You Make My Day Award

I have been awarded this by two people--Barbara, a very dear friend and fellow CQer, and MoonWillow , an extremely talented artist who's blog I have just discovered but will visit often. I now pass it on to 10 of my favorites:

Colleen, a very talented dollmaker and fiber artist

Evelyn, another talented dollmaker and fiber artist

Judi from Alaska who's postings always amaze

Judith from New Zealand who is another great CQer
Shashi from the UK who also makes stunning dolls

Allie who make the most astonishing quilts

N. Rene who has the best tutorials and very inspiring fiber arts

Rengin and wonderful CQ Artist from Turkey

Jules whose art is so lovely and diverse

Mary who's Crazy Quilts were my inspiration

Thank you all for blogging and inspiring.

More Look What They Did!!!

Thanks everyone for the kind comments on the journals. They are even more stunning in person. I also got pics (finally) of the collage fabric I will post once I get my camera downloaded. So much to do--so little time. Wait until you see these!!! Though I must admit, Colleen showed us all up with her phenominal bobbin work/freemotion stitching.

Here are pics of the mermaids made by Liz Parent in my class. Just wonderful--I think she outdid the teacher!!! Algea is first, then Pearl, and finally AquaMarie.























Next, is another Madame LeChat. This one is by Heidi and she named her Mieze and her pet mouse (which Heidi sculpted out of clay Fantastic!!!) is Pieps. Didn't she do a fabulous job? I love her choice of fabrics and colors.

Update on Journals

Tery, Heidi, and Colleen have now completely finished their journals. All the little finishing touches have been added and they are all sooooo beautiful! It is amazing how different they are considering we were all working from the same pile of materials and using the same tools.

Here is Heidi's Album. She added more embellishments around the face and to the front cover. And the neat tie attachments. Her colors are really very indicative of Spring. I really love the flowers around the face.

Here's Tery's in Autumnal tones. She brought the leave shapes completed with her and wasn't sure she was going to use them. They worked out just great dangling on the side front. She made the cording on the front cover with the Cord Diva. There is so much texture and depth going on you just want to touch it and look at all the piece parts in detail.

This one is Colleens. She has a door/gate on the covers. I love the dragonfly and of course those dotted leaves. I can't wait to hear how she did them. Really interesting clasp too. And the tassel!!!! Nice addition. The background is pink/gold with flashes of metallic coming through. Very dimensional.

Weekend Workshop

This past weekend I had a small workshop in my studio with some of my dolling friends who are a little crazy about mixed media like me. I was walking them through making a journal cover and we shared ideas for embellishing. Just being in a together creating for two days was an absolutely phenominal experience. I wish it was longer and I recommend it to everyone! Oh my what I learned--I learned I need a die cutting machine (the Big Kick) for one! It was amazing how we were all working with materials from the same "pile" and everyone's projects came out sooo different. We actually almost finished the journal covers on Sunday. Just a few finishing touches Monday morning and then we all did pieces of Collage fabric for a purse. Unforetunately, Heidi had to leave before then and we didn't get a chance to sew them together, but it was great fun--especially since two people used the same base fabric and got entirely different results. Sorry I don't have any pics of this but will try to get some of the finished product.

Tery and Evelyn working hard.

Heidi deep in concentration

Tery's journal in progress--Leaf me to Create. In overlay, there are real leaves!

Colleen's journal in progress. Lace, soft colors, very vintage and very pretty just like Colleen.

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Evelyn's Journal almost done. She will be able to prove what a busy bee she has been! She is amazingly creative and talented.

Here we are at the end of day 1. It was well past midnight and time for bed!

Here is my Journal Finished. The ladies reminded me how I always seem to use the same color pallette so I decided to try and get "out of my box" Thanks for the nudge ladies!

Ideas Float Thru the Mind on Butterfly Wings.

Here we are with our Journals at the end of the workshop.(Colleen, Evelyn, Tery, and me) It was so much fun! We definetly have to do it again!

The parting shot is Heidi who had to leave before the group shot with her work of art. She is going to add a few more details such as beads. Weren't we productive???

I also received a few more Mermaids and will post them in the next few days.

Look what they did!

I recently released Madame LeChat--a pattern a dear friend Diane asked (read gently harrassed!) me to get done. Thanks Diane for the gently nudge! She got her copy and to my delight--and her daughter's--ran with it. Here are pics of her version, Bonnie, Madame LeChat. I adore the colors and the fabrics she used. The textures are wonderful.

I also received an email from one of my students who attended my online class, Neptune's Daughters, offered by http://www.fabricaddictions.com/ Here are pics of her Pearl mermaid. I love the way she glows. Great job Chikki! Thank you ladies for sharing.

I have been busy prepping my studio for a little "play" date with some friends this weekend. I did find time to make this little mermaid (She was a commission). The original is on my Mermaid Purse and since I just couldn't sell it, I agreed to make a mermaid. She is about 7" from the tip of her head to her flukes. Her tail is foiled and beaded. The shell sequins are from http://www.ccartwright.com/ NAYY but I LOVE their selections.

I also want to thank everyone who commented on my Butterfly block. I am currently working on the memorial quilt made using ties from a dear friend who passed away a few years ago. It is a gift to his wife and will be finished (I hope!) in time for a memorial to be held in May.

Crazy Quilt Block

We have started our 2008 Breast Cancer Quilt. This one will hang in a treatment center in Vermont. I suggested a color scheme and theme and all the ladies loved it. It is Spring Flowers and Butterflies--very cheerful. Colors are soft yellows, peach/salmon, greens, ecru, touch of periwinkle/lilac. The blocks are progressing. We plan to have the quilt done for a gallery opening in May. To see other blocks in progress, visit Barbara's, Jule's, Judith's, Rengin's , Allie's blogs and the flickr site . Here are pics of my completed block.

Here is a close-up of the garden across the bottom.

The butterfly was fussy cut from a piece of fabric by Mary Englebright. I adhered a piece of sheer spark organza over it to tone the colors down. Then I beaded it with mostly tinted unlined AB seed beads and bugles. It is very 60's in feel. I love that fabric!

I also want to thank everyone for their kind words about Hyacinth. I still haven't found those white doves and I want to remake the parasol so it is sheer. Amazing how well she goes with the quilt block. Guess I had those colors on my mind.

Class With Arley Berryhill

WOW!!!! What a weekend. I was lucky to be able to take a class with Arley making his Lady Peacock doll. I this is the first stump doll I have ever done. We also used timtex, did draping and auditioning fabrics. Arley is a great teacher. He is an experienced costumer and has such style and flair in his designs. Of course, bad student that I am, I already had my doll in my head and I also made a fabric sculpted head for her--but that's the engineer in me. Here are some pics. Can you tell we laughted LOTS! If you EVER get a chance to take one of his classes--DO IT!!!

The Ladies working hard

Still Working.

Arley working not so hard--then again this is late Sunday afternoon. Where's the food????

Some dolls at the end of class: Maria's, Missy's, Linda's, Mine

More dolls Kathy, Tery, Emily, Debra above and Heidi's, Doreen's, Evelyn's and AnnMarie's. Forgive me ladies if I got some of the names wrong.

Hyacinth, My doll. I beaded the fringe and made the parasol and her head before class. Arley provided 2 different types of molded paperclay faces and we learned how to paint them. OK. I admit. I am a control freak and wanted to make my own face but I'm really pleased with the way she turned out.

Close-up of her face looking at that bird on her hat! I also dyed all the lace before class.