Life is getting exciting!!

I went shopping in Kingston yesterday, spent a LARGE amount of $$ in restocking items and stopped in to see how things are going with my new home. My son, Steve, decided that he doesn't like me living out in the boonies any more so he's building me a new apartment in his new home. I can't believe the amount of work he's done this week!! The space is almost gutted, most of the "stuff" that was left by the previous owners has gone and the reno is clearly underway. The contractor doing floors, wiring, plumbing, drywalling etc etc etc will start next week and the window/door guys are coming soon too. Steve figures I'll be in by Christmas.
Last night I had a nice long chat with my buddy, Ingrid Tiffe. (She has blogs for IsaTe's Designs and Frayed Around the Edges, (her store) ..the links are in the side panel.) Ingrid also got the Napanee Artisan Guild underway, of which I am a member. Her daughter, Isadora, features LARGE as a model for Ingrids designs in the blogs, and is my favourite child on this planet. High energy, smart and a GORGEOUS diva. I am her #1 fan. There are some things going on with the guild, and there will be a drop in and stitch at the store every Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm. There will be more info on the store site, so check it out. Maybe I'll see ya there.
I was looking for shows to enter this am, (one of my procrastination tools!!) but realised I still don't have a body of work yet. I think that MUST COME FIRST!!! I'll post pictures as I get work done. Talk soon.

I am still around, truly!!

Spring and summer are now just a blur...... I am determined to update more regularly otherwise how will you know what's going on with me?? but where to start after all this time??
The two biggest items are #1 My house is for sale, mls # X1968975, and I am moving to Kingston by year end. That will be a mega change for me, after living in a small village for so long, 36+ years, then to move to a busy burb in a University town. But I am kinda looking forward to it. I can shop till I drop every day, in stores instead of online. I can go to Timmy's for a great cuppa coffee as often as I want. I can go to a movie without having to drive 40 minutes each way!! The library is just around the corner as are some terrific restaurants....... Can ya tell my life is gonna change a bit?

and #2, a neighbour found a cat adoption service for our stray/dumped/feral cat population, 14 of them have gone there so far. Not too many left here now hopefully.
The website there is www.lookwhatthecatdraggedin.ca so check out the adoption pages to see our former charges. Such a relief to know they are safe and will be looked after once I move away.
Happy Fall everyone. Let me know how you are doing by leaving a comment. Bye for now.

Spring is arriving as I write!!!!

I haven't been in touch for a while because I have just been too busy.....but I'm baaaack!!

There are crocus, snowdrops, scilla and the first daffodils shining in my garden. PERFECT!!! Happy April everyone.

My nose is finally grafted, complete and doesn't really look like anything was done to it because a fantastic surgeon did amazing reconstructive work on it. Clever feller, Dr Hamilton.

I am back in the creative mode and made four really nice pieces in March. And have lots of ideas for my art to be made in April.

I went to Lancaster PA in March to the first AQS show in that state. Man I spent a lotta dollars on amazing fabric, fibre, patterns and just "stuff" that I need for my biz. I went with a bus load of other quilters so we had lots in common. Fun time.
There was also a great Fibreworks workshop with Anna Hergert last month. Have a small series coming out of that one!!

Altogether it has been a very productive and exciting couple of months.. and now it's Spring

Oh no it's cancer!!

I've had this weird scabby thing on my nose for months. The scab would fall off and we would go thru the same process every month or so. I finally got fed up with it and went to the doc tor and she said it's definitely a cancer. So two weeks later I am in the Peterboro Hospital getting this thingy removed by a surgeon. Now it is gone, but I have to have more surgery to cover up the hole in my nose... He's grafting skin from my cheek , go figure!!
Home care nurses have been wonderfully kind, cleaning it all etc. but the shock was pretty severe.
SO - the moral of the story is.......if you have a weird thingy anywhere on your body, get it seen to ASAP. Shirley

Facebook

Oh my, I'm turning into a techno geek.......Now I am updating and enlarging my Facebook page!! and finding people I know on there . I even put a picture of me and Isadora ( I am her #1 fan!!) up on it. Ain't technology GREAT!!

Yeehah, I did it!!

