You Can Call Me Gwen

I've Got Joy

 

In January, I had the blessing of being added to the already-full class roster of a ten week recovery program for blocked artists, just days before it started.

So far, it's been a wonderful, terrible, exhilarating, exhausting, helpful, painful experience.

And this is week four.

Since the group is larger than she normally has, our facilitator has us sitting in a rather large 'circle' made up of eight six-foot tables.

Last week she realized that name tags were necessary in such a large group, but when she mentioned it, a hand shot up and one of the participants suggested place cards for the table.

She liked that idea and we were tasked with bringing a place card for ourselves to this week's class.

Dear Reader, you know how much I love paper, and cutting, and making place cards by now, don't you?

In the following few days, I noticed my morning writing was ending with little drawings, instead of words.

 

 

Ideas will make their way out of the head, if you let them, and mine seemed to be all about having my name card include a visual representation of some of my creative interests.

It seemed fitting for this group.

Yesterday, I finally sat down to firm up a design and begin executing it.

It was delicious to be sketching again, to be slicing through paper with a frighteningly sharp Xacto blade, to be scoring, inking, shading.

It has been too long since I opened my pencil box.

 

 

(Old friend, I want us to be close again!)

When I picked up the Xacto knife... the pencil... the tortillon, I entered that strange time-warp again; three hours (which included the one for dinner-making) went by downstairs while only fifteen minutes passed in my studio.

When I was finished, I was truly pleased with the result; so happy that I was able to execute the idea which had come to me.

I was actually joyful.

For. One. Split. Second.

And then Fang started to speak...

"Are you kidding?! Look at that thing! She didn't say to do anything creative, just to bring a place card."

"Oh my gosh! That thing is huge!"

"What a big show off!"

"You are just way over the top."

"Those women are going to hate you for showing off like that."

"You aren't really going to take that big, showy thing, are you?"

And on, and on, and on.

I felt my joy slipping away.

Until today.

Today I reached out to "Jesus with skin on": I showed my place card and I shared my battle with some people I trust.

And their answers came back.

"So lovely!  'Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.'" (C.S.Lewis quote)

"Wow! That is VERY cool!!! It would be a real shame to let the thought of other people's reactions stop you."

"You will inspire them."

So, tomorrow, Dear Reader, I am taking this "huge, show-offy, over-the-top" place card, which is actually just a visual representation of some of my creative joy, to group with me, because when Fang was turning up the heat to steal my joy and I was stumbling around trying to fend off the lies with the truth...

 

 

...I had help.

 

 

 

Potty Humor

 

Yesterday and the day before, Prince Charming and I got very messy, very hot, very tired, and kind of sore transferring the contents of these paint cans...

 

 

...to the back side of our two-story house in the Oklahoma wind and unseasonably high temperatures.

So, today we decided to take a break from that (really big) job and concentrate on getting ready for weekend festivities (Miss Helping Hands is receiving her master's degree) and the house guests we'll be having for them.

We  moved Phoebe out of the guest room (sorry, Pheebs)...

 

 

...so we could dust and vacuum and put fresh sheets on the bed.

 

 

I cleaned the guest bathroom and laid out some fresh linens.

 

 

Everything is now ready.

But, let's go back and get a little close-up on part of that bathroom, shall we?

Usually, when I'm preparing the guest bathroom, I just give the toilet paper this nice little fold:

 

 

But, I've been working really, really, hard and getting really, really hot and messy and I was starting to get really, really grouchy from not doing anything creative.

So, this week's guest isn't gonna get some sweet little hotel schmotel toilet paper fold.

No, this week's guest is gonna get this:

 

 

'Cause that's how we roll.

Show Up

 

I am thinking a lot about discipleship and discipline today.

Early this morning, after a too-long hiatus, I wrote my 'morning pages' (as prescribed in "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron).

I wadded up and threw away the pages when I was finished, as I had not written them in a private notebook and they are not even meant for the kind of rereading a personal journal might merit.

But the wildly varying and random thoughts which were scribbled in my stream-of-consciousness writing this morning, included some which revealed discouragement about the ratio of 'years travelled' to 'distance travelled' in my walk with God.

I wrote down the thoughts which followed those, too, and they were all about the conversion of C.S. Lewis and how, afterward, his life and work were so completely devoted to Christ and to spreading the gospel.

Of course, the next thoughts to hit the page were about how abyssmal my own scrawny devotion is and how seriously my life and work are lacking in fruitfulness.

Do you see why it is a difficult discipline to do the morning pages?

Later in the morning, feeling the need of extra heart-help as I prepared to do my Bible study lesson, I grabbed a devotional book that I read only occasionally.

Here is a portion of what I read in the May 2nd entry of "Daily with my Lord" by W. Glynn Evans.

"This also means that I must forget comparison with others. Comparison means we are at the same point, on the same level.  But no two children of God are ever at precisely the same point or on the same level.  I must not, therefore, compare myself to David Brainerd, Henry Martyn, or Jim Elliot. I must only ask God if He is satisfied with my progress at a given moment,  If He is, all is well, even though flaws and specks appear in my makeup."    

I broke into tears when I read that. 

All that I had 'dumped' in my morning pages came flooding back to me, and I heard God say (again!), " You do not, but I feel kindly toward you, Naomi."

So, I'm thinking a lot about discipline and discipleship.

If I hadn't shown up for morning pages (which is a discipline for my creative life), would I have been conscious of those discouraging thoughts?

If I hadn't shown up for His touch through His word, would I have gotten His light on those thoughts?

And yet, it's still hard to show up.

It's hard to show up to create; to write, to draw...

 

 

...to play or write music.

 

 

It's hard to show up to spend time with God; to listen, to read, to pray, to study.

 

 

 

There is resistance.

But there is Someone who feels kindly towards us, and when we show up...

...we find Him waiting.

 

My Vacation Pg. 29 By GweNaomi

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Help, I'm Cracking Up!

 

It's been a little (very) tough for me to squeeze in much 'art time' since I started my new job and work schedule.

In fact, this week I wasn't able to squeeze in any at all.

Last night, exhausted and with an aching back, I sat on the sofa and realized I hadn't even managed to do any lessons from the book we're now using in my Friday morning group.

