works of heart

Cherri stitching a quilt binding in her studio.

I was supposed to be somewhere else last week, but a change of plans found me at one of the quilting bees for Quilts for Quake Survivors at Cherri's "Sew On" studio in North Portland. It was a real pleasure meeting Cherri, and other members of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild; including Susan and Daniela who are leading this effort.

Rachel, wearing red, at the helm of the quilting machine, worked her magic on several quilts.

Paula brought her photography equipment to record the quilts...this one is mine.

A yummy quilt being photographed. Some of the quilts will be sold on etsy for Mercy Corps, and others will go directly to Japan.

Monica took a few shots of her blocks up on the design board. I've been following Monica's awesome (and funny!) blog for some time so it was a nice surprise to meet her in person at the quilting bee.

It was a productive couple of days at Cherri's studio, and a very good time.

for the eyes...and taste buds

It's always satisfying to come away from a class with something you'll enjoy for some time to come. Such is the case with this "wood collage totem" I created in Karen Michel's workshop at Artfest this year. It was fun to put all these bits and pieces together...some from my stash and others from friends. Karen is a wonderful artist and teacher...I'd highly recommend that you check out her work, and take a class, if you have the chance.

And something tasty...Smoked Salmon Spread

1 8-oz. pkg. Philly cream cheese, softened
4-6 oz. smoked salmon (not lox)
2 Tablespoons Best Foods mayo
juice of half a lemon
1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill or 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons worchestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce, a few dashes, or more to taste
3-4 green onions, chopped

Put all in food processor and pulse til smooth. Garnish as desired with chopped green onions and lemon slice. Store in fridge a while to develop flavor. Yum!

signs of spring

One of the things we enjoyed most during the stay in our house at Artfest was the presence of these beautiful tulips on the kitchen table, provided by Tory and artfully arranged here by Dayna. Love, love all the color inspiration...

This is what was outside my own kitchen when returning home. There's nothing that looks more promising in the yard than the beginnings of lilacs.

I'll have things from Artfest to share soon...

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them"

--Henri Matisse

Courthouse Steps

That's the name for this variation of a log cabin quilt pattern.. although it might be one crazy and colorful courthouse! It looks right at home flung over the mossy backyard fence. I just finished piecing the top and it will soon be quilted for the Quilts for Quake Survivors benefit auction.

Next week, I'll be traveling to Port Townsend, Washington for Artfest! Can't wait to be with friends and learn some new art tricks in my classes there. See you when I get back...

hello...it's been a while

Spring weather couldn't be far away...wishful thinking! I finally finished this chain stitch sampler, which makes me think of the things this season brings. Rebecca Ringquist is a favorite embroidery artist of mine and she designs a series of samplers which are a good exercise in stitching. You can find ready-to-stitch linen samplers at her etsy shop.

I found another great Japanese stitching book recently at the Kinokuniya Bookstore near Portland. They carry a large selection of crafting books; the text is Japanese but most have excellent diagrams for executing the projects with relative ease.



Switching gears a bit...I have in hand my finished sgraffito ceramic tiles, which Maggie was so kind to fire and glaze. This was part of the work accomplished at our pottery play date at the Kennedy Creek studio. What fun!

what a week, part two

Just a couple of days after returning home from Olympia, I was off to Tucson to enjoy a visit with Libby, my friend and fellow jewelry artist. The trip was planned to coincide with the Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show events that take place each year in Tucson. Libby guided us through 3 of her favorite bead shows during my short stay. It was a bit of a shopping frenzy, I must admit, mixed together with a load of inspiration.

One of my favorite vendors was Sandra Younger of The Knotty-Do-It-All, a design board that makes knotted cord jewelry much easier to create. Sandra made a bracelet for me using one of the charms I got from the Green Girl Studios booth, and I came home with one of her boards.
I found some nice things at Akonye Kena's booth; some hand-dyed fabric, a couple of bags, and a handmade photo album. This organization partners with young artisans in Africa to provide a venue for selling their goods, including colorful beads made of recycled paper.

A few other little treasures that found their way into my bags.

The time passed all too quickly but it was a great seeing Libby and catching up with her, eating great Mexican food (!!!), and experiencing a little bit of Tucson.

what a week, part one

Last Friday, buddies Debi and Tory piled into my vehicle and the three of us set out to Olympia, Washington for a clay play weekend at the lovely home and studio of our friend and potter extraordinaire, Maggie Roberts. Maggie and her hubs, Dave, are the owner-artists of Kennedy Creek Pottery.

In the studio teacher Maggie expertly led us through several projects; here with Debi and Tory on either side, busy with their creations.

I was so pleased with my birdhouse! Tory and I each made one of these to add to our gardens when they are fired and glazed.

We created a village of pottery houses; some are painted with colored slip (liquid clay).

And here are the tiles we made using the sgraffito technique, carving through dark slip to reveal white porcelain clay beneath. This was great fun! My tiles are at center and upper-center.

Thanks to our hosts Maggie, Dave, and Spud the wonder-Corgi, we had an amazing time.