Saturday, October 27, 2007

CRAFTMAS BIZARRE 3 at THE FAKE GALLERY!!!!!!!!

Please check out the cool "MySpace" page that Stacy McQueen has set up for this great lil' holiday craft bizarre I will be at:....make yourself a "friend" if you are on "MySpace" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


http://www.myspace.com/craftmasbizarre3

I will be selling handmade journals...the writing and the art kind....great gifts. I hope to make some gift sets as well. I also am making a slew of greeting cards, many of which will be quite whimsical.

I will be selling these great T's on behalf of a friend and a portion of the proceeds will go to a charity benefiting the rescue and care of critters here in the Los Angeles area.

Take it Easy, yall!

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Tagged, and loving it! RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been tagged by Suzi Finer of http://www.suzifiner.typepad.com/!

Instructions:
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself (on your blog, we all want to know them).
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


1) I love my father. I just love him.
2) I LOVE silly 70's music....esp. the Partridge Family..."C'mon Get Happy"!


Then came Shaun Cassidy 1977:

in the late 70's and as an old lady in the 2000's actress here in LA auditioned for a part for something he was producing, "THE AGENCY" and I shook like a leaf on a tree during the Santa Ana's. He already had a bit of a pot gut and plenty of grey hair but I felt like a sily young girl again drooling over her teen idol. Needless to say, I did NOT get the part. But I was ONLY inches away from my teen dream for a moment having a face to face conversation about college and the like...he asked lots of questions since his son was considering going to college in Texas...I wonder if he ever did...how many gals can say that?

3) I am severely in love with my cat but not in a crazy "cat lady" way...but in the way that makes my proud
of how dern smart a beast can be. He gets it from me.... He makes me laugh, too. I named him Bill after Texan comedian Bill Hicks.

4) I love to hand bind books but is that a random weird fact? Not to most who know me...but those who don't go, "that's cool" and then ask for a book.

5)I love the movie "SAY ANYTHING" and think John Cusack is pretty sexy on occasion.

6) I'm a procrastinator and a Virgo and the 2 are like oil and water.

7) My fave cool fact is the fact that my grandmother...MY GRANDMOTHER...the one who raised me, dated...well, had as an escort briefly....Clyde Barrow of "Bonnie & Clyde" fame. She said he was quite a gentleman and that "Bonnie turned him bad.".....now I have heard several incarnations of this story since her death but she really did know him and really did burn pics of him as she was worried about what folks might think as it was a pretty big deal when he went really bad! Let's just say he was at the "hubcab stealing" portion of his bad days when he knew my grandmother...well, according to my father. It's crazy...it all starts with hubcap stealing and heck know's where that might lead....

Now for the ones I choose to tag:I don't even know that many bloggers so, Suzi....since you tagged me, I might have to tag some of your friends.....egad!


http://beckyspapercreations.wordpress.com/, http://kellykilmer.com/

I am sorry that I am failing at the taggin' game as I am a baby blogger ....so sorry if you got tagged and are hatin' it.

Monday, October 22, 2007

2008 Jeep Liberty

I posted this one earlier and the video won't work anymore so of course...I went and found it again since this is something that makes me giggle every time I watch it and I LOVE THIS SONG! I AM A DORK!

I am dyeing again!!!!!!!!

Kay...so I am getting prepared for the Craftmas Bizarre 3, the coolest craft show in Los Angeles which will be on December 9th, 2007, 9am - 7pm at THE FAKE GALLERY here in Los Angeles:
FAKE ADDRESS
4319 MELROSE AVENUE
LOS ANGELES, CA 90029
(323)644-4946



Come one!!!! Come all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! anywhoo...had to start makin' some stuff for you guys to buy and I am dyeing!!!!!!!!!!! Literally! Purple, pink, yellow and blue...you name the color, I plan to dye fabric that color! What I like to do is cut a certain amount of fabric from all of my undyed white fabrics that are cotton, silk, velvet, velveteen...whatever I have on hand and take advantage of my dye bath that I make that day until no dye is left...as my grandmother OFTEN said, "waste not want not". I alter the color of the original bath several times throughout the day of dyeing. Today started out with a mix of turquoise and sapphire blue and I dyed only 2 small pieces in that color.....(came out a really light pretty robin's egg blue in my opinion)....so I decided to spice things up a bit....


