Sunday Hook-in

We had our quarterly Hook-in at Maren's art filled home. Folk art and flowers on her hooked piece in her sunny living room. Many different projects were being worked on in addition to our rug hooking.
Fran is hooking again and is working on this circles rug using blanket wool.
I got my squirrel finished up and an owl almost completed.
Maren is busy with her quilts. Here is one of her "tile" squares made with fabric from her colorful collection.
Rochelle brought her rooster for us to admire.
Sue was working on some fun little quilted pieces that she has plans for.
One of many wonderful pieces of art in Maren's home. I love this artist's work! Her name is Matti and she currently has a show up until Friday at the Caruso Woods Gallery on Anacapa St. here in Santa Barbara.
Another fun piece in the kitchen....
Here are the girls busy hooking and chatting after the delicious lunch Maren prepared for us.

Love the colors in these roses, don't you?

Artgirls gather

A bunch of us gathered to celebrate Susan's birthday in her wonderful light filled home in Solvang. Olive Rose dolls greeted us as we entered.

The table was set for our delicious lunch of red and green chicken enchiladas made by Colleen.
I love the iron work on the front door....
One of Susan's amazing paintings...love her work!
Two of Syd's fun pincushions in the newly remodeled kitchen.
So many fun things to look at throughout her folk art filled home....


Little ceramic teacups made by Colleen..
The girls enjoying lunch. After lunch and a delightful berry shortcake dessert with lemon curd topping, we had fun making enameled copper jewelry. Several of the girls took classes at Artfest and shared their techniques with us. So fun...can't wait to try some more projects.

A few Buddhas....

I've always wanted to enter this show and this year I got it together to enter a few pieces.
I made four 5 " x 5" collages and the rug hooked blue Buddha this week. 20 % of the sales will be donated to the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala, India and the Domestic Violence Solutions in Santa Barbara.
For more info. check out the blog:
http://buddhaabides.blogspot.com/

Birds from Australia!

Here is the wonderful stitched and beaded bird that Dot sent me! What a delightful surprise!
And a bundle of fun fabrics to play with and a sweet card, too.
Jacky's owl is so cute with it's little quilted wings and sparkly eyes! She even sent me a
water color for my journal and some great owl fabric, too! Thank you girls!!! I love everything!

ATC's and a visit to Zinnia!

These are 3 of the 9 ATC's that I sent in for the ATC show at the main library. Show starts on May 3 and goes to the end of May.

Sunday found us in South Pasadena at the wonderful shop called Zinnia! Colleen, Syd, and I had the best time exploring all the rooms full of amazing art and supplies and meeting owner Tamara and artist and teacher Paul Murray. Michael de Meng was teaching a workshop upstairs and we got in a quick peek at the great pieces that his students were putting together.
So many wonderful things to look at and any store that has a 'store cat" is at the top of my favorites list! I would love to teach a workshop here someday....
What a cool chandelier they created with all manner of fun stuff!
Primitive fabric dolls made by a workshop teacher...
Some of Paul's cool tin wall dolls and stuffed creatures...
Store kitty.....finds containers to sleep in...loved being petted.
a great workshop area....

Some of Michael's work on display.

Bruce Cockburn concert

Canadian songwriter and incredible guitarist, Bruce Cockburn doesn't visit Santa Barbara that often so I thought I'd better take a trip down to the Lobero theater and see if there were still tickets left. I lucked out and was in the third row! We were treated to a wonderful evening of music and three encores. Afterwards I went to the reception where I got to talk to Bruce a little bit. I got to meet him many years ago when he came to do a benefit with Joan Baez at the Arlington for Central America. He did a lot of his newest material and a few oldies that we all loved hearing again.

Busy week

It's been a busy week here. I've tried several times to upload photos and do some blogging but something is not working!
Fun party last Saturday with good food, friends, live music and dancing.

Then down to Los Angeles for my husband's mother's funeral and memorial service on Monday. It was a lovely gathering for a life well lived. My favorite part was that she was buried with a box of See's candy and her diamond tennis bracelet...so much for taking it with you! She did!

