Sunday, February 25, 2007

Women's Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope: (kə-lī'də-skōp') n. A series of changing phases or events.

For the past 10 years (?) our church has sponsored a children's art camp, called Kaleidoscope. They hire artists to work with the kids and there is usually a theme. The kids spend the day learning music, putting together a drama, making giant (and I mean giant!) papier mache puppets to be used in the drama, and some other art form, sometimes story cloths, or mosaics, or quilts or...Anyway, Audrey attended for 2 years, and every day when I took her, I would whine about why there wasn't one for adults. Apparently, I was not the only one who whined. Over the weekend, we had Women's Kaleidoscope. The classes offered were: rug hooking, vintage windows, painted floor cloths, painted screens (an old Baltimore thing), and mosaics. A light breakfast was provided at 8:30am, classes started at 9, lunch at noon, then classes again at 1. We ended at 4pm. Rug hooking and painted floor cloths were offered both in the morning and in the afternoon. Mosaics was an all day workshop. Vintage windows was an am thing and painted screens was a pm thing. The only catch of the day...I had to teach...all day.


I taught a rug hooking class. It was labeled hooking with rags, incorporating clothing, cast offs, and what not into a hooked piece. My intention was to teach how to deconstruct clothing, which I did with a turtleneck and a wool skirt. I had hoops and hooks and my whole stash of wool. The drew a simple design on burlap, chose their colors and started hooking. All was well up until then. I had forgotten how it can be difficult to get that rhythm of hooking, especially with a hoop. They did not finish their pieces, which was a disappointment to me. All other classes went home with a finished project. I still think that as a whole, it was successful. I had 8 students and only 2 that did not really enjoy the process. That's what it's all about. Learning and expanding. This was a totally new experience for me. I felt quite honored to be asked, as the others had been involved in the children's Kaleidoscope for years. I promised them a photo tutorial on finishing so that means I've got to get cranking on my piece so I can finish it.

Here are some of the projects from the day:

a vintage window and a hooked mat








mosaic



windows and floor cloths



hooking in progress





painted screens

Monday, February 19, 2007

My Day tomorrow


You can find this, here. Made my to do list a little more interesting.

Monday, Monday

It's Monday morning. The alarm, or should I say, coffegrinder, went off at 6:20. Later than normal, but still earlier than I had been getting up for a week. Last week we got hit by snow and ice. Schools were cancelled 3 days in a row, classes at the Y were cancelled. We all enjoyed our respite but it's time to get back in gear. Today, we are a bit back to normal, but there is still a holiday for President's Day, so school is out. I have Pilates this morning followed by a Cycle class, followed by PT for my shoulder. It's also time to get back into productive gear. I feel that for quite some time, I've been slacking. Slacking in blogging, good and bad, slacking in my intentions, slacking in my physical fitness, just plain everywhere. I'm not sure exactly where it is coming from but It's. got. to. stop.
So for today:
I will work hard in Pilates
I will teach a sweaty, intense cycle class
I will work on my PT and my posture
I will get my hooking class together
I will provide a dinner on time for everyone to eat
I will plan my next project to finish
I will look at my list for the coming year and determine what I need to do to feel proactive in my own life.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Upcoming Dates

I can't hardly stand it!
Lucinda Williams March 28
Anders Osborn March 31
Brandi Carlile April 30

I've already got tickets to Lucinda and working on the other two today. Brandi Carlile's new song "The Story" is incredible. Have a listen.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

I <3 heart art!

Here is some to share with you:

Kleas
ATC swap
Lovely Hearts charity exhibition
Pink Chalk Studio
Turkey Feathers
Knottybits
Art Spirit


These are just a few that I have found. There are a bunch more out there. Here are my own creations and some found in my house:








a rusty heart cookie cutter, a felted heart received in a swap, a crazy quilted ornament received in a swap, a wooden ornament, hearts on the wall in my kitchen

heart trivet, a wooden tray decopauged by my youngest with heart cutouts, a silly heart made by me from a recycled sweater, another long term work in process from thimbleberries book, and rug in process just started last week.

Where are your hearts?

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Something Wonderful



Finally finished, after probably 10 years. I need to make a label to go on the back. The lable will say "Napping Quilt, started sometime around 1996, 97, or 98 finished on February 10, 2007." This quilt was a pattern in one of the Thimbleberries books. I love the planned scrappiness, I love the quilting. Quite honestly, the finishing is somewhat anticlimactic, yet truly satisfying, sort of like how I felt with my birthday project. It's over, it's done, time to move on.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Check it out!

First, Betz White will be on Martha Stewart today demonstrating her cup 'o joe pinchusions. They are absolutely delightful! Here is a link to her blog:
http://www.betzwhite.com/blog/betzblog.html
The segment will also be available on line for two weeks, after 6pm tonight. I can't wait!

Second, this woman's stuff makes me drool!
http://marystanley.blogspot.com/

Purely for entertainment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg
Use this link, but I am in the process of trying to get it directly on my blog (or at least that's what I think YouTube is doing).

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Everyone loves a snow day


The cold weather has definitely made us grumpy. Even My Handsome Prince, who is never cold, walks around with his hoody on in the house, shoulders up, and even wore a nightshirt to bed, despite the fact that our house is quite warm and cozy inside. The outside temperatures chill to the bone! So, today, when the radio announced school closed, college opening at 10, and no classes at the Y, we all slept in. Delightful! It's warm, the snow looks nice, and we don't have to go anywhere until it's cleaned up.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Friday Fun Day

When the girls were in elementary school, they used to have Friday Fun Day, probably once a month. It was torture for Emma. She did not like change in her routine and used to cry on Friday Fun Days (it was supposed to be fun!). On FFD, they would have stations in all the classrooms of that grade team, with coloring, crafting, eating, reading, and what not in coordination with what they had been learning. Well, today is my FFD, with the learning of a new tool (punch needle), thoughts and visions of Valentines (see yesterdays post), finishing the knitting of a scarf, a much needed nap, a house to myself, dinner out tonight, and the looking forward to quilting most of the day tomorrow. I hope you have a Friday Fun Day, too!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Last night I dreamt of Valentines...

paper mache valentines. I dreamt of making the shape from paper bags filled with newspaper and refined with masking tape. I dreamt of covering the shapes with newspaper and goop. I dreamt of colors; pink, purple, white, red, polka dots and stripes, words and decopauge. Lord help me, I didn't sleep a wink. My hands were working and my mind was racing. Maybe it was because of this:

(having trouble loading photos, they will be added)

A group of elementary aged kids, making birds, from web pictures, or picture books, or field guides. Their imaginations gone wild! It is exciting to see them think, figure and work with little guidance. One is making a pearatuc (combination peacock, parakeet, and tucan), one is making a penguin from a soda bottle and and styrafoam egg, one is making a funky bird with high heel shoes, one is making a sweet little bird similar to those found here. Incredible!