Creating Gallery Pictures

Sorting through all my yarns, threads, fabric scraps, wild flowers, buttons and other ephemera to create artwork for the gallery show.













Stiching ribbons, yerns and threads to create a 4 x 6 inch piece of fabric to include in artwork.















Snippets and bits come together to creat geometric shapes accented with various yarns then stitched onto black velvet before framing.







This piece includes unique trims and floral buttons from France sitting atop a scrap of sheer tuille and stitched to black velvet.






Well, back to creating new pieces.....

May INchie Swap

The Month of May I hosted the swap for my INchie group. The theme was "Flowers". Each of us made a tiny one inch by one inch work of art with a flower. Then all sent the INchies to me so I could make a display.

As I created my tiny works I kept thinking, "How am I going to display them?"



Then as I was searching for items to use I came across some vintage album pages. These will work great!











Now to figure out what to include on them without taking away the unique beauty of each tiny INchie. Vintage Music! and some more flowers!






I began to decorate the vintage pages and create a small canvas for the the tiny works to frame them in the opening of the pages.













Once I finished, this is what each Special INchie Diva Artist received!

SETTLING IN

Since returning home from ArtFest I have been busy sorting, packing and moving items into my new studio. The work my hubby did has exceeded my dreams! It is a beautiful shade of lavender, both ceiling and floor, and has lovely white wood trim and pillar with teakwood floor. Cabinets and office furniture are black.

In the desk and files area there is a small chandelier. A vintage shelf where I have placed cherished items is above the file cabinet.

















In the area where I have all the sewing machines and other quilting items there is a larger chandelier. I LOVE IT!














An island that has wheels so I can move it is located in the center of the room.






Outside the walk-in closet is a perfect place for my bookshelves. (I have lots of books)







This is the most FABULOUS retirement gift! I could not have imagined what it would be like to have a room that is twice the size of the former bedroom I was using for a studio and a lovely walk-in clost. I am VERY LUCKY to have this as a place to retreat and create. Now that I am retired I want to spend a lot of time creating.

Atchison Art Walk

Atchison, Kansas is hosting an Art Walk Friday evening, April 29th from 5:30 to 8:30PM. There will be approximately 25 artists displaying their works within the various businesses. Eash artist will be in a business beginning at the Missouri River area and ending on North 8th street. This is not only an opportunity to see great art but also historic architecture in Atchison.

I will be displaying my work at Willow Brook, located at 117 N. 8th. Please stop by and see what I have created. Using scrps of yars, threads, ribbons, material, feathers and any other "dry" materials I have assembled them in to artworks like the ones below. Materials used are the scraps left from sewing, knitting and other mixed media works.


Living in the midwest I have witnessed many storms throughout the years. While the storms are extremely turbulent theyeye of the storms have a fascinating calm about them.
The "Eye of the Storm" represents that calmness.





















One of my favorite works is "Sea Beauty".
It was inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean. While gazing at the horizon of ocean meeting the sky I was facinated by what lies beneath the water. It must be as beautiful as the surface!




















This work depects the flowers in my garden and is appropriately titled
"Garden Splendor".



Enjoy a spring Friday evening touring Atchison's historic businesses to see the work of local artisans. What a unique way to spend the evening!

Techniques for Celebrating Spring's Arrival

In one month I will be heading off to ArtFest to teach two FABULOUS classes! Since ArtFest is one of Tracie and my favorite retreats, we are teaching classes that are special and "one-of-a-kind" thus, will not be taught at any other retreat!

ArtFest was our first ever art retreat, where we began as students, vended then finally have had the privilege to teach for the past several years. When we attended the First Artfest, we fell in love with the breath-taking beauty of the area and the hosts of this magical event, Tracy and Teesha Moore.

Even after 12 or 13 years of participating in this event, I continue to be overwhelmed by the awe everytime I arrive. Magic wraps around me like a blanket warming my heart. Participatng in fabulous classes, rubbing shoulders with top notch instructors, meeting new friends,drinking-in the absolutely breath-taking beauty of the surroundings, reveling in each lovely experience touches my deepest being. I don't think I feel quite so alive and able to live wholly in the moment like I do during Artfest.

Once again, I am so honored to be teaching, sharing my knowledge and skills, passing along the love of nature to those wonderful individuals that choose to spend their time in one of my classes.

I am extremely excited about this year's workshops and want to extend a personal invitation to be part of one or both, which are Artfest exclusives. This is definitely the one and only opportunity to learn these very unique techniques for creating nature inspired, stunning works of art in 2011.



The Egg-ology Workshop is BRAND NEW! And, I can hardly
contain myself, as I simply giddy to share my techniques for stenciling, stippling, and painting to create artworks inspired by bird eggs and nests, along with secrets to forging perfect representations of such delicate and intricate natural subjects,
imbued with both color and depth. The techniques learned in this class will continue to reveal nature's beauty in your future artworks as you use them in many of your creations.



