Stay away

It's a busy week in Saluda with Coon Dog Day approaching this Saturday, July 7th, and if you don't like crowds, and I mean "ccrrrrroooooowwwwwwdddddds, than stay away from Saluda on Sat. July 7th. Every year someone tries to get to the shop on that day forgetting that this crazy event is going on and is stopped at the interstate by "local police" and police wannabees telling them that all the roads are closed.... and they are! WE ARE CLOSED that day for a very good reason, so, "fair warning" to all those that don't need to swelter in the heat with the maddening crowds and the loud sirens of at least 50 fire trucks from the area. Enjoy your day somewhere else and come back to see us the following week when you can park in front of our shop and walk right in.
By the way, I started a new blog featuring our house that is for sale here in Saluda. I am not going to do any posting about it on this site so if you want any information you can email me.

I should be sleeping

Back home in Saluda after a week in Charlotte.... ahhhhhhhhh. I only slept for 18 hours after I got back into my own bed. Thanks to Joyce and Susan and Paul the store remained open while I did my grandmotherly duties while my daughter recuped from an emergency surgery. Dad arrived home from Shanghai with bags of candy and toys so everyone was happy and it was time for me to head back to Saluda. I forgot how busy it can be to be a full time mom with 2 growing boys.

When I walked in the store on Monday to look around I found the newest Cloth Paper Scissors magazine featuring 50+ pages of mixed media techniques, layered graffiti art, fabric collage journaling and a great feature by Chrysti Hydeck from Raleigh entitled " Get the skinny on Mixed-media Books". Chrysti hosted a recent "get your doodle on" ATC swap that I joined. She is an amazing, go getter, energy -filled, gal that never seems to stop. Now she is doing a Skinny Book swap. check it out on her blog.

Cheryl Prater's blog has a brand new look- LOVE IT!

A new book that I had been waiting for also arrived "Metal Clay" the complete guide. Innovative Techniques to inspire any artist. Looks like the best book available for those of you working with PMC.

Just got a message from our Golden Girl Patti Brady, who will be here on Sept 15 teaching us "everything" that she knows about Golden paints. Be sure to sign up now as space is limited and the other good thing is all you need to bring is paper cups and paper towels.( and maybe an apron if you are the messy type) She furnishes everything else that you will use and we cater the lunch. It doesn't get better than this..... Here is what she calls this workshop. . .
Seductive Surfaces with Acrylic
It will be a wild mix of cool product uses, transfers, skins with transfers, faux wax looks, glass bead gel, paper from acrylic fiber gel, crackle paste ideas…..and on and on it goes.…….it will be fun!!
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Apron Attachment

My vintage apron took center stage for Michelle Czulada when we "posed" for this cute little shot at Katie Kendricks' class here in Saluda. Michelle is an
"apronista" who creates and recycles vintage fabric, tablecloths, clothing and decorator fabric into trendy and usable aprons. I recently acquired a collection of "grandma's aprons" and instinctively knew, when she shared her love for aprons, that no one but her would appreciate their unique character. She especially loved the length of this little, cotton,polka dot number. Don't I look cute? Michelle has inspired me to look at these vintage articles with a more discerning eye and appreciate the history and stories that they tell. I made my first apron in 4-H when I was about 12 and then had to model it at a 4-H fashion show in Crown Point, Indiana. I remember how nervous I was getting up in front of this huge crowd wearing my little cotton apron with
"pulled- thread" fringe carrying a matching scarf. That is how long I have been using a sewing machine and I still didn't know that all bobbins were not created equal. Oh well. That's why I surround myself with artistic and creative and like minded women who teach me something new each and every day. How fortunate am I?

Custom Cuffs

The day before Jen left for her holiday in Sweden, she came in to show me her latest cuff that she created. She used "chocolate" from MOda fabrics and recycled Sari Ribbons in bright cranberry and sand tones. She pulled it all together by sewing it with gold metallic thread and raku faces that she purchased from Janet Lasher at the quilt show in Charlotte last year. Very cool, Jen.

I almost completed my latest one and Jen had a great idea for a closure..... which was my stumbling block to finishing it..... a garter. Finally someone found a great use for that "thing". Only those of us who remember "having" to use it can relate. You young people think of it as a Victoria Secret dating thing.
Anyway, it is such a great closure. I wrapped my longer sari ribbons around the end and stitched it close by hand to secure it.
The other end is cloth and rubber so I slit the cuff and inserted the cloth and stitched it close to the end and trimmed off the excess. How awesome is that? Yeah!

