I’m Baaaaack…….

Chicago Festival was wonderful as usual.  It was also tiring because I was working a booth, but then there are the perks.  I spent too much at one particular booth….thanks for all your stuff, Betty!  Embellishment Village is where I spent quality time.  I got to meet Kathy Arnett, Patty Van Huis-Cox, Judy Coates-Perez, Julaine Lofquist-Birch (hope I’m spelling that one ok), Mary Jo Lawrence, Jane Aldoretta, Gail Tyler and Mary Bajcz.  I met Peg Keeney and Desi Vaughn and they talked me into joining SAQA, which I had been thinking about anyway.  Some people I met at that booth where I spent so much money, some I met at the Quiltart/SAQA reception and some I met in the Make It and Take It University area where everyone was having so much fun learning something new. I met up with Virginia Spiegel again and Barb Parady.  I met new people while I was eating lunch.  I even chatted a bit with Laura Murray while she was on a much deserved break.  What a nice lady.  Everyone is quite nice.

But it’s good to be home.  I have been gone a week.  When we got back from Festival, I had a lecture/slideshow and workshop scheduled with the Heartland Quilt guild in Wood River, IL.  That went well and now I am back home with tons of things to do.

But first things first!!…Virginia showed me the correct way to use the linoleum cutter to make stamps.  I could not WAIT to get home and start making stamps.  So here is what I have been up to in the wee hours this morning.  Too much FUN!!!!

I like organic shapes, leaves, bushes, stems, trees, and geometric patterns like grids, but I like them a bit funky.  I am using my new acrylic paint dabbers by Adirondack in Lettuce and Espresso (yumm…) as well as some distress ink and my new Cat’s Eye ink stacks.

To close…the sunshine on a red bush in my neighbor’s yard caught my eye this morning.  View from my back patio door…hasta luego (see ya’ later)!

Busy, Busy…

I feel like I am set on “run” all the time these days. I got home from the Decatur show in time to get ready to leave again! In between I have picked up some more dyeing work that needs to be done pronto. I had a class last Saturday in Evansville and now I’m getting things packed and another class planned so that I can leave again. I am leaving early in the morning for Chicago. We have a stop to make on the way and then will be setting up the booth for SuznQuilts, Booth #1844 at Festival. I will be attending the Quiltart/SAQA reception on Friday evening. If anyone recognizes me, please say hi and introduce yourself. I don’t know many of you.

This is NOT me at the moment.

We will arrive back in the Edwardsville area on Sunday night, but I will be staying over a couple of days. I am giving my lecture/slideshow, “Metamorphosis: From Traditional Quilter to Art Quilter”, to the Heartland Quilt Guild in Wood River on Monday night. On Tuesday for the same guild, I will be teaching a Machine Quilting workshop. Then I will come home and stare at the wall for a day or so! I am usually very tired when I get home from one of my “excursions”. It’s like it sucks all the energy out of me! My brain is overloaded too.

Metamorphosis:

From Traditional Quilter

to Art Quilter

And of course, there is no time to be in the “studio” (a.k.a. the 9’x9′ shrinking sewing room) with all of this coming and going. I did manage to carve a couple of stamps and bought some new stamp pads, one of those cat’s eye stacks. They do have some ink on them! Then I stamped a piece of paper and played a bit. Then I decided to color in some of the spaces. Just playing. I need it. That’s how I make new discoveries and new work comes about. When my husband accuses me of playing around…he’s right…but I’m playing with a purpose!

The first weekend of May I have the Arts In Harmony festival to set up for. I am hoping to have some new pieces completed for that. There are a couple of pieces that have been sitting on the “design wall” (a.k.a. the flannel backed tablecloth, flannel side out), and I plan to finish them; they have been there long enough. Time for a change of view!