So, I have a short story for you today. My husband is a general contractor and last year during renovation, he phoned to tell me he had a surprise for me - this is what showed up in my studio that evening! Can you believe it - I was so excited and just love it. It is now a display rack for some cards.
Fabric dyeing and screen printing kept me busy yesterday. Will be sharing this tomorrow as all should be dry by then.

Three Crazy Canucks

This photo was taken by Judith Baker Montano www.judithbakermontano when I attended a workshop in La Veta Colorado in September 2006. This was one of the best workshops I have taken, only five of us and three Canadians. Judith is an amazing teacher and incredible artist. If you get the chance to take a workshop with her do! This was my first trip to Colorado and I absolutely loved the area. La Veta is south of Colorado Springs with a population of less than 1000! Scenery was fabulous as was meeting several of Judith's art friends including Ricky Tims www.rickytims.com. I am on the left, Lynn in the middle and Pearl on the right. We had such fun. Pearl is the mother of 4 teenage boys and she kept us in "stitches" with family stories. This is a rare photo of me as I am usually behind the camera.

A busy weekend fabric dyeing and some painting today. I'll share these later in the week once everything is dry.

The above are some very simple flowers I created with "grungepaper". I cut the paper with my spellbinders dies and cuttlebug, inked with distress ink, stamped and sprayed with glimmer mist. They are then layered and attached with brads. I will be experimenting with some more ideas with this product. I like the grungepaper - lots of potential! You may like to check out Wendy Vecchi's site @ www.studio490art.blogspot.com. She creates the most wonderful grungepaper flowers - well worth the visit. Enjoy your creative weekend!

Crocheted a few flowers yesterday to add to future projects. You just never know where they will turn up! Great scoop at the thrift store - a crocheted cotton tablecloth for $4. I love the
fact it is cotton as it will take dye well. Have a good Thursday.

Some weeks when I drop by the thrift store there are tons of things and others nothing at all.....can you relate!? This is a box of goodies from last week. There are two sets of lace placemats (8) which you may now recognize in some of the fabric collages I've been doing. The box is the only item I didn't get from the thrift store, it came from one of the local flower shops. I couldn't resist because of the caption which reads "Let me have a little place where I can just dream" - how appropriate. It now sits in my studio with vases of pens, markers and who knows what else.... Will see what the thrift store has today when I drop in...
Thank you all for your very kind comments about my fabric collage yesterday! As I said, I'm having lots of fun. Have two more to share coming up. One reminds me of you Dawn!
Raining today - great art day! Have fun...

"Ten Little Toes"

Had way too much fun with this one! Entitled "Ten Little Toes" - look at that little one wiggling her toes - so cute! Used a variety of cottons, laces, crocheted doilies and lots of embellishments - even had a baby shoe charm. Am off to the thrift store to see what I can find today, some studio time and gardening. What are you up to today?

I hope all of you had an enjoyable Father's Day!
I have learned over the past week that viewing widths vary depending on monitor sizes so I thought I would include a photo of my overall new blog design.
I'm into fabric collage these days. Will have more to share with you later this week. Enjoy your day.

BLOG REVEAL

When I started my blog last month, I had a vision of the "look" I wanted to achieve. I knew at that time that I did not have the digital skills required to achieve this look so I started researching blog makeovers. I am so thankful to have found Trudi at Two Dresses Studio. Incredibly, this design has been completed in one week! I provided Trudi with a fairly detailed (I am detail oriented) list of ideas I had. One of my many requests was that a bee or bees be included in the design. This is sentimental and special to me as my mother's name was Bee. She was a florist for many years and I believe I inherited my creativity from her.

I would like to extend a very special thank you to Trudi. Thank you for your creativity, expertise and patience. Thank you for listening and hearing what I wanted! It has been a pleasure working with you. You exceeded my expectations! My blog now reflects me!

Trudi can be contacted at http://www.twodressesstudio.blogspot.com/ and on her etsy at http://www.twodresses.etsy.com/.

In celebration of Father's Day I have this card to share. Tea and coffee stained some more fabric yesterday, completed another fabric collage and two more in the works. Experimenting!!!
Short post today as I have a BIG surprise coming. Check back.........
Happy Father's Day and enjoy your weekend.

Good morning! I don't know about you but I "dream" a lot of ideas. I wanted to do a card with a slightly more masculine feels hence the above. Have been having way to much fun in my studio this week. A VERY BIG surprise to share with you soon! Get creating!

I stand corrected - thank you Viola! The old photo used in yesterday's post is from www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com!

I am taking a fabric collage workshop with KC Willis @ www.collagecamp.ning.com! This is the first of two creations I completed over the weekend. Entitled "You, Me". Thanks Viola www.saray-viola.blogspot.com for sharing this vintage photo! It was so much fun. I have another one to share with you later this week!

I mentioned I did some home decor over the weekend. I picked up these metal stars at a post Christmas sale in January. They had snowmen on them which you just may be able to tell from the before photo. The after photo of them hanging in my garden. They are "fire engine red" which just happened to be the colour of the spray paint I had on hand!
My muse is on a roll at the moment. More to share tomorrow......