The Of Nested Visions Workshop, I am proud to say, is the
third time this sold-out class has been offered and, again, is an ArtFest exclusive. An ode to Nature's songbirds and their beautiful abodes, students will build an enchanting assemblage first by weaving their own
nests using the same natural materials as birds. These delicate nests will be the focal point of the entire piece. You will be amazed at the way the nests capture the talents used by small birds. The differences between these creative works and the nests you find in your backyard are difficult to distinquish.

And I am thrilled to say that Tracie will be bringing some really REALLY
GORGEOUS natural ephemera straight from her garden for
students to use... take a peek!






We have limited these classes to a small number of participants to keep the classroom experience both personal and intimate.

Only a few spaces remain in each workshop as the sign-up date draws near,
so don't wait... Sign-up today!

Visit ArtFest 2011to download a registration form or contact Teesha at artgirl777aol.com

See you at ArtFest!!!

ETSY SHOP HAS REOPENED!!!!

A while ago I closed my etsy shop because I was working full time and just couldn't keep up with everything. Well, now that I am retired I decided that I should reopen. And what better way to do that but to fill my shop with Windham's new Nature Inspired Fabrics by Tracie Lyn Huskamp?!!!, my dear daughter-in-law and co-teacher.

I am selling fat quarters of these lovely fabrics in my shop. You MUST take a peek! The fabrics are so VERY BEAUTIFUL! They will inspire you!

If you make any purchase AND and should choose to "Favorite (Heart) my etsy shop" then I will Include a packet of ephemera and miscellaneouse items from by studio.....vintage papers, various buttons, ribbon, bits of other fabrics etc......

Here is the MOST FUN:

When purchasing 5 or more fat quarters and identifying my shop as a Favorite (Heart) I will be including ephemera and miscellaneous items from my studio.....AND a book from my stash of books on craft, sewing, etc. as a free gift.

Isn't this fun?

Hop on over to my etsy shop

Creating at The French General

One of my favorite places to visit and teach is "The French General" which is owned an operated by Kaari Meng, artist,designer and one of the nicest persons you can meet.

On Saturday, January 29th, Tracie and I will be teaching students how to create lovely Butterfly Missives where the butterflies will appear to lift into the air. We are participating in Kaari's weekend "Art of Crafting Event".

Here are a few pics of what we will be doing:





























If you are attending CHA in Los Angeles or live nearby I hope you will join us at The French General for a fun time creating. What a great project to make for a special Valentine!!!

Seeing the Forest and the Trees

This is the forest of trees that I created then decorated with the INchies made by the INchie Divas in the yahoo group that I lead. Each small 1" x 1" work of art became a tiny ornament for the fabric trees.


We create this tiny masterpieces with a theme in mind then the hostess collects and returns them to each artist. What fun we have creating and sharing.

I wanted to create something different for the "Holiday 2010" swap so designed the tree from muslin, painted the muslin, sewed it together, stuffed with poly fill, glued to a plastic bowl painted black then attached miniature ornaments and the tiny works of art.

ENJOY, my friends!

Autumn In My Garden

Here are some pics of my garden:

RECYCLE, REUSE, RECREATE.......

This is my project today. I am getting ready for International Quilt Houston.

Using snippets and bits I love to create fabric then transform it for use in various projects. Today I am making quilt squares.

The snippets and bits are the "trash" from other projects. I save the smallest bits of threads, fabrics, silk florals, glitter, lace and any other item that would otherwise end up in the trash.

As I work on a project I keep a ziplock taped to the table and just drop all the snippets in it as I go. Once it is full I zip it up, toss it into a tote, take another ziplock and start to fill it. This keeps my snippets separated by color just in case I want to make a certain color of fused fabric.

Using a bonding technique with Steam-A-Seam2 I then bond all the little snippets onto unbleached muslin. Once I have finished making the square of fabric (usually a 18 inch square) I lay it aside until I need a piece of fabric for a project.

The 18 inch squares can be cut into various shapes or sized. The following are quilt blocks I am making from some of my stash of fused fabrics.




As you can see the larger 18 inch pieces have been cut into smaller pieces then used to create a square for a quiltlet.

This is the piece I posted previously. It is almost completed. The hand dyed velvet edging needs handsewn on the edges then it will be finished.

The backing is is a coordinated fabric that I sewed the small fused pieces onto. Since the fused fabrics consist of several layers no quilt batting is necessary. It is naturally padded. I sewed along the edges of each small fused piece thus no extra quilting is needed either.

EXCITING TIMES.....

.....abound. Tracie and I spent the weekend sewing madly creating items from her new line of fabrics that will be unveiled at International Quilt Market - Houston later this month.

Here is a sneak peak of her "Nature Inspired" fabric line. FabShop News Trade Magazine has dedicated a whole editorial page in their latest issue highlighting two of Windham Fabrics new lines....Tracie Lyn and Paige Stanley Miller were the honored designers.



Those of you who are going to International Quilt Market Houston must stop by and say hello.

Tracie's fabrics are as beautiful as the paintings she creates. Now you can make yourself a throw pillow, apron and many other projects using her lovely designs.

Way to go Tracie!!!! I am VERY proud of you and know you have worked VERY hard!

Much Love!

