Custom Embroidery / Patterns and Kits River Birch Threads on Etsy
I love to knit and to create all kinds of things.
Campanula Medium. After a bit of futzing around, I figured out a way to make these bell-like flowers, at least a stylized version of them. ...
Dreaming Cuba Tobacco Fields (detail) by Jane LaFazio It's because of Hemingway. Ernest Hemingway. Well, his house. His house in Key ...
Beautiful lazy Sunday’s ~ Almost perfect. Su x
Deborah Louie sets herself apart in the quilting world by taking advantage of all of those stitches on your sewing machine.
This post will be released on the "Sketchbook Challenge" today as well. Click over to read (almost) daily posting from 13 other artists showing their sketchbooks habits. Like everyone else, I am busy as a bee but I am also feelin' kinda lazy as well. I recently spent two weeks away from home, teaching and being a teachers aide as well as helping one of my buddies vend at Art & Soul. Wow, what an experience. I had never attended Art & Soul before and was blown away by the creative support that was evident there. From the instructors to the students themselves, everyone was so very supportive of the creative work that was taking place. I met online friends there for the first time in person (waving to Jill!) as well as friends that I had met at other creative events (Hi Joanne!). I tried my best to share the message (and website) of what we are doing here at "The Sketchbook Challenge". I feel that daily sketchbook work is so valuable to every artist. We learn to flesh out our ideas, capture new ones and try out other ideas without using a lot of our expensive supplies. I'll go back to my opening confession of feelin' kinda lazy here lately. I have some health issues that kick up their heels every so often, zapping me of physical energy. There are times that my creative energy follows that same path. I have learned a few little tricks through the years to keep me occupied until one or the other (or both) returns. Enter my sketchbook. I have found that making marks in my sketchbook will often trigger an outpouring of creative energy- oftentimes prompting the skeleton idea for a new piece of artwork. And yes, there is always the dreaded "I got nothing" day as well. I can doodle, sketch, draw, research, paint or stitch little bits of this & that only to find that nothing I do interests or inspires me. The difference between letting that stop me and plugging on through the "nothing here" days is equivalent to a body of work. "What?" you say. Well, if I allowed every "off" day to define my work habits, I would never get anything done! I think that the universe rewards those of us that keep pushing and keep making marks even though we feel totally uninspired. I'll share some of those "I AM going to draw today" marks from my sketchbook. Loosey goosie marks made by a frustrated (and stubborn) artist. This is a sketch of a wonky type flower I drew when I was trying to design a shower curtain motif a while back. Nothing that I drew suited its purpose so I scrawled out this flower in my frustration with myself. Not the flower that I was looking for to go on my shower curtain but I have since used it for a thermofax screen image. A perfect use for this flower. So - no time or work lost and a cute little thermofax screen to use in my surface design or art journal. I have been fixated on these little round flowers lately...must be my OCD kicking in, but I can't seem to stop drawing them in my sketchbook...over and over again... I will keep drawing it until I find some combination that I like or I get tired of it. Or both. The lesson in all of this is to keep making marks. You will not only grow in your sketching/drawing skills but your "stick to it-ness" will grow as well. You will find that working in your sketchbook becomes a daily habit - one that you begin to look forward to. (it also gives you a safe place to channel your OCD impluses!)
It's been a busy day, but I wanted to post something 'pretty.' Something that tells you what kind of work I like to do...aside from quilting, that is. Now, you know that I haven't been quilting in a while, but I do still consider myself a quiltmaker, however, there is nothing new along those lines in the Nest just yet, and may not be for a while to come....but there are plenty of 'little things' in my photo archives for me to bring back out and show once in a while. I don't know about you, but I tend to forget just what I have made and bringing out the photos occasionally reminds me that I didn't just vacuum or do laundry, or buy groceries, or cook, or dust. Well, you get the picture. So....here are a few of my treasures.... all living somewhere else....happily, I hope. (I do still have one larger of the blue ones, which I saved.) I do appreciate everyone who has ever purchased one of my pincushions.....as they are made with love and great care. It's nice to know they have good homes and are loved as I loved making them. I really did enjoy making this little pink pincushion...very small and narrow....but makes a statement anyway. Oh, goodness! The Tea Cup pincushion.....painted that teacup one day and saved it for probably several years before I stitched the pincushion. That was fun. The rose pincushion on a soft green background.......that was an experiment that turned out pretty good. The Heart and Vine Love pincushion....I could stitch those vines all day long, they are such fun. Then, of course, the little blue square and a rectangular tiny pincushion stitched all in white embroidery floss in chain stitch...most of it one strand of floss. Tedious....but great fun. There are more....yes...several more...that now live in other places. Silk ribbon, embroidery floss, a bit of fabric and some beads and the work of my two hands...I'm so glad I love to do this work! Today I am remembering these and as always, thinking I should be making more and more, rather than less and less. Time will tell, I suppose...as time seems to fly past more quickly each day. Sure hope you enjoyed this viewing of them......one more time. Stay safe, warm and cozy, pat PS. Next time, maybe I'll show you 'another view' of some hearts since FEBRUARY begins tomorrow!!!
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photo credit: Pinterest
