Butterflies are Free

This was nothing short of miraculous!

Why Knot?

Lesson learned today in silk preparation: never machine wash 36 scarves and 6 yards of China silk at the same time. It’s a lovely fiber sculpture, yes, but not what I intended to do with the stuff! Should only take me an hour to untie all the knots….

Butterflies To Be . . . Stage Two!

Three remaining caterpillars began their trek to adulthood today. 

When I left for church this morning, one had already turned into its chrysalis, 

with another right beside it getting ready to do the same.

When I got back from church, the transformation was already complete! 

Amazing!!!

Butterflies To Be

I counted 5 caterpillars in my milkweed today! Now if I can just keep the predator lizards away....

This pretty monarch seemed to be protecting the little critters. Maybe they are her babies!

Silk Scarves to Dye For!

I'm gearing up for my workshop at the Courtyard Studio in Historic Downtown Eau Gallie in December. These scarves are SO pretty and so easy to make....the only hard part is deciding which technique to use!

Dolly Dancers

 Just finished putting 2 more dolls on my Etsy site http://www.etsy.com/shop/BrightIdeasStudio.

A great day for art

Ugh….so much rain and wind! 

I’m glad I was able to have an art day, inside, 

where it was nice and dry and full of light and joy.

 

My students enjoyed learning how to paint on silk, 

and I applaud their coming out on such a blustery day!

 Silk painting is so much fun….I’m looking forward to teaching this class again and again!

 

Silks to Dye For!

Look what can be done with the art pieces that will be created in my upcoming beginner's Silk Painting Workshop! Participants will paint an original* piece, suitable for framing or making into things, like these pillows. The workshop is this coming Saturday, October 8, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, at the Courtyard Studio in EGAD (Eau Gallie Arts District.) I'll be hanging around there on Friday at the Fall For The Arts/First Friday event.

Also coming up is another Silk Workshop I call "Silks To Dye For!" Participants will create scarves using Procion dyes that are SO vibrant! That workshop will be on Saturday, December 3rd, just in time for holiday gift giving!

(*oh, yeah, the art is sort of original: the designs are traced from a Dover book about stained glass windows, but the painting and colors are totally original!)

Funky Flamingo

I love donating to this event! The Brevard Art Educators Association has an annual “Art Studio Stools” fundraiser, where several local artists design and decorate bar stools and chairs to be raffled off. The best part of this for me is that there I can use my creativity without parameters! I had a lot of fun with this, and my DH was kind enough to help me with the nasty sanding and intricate wood-cutting (thanks, sweetie!)

 

Above is a photo of the stool I did 2 years ago for the same event.

Too much fun...I love being an artist!!!

The Butterflies didn't make it...

 As hard as I tried to intervene, the lizards got to my babies before I could stop them. *sigh* Such is the circle of life, I guess. But since then, I've had some very interesting mushrooms popping up in unexpected places. I doubt there's a connection, but I've never seen so many varieties in my yard before. At least it takes my mind off my lack of butterflies.

Autumn Equinox: change and growth

According to textile artist Linda Matthews "equinoxes are points in space and time representing a time of balance and intense change, and are symbolically observed as a time of rebirth so Autumn brings with it a time for reflection and taking stock of things; a time to slow down and rest a little after the busyness of Summer; a time to pause and give thanks for what's been; and a time to look at where we've been and where we're going and to realign ourselves with our vision for our future." So, as Linda says, if you are feeling a little unsettled lately, this is probably why.

I'm hoping my restlessness will pass in a few days, as the Earth continues to tilt away from the sun (well, it really doesn't do that but I don't have room for an astronomy lesson here) and I spend less time outdoors. I plan to take some time now to put my many projects aside and do some major cleaning, purging and reorganizing. Then perhaps commit myself to FINISHING my unfinished projects in determined increments of time (a day? a week?) Then I hope to be in a position to do productive art, learn some new techniques, give myself more time and space to play and create.

Please take a moment to get lost in Linda Matthews' site: http://www.linda-matthews.com. Her art and ideas and attitude are inspiring, no matter what your medium.

Sew What???

This was my first week of teaching adult sewing classes at Hancock Fabrics. What an eclectic and enthusiastic group! They were all so focused and intent on learning!

I find it hard to believe there are those who never learned to sew. It’s such a useful craft! I was blessed to have a competent Home Economics teacher, a loving, talented, patient and encouraging mother, and a skilled and “critical” grandmother whose voice I still hear telling me to “press open those seams.” I guess I just figured all women are raised in this manner, just as I assumed all men were taught how to use tools and build things. But I was wrong on both genders, and now I have found a niche: teaching sewing to those who have not yet learned.