I felt frustrated, cranky, and miserable, and I was just too tired to climb the stairs to my studio and do anything about it.

And then I remembered an easy little drawing project I'd been wanting to do.

I took the ten steps to the kitchen, got a Sharpie marker from the drawer, and took the eggs out of the refrigerator.

I sat at the counter and did this:

 

 

I was laughing, when I put the lid on the carton and put it back in the refrigerator.

I figured I might be waiting a few days for Miss Helping Hands (our main egg-eater) to discover them, and was just hoping I'd be nearby when she did.

But...

Tonight Prince Charming decided we should have what he refers to as 'big breakfast' for dinner.

All four of us went into the kitchen to prepare food, but I just sat at the counter and played with my phone;  I couldn't get away with hauling the big camera in there, but I figured I could start snapping pictures with my phone without much to-do (this explains the upcoming poor photos).

I was so surprised by Miss Helping Hands reaction when she opened the eggs.

She literally pulled her hands away from the carton like she'd been burned.

 

 

"Why do they have faces?!"

 

 

"These are hilarious, but I can't crack them now."

 

 

"When I first opened them, I thought you were doing an art project and had just left it in there."

"Really.  I can't crack them.  They have faces."

Good thing Miss Mary Mack was home.

She didn't mind cracking them one little bit.

 

 

She liked playing with them, too.

 

I actually felt sad after dinner when I saw this:

 

 

When I pointed it out, Miss Helping Hands tried to bring comfort.

 

 

Yep.

I'm cracking up.

The yolks on me.

It was an eggcellent dinner, but it's ova.

Shell I stop with the puns now?

I will.

But only because I'm so tired...

...my brain is just fried.

A Herd of Swine

 

Don't ask me why, when a friend invited me to a sale being held by her miniaturists group, I was attracted to a baggie full of little plastic pigs in various shades of white, pink, and tan.

I don't know why.

But I bought it.

And I brought it home, emptied it out...

 

 

...and lined up all the little piggies in a row on the kitchen counter.

Prince Charming scratched his head.

Miss Helping Hands was delighted with the little piggies.

The little piggies made me smile.

And then a friend came along and said, "What's with the herd of swine?"

It took me a little while, then, to recapture my happy feelings about my little piggies.

I moved the herd of swine to the mantle and lined them all up in a row.

A couple of weeks later (dusting time?), I moved the line of piggies to the top of the television.

Then Miss Helping Hands and I decided to take turns moving the herd of swine every week or two.

Don't ask me why.

I don't know why.

But, move them we do, and I always enjoy it.

Today, the herd of swine is in a three-part lineup on top of the drawings of the Shoots' left eyes...

 

 

...and the drawings of the Shoots' right eyes...

 

 

...and the paper cut of The Beetle's Devotion.

 

 

I'll let you know when they change locale.

Unless, of course, they wind up in the sea.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

 

When Baby Girl and her brother spent the night Friday, Creative Genius was watching her perpetual motion and - noticing how she stills bumps off of one piece of furniture and into another - said we should call her 'Pinball'.

We settled on Ping, but we haven't told her parents yet (shhhh).

Today, I feel a little Ping-ish myself.

Aside from my usual hundred-different-projects-going-at-once, my mind is everywhere too; bouncing off the mental furniture of a thousand different thoughts.

Sitting on the shelf over my computer desk is a pencil drawing I did in class years ago.

I had to cut a small picture from a photography magazine and draw an upscaled version.

When I sat down to write this morning, I looked at this sketch and wondered for the umpteenth time...

Who puts a model in a pose like this?

Who on earth would ever strike this pose naturally?

Try it.

It's ridiculous.

And it bothers me every time I look at it.

-------

 I was thinking about my left-turn-bay pennies this morning.

I don't know how it started, but I have a growing collection now.

Yes, of course this collection is completely different and separate from my Rescued Coin Collection. Of course.

 Next time you are stuck at a red light in a left turn bay on a busy city thoroughfare, open your door and see if there is a penny laying in the street.

If there is, pick it up.

Wahlah!

You're on your way.

------

Speaking of Ping's sleepover last Friday, she wasn't very happy to wake up to no Daddy...

...but she was still beautiful.

Her brother arrived carrying this suitcase:

I think he told me it was his mommy's when she was a little girl.

But, I know he told me that it says, "I'm going to Pretty's".

These parents nowadays! They lie to their children! I love it.

He was a lot happier to be here in the morning.

I wish they lived down the street, so they could come over and play for an hour when I take my lunch break.

This swing and its shadow...

...look so forlorn.

------

Speaking of shadows...

This morning I was enjoying the shadow of our one-of-only-two-blooming-tulips, almost as much as I was the tulip itself.

Perhaps it's because I'm drawn to silhouettes.

And perhaps I'm drawn to silhouettes because I like to make papercuts.

I'd like to do a papercut of this March Hare before the month is out:

And I'd like to do a few roosters...

...in case my Chicken-Raising-Seester might like to have one.

I guess the silhouette-cutting falls in line with my recent fascination with drawing blind contours; there is something nice about working with just the shapes of things.

Unless, of course, the thing is me.

------

The rain we've had recently has put the herb garden in fine shape.

(Or was it the work Miss Helping Hands and I did cleaning out the flower and herb beds this weekend?)

The rosemary is already wonderfully aromatic...

...and makes me dream of warm loaves of rosemary bread.

And butter.

The Greek oregano...

...which usually monopolizes the little bed it lives in, has been downsized by the prolific thyme plant next door.

I love the texture of the plant's leaves, but I can't really use this much thyme.

Unless, of course, you Dear Readers have some fab recipes to share with me.

And the recipes call for butter.

------

I've been working on new shelving for my studio; customizing the dimensions for the supplies I actually have and use.

I found a couple of bare-naked shutters at the thrift store awhile back and bought them because I-had-no-idea-what-I-would-do-with-them-but-I-felt-like-I-needed-to-buy-them.

They are becoming doors for two of the shelving units.

I've got the pieces all built and painted, and they've been sitting in this corner 'curing' for a few days.

 

Yesterday, I added a striped background to the open shelf I made (no door).

