BEGINNINGS GRANT US SO MUCH HOPE

Today we will be reading many comments about the past year and the year to come.  We will make promises to ourselves and others concerning so many areas of personal failure we believe we have.  I am not going to do that.  Instead I am going to build on the accomplishments I have made in 2013 however small, and be grateful of all of the gifts that have been granted me this past year.

Good friends and family surround me.  I have enjoyed an incredible year with my partner who is also my high school sweetheart.  This is the year that Dream Designs was born and the year that I experienced many Creative Meditations.  I started out calling this post IN THE BEGINNING but I think I will change it to BEGINNINGS GRANT US SO MUCH HOPE.  

• Hope for the future
• Hope for friends and family
• Hope for Humanity
• Hope for me

Hope my friends.  Have high hopes.  Dream with your mind and your heart. Release it into the universe. Shout it out silently. Listen to the silence.  It is speaking volumes and believe.  I believe.

THE PROCESS OF INTENTION

The other night during meditation a thought entered my mind.  I posted it to face book before I posted on my blog.  It gave me pause and I have been thinking about it every moment since then.  In order to be good one must practice.  In order to practice one must be disciplined.  In order to be disciplined one must be dedicated.  When I posted to face book, a long time friend added that one must also include intention as intention is without judgement so is free of assumptions and expectations.........And I will add that when one is free of assumptions and expectations one cannot fail.

Good night my dear friend Aliceann.  Namaste to all.

HOPE OF THINGS TO COME

Each morning during meditation I draw a zentangle (TM).  Mindful drawing has added another level of experience to this divine ritual.  As I sat my mind focused on the passing of Nelson Mandela who clearly was a brave and insightful spirit.  Gentle thoughts began to enter my mind as I quietly put pen to paper.I felt grounded and at peace, and then a sense of great hope for all of us overcame my emotions. It is with this thought that I offer this this tangle.

I am ready for my studio work today.  For some reason I feel especially creative.

MUSIC FOR CREATIVITY

HOME IN THE STUDIO

playing in the studio

It really feels good to be back home playing in the studio.  Dream Designs has been to different craft fairs and although it was fun and we met lots of wonderful people I was tired and ready for a break.  Now I can concentrate on art quilting and other things.

This weekend Jay and I will be with family for our traditional Thanksgiving Free-For-All.  I love being with my brothers and sisters and although a couple of us will not be able to come this year, we truly will miss them.  There is a bit of a story behind this yearly gathering.

 One day my sister and I were reminiscing about family gatherings we enjoyed as children.  We had some real characters in our family; treasures to be sure.  In an Italian family, at least in our Italian family, the jokes would flow along with the vino.  And the food.....can we talk about the food?  Oh my God.  It was amazing and so delicious.  I can't remember one thing that was offered that we didn't like.  And so much of it!  The laughter was contagious and we knew what a good time we were going to have.  There were the aunts with lots of makeup, long nails and big hair.  I thought they were beauty queens for sure.  Then there were our uncles who were always giving us money when no-one was looking.  So many conversations going on at once.  It was grand. My sister and I decided that our children and their children should not miss out on family gatherings and so it was declared that Thanksgiving weekend was the Porrazzo (and anyone else who wants to join) fiasco,to be held yearly at Auntie Pam and Uncle Norm's house.  I have to say that it is one of the best ideas Pam and I have come up with so far.

Thank you Auntie Pam and Uncle Norm for allowing us to share and laugh until our sides hurt. But most of all, Thank you for being the loving family that you are.

May you always be happy,
May you always be healthy,
May there always be a circle of love around you both.

ART IS SO MAGICAL

No matter what I am doing, all I want to do is draw.  This is my latest Zendala.   I do something every night and in the morning.  It is so comforting.  The meditation of doing Zentangles TM  is deep and healing.  I cannot wait to begin teaching classes and sharing what I have learned and I can't wait to apply it to other areas of the art forms that I practice.

May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
May you be at peace.

I AM CERTIFIED!!!!!

