chalk pastel.  Then  I iron lightly onto printer paper and feed in my HP printer for printing out a label.    You peel slowly then iron onto the back of your fiber card.  A little edging and your cards ready to mail! 

I'm not sure why I only took a picture of the left side of the address card!  If you're so inclined to send Mr. Paine a BD card here is his address!:

Mr. Alvie Paine
287 Marquis Drive
Mountain Home, AR 72653

I hope Mr. Paine likes his card and I'm sure he'll enjoy getting all the cards from different states too!  

Hex Project ReDesign

I'm still making hex's...a lot of them actually.  This is/was my design for my hex geometric project.

I decided to make the entire background out of hex's and use a solid/other fabric to encase the circles in.  I like the idea of using black fabric.....such a good contrast against these colors, don't you think?

But I'm not quite sure how I'm going to go about it. I am thinking of doing a reverse applique technique my friend Susan developed.  (You can see the start of my Georgia piece here and the finish piece here. using her technique.)

I printed out the design and started to color in just to get some ideas.  Always fun to play this way isn't it!

I know these look pretty rough....but it's giving me some ideas to work from.  I may have to tweak the design and I guess in the meantime I'll just keep sewing hex's!!  HA  Besides...what else do I have to do!  😜😜

Cleanup time

With one project finished, I thought it's a good time to do some cleanup...I love having my beads organized but sometimes I get carried away with projects so beads are flying left and right, right out of their bags!  This past weekend I decided to put the bead tubes away and re-organize them once again! 

I keep my Delica's in a rubber maid container organized in bags by color 

And my seed beads are in two of these large bead bags I purchased several years ago.  

All organized and ready for the next projects!!

I organize my embroidery/Perle cotton threads the same way...by color...in baggies.  Just makes it easier when looking for threads.  They're already organized since I finished my Dye Dog so that's all set for the next project!   Now to get back to my hex's!!!

I am still around!

Yep, I'm still here!  Just busy....working on two projects that I can't post on!  One is a Christmas gift and the other is the fiber Valentine project WHICH I JUST FINISHED!  Woohoo!  60 are made!!

This is the background fabric I used on some of the cards.  I also had some blue mono printed I did, which I used for a few as well.

I just need to address the cards, which I can do in Florida.  I really did enjoy making these this year but it is my last year for fiber cards!  PROMISE!  HA

The other Christmas project is about half finished and with September almost over I need to get busy!!!  Funny, my February project is over but not Christmas...what's up with that! 

Busy Weekend!

We had company this past weekend...Ron (Bob's son) and Ron's wife, MaryJo arrived on Friday later in the evening.  They live in Indiana so had quite a trip....Ron was in a Trial Bike run in Metamora on Saturday and Sunday.  I prepped some food on Friday (mainly breakfast items) and stayed home on Saturday while MaryJo and Bob attended the trail to watch Ron.  He ended up taking 2nd place on Saturday!  WooHoo!!!

Riders walking the obstacle course before their turn

While they were gone Saturday, I stayed home to prep food for Saturday and Sunday dinners!  I love to cook and entertain so I was right at home! 

Sunday I did go with them to watch Ron and 70 other riders! run the course!  It is grueling!  You need lots of upper and lower body strength!

Ron going over some obstacles

Hard to see but this kid was only 7 years old!!!

Back to Ron!

Ron and MaryJo

So many different age groups as well as experienced folks and one woman!  There is Beginner, Novice, Advanced and Expert categories and each run a different 'track'.   MaryJo and I stayed at section 3 & 4 while Bob stayed at section 5, which was an uphill track!  I thought it was so interesting and look forward to watching Ron run this course next year again!  This is a short video of Ron...you don't want to put your foot down at all...amazing to watch them balance on their bikes!

Just a nice weekend  watching Ron and sitting visiting at night and of course eat! 

Is it February yet??

The past two years I've started on my fiber Valentine cards before fall.  I have to say it makes life easier come February, if I  start them earlier.  The winter holiday's and preparing for Florida seem to take up  the majority of my time so I don't get to do a lot of sewing.  Once again, I've started early on my cards.  AND THIS IS MY LAST YEAR TO MAKE FIBER VALENTINE CARDS for friends and family.  There...I said it....and I mean it this year! 

Obviously, I won't show some of the cards I've already made but will show some of my process!  I'm using Margarita's (from Margas Crafts) method to make paper/fabric.  You can see the start of my process here.

This is the back of the paper/fabric collage sheets which measure 8 1/2" x 11" each.

                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                        And the front!

Next I painted the pieces with Set-a-Color paints and when dry applied foil, using a stencil to create some pattern.

And now the fun begins!  Cutting out and sewing on!

                          Here's a sneak peek!   Next preview showing will be February 2019!!!  Hopefully, they will all be finished WAY before then!


So if I don't blog about 'what I'm doing', you'll know I am doing something!   I only have 60-65 fiber cards to make...but this is my LAST year......did I say that before!  Honest, it really is!!!  I promise this won't be a  'fake news' post!