Wednesday, August 29, 2012

"linda quilts"....

i have this friend in texas.....i met her in our quilting group....and her name is linda.....

over the many many years we quilted together i noticed something that i was reminded of when i saw this antique game board, that linda never wore out when she got to making her borders...

her borders were grand, they were intricate, they were breathtaking.....a beautiful frame to her art....not like my quilts, barely a border was to be found, and certainly nothing that was as beautiful as the inner quilt itself.  it's almost like her borders danced and celebrated, the grand finale if you will...we are 'over the top borders' they sang out....and that they were....



so when i saw this game board, i thought of her immediately and there came the name whispered out loud....

this is a Christmas piece, however i'm sure you will find a place for it all year round too....

the original piece was dated 1934 and signed on the back 'Happy Birthday 1934'....there is a story to this piece with that information and i designed many scenarios in my own mind while i was painting the checker board....who's to say one of them isn't close to the truth?  it's a sentimental piece to me for that reason...

the price of the original is $2,100 and is painted on an early laminated board.



limited edition of 10 pieces
19" x 19"
$220.00 (shipping included for this piece)
the colors are a soft yellow, red, black and forest green



if you would like to look at other pieces available, here's my link:  

Friday, August 24, 2012

in the process...



every year when i see my mom it seems she always say's, 'you should make a Christmas board', and every year i ponder and ponder... but i had never come across an antique piece, until now...

as you know from my last post, i have so much more studio time on my hands, which is clearly filling up with new pieces and i don't know how i'm ever going to get all the boards i've researched done before i'm dead!  but then i'm sure you are saying that about using all your fabrics too....

but lo and behold, i found an antique checker board that dates back to 1930-1940 to study....the original piece was actually painted on laminated board, and you can see from the picture that certainly it was created by a quilter, no doubt in my mind.  the back of the board says 'Happy Birthday 1934'.  I sit and think did a mother make this for her daughter, did she make it for her son, or a fellow quilter?  or did he make it for his wife from one of his or her favorite quilts?  there is such a story here, that we will never know the answer to.

so this is the first Christmas piece i am introducing into my line of reproductions - for i know that time of year i just love to pull out my Christmas quilt to lay over my couch, hang my advent calendar that my mom made for me, and will now have a board to finish off the room....i love the warmth of the season, the scents of the pine, the baking of the apples and the unexpected turn in a room where my eyes can see artists celebration of the season...



here's a sneak peek of the original piece which i will introduce over the next week or two....- and yes, it's august, but the leaves are changing already (very very early), the air is crisp and i'm already thinking of november since i work many months in advance...and i wanted to make the pieces in early fall so that you can set them out in november....for i know so many of my friends  decorate before the thanksgiving holiday....

this will be a limited piece - number unknown at this time, but her name is 'linda'....and of course she doesn't have to be put away after the holidays either, you will probably find the perfect spot for her for the rest of the year too...later i will tell you why i chose the name that i did for the piece too....(yes, having to do with a quilter that i know)

the colors are green, bright red and soft yellow....

if you would like to see other designs, here's my link:



Tuesday, August 21, 2012

blogging.....again....



finally....and i say finally for the reason that i haven't been able to blog 'comfortably' for some time.  apparently the issue seems to be that my computer is very very 'old', and has not been able to adapt 'comfortably' to the new google system...

well....some days i feel very very old and have a hard time adapting, so you won't find me running out to purchase a new computer with more memory and zippity zap speed....no, i will hang on until it just decides that it's time here is done....

i do, simply put, become quite attached to 'material things' in my life, and will actually have human emotions for inanimate objects....  i'm sure there is some sort of 'mental' description of this most abnormal behavior, left over from childhood i'm sure, for i remember crying when my teeny snow man melted when i was just five....

so what is one to do?  well time seems to take care of things in many instances....so i gave my computer a good long rest, some updating that it was fighting me on and here we are, back to blogging....the issue was that i couldn't click photos, type style, etc. on my blog for the windows wouldn't allow it...but here we are, after a much needed 'mechanical' rest she is simply going along with my agenda today....




as far as what is going on in the rest of my life?  school is in full swing and so is eli's football....i will have to admit that i'm going through the same feelings of 'displacement' as i did when my oldest was hardly around, but i've adapted to his very lengthy days at practice and feel sure that in no time i will say to myself it's already 6:00?!  (bold faced lie)....how can that be, i still have so much more to do before dinner....

so since his schedule changes, mine does too.....i will be in the studio for almost twice the amount of time now, throwing myself into work as i adjust to 'his lack of need of me'......so far so good....




i'm currently finishing up all of your orders of the 'wheel of fortune', and hopefully this will bring us all an extra amount of good luck....i will also be creating new designs over the next couple of months and am rolling around in my mind another web sale in the fall....that was fun last spring, so i'm keeping that in mind....i have events to attend and pieces to make for gallery showings off the mountain this winter, and as you know that is stepping out of the box for me, since I NEVER GO DOWN THE MOUNTAIN!  but hey, why not, it's for the arts, and after all the arts have been pretty darn good to me...


i will keep busy, do what it takes to begin this new chapter in my life.....of not being needed....boo hoooo



if you are in need of some fall color, christmas ideas or color for your home,  please browse my site, it will help me feel 'needed', here's my link: