creativity in process

Much to do about...

2006-10-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

So been sewing this weekend on my new machine and enjoying it greatly. I made OLIVE! That was fun. Still have to learn where to position my left hand - that machine and I keep running into each other...I almost lost a nail this time.

I also made Sela and her mom "matchy" purses. Same design and color theme. For Sela though since she is two I had to figure out a new handle - I got some bracelets for them...so cute! I will try to post a picture in there later.

Panic!

2006-09-27T16:02:00.001-07:00

I uploaded a PHOTO...whew another thing off my list of things to do.

The list is long - I have much to do in the next month - quilts to finish, presents to make, organizing.

Just read a great post where the woman called it Clutterella. And everytime I get into a project it goes like that - something about creativity causes clutter for me.

Shopping for Art Supplies

2006-07-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Wow - I went on the hunt for various supplies for watercolor (wanted pencils), calligraphy (pens, ink and paper), and general journaling. That was fun! I wandered through my local Dick Blick for over an hour today.
Then off to Joanns and Michaels to look for a few other items - like a transfer tool. This has been my weekend for new "toys". A calligraphy pen! WOW...not sure how it and I will take but I need to try it before I take a class with Lisa Engelbrecht down in Houston for Quilt Festival. I figure if I can at least know how to hold it before I have to try it on fabric...that would be a good thing!
Then between Lisa's class and my Leslie Riley classes I needed to get watercolor paper and canvas...oh that was fun too! And then I got to looking at the flat canvas...I think those could be used (once I locate the Transfer Tool) with the photos for the artwork I have for Laura...I am thinking layers of them now!

So, that was my last "fling" in shopping for a while. The clerks at Dick Blick and I were talking...they have a hard time not buying up the store. Boy can I understand that! It was fun...but expensive. I think they should be given supplies once in a while to try so someone in the store can recommend which watercolor pencils to buy...or the papers. And then the paints...well I am rapidly getting hooked on Goldens...love those gel mediums! Amazing what you can do with them.

Thats all for now! Got to try posting a picture soon!

Kickstarting Creativity

2006-07-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

I visited www.cre8it.com - wow! So many ideas outside of my area but could be combined with what interests me.

Also, she recommended a book Art Escapes by Dory Kanter that looks great for kick starting creativity. I am off to my local bookstore because the library doesn't have it.

Oh - and www.quilts.com - the classes for Quilt Festival are out - great line up of teachers there. I seem to be leaning more and more towards outside the box type classes. Wonder if my subconcious is sending me towards painting. I might have to start painting in my journal.

Expecting steak and sometimes get hamburger

2006-07-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

Recently I have signed up for a few on line classes. Overall I have had great experiences.

Good places: www.joggles.com – been in three 5 week courses here recently – worth the money!

I will be adding in a couple more later...

I have had one bad one – signed up but cancelled before class started because of hidden additional costs but this company is more interested in the $10 I gave them than in any repeat business from me or future recommendations. So, for anyone out there if they go to a website that begins with the letter A and caters to “artists” please contact me and I will let you know if it’s the bad one. I don’t want to give them a mention because that might give them more business and you would be disappointed.

Libraries

2006-07-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Oh I "found" my library again. Ok I used to use it but found I was so bogged down with work and such I stopped going. Recently I seem to be ordering from Overstock of Amazon a lot!

Why find my library again? Well, I went to my local quilt store Saturday (they had books and patterns on sale) and found three books that were on my mental wish list. I am so glad I did. After a few minutes skimming EACH book I eliminated them all from my personal library at this time. I am not saying forever, but right now they don't interest me. One is too avante garde for me and the others - too basic or they repeat books I already own.

Well in checking out my local library website (http://www.lvccld.org/) I found out that I can 1 - view their library catalog on line to see if a book is in the system, 2 - see what branch its at, 3 - see if its checked out or available there and 4 - reserve the book and have it sent to my local branch!

WOW!!!

So, since I have a shopping cart/wish list at Overstock and Amazon I am testing this ability - was able to reserve 4 books I have been wanting (creative endevors and self help books). We will see how it goes. But even if I can't get the reserve to work the other three are FANTASTIC! To know where it is and if its there...that saves so much leg work.

Go visit your local library - or better yet - locate it on line and visit it.

Why Blog

2006-07-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Oh I can see there is a learning curve here! I just blogged and thought I would check spelling and since I have pop ups blocked - well I had to turn on that feature and I lost EVERYTHING it looks like! Lesson learned!!!

Today is just to get the blog established. I want a place where I can post my works ONCE rather than in each egroup I belong in. I guess thats a pet peave - I am in enough groups that I find the same people in and it gets old getting so many "my new work" emails with a link to their post in the group. Mainly I get digests so logging in to look at new work is a pain and since people sometimes use different names I don't always realize its the same person and same work. Plus I don't want to have to post a photo in multiple places! Why not just give them a link here?