A Quick Update From Germville.......

.....I'm sure this is true, but I cannot say either DH or myself feel FREE from all poisonous substances!!! LOL!
Just popping into this germ-free-zone for a quick hello. We made it to the Dr, we have the regular flu now, at least DH does (and being the overacheiver he is, he has it quite well) but I may have gone straight into a sinus infection.
So! I got the heavy duty meds, DH didn't and somehow it seems backwards, although I learned a long time ago there are certain bugs you just suffer through. They run their course and make you as miserable as possible during the hosting period.
Today I will be working on the banners, then I have a  funeral home visit I have no choice but to make this evening, and a funeral tomorrow that I may have to read in place of DH. That's just how it is. I'm a whole lot healthier than him thankfully.
In the midst of all this bedlam, my brain decided to kick in and solve a few more dilemmas with said banners, which is good, and I got a tiny bit of work done yesterday. (in between the florist, the doc, and an HOUR at the drugstore waiting for scripts......) Will take the few minutes I have today and put them to good use, as I can.
I'll be back when I am either:

A)  Done with the banners and have pics
B)  Tired of working and being the nurse and need escape
--or--
C)  When I am well

Or, as with any woman, I have the right to change my mind and I might be back tomorrow just to blow off steam......one never knows.
As of now, we are doing as okay as possible but flu sucks rocks and I want it gone immediately! (Like it's listening....ha!)
Hope you all have a creative day!!!

Pax.

An Unwanted Visitor......

......yes, *THE BUG* is back at Chateau Lockard. I would say I can't believe it, but indeed I can as DH came home with a very light version of *it* the other day and I have been okay other than tired (and that's just because I'm very much an old fart, right???) and allergies.
Oh no. That's not enough. Yesterday it knocked me for a loop and really took my legs out from under me; today, so far, it feels the same.
Lovely.
I need time I can't work just like I need a hole in the head. Well, okay, maybe the hole in the head wouldn't be a bad idea, but not right now.
So while this nasty vermin does it's thing in my head and lungs (and every joint in my body) I believe I will be in the reclining position for the most part, unless of course there are a few bursts of anything remotely close to energy and I can try and sew rosettes or the trim on the one banner side.
I'm not holding my breath.
Maybe that's what I should have done in the first place to avoid this.....or maybe I'll be calling my dear Doctor promptly tomorrow morning, requesting an audience.
Geez.
For the rest of you, have a good day and get into a bit of mischief for me too, would ya? (hack! wheeze!)

Pax.

P.S.Yes, I did stagger out to get shots of the fog blanketing the countryside this morning......bug or not.

The Last Golden Sunrise Of Autumn

No words necessary......these were before the last rain and wind storm that took all the beautiful leaves. The morning was cold, the clouds parted and there were a few moments of intense, unbelievable gold everywhere. The air, literally, glowed.
Enjoy!

Pax.

Welcomes and Work

I've been remiss in welcoming new followers to the blog, so here is the official WELCOME!!! I'm glad everyone is here and bit by bit, others pop in. I am very bad about updating the blog list on the sidebar, and if you aren't on there and want to be, just let me know. Some things I'm right on top of (like the table when taking above photo....) and other things just sort of slip into the ether....

After fighting with the 12 feet of lined fabric and the weight of it all, it was time for a break, so here we are and yes, I am still looking for a Studio Pixie who just wants to help and enjoy the company.......LOL!!!

Posting a few photos so you can get an idea of what I have been dealing with, such as the above tassels. They started out being only the small purple part, without beads, trim, or bullion fringe. I basically build them for each set of banners. Premade tassels the size needed are far too expensive and never match anything I'm working on.....such is this life!

I did luck out on the candles not looking lost on the large background fabric and also, in the never-ending stash of fabric, found a sheer for the stars that allows the pattern of the b.g. fabric to show through subtly. I was afraid I was going to have to SHOP for something, and with my recent luck in getting junk, I was not looking forward to it.

Here are a couple of the other candles; the color is fairly accurate on them, though the fourth darker purple is out of the picture frame.

Physically and mentally, I will be glad when these are done as I am exhausted from the weight of all the fabric and batting. These have turned out to be pretty much like working with a stubborn quilt, especially the freemotion work required to put the candles on.

On the other hand, I like the design as it reminds me of some of the work I saw when I was a child in Europe, and there is a nice, reminiscing quality to dealing with them. Stars on Christmas cards were almost always the six pointed variety over there. It seemed a natural to do the same on these.

Well, enough......there's fabric calling me, and it's not calling me nice names! LOL! Yes, that's where we're at in this project relationship---calling each other names. Baptism by fire.......

I really do like them. Shhhhh........don't tell!!!

Hope everyone is having a good time and working on something that is not trying to throttle them! Have a good one; I bid you all......

Pax.

I Was A Winner Too!!!

I should have had this posted a while ago, but in the hustle and bustle of life, work, and my normal state of cluelessness, well, I FORGOT.

The Quilt Rat is one of my favorite fiber art blogs. Jill has more talent in her little finger than I think I do in most of my body---she does some excellent work and is constantly sharing her experiments on her blog.

She had a give away a while back and some of the prizes were the quilted fiber postcards she had made (mine, pictured here). Naturally, I assumed I would win nothing because normally I win nothing but it seems since I started blogging, my luck has improved some! I have won prizes in two give aways and it makes my little heart happy!

(ahem! back to the post Anne.....don't wander....)

Her work is amazing.....the photos of the cards  on her blog are very nice, but the real deal in your hand is quite another story. I have stared and stared at the quality of the work, and by the way---the image on this is all hand drawn.

Yes.

Not a fabric print.

It is a lightbulb, but I discovered if I turned it upside down, the symmetry is such that it reminds me of a bottle, a Southwestern gourd vessle.....and I like it both ways!

