Tulips, sunshine and mail

We have been having some lovely spring weather here dampened slightly by rain but to a greater degree by a bad cold that's put a bit of a spoiler on thing for me.  But still, it's hard to feel down when one is met by these cheery beings just out the back door.

I spent a couple of lovely days in Port Townsend last week visiting with a friend and have come back with lots of ideas of things to be going on with but also with this bug which is definitely slowing me down.  Hopefully I didn't leave any of it in the States with my friend.  Not on the 'how to be a good guest' list!!!

But now that I'm home I am getting ready to send off two of my little quilts that have been juried into the Canadian Quilt Association's show taking place in Penticton next month.  Pretty exciting!! I've prepared a couple of covered rolls and a couple of bags to slip them into before boxing them up for shipping.  And I've had some help with the preparations from my studio assistant who is always trying to 'help' in her own special way, bless her heart!!

But for the moment, there is nothing else new on the horizon.  I have to get busy with something or else I will bore myself to death.  I'm still reading, however, so that's fun.  And going through the loot I purchased at the Akamai art store in Port Townsend, that sadly is closing its doors at the end of next month (the owners are moving back to Hawaii).  It is just the best art store, so if you live nearby it's worth a visit to stock up....I certainly did!!!
 
That's it for now.  I'll be back.....

On to the next one.

OK, so I have finally finished that large-ish piece that was giving me so much grief!!  I have worked on pieces this size before but never with the amount of work that was involved here. Still trying to decide how I feel about it.  I'm ok with the piece, in the end, but I'm still trying to decide if I think this particular process is what I'm wanting to pursue at the moment.  I fussed over its various parts for over a month and I have many (many) hours invested in the piece.  So I'm thinking I'll go back to one of my smaller pieces for the moment and see how that feels.  This whole art-making thing really is such an interesting process.  But I realize now that I'm not happy if I'm not creating SOME-thing.  So that's good to know.

So here is part of the just-finished piece, part of the one I'm going to be starting next and some of my very favourite books to be moving on with.  Since the first thing I have to do is dye some more fabrics I've got some decisions to make.  And I do love the researching parts because I get to poke around in all my books.
For me that's the equivalent of 'messing about in boats'!  Nothing could be better.
Off I go....but I'll be back.....

Finding my way through

I have kept working, albeit very slowly, on my latest piece.  I'm not sure why it has had me so stumped, but it certainly has.  It is possibly the size, although I have done pieces this size before.  Certainly I have been second (and third and fourth) guessing myself.  Finally I just decided, again, to simply jump in.  And so I have been planning my way through, across and around the piece for the final stitching.  Still not sure, but pushing on nonetheless (don't you just love words that aren't always brave enough to stand all by themselves!  That need a little friendly support.  Just like us!!).
Anyway, enough of that.  Here is where I started today.

Who knows where I'll finish.  No doubt with more second (third and fourth) guessing!
Furthermore,  I'll be back..... (ok, ok, I'll stop!!!!)

A bit rusty

Oh sigh.  It's been a while since I got out my watercolours and I seem to have come adrift in terms of the brushes and the paint.  No matter, I am encouraged to keep on trying.  It is spring here and SO beautiful.  I read blogs from folks in the UK and it seems as if their winter just doesn't want to quit.  We are very fortunate here.

I have continued to stitch on my latest piece but honestly, it's like pulling teeth.  I stitch for an hour and then I have to stop and evaluate what I've done, or not done.  Such a slow process.  It's a much bigger piece than I have ever done before and so the stitching requires a somewhat different approach  (I'll show you a bit more next time).  But the great part is that it is helping me to evaluate what I like to do, in terms of my own work.  So I shall press on, and paint on as well.

So I apologize for the rustiness, and the dustiness (oh my!), but I just had to show you that I am doing SOMETHING!!!!
I'll be back.....