Magical Moments

Words cannot describe the past 4 days that we spent with
Katie Kendrick , however MAGICAL, comes into my thoughts at this moment. Those of you who had the opportunity to meet and learn from her know exactly what I am talking about. Trinka Seals from Alabama told me more than once that Katie was the best teacher she had ever taken a workshop from.
To start the weekend we dined outdoors on my porch and began discovering all about each other from growing up to our creative adventures along the way.
A full classroom of excited women soaked up every word from Katie on Friday as we created our own style of "faces" and then on to collage on Saturday with another full class.
Shown is work on the right by Meg Fowler and on the left by
Port Orange, Florida artist, Michelle Czulada.
Michelle sort of went "outside the box" with hers. (notice the square ones)
Saturday night was play night at West on First in Hendersonville for wood fired pizza with Cheryl Prater and her husband Mark, Paul and I, Judy Sy and of course our guest of honor, Katie Kendrick.
Sunday we made things a little more
intimate as 8 of us met in the Random Arts workspace for Feminine Icons. Some of the images
took my breath away and by 4 oclock
we all had to say good bye and thank
you to Katie for 3 absolutely magical workshops that
nurtured all of our thirsting creative souls. Thank you Katie.

It's my birthday!

After a fabulous birthday dinner at West on First in Hendersonville , NC with our friends Katie and Joseph, the sweetest little "thank you" note arrived. Katie told me that she was inspired by the new book that I had given her "Teeny Tiny Cards" ( in which I have a 4 page spread, thank you very much). She used a large paint chip card and folded it over and stamped her Thank You on the front. Inside she cut little banner flags and added the T H A N K Y O U letters on top with a small bit of raffia. Now that took some time. A big thank you should go out to her for all the effort it took to cut each little piece and do all
that attaching.
Very cool Katie,

All bobbins are not created equal, as I found out last night when trying to fill a bobbin for my little old fashioned , sometimes working, Singer/Merritt sewing machine. One bobbin is thinner than the other one so it wouldn't fit when the cover was closed and another one wouldn't go in at all. I guess I only have 1 bobbin that fits this machine, Yikes!!! How long have I been sewing? Only since I was about..... never mind it has been about 40 years. Oh my, that's hard to say after another birthday this past weekend. After setting them all (3) side by side I realized that there was a major difference so I am thinking that I need to get a few more of those little guys for good measure. All my quilting friends are probably sitting there, reading this in disbelief, right girls? You know who you are. I will get there one day at a time and take these baby steps along the way. My machine did help me make this new cuff although some of it had to be sewn by hand since my needle didn't want to go through all this material. Any suggestions anyone? On the UP side. . .
wait until you all see my closure on this one. A few of us were discussing this on Tuesday and then I showed Jen one of my most recent finds. Her response "closure!". So off I went to adapt that item to my cuff and as soon as it is complete, you will see it.

Look! I can draw! I just started doing this and I am having way too much fun. Drawing on these new 6 x 6 papers from Basic Grey makes it feel so easy. I used a black Stabilo pencil along with a very cool white gel pen from Sanford... the Signo UM 153 white gel pen. Love love love it. I am using that for highlights and outlines and it really makes a difference in my work. I really never drew much but with Katie Kendrick coming this weekend, I have been "pre-inspired" !

This is how it all starts with a basket of fabric scraps, mesh ribbon, painted fabric from a class with Gabe Cyr and some ideas that have been churning for the past few days. I loved that organza that I had painted with Lumiere and knew that some day it would serve a very good purpose. The colors were bright, festive and full of energy, unlike my very pensive mood on Sunday afternoon spent on the back porch.
I felt that the cuff needed some altering this time by changing the size, so the first thing I did was to cut it in half lengthwise. Now I had
cuff only 1-1/2" wide which opened up a whole new canvas for me.
The colors of the southwest popped up when I began to use some of the
Sari Ribbon packs and chose some luscious colors to work with.
You can see in that photo that it starts fairly rough with a
simple weaving of fabrics. I also added some of the rusty fabric
that I created a couple of weeks ago. Silver Art Girl Charms seemed to be the finishing touch! I love it.

Just one week from today Katie Kendrick
(top photo)will be here in Saluda teaching to an enthusiastic crowd of artists. Those in attendance are coming from as far away as Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee as well as North and South Carolina. We are all eagerly awaiting Katie and I sure am eager to take the drawing class on Friday. Ever since I received the issue of Cloth Paper Scissors and read her article about using your non dominant hand, I was hooked. I had even heard of Katie Kendrick before that. Shame on me. That's ok because I, at least know who she is now, and SHE is coming to Random Arts, right here in Saluda.
One of my dear friends, Katie Marley (bottom photo) is offering a room for Katie while she is here in Saluda. Isn't that sweet of her? When we stayed at her house in Orlando she was the ultimate hostess, providing us with everything we would have ever needed. Now she will be offering the same royal treatment to our teacher, right here in Saluda in the mountain retreat. Thanks Katie.
(Not to confuse Katie Marley, our friend with Katie Kendrick, our teacher from Seattle)

Quilters and those that appreciate hand made quilts are the most generous and thoughtful people, don't you think? I was talking to a woman from Blowing Rock today in my shop and I mentioned that we were going to Blowing Rock in Sept for the Believe in Yourself Retreat with Kristi Steiner and Susan Edmonson. One thing led to another and I somehow invited myself and Jen to visit her home there. I know, I know but she was very gracious and gave me her phone number etc and told me be sure to come by and she would show me her great grandmother's quilts. How awesome is that? Another example of the generosity of those connections made with quilters. Of course I offered to bring a bottle of wine so we could sit, sip and enjoy the vistas of her mountaintop retreat.

