April, 2023
Way back in 2018 I had an idea that I wanted to repurpose some holiday card boxes that were really too nice to just throw away. At the time I was sending out over 400 hand-addressed cards for my business, so I was invested!
I had figured out most of the project, but need some help understanding how to manage those pesky corners after I had de-constructed and re-constructed the shells and I was fortunate to find Nicolette Ross @rosspressandbindery
She walked me through this clamshell to get my skills up to speed. That introduction sent me off on not only the original project that continues to this day. Beyond that, she guided and inspired me on to further adventures in box making and bookmaking and created some fantastic custom pieces to showcase some of my husband’s writing work as well.
On her feed you’ll find some great collaborations and creative ways to make events memorable. I’m forever #thankful
March, 2023
I haven’t been on Instagram for that long, and I do my best to keep my feed art and art-only, so it was inevitable that I would come across the 100 Day Project, which starts every year for the past several in mid to late March. It’s kind of an intention project, but with few rules. My intention this calendar year anyway was to engage in resolution – either finish things up to decide to be finished with them.
So, my 2023 100 Day Project will be to use a bunch of my leftover fabric scraps – the stuff that is 5×5 or less – couple it with a bunch of seed beads leftover from who knows what – and to make these little sachets stuffed with cedar. Or are they pincushions? In any case, they smell good and they serve my intention. So that’s part one. Part two will begin when I run out of steam doing this handwork (which will happen long before I run out of scraps or beads).
Part Two will involve going back to my stack of disassembled chipboard boxes – they were salvaged from the boxes that holiday cards came in that I send out to a business and personal list. They are sturdy, and have magnetic closures, so of course I couldn’t throw them away. I’ve been rebuilding and recovering them for a while now, and I think they make the perfect presentation container for some of these beaded beauties!
February, 2023
What’s the difference between nomading and snowbirding? The line seems very blurred, especially for the self-employed and especially if you are of “a certain age” and financially fortunate.
On the snowbird side, we’ve traded a bit of winter in our beloved downtown Chicago (no, no sarcasm in that statement) for sunny Palm Springs with a touch of snowcapped mountaintops.
On the nomad side, the computers are set up, we are writing, zooming, and sending out invoices (but not all day every day, and there are plenty of long walks and pool time and leisurely lunches).
The destination has been great, but let’s not skip over the journey itself. We happily roadtripped. Could have been a disaster, and I admit that coming in to Albuquerque after three days of heading south and still seeing snow was not in the plan, but I wouldn’t have missed it. Those beautiful mountain views between Albuquerque and Phoenix were great, and the weather was with us, so no knuckle-biting along the way.
And then there are the unexpected little moments, like when we stopped for gas or a snack and found ourselves here. It’s hard to see, but in addition to the availability of what I am sure was excellent bar-b-que, the gas station across the road offered a selection of “exceptional wines”!
February, 2023
For this month’s #thankfulthursday, the artist teacher/mentor/inspiration I’d like to highlight is @jesshuffco Thanks to her adorable #amigurumi patterns, I got big points with my niece and nephews. What is it about making the stuffie they choose to sleep with that makes you feel like you just won a prize?
I so encourage you to check out her website at www.jesshuff.com, her etsy store, and if you are so inclined her Facebook Group. She has terrific tutorials and every time I check back, more tempting designs.
Best part for me, these are perfect projects for those leftover parts of skeins, so at least theoretically, they work with your best de-stashing intentions (OK, except for the part where you probably need to go get some stuffing, then you have leftover stuffing, then you need just a little more yarn to use it up. . . )
Here’s a link to the Instagram reel:
February, 2023
This one has been with me for a long time as a work in progress, but it ‘s been a pretty continuous companion. I’ve written before about how it started, in a workshop with Carolina Oneto on Curves and Transparencies as a single little block. Then it grew to a sashed twelve block grid. Then some machine stitching in the sashes. Then the big stitch/slow stitch urge just cam eover me. Each color has a different stitch pattern, so now that I’m finished, the design on the backside is pretty interesting too. Emma Freeman introduced me to the term “contemplation cloth”, and I think that’s what this has turned out to be. Amazing to think about all of the places I’ve stitched it, all the feelings I was feeling as I did. The technique is far from perfect, but the hand of the maker is certainly evident. Very satisfying finish.
