Self Portrait Challenge

This month the Self Portrait Challenge is to create a portrait using online tools to alter your images. I chose to try out a tool called Typedrawing. Lately I have been feeling very sick of myself. Not is a terrible way, but in a "get off your ass" and "dont eat that cookie" way. I know that the feeling will pass, that I am just frustrated, but today, this morning, right now, this is my perfect self portrait.

If you would like to see the full animation of my face self portrait come together, click here.

Molly & Kathy

A recently finished commission. 12"x16"

Illustration Friday-Wired

One of the things that I really love about all of these old photos that I collect and use in my work is how simple life was 80 years ago. I don't think that life was easier. I certainly wouldn't want to be rubbing my clothes on a washboard, but I do wonder about the peace and quiet. I feel like we are all so constantly inundated with technology and rushing cars and noise that sometimes I, at least, feel like I am way too overloaded. So, for this weeks Illustration Friday theme of wired, I offer a more unplugged version.

Happiness

12"x 16"
A recently finished commissioned piece.

Paper Quilt Project-A Day in My Life

I was exceptionally inspired when I started playing around with these pieces of paper and am surprised by how relevant these random scraps are to my life recently! It seems that lately everyone around me is talking about pregnancy, has just had a baby or asking me when we plan to get started. My niece recently turned 1, and watching her grow and start to walk and make major accomplishments in such a small amount of time has made blown my mind! We have connections through our family and friends who are all in various stages of parenthood. So the conversations have begun. We are looking to the future and making serious decisions about taking the step to becoming parents ourselves. (This is not an announcement by any means, just an explanation as to why these pages really struck a chord!)

There are 2 other parts of the collage, bits that seem like randomly places items, that mean a great deal to me personally, which is why I made sure that they were included in this composition. The capital "E" in the top right corner is representative of my great-grandmother Esther, from whom I get my middle name, Emma. My niece is also Emma, but not necessarily named after me.

There is also a "40" on the left hand side. My father was 40 when I was born, and I think about this quite often. I am not sure why. Maybe because I am a bit dyslexic and have a hard time with numbers. I can always calculate his age quickly when asked! (LOL, not really, I don't think!) Four is also one of our lucky numbers.

There is a Flickr acct. set up to share all of the finished pieces as they come in. Check it out here.

Paper Quilt Project

My supplies arrived today for the Paper Quilt Project!! This is such a fun idea! I cant wait to get started! The goal is to create a panel, using only the papers supplied, that represents me. I can draw on the top, paint, whatever. But no adding papers! Each month there are 12 artists who participate, and then those 12 panels are sewm together. The project is being run by Dawn, AKA Dawbis. This is such a wonderful idea!! At the end of the year, all of the participating artists will get a chance to help decide how all of the 12 quilts will be dispersed in order to help charities of our choosings. I love this! Now I am off to get to work!

Working hard!

My nephews, 7 and 9, where so excited when they found out they I could make them stuffed animals! The pig is yet another from the November Martha Stewart Living. He has a really cute tail that you cant really see. There is a wire in it to make it a curly-q! That article really helped me learn a lot, but as you can see, I need to practice a bit more! The elephant is my own design, my first not from a pattern, and the poor guy was a little, shall we say, disproportionate. Wont dissuade me though! I will keep trying!

I have spent this week working hard on a few commissions and a new series of pieces! I am a little behind after the fams visit, so I have been pushing and plowing through getting caught up!
I am so excited about the new series. I am trying to push myself out of my comfort zone and cant wait to have a couple done to share with you!

Life finally back to normal!

I have been so busy for the last 10 days with family in town and home renovations! We spent most of our time close to home, but did take the nephews to Disneyland for their first time! (The pic above is of hubby and I in front of the enchanted castle!) It was a crazy day to say the least. I dropped my digital camera and destroyed the screen, and we almost witnessed a fist fight in Mickeys house, but all in all it was a fun and nostaligic day!

My brother-in-law is a whiz when it comes to construction so we squeezed every last bit of help out of him that we could! I am so excited about the new improvements that we made! Our little house is really coming along! Hubby and I have always done our own work in the places that we live. Being of a design orientation we have big dreams for our 1955 architechture, and slowly but surely we are now making progress. Although I have to say, I have had my fill for a while!


Here is a quick pic of our 1970s rock fireplace, before (above) and after (below). We have only gotten the chance to put up the first coat of primer, but what a difference already! Hopefully next weekend we will hopefully get that sucker painted!

Lamby

So, my sewing projects are getting a little bit more complex. This is another pattern from the November Martha Stewart Living. This one was pretty complicated, but I think it came out all right! I butchered the hand stitching on the back that finished him off. My nephews, 7 and 9 years old, are visiting, and want to know why I made a lamb that looks like a dog! Must work on my hand sewing techniques!

What the . . .

This pic is too funny not to share! Last Friday, on trash day, this poor guy got the boot! These cans are directly across the street from my bedroom window. Needless to say, it took me a moment to figure out why I had the strangest feeling I was being watched! LOL

Anniversary Commission

I finished this piece today! It is a commission from one of my clients to be given as an anniversary gift to her in-laws! It includes photos of their kids, best friends, and grandkids! So sweet!

Hanging out with Lisa Congdon!

