I started writing this post right after I got home from Ashtanga Yoga class yesterday morning. I love Ashtanga, it's totally challenging - less of the mellow Hatha and more interesting because you work to get your body into what seem to be totally unnatural positions. Cool.

I know I have seemed missing over the last couple of days, but I've been organizing both my Webshots (which is now family and kid photos - great spot or the Grandparents to hang out!) and my Flickr which is all artwork...mostly mine, but a bit of Roger's photography (whatever I can steal, scan and slap on the internet). OH, and there still aren't many new photos up yet...maybe over the next couple of days!

I have also painted the office (this photo seems MUCH more pink than it really is - it's more of a peach color.)

note: my pictures on this post have dissappeared! The problem with moving and changing your blog all the time!

However, it's MUCH nicer (and just a TAD bit more professional) not to have animals painted on the walls....makes me feel much like it's a real office - now I just have to get those Christmas cards out! I sewed 3 little half curtains to hide the mess in there too...this was one piece of fabric from my mother in law...cool, eh? Another piece my mother in law's trip to Malasia (I think I'm right on that) is this, which I turned into an insert for the living room swag. It was always too short and I put it up before I had a sewing machine. So, now it's seamed and there's an insert in the middle and at the bottom. I'm totally proud of it...and I think the colors work well.
Today we are headed to the art museum....I made banana muffins from this cute kids book, and there's a little housework to do and then we're off to the museum. I can't wait! I need the inspiration!

I've joined the "Artist Way" group on Flickr and Yahoo...can't wait to get started (you also have to buy the book. I think I'm going to do a visual journal. I figure my complete reluctance to do such a thing probably means something, so it will be a good exercise (see Arlee and Sharon's discussion of this).

Susan Sorrell has given me a bunch of cool links with neat visual journals. I'll try to highlight them over the next couple of days. Making myself draw every day will be a big challenge. I have no idea why, but I have "issues" with being forced to do anything...even drawing! (maybe rebelious?)

Anyway, maybe more later today, no posts tomorrow because New Year's Day is deemed "no tech" day (which in this family is HUGE!). But I'll have lots of time to do "fun" stitching...so that's good.

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I had plans to post a cute "Happy Holidays" to everyone and never got that far. Sigh...I hate that! Anyway, this week I'm "off". I've told all of my customers that I will NOT be doing work and I have plans to have LOTS of fun with my kids, paint my office and stitch.

I'm going to work on those postcards and I'm also going to start the Artist's way - it's a group on Flickr, with a support group on Yahoo. I think it looks pretty cool. 12 weeks is a big commitment, but I think it might be worth it, we'll see.

There will be some "practical sewing" too, I want to make pajamas for the kids (I've had the fabric for a LONG time!) and whip up a few curtains for some ugly closet spaces in the office as well as my studio space. Frankly I probably have 6 weeks of work planned, but we'll see!

Happy HOlidays everyone! This year I've been so inspired by so many of you! Maybe I'll start a "people who inspire me" column.....hmmm, so much to do! Stumble It!

Well, we're NOT ready, at all! But the Christmas spirit is alive and well here. However, while I was supposed to be wrapping hte 5 million gifts we have waiting, I instead started designing fabric postcards. I have all of this cool/funky retro (meaning it's not reproduction - read synthetic) fabric.

These are actual "self-belts" (I'm guessing) and they happen to be the perfect width for postcards, cool, eh? So, background fabric or perhaps the whole design (I'm thinking LOTS of beads). So, how is it to mail beads?
Here's the layout or my first one (not even stitched down). Do you all remember the robot fabric? I'm going to applique it down. Not sure how it will all turn out. I have a feeling I'll be stealing downstairs Christmas eve and Day to work on them. I'm taking next week "off" from work too, so I'll work on them then. I think Samantha said she'd swap with me (no deadlines allowed - remember?) anyone else up for it?
And here's my "awwwww...." moment. The kids were exhausted and watching a movie and actually snuggled up with each other. All of the worries of sibling rivalry melt away. This actually lasted for about 1/2 an hour...now THERE'S a Christmas miracle!!!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve all!

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I was watching CNN at the Dr's office yesterday and saw a report on these! I lost an hour and a half surfing them (no mind the Library of congress which has heaps more stuff to look at).

The top photo is a woman who won "best quilt" at a fair. The bottom one is a woman painting emblems on war planes. I think both pictures are cool. Be neat to work them into center pieces of a crazy quilt...woudn't it?

For some reason it's fascinating and a bit disarming to see a period in color that you're used to seeing in black and white. Funny how we relate color (or the lack of it) with desperation and prosperity.

Oh, and just FYI, most of these are not covered by copyright laws, but the site does say that you use them at your own risk...I guess someone depicted in the photos could come after you if they were offended at it's use.

I'm dying to start some new projects and I think I'm going to dive into fiber postcards - no deadlines tho! ;-) So, I'll make a few up and when I have them finished, maybe someone out there will swap with me...just for practice? Stumble It!

The darn skirt is under the tree! Whew!

I'm frustrated because of projects with "due dates". I know, this is silly, but I hate being pressured. So, the next project will be mine.

Ok, maybe not the NEXT project (I still have my Rocky Mountain CQ group banner blocks to do), and THEN it will be my project.

I have to share this tho, this is one of my favorite blocks from the Invitees on the "All That Jazz" quilt...be sure to pop over and read the artist's statement. It's brilliant! Cathrine Byatt is my new heroine! Isn't this a gorgeous block? The more I look, the more I want to look. (ok, I'll stop gushing).

