New Necklace

This morning I put the finishing touches on a new necklace. This was a pattern in an old Bead & Button magazine. However, it's basically freeform and after a while I just did, whatever I thought would look good.  The base of the necklace is not as densely beaded as the one in the magazine, and I like it much better. It has a delicate and lacey look to it. I also used different size and colored fresh water pearls. I was very excited to find extremely tiny seashells to give it a "from the sea" look.  Which is so perfect for Hilton Head Island. Now I need a name for it. Any suggestions? I'm terrible at naming things I make.

Studio tour report

Our first Studio Tour was a big success. Over 4 hundred people came through the Plantation house to pick up a map. I don't know how many came to my studio, but it was a nice steady flow. Next year, I will be sure to have a book for people to sign.

Another bit of news is, a photo of my quilt, E Lucian Le Stella aka (Tosca), is in the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra's brochure.

 

I also belong to the Art League here on the Island and this December, I will be hanging one of my quilts in the Walter Greer Gallery at the art center. I've been trying to get my jewelry in the gallery, but they only have a few cases, and so I'm on a waiting list for that. In the meantime, I will get my name out there with my quilts.

Studio Tour

In 6 days I will be in my 1st Studio Tour. Let me back track. Since I moved here to Hilton Head SC, I've joined a couple of groups. One of which is the Artist Association of Hilton Head Plantation. I'm the only quilter/fiber artist in the group,which consists mostly painters and some jewelry makers. This will be our 1st Studio Tour and we are all excited with hopes that it will be successful. So the last couple of weeks I've been working very hard getting ready for it. I even went so far as to finish some of my UFO's and a small quilt that I started in a class with Laura Wasilowski and now I'm a graduate of the Chicago School of fusing. LOL

A couple of years ago, I also took a class with Freda Anderson, who also teaches the same techniques in fusing as Laura. I finally finished that quilt.

 I can't remember when I took Esterita Austin's class, as it was sometime ago. I would love to take another class with her. I really admirer her work, especially her portrayal of people.

So after working these quilts, I decided it was time to switch to jewelry. First, I made a necklace, but I really didn't care for how it turned out. So I took it apart. I did make two pairs of earrings, each very different from each other. 

Now, back to work.

Hi, I'm back. I know it's been awhile, but it's not easy for me to write a blog. When comes to creative writing, I really suck at it. And most of the time I don't know what to say that would be interesting, funny and entertaining.  I do have some news though. I will be in Sandra Sider's book 1000 Quilt Inspiration, which will come out next February 2015. I'm very excited, and it was something I didn't expect. I'm not sure which quilt it's going to be. If I had to guess I would say it's my Via Appia. But then I can be wrong.

Fabric Dying

Last Saturday I took a fabric dying class with some ladies from my new guild. (Palmetto Quilt Guild of Hilton Head Island). It was on St Helena Island and little over 1 hr. away from HHI.  I had a grand time even though I thought I was going to drop from the heat and humidity. First we did immersion dying and I love what the final results. Here is a photo of the first half of our day.

Very very happy.

Then came the afternoon. By now I'm pretty much dragging my you no what. And it shows in my second try of dye painting and shibori. Well the blue shibori is not so bad but the folded one is yucky and so are the other 2 pieces.

I was thinking that I might use De-colorant on the last 3. 

Any way this is what I've been up to. Mean time, I am getting ready to leave for Italy on Friday. Meeting up with my traveling friends, Sisterhood of the traveling scarves. Woo hoo looking forward to it.

New pair of earrings

I just found this in my Drafts. I made this awhile ago, but I guess I forgot to finish this post. They really look great on. Here's another photo.

3 new bracelets

It's a shame, but these photos don't show how really pretty these beads are. Especially the one below with the copper clasp. The half Tila beads have such a pretty iridescence color. I love these clasps. They are magnetic and so easy to get on and wear.  

 I decided to see how this pattern would look using superduo beads instead of the half tila. It worked out beautifully. I also added small silver drops as a fringe along the edge.

Sun printing

Yes I finally got around to Sun printing. Not the greatest success. I will probably do some stamping and stenciling. Here are 2 photos.

Finished Projects and Musings about Sun printing

I've been reading a lot about Sun Printing this morning. It sounds like fun and I would love to try it. But of course the Sun isn't coming out today. It's been raining off and on for the pass couple of days. Boo! Right now I don't know what I want to do next, Quilting, Beading or now that I've take some drawing classes, Sketching.

But here are the 2 beading projects that I just finished.

Oh my! is that the Sun I see. I just know as soon as I get everything set up for Sun printing it'll start to rain.