If you've not already visited, do check her blog. Even if you don't *do* fiber art, you will be impressed by the art talent!

A very belated Thanks Jill!!!

In public, where all can see! ;-)

Pax.

Blog Prizes Mailed.....

....I got out the door yesterday with everyone's goodies; I am not sure when they shall arrive but when you receive them, if you could pop me an e-mail please?

I am diligently working on the sewing---it's coming along nicely though, as usual, I have exhausted myself and frankly, my fingers hurt from needle-pulling! It's all good though. And yes, the pic is where I wish I was, in the French Quarter, enjoying life and some good food. Instead I settle for listening to WWOZ.org on the computer and dream......check it out if you love Jazz, Blues and NOLA based music!

Can't wait to get back on here full time as my giant brain is overflowing!!!! (or something is dribbling out of my head, and I figure it must be *important thoughts* that need to be shared---LOL!) But it is again, nose to the grindstone, or in this case, pins, needles and sewing machine.

I quickly cruised through a couple of blogs, seeing pics of wonderful work and it makes me long for the wet studio and time to paint.......oh, not soon enough! Those of you having the time to do this; I thoroughly ENVY you at the moment!  ;-)

I miss you all---take care of yourselves as more and more of my friends are coming down with what appears to be the same virus DH and I had. I mean that in all sincerity---take care of yourselves and your kin.

I bid you all good health, rest,  creativity, and of course, as always.....

Pax.

Monday, Monday....

I apologize for not relpying to all the comments yesterday. I was out of the house most of the day (it was delightful! church out of town and lunch with friends!) but by the time I got home was pretty wiped out and headed for familiar territory...the couch! And that is pretty much where I was the rest of the day.
My blog activity is probably going to be sparse for a bit; the deadline for my banner project is quickly approaching and the banners, while a goodly way along, are not DONE.
I would freak out, but I have not had sufficient coffee to do a good job of it yet, so I guess that's for another post. And believe me, it will be here.....when I do it, it has to be just right....LOL!!!
All of you who have to meet deadlines know the dreaded "Oh-My-God-I'm-Not-Going-To-Have-It-Done!!!" sick feeling, and that is where I am today. So. The old blog-a-roonie may be a bit on the dead side for a while. Work is work and sometimes I have to completely hole up and focus. Sometimes I can juggle six things at once with no problem but for whatever reason, this is a project where I cannot. It has taunted me and continues to do so. Plus there have been some personal issues (friends, family) that have kept my mind distracted--yes, more than normal! Everything hits at once, eh?
At last check, I had 149 e-mails I had sort of glanced over.....just the title headers and not the contents, so if there is something DIRE that I need to read, please send it high priority. If I have not received your snail mail addy for the box give-away, please send it with high priority attached to the message! I don't want to miss anyone.
If luck is with me, I can get some good progress made and be back here babbling about squat pretty soon and just making everyone's day! (said with tongue firmly implanted in cheek!)
I hate being in this position, but if some of us would check the calender earlier in the year, some of us would have realized when the first Sunday in Advent was........
Until I can provide proper laughs and giggles, allow me to sign off; the lame brained, overworked and totally clueless Anne, bidding you all...

Pax.

And The Winner IS.........

........of the Milagro-Box-Mixed-Media-Supply Give-Away:

Pam at yoborobo!!!!

Congratulations!!!! I decided since I had so many entries that I would put together three paper packets as extra prizes, and the winners of those are:

Sophia, Magpie's Mumblings,and Jan!
 
I want to thank everyone who entered and if I could have managed it, I would have sent something to all of you! Yes, I have a big stash of *stuff* but the postage might have been a bit of an issue...! LOL!!! Hopefully everyone who receives their package will enjoy the contents; if there are things you won't use, pass them on to another artist and share the wealth.
I will need addresses for those who won; please check my profile page for my e-mail. I'll try and get them popped in the mail Monday....Tuesday at the latest!
Again, thanks! Your support and comments and just plain fun have enriched my life! You guys make my blog ROCK!!!

Pax.

Happy Hauntings Kiddies!!!!

Wishes for the most delightful,

ghoulishly wonderful, frightfully

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

May your bones rattle, your teeth chatter and have

lots and lots of other horrifying happenings!

Muh-hahahahaha!!!!

How To Spend Halloween.......

Something to consider for

Halloween Evening......a little story...

Many years ago, these two silly people decided despite their age,

Halloween was for dressing up and enjoying the evening!

Then later in their lives, they discovered that New Orleans was THE place to be

for Halloween.....stopping by LaFittes Blacksmith Shoppe Tavern......

Or just hanging on the corner of Bourbon Street

until dusk begins to fall.....it's all good.....

lots of *spirits* in the air there!

You might find a zombie willing to pose before

an evening in the mayhem of the French Quarter's

Streets, rife with costumes, parades and revelry......

.....Or maybe run into this *gentleman* in the courtyard on your way out.......

(it's not Mike Ness, but close!)

Better give him a tip to pass by.......  ;-)

Need a driver to see the sites?

What better than a Devil-Girl in a Flame Mobile????

The cost is minimal.....not money.....something a bit

more personal.....a bit more like, your soul?

Or get ready for a bit of VooDoo with her

doll under the belt, she's ready for business!

The only stop for this macabre taxi is the crypt of Marie LaVeau,

the VooDoo Queen of The Quarter.

Buried in St. Louis #1 Cemetary, go

lay your offering down humbly and mark three X's

made with brick on the tomb;

perhaps your wish will be granted!

And here's a wish from two Fiends.......(oh,what

that couple at the top turned into! what NOLA did to them!).....

...May the Spirits of the Night find you

and keep you company!

Muh-hahahaha!!!!!!

