On line classes

I've been having just a wonderful time taking on line classes at joggles.com. I finished up my projects in the Funky Felt Pin class. These were such fun - here are a couple of my favorites - the rest can be see on my flickr site.



I also finished my third project in the Fertile Earth class - It is supposed to be a Canadian Thistle but my friend Suz thinks it's Christmasy. The central floral bit is deep purple rather than the fuschia color that shows up here.
I'm off to Artfest later this week and will have tons of photos and stories upon my return.



In other news, the Bead Journal Project is continuing for another year beginning this September. If you would like to participate, I'll have sign up information here later this summer. It really is a fun project with a supportive group of people - beginners are welcome - in fact, I'd never done any bead embroidery at all when I started last year. This project gives me just a wee bit of structure that I need to complete something every month without the stress of deadlines to mail something off to someone. So if you've enjoyed viewing my beaded hearts this year and would like to try your hand at it, don't be shy - join us!

New Projects!

I've been busy with several fun little projects - the first being these 'funky felt pins', another on-line class with Susan Sorrell. Here are the bases of the pins - I have them along with some embroidery floss in a Whitman Sampler box sitting here on my desk at work just hoping to catch a few spare minutes to begin stitching.


I've also been working on Lesson #3 of the Fertile Earth class but haven't progressed very far - Here's the base of the piece which will eventually be a Canadian Thistle.

Artfest is next week! Here are the beginnings of my house trades - before and after flowers was the theme. So my 'before' flowers are paper because that was what I used to work primarily in and my 'after' flowers are fabric because that's what I do now - not very esoteric but it works.

Updated

I just realized that I posted an 'in progress' photos of the pears - Here's the completed piece.

Stitching Away

I've been busy working on my on-line class projects as well as getting ready for Artfest - why oh why do I always procrastinate, thinking it will only take a few minutes to find and gather up the needed supplies?

Here's the first project from the Fertile Earth class - fruits and vegetables.

And the project from the second lesson - flowers. Next on the agenda - fungus and weeds.

March Bead Journal Project

March is roaring by - I'm late getting things posted because that sweet puppy ate the USB cord for the camera - TWO new ones came in the mail today so I'm back on track. The March Bead Journal page is completed. There are portions of it that I'm not happy with and other portions that I really like. I'm beginning to finish the backs of the pages in preparation for binding them all into an accordian style book when the project is over in May. I should probably be thinking of a cover.

ARRRRRRRRRRRgggggg!

The puppy chewed up the USB cable to the digital camera - No photo updates until the new one arrives :(


It's a good thing he's cute!

March Stitches

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I've been working simultaneously on several project. The March BJP is finally formulated in my head and I cut the fabric and basted the stabilizer for it last night. I've been finishing up the 2nd project in the Sumptuous Stitches class but as is my nature, it is another one of those projects that has grown out of control and is bigger and more detailed than I ever imagined it would be. I do enjoy the embellishing though - the little hidden stitches and the sequins and beads. Here is the progress to date. Not the best photo in the world but you get the idea of where I'm going




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I started the class with Susan Sorrell last week and am having a blast. I love her way of teaching - "here is how to do a technique - here is how I did it, these are the things that happened that I didn't like and how I worked with them - now go do it" I work best with those types of classes rather than the 'cut the brown fabric to 2 cm by 8 cm and glue it 45 cm from the edge of the green fabric'. My first project involved designing with a fruit or vegetable and I picked pears - After a rocky start, I came up with something I'm enjoying working on - of course once again the details are what is taking a long time but I think that I'll really like this once it's finished.

A close up of some of the detail.


I've also begun work on the wedding dress for my son's bride to be - it's going to be such fun as she is far from a traditional girl. Then there's Artfest in such a few weeks - My head is going to be so full of new ideas soon it may just burst!

It's hard work being a puppy

On the horizon

I was so disheartened when the Sumptuous Surfaces class was over, I quick like a bunny signed up for The Art of Embroidery - Fertile Earth with Susan Sorrell. Here is her sample for the class - pretty wonderful no? The class starts tomorrow - I can't wait - well really I can because March is going to be one busy month. I'm also registered to take Susan's Felt Pin class at Joggles.com that begins on the 18th of this month. And I'm off to Artfest the week after that AND I haven't even begun my Bead Journal Project page for this month - well, to be honest, I have started it but the idea in my head wasn't translating to fabric (again) so rather than fuss and fume, I ripped out the beading and am starting again.

My trades for Artfest are almost completed - I waiting for some supplies to come in the mail to finish my house trades - well camp trades. For several years I've stayed with a bunch of gals in one wing of a dorm that we call "camp runamuckus" - we generally do a challenge just amongst ourselves for Artfest - this year it's fabric flowers but since Nikki, the designated camp counselor, can't let us do anything the easy way - she's changed the challenge so that we are making TWO flowers for each camper - a 'before' and 'after' flower - let me tell you - that took some thinking on my part to come up with a 'before' and 'after' but I think I've got a plan - now just to wait for the supplies.

Top it off with being incredibly busy at my day job AND having electrical problems at home and I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants most days. Perhaps this month's bead page should be about biting off more than one can chew. The wonderful thing about on line classes though is that I can work at my own pace. I can read the lesson at the office on my lunch hour. I can work on my project a little in the evening and again early in the morning before work. I really enjoy taking 'hands on' classes but on-line is so much more flexible - at least for me.

A shop moved close to my office that will be offering classes - Krazy Kat Fiberhaus. I ran in yesterday to check it out and OH MY GOODNESS it was quite wonderful. They aren't fully stocked yet, in fact things were being delivered while I was there, but they are going to be offering classes! Just look at this picture of one wall in the shop - pretty wonderful eh? The shop is just a few minute drive from the office - I can foresee myself spending quite a bit of time there.

what my world looks like

after too many hours over the beading table.