As I posted last week, this past Saturday night was the opening reception of the fabulous Lisa Congdon's at ReForm School here in LA. I am a HUGE fan of Lisa's work and am so excited to have gotten to finally meet her. Every piece was was gorgeous! The one I had my eye on had already sold and we only arrived at 7:30! I have one of Lisa's pieces in my home that Tom surprised me with for my birthday! It hangs in my bedroom and I get to stare at it every night before falling asleep! I love it!!

I had a blast hanging out chatting with other crafty friends. I love these types of events! It is nice to get to put a face to the bloggers and artists whose words and work enter my everyday!

Valentines Mailed!

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

Today I finally mailed out most of my Valentines for the awesome Valentines swap arranged by Tyn! It is so much fun! I have gotten 4 in the mail so far, and they are so awesome! I decided to sew my Valentines to make this a learning opportunity for me. These were put together last week, and definitely gave me the confidence to even approach the chicken! I am excited by how they turned out. A little rough and raw, but each one has its own personality and composition. I hope everyone enjoys them!!

If you'd like to see photos of all of the valentines, check out the Flick group here.

PS: I am swamped preparing for a week with my Sister-in-Law and her family. They are coming tomorrow with my 2 nephews and will be staying with us for a week! Donna is 4 months Pregnant so it will probably be her last trip before preparing for baby! We have a lot of fun to pack in!!! I wont have a studio for a week so no crafty fun for me. (Except for knitting, because I can do that standing in a corner if I have to!) I promise to have my 3 remaining Valentines out ASAP! Sorry!!!!

The Last Knit

I totally get this . . . and know a few girls who will relate too! You know who you are! I feel like my snake project might do this to me!

(Found on Whip Up!)

J. Horsman

This is a commission I finished last week. I am so excited about the final piece!! It is 24" x 36". Thank you Jennifer!

IF: Crash

I really love the energy of this photo and the fact that these two people are so enamoured and having so much fun! There are other senses that are effected by the image other than sight. The emotion is almost tangilbe, if that makes any sense. I hear laughing and feel joy. It is as if these two people have crashed into eachother, and found there perfect match.

ReForm School

I am so excited to share that my work can now be found at ReForm School in Silverlake, CA. They carry many of my favorite artists and some very clever lines! This Saturday they are having an opening for a new show by Lisa Congdon whose work is AMAZING. I love everything she does! Tom got me one of her pieces for my birthday which I need to photograph and share! It is so cool.


If you are in LA, you should try to check out the opening, this Saturday night and get a chance to meet Lisa and see all of her new work!! Feb. 10th, 7-10pm at ReForm School, 4014 Santa Monica Blvd. (At Sunset Blvd. in SilverLake), Los Angeles, CA 90029, (323)906-8660.

Valentine pieces

I felt inspired over the last few days to do a few Valentines pieces. This one,Helen4 is now available in my shop. So sweet!

Crafting crazy!

I have been spending all of my non-collaging hours lately dabbling in what I like to call the fiber arts. Over the weekend I found this fluffy yellow fabric in the remnant bin at Joannes and decided to try my hand at making a toy. I have been sewing for a week now! It is about time I took the next step! (I am insane!) This sweet little chicken was featured in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living. The article was about making stuffed animals from recycled felted sweaters, but works just as well with fluffy yellow fabric! He was a great teaching lesson for me, and is now on his way to NY with our friend Michael as a gift for his son Vincent. I hope he likes it!

The girls and I spent Friday night around a crafty table at the Yarn Garden in North Hollywood, CA. The store is on Tujunga. They have an awesome selection of yarn, and that lady in the middle facing the camera? She is Anne, yarn genius! She can help answer all of your knitting questions!!


Knitting has always been one of my favorite hobbies, but this year I am obsessed! I knit these fingerless gloves, a major accomplishment for me! The are so cozy. You can get the pattern from these gloves here. They are a quick knit! Instant gratification! Just how I like it!




Right now I am working on my first stuffed animal. It is a snake I am knitting for my niece. Although I am not using a pattern, I did refer to the cover photo of Zoe Mellors Knitted Toys: 25 Fresh & Fabulous Designs for inspiration. I kind of enjoy just winging it, and making up my own ways to make things. I am stubborn.

Next I am going to try to make a sewn bunny from scratch. I have my fabrics picked out . . . no pattern this time. Lets see how it goes! I will take pictures for the comedy!!

Creative Courage

I am very excited to share that my work can now be seen at Creative Courage in Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles. Topanga is a very well know creative community set in the hills between the Valley and the Pacific. It is a gorgeous winding canyon that has long been thought of as a hippy community. The community itself is really eclectic. If you visit LA, you should take a drive through!

Lupe, the brains behind the biz, is awesome! Her shop is filled with fun, original items from local and national artists. This is a great place to come to find one of a kind gifts and discover new artists! Lupe is happy to help you find the perfect item you are searching for!


There are also classes taught at Creative Courage by some of LAs best crafters! Tyn Atol of Pookieville will be joining the roster with her Mini-Quilt, Tin Fairy House and Picture Frame classes! Tyn is an outstanding teacher, as demonstrated by my ability to turn on my sewing machine, and I highly recommend taking one, or all, of her classes if you are in the area. I cant wait to take one!