I didn't want to paint on the wall, so I decided to glue paper to the backside of the shelf.

I was going to use nice art paper, but when I discovered that the poster board was sturdier, almost the same color, and would only cost $1.50, well, I signed up.



(Recognize the color scheme? Kids shouldn't get all the good stuff!)

Today I am adding the catches and hinges...

...and hoping to get these units actually hung on the wall.

Gotta get out the stud-finder.

Though, I know the stud I really want is at work in a tall building downtown.

Perfect Fear and Blind Giraffes

 

"Usually, when we say we can't do something, what we mean is that we won't do something unless we can guarantee that we'll do it perfectly."

This quote, from The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, rings true too often in my artistic life.

I'm a recovering perfectionist, so I am very glad that the lessons in the drawing book I'm currently working through (with loving prodding from my accountability peeps; you know who you are) seem geared toward those who are struggling with the same debilitating disease (yes, that's how I feel about it).

This week, I had to draw blind contours of giraffes.

That is, I had to draw contours of giraffes while looking at pictures of them and not looking at my paper.

Since there was no way the drawings could be perfect, all the pressure was off from the get-go, and I totally loved doing this assignment.

What's not to love about an assignment which is done on plain white card stock with a fine-point permanent pen (hello, Sharpie!)) and includes photos of an animal I actually like?

The results made me laugh, too!

Some of my giraffes had pretty thick necks, and some were just plain lovable - like this guy at the top right:

I liked two of the head-only contours well enough to go back and add some interior lines (the interior lines on the right-hand drawing were not done blind).

The lesson includes the suggestion that you take the blind contour drawing a step further by drawing three contours right on top of each other: looking at the paper only long enough to start the second and third drawings in the same place as the first.

I was amazed at how close in size my three drawings were:

I learned so much by doing this little exercise; things about giraffes, things about my skills, and things about fear and fun (they're not on friendly terms).

I'm going to pack up all the things I learned, along with my pencil and sketchbook, and I'm going to take them to the zoo next week.

Miss Helping Hands and Little Man will both be on spring break.

I want to show them the blind giraffes.

The Circle of Life

 

(I'm going to give all of you creative Dear Readers some more time to come up with captions for my last post. I know you're all working on it. Meanwhile...)

Twenty-two years ago I was making many little sundresses from this pattern...

 

 

 

...for my own baby girl.

Tuesday, during the very long, tense tornado watch, I got out this pattern and made a little sundress for another Baby Girl.

This fabric, which I purchased to add a spot of color to the bridal shower food table,...

 

 

 

...was bought with this companion fabric so I could use it for Baby Girl's sundress.

 

 

 

It's a lot wilder, and in a different color scheme, than I'd normally choose, but Miss Helping Hands reassures me that "it's summery and it's really cute".

I do so love this pattern.

 

 

 

I love the pocket details.

 

 

 

And I love the back; especially when it's lined with a contrasting fabric.

 

 

 

Baby Girl generally wears a headband with a ribbon or some other fanciness on it, so I used some of the leftover fabric to make a matching flower.

 

 

 

 I'm going to sew a clip to the back of it so it can be attached to a headband.

Although the dress is a size 1/2, it still looks big in comparison to Baby Girl.

I'm anxious to see how it fits.

And if it does fit...

 

 
 

 

...look out.

I'll be putting the pedal to the metal on that Bernina. 

Your mission, should you decide to accept it...

 

...is to help me write the captions for these cards I told you about in my last post.

I managed to get nine of them made before the sewing bug bit and I went on to other things.

I know you are a creative bunch, so let me hear from you.

I'd like to send a couple of these out to one of you Dear Readers, as a little token of thanks just for being there; I talk to myself a lot, but it's much nicer to talk to you.

Just mention the picture number for which you are writing a caption, and we include your name in the drawing.

 

#1

 

 

 

#2

 

 

 

#3

 

 

 

#4

 

 

 

#5

 

 

 

#6

 

 

 

#7

 

 

 

#8

 

 

 

#9

 

 

 

Here's the little inchie to represent all the fun I had cutting and pasting.

It's one of my favorite images from the book because, yes, it was upside down there, just like it is here.

 

 

 

And, you know, a new perspective can be quite refreshing.

The Inchie Project 2011 - April

 

 

April went by.

And I think - though I could be wrong - that it went by faster than any month ever has.

Speed and content, however, are two entirely different things.

The month was jam-packed with blessings.

 

 

 

Just as they all are.

Inchie Roll Call

 

I'm finishing the roll call on April inchies; at last!

 

For some reason, the past three or four weeks of my life have been extremely full.

So when the Prince and I had a little time to curl up together and watch a Masterpiece Theatre presentation on the 17th...

 

 

 

...we really enjoyed it.

-------

The Monday following Easter I was a little late for work.

I was fretting about it, because I had simply mismanaged my morning and I felt I should have been more careful.

Until I pulled into the parking lot at work.

I pulled in alongside two geese and their seven goslings, who were taking a little stroll on the premises.

I stopped my car, rolled down the window, and got out my little camera.

They stopped as soon as I did, and I worried that I was frightening them.

Then I realized the adults were simply letting the kids refresh themselves in the little puddle of water left by recent rains...

 

 

 

...and I knew I'd arrived at work at precisely the right time.

By the time I had parked my car and walked across the parking lot, the little family was exploring the courtyard near the entrance.

 

 

 

The goose on the left appeared to be standing guard for mama and babies.

I knew for sure that he was when I had to pass nearby and he honked out his warning.

 

 

  

"I'm sorry, feathered friend, I've just got to get to the door."

I think I prefer to remember them...

 

 

 

...at the swimming pool.

------

I had a "first" with Baby Girl on the 26th.

It was our first time to keep just her little sweet self.

Little Man was being treated to his first theatre movie, and we were being treated to some one-on-one time with our favorite little girl.

I like to bathe the grandshoots when I have them; I love the smell of all those baby soaps and shampoos.

 

 

 

And who can resist a freshly bathed baby in a sweet little nightgown, playing with her chubby little toes?

 

 

 

"Not I", said the Little Red Hen.

-------

We ended up our April with a short visit from my Leetle Brudder, and the beginning of a week-long visit from my Beeg Brudder and his Bride. 

