I did it ....my quilt is hanging in the show

I went to work today for a little while ...and got a call asking me where my quilt was ... so I dashed home and picked it up and got it there on time.

They liked it ...but I have to tell you the work hanging there and being hung was amazing....

some are very vibrant and eye popping and some were classic traditional designs.

I am so anxious to go to the reception sunday and be able to really look at all the talent we have here on the Outer Banks.

I am still working almost every day in my studio whether it is working with painting fabrics I played with some fun stuff tonight and ended up with really cool papers to use for my paper ATCS....I will show pics later....

I have made it my point to spend at least a half hour in there everyday...and so far so good.

My quilt hanging in the show just proves that dreams really do come true, i know its a small one but to me ....its huge

Blessings to you all

Recent Accomplishments

Here are the two pieces I recently finished over the last few weeks I have been off work.

The first "message in a bottle" was inspired by the words on the fabric.. I purchased a couple of years ago ...imagine, live, love, laugh ....We have a quilt show here every year on the Outer Banks and for the almost 9 years I have lived here I have tried to complete a quilt for this show.

This year I did it.. now is the anxious awaiting to see if it gets in. The fabrics are all pieces I collected over the years....my fav fabric I got to use was the antique looking shell border...that I have had for what seems forever. It all came together in a beautiful quilt .. and the embellishments add so much I think... The bottle has a organza over the top so it looks like glass.

the 2nd piece was a gift for my hubby for valentines day ....It is two loons sitting in front of a Gold Dupioni silk full moon on a piling ,,,,the loons are purple based batik flannel...(love batik flannels) and the background fabric is a brown/orange/gold batik flannel . The border I found a luscious synthetic suede fabric...feels so nice ....the piling is stipple embroidered as is the water below it. My hubby really liked this piece .. He has had good comments about most of my work lately....

It is so fulfilling to be able to create and "FINISH" pieces for once.

Being Creative saves my sanity

Last week I finally finished my largest art quilt to date..."Message in a bottle" and another for my hubby for valentines day called "looner love" two loons in front of a full moon ...I will post pics tomorrow ...as I only just got back from Duke Hospital with my hubby yesterday, where he underwent successfully another brain surgery .

I spent my time hand sewing ATCs, fabric postcards and a New Art quilt called Life ..while we were there. The above pictured pieces are Postcards I created for Surface Designs group I belong to on Yahoo...I have belonged for almost a year and have had so much fun creating these small pieces of art and fine tuning techniques. the top two are Poetry PCS, I printed pictures and the poem on ink jet artist canvas and then cut them to size to embellish.

The lower card is a Postage Stamp design the challenge was to create your own Stamp...I chose the heart it takes to love ourselves, the spiral signifies the creative spin. and the hand the means to bring all things great together. Surface design inspires us through many trades to push ourselves and spend time creating. It is why I finally thought I was ready to pursue my love of art quilts again.

I make the ATCS to give away now because I can create more of them to give than I can the small art quilts.

I was off work on Winter Hiatus as I live and work on the Outer Banks where the Wright Brothers first flew ...So I spent all that wonderful time ...redoing my studio ..and creating the pieces I mentioned above.

It is a wonder what you can accumulate in a short period of time. And after seeing what I have in my stash here I want to get into my stash that is unfortunately in the storage unit I had to rent after I closed my 2000 sq foot bead store and art gallery. I have so many bags of fabrics and stuff that I accumulated...that I want to get too...

I love to embellish my Art quilts with everything ...It is amazing where you can end up..you never know what you will use or add at that last minute that makes it just right....

So always make time to be creative ...whether it is sewing or writing a friend a lovely letter or just doodling some small landscapes...

Did I get Lost ????

Wow has it really been since October 2 since I have been here to post....

Well lets see I had been busy working managing one of the best gift shops on the beach...full time in season requires 50 plus hours a week....its alot of hours and I am a old lady but I managed to do pretty good. The Store is called Something Fishy ....and yup you guessed it we sell decorative fish things...plus beach decor, clothes ... heck I don't think there is much we don't sell. Its in a beach shack that is made up of 4 rooms and a porch where I like to sit when its quiet and listen to the ocean crashing on the beach.

We closed January 6th for Winter Hiatus... and will reopen March 1st ...But I have been going in and taking care of the merchandising for all the new product I purchased for the store in Dec.

January 7th was a big day for me ...I turned 50 years old....wow where did the time go.....

And did I have fun??? Just kidding ... John turns 60 February 21.. and our youngest grandchild turns 2 on the 17th .

So guess what I did while I was off from work.. I finally got a working studio together its not perfect but I can go in sit down and sew or work on my treasures. My new studio has huge windows I can look out while sitting there and I love to watch the squirrel races... they are so funny ... and have some little Carolina Wrens that like to come and say hi.

I belong to a online group in Yahoo called Surface Design ...and I had signed up for a lot of trades before I went back to work ...I had been unable to get them all done ...well I spent the first week off ...finishing them I made some really cool stuff. the piece above is a fractual study wallhanging I call facing Fractuals...quite interesting.

I have managed also to get two art quilts done one which is for a upcoming quilt exhibit here on the beach.. Its called "Message in a Bottle" I will post a pic later.

John and I went to Duke this past Thursday for his checkup with the radiation oncologist the one that found the brain tumor....he got another all clear...Thank You LORD....He goes again April 29th . Work is slow here right now in Construction so he has time to rest...a little more than ususal although he doesn't like it.

Winston well is Winston .. He is almost 8 months old .. weighs about 50 pounds and is one of the smartest dogs I have ever owned. Unfortunately for me John has spoiled him ... but he is a great companion for us ...and I am very glad we have him ....

I pray and hope all is well with you and yours....and keep all those whom I know close to my heart.....