Pity Party

She looks how I feel, grumpy!
cough! sleep! medicine! sleep! cough!
According to the urban dictionary pity party means
"an adult playing tea party with stuffed animals"
I got both

The Cheeky Penguin

Winter Scene on Xenia Ave 08, Yellow Springs, Ohio

I'm so happy to see the Chamber of Commerce using my photo on the cover of their Holiday Brochure. The Brochure is beautifully done by Bing Design. Not sure what it is about this photo but it makes me smile every time I see it. The penguin has an almost cheeky look to it.

Meanwhile in Jafabrit's Studio
Nothing!
sleepy! feverish! croaky voice! cough! snooze! cough!

It Mocks Me

"ha ha! I knew I would see you in the docs office na!na!na!"
It wasn't the coughing that did it, it was the listless disinterest in doing any art, even my embroidery that scared Mr.Jafabrit. So off to the docs I was taken.
Upper Respiratory Infection
Meds & ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

But just before the coughing and meds took hold
I did manage to get this done for my "shiny pretty things" Mdf board, acrylic paints, and epoxy resin glaze
After priming the surface I painted it orange, then cream white. After painting on the design I sanded it to give it a distressed look, then covered it with resin.

StoryBox Project

Our Jafagirls Box for Kevin's Storybox project
is
now in Israel.

Next Phase:shiny pretty things

I finished the hair using a couching method with string and white floss and padded the wings (one on the left looks like it needs a bit less). The next step is to paint the wood panel, then reattach the black fabric panel,stitch on the girl and then figure out what I want in the background(I have an idea but will share that another day).

Professional News
chuffed as punch :) which means happy
The Gallery Director at Mount Ida College contacted me and asked if I would be interested in being part of a group exhibit highlighting "contemporary art made with thread". in the Spring of 2010. They chose "cat scan", "bone of contention" and "teef".

Wordless Wednesday: Flock of Hands

Public art by Olga Ziemska

Jafalad and I (& maybe jafajane if she can stop making oven mits and bottlecap art) will be giving a helping hand to Olga for the final stage of her beautiful public art piece in Yellow Springs, Ohio

Building Up the Layers

It's slowly coming along, building up the layers and taking my time. I do a bit and then just sit with it until an idea of what to do next comes along. I added batting to the hands and arms to give some dimension, old bits of lace for the sleeves and neckline,a button on the eye and decided to paint the pelvic wings (oil paint). She needs hair next and then I think I want to cut her out of the orange fabric and attach her to something like this below.

I cut out a piece of mdf reminiscent of some of my gothic arched panels & attached some cloth just to see how it would look. This isn't the one I want to use but it gives an idea.
Not sure it will happen, but that is where I am right now.

Squeaky Was Here
Bill at Under Construction/Art Contemplations surprised me with a gift of one of his beautiful hand carved hand shaped stamps which is going to take on a life of it's own and make it's appearance on the Knit Knot Tree II. I adore my little mouse stamp: I think squeaky is going to make appearances in quite a few places.

Thank You

for the shout out at Mr.X Stitch Beefranck's


It's an honor to be included with such a talented pool of stitch artists.

Experimenting: Collage, Paint and Embroidery

I thought I should loosen up with my stitching a bit and so I'm playing with an old image just to experiment with. Figuring how to layer the paint and fabric etc was a little tricky. I painted the arms and then realized I needed to cut them out in white first and put them over the collaged black fabric. I embroidered the face after I added some black fabric for the nose and eye, cut it out, stitched onto the piece and then used acrylic colour wash on the mouth and face.
I went back to Aminah Robinson's exhibit and really examined her work and while my style and themes are so different, the concept of integrating fabric, stitching, embellishments, sounds, and painting/drawing is very much in line with what I am trying to do.

Beetoe Pees Here

JafaLad (namely Pierre), Karen, Teresa and I met up and yarnbombed today and I couldn't resist leaving this note in honor of JafaLad's Chihuahua Beetoe.

err, I did miss out one e, so Pierre had to squeeze it in , and then he added the arrow and yellow trail :) Karen sewed her quilted flowers onto my knitted/crochet patches, and Teresa added her beautiful knitting. So far I would say Knit Knot Tree II is looking BEAUTIFUL, even though I say so myself, but I can because the credit really goes to everyone who contributes.
THANK YOU

This is so Cool
Yellow Springs Chosen by Ohio Magazine
as Best Hometown In Ohio
"With its eclectic mix of shops, galleries and restaurants, Yellow Springs has an environment that attracts equally diverse residents. From the quirky, knitted “graffiti” adorning trees and traffic signs downtown......"

Haters

You know the types of haters, they have nothing nice to say or negate everything you do. It happens a lot when you're young, but even at my age I get it now and again, especially with any attention my work or public art projects get. I wonder if they ever realize how sad they look? I found this wonderful blog entry that I know is 2 years old but still very relevant called "Mean People Suck" and talks about professional jealousy.I also really like what Ricky Gervais said in this interview about nasty critisism.

How do YOU deal with it?

This is Diversity
Don't hate me because!
I was invited to become part of the global community of citizen journalists. I wouldn't call myself a journalist, but I do like to write about art.
Here is my first submitted piece about haters called
Sour Grapes about Yarnbombing.

I almost quit doing the blog a few months ago. I just didn't seem to get many visitors, or comments and then I thought heck with it, that isn't why I'm doing it and besides I have one very very important visitor
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