There's a CONTEST in the Works.......

I have to finish something I've been laboring over, then I'm going to announce the details of a new contest. We need to liven things up around here.

I used to have contests all the time, remember? Remember the one where I hid sewing notions in my suitcase (we were packing for a trip to Colorado,) in my desk, in my pantry, etc. and you had to list them and the person who found the most items won. Y'all liked that one. Maybe we'll do something like that.

Today I'm working all day and I'm looking forward to the weekend.

Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.

Girlfriends' Traveling Sketchbook....

I've told you about the traveling sketchbook project I'm involved in -- 10 artists, 10 sketchbooks. Not quite sure what I was getting myself into - when Katie mentioned the project, knowing many of the artists involved, I jumped at the chance of participating.

Last week I received three of the books in the mail. I kept them on my desk for a week whilest I sketched out ideas for each of the special books.

Here is what I came up with...

For Lynn's Book, I painted a base canvas with metallic Lumiere paint. I made a fiber embellished piece using organza, silk, yarns, threads, netting and stitched it on top of the canvas. As a final layer I made a square using metallic embossed canvas to which I stitched a fabric inchie and metal flower. I like how it came out and it fits with Lynn's style, I think.

For Soul Brush's Book I painted a base cotton canvas with Neocolor II crayons, then threadpainted flowers on top and free motion quilted it. I hope she likes it.

Finally, for Bab's Book - remember that Altier paint workshop I went to a few weekends ago? Well I painted a small piece of loose canvas using their paints with the intention of taking it home and stitching layers of organza on top. After I stitched the layers, I used my

heat gun to melt away some of the organza. I then put in some really pretty cranberry red thread and continued stitching and defining the flowers. Lastly, I stitched some beads into the centers of the flowers.

All three pieces have "finished" backs that are painted either with watercolors or watered down acrylic paints. Each piece has the process written on the back and is signed and dated. What a great time I had making these for my "Girlfriends." I do hope they like them.

Head's up Lynette - here they come. Three books in - three books OUT!

Anxiously awaiting the next arrivals!

Hey - is this a Stitching Blog or Fitness Blog?????

It's a Stitching and Painting Blog - I promise.

I know, I know - I've been a bit obsessed. You have to be in the begining to be successful. But I'm having to think "less" about it as it's becoming routine now and is just part of daily life.
And you guys have been so encouraging - THAT has made a difference!

So, no more blogging about bootcamp or health stuff. I will continue with my sidebar update - which is more for my own accountability. But it's back to stitching and painting. Check me out on Monday and you'll see. I have some things to show you - cross my heart!

Enjoy this glorious blue sky, sunshine filled day.
This is THE day that the Lord hath made,
we will REJOICE and be glad in it!!

The Tale of the Tape....

Here are the results of my first FOUR WEEKS of Bootcamp.......

Pounds Lost: 10 pounds (7 during bootcamp, 3 the two weeks before it started)

Total Inches Lost: 3.25

This is without a doubt the most weight I've ever lost in this short of a period of time. Truthfully, I've lost even more than what the scale shows because although it shows 7 pounds during this past four weeks, I have gained an incredible amount of muscle in my legs and elsewhere which we all know, muscle weighs more than fat.

Am I happy??? Yessirrreee, I am. And you know what? I'm going to do even better during the next month because now I've got the recipe for success.

What is working for ME unlike anything I've ever done before....

DAILY EXERCISE - not twice a week, not three times a week (like I did last year) but EVERY SINGLE DAY. Bootcamp 5 days per week, Jogging and resistance the other 2 days per week, and I'm going to attend cardio class two days two days per week after bootcamp.

WHAT KIND OF EXERICSE - extreme cardio. short to medium time periods of extreme exertion (9-10 exertion on a scale of 1-10) with intermittent periods of weight bearing and resistance exercise. THIS is key and THIS is what bootcamp provides.

CALORIE INTAKE - ideally within the 1100-1300 range, consisting of a striving for "zone: 40-30-30" balance. Jennifer said I need to examine my calories better as to when I'm eating in relation to exercise sessions for optimum fat burning.

DOCUMENTATION - I record what I eat, when I eat, when I work out, what I do, for how long I'm doing it - EVERY DAY. Is this really necessary? Well for me it IS. I know that whenever I am successful at something it is because I've taken charge of it and make a job of making it happen. My bootcamp instructor gifted me with a great fitness journal (as a prize for being one of three people (out of 36) who made it to bootcamp every single day!) and I have written in detail about my goal(s), my plan of attack and my timeline and I update it continually throughout the day. Writing it down makes it real and makes it stick.

What now? I've been training during my off week pretty hard and am looking forward to starting BOOTCAMP #2 on Monday. I'm not really going to change a thing with the exception of adding two days of cardio in addition to bootcamp Monday through Friday - because what I'm doing is working and now that I've been doing it over a month - it's become automatic. I'm not counting calories because I have a list I eat from every day that I made a month ago with selections for each meal that total by the end of the day less than 1300 calories.