I got courageous and added raspberry and a tiny bit of bubblegum to this mix of turquoise and sapphire blue. Here is what happened...I love the way diff't types of fabric absorb different particles of dye:


You will see light purple, dark purple and even blue. It's like magic to me. These fabrics will end up being cards, covers of journals and even endpapers...well, "endfabrics"....if you know how I make a book, fabric is a big part from beginning to end. Literally.

Well, best quit blogging and start crafting.
KC

Monday, October 15, 2007

NOTHING COULD BE FINER

Than to share a dinner with Suzi Finer in the evening...with Ben.....at Casa Veeegaaaaa......are ya singing along, yet?
So, enjoyed a very creative evening of brainstorming with the Finer woman and she always inspires me!

Chicken taquitos that are served up flauta style that are mmmmm good.

By the by, beans are good food!

Signing off....

Have to make some stuff!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

LATE NIGHT CRAFTING


I am making some books 2-nite and thought I would make my entry tonight wondering if folk out there craft until 3am or am I alone?.....
stop me!!!!!!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

SCRAPPY DOO!

There are lotsa artists out there doing a piece of artwork a day...did that once for 30 days...should post that artwork here in the near future. Well, I am going to challenge myself to blog more...I can't commit to every day as my life is just NOT THAT EXCITING and the day job alone sucks quite a bit o' energy from moi. So, if it is "day job" all day day, then probably "no blog fo' you!" Hee....just kidding.

Anywhoo, am in a massive creating mode due to some deadlines so thought I would take pics as I go along on my creative journey.

Am working on an "upcycle/recycle/green" book and here is the beginning. Late last night I piled, stitched and rinsed and this morning the piece is almost ready to bind into something wonderful. It is still a bit damp due to how thick the fabricky goodness is.

So, I blogged with a cup o' joe in my hand last night and here I am this morning with another cup of Peet's Columbian coffee with a bit o' cinnamon added and a sleeping cat in my lap as I sit here at the computer.

Here are some pics from my adventure in fabric making last night:


THE SCRAP HEAP!!!! Sandwiched 'tween 2 pieces of Sulky Solvy and then pinned together...was pinning at this point.

BEGINNING TO STITCH.......stitch the craziest quilt ya ever did and then stitch some more to secure everything down. I use scraps from everything I do craft wise....even the left over threads and paper...you name it, it's in there....well....not the kitchen sink...but ya get my drift. However, I AM sewing next to A sink....if that counts for anything.
Here I have stitched enough to be able to start pulling out the pins which is my fave part because the pins are a pain in the behind...I keep getting poked with them as I try to sew....so, that is my first objective....to get to a place where I can pull those buggers out and sew every which way like a mad woman.
Here is what the final piece looks like this morning as it is still drying out from the Sulky Solvy being rinsed off late last night.


Will be back soon with more pics of what this scrappy fabric evolves into.
Yall take care now, ya hear!

Friday, October 12, 2007

KETCHUP....CATCH UP!!!!

So, I've not blogged in a while and really shouldn't be doing it right now as I am busy working on a wedding project for submission for a book a friend of mine is writing! But thought I would take a coffee break and post a pic or 2 of the things I am and have been working on. Honestly, I have been swamped playing the "catch up" and "keep up" game the past few weeks. I have finally crossed a few things off my creative to-do list as well as the IRS to-do list....my extended taxes are done and all I need to do is sign the paperwork. WHEW!!!!! That alone makes me a happy camper camping in the Tetons as that would be my fave place to camp if I were camping.