Short Update, PLEASE READ

I am temporarily having to go to comment moderation; bear with me....hoping that it will pass and we will be back to the lovely instantanious comments I have so enjoyed.
It's like having y'all on the phone, but you know, sometimes you have to take steps to keep things good for everyone who reads.
Thanks for understanding; having a public blog has it's ups and downs. I want to keep this a decent blog for all my readers.

Pax!

Head to Enchanted Revelry.......

........and check out the neat give-away Tristan is having! He always has the most entertaining posts; I am thinking they must take an awfully long time to put together and tons of research for some of the most outstanding/amusing photos!

But in his recent post, he is offering two delightful prizes:

First, a book on Altered Books that he loved so much he had it twice (like that has not happened to ANY of us......ahem....). Brand new, lovely, searching for a new home..... :-)

And the second prize is a most delightfully elegant pen.....the real old fashioned kind that is beautiful to behold even if you don't actually use it for writing. Frankly, the packaging is pretty stunning......

All the very simple rules for entering are on his blogpost, and if you click either of the pics, you shall be swept off to an Enchanted blog! (providing I got the hotlinks in....) You'll be able to tell you're in the right place.....

I'm back to the grrrrrrrind on the work at hand so I am signing off quickly, before I find something to rant about that you really don't need to read.....like how long I waited in line at the store holding three items......we don't want to go there! LOL!

Go see Tristan instead!  ;-)

Pax.

Quick PEEP!!!!

Bear with me....I am in the throes of actual sewing and WORK! Yesterday was productive, today will be too and it seems like finally I am making headway on this project.
I will be back when I have a spare moment but if I don't strike while the iron is hot, well, you know how that goes. And my iron goes cold quick!
I envy folks with an attention span longer than a piss-ant........
You can guess which I have.   >:-\
Okay, time to make the banners, time to make the banners, time to make the banners......AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOL!

Pax.

P.S. Feeling well. Amazing when you take your meds like you're supposed to! SNARF!!!

Muchas Gracias!!!

.....to all of you who stopped by and sent greetings to my hubby for his birthday; I can tell you he was delighted, surprised and happy! Thus, this heart is for all y'all!!! Bless you much for extending your kindness to my DH. :-)
A short post as-- and yes, this is going to sound odd --I am miserable and can barely breathe; the soybean harvesting has begun and for those of you never around it, I can assure you it is like the sulphurous emissions from Hades. Except they don't have minuscule barbs that stick in the lungs and mucus membranes.......eeewwwwww. Keep trying to hide from it; the studio is fairly air tight but my runs outside in the nightclothes to take photos don't help the situation. What can I say....
The picture I missed:
(and I should start this as a daily thing...)
Driving to town as the sun was sinking into the west, I looked up at a telephone wire and saw, on both sides of the pole, both wires, up and down, so many doves it was impossible to count. The silhouette of the birds against a bright and lightly clouded sky was exceptional. Absolutely EXCEPTIONAL. It was a moment of peaceful epiphany, a divine glance.
And of course, the camera was at home......
I'm serious on the heart---this one's for YOU! Click, save, print, keep, collage with......I did a few of these tiny things and almost lost my mind (from the ant biting session in yesterdays post) so someone might as well enjoy it! (if you use it in commercial art, please give a bit of credit....okay? thanks!)
Now, to work.
My heart milagro, I give to you. You deserve it.

Pax.

Happy Birthday Dear Hubby!!!!

Today my Sweetie turns 52. He doesn't act like it. Now, wait....that's meant as a complement! Gary is so active he makes me look like a big banana slug. (which are fascinating creatures in their own right, just slow....) The above pic says it all----the consummate Ramones fan he is! A staunch supporter of change and seeing the country get better for all. Wicked quick sense of humor! Ornery as all get out, especially when he has worked too long...... Years ago, there was a local wrestling group, the LWF---they referred to it as *professional* wrestling, I always thought it was humorous mass bedlam!---and he did announcing and was a *manager*. I was, well, the manager's WHATEVER! That's Johnny and Ramona DeVille above. He was the "Cadillac of Wrestling Managers", culling the best wrestlers into Team Deville! We had a blast! Words truly do not describe........ :-) .......truly!!!!

The good supportive husband at one of my gallery shows....they had great wine at this one! He stayed a while, then went out in search of a record store, to add to his collection of vinyl and cd's. And I might add, that collection is large and covers much music, as he was a DJ for many years. Any musical trivia or tidbit you want to know? Ask DH!!!

Outrunning the young kids in the annual fitness test. No joke. Only one guy who runs marathons beat him. I'm not sure how I CAUGHT him! Go Sweetie Go!!!!! (the military, being what it is, has the people run outside in November in this area.....okay, no logic in that one.....thus, the layers and layers of clothing)

This was from the one and ONLY outdoor show I will ever do as I had ants in my underwear biting me. Hubby provided comic relief for the longest, most miserable day in my life......

There he was, *commenting*, being laid back and cool......and eventually asking, "Is it over yet?"

Happy Birthday my Dear!!!! May you have many more; may there be more adventures down the road and remember "Someone could get HURT with that bat!!!!" (wrestling 'in joke'....)

Love.....

Anne

Being There......

Wishing you all glorious moments to enjoy; when *being there* is simply enough.

May you find many.

May you hold them close to your heart.

Have a wonderful day.

Pax.

Welcomes From The Lazy Blog-Mistress.....

(golden moments....they pass us by too quickly, on the road to bare landscapes and warm coats...)

Two more WELCOMES officially to followers of the blog! Greetings and salutations and happy you are here!

Alas, this sleeping in business is getting addictive! I did not get to a post yesterday evening due to the couch and knitting needles calling my name, and the fact that I had spent too much time on the leg and it was calling out a few things too....none of which can or should be repeated here!

