My Way Of Staving Off Boredom

These are some of the ATC's I've been making lately. I like to work on them on a lazy Sunday.

These are a few I sent to an International ATC show in Portland, Maine. If you want.... at the end of the show they will trade them out for you..... matching quantity and trying to match quality. It will be interesting to see the returns. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123438711014449&index=1

Artist Trading Cards

I always have the best intentions of updating this every week, but somehow it never seems to happen.

I have been captivated this year by ATC's (Artist Trading Cards) They are miniature works of art, 2 1/2" X 3 1/2". The way you get them is to trade.... they cannot be bought or sold. This new art culture sprang up in 1996 from rejecting the notion of critiquing and pricing art. Swiss artist Vanci Stirnemann started the movement, inspired by sports trading cards.... he created and showcased over a thousand Artist Trading Cards in a gallery in Zurich, Switzerland. He refused to sell the cards but offered to swap with anyone who brought in a card. A movement was born which eventually circled the globe. There are many internet trading sites.

They are made from almost any art venue.... drawing, pen & ink, water color, acrylics, oil, collage, paper and fibre arts. I have made all of mine with fabric. After I made my "Spirit" or "I See Dead People Quilt" as Andrea calls it.... I wasn't satisfied with just sewing a quilt.... though I still love it.... I just wanted to add more to it. This little size makes that much more practical and allows me to feed my embellishment addiction. I'll post some of what I have made next week (maybe) but I got my best cards yet, yesterday....

"The Boys" and I decided we would trade cards only make them 5 X 7. I sent them bunches of "stuff" to create with.... glitter glue, buttons, beads, seashells, fancy paper, glue.... Canyon decided our first theme.... FANCY CARS. Next month we'll have Mackenzie join us and Auggie will pick our theme. I think these is such a fun way to connect the cousins and grow some creativity. There is a unique and precious quality of children's art that can't be duplicated.

Canyon's to me

Auggie's to me

For Canyon.... "Off To The Beach"

For Auggie.... "Off To The Races"

Colorado Rocky Mountain High

So it has been a month or two.... we finally did something noteworthy and took a visit to see Mackenzie & her mom & dad. She was so cute when she first saw us.... she ran and leaped into Annie's arms giggling & smiling. It was like a scence out of a movie.



The main event was getting to watch Mackenzie play soccer. She has down all the right moves, from throwing the ball back in.... to being one kick away from it going down the field. Tyler's job as coach is to run down the field with them yelling encouragement and reminding them to kick the ball. For one team, (she played 2 games) without their coach, he did it for both teams. That was fun to watch. His other job is to field questions about.... when is it halftime.... when do we get to do the tunnel.... do we get a treat.... is the game over now?

Of course I brought presents.... which were projects we could do everyday. There's nothing that girl can't do. Every time I took her picture doing something, she would say, "Make sure you show this to Canyon." The last time we were all together, he called her a baby and I think she wants him to know she isn't one anymore.

Ken & I even worked in a quilt show. I'm sure Ken came along because he was sure I wouldn't be able to find my way back. I might have...... eventually. He is the best husband ever, though when it came time for me to puruse the vendors in my search for treasures I can't get in the quilt stores.... he pulled out his Suduko book while I wandered.

We had a great time.... Tyler & Lindsay's house is the part of the Goldilock's story where they say, "..... and it was just right." Ken helped Tyler with some yard and house projects. Annie & I did projects with Kenzie & and it seems made dozens of trips to the store... Annie had to drive beacause of course I can't find my way home, poor Lindsay worked (but we loved the time we did get to see her.... she is an amazing woman.... we just love her.)

Box of the Month

This is not a New Year's Resolution... since most of you know I am fundamentaling against them and almost any quest for perfection. I have simply been musing of ways I can stay close to the grandkids since seeing them only once or twice a year doesn't seem like enough.

This month I made them books they can have their parents help them write what the best part of the day was for them. Then the rest of the "stuff" they can use to decorate it up. Hopefully I can read all about it when I visit next. Looks like this may be a gift for the parents. No pressure, but there better be something in those books, damn it.

So It's Been Awhile

Nothing in my world changes at a fast pace.... however I have been busy. Most of you know, my mom fell and fractured her pelvis..... again..... this time in the front and back and had to have surgery, but is now back at the Berkshire rehab recuperating. I have been trying to finish up alot of my projects, and all of mom's as well, so I can start out the new year a little fresher.

We... ok, Ken..... hung up some of my wallhangings I did. This one is over the piano and the pattern is called a bargello. We still have a couple more to do.

We got a dress-up doll for Kenzie for Christmas.... so I have been making little outfits. I hope she likes it cause I want to make it more clothes.... it was so fun.

Pacific International Quilt Festival

We just returned home from California and I'm happy to announce I won the blue ribbon for the Best Use of Embellishment on a Traditional Quilt. It is really fun to win things..... I'm not that accustumed to it. On the way home it felt like I had had a magical little quilt moment and now I would go home and do my regular quilts. Ken did an amazing job of keeping me company at the fair and offering thoughtful comments on all the quilts. However, he did have to call it a day when I said I was going to look at the vendors for things I just couldn't live without. He went to the motel and played his guitar. The other bonus of the weekend is Ryan flew up and spent the day with us on Sat. It was really, really good to see him.

The other pictures are a few of my favorite from the show....


You can't see it on here but the whole thing was quilted with a gold metallic tread.




This is the one I voted for..... for viewer's choice

Fall Retreat

Last week my quilt group had a fall retreat at Brenda's house. For 3 days we get together and sew, laugh, learn something new and basically make fun of each other. It is a great group that I have learned so much from, and amazingly with 30 members we have no drama among us.

This is a Mexican Star pattern that Yvonne taught us.

This afternoon Ken and I are leaving for Santa Clara, CA for the Pacific International Quilt Competition where my spirit quilt was juried into their show. I don't know how excited Ken is, but I can't wait to see all the quilts and visit all the vendors with cool stuff I just can't live without. The bonus of the trip is Ryan is flying up on Saturday to spend the day. That should be alot of fun.