Craft challenge, swaps, give aways AND life:
About the craft challenge - I'm supposed to be doing about 15 minutes of crafting every day. I think I've kept up with that. I've just completed another mini-quilt to show - "love will carry you up". Other than that I have very little to show. I've been doing bits of knitting. I've been decorating envelopes for swaps and the give aways I did. I've always liked to decorate packages and cards. A couple of years ago, before I started doing art seriously, a friend asked me about the visual arts, I said, "No, I didn't think so." This particular friend had received numerous packages from me, each one decorated in some fashion. Now I consider myself to be an artist. Ah, friends. The same friend told me yessterday about being inspired, by me, to go back to writing poetry. Ah, friends.

Part of the challenge is about cleaning or organizing your studio. And so I started plugging along with that again. On Sunday Greg and Cat actually helped me with the cleaning a bit. Besides Cat helping, we had a little chat about how frustrated I get with the cleaning as in the process of sorting and cleaning out every nook and cranny, things get spread around everywhere. Cat insisted that she be there to try to help me laugh about it, instead of cry. My sweet beautiful angel. Sometimes she can be so thoughtful and perceptive. It really helped.

I won't be able to complete the organization this month and I also will not be able to start my etsy shop which was part of the challenge. Life has happened along the way. Two school meetings this week, meetings, bad roads - yesterday because of away meeting at Manitou and snow falling, temperature about 0 degrees C. Part of the way there was only one track. Oh well. I've actually been proud of myself.

The difficult meeting is later today. I have wonderful support. I will try my utmost to not get overly emotional. My new added mantra "I will flow through the challenges". Though my body is aching, I am seeing my therapist once a week until we get me past this difficulty. Once the emotional, psychological side is better managed, the physical side will improve too. Thanks to everyone keeping us in prayer. I am ever so grateful.

I'm not certain what I want to do with the piece of fabric. What would you do with it? It's about 8 1/2 x 11 inches. I was thinking maybe a journal quilt but not certain if I want to do much with it or just leave the rough details all showing. I hand dyed it a time back and had used the gel-glue technique. For some reason or other the glue did not all come off. Just recently I decided to sand it a bit. I don't mind that it is rough - more my style you understand.

Don't forget to click on each of the pictures to get better details.

The lavender and roving are from one of my "artist's dates" last Saturday. I was given about 1/2 hour in periwinkle quilting in Saskatoon. I want to try needle felting and so the roving, which comes with a single felting needle. They also have the other felting needles. I'll probably reward myself with one this Friday when I go back for another appointment with Naomi. All the little flowers - are for my inchies of course. As soon as I have my journal quilt done for this month and my swap package sent for the "cuppa tea" event, I'll have to concentrate on those. Hmmm - hopefully I haven't bittin off more than I can chew here. Naomi says keep doing the art so I guess I'll do that.

Angels be with you.

What's all this fabric about? I have been slowly trying to clean and organize some of my art supplies while at the same time still trying to play. You're probably thinking - why don't I just concentrate on the organizing and THEN do the creating? Not how I function - absolutely NOT how I function. And the other thing is that I've joined a crafter's challenge because it is National crafter's month. I found it on my other blog at vox. Part of the challenge involves creating for 15 minutes/day. I could easily do that if life weren't happening all around me. I can hardly place myself in a bubble which is almost what Julia Cameron would suggest - oh right - that's totally another story! Other parts of the challenge include cleaning your space, a bit at a time, I say, and opening an etsy shop or renewing it if already have one. I guess I signed on to the challenge as inspiration but I am certainly not going to be able to say it is the end all and be all. You are supposed to give unused supplies away also. That's what the fabric and giveaway are about. In the process of trying to clean the bedroom downstairs so I can turn it into a studio, I found MORE fabric. In a way I was happy because I had feared I had sold all of it at garage sales over the past couple of years. Like I said this organizing is a slow process. Unfortunately not all of the fabric is something I appreciate and so the giveaway and so the invitation to swap.
I know you'll wish me luck with the challenge. Part of the giveaway is also to hopefully find more people that like my work so when I do open my etsy - well, you get the drift.
If you want to comment for the giveaway, don't know what it's about, need to see the other items besides the mini-quilt, please go to the previous post. You have a week to comment. One comment enters you but please feel free to comment as often as you like. It helps to fuel my creativity and efforts.
Someone had problems commenting so she e-mailed me. Please do the same if having difficulties. My e-mail is at my profile.
There were a couple of questions: about the size - the mini quilt is 4" x 6". The pin is about 1 1/4" diameter. Suze asked about the mauve fabric (very perceptive). You can see a portion of it here.

Back to life and hopefully playing.
Angels be with you.