Open Studio Sunday

A fine mess!

I'm in my glory handling

delicate vintage pieces, 

opalescent, sparkly, faceted gems and

lacy patterns, muted colors, velvety textures. 

 

While working with these materials all I can think 

is that this is the work I've been collecting 

and saving for all these years.

A flood of ideas and a streak of 

production time equals a very happy girl

with a growing flock of fine feathered friends.

Finally Friday!

Over the next three Fridays, I'm celebrating  

the magic of Squam Art Workshops.

Watching the video brings back all the beauty, 

kindness, trust & fellowship that abound in 

that special forest on Squam Lake, NH.

In 2009, my amazing friend Vickie some how 
came across SAW. While I'm not sure how she found it, 
I couldn't be more thankful that she did, and that she asked me 
to join her. It changed my life. Each year since, we've traveled  
to this gorgeous Victorian camp to soak up 3 solid days of 
creativity, laughter, learning and making friends. 

These few Friday installments lead up to our annual 
intrepid journey on Wednesday, June 1st.

What workshops am I taking? 
 It was tough to narrow down the selection, but here they are:

 

Shirt & Dress Pattern Making with Cal Patch

 

Copy Cat Embroidery with Rebecca Ringquist

 

Botanical Printing with Maya Donenfeld

Honestly, could I be in any better hands?
Please visit their sites when you can - you're in for a treat.

YEAH!! Let the count down begin!

A Dazzling Day

Magnificent!

  

Whether in the garden or with needle in hand, 

I'm surrounded by flowers today. 

Back stitch floral in early morning light.

Now with glistening glass beads.

Sun-dappled tulips 

and a regal carpet of Forget-Me-Nots.

What a beautiful day! 

Open Studio Sunday

The real deal inspiration in the top corner. 

Fashion from the 1600-1800's gets me excited.

I love every thing about it: 

that it's expertly hand made, 

the attention to detail & pride in workmanship, 

the shapes & proportions,

the fabrics, patterns, colors & layers, 

the ruffles, beads, gold work, ribbons & sequins, 

but most of all, that it's extinct today.  

  

I'm not claiming to be an expert seamstress, 

I just have a deep appreciation for the workmanship 

and fondness for materials from that bygone era.

Today, working in the studio has been all about 

gold work, pearls & vintage metal sequins, 

hand drawn patterns & hand sewing,

and creating beautiful forms that have the simple purpose 

of being just that, beautiful to look at. 

All while watching (well, mostly listening to)

"Narnia" and "Finding Neverland."  

What a fine day.

Finally Friday!

Each year, I look forward to honoring my Mom on 

Mother's Day, and I try to find different ways to 

recognize and appreciate her. 

Rather than send her "stuff", my Mom prefers us (her kids) 

to give to charities on her behalf.  

Over the years, finding meaningful causes 

has become a personal and rewarding quest.

In fact, it has become my favorite gift to give. 

Christine Mason Miller gave me the idea for this year's gift

by sharing on her site the incredible story of Suraya Pakzad, 

founder and director of Voice of Women (VOW) in Afghanistan.

  I made my gift in honor of my Mom, 

and I invite you to learn more about Suraya 

and consider giving in honor of your Mom. 

Wishing all Moms a lovely Mother's Day filled with 

joy and happiness.

Words of Encouragement

In a few short weeks, I'll be at Squam Art Workshops. 

Last year, I made this book in Christine Mason-Miller's workshop.

Because there is much to say about the Squam experience, 

I'll elaborate in an upcoming post.

For today though, I wanted to share some words 

that I wrote in my Squam book immediately upon discovering them.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life....

Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. 

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. 

They somehow already know what you truly want to become. 

Everything else is secondary.

 - Steve Jobs 

This book is well used, much loved, 

and never seems to run out of pages.

It will be in my overnight bag when I return to Squam.  

   

Open Studio Sunday

This morning, I took the Studio outside for a photo shoot. 

Guess who meandered, jumped and ran through several shots?

I know, he looks innocent.

While we were out, we received this spectacular greeting.

Back inside, new friends under construction.

Stay tuned for how these progress.

We'll find out together.