It’s never too late . . . watch out, Project Runway!

I thought I was seeing things….

…but it was a real chrysalis! And not just one….I have THREE of them clinging to my flower pots!

I planted my butterfly garden early this Spring, and had 2 amazing caterpillars move in, only to be exterminated by a curly-tailed lizard (which I have since succeeded in scaring away with my impression of crazy woman screaming and chasing a curly-tailed lizard.)

I had pretty much given up on this garden attracting anything more than lizards and bees, so today I weeded it, uprooted gangly plants, mulched and watered, replaced the potted plants…and then I spied it, attached to the underside of the pot rim! I thought it was one of my wayward embellishments I use on my fiber art projects. It was so beautiful! Bright green, tiny shiny gold dots around the top…and then I found another! And another!! The photo doesn’t do it justice, but I can actually see the outline of it's precious little wings.

I am ridiculously excited about this. Mr. Lizard better not show his scaly face, I am in protective-mother mode until these babies hatch!

Three Little Words That Made My Day

After teaching the first class in my Fall “Sewing For Beginners” series today, I asked one of my young students “Did you like it?” to which she replied emphatically “I loved it!” Music to my ears!!

It makes me feel so good to be able to teach sewing to those who have not yet learned this viable art! It’s easy for me to project my enthusiasm, which seems to be contagious, because I, too, love it. I could easily be in my studio “24/7” if not for the need to eat and sleep!

Honestly, how could the artist not love sewing? The tactile sensations of fabric, the colors, the challenges, the creativity, the meditative hum of the machine, the complete focus on a project that makes the rest of the day disappear, the thrill of making something that until then did not exist. Sewing is art, and I hope to share it with as many people as I can possibly fit into my schedule, for the rest of my life!

Happy Dance!

My dolls are dancing because WE FINISHED MOVING DAD!!! He is all comfy and cozy in his new condo, surrounded by plenty of boxes to keep him busy for a while. SO NICE to know he now lives closer to all of us. WHEW! It was a lot of work, but now we can enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, and for me that means back to art! I'm doing my happy dance!!!

Labor Day Weekend . . . let the laboring begin!

I hope to relax a bit during the upcoming 3-day holiday (that is, after moving my Dad into his new condo which should take a big chunk of it, but that’s okay!) I have a LOT of things going on in September:
• Sewing Classes for kids and adults at Hancock Fabrics
• Silk Painting Workshops at the Courtyard Studio in Eau Gallie
• Starting and finishing a chair to donate to the annual “Art Studio Stools” fundraising event for the Brevard Art Educators Association
• Tagging a gazillion pieces of once-useful stuff and having a Yard Sale of epic proportions
…and somehow also taking care of my family and myself. Yikes!

My mantra of the month: “Relax, it will all get done.”

Back to Etsy!

Spent a little time today puttering on my Etsy page. It takes a long time to photograph, crop, upload the photos, write the descriptions, proofread everything, but it's worth it...lots of exposure for mere pennies! I still have a LOT of items to publish for sale (hey, job security!)

“Wow…” – uttered by a patron at Hippie Fest, August 25, 2011

Success! I met SO many nice people, it was SO much fun! For this show I had made some smaller items (with smaller price tags) and they sold like hotcakes! Some of the pricier items sold, too, so I think that’s the trick: have a variety of items AND prices for those seeking art AND those seeking “souvenirs”. Looking forward to my next show, possibly in November. In the meantime, I’m taking a short break to help pack up my Dad for his big move, and then updating my Etsy site (www.etsy.com/shop/BrightIdeasStudio), making more items, and teaching sewing classes. Whew!

"...look at all this flotsam and jetsam!" -Tim Gunn, Project Runway

Frantically finishing fifty affordable boutique items for Hippie Fest tomorrow....

Rags To Riches (I hope!)

I love art, sewing, and thrift store shopping, so when I found a way I could combine my passions into a somewhat marketable craft, I was elated! About a year ago I discovered Etsy, and found it to be an inexpensive way to have an online "boutique" as well as an incentive to keep adding to my inventory. In addition to a venue to market my art dolls, I also offer items I have "repurposed" from thrift store finds.

Through this blog I hope to be able to show the world what I do and how I do it. Many of the techniques I use are ones I have discovered searching online, so I feel it's only fair to give back and share my new-found knowledge. 

I hope you like my blog. Please feel free to comment, I appreciate your input! More to come as soon as I get through the show I am "vendoring" at on Thursday....