Gifts and Cyber Monday Sale!

Shot glasses or toothpick holders? I'm hoping these will be used as either one or both. I needed to make a dozen little exchange gifts and thought of the toothpick holders I made earlier this year. I've been getting lots of use from mine as I keep it in the cupboard by the oven and pull out a toothpick every time I'm baking. I also put the little holder out when serving appetizers. However it would not be suitable for a shot glass! Those holes wouldn't allow much fluid. Plus my fingers said they were not stitching any more tiny beads into tiny pots! So I added a little interest without cutting holes and I'm happy with them.

Speaking of gifts, if you need to do some holiday gift shopping for yourself or others, my Etsy shop is having a Cyber Monday sale right now. Everything is 20% off!!!! Use the coupon code CYBERMONDAY20 when checking out. I've also added some new clay and fiber art pieces so come by and visit. Hope you've had a wonderful Thanksgiving and weekend!!!!

Fall Clay

Music!

I made the deadline! After missing the summer quilt challenge while on vacation I was determined to not miss another. This is reveal week for our quilts inspired by 'music'. I had all sorts of ideas and sketches made but when I had not even started on Wednesday afternoon I decided to do a quick wing-it. I've been wanting to use a technique inspired by Terri's quilts so this was an opportunity to try it out with fabric rather than paper which I have used in the past. I ironed fusible web to the back of three different fabrics; removed the backing; cut tiny pieces; arranged them into a treble clef and ironed them in place.

I had the start of my little quilt; I almost made a postcard sized quilt with so little time but decided to pull out some fabric and add fabrics crazy quilt style.

 As I added fabrics the treble clef started to loose its center focus as the fabrics were so bright. I decided to quilt over the treble clef using a gold metallic thread. Was it really necessary to pull the threads to the back and tie a knot? Later I just did some stitch in place or back stitch.

Although I prefer free-motion work I had fun trying out a few of the programmed  musical notes on my machine.

To dull the outside work I laid a few different colored nettings over the piece. The gold one did the trick so I stitched it in place and then cut out the area of the treble clef so it remained brighter than the rest of the quilt. Then some funky yarn for the edges and it was finished.

But it is only 7x9" so I decided it was a good size to mount on a canvas frame. I didn't have enough green fabric to cover the frame so I painted it instead; added some notes and took some photos. I think I may paint over the notes and do something else or leave it plain. Or maybe even take if off the frame. Any thoughts? (update, I took it off the frame, thanks Dolores!)

I'm looking forward to the next challenge. To see the other music check out the quilt challenge blog.

Starfish!

This summer I must have taken enough photos to last me a year. I'm slowly going through them, deleting many and organizing others. One of my favorite groups is the starfish. On one of our many walks, my friend Elizabeth and I found masses of these beautiful creatures and we were imagining them doing their yoga and dance poses. We must have just come from our own outdoor yoga session. The starfish photos have all been tagged 'inspiration'!

Oh the opening was great! Wonderful show; definitely worth making the trip if you are close enough.. One of my favorite pieces, a chair woven with zippers, will be heading to another show so you may miss that one, sadly. It was a fun piece, and I got to sit in it (the artist was there) - very comfy! Sorry I didn't have my camera with me.

Gallery Opening

If you are near the Palm Beaches be sure to stop in at the Dixie Art Loft and see the show "Out On A Limb". The opening reception is this Thursday, October 14th from 5-8pm. The show runs through November 20th. 

As for my studio updates, I have been into the clay working on some orders but I am still catching up from a very long vacation. I have been doing some brainstorming for the quilt challenge. Once I have the kiln loaded I'll head to the sewing room.

Fall Muffins

With fall comes apples and when it starts to get cool it's time to use the oven. So apple muffins ..... these have no eggs or butter with only 2 Tbsp of oil. Of course they do have some sugar but there's no perfect food! 

2 cups whole wheat flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 ripe banana, mashed ( I keep ripe bananas in the freezer and pull one and defrost as needed)

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbsp oil (I like to use Canola)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup soy milk 

1 tsp vinegar

1 cup peeled and chopped apples

• Mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and cinnamon.

• In another bowl cream the banana, sugar, oil and vanilla.

• Stir vinegar into the soy milk and add to the banana mixture. Mix well.

• Add flour mixture and apples to the banana mixture. Stir together until mixture is evenly moistened.

• Spoon batter into oiled muffins forms and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until muffins are golden and toothpick comes out clean. 

This makes 12 muffins but they are not large muffins. If you prefer them spilling over the top them make 10 muffins. If you do not have whole wheat flour use 1 cup refined flour with 1/2 cup each of wheat germ and bran. That is how I first made these muffins when whole wheat flour was not to be found where I lived. (That was a few years back!)

 Enjoy!

Llama or Alpaca?

I saw these adorable creatures a couple weeks ago .... I assumed they were llamas at the time but perhaps they are alpacas. Alpacas are smaller than llamas but without the other to compare I don't know. What do you think? I wanted to reach out and pet them but know nothing about their temperament so thought it best to just admire and talk to them. They were so sweet looking ..... two even laid down in the field to roll around like my dogs.