Studio Color....

I've been lucky to spend a good deal of time in the studio since the last post. Granted, most of it has been this Spring-motivated urge to clean and purge (before it swallows me into a pile!) but there has been some fun stuff too.

The texture of knitting with varied yarns...oh so yummy. Can't get enough!

These fine little knit and felted hearts, pattern shared from Silke and waiting for little tiny embellishments to be sewn on. (to cover the holes where it didn't quite felt....these are a learning curve...)

And YARN! Noro YARN! 
It looks like Spring and the Summer flowerbeds and knits up soft and dreamy. A stash indulgence....but is it a *stash* item when things are getting knit from it? Hmmmmm......I wonder.....

Between cleaning and sorting, I allowed myself some creative time and this is what developed from moments well spent. I think I could enjoy a dozen cards like this. Dear Frida and the parakeet. Sweet Amor!

And this sight makes me happy! Six hats knit, and hopefully one more before next Wednesday, to take and share. Fun, funky, bright. Bringing life and light into dark corners.
Life is very, very good indeed!
Color in the studio and color in my heart~~hopefully yours too.
Let it overflow.


 Pax....

Sweet Surprises!

Yep! That says it all!!! Been a GOOD WEEK!!!

I have people to thank this week, and I need to first say I am sorry I was away from the blog and blog-land so much. I sort of feel like I lost a week~~it flew by, dragging me through the dirt with it. My plans (and I use that word loosely) all got turned upside down so I just had to wing it. I'm sure y'all have been there...
A LONG OVERDUE (bad bad me!!!) thanks first for this:

I got this from M.A. at Magpie's Mumblings longer ago than I even care to discuss. I am soooo sorry!!!  This is a sweet award for small blogs under 300 followers. At the time I received it, I think I was still in the 180-something range, then OWOH happened, then our Michael de Meng   class happened, and then, and then......well, you know how things just go crazy all at once. M.A.~~I am not even going to pretend I remember what I was supposed to list with this but to my blogging friends who have a blog with UNDER 300 FOLLOWERS, please feel free to grab this and know you are getting a dose of Blog-L♥ve from El Milagro!!!
Second sweet surprise, Laura at Shine The Divine: Creativity IS a Spiritual Practice gifted me with this: 

Sending out a big thanks to you Laura, and thank you to the folks who came by and visited! I much appreciate it! Both of these ladies have blogs that you should take time to go to and peruse at length. Totally different, both completely enjoyable!!!
Third surprise; my friend Audrey at The Magic, Miracles And Joy of an Artist completely shocked me when she made the post that the above link connects to~~you see, there was a colorwash competition in MDM's class, and *clueless* here was out in the ozone (as usual) and did not know I had won with my baby, *Crypt Corrosion*. I had won an original piece of his work, and Audrey was kind enough to write about it and wake me up to the fact!!! That is a GOOD FRIEND.....  ;-)
Soooooo, I am off again to try and dig out the studio. I have been reading a great art book I want to share with you some time next week and working on a little hand made journal, which is a post in itself...omg.......LOL! I am not cut out for bookmaking, but it is a funny story.
In the meantime,

....Here's looking at YOU kiddies!!!! Have a great weekend!

Pax....

Early Morning, Bright Photo!

