Day Tripping

I'm back from our day trip to Zinnia's in South Pasadena. What a fun place. That's Tamara in the top picture just waiting to hand me my capture of the day. Eight coordinated fabric packs with some very cool fabrics, a couple of big vintage buttons and some face cabochons. I guess I'll be making more purses. Char scored her goodies with a few felted Halloween ornaments, a book, a few more face cabochons and dang nab it I didn't watch to see what else she got. Every nook and crannie has some thing and the place is all decked out for Halloween. If you are anywhere near you have got to drop by, heck, if you're taking a trip to Southern California you can jump on the Gold Line Metro Rail from downtown L.A. and get off right down the street. There are lots of interesting shops along Mission. http://www.zinnia.com/ Today South Pasadena was having an Arts and Crafts Fair right outside the shop along Mission St. so we cruised the street looking at all the fabulous jewelry. Char told one vendor that she should supply slobber cloths so people would not drool on her stuff. There was a gorgeous butter amber necklace that could knock you socks off and a spectacular red coral and silver necklace that made my heart pound.

Afterwards off we went to visit Judy at http://www.stampinoncloud9.com/ in Monrovia where I picked up just a few (8) more rubber stamps that I really didn't need but had to have. Told her we would miss her and to keep in touch after she sells the store. She is a real sweetie. Then had a late lunch at Mimi's Cafe. All in all it was a very good day. Now I'm off to go fondle my new stuff and see what calls to me the loudest.

Play Day

Yippee, I'm off today for a play day with my sister Charlean. The plan is to go to Zinnias in South Pasadena. What a cool fun craft store. Here is a link so you can get a sense of what it's like.
http://www.zinnia.biz/ The staff is great and you can't beat the place for all kinds of goodies. Then we will probably go to Stampin on cloud 9 in Monrovia. http://www.stampinoncloud9.com/ This is Judy's last month before she retires the store. Oh pooh, Ill miss her and the great classes. I'll tell you about our adventure when I get back.

"In the Garden" At last I think it's done

It has only taken six weeks to finish Rice's Hoodie. You may remember that she sent me a sweatshirt that she dyed this delicious lime green (OK the photo makes it look yellow, but I assure you it's lime) I would have kept it but 1. I said I would work on it and then send it back to her and 2. I can't get my fat butt, sorry, ample frame into it. oh heck, to bad for me. Well anyway my usual way of working is to just dive in and say to a piece "speak to me" and usually does, but this time after getting an initial idea, which I posted earlier, thinking that what I would do would be to machine embroider vines down the front, over the shoulder then up the hood portion. After that stamp leaves with Lumiere paint and then hand embroider flowers here and there to finish it. Well I scraped that idea because the machine embroidery would distort the fabric, IMHO. I put it away for a week. took it out and thought about it some more, put it back, you get the idea. Well I finally got around to it and hand embroidered the vines, then added some beaded vines. It's a must there has to be beads, it screamed for beads. Then I found this batik fabric that ran the colors of the rainbow with lime and orange, red, yellow, purple, and more green which is used to fashion leaves. After scrounging in the laundry room for some used dryer sheets that I used as backing so that I could simply turn them inside out after stitching I was on a roll. Added bronze floss down the center of each leaf and sewed them on using itty bitty primary colored buttons to anchor them. Then I had a skinny friend try it on. The *&#@ thing won't fit me. Then put it way again. Off I went and made the cuff bracelet for a little diversion. Then back to the task at hand. Made a little voodoo doll pin, after all it's for Rice (that's another story) which is pined on the place where I cut out the emblem that use to be there. Added some silk ribbon leaves and ties just because I felt like it and three more ribbon ties on the sleeve opposite the side with the vines for balance. I've promised myself that I will mail it back to her on Monday. Otherwise I know I'll pull it out and do more stuff to it, but I have to leave room for her to Journal on it or she may send it off to someone else to add their touch to it.

Taking a side trip

I had been working on a sweatshirt for the last four or five weeks and decided to take a break. As I went rummaging through my stash of stuff I found this beautiful abalone shell cabochon and right then decided it would make a fabulous cuff bracelet. Of course I had never made a beaded bracelet, but why should that stop me. So I set to work. Gathering beads that I thought brought out the colors of the shell I was off and running. After attaching the cabochon to a piece of beading cloth (can't remember what it's called and to lazy to go downstairs and look) I was like a woman possessed beading in free form peyote stitch around the cab then attacking the two sides creating the pattern as I went. Unleashing my Muse to dive into the beads and pattern until I realized something. How was I going to attach a clasp? The solution! Make a loop closure on one side and attach a abalone shell button to the other with dangles and beads. Sometimes you have to put one thing down and take a side trip. It's good for your soul.

The Creative Life

Momma Bear has just sat down, put on her glasses, to read her charges (Sunny, English Lion and Honey Lamb) a few excerpts from Rice Freeman-Zachery's new book "Living the Creative Life". to see her blog go to http://voodoonotes.blogspot.com/ She starts by telling them that everyone needs a little inspiration to get their creative juices flowing. What better place than learning from the stories of other artists as they talk about their own diverse creative journeys. There is a place for both inspiration and perspiration as we travel along this path as artists. Come and travel along life's path with me as we play among the heavens while sipping from a magical cup that both sustains us while imparting shimmery images that must be brought forth from our hands. I propose a toast to all of you. Be inspired this day!