Works in Progress

I'm back today with some works in progress. It's been quite some time since I've posted. My mother lost her long battle with cancer in April. Since then I just hadn't gotten into my craft room much. I've had special orders and little things to get done here and there, but the full out creativity to make new things just wasn't there. Partly because of the busy schedule we keep with 3 teenagers, but also, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I spent a lot of time just doing nothing. And that is not me. I'm not a chair lounger or idly lay in bed kind of person. I like to keep busy with projects. I have to believe there is a correlation between my loss and my behavior. My mom was rediagnosed with cancer late 2019, which means she went through the bulk of her treatments during the Covid breakout. Because we couldn't be together much we spent a lot of time on the phone. I talked to her every day for hours. I also sent text pictures of what I was working on. For a long time I just didn't have it in me to create. Maybe because I couldn't share it with her. Anyway, I really didn't mean to unload all of this in my post. I just wanted to say something about my long absence. 

On to today's WIPs. I missed the last two shows I was planning on doing, due to getting nothing made. The next one I'm hoping to do is Labor Day weekend. For this one I am planning on bringing mostly Christmas merchandise. So time to design new things! I was given some small rusty buckets. I thought making some funky trees to have "growing" out of them would be fun! I drew up a tree and made it come to be.

I'm never certain if my paper pattern will come out right once it's sewn out of muslin. The tree was a happy surprise. I liked the look once stuffed and painted. The finished look will come later on. In the pic below there is an extra thing on the tray...

Last year, I was working on a new snowman design. I had quite the time getting it right. When you draw out a pattern, it may look good on paper, but once you transfer it to fabric, sew it and stuff it, it can look completely different. Here are some of the tries I did to get my design right. Mind you, in the end I got the look I was going for, these were just the rejects.

Today when I was making my Christmas tree design, I mixed up some green paint. My cast off snowmen were sitting near by. This is where lightning strikes... These funky dolls would made great Frankensteins! One down, 4 to go.

In the end, it feels great to get back at it. I needed a respite I suppose, but now I think I'm ready to move on and bring my creativity back out.

 

Recent Works

I switched from working in fabrics to mixed media on canvas'. I was able to complete a few new ones. They are all on my website so go check them out! Click on each photo to go to their page with more photos.

This last piece I entered at gallery and it was picked to be in a show. If you are local and haven't been to the Brickwalk Gallery, make sure you take time to visit. They do some art classes from time to time, I'm hoping it works out for me to make it to some soon. They have a couple calls for some future shows, if you are interested in submitting check out their facebook page.

 

Wednesdays Works

Here in central Nebraska, we have a SNOW DAY! As of now, there is at least 6" of the white stuff and it is not going to stop for awhile. 

So I am hunkered down in my craft room working on things for my upcoming spring shows. I've turned this box of stuffing...

 Into this box of bunnies awaiting paint and stain.

The other day my kids were in a basketball tournament. I was able to bring some stitching along to work on when they weren't playing. I completed 3 simple oval designs that I was able to add to finished boxes today.

Fun springy designs mixed with primitive fabrics.

I slightly stuffed the lids to make them more of a pincushion top.

These will be available at my shows coming up in March and April. More on those shows later!

If you are snowed in today as well, I hope you are also able to make the most of it!

 

Still Making Cards...

I have a few more cards to get done before I switch gears, so I thought I would share a few more with you.

The Doodlebug Designs stamp set I was using in the last post had this layered cake in one of the sets. While it could be made to look like a birthday cake, I decided to turn it into a wedding cake.

I did some pretty simple designs, letting the cake be the focal point. I only colored the embellishments of the cake, covering the main parts with my Wink of  Stella brush for a beautiful shimmer.

I just wanted to add this work in progress.. Most of the time when I'm trying to get work done in the craft room I have music playing. Sometimes I put youtube on my tv and watch other makers at work. One of the videos I just finished was from Jennifer McGuire showing inking techniques. The cards were gorgeous. I especially loved the beveled diamond embossing folder ones.

The next day my daughter wanted to go to Hobby Lobby to look for something. I found myself in the die cutting isle. I don't know for sure what is going on there, but every last die, embossing folder, and accessory were clearanced. And they were highly clearanced. So of course I HAD to look through them. And what was there... the beveled diamond embossing folder from Spellbinders.

Ahhh.... so beautiful.

 

Yikes! It's been a while!

Happy New Year! 

 It's been so long since I've posted! You know when you have multiples, everyone assumes that you are so busy when they are small. That is so not the case. Seriously, once my kids hit junior high our schedules when from full to JAM PACKED. Christmas break has been a nice respite from all the activities.

My card rack at Central Mercantile has been needing some love so I've spent the last week crafting cards in my spare time. These are some cards I made using the stamp and die sets Birthday Girl and Party Time from Doodlebug Designs. There are so many fun elements within the 2 sets and they work well together.

In conclusion, I'm going to try and post a little more regularly. I'll leave you with the link to a video I was able to get done in December. It is a process video showing how I turn old Christmas boxes into winter shadowboxes.
 Until the next time!