The first night they were in town, we met  for dinner at our standard Friday night spot with Beeg Seester and Bro.

Beeg Brudder slipped me a quilting magazine and said, "I think you'll be really interested in the contents of this magazine."

He had tucked this incredible woodcut inside:

 

 

 

 

Does the design look familiar?

He is a Dear Reader, and he took the design from the post about this papercut I had done (the pattern for which came from this wonderful blog):

 

 

 

Oh, I love to be loved!

My brudder has some mad skills; this is the same brudder who made our family bench.

 

 

 

...with our wedding date and the birthdates and birthstone colors of each family member.

 

 

 

(He sells these, by the way, should you be interested in having a treasure like this for your own family.)

(Hmmm. I don't know how he got my birth year wrong. I'm only 30...)

He brought the bench when he visited last Mother's Day, and the Hedgehog Love woodcut when he visited this Mother's Day.

 

 

 

I am trained now.

And I can't wait for next Mother's Day.

------

It was small thing, in the way of return, but I had them over for homemade pizza on the 30th.

The Prince (and most of the male shoots in the family) like to have their pizza made with meats, cheeses, and marinara sauce.

I like to make my own pizza with homemade pesto sauce and piles of fresh vegetables.

A little bit of cheese just to hold things in place and...oh-my-yummy-goodness!

 

 

 

What a way to end the month; delicious food shared with beloved people.

I like that.

An Interview With Annski - Tote Bag Tutorial

Hello, Dear Readers, and welcome to Gwen's first-ever interview with a guest blogger.

After Dear Reader Annski gave every member of our book club one of these awesome totes...

 

 

 

...made from recycled pet food bags in March, I've been thinking it might be nice to get the back-story on these little beauties and their maker.

Annski generously agreed to visit Gwen's studio for a Q and A session in mid-April (um...nearly a month ago!) and I finally get to share our conversation with you.

So, without further ado, here we go!

Gwen: I've been really impressed by both the artistry and skill of your sewing, Annski. (I'm not sure whether I really said that, but I meant to). Just how long have you been sewing? (I did really say that.)

Annski: Hmmmm. For about 50 years. My mom started teaching me when I was about four or five years old. We made Barbie clothes on her Singer featherweight.

Gwen: Zowie! That is amazing! Barbie clothes at age five?! Did you continue to sew all through your life?

Annski: No, not continually. I got my first machine when I was thirteen or fourteen; mostly just to show my teachers I could sew better than they were teaching. I started sewing some of my own clothes then.  Remember the skirts with multiple tiers we used to wear? I made some of those.

Gwen: I remember! And the peasant blouses...they've all made a comeback or two since then (though I don't know how this is possible since we're still so young). So, you made your own clothes?

Annski: I made some of my clothes at that time, but I didn't sew during my college years. I began doing a little sewing again when my son was young. I did some hand-smocking back in...83? Then my mother-in-law, who was a crafter, started giving me things to make and sell in gift shops. That put me in touch with Homespun Memories(etc)and I sewed collars and jumpers for them.

GwenGwen: I did that too! All those jumpers were sold at craft fairs...I wonder how many I made. My "jumper money" paid for my Bernina sewing machine. I've always been glad I did that.

Annski: Remember the watermelon collars?

Gwen: Yikes! I do remember! Although I can happily report that I never wore one, lol.

Annski: After the jumper/collar phase, I began making a line of coordinated accessories for a gift shop in Nichols Hills. There were all kinds of zipper bags and covers for things; including fabric phonebook covers! Guess there wouldn't be much call for those anymore.

Gwen: Aha! That's why the little zippered wallets you make look so professional. I was pretty well amazed at the one you gave to me. I'm still waiting for my matching phonebook cover..

Annski: Well, I pretty much gave up sewing when I discovered the computer.

Gwen: What do you mean?

Annski: I started making lists.

Gwen: Lists?

Annski: I'm an inventory freak. The first electronic list I made was an inventory of all our VHS tapes.

Gwen: Oh, I know a little bit about your inventory compulsion. Tell my Dear Readers about the fabric inventory you started keeping when you began sewing again recently.

Annski: I use a program for my iPad for that. I take a picture of each piece of fabric I buy and I make notes about the color, manufacturer, and where they were purchased, etc. That actually does keep me from repeating a purchase when I am collecting pieces for a quilt.

 Gwen: Let me interrupt. You don't just take a picture. You set up a "jig" so that all the photos are taken from the same distance and include the same amount of fabric! You texted me a picture of it and said, "I set up this jig to take photos of my fabric. I imagine it's along the same lines as the way you photograph your inchies." I laughed for a long time on that one! I don't even know what a jig is! My poor inchies each get set on the same piece of paper for photographing, but that's where any consistency ends! Annski, do the letters OCD mean anything to you?

Annski: Well, yes. But in a fun way. My inventory lists are important because my general thinking is: "If I don't have it in a catalog, it doesn't exist."

 Gwen: Lol! Okay, finish telling the Dear Readers about your fabric inventory.

Annski: Hmmm. When I first starting buying fat quarters (when I got hooked on quilting), I would enter the color by name...say, "light green" or "brown". But I quickly realized that there are so many shades and values to every color, that these words weren't going to be sufficient for my purposes. So I got out a color fan-deck, like the kind used in paint stores - and I began to assign each piece of fabric a color number, instead of a name. This way I know about the color value of the piece, rather than just that it's "brown" or "orange".

Gwen: Omigersh! You're kidding! Annski, do you have as much fun sewing as you do buying and keeping inventory of your supplies? It's hard to imagine...

Annski: Yes, I do now. Because I like completion now. I used to have all kinds of stuff, but not many truly finished projects. I had all 329 colors of floss when I did cross stitch; even baby-barf yellow, lol. Then I bought a lot of the colors Fimo clay came in, and a lot of beads for jewelry-making. The first time around with quilting (in 1995), I bought all the fabric to make these big quilts and wound up only doing enough to make throw pillows. I did the same thing with yarn and afghans. I just wasn't much of a finisher.

Gwen: So, now you're back into sewing and guilting and you are quite the finisher! What changed?