The kids are better (Matey Moo's asthma is kicking up a bit, but seems to be kept under control with the nebulizer) but Rex has "gone down" now...he's got some sort of bronchial infection. Geez! Enough already! Anyway, I'm sure he's off to bed early, so I wonder if I can motivate myself to do something....or not.

I realize I've not been writing a lot lately...more pictures, etc. But life just gets in the way. I really need to boil life down to time with my kids, stitching and blogging...now that would be good! :-) (oh, hubby too! ;-))

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I did NOTHING yesterday (and that means nothing). Oh, except finding out that both kids have horrendous ear infections...thus the "happy one minute", "inconsolable the next". I told the Dr. if there wasn't something wrong with them I'd get her to prescribe me something! ;-)

I made a cool fabric wall to go around the heater - the pictures seem to be missing tho (ugh)

Anyway, that took most of the afternoon...I worked some in the morning and between watched sick kids. I'm tired, but I'm finishing up this tree skirt! I'm pretty sure it will be done tomorrow...I was hoping tonight, but not sure I have the energy! I have a few more embellishments (it's not very heavily embellished, but there is cq on it!):

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I have been doing a lot of "real" work and so haven't had time to do much more than surf, as a result this post will be "link heavy", but maybe it will give you all something to do with a good cup of coffee!

YOu all might remember my friend Tina who has just "discovered" crazy quilting (ok, I've been trying to "convert" her!). Well she has done a fantastic job and almost pieced a whole little quilt! Very cotton and cute - love her little hearts that she used (happy accidents, I think you call them)! I think you'll all love it, pop over and give your support!

More of the "All That Jazz" entries are in. Mine got there in one piece- WHEW! and so it appears in the "invitees" section (double blush! Still not sure how I got invited!!!). Anyway, go check out the blocks...they are fabulous and it's really fun to read all the artists statements!

I also discover this fabulous resource:International Quilt Study Center : Welcome - I may be out of the loop on this one, but what a cool place! I don't find many reasons to go to Lincoln Nebraska, but I may have to find a reason! They are having a huge symposium (which looks to be annual) and are taking entries for papers on quilt history and such. Wouldn't that be a fantastic event to attend?

I know there were a few more, but we have to run and get the emissions test on the minivan (yep, we have one...ick, eh?) and it's cold...I'd love to get it over FAST! More later! Stumble It!

Hi from snowy, VERY VERY cold Colorado! It's 2 degrees right now! BRRR! I've been working on my tree skirt, but not quite ready to show photos of it yet!I'm giving myself 2 more days...deadline, eh? This photo was from the snowstorm two days ago, but it's prettier than the storm right now (none of the big fluffy stuff happening right now).
On a more "summery note", this one I did a few months ago, on the scanner. I like the technique. Not sure what to do with it yet, but it might make a cool feature for the center of a piece. Not sure yet.
In other net news, over at Chloe's Place, Linda has set up a really cool Flickr group for inspirational crazy patch and stitching books! Neat idea, eh? I can't wait to post a few of my favorites! Thanks Linda! What a great idea! Stumble It!

I bought this the same weekend I got the molas etc, they are Japanese panels I did this one. No idea what I'll use it for, but isn't that half the fun? No idea why this catagory should be embarrasing! :-)
A little history about me...I actually collected fabric and textiles before I had any craft association or any sewing knowledge (that I thought of). So, I have always had pieces of fabric that I had no use for....doesn't everyone! :-)
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We had a busy weekend....we finished all the decorations...some of the stockings needed repair, and I was determined to do a good job of decorationg this year - Rex was busy with the lights...despite the 25 degree high today...BRRR! Really cold on that ladder!

But the lights look fantastic! (too cold to take the photo outside!)

Here's one of my projects (picture missing)...remember the artwork from Shag? Well here's my version. Rex actually cut out the wood last year and I just got around to it. I'm not totally happy with it, but it will do!

And then we desperately needed a new tree skirt (photo also missing). So, I did this out of red cotton duck...a little trim at the top, and a scolloped bottom...now I just need to embellish it. I have a feeling I'll do a bit this year and finish it off next year. I have two pieced Crazy quilt pieces that were too small to do anything with...got them in a trade. I cut one into a bell shape and one into a circle that is going to be an ornament. Anyway, more pictures to come, but it needs to be finished this week!

I've shelved my other project for this Christmas due to doing a couple of other new project....more on those later! Stumble It!

Reality dawned that all of my images are still pointing to my old folder (in a totally different location on my website. UGH. Oh well, it's a good chance to get it all cleaned up, although I suspect time consuming.

On that note, I spent two hours this afternoon looking for an image in my files...obviously I need a new system to organize them (I have picasa, but haven't really used it. )

The whole point of finding this image is so I could turn it into a decoration on our front porch. I should point out that this is from a Shag Christmas card...which are available almost everywhere! I'm sure I'm less in danger of copyright issues because I'm using it on our front porch than libel...my copy of it does NOT do it justice...maybe I'll post it tomorrow.

In other news, I have out all my Christmas projects, plus the two banner blocks I still need to finish and I'm regrouping and organizing it so I can get something done...hopefully this weekend.

If you would like to see something finished, Lesie, over at "Pinyon Creek" has finished her "All That Jazz block" and it's fabulous (I knew it would be!)...go Leslie! Stumble It!

Well I tried to take that next step into blog-dom and move to Moveable type, but seemed to get totally stuck. So, in the words of my husband "when in doubt, give up! ;-)". Along the way I got my own URL tho and so if you look in your address bar, you'll find that you're at a new location. I'm hoping to get links updated as I go along, but for now, there's a page who redirects to my "real" site.

Anyway, more posts later, just wanted to get this up and make sure everything works! Stumble It!