I can't even begin to describe the wonderful experience I have had for the last few days with Maria and Rick, Molly and Martha and the rest of the crew from Zentangle TM.  The group of people were amazing and the food was wonderful.  I met several women who I know will be lifelong connections.

Maria, me, and Rick

Rick and Marie have got to be two of the sweetest people I have ever
met. The artwork that they have created only surpasses their willingness to share their love of what they do and how they do it.  The seminar left me empowered and exhausted all at the same time.I don't know how others would describe their seminar experience but for me, when I was creating my tangles I was completely there.  Every part of me was in the moment.  It was like an energy that flowed from my brain, to my hand, through my pen.....to the beautiful paper and back again.  The flow of contemplative creativity opened up a new world for me.  A word to those who think this new "creative wave" is just doodling couldn't be more mistaken.

My Zentangle  done on a coaster from the Hotel Providence.

I am not sure how exactly, but drawing this was truly a meditation in ink.  I love it so much I wanted to take it home with me instead of giving it up to the hotel to be added to the ones they have been collecting.  The woman sitting next to me told me that I should let it go so it could be shared with others and of course she was right.  So I released any attachment to it and gladly added it to the rest of the amazing works of art that were also given to be framed and hung on the walls of the Hotel Providence.

It is getting late for me so I am going to say good night.  I will be dreaming of all the ways I can express my love for this new found art and the healing effects that it has.   Namaste

ZENTANGLE* CLASS IN 9 DAYS

The entire month of October vanished!!!  Yes, vanished.  I don't know what else to say about it.  I am barely ready for my ZenTangle class in Providence but I am very excited.  There are so many possibilities for its application beyond drawing but the concept is the same.  No matter what the application, it is a mindful meditation in action.  I will be blogging my experience as the class progresses.

In the meantime I am getting ready for another craft fair right after I come back from RI.  It will be a lot of fun but it will also mean that there is so much work to do.  Dream Designs will be at St. Judes Apostle Church in Wynantskill, NY on Saturday, November 16th.

 We will be showcasing our Christmas Collection along with our Gone Country Collection.  Some of our other collections include children's themes, wildlife, sports, and botanical.  Joanne and I hope to see you there

OUR FIRST DUSTING OF SNOW

November 3rd and snow already.  Hard to imagine and November promises to be extremely busy for me.  Not that the last few months haven't been busy with quilt shows and craft fairs.  But, this blog is not about writing about how time goes to fast.  Instead, the purpose is to share what I am doing with my time in the studio.  It has been busy here; so busy in fact, that I haven't had much computer time at all.  Here is a bit of what I have been doing........

In August we had a quilt show here in Windham, NY.  I had several entries but my favorite was the large quilt that I made for Jay.

Although the top took quite a long time to finish, the quilting itself did not take quite as long.  It was fun even though I am still learning the quirks of my long arm.  But I am getting there .  My goal is to start taking in quilts by the end of January.



Dream Designs is also going full bore.  Joanne and I are talking about putting our pillow cases up on Etsy.  I like the idea .  The craft/art fairs are a bit tough but they are inspiring.  In the meantime,  I am getting ready for my trip to Providence RI where I will get to create with other like minded artists.  Then when I come home, I will transfer what I have learned into beautiful art quilts.  Until then, keep creating!!!!!

OUR CABIN IN THE WOODS

Our cabin in the woods is a wonderful place where nothing works.  That is right.  No cell phone service, no computer service, no TV.  We also don't have indoor plumbing which, for me, is a great plus.  (I hate cleaning the bathroom.).  The cabin was first built in 1947 and sits in a place called "Devil's Kitchen".  There are gas lights, wood and gas stove and the water is pumped in from a nearby stream.  I simply love it there.

This year we decided to do some work to it but hubby and I knew we couldn't do it by ourselves.  So I called for Vermont young blood......(my son and his family) and the work began.  What a great time we had and boy did they work hard!  We are so grateful to them and their lively spirit encouraged us to continue with the project after they left.