North Carolina Quilt Symposium 2008 here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the mail today arrived our invitation and registration for the symposium in Wilmington, NC for next June. WE were invited to be a vendor! Of course, of course we will be there in full color with all of our "assorted goods for creative mindfulness." Details of this event will be continuously posted to our blog and web site but in the meantime look for us in Hendersonville NC for the quilt show there at the end of June. This just gives us one more thing to look forward to in our "adventures on the road".

NEW!!!! RANDOM ARTS T-SHIRT COMING SOON....... Shhhhhh, it's a secret.

I finished my cuff and I love the way it turned out. All those rusted fabrics that I created 2 weeks ago worked really well in this color scheme. I even rusted that piece of eyelet tape and used it as a trim on one end. A vintage metal button with a leaf imprint served me well when I applied it over some rusted scrim. That photo transfer idea kept coming back to me and I knew I had to use it in some way on this piece so it found a happy home along with the other vintage items. Velcro become the closure since it is difficult to make buttonholes in this mesh. Maybe someone more experienced in sewing can find a way to make that happen. All in all I am pleased with the finished project however I still want to add more layers and maybe even do another piece of mesh on top of the first one. Stay tuned and try some for yourself. It is quite fun and it's easy and fast.

My new ideas for the wrist cuffs have been "percolating"for the last several days so I knew it was time to get started on this before I went stark raving mad, or forgot everything I thought of.
The process of working with color always intrigues me, especially when I have so much to choose from. It is definitely a "process". Using the mesh ribbon as a base, I decided to leave it the neutral color for the rich autumn color scheme that I had in mind. That seems to work well providing me an even, non-obtrusive base. Once I chose sari ribbons that I wanted I began to weave it through the holes of the mesh randomly. No need to go through every hole since you will stitch it later with your sewing machine. (the sewing machine is not a necessity but a lovely option for embellishment) I love using the machine because it tightens everything up a bit.
Now I lay all of my other color coordinated embellishments out on the work table and "take a look at what I have". Wow, I didn't know that I had so many things to choose from... well.... maybe I did. So, off I go deciding what fiber, what button, what bead, what ribbon etc. and how to lay it out. That's the fun part. Actually the whole thing is fun and I can see how I could become drawn to this fabric thing.
This is how far I have gotten on my cuff so this is all I can share right now. I encourage you to try it too and just see the possibilities in this. I am thinking about doing this for my 6" Tree Collage swap with our altered diva ladies. I have to do 12 so each person gets one and if I sew them together and do the weaving and sew on top of it, I think that it will pass for a quilt square. Now, to figure out how to weave the tree into it and as I think about that I am sure I will get more ideas.

Chandra Thomason is the winner!

• We "randomly" chose a name from the list of those that sent comments to our blog in May. . . and Chandra's name was drawn. We met Chandra at Art and Soul in VA the beginning of May and she has stayed connected to us through our blog and her blog "the next 40 years". You can win too, just by commenting on our blog as many times as you want. First of all we love to hear from you and secondly, you have an opportunity to win something very cool from Random Arts and thirdly, you will get more comments on your blog or web site. How cool is that? She is the one who made the really cool earrings and gave me a pair at Art and Soul. Seeeeee.....

Our "leftover fabrics" projects never end. That natural toned, wire mesh ribbon that we have been creating with, has traveled with us to Myrtle Beach, St. Marys, and Charlotte to inspire all those that saw first hand,just what we can do with that ribbon. Jen created hers by painting the ribbon Citron Green Lumiere and weaving complimentary fabric, ribbons, buttons and beads while I used the natural color and added rayon ribbons, mother of pearl buttons and a variety of frabjous fibers.
Christina Eckert from Wisconsin visited our shop in early April was inspired to create hers when she got home with beautiful blue silk ribbons, beads and fibers. Thank you Christina.
Then today, Susie Hursey came in and showed us what she has been doing . . .and it isn't a cuff. She saw the ribbon & she created ... a belt. You can she how she wove scrap dupioni silk fabrics & Renaissance Ribbons on the mesh ribbon that she dyed brown with rit dye. How deep and luscious is that brown? Susie is not quite finished with her belt as she plans to add several colorful embellishments from her own "robin's egg blue" collection at home.

