Getting ready for the New Year

I have been AWOL lately, but for good reason. I had my gall bladder removed on Tuesday. I am feeling better than I felt before the surgery, but I haven’t been in the Studio since I finished my secret Christmas gift, which ended up not being so secret since my sweet niece, Karolyn, reads my blog. Here is a picture of us with her new quilt. I hand dyed all of the fabrics and quilted it on my Bernina. Karolyn posted a Christmas video of “If Quilts Could Gossip”. Link on over, it is so wonderful and Yes, I am bias, she is my niece!

I love the colors of the hand dyes I used for Karolyn’s quilt. I think I’ll try to dye some more in these colors when I get back into the wet studio after the first of the year.
After the first of the year, my first project is to finish the truck quilt. I have ideas in my head for the quilting and I just have a little bit left to do on the painting. Then I’m going to continue on the quilt for the house. I’ve been collecting mixed media items for it. Stamps, surface techniques, keys (one for each grandchild), beads, misc. items that have family meaning. I made a trip to Artful Bead in Carrollton, TX and found some wonderful glass pieces to include. One day after a DAFA board meeting we made a field trip to the Stamp Asylum in Plano and I found some wonderful stamps! I am looking forward to getting back to it and using some of my new findings.
Then I have new projects in my brain. I’ve started sketching out one that started from my workshop day with Katie PM. It is in the enlarging stage right now.
While recuperating I am using some of the time to get started on “The Sketchbook Project”. I actually bought two new sketchbooks the other day. Both are small enough to fit in my purse and one of them has watercolor paper in it. I am really looking forward to this challenge and broadening my artistic abilities. Can’t believe that it is going to be the new year in just a few days!
To add to all of my new year art projects, I am going to spend more time in the kitchen this year. I love to cook, but “Mr. Wonderful” is also “Mr. Picky Eater”, much to the surprise of my mom 24 years ago. I am her child that would anything she put on the table, and I married “Mr. Picky Eater”. My response to her was “Well, he can fix anything that breaks around the house.” That got a smile out of her and she said she was glad I looked at it in such a positive way. Our meals have gotten very lazy and routine and with some of my health issues, I have decided to go Gluten Free. So far the things I have fixed have gone over well, especially the chocolate-chip cookies.
Okay, off to take care of a few other things on the computer and read my new cookbook.
Have a safe and happy New Year everyone! May it bring you health, happiness, and lots of paint, thread, fabric and mixed media!
Jules

If Quilts Could Gossip

I have to share a link to a You Tube video that my wonderful niece wrote and directed. It's called.....wait for it....."If Quilts Could Gossip". It's a hoot, take a peek and give her a thumbs up on You Tube! I'm so proud of her and I know she has more episodes in the wings to film and I'll let you know when they are ready for viewing.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Down Time

Ever finish a project and then need some down time? Seems to be my norm. I just finished the super secret Christmas present I've been working on and am now in limbo. So I decided to catch up on a few computer things, like blogging and increasing the discount in my ArtFire studio. Oh, yes, it's one week until Christmas and all merchandise at StudioJules is 25% off. Yes, that means hand dyed fabrics and Mistyfuse™! I figure discounts are better than fighting traffic!
Sue Bleiweiss is having a give away on her blog. It's the Cloth Paper Scissors Gifts 2010 Issue! Tomorrow is the last day to sign up for the give away, so link over and sign up quick!
Sue is one of the artists with the Sketchbook Challenge that I have committed to for next year. I'm really excited about this new adventure and maybe I'll work on sketching this afternoon!
I'm hoping that next week I'll be motivated to work on the truck quilt. I've been pondering the quilting and think I may quilt a barn and windmill into the background.
I've also have the project that I started for my house and I have a smaller quilt that I have to sketch out and start on soon. I would like to get it done for a gallery show coming up in February. I better get moving on that one. So maybe I'll work in sketching it this afternoon.
I've recently started listening to books by Dee Henderson. They are wonderful Christian mystery books. I'm listening to the "O'Malley Family Series" right now.
Okay, time to start sketching! Have a great weekend everyone!

Making A Commitment to Sketch

Yesterday I signed up and made the commitment to “The Sketchbook Challenge”. I’ve tried sketching before and just drew a blank when I sat down, so I didn’t pick it back up again. Now that I’ve made the commitment, I’m going to follow through. I’m really excited because this challenge is being led my some of the best quilt/fiber artists I’ve met at the International Quilt Festival and through networking on the Internet.
So, this morning I pulled out my sketchbook and I thumbed through and found notes and rough sketches of potential projects, sketches from an IQF class with Lyric Kinard and sketches that actually became art quilts. I think about these from time to time and that I need to do something with them, but other art quilt projects jump ahead of them!

Here are a few of those sketches from my class with Lyic.





These are sketches that actually turned into art quilts this year!



Tried my hand at Zentangles one day.



I already know I’m going to need another sketchbook partway through the project, but at least I have one to start with until I get another one. Maybe a gift certificate to my favorite art supply store, Asel Art, will appear underneath the Christmas tree!
So for now, I’m going to quilt and overdose on Christmas music today, my favorite is Vince Vance and the Valiant’s, and the Carpenters, and Barbara Streisand…..

I Know, I've Been Absent Lately......But I Have a Good Reason!

I've been a little distant lately from my blog, but I have a good reason. I'm working on a Christmas present and I can't talk about it on my blog! If I do, it won't be a surprise for the person that receives this "gift from my heart" that I'm working on. All I can say is that it's beautiful!
I still have a couple of quilts on my design board and I'm looking forward to working on new projects after the first of the year. After the first of the year I plan on working on developing a few workshops and start teaching. Plans of increasing on online networking are already in the works with other artisans on ArtFire and Facebook.
Right now I have a Holiday Sale of 20% off all merchandise in my ArtFire studio, StudioJules. Link over and enjoy the sale!
I've also been busy with the grandchildren and tomorrow, Mr. Wonderful and I will celebrate 24 years of wedded bliss. He is taking a couple of days of vacation so we can do some things together that don't include sewing, sketching, dying or fixing anything around the house.
Tuesday night we are going to the Gallery Night at Oxide Gallery in Denton, Texas. I have three new pieces in this show that haven't been in a show before and are fresh out of the studio. So if you are in the area and want to see the fantastic works of some of my fellow Dallas Area Fiber Artists.
So, signing off for now and I'll post more later, when I can tell you what I'm working on and not keeping Christmas secrets!

Dallas Area Fiber Artists Show at Oxide Gallery

The Dallas Area Fiber Artists will be holding a show at the Oxide Gallery in Denton, TX, the month of December 2010. If you are in the area, be sure to come by and see the show and buy some beautiful artwork! There is a wide venue of artwork by the artists, everything from paintings, to art quilts, to wood sculptures.
Come join us for Gallery Night, December 7th, 6pm to 8 pm.

Looking for Stocking Stuffers or Secret Pal Gifts?

We are always running around looking for Stocking Stuffers and Secret Pal gifts that are unique and one of a kind. Do you have a favorite Quilter, Fiber Artist, and family member in mind? Take a look at the hand dyed handkerchiefs and fabrics at StudioJules on Artfire. I've left the Cyber Monday Sale Discount of 20% on the entire stock of Hand Dyed Silks, Cottons, Fat Quarters, Handkerchiefs, Bookmarks, Artquilts and Trims!