in stitches (sew funny!)

I got a very early birthday present from my mom- a sewing machine! A new one, too- better than the reconditioned one I got for $40 13 years ago. It never worked well, and was heavy as hell. This one is light and has bells & whistles. I'm working on making a pattern for a stuffed bicycle. Yes, you read that right. A plush bike.

This will add possibilities to rock my art world. As an experiment, I sewed a photo of one of my paintings to some construction paper and made an insta-card. Mom liked it & kept it =) For Christmas I want to make something spectacular for her. She's mastered the plush chicken already- I have to come up with something new.

We had a great day yesterday, shopping for a machine, then getting some goodies at Fabric Depot. She wanted pinking shears for her birthday (next week), so I got her those and some fun "fat quarters" (1/4 yard pieces of fabric for quilting/small projects) she picked out. That's the way to do birthday gift exchanges! She gave me some pointers on the machine, as it's been years since I've used one. I made a catnip toy that Oscar immediately approved of, and a triangle shaped chicken with Mardi Gras colored tail feathers. I even quilted the wing! Jim & I were already planning to meet at Bushwhacker's for a tasting of Blue Mountain's ciders, so Mom & I walked up there & got to try it, too. Freakin' delicious. And Russ was there- Jim's boss at Sanborns. He loves that place, and has a half pint every day after work! So Mom got to meet him (a great guy- we love him) and what's he say? "We think pretty highly of your daughter & son-in-law." (Russ is a rock star.) We sat in the sun and drank yummy cider with Jim. He said later that when I went to the restroom Mom said that she'd really enjoyed the day. That makes me happy=)

I htink i'm cross eyed

...from the detail in the apples. *ow*

apple tree

1. the sketch
2. the transfer to block
3. outline carved
   

cutting edge

We went to the cider place in our 'hood yesterday, and I showed them the apple sketches I've drawn in the past week. Erin and Jeff both really liked them, and one of just a tree was similar to the mural on the wall of the place, painted by their friend. I suggested giving them a framed original print, and that I could sell repro cards or postcards there. They were hip to the idea, and Jeff even said that he might like to use the tree on a brochure they're putting together. How cool is that?!?! AND I had another flash of inspiration for the apple series- a bike with apples for wheels. Erin LOVED that idea :-) Yeay linocuts!

Makes me consider finishing the chicken series, and asking the good folks at urban Farm Store and Naomi's to sell cards. Hmmm...

dream

I had a dream that my whole family was leaving someplace like Bend where I had paintings showing somewhere, and my father-in-law mentions that when he went in that morning, 9 pieces had sold.

mind reeling

The trip to Seattle for gallery recon was great- I saw everything from top-notch fine art to cafes & shops where my work would fit in nicely. Now I need to follow through and send my info to them. But first- submitting to a show. Deadline's tomorrow. Need more caffeine to make the brain work, though.