DH was looking at the final collage from the tutorial I had posted here and thought it was lovely. I looked at it guiltily, thinking, I need to post those shots and then a link to the original tute. It seems there are a lot of things that need doing today, the least of which is the restocking of the groceries and I detest that job worse than cleaning up after the raccoons that delight in trashing my porch.

Halloween is almost upon me and I have not had the time to drag out the old horror films and watch them......one of my favorite things. Sorry, all this new cinema can't compare with the pre-digital effects days where make up and true acting and atmosphere and camera technique MADE you chill and shiver! Sometimes it was as much what you didn't see as what you did. Sweeping scores that weren't mixed in so loud that they would blow you out of the room, that one moment when the screech of violins stopped and the full THUD of the orchestra made an exclamation point as the monster appeared! Ah, and black and white......the art of making up and dressing for the camera, so the greys would be appropriate. What skill.

Instead, as with the rest of the world, it's work, work, work........of course I've not helped that situation myself, but dang. October should be a month of Holiday to prepare and savour the time of ghosties and ghoulies and the gentle transition to Fall.

I spent the evening trying to get shots of the lights on my banister, with the camera secured to the tripod. We'll see today how those worked out. I am not, repeat...NOT a night time photographer. That is another skill all together.

Instead, I am closing quickly as I mentally prep myself for the zombies and other slow moving monsters filling the grocery aisles, and trying to remind myself that even in my present condition, and with a cart full too, I can out run them!!!! ;-) (I really hate grocery shopping....could you tell???)

Thus, I bid you adieu, and to have a frightfully creative day....even if you are fighting the store zombies on cell phones! LOL!!!

Pax.

Patterns of Nature.......

Sometimes you find perfect photos right at your feet. I looked down on my walk with the camera, and what do I see but this amazing, almost abstract composition. No moving anything, no interference on my part.......just red and black and white and grey. What a fun image if I knew how to Photoshop........but I am a Luddite, remember? ;-)

These are not maple keys---in fact, I don't know the tree they were on, but I saw little wishbones, papery-thin, fragile, delicately swaying in the breeze. Thus, one big human hand inserted into the frame to hold the dainties still. I should have brought a few back to incorporate into art.......alas, nothing with me to carry them in.

In the "Truly Amazing" catagory, an old fallen tree, so covered with vines that the bark is almost obscured. A click on the photo will reveal wild grapes in abundance hanging about. Leaves and moss have settled between the vines, forming a textural delight. Again, I have walked past this daily........for years. It's nice for that artists eye to have returned!

A leathery Sycamore leaf, the cropped portion almost as large as my hand. The veining and detail is just beyond me. So beautiful, so precise. To paint or draw this accurately would drive a person mad.......there is so much, so very much, to see.

I am reminded of the quote "God is in the details".

How true.

I hope you find them.......

Pax.

A Quick and Late Good Morning......(it is still morning, right?)

Before I forget......the delight of a few more WELCOMES to new followers!

Happy y'all are here!

A bit of an admission to start......I have a friend who feels the need to call me at unholy hours of the morning. Lately I have told her I need SLEEP, thinking that would sink in....... Now, don't get me wrong. I love my friends, I love being up for sunrise photos like the one above, but ever since the surgery last March, there are days when I need rest and lots of sleep, then I am up and at 'em and doing exciting things like fighting with the hand mixer and dreaming of posting some ART here again! (yes, I have some in the cellar studio....) Of course, that admission pretty well sums up my lack of a social life, but we're all friends here.....we run in our pajamas with wild abandon!!!
Anyway, I holed up in the family room, shut the door last night, made the big leather sofa into a comfy bed with hand made quilts and a down pillow and turned off the ringer on the phone.
And I slept.
A whole night of uninterrupted sleep. Utter bliss...........
That's why this is a quickie this morning because I am back to banner number two today, and need to get a lot done. I still have neglected to check the liturgical calender to see what Sunday these must be done for....I am thinking it is a week earlier than what I thought previously, which would be par for the course! So while you enjoy the lovely photo of a sunrise across the fields behind my house, know that my studio faces that field and that's where I am, stitching away like a mad woman!
I did get some couch time yesterday and knitting on the current socks; the wool, bamboo, nylon blend that I lovingly refer to as *the socks from HELL*. What is odd is once the yarn is off the needles, the fabric is soft and stretchy....just no negative ease. I think I will like them, but not sure if I will like them enough to knit with it again. They feel like they would be very good warm weather socks......kind of soft and breathy----that's a word, yes? And the blueberry/soft sky color is exceptionally appealing, so I keep knitting. They'll be posted here.
I also had someone ask about the jeans I wore in the virtual Studio Tour, and when I get a spare moment, I want to photograph them and post them.
Not today......or this weekend. Monday (or possibly Sunday---I need to check!) is DH's birthday and you girls know what I'll be doing....in the kitchen again! Maybe crawfish and jambalaya!!!
And now, to the salt mines I go.......I hope you all have a fun, productive, creative day!!!

Pax.

Late Morning....and a Walk Down The Road a Bit, Chatting

Today is officially a *couch day*. Had a guest for dinner last evening, spent all day in the kitchen and paying for it today. The food and company were most delightful....I ate entirely too much and frankly am ashamed of it today as I sit here feeling like an over stuffed Jabba the Hutt. Anne....have some control!!!! But New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and pimento cheese buttermilk biscuits, even without the other items....oh, no control what so ever. OINK. Utterly heaven.....I love Southern cooking, especially anything from New Orleans! You should taste my gumbo.

And did I mention I did exactly what my poor mother lectured me for years NOT to do? I was putting the beaters in the hand mixer while it was plugged in. Have done this all my life. Well, my right fingers got stuck in the blades and let me tell you---IT HURTS. I shut the mixer off trying to figure out how to extract them, the thumb slipped again and WHAMMO! Further in. (you know, if you're that dumb, maybe you just should wear the mixer as an odd hand ornament for a while.......)