LOL....there it goes, behind the clouds. :-( 

SAQA trunk show

One of the groups that I belong to is Studio Art Quilt Associates, better known as SAQA SC/GA regional. About 6 months ago I received a 14" square piece of hand dyed fabric and told make some art. Which was good that they didn't ask if I wanted to participate, they just said here's the fabric. Otherwise I probably would never had gotten around to saying yes or no. I'm glad they pushed me to create. Today I will send it off and it will travel through the south for the next 2 years. 

A Lantern Bead

I just finished this sweet little Lantern Bead designed by Diane Fitzgerald. It took me 2 days but I just love it. It measures about an 1 1/2 inches.

Just a beautiful tree

Crepe Myrtle

What started as a necklace is now wall art.

  Last week I started this necklace designed by Maggie Meister. It's in the Aug/Sept 2013 Beadwork magazine. Anyway, I ran into some problems with the instructions about the tubing that you have to bead around for the stem. The tubing I had was too big, so I didn't use it. I just used the soldering wire that it called for instead. After working on it for a week, and  suffering with terrible neck  pain, I finally got the stem, leaves and berries done. I thought "do I really want this for a necklace?" " Is the stem firm enough and will the berries stay where I put them, is the whole thing too floppy?"  You see, that was what the tubing was for. The soldering wire wasn't enough. OK, ah ha moment. I need to have a piece of art work by this coming Tuesday. I belong to the Hilton Head Plantation Artist Association. And next Tuesday we have to change our exhibit at the Plantation House. So I took an 8 x 8 canvas and painted it black. I made an 8 x 8 quilt, did some hand quilting, made a small quilt put it on top of the larger one and then add what was supposed to be the necklace.
Wah La ! Wall art.....I think its kind of cute.

 

So it's now April, and I'm finally back to write on my blog. It's only been two months. I guess it's better late then never. However, only if someone is reading it. Anyway, I have been busy creating. My quilt "My New Neighbors" won a blue ribbon at the Palmetto Quilt Guild showed three weeks ago. It was a wonderful show with many great quilts to look at, and my 1st ribbon from my new guild.  The following week it was in the Mancuso show in Savannah. I didn't win anything there, but getting in the 1st place is very satisfying. I really enjoy the show and of course spent a fair amount of money at the vendors.

Now I'm working on some beaded jewelry. I finished my free-form necklace and just love the way it came out. I also made a pair of earrings and a bracelet.

On May 3rd, Hilton Head Island has an Art Festival at Shelter Cove. The Hilton Head Bead Society will have two tables outside the Nash Gallery. I will be one of the members who will have work for sale.

My New Neighbors

Yesterday I finished my Quilt. "My New Neighbors". I am pleased with it, but can see where I would do things differently if I was to do it again. The background is in the style by Gloria Loughman. She is from Australia and  I just love her work. The white egret is from a pattern I bought many years ago from Connie D. Roys.  A Pine Meadows Design. I just embellished it a little. The birds flying in the background are photos that I printed on to fabric and fusion on to Timtex and than with a little gel medium glued them to the background. The grass is floppy and that is the way I want it. Just tack down here and there.

Post started on Dec. 29, 2013

Wow, where did the time go. It has been 5 months since we moved to So. Carolina and into our home. Now it's almost New Years eve and we are again driving back down south after spending the holidays with family and friends. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and let's hope 2014 will be better for a lot of the folks out there who are having a rough year.

Anyway, I have been busy settling into my new home. Decorating is so much fun and something I really enjoy. I rather do that than shop for clothes. My new studio is in one of our bedrooms and it has been slow going as far as getting it organized. I did change out the rug for hardwood, but I had to wait for the Container Store to have there 30% sale on their Elfa storage system to go sale. They have that sale every Christmas until the end of February. That was one of the things we did while we were in NY. I should be getting it this week some time. Can't wait to finally unpack all my fabric and art supplies. I'm also working on a wall quilt for over the fireplace. It's so beautiful down here. And I have been inspired by all the birds and flora fauna.

It's now January 29th, and another month has flow by. I got my storage system for the studio, and I love them. I had bought wheels for them. What was I thinking? Wrong choice. Every time I put out a drawer the whole thing moves. I had to take them off and return them. Other than that, they are great. Also the container store is a very good company to buy from. My Elfa was shipped to my house, and unfortunately one of the tops was damaged. I also realized that I wanted name tags to put on the drawers.(I'm trying to be Organized....LOL) The name tags came to, think 8.95 and the shipping was 9.00. When I called about the top I told them about the tags. They sent me a new top (I was told to keep the old one) and they wavered the shipping on the tags.  Enough said.  Here are some photos:

I also bought a portable design wall. Right now I have a quilt on it, that I'm working on. 

                          I love the high ceilings. I now have more places to hang my work.

This is my desk. Believe it or not it's neater in this old photo than it is right now.The shelves whole most of my beads,crystals and tools for jewelry making. If I tried to clean it up for a new photo, I would never get this posted. And another month will go by. 

Well that's whats going on down here in the Low country. I will try not to take so long in posting again.