Creativity allows my voice: collage - mulberry paper on card stock - digital image I created last fall for "voice". 8 1/2 x 11
Angels be with you.

playing: with paper, stickers, fibers, embroidery, old buttons. The fabric is some I found for works in progress - postcards, mini-quilts. Maybe I'll have some done tomorrow, or can at least show them.

"And I think to myself, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD" - I have completed my February journal quilt, only four days late. That's OK. I'm trying to worry less - kind of like a lenten sacrifice, New Year's resolution, dream wish for life. The journal quilt is for the CPS journal quilt group to which I belong. I think the quilt, together with the words on cardstock explain the quilt enough for now. To read the poem Orange, see the post from yesterday.

I'll talk more about the embroidery another day. I started morning pages and they still need to be completed, huh, it's almost 10 p.m. I want to tell you about what's been happening.

Angels be with you.

Wendy

Orange: I'm not quite certain if this journal quilt is totally finished but will try to squeeze it in yet for artwords whose theme for this week has been poetry. Though some of the words to "what a wonderful world" are on the quilt I was spending a lot of time thinking about the poem I wrote called "Orange" as I was making it.

The photos are of my Dad, my Mom and brother, and then my brother and me. Family is very important to me, for those of you not yet aware of that. Though I grew up with "Orange", I never would have been able to get to the place I am without the love and support of my wonderful family.

When I was a child

With diabetes,

I grew to hate

The colour orange.
The sugar in my body

Needed testing.
Orange

Meant sugar,

Too much Sugar.

And now -

I envision lines,

And lines,

And lines,

In the record book,

Lines of orange.

As a child with Diabetes

What

Went through my mind

About these lines of orange

In the Record Book?
They were always present.

I probably did not even recognize

Any interspersal of beautiful blue,

Or calming green.

Striving For perfection?

Who Me?

Striving to erase all those lines,

Of orange,

Which could never

Be erased.

Striving to erase the lines

Of imperfection

Which would be

Forever

Part of me.

Today -

I can truly appreciate

The colour orange.
Now I understand

It represents joy.

I work towards Joy.

I strive for it.

I strive

For more imperfection.

The striving

Is not easy.

Forever will live in me -

Those lines and lines

Of the colour orange.

Last day of February:

I have this thing about March. Maybe it has something to do with my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that March can be one of our most stormy winter months. Maybe it has something to do with the spiritual connections I have and the fact that March always falls within the season of lent. Maybe it has something to do with the fact of - well - I just do not know what it is all about.

This year I have decided not to give up anything or take on extra because of it being lent. I guess I have decided to try to give something up - that would be worry. So far I'm not doing very well.

OK, I'll try this. I'll try to share with you an article from Issue 25 , February/March Quilting Arts magazine. I say I'll try this because I don't want to worry about my journal quilt which is supposed to be completed and submitted today. I have decided I want to do much hand stitching/embroidery on it and I am having some challenges with the blanket stitch. I will get it done because I really like all that it's about. I will most certainly not get it done today however.

Back to the article - as you wait for me to share more information from the Art as Business seminar I attended last week I'll tell you that I found the article"What price Art?How to objectively price your art quilts" by Jamie Fingal to have some good information about inventory and portfolio as well as general suggestions for things you need to be thinking about with pricing and the "business of art". If you've not had a chance to see this article and are interested in trying to sell your art, of any kind, I recommend checking this piece in Quilting Arts magazine.

Something else I'm trying not to worry about is - I have been very negligent in sharing the book I received in the mail on Monday as a part of the CaC book swap. Jennifer decided to send me From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. Jennifer says "this is a very special book from my childhood". "I loved to imagine going on such an adventure!" I am trulty looking forward to reading this book - hopefully with Cat beside me. I don't think she's seen it and may really enjoy it also. Thanks Jennifer.

Please bear with me as I play with templates - "sew unsorted". Which one do you like for my blog (if you've seen the other ones lol - this, purple, parchment)?