Today I still have useless fingers and red welts. I am indeed a walking disaster area. Humorous, but disastrous none the less. The hand works......it's just really mad.

Thanks to all of you who have promoed the box of supplies give away. The response has been amazing and I am excited about getting to actually pull a number to see who wins! What fun! Maybe I should put together a second smaller box so I can pull two numbers......believe me......I could do that. I still want to win Mr. Skelly at yoborobo's give away.....he would be soooooo loved here! ;-)

Also, big and hearty WELCOMES to a couple more followers!!! Glad to have you aboard and I promise, the content will improve......not today, but it will! ;-)

When I have some more time, I will count how many entries I actually have. That's for another day though. Today is feet up, knitting, bad movies and trying to get everything from the hip down back in working order. Oh, and dinner for tonight as there were no left overs. You must be joking.....

The photos were from one of my rambles the other day; the pin oak is in my yard and the morning light sure was setting it afire. I was out in nightclothes, as usual, shooting pics of it. Thank heavens I live in the country. Obviously me behaviour would get me kicked out of a subdivision quickly!!! And we wouldn't have pretty photos to share, so this is best!

Until tomorrow, when I can have something more than brain-dribble to post here.....have a creative day, enjoy the cool and shortening days of Fall and to all of you,

Pax.

Work, work, work.......mini-rant.......work, work.....

Breaking News! Go to yoborobo for a delightful Halloween giveaway! Now!

(and now, back to scheduled rant....)

.....ACK! I am in a state of getting further behind rather than any ahead, though I must admit yesterday had it's UP moments.
Like when I was UP crawling on the cutting tables, trying to get the batting and fabric all in order, marking edges and then hitting everything with the temporary adhesive, that I am quite sure will require another can for the completion of the second banner. And did I mention that only half of the work surface is real table? The rest is home exterior foam insulation on two rickety metal ironing boards. That works fine when one stands at the sides and works, but crawling atop it.....no. Bad idea.
I am back to the exercise of crawling UNDER the table to get from one side to the other to work, which seems safer at the moment than trying to flop myself over the top. This hip business is, well, a great nuisance! And a pain in the arse...and groin too. I know, way to much info....la, la, la, la, la.......
I also had the dubious *pleasure* of spending (wasting?) I don't know how much time on the phone with a customer service rep from one of the very MAJOR credit card companies, who got themselves in deep financial ca-ca, so to bail themselves out, they have passed it on to the honest, paying users of said card, to the tune of 29.9% interest rate. Yep. Loan Sharking is legal kiddies! If you're corporate, and you've screwed up, you just pass it on to people who have done right by you since 1990. The person at the other end---and I do mean OTHER END, because he could barely understand my language and I could barely understand him!--- kept trying to get me to transfer a CC balance onto said Loan Shark Card. I kept telling him I wanted a lower interest rate and I did not carry a balance!!! He was clueless.........it was a perfect case of Catch 22.......around and around. I hung up. This was just a broad, across the board interest rate raise before laws come into effect to STOP stuff like this. Ai-Yi-Yi. Where is my USA???? Who abducted the Country I so loved growing up? The honesty? The work ethic? Oy.........
Anyway, back to the work.......I guess, in protest of said company and their policies, that I will have to ask more up front from churches I work for, to make sure all the costs are covered and use a debit card, thus avoiding adding another third onto a commission price. See, this was all going somewhere. Everything I order or consider will have to be firm in stone, which hurts my clients as well as my creativity.........I really, really detest big business. May they have the fleas and fire ants from a thousand sandy acres firmly take up residence in their nether regions. >:-)
So I'm back to the banners, which thankfully all the supplies are paid for, and the second set too, where I have paid for everything needed. Then when delivered, the cash into the account to be saved for the newest commission, a lovely wallhanging for a more modern church......I'll post the sketch when everything is finalized.
Okay, I'm off my high horse now. Or low jack-ass, as the case may be.
That wasn't even a rant......how pitiful!
I am definitely aging....... >:-(
Off with ye---find people to enter the big milagro box give away. We might as well have a little fun from the good old days of CC purchases, which are, officially, no more.
As always.....

Pax.

300th Post, A Most Lovely Award, Welcomes....Oh Yes, and a Blog Give-Away!!!

A few days off from the blog and what happens? Wonderful things! First, a most heartfelt thank you to Ces for the above honor. Please click the image and go read the post behind the creation of the award. It is a marvelous history of how this came about and needs to be read and savoured. To say I was speechless and stunned is mild. I had even debated, before receiving this, about not posting yet because I felt at 300 posts, you should have something of importance to say. And I was not feeling particularly important word-wise, or even remotely intelligent. I wanted something really soulfully good for my readers.

Maybe I have done a bit of that already.......I hope so.

I truly DO.

Another delightful duty on the blog is when I welcome another follower here, and a hearty WELCOME goes out to Sophia, who has joined our little band of mirthful mixed media miscreants! (just kidding...we encompass a LOT of different types besides mixed media and miscreants; even normal people are most welcome here! LOL!!!) Join in when you feel like it......

And now to what I hope will make me worthy of the above award. I had debated doing a give-away of a piece of art, wanted to do it before Halloween, which I knew wasn't going to happen and then it struck me...why not share some of the items I make art from, and see what happens? Why not put together a mixed media goodie box and let another artist do their thing, or share the contents with one of their friends, or just have fun pilfering the contents?

I believe artists have a responsibility to pass things to other artists; knowledge, joy, support, advice, information, love, care, and in this staggeringly tight economy, if you can do it....supplies. Now, when I buy things, I....ummmmmm....usually get a little TOO MUCH. So sharing eases my wallet's guilt pangs and makes my soul a bit lighter knowing that ALL ARTISTS are like little kids when it comes to supplies......it's Christmas morning and we're ripping into the packages at warp speed!

