Good Weather for Staying Indoors and Creating!

We got snow all day yesterday so I stayed indoors and worked on my digital art journal -- I spent just enough time shoveling snow (and slush!) that my shoulders are tired. We got about 9" yesterday before it warmed up and started raining, and my little dogs were not pleased! They don't like snow up to their tummies and they really really don't like going out when it is rainy and slushy! Sorry, guys, but it looks like we'll have yucky weather for a week...


I'm posting these art journal pages out of order because I love the last two I made so much! The prompt for the one above was "INTROSPECTION." I'm really struggling with how to merge the different things I like to do: quilting, surface design, hand embroidery and digital expression, and I just can't picture what the final result will look like. I need to let it go and just start working, and this piece was my response.


Today's prompt was "JOURNEY", and this piece follows the same "get on with it" theme. It is interesting that I don't have the same "analysis-paralysis" when I work digitally, maybe because the amount of time I spend on any one project is much shorter. Either way, I absolutely LOVE this one. Enjoy!

I SEE

This one came to me in an instant -- today's prompt is "I SEE"

"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong:
I see skies of blue .... clouds of white
Bright blessed days .... dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .... what a wonderful world

More Digital Art: HOME

I spent way too much time looking for the perfect background for this, but I LOVE it. If you haven't been out to Wikimedia Commons, there are some wonderful copyright-free treasures out there. Even though this took all day, it was so good for me to just let go and let the page evolve. Enjoy!

Digital Art Journaling class

Hello! I'm having so much fun in my digital art journaling class! I haven't printed anything yet, don't know if my designs will make it to paper or fabric, but it is FUN FUN FUN! The class included a huge download of all sorts of goodies -- vintage clipart images, hand-painted background, etc. I am so inspired to play that I can't wait to get out paints to make some of my own yummy backgrounds.

We get a new prompt every day to stimulate our creativity. Our first was "HEART" and the first image is my response. I love the simplicity of it and think it could make a nice journal quilt.

Yesterday's prompt was "TREASURE" -- that one took some thinking! The text is from a song by John Denver and I'm really pleased with it. I'm trying for my own style, something that doesn't look too "scrapbook-y" but I still have a way to go to feel comfortable that I'm not copying someone else.

I love messing with digital brushes, but this one would look good with real paint as well!

Dance!

My wonderful Mumsie got me an online digital art journaling class for Christmas. Class starts next Monday, but I thought I'd play around a bit now. All images come from "Journal Your (he)ART Out 3" and the sentiment comes from a Dove chocolate. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Just a quick photo from this year's Christmas Parade -- all three dogs had on new jackets and looked so cute! It was COLD but fun. Our little "Dog Stars" performance group took 2nd place, although we just walked because the crowds made the boys nervous.

I've got new jewelry and quilt photos for you, too, see you soon. :-)

Photo Quilts on Display at PIQF

So sorry for the lack of posts, I've been a little blue lately. I'm not looking forward to cold, gloomy weather... I don't think the dogs are, either -- Yoda definitely did NOT want to walk far yesterday when it was 15F out! (not that I blame him...)

I'm part of a small photography/quilting group called "Pacific Photos 2 Fiber" and we had a special exhibit at the Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) in Santa Clara, CA a couple of weeks ago. We each had a couple of pieces in the show, all featuring photos or digital images in some way. There was a nice variety of subject matter and quilting styles. I will try to post pictures soon.

Our quilts must have made an impression on at least one person, since we were featured in her blog. Whether it was a good impression or not, I'll leave up to you! It was a good learning experience to see what someone else had to say, but definitely humbling! (my quilt is the last one she critiqued). I feel bad that my write-up wasn't more helpful so I looked at the fabric again and I can see the words (they're faint and not quite readable, but that was the intent), and she's absolutely right about the fish... Oh, well, live and learn, right?

Hope you're well and enjoying your creative time. Ta Ta for now!