Sunday, July 13, 2008

Sunshine!

We have had an entire week of sun here in the South Sound, Puget Sound, Pacific North West, to be more, (or would it be less?), specific! I do enjoy the sun, the heat is another aside but manageable! Warm nights, with long light, are an energy source I miss from the summers in Fairbanks!

Nolan has arrived! A sweet little guy, 6lbs. 8oz. I believe! I will wait a few days or a week and see if he visits us at work before I visit. I decided he was too new for me to rush in and hold when he only just left being held and in constant contact with mom! No wonder babies want to be held, all the time is seems, but it was! My support for paternity leave, guess who is best holding him the other hours of the day for a few days? Oops, off focus into political/personal opinion territory! LOL So conclusion, I will deliver the quilt another day, or give it to her when she visits work, it would be fun to have pictures of it!

The Gypsy Rose has been working, late into the evenings... and I believe I am making progress! The blue paisley element has expanded nicely, and I am still considering including the fabric (one at least!) that I specifically went out and purchased for this quilt! But if not, those elements will show up somewhere else, just like Rose!

I am also contemplating another 'set' of Rose ACEOs with the leavings from the blue paisley element that was added after July 4! It is big enough of a print that a great variety of designs will be possible! I love brainstorming!

There are 3 more rose elements I am considering. Do I go ahead and make a sister quilt using them when Gypsy Rose is moved on to the quilting phase? Or do I make 3 more pieces using each as the center creating wall art, or functional art. I just saw the possibilities if I were to say yes to 3 different applications as I wouldn't be limited to the color/design elements of Gypsy Rose, it isn't as if the leavings from her won't end up somewhere else! And I have so many nice fabrics to choose from! My mother sent me home from Florida with about 15 yards from her 'stash' of fabrics people keep giving her because they know she sews! LOL Some of this yardage will make it into clothes! Last night I picked up a skirt & pant pattern at the Goodwill for 99 cents! I am anxious to get a few things made, can I consider this destashing? If I do it feeds into the July Etsy Fast destashing challenge!

However, it does not address the 'not start anything new' aspect of my personal destashing challenge now does it? Humm... I will have to ponder that!

I am off to see what I can finish today! Blessings to all!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Long Week, limited results...

It has been a long week or so for me!

I have finished Nolan's quilt. I need to get the labeling done, and deliver it. I am kind of waiting for him to arrive so I can get to visit him, and say hello early on! I love babies! They are so 'there' :)

I was able to step aside from my initial Gypsy Challenge piece, a large pentagon kaleidoscope sort of thing, and apply the 'leavings' from cutting out all the pieces of the 'mother' quilt! I have made a series of 12 ACEOs (Art Card Editions and Originals - http://www.aceomagazine.com/page1.html). They are all fused, using a technique idea I gleaned from a conversation with a friend! I have kept a photo journal of the process and plan to post one day when I finish the series! So presumptuous of me! :)

The first ACEO is finished and listed as an entry in the Etsy Earthpath Artisans Gypsy Challenge!

Vote here - http://earthpathartisans.blogspot.com/

There are numerous wonderful works of art in a wide variety of mediums, truly look at them all! It will be your challenge to pick just one! :)

You can see them all here - http://www.flickr.com/groups/earthpathchallenge/pool/ - Enjoy!

I did not get my Hero's challenge done in June, but it is still very much on the front burner (of which I have more than your average stove!). I am focusing my July challenge energy on the EtsyFAST Team - Fiber Artist Street Team theme, De stashing! My goal is to complete as many Works in Progress to completed stage as possible Then I will select one to list as the challenge entry! FAST does not host voting as of yet, but it is fun to search the tags on Etsy and see all the awesome work! Try 'junechallenge' or last month's - 'maychallenge' the theme was storms!

I have redesigned my Mini Etsy to be in the left side bar, displaying some of my work. I am trying to see if I can do a mini with just the EAST challenge entries, but I have had enough of computers for today! I will save that for another.

I am working on the Gypsy Rose today! Blessings to all!