Annski: Well, I started reading your blog. Then we became friends. And the first time we went to the quilt store together you said, "Now hurry up and get that project done, because we can't go to the quilt store again until it's finished". Your blog just inspired me to complete things.

Gwen: I sure talk big! But, apparently, you missed the blog post about my eight or ten unfinished quilts...

Annski: Lol!

Gwen: From quilts to totes made with pet food bags, is quite a stretch. Can you tell my Dear Readers what inspired these bags?

Annski: At Ikea they have bags in the store to use while shopping, and they're made from the same "fabric" as the pet food bags. So I started looking at all my pet food bags...

Gwen: And?

Annski: I saved thirty empty bags before I actually made any totes. I do love an inventory. After I had about thirty empty bags stockpiled though, I caught my husband sneaking the bags off to the trash. I figured I'd better get busy.

Gwen: You made thirty tote bags? Do you have any left?

Annski: I gave them all away. I had to save another bag to make one for myself!

Gwen: I'm sure glad you gave one to me, but I know exactly how that goes! Are you saving pet food bags again, or is it "been there, done that" for you?

Annski: I got used to mass production. I'll probably be compelled to save them while I'm waiting for a new idea.

Gwen: What's up next for you?

Annski: Quilting is gonna get big. I want to make an OKC Thunder spread for my son. I keep thinking about concentrating on one medium. I have an intense paper inventory. I plan to thin the herd, pick the best of the rest, and then learn to sew paper. I'd also like to get back to Zentangle. And I did knit and crochet a bit...

Gwen: It's nice to know I'm not the only one who wants to do everything, lol.  Back to the bags... You've been kind enough to post on your blog a step-by-step tutorial for making totes from recycled pet food bags. What level of sewing expertise is necessary to complete this project, and is there anything special we should know before starting?

 Annski: I would say beginner to intermediate. I used nylon filament thread to sew mine, for durablity and because I didn't have to be concerned about color that way. I had to adjust the tension settings on my machine for the thread, so that's something to be aware of. Otherwise, I think the tutorial will see you through.

Gwen: Well, I think this wraps up our interview. Thank you so very much for sharing a bit of your life and this great tutorial with us. And if you ever run out of things to inventory, I've got this closet in my studio...

 

 
  

...and I no longer know what's in there.

Produce Sticker Collection

 

 

It's been awhile since I updated you on my growing produce sticker collection.

And since I've been thoroughly enjoying the sweet, sweet oranges we've had lately...

 

 

 

... and I've been eating so many salads that I actually got to add a new bell pepper sticker to the collection...

 

 

 

...I thought it might be time to post this.

There are little bits of art where you least expect them.

Good Times

 

Have some fun along the way.

Because sometimes the way is long.

I took Me Darlin' Mither to an appointment on April 7th, for which she needed  $50.

Because I was a little late coming from work to pick her up, I told her she could just borrow the two twenties I had with me, add the ten she had with her, and we would stop at the bank after the appointment to get her money.

We were well on our way home after the appointment when she realized she'd forgotten to stop and make her payment.

I told her I was just sure they would understand if she called and explained, and I offered to write a check and send it off to them (Mither is legally blind and can no longer write checks).

I also told her I was just too tired to stop at the bank, and I would catch up with her later about paying me back.

She said, "I don't want to be completely without cash, but why don't I at least give you these two twenties. Then I'll just owe you the ten."

Pause.

"Um. Slick, Mom. You're going to pay me back for the check I'm writing for you with the cash I just loaned to you? And they talk about people taking advantage of the elderly!"

Me Darlin' Mither was horrified at her mistake.

 

 

 

 

But we laughed for a long time.

From Screech to Exquisite

 

Bittersweet.

Some things in life are just that.

When we went to see Miss Helping Hands play in the last concert of her school career, the experience definitely qualified as bittersweet.

For twelve years, from the screechy notes when she first picked it up in the fourth grade, to the powerful performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture in the final concert of her senior year at university, Miss Helping Hands has been playing her violin in school orchestras; and we've been in the audience marveling.

 

 

 

 

Now it's over.

 

 

 

 

And twelve roses, for twelve years of beautiful music, only begins to represent our gratitude.

We Play Games

 

We play games.

We play lots of games.

We play games nearly every time two or more members of the family are together.

Miss Helping Hands and I play Big Boggle.

The game is not available in stores anymore and somehow, over the years, our two sets of Big Boggle letter cubes have gotten all mixed up and we've had to play with a compromised set.

Compromise is not a good thing in this case, so I scouted around on Ebay and found a used-but-complete game for sale (at a GREAT price!).

It arrived in April 4th's mail.

 

 

 

I just know this means I will win more games against Miss Helping Hand.

I just know it.

-------

The Prince was out of town for several days at the end of the month, and the male shoots were ever-so-kind and conscious of the fact that it was probably the first time ever for me to be all alone in The Big House.

Smirkins came over for the evening on the 28th, and we set up the card table on the porch, played several games of Sequence, and enjoyed the fine weather and each other's company.

 

 

 

 

Because I'd nearly cancelled our plans earlier in the day - when I was briefly overcome  by all the things I had on my to-do list - we got to discussing some of the things that were on my list.

Actually, he asked me to tell him what it was I had to get done.

And then he said, "Let me help you. I'm here, Mom, and what do I have to do? Let's get something crossed off the list."

He helped me wrap some gifts.

He cut down a cardboard box, so we could use it to mail those gifts.

And after we'd wrapped, taped and addressed the package, he said " I'm going to go put this in your car so it will be there when you're ready to go to the post office".

Here is some advice, Dear Readers:

If you're still young, have kids.

And if you have kids, have nice kids.

It's pretty wonderful.

Making and Re-making

 

Besides being full of giving and receiving (heavy on the receiving), April has also had a big dose of making and re-making.

I found a white wicker shelf at the thrift store one day and it was such a throw back to my childhood years that I felt compelled to buy it.

We never owned one; my mother (rightfully) thought they were terrible dust collectors.

This one had collected a lot of dust over it's many years, but was otherwise in good condition.

 

 

 

Since I'm always needing shelving/storage in my little studio (and I prefer to rescue, rather than buy new things)...

