Working in Ventura

This is a little page from a journal I am working on for a class offering...
On Saturdays you will find me working the register at our plumbing and hardware store in Ventura. I talked my husband into buying these owls for the store and this one has been for there for over a year. I think we sold a few but I like having this one for a mascot, at least until we get our "store cat". Our last cat was inherited from the previous owner and lived until he was 20 years old. I have friends with kittens and am waiting until they are ready to be pampered by the folks who come in every day.
The store closes at 5pm on Saturdays which gives me just enough time to drive over to Main St. in old town Ventura and check out the thrift stores. This one is my favorite...couldn't resist a photo of the odd window. Anyone need mannequin parts?
Downtown Ventura-Main Street.
Oh dear! This is my very messy work table. I now have it partially cleaned up. I have little areas for different things. Sewing machine on the end. Wool stripping on the side. Paint and glue on the other side and at least 3 or 4 pin cushions! I am in the process of cleaning out and organizing my art room. Going through all the boxes of fabric and paper and art supplies- a daunting task but needs to be done. If I do a little bit each day I can make some progress, but still it's a bit overwhelming at times and I start a new project anyway. On Sunday the boys went fishing and I got a good start on my art piece for Art From Scrap. Today I'm off to the grocery store and down to the beach for a walk. Hope you all had a good 3 day weekend.

Book report

These two books just arrived and I am having fun looking at all the wonderful fiberart from all over the world. In the "1000 Artisan Textiles" book it's fun to recognize some of the artists like Elizabeth Armstrong from Australia, and fellow Artfest teachers, Judy Wise, Tracie Lyn and Marilyn Huskamp, Sas Colby, and bloggers who work I admire as well. I think my favorite section is the felting...makes me want to get my hands wet and get rolling!
I barely got to peek at the first book but it looks like it has lots of interesting fiber art techniques to explore.

And for my evening reading I went and purchased this book from one of my favorite authors, Alexander McCall Smith. This is the latest in his series, the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency.


I got a little more stitching done on this piece. Still figuring out how to finish the edges on it.
Sent in two workshop proposals to ARtfest yesterday, will have to wait and see what happens.

Fun weekend

I finally finished hooking my Flowerbox rug! I worked on the border while watching TV in the evening and now for the backing. It feels good to get this rug completed, I've been working on it for years!

This little bird got hooked up during the week, too. Now needs to get finished up as well.

In the meantime, my oldest son, Jason, graduated from SBCC with honors and heads off to
UC Berkeley with his 2 best friends. We celebrated with a Barbeque at his friends home.
While shopping at the Farmers Market for things to bring I ran into Nina Bagley, my first teacher at Artfest and maker of wonderful jewelry and other things. We got to chat for a few moments- a fun surprise on a beautiful Saturday morning before heading off to Crushcakes for treats for the graduates and Whole Foods for a chocolate raspberry mousse cake for dessert.

Fun night out

Tuesday evening Dennis and I had a fun night out. We had a quick Mexican dinner at Los Agaves on Milpas St. and then got to spend several hours at the Santa Barbara County Bowl with lots of other folks our age (and younger) enjoying the music of James Taylor and Carole King. They played and sang together, did their own hits, danced, jumped and rocked the night away. So fun to see performers my age still having fun and dancing like kids. Joining King and Taylor on the tour are their original bandmates guitarist Danny Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist Lee Sklar. Back up singers included Arnold McCuller, Kate Markowitz, and Andrea Zonn.
The program called this a "once in a lifetime event" marking a rare concert experience bringing two of the most beloved singer-songwriters on tour together for the first time in four decades.
I am still savoring all the good music and joyous energy of this special show.

I think this is Carole singing "Natural Woman"....she looked great and danced in high heels!
Just had to show you our midnight visitor! This little raccoon likes to come in the kitty door and sample the cat food. If I don't the get the kitty door closed he will come and make a big mess.
I think I will put a raccoon on my rug hooking list to go along with the owls, squirrels and rabbits.
And back to rug hooking.....here is the back of the hooked heart-stuffed and sewn up.
Next I cut out a smaller heart shape to cover the stitching.
And here it is stitched on. The front needs a little more embellishing so I'm not quite done with this project yet.

Stitching

I started working on this little stitchery last week. I might use it for my entry to the "Green" show at Art From Scrap when I finish it up.
I got the crow's leg sewn on last night and nice to have him completed. He can stand up all on his own once his legs are placed just right.
The kitties are all cozy...sleeping on my quilts again. They look like the yin yang symbol!

Painting and Hooking

I'm still working on the suitcase project but got a little more done last night.

I hooked up this little heart the other night. To finish it, I sewed on wool backing, right sides together. I then cut a few inches in the back, turned it inside out. Next will be stuffing and adding a little lavender pouch inside. Then it will be sewn up by hand and a patch sewn on to cover the stitches.
Here is the back of the heart turned and ready for stuffing.


