Finally!

In this year of the Winter-That-Would-Never-End, we were giving up hope of ever seeing Spring.. But although it is still cooler than it should be and we even had snow flurries a couple of days ago, some things are being brave and poking through. 

Hope springs eternal.

One Talented Lady

Yesterday my friend, Nike, and I drove to Larchmont, NY to the  Etui Fiber Arts gallery to see the one-woman show of our fellow FANE member, Donna Chambers. We were so glad that we took the drive because Donna's work is fabulous.  Almost everything had a red dot on it and you know what that means (SOLD). and I could see why.  Donna is a Pratt school graduate, so she is a fine artist and also has her own line of high end gold and silver jewelry, sold in many jewelry stores throughout the country. My iPhone would not let me take anymore pictures because it was full. I didn't know that could happen.  When I got home I erased everything, but in the meantime here I just the few that I could snap.

Her attention to detail is amazing. All those little squares in the background are put on one by one. Be sure to click on any picture to get a larger view of all.

 She did a whole series of these small Mannequin quilts.  They were all sold except one. I was only able to take three photos before my phone quit.

This beauty is named "I'm  New York a Native New Yorker".  She also has that red dot.

Her show will be up until the end of the month so if you are within driving distance, try to see it.  You won't be disappointed.

SAQA Benefit Auction piece

I make a piece every year for the SAQA Benefit auction and you can read about it here.  The on line bidding doesn't start until September, but I wanted to get it out of the way.

You may recognize this piece.  It was originally made for a FANE exhibit, in which we were to cover a 12" x 12" box or cube. I liked the five pieces I made, but when I sewed them together as a slipcover for the box, they were inexplicably too short.  You can see them all here and here. so I made a whole other set of five.  Then I had five 12" squares without a home and I remembered the SAQA auction, which requires the pieces to be 12" square AND my FiberWorks group's challenge this year is three 12" squares that relate to each other mounted on a black background .  Aha, I have all my tops done!

 When I made the slipcover for the box, I did no quilting or embellishing, but this one is quilted and embellished with antique watch faces and gears, watch hands and watch faces from Tim Holt. I will use the same techniques for the  FiberWorks pieces. The fabric I used was from a large piece of snow dyed cotton and I used Shiva pant sticks with two different stencils, one was gears and the other was clocks and clock parts.

It's been awhile since I've hooked up with Off the Wall Friday, so please go over and see some great art.

Purchased Art

While in Florida I made another important purchase and that was this oil painting.  I have been wanting to replace the Van Gogh framed poster over my mantle for quite awhile, but never found anything I liked.  When I saw this in a fabulous decorator shop on Sanibel Island, I knew it was just right.  It was rather pricey and I shuddered when they told me the shipping charges, but I am so glad I got it.  It arrived just the other day and I just got around to hanging it yesterday.  It is large, about 30" x 40" and quite heavy so it was a feat to install.  At one point I had one foot on the mantle and one foot on the ladder, but I got it done and love how it looks.

It really makes a statement in the room.  The paint is very gloppy; I'm assuming it was put on with a palette knife and I can still smell the paint if I put my nose to it.

 

The accessories that are also on the mantle are ones that I used with the Van Gogh, but now they seemed too small so I had to elevate them with acrylic risers.

Everything now on the mantle is hand made.  You remember this little bird that I showed a couple of posts ago.  The balls above are also hand made, as is the beautiful vase on the left of the painting, given to me by my son a couple of Christmases ago.

I'm hoping to get some sewing done this week and will post my results if I do.  I'm just finding it hard to get going.

Way behind

I know that I have been very delinquent with my blogging.  It always takes me awhile to get back in the groove when I get home from a trip.  Even though I've been home for well over a week, it's taking me forever to get organized.  I am in awe of those women who hold down a full time job, with or without children and husbands at home and still manage to get so much done.

Anyway.....I never did post my usual pictures from my niece, Lauren's Easter dinner.  As usual it was a gourmet feast, made even more impressive by the fact that she is on a very strict diet and could eat hardly anything that she had prepared (no carbs, root veggies, sugar, dairy, or alcohol).  Her table was beautiful, as always and she never repeats what she has previously done.  Below are a few pictures.

One of the two centerpieces on the table.  There was a matching one on the buffet table.

Adorable fringed napkins at each place.

She always has a signature cocktail and this year it was Peepatinis.  Vanilla vodka, Limoncello and milk, topped with a Peep.  They were as delicious as they were cute.

I'm Back

You may have guessed by my successive Wordless Wednesdays that I have been away.  I spent the month of March in glorious, sunny, warm, southwest Florida. We couldn't get away soon enough from cold, snowy CT.  This winter seemed to go on for ever.  It was a real shock when we got home yesterday to more snow, just a coating, but enough to make me shudder.  The day before we had been on the beach in 80 degree weather. When we left CT on March 1st it was 7 degrees and when we got off the plane it was 77!  We had one day of rain in the whole month. Perfect!

We did a lot of relaxing, shopping, visiting friends, eating out and eating in, going to the beach and the pool, and shopping.  Did I mention shopping?  One of my important purchase was this fabulous little bird that I bought in a wonderful quirky shop in Naples that sold only handmade-in-America items.  I can't remember the name and I can't find my receipt.  The bird is by Mullanium and is made of a hand carved bird adorned with found objects.  I just had to take him home, knowing that he would look great on my mantle and he does. 

It's good to be home and I have a lot of things to do in my studio and elsewhere, but oh, I'm going to have to get used to this cold weather.  Hopefully Spring will arrive soon.