I have been struggling for several years to make myself a website without any success at all. However a web genie friend told me about Yola.com which is free and supposedly easy to use. This morning I cursed and fiddled and changed things and cursed some more, but FINALLY........it works. Check it out at www.shirleywhite.net.
It's barely started, just the first two pages are done, but it is definitely going in the direction I feel good about.
Let me know what you think. Shirley

Midnight Fairy, by Donna Hollywood

This piece is #1 from my co-challenger, Donna, whose theme is toadstools. The midnight fairy looks after things that grow at night, such as mushrooms and toadstools Donna says the only time she has ever seen fairies is at night, along with the fireflies !! Neat eh??
Shirley

Openings #1

This piece relates to an episode in my life that was dark and depressing.
I was driving to work on a very grey day with heavy cloud cover,
feeling really glum and despondent, but suddenly noticed a small break in the clouds above me.
I remembered that when I fly, the sun is always shining above the clouds, and realised my dark and depressing episode could also have sunshine if I let it in. It was a huge revelation, AND it allowed me to finally deal with the problems that were dragging me down.
There are layers of black netting which were cut away to show the blue hand dyed fabric, with different shades of grey wool rovings sandwiched in between the layers to create the dark sky. Lots of hand stitching emphasize the cloud formations. Shirley

Frustrating is the name of the game!!

Yesterday I was part of the Women's Art Festival in Kingston. Wonderful show with 200 VERY talented women artists, in the beautiful City Park setting. The show is very well attended, and is a lot of fun due to the fact that ya get to see all your women friends, either as participants or as attendees, and also meet some new artists. The only problem was that it was REALLY hot and humid. I did spend an hour in the new water garden with Isadora, my friend's 3 year old daughter, and I got totally drenched,and cooler,and developed a few more larf lines!!
I was having a great time, but said to Isadora, I really gotta go back to work, and she didn't even look up. She just waved her hand goodbye and carried on playing with the water...... so demoralising when you feel you are essential to the game at hand and a 3 year old puts you into a reality mode!!
However, when my clothes started to dry out I'm afraid I added somewhat to the steamyness of the day - and apparently I looked somewhat like a drowned rat!! Fun day.

and this morning I spent hours trying to upload some of my art into a slide show and didn't think I was very successful. However, this last try seems to have worked by golly. Hope ya like it.

I recently joined Creative Every Day, (link in the right hand column) and am managing to do exactly that: be creative in some way, every day.
I am a fanatical book purchaser, and this month's books and study CD's are so interesting. #1 is the latest thr3fold, #4, from Linda and Laura Kemshall in the UK, #2 is a DVD by Pamela Allen of Kingston, Ontario (Pam's almost a neighbour!!). I found a used hardback edition of Colour via Abebooks, for a buck from the Seattle Goodwill plus a Building Websites for Dummies for a buck, again thru Abebooks, from a New York used bookstore. Gotta LUV IT!!
Another passion is listening to the local library's stock of talking books. I have the CS Lewis series at present, recently " read" the first five Harry Potter books, and am waiting for the final two. I tend to listen to them when I am handsewing or doing chores around the house. And I have listened to all kinds of spy and adventure books, Clive Cussler, Robert Ludlum amonst many. Now I am re-learning how to draw and paint, so have drawing books, "Creative" painting books, and on and on.
Small wonder I don't get much "art" made!!! Have a great week. Shirley

My other "job" is more like a mini vacation.

I've just come back to my lopsided little house from dog sitting for the weekend in a wonderfully spacious, level floored home. The dogs and cats were fun, the location was green and beautiful, and the library was full of art books. What more could a dog sitter ask for!! Next weekend I am dog sitting in a huge Victorian house which is located in a small town with a great downtown main street. FUN!! As both these homes are owned by artists and the place is full of creative energy, I sometimes even manage to get some stitching done, but not this weekend. I sat there like a lump on a log for pretty much the whole time, vegging out after a hectic week.
However, now it's Monday and I gotta get back to my studio...

I'm having a sewing retreat!!

I am in Toronto at my sister's home for a couple of weeks, ostensibly to catch up on some sewing and to help her at two upcoming shows. The first was last weekend at the Momiji Centre, and I ended up having a table there myself so I wasn't much help to Diane!! The Centre is just beautiful, Japanese decor throughout, with incredible gardens and wonderful people. I didn't sell much but it was such a treat to be in a place like that for two whole days. I told them I would be moving into their retirement apartments when I'm old and decrepit, as it is a perfect spot as far as I'm concerned.

June is here already!!

What happened to spring? Does time really fly when you are having fun!! Everyone I talk to is saying that this year is moving along faster than normal, but I don't understand how that happens. Time is not elastic. A 24 hour day is just that, so how can time seem to zip by so quickly ? There never seems to be enuf hours in the day, days in the week to get everything done. Does anyone have any ideas on this phenomenon???
We still don't have all the plants in but the bugs are atrocious at present, as are my allergies so the plants sit, waiting patiently.
Just so ya know, on the 15th I will have lived here in my wacky old house for 19 years, longest I've ever stayed in one place!!!