For the crow, I sewed on backing and left an opening on the bottom for the addition of wool wrapped wire legs.
Here is the opening on the bottom of the crow, stuffed and ready to have his legs sewn in.
Legs are in place and now need to be sewn in. I wanted to show you how I made the legs, but I wasn't pleased with how my photos came out, so I'll have to re-do that part...hopefully next week.
I'll be working this Saturday at our store so hope you have a great weekend and make lots of stuff!

ATC Trading Day

Today we have our monthly Artist Trading Card exchange at the Good Cup Cafe on the mesa.
I was sorting paper in my art studio and came across some work by Aboriginal artists from Australia. Looking at their designs inspired me to do these ATC's for this month. For the dots I used a Sharpie Poster Paint pen that Teesha Moore told us about and are fun to use in artist journals.

Blog interview!

One of my favorite rug hookers and artists, Brenda Beerhorst, has started a series of interviews with rug hookers on her blog: http://kinshipincolorandwool.typepad.com/ The first one is with Ann Wiley whose work I absolutely love and admire. Today she posted her interview with me.
If you have a minute, go check it out. I will be looking to see who else shows up next.
Brenda's blog is at the top of my "links" list to the right....
Thanks Brenda, for including me!

A new squirrel

I've been working of this little guy in the evenings. When I get a few things hooked up then I will sew them all up and stuff them.
The crow got finished. I am making some yarn wrapped legs for him and I will show you how I made them later this week.
I got into a stamp carving mood last week and made the 3 on the right. Hope to use them on some new ATC's for our meeting this week. I made the little ones on the left 2 years ago for Artfest ATC's. I cut an eraser in half for those. The Mastercarve block cuts nicely and I used that for the new ones. I think I will try stamping on some fabric this week, too.
This is just the beginning of my vintage suitcase project. I was inspired by my friend, Syd's painted suitcases and found this one at the thrift store covered in contact paper. I removed the paper and painted two coats of pink acrylic paint. Today I started to decorate...these are just sort of background designs. I will post more as it gets worked on. Old suitcases are a great way to display your work at art shows and easy to pack up when its time to go home!

A Peaceful and Happy Mother's Day to All!

With all good wishes for a Peaceful Mother's Day! Whether you mother sons, daughters, kitties, dogs, birds or whatever I hope you are honored and loved by those around you!
I am saying a prayer for PEACE for our beautiful planet and no more war-ever!
To honor my mother, here is a photo of her as a little girl. She was smart, funny, artistic, easy going and passed away way too young. Born in 1917 passed on 1966.

Here's my cat boy, Henry, posing this morning. Today Dennis, the boys and I are heading off for a Mother's Day brunch over in the Santa Ynez Valley, a nature walk and then a relaxing day.
Hope you all have a great Sunday!

Late night rug hooking

Worked on this crow late last night, almost finished. I will show you the finishing technique when I get further along.

Visited the local main library where our ATC show is up this month. I have about 7 cards in the show. A nice little display!

Hooked doll

It's amazing how much the doll's face changed when I hooked it last night! Much softer and sweeter, I think.

A few new things...

Here's the funny new owl I hooked. I decided to give him some feet like he is standing on a branch. All my early owls had feet and I thought I'd go back and try it again.
There is something very funny and odd about this doll I started to hook the other night. I think her face will change when I fill it all in, but right now it makes me laugh when I look at it. I needed a break from all the woodland creatures I've been making and pulled this out of my pile of images that I've drawn onto burlap awaiting the right moment to get hooked up.
This is the second bunch of owls that I just finished up. Not sure where they are going right now, but it felt good to get them all stitched and ready to go.
I perched this little birdie in our jasmine vine that is blooming on our front porch right now.
Family news:
Our oldest son, Jason just got accepted to UCBerkeley and is so excited! He is going with his two best friends and plans to major in legal studies. So happy for him! And it will be fun to visit him up in No. Calif....lots of cool shops and restaurants to explore on our visits.

Buddha Abides

Here are some of the images from the opening reception of the Buddha Abides show on Saturday evening.
Meganne Forbes and Daphne Kingma talking in front of one of Meganne's beautiful water colors.

This wall held the 5" x 5" pieces. You can see my funny little buddha collages in a diagonal pattern. These are just a very small sample of the many entries-photographs, fiber art, paintings and drawings that fill the small gallery.
The piece on the left is by Sukey Hughes and Sonja Lindstrom did the one on the right. Sonja was my fun room mate at Artfest this year. We had a great time getting to know one another and sharing stories late into the night.
And here is Henry taking a nap on my pink quilt.

New creatures

I finished up the squirrel and owl and have a new owl hooked as well. Yesterday I worked at our Hardware and plumbing store and on the way home went to the opening of the "Buddha Abides" show. Got to visit with lots of my art friends and stayed until 8 pm. It's a fun little show with lots of different art media. Sonja, Sukey, Pepa, Megan-all had pieces in the show. A quick stop for groceries and happy to be home.