Therefore, I present to you:

"El Milagro's Milagro-Box-Mixed-Media-Supply-Give-Away!!!"

I know....it's a long title, so you can whack it down to fit your side bar. There are papers and fancy napkins and paint and oddities; canvas and pearls, bottle caps, things that may not be in the photo too, because I want to have a good, healthy box to ship! Oh yes, if you look close, there are 5 real milagros! (that's like parting with blood for me......)
So here's the rules to play:

1. Leave a comment and it's one entry. Same goes if you are on Facebook and don't blog, but see this. Leave a comment there, I'll count you in.
2. If you leave a comment and then have a link and pic on your blog, that's two entries.
3. If you leave a comment, link and pic on your blog, and become a new follower, THREE chances to win this.
4. The winner will be chosen by my fancy schmancy Random Number Generator (thank you Random.org!) so it is all legit.

Naturally, I won't be replying to the entry comments as I normally do others......I will be keeping count on everything fair and square, and I may be off blog as far as new posts for a bit to get some work caught up. I've not abandoned nor forgotten y'all! And I will try and visit your blogs to leave comments..... ;-)
I want everyone to have fun, and I especially want to make sure the contents go to an artist who works with mixed media, or to someone who might know another artist who would like to try it but just can't come up with all the supplies from the staggering lists of things we use.
We've all been there; one item shy for a project, and an artist friend comes by and says, oh, use some of mine. Encourage people to enter!
So please my dear blog sisters and brothers, let's get this give away info around and find the box a good home, and let the creativity begin!!!
I will draw the winning number on November 1st, All Saints Day.....because I have had the privilege of meeting so many good people in this blogosphere we call home.
Until we chat here again, which no doubt won't be long.....I bid you, most humbly.....

Pax.

It has finally happened......

.......I am having a complete and utter Blog-Brain-Blank. There is nothing there but a few disjointed thoughts pinging off the interior of my skull, moshing in my sinus cavities and generally trying to push my eyeballs out.
Are there interesting things in the studio to photograph?
Yes.
Am I doing that?
No.
The rain and cold has brought in a humdiginger of a sinus headache that has me almost seeing double. Now, considering on a good day when I go to use the camera, I don't see too well, I'm not pushing the envelope for this. Photos can wait for another day. And cropping, and reducing sizes...all the fun that goes with trying to make this blog look somewhat attractive.
Thus, the antique clip-art drivel instead. It was that or a skull in pieces, to show where all the cranial plates come together....okay, I find that interesting but I didn't think others would. Gentle readers, you ARE on my mind! (just look closely at the illustration and see which little compartment you fit into!)
I think---not sure but THINK---I have DH home this weekend, got an e-mail about firming up a commission, so that will be some online time for supply prices, and have the bank to do and a pile of bills calling my name.
Ah, the drudgery of life.........Calgon, take me away!!!! (or any good quality wine, with a nice fruit and cheese platter of course!)
So until I am a more fit blog authoress, I hope that creativity is pinging about in YOUR brains and not trying to push your eyeballs out. ;-) Or if it is, well, it's a creative push!!!
I bid you, most sincerely.....

Pax.

Milkweed and Friends.......(and WELCOMES AGAIN!)

I am not at all fond of Box Elder Bugs. They get in houses, are a pest, and generally a nuisance. I'm not sure what else they do, but suffice it to say, on my list of insects I actually like, they are absent.
So the other day I was up to my waist in the weeds, shooting photos and trying to keep from breaking some other body part (like an ankle or foot---I really NEED those at present!), and framing up this milkweed. Now, as an aside, I have hit that point in life where I *should* have bifocals, but wear contacts and am not sold on contacts with the bifocal in them, plus the migraine issue, plus, well, I'm cheap. So sometimes when I go out with the camera, I see only a portion of what I am shooting and don't really get a good look until everything is loaded up on the computer.
Many times I have looked at pics and thought, "I don't remember taking that......" (part of that could be age too....but I sincerely doubt that is possible.....)
So it was rather fun to pop the above photo to full screen and see, quite happily sharing their duplex, the bugs in the pod! It made me think of kids sharing a room; one on one side, one on the other and the imaginary line running down the middle that no one dares cross! LOL!!!
If I was those two, I'd be collecting fluff and nestling down into it to stay warm. The change in temps has certainly brought about a change in everything else, and soon the bugs, leaves, grass....everything but mud, will be gone.
Make hay while the sun shines! I'm off to get some indoor work done, and hopefully.......HOPE--FUL--LY, that will include the studio. (I still have a massive flat leaf parsley plant to get preserved or used....like, the size of a 13 gallon kitchen garbage bag. I kid you not.)
Again, more Welcomes to the blog! Hope the newest followers enjoy it here; if I forget to get to your blog, please remind me! My brain is obviously on vacation of late.....oy.
Wishes for good endeavors today, and a bit of sun, and lots and lots of creativity!

Pax.

Autumn Glory

Yesterday was sunny, windy and chilly; perfect for a romp around the acre with camera in hand. A few photos to share that need no explainations.....just that lush color and breathtaking transformation that Fall brings quietly, suddenly, overnight.
All photos should enlarge, some are quite worth the extra moment!
Have a beautiful,bright and breezy day.....
I bid you...

Pax.

Noro.....a Rainbow on the Needles...

......and a pip to knit, being one of their one ply types, but gosh, the color is worth the trouble. I did not even try to bother with color correcting the pics; the shades are so luminous that I don't know where to start. Truly, the color is much more intense than pictured. The yarn is beautiful in person.....no other company can compete with it. I have lusted after their yarns for ages, but cost always held me back. It is not inexpensive.
I remember the first article I read about it, the photos of the fibers being readied for carding, the Japanese asthetic in color blending. I was in love; L-U-V!!!
And fairly broke, so, no Noro for me.
However......finally, years later, Simply Socks has a SALE (the magic words for any woman!). And Noro was on SALE.