I got a project of some pillows made that have been on my to-do list since July...egad! They will be a gift from a mother to her son which though I am not a seamstress, I seemed to pull it off. I also put some images on a canvas tote for her to present the pillows in...pretty good lil' gift bag, I would say. Better than some old paper bag one!








I have started a new journal/blank book using a great fabric from Japan with a whimsical robot motif....I AM SO ADDICTED TO Japanese fabric these days. This robot fabric is by Trefle and is just wonderful. I am beginning to collect yardage of whatever I can get my hands on.




Well, back to my "GREEN" project which just might end up in a book.

Oh....and something pretty fantabulous is that I got a "how to" article on my "GREEN" scrappy book published in an on-line newsletter from Quilting Arts. I will include a link to subscribe as well as see the article in the archives with the date of 10/10, issue #50...if you are reading this blog post this week, it won't be in the archives until 10/17, I would assume. Here ya go:

http://www.quiltingarts.com/qallc/eNewsletter_form.html

Will try to copy and paste it here for you to see:


http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=xt6yffcab.0.zddiu4bab.gh8q8ybab.4636&ts=S0284&p=http://www.quiltingarts.com/qahome.html
Fiber Art Trends from Quilting Arts Magazine
Issue 50
In this issue of Quilting Arts Embellishments you'll find tips for making fabric from scraps and turning it into a book cover, plus a book to inspire more recycling projects.

rule
In This Issue
Scrap Fabric Recipe
Make a Scrap Fabric Book
Creative Recycling Book
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=xt6yffcab.0.9y7gefcab.gh8q8ybab.4636&ts=S0284&p=https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/giftFormGeneric.asp?track=JTGS7&pub=QLTA&term=6
book

http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=xt6yffcab.0.bv4ds5bab.gh8q8ybab.4636&ts=S0284&p=https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/magazine/Intw/subscribeForm.asp?track=JTA17&pub=QLTA&term=6
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=xt6yffcab.0.u5c5hbcab.gh8q8ybab.4636&ts=S0284&p=https://subscribe.pcspublink.com/wbsis/default.aspx?pub=QLTA



scrappy book

Tips for making a Scrappy Book


"Since I love binding books, I made books from my newly created scrappy fabric," says Kelley.

Materials:

Directions:
  1. Cut a piece of scrappy fabric to the size desired for your book cover (measure the covers plus the spine.) Make a buttonhole on the "front" side of the fabric, near the edge, for the closure.
  2. Cut a piece out of leftover fabric for the spine to the length and width desired and sew it on to the scrappy fabric.
  3. Cut another piece of leftover fabric for the closure and stitch it onto the "back" side of the cover, long enough to reach the buttonhole on the front. Stitch a button or large bead onto the end (make sure it will fit through the buttonhole).
  4. Set colorful eyelets around the edges of the covers about every ½ inch and then "whipstitch" around the edges with ribbon, through the eyelets.
  5. Stitch the paper signatures into place on the spine and bead the strings on the spine where the signature thread has come through.

bookCreative Recycling in Embroidery

If you like recycling fabrics and papers for fiber arts, check out Creative Recycling in Embroidery by Val Holmes.

For more events, projects, challenges, and new and exciting mixed-media products and books, visit our website, QuiltingArts.com. If you are a current subscriber of Quilting Arts Magazine, or if you place a subscription/renewal order with an order, you will receive 10% off our retail prices on all your purchases (excluding subscription orders and renewals).


So, I will shut up and take and Advil PM and snooze for a few and get up and start all over again, go to the day job, go to the p/t personal assisting job after that and back to the creative grindstone! Wish me luck as my hair is beginning to turn white cramming it all in in such a short period of time. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? I can't figure out if I am the world's greatest procrastinator or if there really is just so much to do! Hee!

ROCK ON YALL!

Oh...nearly forgot! I just found out that I am going to be part of what looks to be a PRETTY DARN AWESOME craft bizaare in early December so more on that later as I will want to write up all the deets for everyone!