Wednesday I met with the Artist Trading Card group at the Good Cup Cafe. We have a show of our ATC's in the Main library showcase coming up, so everyone turned in 9 cards for the show. It will be interesting to see how they are all displayed in the one long case.

I also received some wonderful trades in the mail from Australia. Both Jacky and Dot sent me the coolest fiber art birds. Jacky sent me one of her fabric owls plus a wonderful watercolor, some fabric and a fun card. Dot made an amazing beaded and stitched bird on retro orange fabric. She included a pile of great fabric, a cat notepad (we both love cats) and a sweet card. They should get their trades sometime soon.

I am in the process of writing two articles for magazines and have two art shows coming up that I need to make something for.
House is still torn up and the workers are off on another job for a week or so...just trying to keep centered and keep things going as best as I can.

Tomorrow Colleen, Syd and I are off on an adventure to South Pasadena to visit Zinnia, see an art show in Chinatown and have lunch at a 94 year old friends art filled home. Looking forward to a fun day. Will post photos when Blogger allows me too!

Birds and cookies...

I think this funny little owl is finished. It will be flying off to Australia soon as well the the hooked bird below to another fellow fiber artist.
I got the legs and shoes sewn on last night, now for a party hat!
When I came home from Artfest I was greeted by the pounding of hammmers and skillsaws.
House renovations are in full swing and it makes it difficult to "sleep in" which is what I most want to do right now. Dust and dirt and walls torn up are how we are living at the moment. Eventually we will have a bigger kitchen and a more solid foundation but it's hard to focus on my art during the day....but I am still managing to get some work done in the evening and that makes me happy.
Today I am off to a Party for friends that I've known for many years. Both turned 60 and they are having live music and tasty treats at their home over the mountain in Paradise. That really is the name of where they live! Both are incredible artists and have two talented daughters who I hope are there too. I made a tray of appetizers to take with me called "Chili Cheese Squares". It's the first time I've tried the recipe so I hope they are as good as they look.

And I may bring some of these cookies if there are any left by the time I leave home.
I made these delicious Brown Butter cookies from a recipe sent to me by my friend Katie. These are the cookies she made for our cookie exchange with the rug hookers. She found it at :

http://maplesugarlyrics.blogspot.com/2009/07/brown-butter-cookies.html

I rolled the cookie balls in fresh ground Pink Himalayan Salt Crystals and they are so YUMMIE!
My son and I keep going back for just one more! Great with a hot cup of tea.
There are some more ways to make these. Instead of rolling them in salt you can roll them in sugar for a different taste. Just Google: Brown Butter Cookies for more recipes and variations.
Here is how they look just before baking.
Have a great weekend!

Hooking again!

Happy to get back to my rug hooking again. I got this little birdie hooked up the other night and now need to get some legs and feet added on. Then off it goes to its new home in a fun trade.
Before stuffing...
A whole new bunch of owls that I am working on. And just wanted to say Thank You to all of you who bought my stuff at Vendor night at Artfest. Loved meeting everyone and your kind words, too!
And I got a start on a new squirrel for a store order coming up.

Just wanted to say Thank You for your words of condolence. We will attend a memorial service next Monday in Los Angeles and say our final farewells to Dennis' mother and our last remaining grandmother.

A Happy Easter to All!

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter! I need to go make some brunch for my boys and Justin still wants an Easter egg hunt, so that will be next. It is cold and cloudy here with rain expected so I'd better get going soon. Hope to get in our annual Easter hike to go see local wildflowers and come home for a nice dinner.




Springtime flowers from Santa Barbara and made it to the beach for my "real" walk, a beautiful windy day at the coast.

Yesterday morning my husband's mother, Doris Stanley passed away. She was 86 and lived a happy, active life. She had 12 children, about 36 grandchildren and great and great-great grandchildren. She was generous and gave Christmas and birthday gifts to everyone. She loved shopping, going to Palm Springs and Las Vegas. She worked at Queen of Angels hospital in Los Angeles for many years and when we visited her she would tell me jokes that the nuns had told her. We will miss her but know she is in good hands in her new home.