Okay, fess up time. I bought this at half price, have two other balls in different colors, will no doubt use them for socks too....just not now. I want to see how these wear. I chose ribbing for the back panel and kept the lace on the front; I wasn't sure about long term strength. And the lace has a lot of yarn overs, which are thin is some areas......me visualizing the worst, a thread breaks.....things unravel...I unravel!

Spinners know the travails of one ply; it twists back upon itself in thin areas. When I spun, mine was always over twisted and I had all these little knotty messes. I only had a few with the commercial yarn but you still can't be harsh--it has to be handled carefully. I think, though, after a good wash that they should be fine. 100% wool, so minor felting should occur, thus locking the fibers. (just nod your head *yes* and agree with the crazy lady with the sharp needles)

I have a bamboo blend yarn on the needles now and it has NO give what so ever. All I can say is it is soft. Have doubts about the amount of ease when finished.
This is my "sitting on the couch behaving" work. By December, I should have enough socks knit for ten centipedes. Even centipedes with my size feet...nervous energy put to good use. And the stash diminishing. Well, not that much but I can see yarn I forgot I bought, and now wonder WHY.......
The best part is when I get to knit socks from the leftovers. I like those the best--all mixed colors and solids and quirky! Like I need help in that department. HA!
So that's my contribution to the creative end of the gene-pool today; at least for the most part my legs didn't show...... ;-) Thank heaven I didn't have to post the "pasty leg alert" this time!
Have a good one and someday maybe I'll share my little cussing-fit story of doing that picot edge from the toe up. (totally backwards---it is much easier when doing cuff down! like you're supposed to)
I bid you warmth, good yarn, and above all else....

Pax.

A link for mini Christmas ornament stockings:

http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/free_knitting_patterns/2007/06/knitted_mini_ch.html

An easy way to learn without lots of committment of money and time......

Lazy, Rainy Monday

........sigh........

Sleeping in is a wonderful thing, especially when you have needed it, and the sleep was good sleep. Of course, getting up and remembering that the blog post you were going to do the evening before is not up and you can't remember what it was, well, is pretty much life as usual around here.

Normally I am very meticulous about this stuff; I may even have the next day's post in the can by afternoon so I don't have to try and type AND think too much in the a.m. I like coffee and comment replies....there is something relaxing about it.

However, today is a numb-brain day; it's raining, I have a mess of work that sort of got pushed aside yesterday due to too much time spent watching a movie, starting a new pair of socks and then seeing the Yankees win. GO YANKS!!!! Then I wandered off to snoozy-poo land, never once giving a thought to the blog. Well, I did, I was going to post the Noro socks that are done but I had to try them on and couldn't get my leg hoisted up into the usual *sock photographing position*.

I am a sinner indeed.

Forgive me.

Frankly, I need forgiveness for a lot of omissions of late---people I forgot to include in something, blogs I haven't made comments on, e-mails I have not properly answered, you name it. I've sort of gone into this zone of blinders on and too much to do.

I guess, although I hate to admit it, the thought of surgery in December is weighing heavy and worse than that is the work that must, has to, absolutely NO CHOICE, needs to be out of here by the end of November.

And I am in the normal *Mid-October-Funk*, which I am sure all artists have a time of year they go through this. I should schedule it on the calender.....it would make life easier, eh?

So this is a desperation post; maybe tomorrow there will be some gleaming tidbit of humor or knowledge or fantastic art. (and where are you borrowing any of that from Anne? Hmmmm?)

Never mind......

It's the start of a new week--go enjoy it, go be creative and take advantage of the fading days before the cold of the year!

I bid you....

Pax.

P.S. And I have done it again...forgotten official WELCOMES to new followers...I am just TOAST! Welcome! Normally it's not this disorganized in blog-land....my studio? That's another story!

Fall Rain: Washing Away The Dust Of Summer

The ventures of a silly girl, out in the rain,

armed with umbrella and camera, to record the color of the day,

and what water from the heavens does to amplify it.

Pax.

"Friendship Isn't About Who You Have Known The Longest, But Those Who Came And Never Left Your Side"

Received with great honor and humility from:

"Ces And Her Dishes"

Quercus shumardii or Shumard Oak

Dear readers, as you most have figured out by this point, there is little that leaves me speechless. I always have something to say---right, wrong, amusing, stupid, moments when the mouth goes far faster than the brain and the result ends up here. Therefore, the other evening when I received a comment from Ces to go to her blog to pick up an award, I was more than a little stunned. Ces is a phenomenal artist and extremely prolific and I have been blessed with meeting her here in the blogosphere. She is so prolific in her work, both as a nurse and artist, I'm not sure she sleeps........ ;-)

To learn the real significance of the award I highly encourage you to read her whole post; just click on her beautiful drawing and it will take you there. And you also need to read about Deborah, for whom the award is named, as she is a pillar of strength. I still need to comment on her blog, but being married to the military, my heart ached so when I saw photos of her sending her son, in the Army (where I grew up), off to war. I can't touch that right now. My husband has done media escort on med-evacs out of Baghdad, and I know what the risk is for our soldiers, and the strength it requires to be family here at home.

The award is about true friendship, of not leaving when the going gets rough. To quote Ces:

"Loyal friends regardless of race, creed, political affiliations and geography. Here, I honor womanhood and friendship and there is nothing more wondrous a blessing for anyone than for a friend who came and never left your side."

And I have discovered that more than once this year, when days were long after surgery, when I was not doing well, when cards and letters and gifts and e-mails and comments came from my blog-friends. I know what friends are.....I am blessed.

