Tree Swap

These are the cards I received back from the tree swap. All so different... I love them all...

"Tree of Splendor 4" by Kathy of Las Vegas

"Pine Tree" by Elaine of New Zealand

"Pine Tree" by Rhonda of California

"Daytime Moon" by Pam of Washington

"Tree of Life-Abundance" by Margaret of Arizona

"Tree #3 by Audrey

11 X 14 Trade

Dana (who was my Secret Santa) & I decided to do a larger tree art trade... This is the one she did for me. She used Shin Han professional artist watercolors and graphite on Canson Rough 120lb watercolor paper. My request was for an old, kind, wise tree so it has irises (which are a flower representing wisdom), and uses the symbolism of the Hermit Tarot Card (who carries a lantern).

Dana wanted a blue, purple & green tree. We are learning a series of ruched flowers in quilt group this year so I embellished it with small 3-dimensional ruched & beaded flowers.

Tree Swap & Journal Quilt Challenge

I just finished the last of my trees for the next swap..

I'm also doing a Journal Quilts Challenge this year and for my theme I am doing an 11X14 tree every month. We then post it to the 3Creative Studios Journal Quilts Flickr Group. where other art quilters can offer feedback. I'm finding that joining these challenges keeps me thinking creatively and everyone's work is so inspiring. I've finished drawing the design for my January tree and had a fun shopping trip to Quilts Etc. to pick out my fabric pallet.... and now I'm waiting for the purple sequins and beads to arrive that I ordered for embellishments. The bottom of the drawing looks like boulders but I will use the green fabric there and I think add some blue with watercolor pencils to the purple sky. The brown fabric has a great circular pattern for the tree trunk.