it ain't pretty

There's been a secret I've kept from you all, one that gets carefully omitted from photos, and oft-discussed with my husband. A giant, unsightly beast, whose mere presence raises my blood pressure. An eyesore representative of just another project left uncompleted, hidden under tarps. Given to us as a gift, we (ahem, husband) imagined happy family adventures on the road but it's yet to be moved. I've threatened to call the scrap company to haul it away a dozen times only to be reminded that it has new tires, and it's one part away from running, and we've already started to gut the inside, and we have paint!

It was in a conversation this weekend that I began to see it differently; as an opportunity rather than an eyesore.

But oh holy buckets is it an eyesore.

We had started to gut it a few years ago and just look at this mess.

I do dig that plaid seat though.

So it seems I have myself a new project and maybe, just maybe, lil fish studios will be on the road someday soon.

Wish me luck! (and Lysol)

playing with fire

My weekend was just as wonderful as I had hoped it would be. I got to hang out with great friends, eat way too much pasta, laugh lots, and play with fire.

Lynn did an amazing job at teaching us the basics of torch-fired enamel. Even those that were timid at first were beating their chests with new-found confidence by the end of class. Everyone got plenty of practice first and then made their own choice of earrings or pendants. I made a couple of each.

My work is nowhere near as perfect as Lynn's but I love it anyway. What a fun experience.

What? You don't know Lynn? Stop by her blog or shop to have a look. Not only is she an enamel queen, but a skilled stone-cutter and metalsmith, and painter, to boot.

Have a great week, all!

impending shenanigans and satisfaction

I've been ears-deep in grant-writing the past several days.

My kids have started school and with that comes the wrangling of four little schedules, the monitoring of homework, the making of breakfasts, and the fun of shoving them on the bus at 6:45am.

Throw in some car trouble, for grins.

I've been so busy that I haven't done a bit of art-ing in more days than I'd like.

BUT.

Tomorrow a dear friend I've never met in person (the power of the internet connects us) is coming to see me, teach a class on torch-fired enamel and have a trunk show at my work. Another life-long friend is flying in the event and there shall be shenanigans. (oh yes there shall)

Shenanigans

and laughs

and torching things

and good meals

and friendship

and laughs.

Oh am I looking forward to the laughs!

(and the shenanigans and friendship)

I imagine that by the time Monday rolls around I'll be full and satisfied, like that little tree frog up there.

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

pre-order stone grab bag

I'm finding I need a little extra motivation to keep up with my stitching so I'm trying something new. To keep my fingers moving, I'm offering a limited edition of middlin' sized stones, on a pre-order, "I like surprises" sort of situation in my shop with staggered ship dates over the next 3 weeks. I'll have a deadline to meet and you'll be motivating an artist AND have a new stone in your hand.

This is a grab bag sale, so you will not be able to pick a specific stone, but they will be indicative of my general style. (those above are examples only)

If you're interested in a stone, and willing to help my fingers stay stitching, please stop by my shop and have a look.

Thanks all!

awaiting finishing touches

The mushroom has been captured and is awaiting his finishing touches. The last peek before my show in September.

In other news, I'm expecting a delivery of wool today. 102 pounds worth. I'll snap a pic.

Happy Monday, all.

dot dot dot dot dot dot dot...

The dots are done and now it's time to tame the stray hairs that get roughed up as I work. I'll use my fine gauge needle to smooth the surface and then trim up with a small battery-operated trimmer before I fit it with a base.

Hopefully a bigger sneaky peek soon.

Happy Weekend, all.

dot dot dot

So many dots.

since my last post

Since my last post I...

took a painting class with Sue Kemnitz while she was here at our gallery for a trunk show. I haven't painted in ages and it was lots of fun. She's incredible, do check out her Etsy shop, and the one she shares with her delightful daughter Jessica.

I snuck in a little needling.

I ate some daylilies 

I made hats with kids at Arts in the Park.  No, not these kids. These kids are Yvonne and Ed Yunker from Geritol Frolics and they were helping too. 

I had an opening of the fiber show at our gallery. You can see my little landscape there against the back wall.

I yarn bombed the tree outside my office. (knitting is a skill that escapes me but I did stitch up everyone else's knitting and put it on the tree)

I took my family to the zoo, twice. We're suckers for the budgie cage.

And now I have a week off to spend with family. I'm sure it will be busy too, in the most wonderful of ways. See ya soon.