...and since the price was right...

 

 

 

I brought this little baby home and got out my trusty black spray paint.

There wasn't quite enough in the can to finish the job, so I had to run the hardware store for more.

Now, some people get light headed and dizzy when they use spray paint.

I get light headed and dizzy when I stand in front of the spray paint display.

 

 

 

Oh, my!

I can't tell you how long it took to tear myself, and my overworked imagination, away from this!

The little shelf was painted on April 12.

 

 

 

 

It's still sitting in the studio waiting for the Prince and I to have time to hang it.

 

 

 

 

There is another spray-painted item sitting in the studio waiting to be hung.

 

 

 

It's my new guest book holder.

It was rescued from the thrift store by Miss Mary Mack, who intended to repurpose it, but never got around to it.

 

 

 

When I inherited it, I realized it would be the perfect holder for the studio guest book.

I've had lots of guests in the studio over the years, and I like to have them write a little note while they're here.

The old 'guest book' was  a bunch of shipping tags, which each guest duly decorated with beads, rubber stamps, drawings, etc.

Last May I had a roll of adding machine tape appear in my studio (I know not whence it came) and after I'd moved it around for awhile, I decided it would make a great new guest book.

This is how it was kept:

 

 

 

(Does anyone else remember those pink sponge rollers? I hung on to a few I used for the goilies when they were little; the clip came in handy here.)

The thing about this guest book is, I didn't read any of the entries as they were written; I told my guests to just 'write and roll'.

I had it for nearly a year before I unrolled it and spent a glorious half-hour enjoying all the comments and reliving all the moments recorded there.

 

 

 

 

It was awesome.

Get yourself a guest book.

Or, better yet, let someone else get you a guest book.

When I turned my new holder over to paint the back side, this is what I found:

 

 

 

I didn't paint over it; these are real people and I have them all 'imagined up' now.

Another item in the April re-make category is the big credenza I bought last year at the thrift store (half price, mind you).

 

 

 

This ginormous hunk of furniture is going to be sitting in my foyer (hopefully before May is over).

I was sorry to discover that the drawer knobs are not removable, but I've started sanding and painting this piece black and it's looking good.

 

 
 

 

I sure do hope it looks finished before too long.

Sigh.

In the April things-that-were-made category are the little duckie cupcakes Able Baker Dana and I made on the 20th.

 

 

 

I still say they looked a bit deranged.

 

 

 

Also made, on the 21st,  were the little almost-chocolate bunnies.

 

 

The family has since split up; Baby Girl likes to chew on the ears of Tall Bunny, so she took her home on Easter Sunday.

And, of course, PeeWee was claimed by Miss Mary Mack.

Pudgie lives on at the Big House.

 

 

 

Of course, they breed like rabbits, so there will probably be more next spring.

The last thing-that-was-made which shows up on the April inchie line-up, was the first of 50 invitations to an upcoming (very special) wedding shower.

 

 

 

I am working this weekend on finishing these.

I spent a few hours yesterday afternoon slicing paper.

 

 

 

 

I made an interesting discovery, too: If you buy a new blade for your rotary cutter, it does not matter how long you keep it in your studio, it won't do you a bit of good until you actually unwrap it and install it in the paper cutter.

Amazing, but true.

The scoring blade always works...

 

 

 

After all the paper was cut and scored, I lined the inside of the card, folded some of that wonderful Japanese paper tape over one edge, and glued down the sides to make the pocket.

 

 

 

I cut some blooms and leaves off a stem of silk flowers...

 

 

 

... and used glue dots to secure them to some small twigs I cut from a tree in our back yard.

 

 

 

 

The project is at this point right now...

 

 

 

...and, though I'd love to finish them today, I'm expecting my visiting-from-out-of-town brudders, seester-in-love, and Me Darlin' Mither for a pizza dinner and game night shortly.

And guess who's making the pizza?

Give and Receive

 

It's been such a full (full!) month that I haven't had much time to post.

The inchies are all lined up in their little places, but most of them haven't made it out into public yet.

I've managed to tell a few of their stories without including their pictures, but I think it's time to just gather them in groups and do the best we can about the rest of their histories.

We'll just call this first group "Give and Receive"; I see a pattern in my life when I look at the inchies.

And I like what I see.

On the 11th of April, I came home from work to find this hanging from my front door knob:

 

 

 

Here are the very kewl birds up close and personal:

 

 

 

These were made by Dear Reader Annski, whom I now consider a first-class ring-and-runner (as well as a first-class seamstress).

I don't think she'd mind me telling you that the pattern for these lovely birds is available on the Spool website.

If you make a bird mobile of your very own, don't forget to share a photo with them (and us, of course).

I'm so grateful Annski shared her mad skills with me.

 

 

 

 

But I'm more grateful just to be her friend.

I had lunch with another friend on the 13th of April, and she surprised me with a gift, too.

She found a set of six little birdie candles when she was doing some power-shopping in Dallas.

 

 

 

 

She said they reminded her of my little paper birdies and she wanted me to have them.

Look how perfectly they fit in the egg cups I bought in Eureka Springs after our failed camping trip.

 

 

 

 

See those other lovely things on either side of the sweet little candle?

I recieved those in the mail on April 14.

They were made by Dear Reader Fran.

The Easter card on the right came in a clear plastic box-envelope...

 

 

 

...which I thought was very kewl.

And the Easter egg came in a decorative take-out box, which was also very kewl, but which I neglected to photograph.

I did, however, draw the egg on the inchie, so I hope that counts for something in the way of keeping things even.

 

 

 

 

Whether or not I can keep things even in the give-and-take is another matter.

But my friends don't seem to hold it against me.

I am blessed.

Speaking of blessings, how wonderful it was to hear that my daughter-in-love not only wanted an apron, she loved the apron I made for her on the 19th.

 

 

 

It's cute on the inchie, but it's even cuter on her.

 

 

 

I love my family.

I love some other families, too.

The wonderful family we met on our camping trip last August sent me an envelope full of homemade goodness, including a card made with inchies, a little, teensy hanger with paper doll clothes on it, a beautiful Easter drawing, and a paper hero doll with an 'N' for Naomi on the front (which I am told includes many super powers).