I am mailing in my 12 X 12 art quilt donation to SAQA this afternoon for the auction. Watch for it when you check out what is being offered. SAQA and it's staff and volunteers have helped me in many ways so I'm really happy to give back a little. If you are not a member you should really check out their website (see my links list )and see all the goodies they offer to members. Quite the organization for sure.

Artemisia Gallery in Westport

I am really excited to be represented again this year by the increasingly interesting Artemisia Gallery in Westport. They are carrying a great variety of beautiful art and eclectica in their second year of showing local art. I am having a couple of fibre art pieces framed by Georgia, one of the owners, ready for the coming years display in the gallery and I'm looking forward to seeing the improvement of the look of my work.
The Land o' Lakes Artisan Guild is having a group show at the gallery this month, so if you get a chance to be in Westport, make sure you stop by Artemisia Gallery, you won't regret it for sure!!

I finally have some pictures of current work !! Hope ya like them.
#1 is Purple Dusk Golden Dawn 16x20 Embellished felt.






#2 is Spirits in the Mist, 16x20. This one has been remounted and updated from 2008




#3 is KOKOPELLI 24x24 Embroidery

Life is speeding up again!!

All of a sudden I am swamped with art related activities. Not sure how it happened but this month, March, I have a show and sale with members of the Napanee Artisan's Guild plus I am guest artist at the Loaf and Ale in Napanee. Next month, April, I am the featured artist at Artemisia Gallery in Westport and in May, Artemisia is hosting members (including me of course!) of the Land o Lakes Artisan Guild for the month. In June there is Art among the Ruins in Newburgh, and so it goes. Guess I'd better get back to the studio, SOON!!

Challenges

I was at a meeting of the Land o' Lakes Artisan Guild tonight and was amazed at the creativity of some of the members. The challenge theme for February was of course hearts, but the pieces that were shown were just amazing. For instance:
Anne Brandly, a bead maker, had created a beautiful, delicate necklace, with coloured stripe glass hearts she had made, and matching earings. Just gorgeous.
Lisa Moses, a mixed media artist, created a heart with slats of wood which were wired together, and hanging from each slat were small hearts in different media, glass, enamel etc. Really unusual.
Lynn Shwadchuck had cut heart shapes from a trashed watercolour painting she had started. She had decided it was too much like a Liberty print fabric and tore it up.
Ken Waller, a wood turner, had made a ridged wheel shape from a hunk of walnut, which in itself was beautiful, but he then made 1/2 inch slices thru the wheel which then created multiple small walnut hearts. Amazing.
Just one word, and so many interesting interpretations of it. (Of course, I had completely forgotten about the challenge!!)

Next month the theme is water, so I'll be looking forward to seeing what is created and hopefully I will make something myself.

Beating the February blahs

I spent the last weekend learning new skills with Sylvia Naylor, fiber artist. FYI her website is www.sylvianaylor.com and if you ever get a chance to work with her, grab it. She is energetic, very creative, and VERY talented. Definitely a worthwhile way to beat the blahs.
Sylvia and most of the participants at the workshop are members of the Kingston Fiber Artists whose annual show is coming up next month at the Kingston Public Library on Johnson St. Try and get in to see it as their work is generally top of the line fiber art and their challenge pieces are on a theme but completed in many different techniques and styles. Definitely a worthwhile show to see if you have any interest in the various forms of fiber art.
Now I have to get the pieces finished that I started, mentally and actual, and practice what I learned about design, colour, layout etc in some vibrant new work
I hope you have a fun thing happening in February. Shirley

Oh my, December is half gone already!!

..... and it is still snowing every day!! A lot of past years there has been all kinds of discussion and worrying, Oh my it's going to be a green Christmas..... but NOT this year. Unless we have a massive thaw, everything will be nicely covered with the white stuff. I only have two gifts to finish, then I can get started on my 2009 show projects. New work is always exciting, if nerve wracking.
Solstice greetings to all

and now it's December, 2008

I had a goal/plan that all chores, sorting, winterizing and fixing had to be completed by Nov 30th, and 99% was actually done. I'm impressed with myself!! I am on high speed, the furnace is fixed for the season, I have changed from Bell Expressvu to Star Choice (wotta difference!! when I have a question I actually get a real live person, who knows what they are doing!! ) and I have a new to me car, a 2001 Chev Cavalier. I decided I needed to stay home for Christmas instead of going to my sister to be spoiled. Plus I cleared out TONS of un-used/unwanted stuff from every room in the house and from my life . Not bad eh??
So now my December goal/plan is to get the last gifts made, prepare for a show this month with the Land o Lakes Artisan Guild, and enjoy a 3 days a week for 8 weeks pulmonary rehab program that I was referred to by my doctor. and pay off some bills!!! THEN I can get back to creating my art!!! I have some very specific goals for that too. but more about that later