I will say that I've dug out my favorite pair of teeny tiny vintage Guess Jeans (the super skinny kind that have the zippers at the ankles that we used to wear with red stilleto heals back in the day) that almost fit Sabrina. They are hanging in the front of my closet along with a few other select items that shout at me every time I walk in.....

OH YES YOU CAN!!!!

Now, on to painting and stitching. I received THREE Girlfriends' sketchbooks to create pages for and I must commence work on those. For those of you that care....I will continue to provide updates on my fitness adventure on my sidebar.

Now turn off your computer and go do something FUN!!!

Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.

Girl's Weekend - 80's Style......

Okay, I know I'm going to get a lot of grief about this
but when I found out that Poison is coming to North Carolina August 7th ..... I HAD TO GET TICKETS!!!

I grew up listening to Poison and so has Sabrina. As far back as we can remember she would be sitting in her car seat listening (and singing with me) to all the big hair bands. We now have satellite radio and it is glued to the 80's station - and it's not by MY doing, but by hers. What's on her IPOD??? Greenday, Plain White T's, Underoath..... and POISON. What's on my IPOD? Bon Jovi, Barry Manilow, Motley Crue, Billy Idol, Heart, Rod Stewart, some Beatles and POISON. Ah, a rare commonality!

Sabrina's already planning out what she's going to wear. She asked me what I wore to my first Poison concert..... I'm not quite sure exactly, but I think that was during my leopard print, zippers and fishnets stage -- it was the 80's. Ahhhh - those were the days.

Above is a picture of Poison back then. And here is a picture of Poison NOW. Glad we got good seats!! (wink!)

Girlfriends Traveling Sketchbook.....

My friend Katie came up with a fun idea of getting a group of ten artists together and making a traveling sketchbook. The way it works: after deciding size and binding style we want to use, each artist is to make their own cover and first page of their own book and mail it on to the next person on a list who will then add a page that they've created for the book and mail it on until it eventually passes through the hands of every artist, whereby the book is returned to it's owner with ten glorious pages attached.

At that time, we can add a cover and bind it up, or add more pages. I joined in this project because I liked the idea of venturing out of my comfort zone of thread and fiber and into all the cool supplies on Sabrina's side of the studio - gel mediums, molding paste, tissue paper, rubber stamps, paints, ephemera, etc., etc. I've just finished my first page and am mailing it on to Lynette who will then add a page to my book and mail it on to Karen - and so on, and so on. How cool!

For my substrate, I used a piece of un-stretched artist canvas. To that I applied gel medium and covered the surface of the canvas with torn pieces of vintage sheet music and poetry. I then laid a wash of several colors of Lumiere (metallic paint) over the top, to which I added about 4 staggered layers of organza and a few frayed slivers of lame. After that I stitched a free motion grid all over the top and applied heat from a heat gun to partially melt away the organza. To finish it up I added a sun and moon that I painted on silk dupioni, and printed the words to one of my favorite proverbs (by Buddha) which I stitched down on the surface with gold metallic thread. I love how this came out. I'm going with a theme for my book and it is going to be "Words of Wisdom."

While I was working on my page I also made a few atcs that I owe out. I used some of the neocolor free motioned base I made a few weeks ago and I also used some extra word/music collaged canvas that I had leftover from making my sketchbook page.

I've decided that whenever I try a new technique or want to experiment with a new medium, I am going to make a few atcs. It's nice having them around to trade with other artists, and it seems they are quite popular lately as everyone is asking for them.

I took a break from Sabrina's tote bag so I could get this and a few other things finished. This weekend - it's back to the sewing room to finish that beast up. She better use it!

Now that the Soreness (and sleepless nights) are gone....

I've got one more week of Bootcamp #1 to go and YES, I've signed up for Bootcamp 2!! As I've mentioned - it takes 21 days to develop a habit - and I'm 21 days into this. It's much easier to get up and get going at 4:45 a.m., sticking to 1100-1300 calories is a breeze, the soreness is gone, the sleepless nights are gone, and I KNOW quite a few pounds are gone. I feel amazing and am so psyched that this is working BETTER than I anticipated. If you find yourself needing to do something and really wanting to be successful - see if you have a bootcamp in your area - if you DO - try it. You won't be sorry. I promise.

Anyway...... I'm back in the studio am working on a leaf piece for a dear friend and am also finishing Sabrina's gigantic professional tote bag (with the skull fabric) YESSSSS.... I'm still laboring over that. Lots of zippers, pockets, corded toggles - $&#@$!&!#$ all of which I've never done before and am having a heck of a time with, but it's coming along. Should have it done by the conclusion of the weekend. I've also made her a little laptop "envelope" to match.

It promises to be a rainy weekend which is fine by me. I've had enough "outdoors" the past three weeks at bootcamp and am looking forward to sewing, reading, and Katie, I'm working on my "traveling sketchbook" pages and hope to get those out on Monday.

I look forward to catching up with everybody this weekend. Do tell me what you've been up to and what you've got in the works. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things now that school is out.