Remember that Gorgeous Kettle Dyed Purple Yarn I Bought a While Ago????

Here is Lammie modeling the scarf that I made for Sabrina to match a jacket her grandfather gave her for Christmas last year. Sabrina was unable to model, Lammie was all too willing! Next project ---- SOCKS! Does anyone know of a good book for a beginner who wants to knit her husband and son a pair of socks before it gets cold??? Let me know!

Due to the lack of children this past weekend, Blaise and I got up early on Friday and headed to western Virginia with nothing but a change of clothes and the Harley. This really isn't our favorite time of year to cruise the Parkway (Fall and Spring being the most beautiful,) however it still took our breath away. The air was crisp, yet sweet, with the last smells of summer and, if you looked carefully, you could see (particularly at higher elevations) brilliant rogue red leaves. And while my heart is lodged somewhere atop the Continental Divide (Colorado,) the Blue Ridge Mountains are an amazing sight to behold at any time of year and have a special way of reminding us that in the big picture of things -- how "small" we really are. We are heading out to Virgnia again at the End of October for the a weekend stay at a bed and breakfast that I found in Woolwin, VA which is a working "llama" farm - Old Spring Farm in order to take Sabrina to the 34th Annual Blue Ridge Mountain Folk Festival (and Quilt Show) in Ferrum, VA. This area of Virginia should be experiencing peak fall color by then so we are looking forward to a beautiful Fall weekend full of coon dog contests, vintage farm implement displays and, of course, the Mountain Comforts Quilt Show.

Finally Finished.....

Here is my LAST tissue study. This one was made from a torn tissue background which I painted with metalic paint. I then molded one of Sabrina's large foam stamps that is shaped like the sun by layering tissue and modpodge. After it dried, I painted it with pearl-ex and acrylic paint, beaded it, sewed it onto the background, and then edged the card in copper foil (the kind you use for stained glass) and couched that down with some metallic thread. These were fun - but I'm glad they're done. I want to get back to my quilting!!

Into the Wild....

I am so psyched. I just found out that a story that has haunted me since I read it almost 10 years ago is coming to the big screen. The book, "Into the Wild," written by John Krakauer (an amazing writer for Outside magazine and, who also wrote another one of my favorites, "Into Thin Air," which is about the Mt. Everest disaster) is truly one of the most moving, thought provoking stories I have ever read. The movie comes on in "select" theaters this weekend - which means it won't yet be playing in Raleigh, however it comes out nationwide on October 5th. If you've seen this movie, or read the book, I would love to hear from you. Once I see the movie, I will comment on it further. For now, I'll just count the seconds until I can relive this story and finally, share it with my husband (whom I've begged to read the book, but alas, to no avail.) I can't wait to see it. Here is the trailer to the upcoming movie http://outside.away.com/disc/guest/krakauer/bookintro.html.

Autumn Themed 1 1/2" Art Squares

Just finished these art squares last night. I love how they turned out. I painted white cotton duck clock with Lumiere Paint and overstamped a metallic paint leaf motif background stamp on the already wet Lumiere. I then embellished with fibers, copper, foil, glass beads, abalone shell and mother of pearl buttons. I love working with fall colors!!

Tissue Paper Study - Part II

Done! I've completed the last two pieces of the tissue paper study. It was fun, but I'm glad they are done. For the sun I paper casted tissue onto a rubber stamp. Once it was dry I painted it, cut it out and glued it to the middle of a piece of timtex that had been covered with bits of tissue, mod podged, and then painted with acrylic paint. Simple as that. This aqua pieces was a bit more challenging. For this one, I tore up bits of metallic tissue paper and aqua crepe paper, and made a mosaic on a piece of glass with mod podge. After it dried, I peeled it up off the glass, tore it into strips and sewed it down with metallic thread onto a piece of timtex covered in the aqua crepe paper. I then covered the whole thing with a metallic mesh fabric and finally a layer of aqua organza. I then stitched over top of the entire package with metallic thread. When I was satisfied with that, I used my soldering iron and cut through some of the layers of organza to let the mosaics show through. Then I finished it off with some mica flakes and turquoise colored glass beads. I really love this one.

Tissue Paper Study....

I promised myself that I wasn't going to participate in any studies or trades for a while, but when one of my favorite Yahoo groups, Surface Design issued a Tissue Paper Study, I wanted to give it a go. I haven't played around with tissue paper since high school. These are the result of tissue paper being twisted, torn, rolled, glued, stitched, beaded, painted and decoupaged. I'll be peeling glue off my hands for a while!!