Look at those shoes... completely covered with colorful beads! How could I not take a picture of Sophie's shoes? If her shoe habit is this bad at the age of 7 what can she expect at 25? How girly are these? I would wear those if they made them for adults or I could sit and bead them myself when I have nothing to do. hmmmmmm. Maybe I could get Sophie to help now that she will be out of school for the summer.
My ATC swap cards have been mailed in to Chrysti in Raleigh for the "Get your doodle on" swap. Doodling really isn't my thing but she was so enthusiastic about the doodling that I just had to join in. She is enthusiastic about all her art and she has this positive energy that goes on and on and on. Once I started, I realized that I was NOT a doodler. Oh well, it was a stretch for me with a lot of practicing and stressing, of course, to get to the "finish line". I guess that I take things too literally and my expectations are quite high. So, I started with some copies of some drawing from an old readers digest large print and started doodling over the top of those, adding extras, using colors, including some of my own doodles along the the way. Is that cheating? Drawing over drawing? I don't think so because I altered what was there, added my own and "kicked it up a notch". One of my first experiences in the art world, that I remember, at the age of 6 or so was taking drawing classes from someone in the neighborhood. She set up easels for us along with charcoal pencils and the interesting smelling eraser. Loved it and still do to this day. Thank you Chrysti for getting me going.
Katie Kendrick, mixed media artist, will be here in June to teach intuitive face drawing and mixed media collage and I am hoping that I can be a part of those classes. I always choose instructors that I want to learn from but never get an opportunity to get in. This time I will make every effort to do that. I need to do it.... for me!

Yesterday was special. Kristi Steiner
and Susan Edmonson, the two gals that host Believe in Yourself Retreats in Blowing Rock, NC stopped by my shop on their way to the Quilt Symosium in Mars Hill, NC. Both are teachers there this weekend along with many other creative women . I am so sure it will be a beautiful weekend for everyone involved. Both Jen and I made time for a very special and relaxing lunch with lots of catching up on Kristi's workshops in Orvieto, Italy, Susan's continuous quilt teaching adventures and Jen's upcoming trip to Sweden and Germany. Whew! Not enough time to hear everything from each of us.
After lunch Susan presented me with a very unique sewn fabric and bead cuff that she made especially for me. I think I got so excited when I saw the first one that she made that she somehow "knew" I needed one. Maybe we can get her to come and teach this to us. Keep your fingers crossed. You can use photo transfers instead of stamps for the focal point or you can use one of your favorite embellishments. It is so awesome. Thank you Susan. I love you.

I tried and I tried but it just didn't happen,then I started pulling the trash out of the garbage can. In the bottom, I knew, that I tossed the whole container of vinegar, fabric and steel wool. What?You ask, was I doing with all that mess in the first place? Well, 4 of us in the Altered Art group wanted to try our hand at rusting,,, so we did. But on Tuesday it was still just a dirty mess with smidgeons of steel wool floating around and attaching itself to the fabric. Yucky and smelly.
I thought I might save it but instead I threw it all in the trash can. On Thursday I dug deep to the bottom of the can, through all that other trash only to find it. Sure enough, it all rusted through and through. Now what lovely project deserves these beautifully colored fabrics? hmmmm. Maybe some pages in Meg's altered book? Hmmm .... nice idea, I think that I will write it down and sketch it out so I don't forget.
I guess impatience was the one key ingredient that kept me from seeing that fabric turn rusty. I just didn't add enough of that to the mix.

In order to let all of you have a sneak peek at last weekend's festivities here, I am adding a few more photos of our time spent with Michael DeMeng. What a genuine, sharing and knowledgeable instructor, who took time with each and every person and critiqued with kindness and positive instruction for completing their projects. Success comes in the way of comments from our participants.
"I had a wonderful time and have raved to everyone about the workshops and the shop. I have really tried to encourage the TN Stampers in the Knoxville area to check out the jewel in their back yard!" from Lynn Roberts in Columbia TN
"Checked your blog and saw the photos! Reminders of a great class! We had fun. I'm still finishing my box and Claire took the info she learned and created a very unique and special piece for me for Mother's Day. Thanks for the opportunity!" from Ginger Brame in Raleigh

"Thank you so much for a wonderful Saturday. We had such a great time! Thank you so much for a wonderful Saturday. We had such a great time! I will snap a picture of our finished projects and email them to you in the next couple of days." From Sheila Carpenter in Charlotte, NC.










From top to bottom . . .
Denise Henderson listens as Michael shares some suggestions
Michael prepares to critique each project with the class
Cathey Stoney uses the dremel with all the right safety equipment
Cindy Trobaugh of Morristown, TN shows off her Retablo
Wayne Thornley of Columbia SC has got a great start to his project
Wanda Marsh from Charlotte has just about completed her Cigar Box Retablo