Busy, busy!

Hello, everyone!

It's been a busy week for me, but I am not complaining. I have been steeped in some crafty goodness and online workshops.

On and off since the fall, I've been working on a Remains of the Day journal. As the funny and talented Mary Ann Moss explains, it's a terrific way to use those little bits of paper, ribbon, fabric (really, anything) that you've had hanging around for ages. I have a tendency to hoard items, thinking they are too precious to use. Such as vintage ledger paper, transparencies, and things I've gotten in swaps. This class encourages you to just grab 'em and sew 'em down! And not to think too much about it. Which is good for me, because often when I work, I overthink what I am putting onto a journal page or a collage. I'm working intuitively on this, and I'm liking it very much--and I also like the results!

I also signed up for Lesley Venable's Altered Cuff Class, a link to which can be found on her blog, here. I first met Lesley at Art Is... in Connecticut two years ago, then sat next to her in a class at Art & Soul Hampton in 2009. She and her husband, Tom (a/k/a Mr. Lesley) are very sweet and fun to hang out with. I had the pleasure of being in Lesley's Altered Vintage Photo Album class at 2010's Art Is retreat in Danbury, Conn., where I was introduced to her Brother Project Runway sewing machine--leading to my getting a Brother CS600i machine for Christmas this year, with all the fancy stitches! Woot! Anyway...I digress. I am working on my first fabric cuff and promise to post photos of it soon. Like the Remains of the Day journal, it's a great way to use up scraps and pieces of your fabric stash.

And then I decided to take Gail Schmidt's Fabric and Lace Composition Journal class. Yes, I'm in a fabric-y mood. I love lace and ribbon and pretty fabrics, and am hoping to start an Etsy shop sometime soon. I'd like to learn to make journals as well as alter existing ones. So far I am enjoying the class immensely, and Gail is an excellent teacher. She takes you through the process of choosing fabrics, preparing the journal, printing on fabric and other steps patiently and thoroughly. She is also one very nice lady! Gail designed my blog banner for me at a very reasonable price, so if you're in the market for a blog banner, Etsy banner or business cards, drop her a line!

I will be posting photos of all these projects as soon as I can, either here or on my Flickr page. In the meantime, here are some closeups of journal pages I did a while ago. Hope you like them!

Stay well and stay warm!