 

 

 

I feel super loved.

And when I opened the mail on April 23rd, I felt super-excited, too.

Because inside were these perfect little sewing labels:

 

 

 

I sometimes think Dear Reader Annski has radar.

I hadn't even had the chance to tell her that the sewing bug had just bitten me again, and I am searching for time to make some summer clothes for Baby Girl.

 

 

 

 

I'm sure she'll be reading by then, since she'll be nine months old, and she'll look at that label when she's dressing herself and say...

"Who the heck is Gwen?"

Walk, Run, Pray, Squat, Kick

 

Naomi's Beeg Seester asked her if she wanted to go walk around the lake on April 2.

Naomi said, "Um. The whole lake?"

Her Seester said, "It's 9.5 miles. If I can do it, I'm sure you can. You're always taking those long walks."

"Um. Not that long."

"Well, how far do you think you can go? You can always have the Prince come get you when you've had enough."

"I might be able to do three miles. You going to carry a phone?"

"Yep."

"Well, okay then, I guess."

Things went a lot better than Naomi expected.

After they'd walked three or four miles, they actually started doing some running (at least they called it that).

At the six mile marker, the Prince was called to please bring water.

"Honey, are you going to keep going?" he said.

"I feel pretty good. I think I will" Naomi said.

At the seven mile marker Naomi began to come to her senses, but it was too late.

Who wants to get that close to the finish line and then quit?

She pressed on.

She lived to see this...

 

 

 

...and finished the course.

Well.

I'd love to tell you that was the end of that nonsense, but Beeg Seester liked that whole running thing and she's been getting Naomi out there pretty regularly.

And this week, when Beeg Seester has much weightier things to attend to, Naomi is being all grown up and she's forcing me to be her jogging partner.

Yesterday, about a mile into the run, I heard Naomi saying, "God, it's harder to find coins when I'm running, and I'd sure like to find a coin."

And the conversation continued.

"Let me rephrase that. I am lonely to hear your voice, God, and I'd like to find the coin you placed for me as a reminder that I am still yours, still loved, and You are not far off. I want to love You more."

Run, run.

Run, run, run.

Squat.

 

 

 

"Thank you, thank you!"

I'm glad Naomi found her precious coin.

Guess what she let me do?

Since she was being all grown up and everything, she let me be a kid for the last few blocks.

We like to play this game; we find something in the street to take turns kicking until we've kicked it all the way home.

On good days we find a golf ball, or a nice round stone.

Yesterday we kicked this home:

 

 

 

It was a lot more challenging to kick this all the way home.

I mean, there are rules and everything, and this shape made the game rather difficult.

If the object crosses the center line of the street, that's a foul.

And if it rolls under a parked car, that's a foul, too.

But, if the object jumps the curb and stays there, well, the game is over.

And that is very sad.

I saw Naomi cheat once and put the pinecone back into play after it came to rest on someone's lawn, but I didn't say anything, because I wanted my turn to kick it.

(We work together well that way.)

Naomi also found this on the street yesterday:

 

 

 

She's been collecting pencils from the mean street for quite awhile now.

She finds them just about as often as she finds the pennies from heaven.

When her Chicken Raising Seester sent her the link to this amazing art work done with old pencils (scroll down when you get there)...well.

You can imagine the explosion when Naomi's collection of rescued pencils collided with her plan to have a wall full of alphabet art!

I'm trying to keep her sanity intact.

We went out running again this morning.

And I heard her talking to God again.

"I hate to be piggish, and I am having a hard time asking, but it was so wonderful to recieve that penny from You yesterday and I'd love to be loved again today."

Run, run, run.

Squat.

 

 

 

"Oh! You are so kind to me! Thank you!"

Run, run, run.

"There's a nice round stone."

 

 

 

Squat.

Kick, walk, kick.

"There's today's pencil!"

 

 

 

Squat.

Walk, kick, walk.

It's good to be alive.

Chickens, Ducks, Harkerware and Quail

 

It's been a long time since I gave you an update on my chickens, Alistair and Ambrose.

Alas, I must tell you that Alistair has moved on to some other chicken-raising place.

My Chicken Raising Seester said "Too many roosters do not a happy farm yard make".

 I did finally get out to visit Ambrose a few weeks ago, though.

I took the Little Man and Me Darlin' Mither, too.

Ambrose was on the run and, no matter how the Little Man chased him, we couldn't seem to get him into a good picture-taking pose.

Little Man did finally get him cornered between two buildings...

 

 

 

...and I hope you can see what a beautiful fowl he's turned out to be.

Some of the other fowl were much more obliging for the camera.

These three paused together in this spot for quite a few minutes (I don't remember any of their names except Elvis; the black duck with the pompadour) .

 

 

 

I think they are lovely.

When we went inside the chicken coop, Little Man spent a long time trying to catch and pen up the four little black chickies.

I had to help him catch them, but he did a fine job of holding them this time.

 

 

 

What a difference a year makes.

Remember when he put the stranglehold on one of the chicks last year?

 

 

(Oh my! I still can't help laughing at this.)

But let me show you the funniest thing we saw in the coop this year.

My Seester caught up this duck for us so we could see the crazy place he'd decided to get his first feathers.

 

 

 

What a hoot!

Doesn't he look absolutely wild-eyed?

Maybe he wasn't happy about having his picture taken on such a bad hair day.

It was pretty darn hot day, too, so when Seester offered to get the hose and let Little Man and I give Sherman a bath, we were both right on it.

 

 

 

Neither of us had ever 'wershed' a horse before, but we're pro's now and I, personally, like the way it looks on my resume.

 One of the things I was planning to do when I went to Seester's place, was to ask her if she had any spring-y looking dishes I could borrow for the tea party I told you about earlier.

But I forgot.

Just as we were getting ready to leave, I asked Seester if she would show me the inside of her new office building.

She does a lot of buying and selling of vintage and antique household items,and she had some of them in the office at that time.

I was looking through a box which held a collection of postage stamps she'd recently acquired when she held up some dishes and said, "Do you know anyone who might be interested in these?"

 

 

 

How lovely!

The Grand Weaver placed the perfect dishes in my hands with perfect timing!