I had a very creative weekend. Several projects near completion which I'll be sharing with you later in the week. Worked with textiles, watercolor and home decor - a mixed bag! Am off to add the finishing touches to these projects.

I don't watch a lot of television but I do have my favourites. Monday is the Bachelorette/Bachelor. I find it fascinating the interaction with the guys/girls and what they do or don't do on national television. Jillian, the current bachelorette is from Vancouver. Can hardly wait to see what happens tonight! I know, corny..... but I can't help myself.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend and have a creative day.

I was dreaming like crazy last night! Don't know about you, but I get lots of ideas in my dreams. I have a notepad on my bedside table to write them down when I wake up and IF I remember them. Surprisingly, they do come back to me during the day.

This was a card I made for a class awhile back. I wanted to do a "dream" theme with a masculine edge.

Am off to play a bit more today. Ended up doing a bit of thrift shopping yesterday. Just might hit the other thrift store which was closed yesterday. You just never know what you may find!!!

Have a good weekend!

Over the weekend I coffee stained a variety of fabric - lace, muslin, cotton, trims etc. I am going to camp at www.collagecamp.ning.com. The aroma of coffee in the house was very pleasant. Today, I am going to do some designing! Enjoy your day.

I don't know about you, but I like to take along small gifts when we are invited to friends for dinners, lunches etc. So, in keeping with the theme of collage style cards, I packaged some up for gift giving!

So last night the power went out @ 1:15 a.m.! My computer is off of our bedroom and I have a backup power box which beeps.... grrrrrr.... Took awhile to get back to sleep - don't you just hate this.
Have fun today!

Good morning - another glorious day here!
Some bird theme cards I completed over the weekend. The technique is from an article in the June/July issue of Stampers' Sampler written by Pam Carriker @ http://www.thebagladysart.blogspot.com/. I followed the instructions provided but substituted some bird theme stamps I had from http://www.oxfordimpressions.com/.

I like the way they turned out - what do you think??

I have some more to share with you tomorrow too!

A photo from my garden a few weeks back,What is blooming in your garden? I am a bit late in posting today, some computer issues this am. Busy weekend "playing" in my studio on and off. Look forward to posts later this week showing you what I got up to!!??
I did spend part of yesterday trying to upload a favicon to my blog - anyone know how to do this on blogger??? Total exercise in frustration which took way too long..... However, I will persist.....
Enjoy your day and chat tomorrow...

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

I am so excited I can't wait until Monday to post this! This is my first (with many more to follow on various techniques) online workshop - Just Charming! It is a beginner's soldering workshop teaching you how to create those lovely little charms you see everywhere! This online workhop consists of 6 lessons filmed in HD, accompanying discussions and gallery. Lessons cover supplies, collage images, copper taping, soldering with lots of close ups, finishing, patina and attachment options.

Please check it out at http://www.creativeworkshops.ning.com/ and LET YOUR FRIENDS KNOW TOO!

Another one! I sure did have fun with this one.... Hope you are managing some creative time today. Enjoy and chat again Monday!

When I first started posting, I mentioned I taught card making classes. This is one I designed for a class with a gambling/Vegas type theme. I'll be showing you a couple more over the next few days. Enjoy your day!

Two photos today! I went shopping at the local thrift store yesterday and picked up this basket with 6 places for jars, cans etc. Looks ugly now but you just wait and see what it will look like. Am cleaning it at present then plan to spray paint it. The second photo is of some jewelry odds and ends - these will be good for future fabric collage projects or???
So yesterday was hot here - 25 degrees! This translates to about 77 for my US friends! I know, I can hear all you southern residents just rolling over laughing. Well, it is hot for us, especially in June. This would be more common mid July to mid August. Forecast is for 27 today (81F) then a cooling trend to high teens, low 20's - more normal for us.

Plan to spend some time in the studio today - not sure what I'll get up to but will let you know tomorrow. Have fun whatever you do today....

A video tutorial for all of you on fabric beads. These are from an article by Gail Ellspermann in Quilting Arts several years back. I also have a new intro video for my upcoming class on soldering at www.creativeworkshops.ning.com. Registration opens on Monday June 8th! Enjoy your day!

I have followers! Thank you all soooo much for signing up to follow my blog - I am so happy to have you join me! And thank you to all of you who are coming by for visits. Check back frequently as I post daily through the week.
Above is a rag basket I sewed up several weeks back - very fun! It is made with scrap fabrics in green which happens to go with my home decor and clothesline. I got the idea from a book entitled It's A Wrap by Susan Breier.
On another note, http://www.workshopontheweb.com/ for those of you who may have an interest in textile art. The site is in the UK and they offer an annual subscription. I have been a member for a number of years now and was fortunate to take a class with Maggie several years ago when she taught in Vancouver. You just may like to check it out.
I am off to do another brief video with a "surprise" topic today. It will be a freebie posted on my blog as well as at http://www.creativeworkshops.ning.com/ later in the week! So stay tuned.... Happy creating.