I tried to pick one of the brightest pics I had for this morning; I had a late night after having the opportunity to chat with a friend I've not been able to really talk with in ages. We bemoaned the lack of time for exquisite gourmet cooking (yes, I used to do that, and quite well too!), the quality of raw food available and how a whole generation of people have never eaten *real*, farm grown, fresh food stuffs. It reminded me of how much I used to grow and how we basically spent Summer having the garden provide almost all our meals. How I miss those wonderful harvests and the incredible flavors of produce straight from the ground!
This evening DH and I are off to meet friends in Wabash for a bit--we've been trying to hook up for the longest time and with everyone's schedules tonight happened to work. Yipee!
I keep asking myself when life became so hectic, and bit by bit, I am paring down. I want quality time--studio time--time with friends and time for more work with my church.
Sometimes it is easy to be swept away by the moment and become involved in far too much. Harder still is the ability to step back and let it go. With some sage advice from good artist friends of mine, I have taken that first step and while it feels a bit odd, it is also like a weight has been lifted off me. Yes, there is still work for finishing up some loose ends, but after that's done, I will have more of my own responsibilities back and less of those belonging to others.
Saying no can be good, but let me tell you, it's hard.
Studio time is worth it though; health is worth it, peace of mind is worth it.
Now to start some serious thinking on a fiber class I will be teaching in the Fall, incorporating the elements of the outdoors into personal work. That's exciting!
And yes, I am still working on the fiber piece I had posted here earlier---the hands just have not been too cooperative. Check back in soon for some fiber art content!
In the meantime, here's hoping you have a bright and productive day, filled with beauty and creativity!

Blogs I read, and you should too!

I have to be up front that this is not an original idea.....listing blogs I read on a regular basis. Lots of bloggers do it; I suppose the reasoning is different for each person. I just like to share some of the places that make me happy, or I find good info, or are fun to buy from--good people to deal with, good people to read. And I have a lot of spots listed in my "Places To Visit......" so maybe I should mention some that I do check daily, or have just found and think that they are worthy of some extra words out here in the Blogosphere.

First is "Artifacts" where my friend Bernadette makes the most amazing things out of anything and everything. She is quite the artist and if you are looking for some beautiful and unusual work, just click and go!

Second is "Enchanted Revelry" where Tristan posts the most unbelievable vintage photos, artwork and genuinely hilarious stuff!!! Everyone on the blogging planet seems to know Tristan (whom I met through the Fiber Pirates Group) so if you are one of the few left out there who has not visited his site, it needs to be placed high on your priority list!

Third is my friend Vicki and her photo blog; "My 2009 Project 365 " which I love to check to see if her grandson is the subject du jour! He is quite the little man, and has a bit of model in him, or maybe Vicki just coaxes that out! Definitely worth a look! Plus she doesn't photoshop her images; it's just pure talent.

Fourth---and I need to state now, these are not RANKED, this is just my poor brain trying to remember who I read!---is "Leslie's New Works and Thoughts " where I occasionally get my yarn fix and get to be sure that I am NOT alone in the world of socks that take forever to knit. Leslie does other cool things too......check it out.

Fifth is my friend Marion across the pond at "artmixter " where you will find all sorts of fiber related posts, and things artistically that provoke thought. Which is a whole lot more than I do here.....I probably make it as far as provoke. :)

Lately, I was lucky enough to reconnect with two people who I had contact with on occasion and discovered they both have blogs! YAY! That means I can put them here for you to enjoy too!

"Marbled Musings " will have some of the finest marbled fabric you could hope to see, and I asked Linda Moran if I could snag one of her images to post here to show. She does wonderful things from a centuries old technique, but in different ways and using more modern methods. I have tried marbling and found that in the list of talents I was given----IT AIN'T THERE!!!! This is an art. It looks deceptively simple but it is not. So pop by and see what she does and be impressed! Plus she has a website too, in case some of the fabric needs to go home with you..........

The other lady I came back into contact with is Gayle Pritchard, who blogs at "Uncommon Threads ". Her current post is most poignant; it really hit home for me since it is about loss and creativity. I cannot recommend it highly enough-READ. PLEASE. Gayle also has a website where you can find lovely things and an Etsy store where I made the first purchase! Yay! (Tristan would approve...)
So while this post has rambled everywhere, please keep these blogs in mind for good reading or good looking.
Yes, I know I probably am in trouble for not listing more, but my brain is getting numb and I'm doing good to get this many without a major Anne-or-Blogger meltdown! (usually the first)

See if something these good folks have to share doesn't stoke your creativity today! And make sure to leave a nice comment, as we all like to know we're read....really....we do! :)