Seester told me they were Harkerware...

 

 

 

...which meant nothing to me at the time, but which I've since come to appreciate.

I have only seen one piece of this particular pattern available on-line, though I have seen other pieces of Harkerware for sale.

I am so glad I bought this set from Seester.

 

 

 

It was perfect for the tea, and it was lovely on our Easter table, too.

Guess what else I brought home from Seester's?

Two button quail.

Meet Fred...

 

 

 

...and Wilma.

 

 

 

I brought them home on Sunday, April 3rd.

And on Wednesday, April 6, Wilma layed her first-ever egg.

 

 

 

I got pretty darn excited when I saw this little beauty!

 

 

 

Though, admittedly, Wilma was probably even more excited when she layed it.

Paper Dogwood Blossoms - Phase One

 

I wish I could write one, long, meandering blog post to show you how the Grand Weaver puts together all the different things that make up any given day, and then weaves all those days together into a cohesive whole life.

I wish I could.

But I don't know if I could pay attention long enough to write it, much less expect you to pay attention long enough to read it.

So, I'll weave a shorter (though probably not short) tale which involves the paper dogwoods and the first phase of my occupation with them.

Remember this picture I showed you of "what the sofa cushion next to me looks like tonight"?

 

 

 

This whole thing started when I saw the paper dogwood blossoms on Martha's blog.

I loved the thought of having some of them around for spring.

I thought they'd look perfect in the foyer, sitting atop the black credenza-which-is-still-in-the-garage-being-sanded-and-painted.

When our D'Art group meeting for April 1st (first Fridays we do art together) needed to morph so one of our members could welcome a new grandbaby, Miss B said she was game to motor on down to Gwen's to make paper dogwood blossoms with me.

 

 

 

Since we made our blossoms from copy paper (rather than the cardstock Martha specifies), and I just happened to have (I see the Grand Weaver everywhere) the perfect rubber stamp for the flower centers in my studio already, I had only to add a few sheets of green cardstock to get the project rolling.

We cut our squares about 4 1/4" (half a sheet of copy paper) when Miss B and I did this, but I later cut the size down to 3", which I like even better.

Here is Miss B creating the very first branch:

 

 

 

And here are some of our 4" blossoms up close and personal:

 

 

 

Because I knew I would be making many (many!) of these branches, one of the things we did (actually, Miss B was kind enough to do it) to make mass production easier was to cut two different size leaves and then trace them until we'd filled an entire sheet of copy paper.

I used that sheet for a master and ran my green cardstock through the copier (those are the sheets you see in the background of that first photo).

This way, all the tracing is done only once.

Yipee!

Now, the reason I knew I would be making many of these is that I had a table to decorate for a tea at the church, and I have a wedding shower (outdoor/picnic theme) I am co-hosting in May.

For the tea, I used the plain white blossoms...

 

 

 

...and added some aqua-colored paper birds (tanagers) I made to match the sweet dishes which the Grand Weaver placed in my hands just in time (and that's a story for the next post!).

  

 

 

 It got a little crowded at the table once we put all that lovely food on it.

  

 

 

 

I made favors for each of the ladies at my table, because I had planned to give the larger branches to the guest of honor and Me Darlin' Mither.

  

 

  

My hands felt like mitts when I was trying to fold those little teeny weeny pieces of paper for the small flowers!

It was someone else's suggestion to perch the favors atop the water glasses...

 

 

 

 

Lovely idea...thank you, whoever you are!

My sweet friend, Diane (an artist who works with real flowers), was hosting a table also, and it was decorated with her collection of Scandinavian wooden horses...

 

 

 

...and real flowers, of course.

When she exclaimed so enthusiastically over the favors I'd made (ever meet people who are just out-and-out cheerleaders for others?), I told her I was planning to give her mine after the tea.

She said, "I'll trade you real flowers for the paper ones."

I had no idea she meant an entire plant!

 

  

 

I don't think it was a fair trade, but I'm sure enjoying my beautiful hydrangea.

 

 
 

 It reminds me of my beautiful friends.

I am blessed. 

The Inchie Project - March 2011

 

March, apparently, was for the birds.

Four different birds are pictured in the line-up (along with that extra inchie I couldn't bare to part with).

 

 

 

But they were just the winged parts of a month full of blessings.

Thank you, God.

A Man Named Pearl

Dear Reader Annski, who keeps track of these things (bless her pea-pickin' heart), informed me on Friday that I hadn't posted inchies for two of the days in March.

Ironically, one of the inchies was the one for March 17...

 

 

 

... which represents the awesome tote Annski made from a bird seed bag and gave to moi.

Even more ironically, Annski was here in Gwen's studio on Friday, being interviewed for Gwen's first-ever guest blogger post; which will include a link to the tutorial for making these bags.

Welp.

There's a little teaser for you.

You'll have to stay tuned; Gwen has her fingers in too many pies these days (and this week, some of them will be actual pies!), so I don't know when she'll get around to turning the interview into a post.

The other neglected March inchie represents a video titled "A Man Named Pearl", which I watched with the Prince on the 22nd.

It's a documentary, slow moving and easy to watch, about - you guessed it - a man named Pearl.

He took his 3-acre yard in Bishopville, South Carolina, some plants rescued from the compost heap of a local nursery, and (with no formal training or education) spent 20 years creating what is now an internationally reknowned topiary garden.

He is the son of a sharecropper and, training or not, he is an artist. 

We were delighted to find that his garden - which is open to the public on a donation basis - is only a two hour drive from the North Carolina shore where we'll be spending our vacation this fall.

We plan to tour the gardens and, if we can arrange our schedule just right, worship in the church Pearl attends (it's featured in the documentary).

 

 

 

And that, my friends, really does bring an end to the March inchies.

Though there are sixteen (!) April inchies waiting impatiently for their fifteen minutes of fame.

The Last Three Inchies of March

 

I don't have any funny stories or long-winded explanations about the inchies for the last three days in March, but they still represent blessings in my life.

The blessing of creation:

 

 

 

The blessing of friends:

 

 

 

The blessing of sharing life with Me Darlin' Mither:

 

 

 

"The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me." Ps. 16.6