A New Series

I have been wanting to work in series with my fiber art--I am going to make more of a commitment to do that in 2009. I have done a little in series, with postcards and some smaller challenge pieces, but I want to have more of an intent when I work this way. I have been interested in the color palate of black, with shocks of electic blue or turqoise and bright orange, so I am starting a small set of pieces here, and we'll see what happens. Here is my starting fabric palate.

And here are two sets of four "bases" that I will work with. The pieces are about 8 x 10 inches, which is a manageable size for me. I am looking to just experiment and see what happens. I have a few general ideas as launching points, but I know that once I get started, one thing will lead to another, and I am excited about that.

Winter Charms

Another set of charms, this one for a Winter themed swap that I am hosting on Adornmentz. These are very simple, but I love the little glass snowflakes, and I have been waiting to use them for a couple of years, so I figured this was the perfect time!

Valentine Charms

These are some bead and wire charms that I have been working on for a Valentine swap. I have been doing jewelry in the evenings lately while DH and I catch up on our shows on the weekends. I find it very relaxing, and gratifying to make something out of a few simple materials.

Altered Tin Swap

A small local mixed media group that I belong to decided to do an altered Altoid Tin swap. We each drew names and had one month to alter the tin. I did mine with a "Life's A Beach" theme, with a shark image and shark teeth on the inside of the tin. I added small square shells, a cowrie shell, and some sand that I painted gold to the outside of the tin. This was my first altered tin, and a little more challenging than I had expected.



The tin that was made for me by my friend Lynne featured a beautiful needle felted piece on the top of the tin, and a metal embossed piece on the inside of the tin that says "Art". I just love what she did with it, and it is really my colors--thanks Lynne!

Charm and Chain Necklace Swap

I did this swap on the Mixed Media Art Friends group. Ten of us made a charm plus 2-inches of some kind of chain. I made these wire wrapped glass beads, and little wire doodles with beads for the connecting chain. We will get back all different kinds of charms to make into an eclectic necklace. I am really looking forward to seeing what I get back.

Stamped Painted Papers

These are some recent papers that I have been making to build up my handpainted paper stash. The flower and leaf were done with handmade fun foam stamps, the chinese characters were a store bought rubber stamp, and I used leaf rubbing plates on the other one. The stamping was done with acrylic paint, and then I did a liquid watercolor wash. I am running out of liquid watercolors--I hope that Santa brings me some more! I've been a good girl this year.......

Jewelry Set for my Sister

This is a set of jewelry that I have been working on for my sister for Christmas. She requested brass metal, so this is what I came up with.

Save Some Money this Holiday

We have decided to offer a $5 discount on our book, "Exploring the Latest Trends in Mixed Media Arts" to help alleviate some of the economic strain this Holiday season. The book normally sells for $24.95, but if you click on the book at right, and enter coupon code 833E46EG at the checkout, you will receive $5 off! The book would make a great gift for your favorite crafter, or treat yourself to one!

I hope you are enjoying the season. I have been busy printing 80 copies of a 300+ page cookbook that a few moms and I put together for a fund raiser for my son's preschool--big job! I am also busy wrapping presents in paper that my kids decorated--the glitter glue wrapping paper was kind of a bad idea, but it did keep them entertained for awhile. I finished a couple of pieces of jewelry to give to my sister and sister-in-law for Christmas, so I will post pics soon.