So now I have to pass this on, to truly loyal friends who have stood by me despite how long we have or have not known each other.

However, I have two male friends that have done the same on my blog and in my life, and I am hoping Ces will forgive me for being the *sturdy unbending oak* that I am and include them also in my list, as they have been as honest and faithful and as humorous as my girlfriends. (guys, that's the highest compliment you could get!)

And so.............I start..........in no particular order.

Mary Helen

Lynn

Audrey

Pam

Jean

Teri

Georgina

Linda

Gayle

Vicki

Tammy

Leslie

And my two male friends without whom I could not function, who support me like the grand oak pictured in the award:

Tristan

who very much helped me start this blog

made me laugh way too much,

encouraging me all along the way,

and to

Tallboy

who is my spiritual guide & center,

my common sense when I have none,

and like my family I

grew up with.

To all of you; thank you, bless you, know that you are being recognized for what you freely give of your hearts to others and may you feel that joy in return.

You are truly FRIENDS.

Now pass this on to your friends, those who fit the bill, who are there for you no matter what and know they always will be.

I bid you all, most sincerely......

In spiritu humilitatis, Pax.

Fiber Art, Texture, Leaves

Today I wanted to do a bit of looking at texture in fiber art. I have always loved being able to reproduce with a certain amount of ability realistic items in my fiber pieces. I use a lot of techniques and supplies. Some I may have posted before, but as a cohesive post, my outlook on the art in general may be a bit clearer.

My first photo is a sketch of pears, done with oil pastel and then stitched, fluid acrylic added for background (which the oil pastel resists), some quilting, then more acrylic paint. At the end, I have a small still life sketch, an exercise in materials.

The lily is a combination of realistic work and background abstraction. The leaves and flower are the centers of attention; I love dimension in leaves...these being two layers of cotton fabric sandwiched in felt, stitched and then a heat tool used to burn out most of the felt. The flower is on watercolor paper sent through the printer. The curve of the leaves adds a sense of the lily coming off the background, into the here and now.

These next two shots are of dimensional leaves and a flower, stitched with batting and a lining fabric, trimmed carefully, turned right side out and then stitched again to add realistic details such as leaf veins and the separation of the flower petals. Beads are added for stamens on the flowers, and set in a crystallized glue for water droplets on the leaves. They are to represent a loose form of a lily pad, set atop a quilt with silk pieced fish. Having the leaves loose above and not pieced into the surface provides another layer of visual depth.

I was experimenting with a fabric collage background when I did this small work. The butterfly and leaf skeletons are dimensional. The rest of the piece is quilted and has bobbin thread work to provide the proper texture for the fiddle head ferns. Layers of tulle build shadow and depth. The leaf skeletons hang over the edge of the background, adding a little motion to the whole...moving the view from the butterfly, to the ferns, and off the picture plane.

The next two photos are from a piece I did during the Summer Olympics held in Athens Greece. The victor's laurel wreath of tradition is pieced into the background, the freestanding leaves are a repetition of the pieced motif.

These were made from a textured silk fused to a cotton background and are quite sturdy.

The last piece is a landscape done from pieces of diverse cotton fabrics, with both print and stitch used to achieve a realistic view. It is a small piece and still holds much detail; worth a click to enlarge and see how it was put together.

I often have to educate people who have not had the opportunity to see fiber art on the difference between it and it's first cousin, traditional quilting. It is *ART*, just made with fabric rather than paint. Or it is art ON fabric, as the case of the pears, but using traditional quilting methods for texture. There are endless possibilities with these methods. I try to explore as many as possible and see what works best for whatever project it is I have at hand.

In today's fiber art world, there are so many options it is becoming hard to keep up with all of them! For those of us choosing fiber as a medium of expression--even for part of our work--we live in a time when it is exciting but also when we can get lost in too many things to try. Keeping balance and focus as to what our final outcome/goal is probably has become even more difficult.

I think there is a Chinese proverb, to paraphrase: "May you live in interesting times."

We certainly do! May your art show it!

I bid you....

Pax.

Fun With The On Line Studio Tour And Another Welcome!

Good morning everyone!
I was going to go without a photo today (posted last evening from DHs computer) but decided to share another of the sunrise pics...in fact, the sun is not even up here yet!
I had to mention how much fun the on line Open Studio Tour was, how I could have spent much, much more time at each blog or website and how I have noticed that it has connected more of us! I have a WELCOME this morning for another new follower, Janet Happy Girl! Like my header says, sometimes a miracle happens Janet, and I actually get to post some ART! LOL!!! Or I post pictures of my parakeets, and that's when I am desperate for blog fodder! (though I noticed you are a *birdy person* too!)
It has been fun seeing more of us connect, more people have their blogs visited, just more GOOD out there.
I wish I could say I had a favorite from the studio tour, but I liked different things for different reasons...I guess the one thing that was so encouraging was seeing how many artists are recycling furniture and other items to meet their creative needs, and putting their real efforts (and cash!) into their arts. I was struck by the good and inventive use of articles that normally would go into a landfill to serve as holders, storage, etc. I think, even if a lot of the country hasn't caught on, Artsy people know the value of reuse. We are, officially (because I say so!) trendsetters! We knew that, of course. ;-)
I had to give myself some down time yesterday and am still knitting the Noro socks, but they are soooooo close to done. That has been like knitting a rainbow. Plus it's feet up, off the hip, snooze on the couch, and it's a win-win situation though it gauls me that I'm not going at my usual 100 MPH pace.......grrrrrrrrr........oh well, sometimes one has to give in.
Anyway, congrats to all of you who put studios up on your blog and welcomed us in, and thanks to those of you who came to visit us; it really means a lot!
Now I'm off to see what mischief I can find for the day. Hope you all have a productive time and enjoy the new friends you have found!
I bid you.....

Pax.