A Week in Paradise

In September 2010 Tracie and I had the privilege of teaching in Orvieto, Italy at an event organized by Adventures in Italy (Bill and Kristin Steiner). After arriving in Rome we rode a train to a most captivating town located high on a plateau. As it appeared on the horizon we were in awe of its beautifully ageless architecture. Orvieto took our hearts and minds back hundreds of years while our eyes absorbed the artistic creations spanning generations of a people that love their heritage. Every street and building was a tribute to the past. It was apparent that loving hands had cared for every stone, door and design in tribute to the ancestors who had painstakingly carved each one.




Not only did Bill and Kristin greet us with open arms of friendship but every person we met along our journey did the same. Smiles accompanied Italian greetings sprinkled with broken English as each Orvieto native aided us in finding our way around the city.





Passing through the enormous gates to Instituto San Lodovico involked a peace beyond description. As we entered I turned to Tracie and said, "I feel as though I am entering heaven." That peacefulness filled my heart the entire week.








Each day of the week the students and us spent time in the studio creating then toured the city to explore and marvel at its history and beauty. Bill and Kristin planned an activity every day. These included cooking with a famous chef, touring a vineyard, shopping at the market and, of course, eating Italian cusine.



Saying goodbye to the view from our window left us sad yet filled with gratitude that we shared this experience together.


We hugged one another then with tears in our eyes we whispered, "Farewell", to the city that had captured our hearts.



As the week came to a close, Tracie and I were invited to return in 2012. Needless to say we are thrilled at the possiblity of returning to this paradise. Going to Italy was a dream we never thought possible. Now to think of returning is exciting to say the least. We would love to have you join us. If you have ever wanted to see the creations of the Great Masters this is the perfect opportunity! Make plans now to ensure you will be part of this adventure.

We look forward to sharing this experience with you.

Marylin and Tracie Lyn

STUDIO UPDATE....

The latest news on the new studio is that the drywall guys have the walls and ceiling finished. The ceiling has the "knocked down" finish. Hubby has primed the ceilings.












Yesterday we went to the paint store to select the colors. I decided to step out of the box and have the ceiling be a color. The color selected is "simple violet" which is a very light shade. The walls in the walk-in closet will also be this color.











The color for the walls in the studio will be "Pleasant Violet" which is a shade or two darker than the ceiling. Originally I was thinking yellow but as I was looking at colors the violet kept catching my eye. So I thought I can use yellow for some of the accents in the room.

Hubby is priming the walls today....soon the color will begin!

All is taking shape and the excitement is building.

Stay tuned for more updates.......

Quiltlet Finished

Here is the finished quiltlet for International Quilt Auction. It is called Floral Fields. Has a fabric background with silk flowers handsewn on with small seed beads giving a dimensional effect. The grass is yarns also sewn by hand to create the hill and valleys as well as small mounds of grass. It represents fields of flowers with a small pond and white clouds in the summer sky.




Here is a closeup:

DREAMS DO COME TRUE

Currently my studio is a spare bedroom which has been stripped of all bedroom identity to become a place where I spend my time creating. Of course, I have way too much stuff so it is overcrowded and cramped. Here are a couple of pictures:















For many years I have dreamed of having a studio with plenty of room and good storage. Well, that dream is close to becoming a reality thanks to my fantastic hubby. He has been working to add a space to our unused basement for me to use for a studio. When I retired the gift from him was that he would build me my dream studio. Keep in mind that this was a totally unused area in our basement that was crammed with just plain "junk" and old keepsakes.

While it was basically a clean slate for building a studio it required a lot of prep work before he could even begin. It had to be cleared, wired, framed and drywalled. He began by giving me measurements for the area and I did a rough drawing of how I wanted it to be. Then, he began. The new space is a little more than twice the size of the space I curently have.





















We cleared most of the collected junk from the area. Some large items had to remain and he has worked around them. This, I am sure, created many a challenge for him.




I wanted to share some pictures of the process with you, my friends. This is my hubby working away creating my dream room a little at a time:






Here is a view peering into the walk-in closet! Yes, I will have a closet, approximately 6x8 feet with shelves where I can store my fabric so I can actually SEE what I have! No more digging through storage totes to see if I have something!! Yeah!!















A couple of views of the sheetrock completed. Today he has completed hanging the sheetrock.
















While there is still a lot to do, I am THRILLED to see the studio taking shape.

Many tasks to be completed: finishing the sheetrock, painting walls, wood trim installed and painted, recepticles to be installed, lighting, building cabinets and putting in the work island....and all the finishing touches. Can hardly wait for sharing the completed project.

I am still undecided on wall color and the rug for the reading and office area. And I need to decide on the desk, chairs, filing cabinets for the office area. We will be hanging a television, DVD player on the wall to prevent using valuable table top areas.

There will be a couple of small chandeliers in the studio. Here is a picture of them:



Hopefully, I will be set up in the new studio before the holiday season! I have a lot of ephemera, fabric and just plain "stuff" to sift through before moving into the new studio. Besides getting totally organized is at the top of the list and I am sure it will be quite the task.

I will keep you posted.