I've been tagged by Sabine http://sabineemma.blogspot.com to tell some things about myself. Let's see-what would people be interested in.

I went to an engineering college and graduated in mathematics at a time when women's options were nursing or teaching, so I taught in Montana and met my future husband there. That's probably why jurors say my work is organized.

I've done some sort of fiber work all my life starting with knitting when I was 4. I love most of it and am delighted when there is something I don't want to pursue.

I've been very lucky to have been able not to have to support myself, so I was able to work at jobs that were in the Fiber field. They are varied: a quilt shop, 2 general fabric stores, a yarn shop, 2 sewing machine dealers, mail order machine embroidery supplies, doing samples for a kit company and writing directions for them, and teaching. This is the tip of the ice berg, as I've tried whatever came along as my husband was transferred around. The first was for a needlepoint shop where I finish the needlepoint for customers into whatever they wanted. Never again was I afraid to cut up anything of my own after cutting someone else's beautiful work!

That's enough to bore you with.

Art and Soul followup

Wow! Lots of comments on the beading. Maybe I should give up the rest and just bead. Nah, I love it all. Thanks to everyone who took the time to comment. I enjoy meeting all of you.

More pieces in the style that I learned in the Art and Soul workshop with Beryl Taylor. She makes up lots of these units to have available when she needs them. It's been a wonderful thing to do while I've had to be around to take care of Jake after his second surgery. It was easy to start and stop whenever he needs to go outside. He seems to be doing fine, but I'm to take him on leash for 3 more weeks to be safe this time.

Bead Journal Project

http://andmorebjp08.blogspot.com is the link for the bead journal group I'm in this year. So many people are in the group that there are 3 blogs. This is the October piece I did. The fabric is a batik that I've had forever and was afraid to cut up before. It is machine embroidered to accent the design and then hand beaded.

Art and Soul

Here are the samples from my last class at Art and Soul. It was given by Beryl Taylor who is a delightful woman and a good teacher. She uses the elements to make wall hangings, but I see mine as going in altered books and journals. We used watercolor paper that we painted and tags as the backgrounds and then embellished with all those odd bits and pieces that we have laying around the studio that are just too good to throw out but that we didn't know what to do with.
I've gathered up a pile of things to work with at the dining room table. My dog ended up with a hernia and had another operation, so we are staying quiet and on one level of the house as much as possible. This is the perfect project so I feel like I'm doing something and don't go crazy.

Thanks to everyone for the comments. Blogger seems to be blocking profiles, so I can't respond to everyone like I want to.

Take It Further

Here's my interpretation of October Take it Further Challenge presented by Sharonb http://sharonb.wordpress.com It has a shisha in the center and beads rings around it. Most are done in back stitch.

Shopping

A friend and I went shopping on Friday-all the important places-yarn and fabric stores. This is what I brought home as well as a book on needle felting. The hand painted rayon ribbon was even in the clearance bin. How could I resist? The roving is from a new to us yarn store -Abundant Yarns -that has a nice selection of roving as well as lots of yarns and even a cafe where we had lunch. It was a special day.

Art and Soul

In Melissa Hackman's class we did some drawing exercises which did take me out of my comfort zone. After doing a watercolor wash on the paper, we tore it up into little squares and made the green book. That's how you disquise your not so good drawing abilities. In the afternoon we made an accordian book. She taught me several tricks to make it look professional-another great teacher.

Postcard, Quiltie

Look what came in the mail from Jenny http://feltedfibers45.blogspot.com/ for this month's exchange for Calendar Girls. Wasn't she creative? It wonderful in person.

Here is my quiltie for the Unlimited Textiles exchange for October. The theme is Autumn or Halloween. It's done in felted wool with hand stitching and beading. Below is my postcard for this month's exchange of Calendar Girls. The appliques are Ultrasuede. It is hand stitched and beaded.
Lastly, the photo of the strange thing that I posted last week is the stone that was removed from my dog. It is silicate rather than the more usual calcium stone. In person it was much prettier with the red center showing more. It was very lightweight and chalky feeling.

Art and Soul

In the second class I had at Art and Soul, we learned how to trap beach glass and shells. The glass uses freeform peyote; the shell freeform netting. These pendants can be used as necklaces or combined with others for a more complex piece. Beverly Gilbert was the instructor-another good teacher.

Art and Soul, Gift

Art and Soul was as great this year as it was last year. I had 4 good classes with excellent teachers. If you ever get the chance to attend, be sure to go. My first class was with Doris Arndt and was called Ebb and Flow. We used things to texture book covers, then used them as printing plates to stamp papers we had painted for the inside. What a good way to tie the whole thing together. We also learned the pocket.
Art and Soul was wonderful, but the week was a challenge. The dog had surgery. DH who was supposed to take care of him came down with the stomach flu and was up every night. My friend who was going lost her husband. Just when I was at a low ebb look what came from Sueb www.twocreativestudios.com What a good friend. I love the postal look to it and will enjoy using it.

Quiltie

Here is the wonderful quiltie that Carol http://textiletales.blogspot.com/ sent in out Unlimited Textiles Exchange. It just glows, and I love the stitching. Thank You Carol.
Any guesses as to what this is?

Jake

My puppy is fine and will be home tomorrow night. Now I can go to Art and Soul in Portland and actually concentrate on my classes! DH is taking vacation to take care of him.

Quilt

I've been working with quilt blocks again that were just sitting around and used these 4 to create a hanging. Blogger is doing it to me again. The setting is actually with the long panel vertical. It's correct on my computer but not here. Oh well, design should be OK regardless of the way it's presented.
My baby is at the vet's having surgery right now for stones in his bladder that are the kind that won't pass. I'm not in a very good place at the moment.