the best laid plans

The last batch of promised stones have headed out the door, a couple of days late. I did a good job of stitching every day, even when work and life blew up, but getting them shipped out took a couple of days longer than I had hoped so I'm reluctant to list more stones until I have them finished, wrapped, and ready to go.

In other, "well that didn't go as planned", news...I had hoped to have my exhibit open on Sept. 18th but I've pushed that back too. For now, anyway. I have high hopes that this fall will bring some closure to outstanding issues and some calm to schedules both business and personal, and then maybe... A girl's gotta hope, anyway.

Ah, life.

a stone in a tree

A nearly-dead poplar by our driveway, and a stone that hadn't turned out quite right, met this week.

The woodpeckers have already been at work on this tree and no doubt it will fall in an upcoming wind, as poplars are wont to do.

I'm not so sure the carpenter ants were that thrilled with the art piece I offered them. (you can just barely see them on the left side, checking it out)

But there it is, until the wind or the saw decides otherwise.

me in Rug Hooking Magazine

I was contacted by Rug Hooking Magazine a few months ago to write an article for their Beyond Our Borders feature where they share the work of fellow fiber-lovers who don't work in rug hooking, and I got my copy in the mail this week. I think it's a cool concept, introducing people to forms of art that complement their own.

My friend Lynn mentioned that she thought it was interesting how many artists she knows who are known to work in one medium, and migrate into other areas of art. Artists are often dabblers, aren't we? More than that though, I think that when we migrate (or dabble) we bring those other skills and techniques from other mediums with us, and it gives our work more dimension.

So there you go. When you need to justify why you're taking up a new art when you have already immersed yourself in another...you're just adding dimension to your work. (I plan to use this to justify my stash of wool when I take up pottery one day. Dimension, baby, DIMENSION.)

Anyway, back to the point, the feature turned out lovely and I'm just thrilled that they had me. If you see this most recent issue on newsstands, give it a look, won't you?

a spontaneous trip

I've just returned from a spontaneous road trip to the north shore with a little bit of sunburn, a bag of rocks, and some amazing memories. We visited the Soudan mine and physics lab, jumped from cliffs into the Temperance River, climbed Gooseberry Falls, and wandered the lake shore. It was wonderful.

I will be mailing off this week's stitched stones tomorrow, as today I am headed back to work and even though it's already 8am I'm still in my pajamas, perusing photos.

Better get a move on.

Oh, did I mention I found some rocks?

Have a fabulous week, all.

for the pleasure of doing

A day off of work yesterday gave me the freedom of mind to spend it as I wished.

Granted, I did some house stuff, and a tiny bit of work stuff, but I also did this.

A wool bowl, for the sheer pleasure of doing.

acorns from an Oak

A little bit of fun. Wool acorns in an...Oak.

A quarter a piece for the curious soul who encounters this gumball machine in The Crossing Arts Gift Shop. They would be pretty easy to overlook, assuming that they were regular gumballs, but I'm hoping some people will give it a closer look.

week one completed

Week one's stones finished...

...and soon to be on their way to their new homes.

And now on to week two.

Hugs for the weekend, friends.

stitching has begun

Thank you to those of you that have agreed to help me keep my stone-stitching underway. I've got a few stones in my bowl already.

I was on the road back "home" to Illinois just after posting about the stones last week. My uncle had passed and I needed to be with family. The long drive was an opportunity for quiet reflection and I've returned feeling...quiet. And in need of my stone-stitching "therapy", so thank you sincerely for helping me along.

hugs,

Lisa