Although it looks different now, the back had a great deal of rot that needed to be taken care of.  The boards were replaced  and a temporary covering went on with a small stone wall added to ensure the skirting would stay in place.  Now that the cabin is pretty set for the winter, we will begin again in the spring with rough cut siding and a wrap around porch.

Now I spend my time dreaming about how wonderful it is
going to be to sit on the porch with my crank sewing machine and
quietly sew in the middle of the wilderness on top of the mountain.
Life does not get any better than this!

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

OK.....OK....the summer months are gone I am told.  The other day my partner and I took a drive to Cobleskill.  On the way back we stopped at a wonderful place for lunch.  When we walked in we came face to face with a beautiful display shouting out all sorts of Halloween goodies.  You know the type......glittered pumpkins of all sizes, candles, signs, motion detection scary stuff.  It was a reality check......or was it?!  Of course the meal was great and we meandered the building amazed at the wonderful things they had to offer but that display "haunted" me.  On the way home we had a marvelous discussion of Halloween childhood memories.  This is what we decided.

Time has gotten away from us because we rush it.......the calendar went like this.  Labor Day announced the beginning of school.  You were ahead of the game if your parents shopped for new clothing two weeks before.  And, you got one, maybe two outfits.  Halloween wasn't even thought about until around October 1st, and marked by the first  mention of local pumpkins for sale.  Most of us went as a ghost and if you had a costume, it was a mask of some superhero or princess or something of the like.  It was one late afternoon/early evening of running around getting lots of candy, going home to eat it and giving back the sheet your mother had given you.  Halloween fun but done!  Next came Thanksgiving which was a wonderful holiday of food, fun and family.  It was such a great holiday where we would wait anxiously for our grandparents to show up.  Now Thanksgiving would last a couple of days because of the leftovers!  And we can't forget the Macy's Day parade. Christmas was the next holiday which wasn't even thought about until the first week or second week of December.  The tree in our family never went up until Christmas eve.  That's it.  the only Christmas lights were the ones on the tree.  (Now, some of you know that I was born in the city and spent a great deal of time there as well.  The holiday lights were quite spectacular and usually went up the week after Thanksgiving.)  The tree came down January 5th.  New years was a family holiday. Nice meal, beginning of the new year and the holiday spree is over.  Valentines day, St. Patty's day were cursory holidays.  Only to be followed by Memorial Day which was the next real holiday.  Forth of July picnic and fireworks and then all would be quiet until Labor Day.  There was no hint whatever that a holiday was approaching because it was still A LONG WAY OFF.  Halloween NEVER showed up in the middle of August.

Now, Thanksgiving, which to me is the most important time of the year, is crushed by Halloween and Christmas.

So, there it is.  To me it begs the question.  Is time really going by more quickly or is it our refusal to stay in the moment, enjoying the quiet until the next celebration comes?  Be in the moment.  Don't let  marketing techniques push you faster than you are ready to go.  I can't celebrate Halloween  until the pumpkins mature.  I do confess however, that I celebrate Thanksgiving every day because every day I am so Thankful.

THE TROUBLE WITH LONG ARM QUILTING

Six days and counting for when this quilt has to be finished.  Every long arm quilter will tell you about tension problems, skipped stitches etc., and of course, tension headaches!!!!!  But despite how imperfect it is , the darn quilt is still going into the show.  Thank goodness this show isn't juried because I would be in real trouble.  I have learned a great deal though and am becoming one with my machine......ommmmmmm.

I love this quilt and the stitching design that I chose.  Just don't look to close!!!!!!

HELP IS ALL I CAN SAY

To all of you secretaries out there, you are wonderful beyond belief.

I remember the days when I had the luxury of a secretary.  Amazing creatures they are!  Her job was to hold me together, keep me on time, make sure letters got sent, entering stuff in the computer and keeping me on task.  Wow......Now I am responsible for all of that stuff and it is no picnic.  I don't think I could be my secretary.  I am not as organized as I could be and not always on task.  I WANT A SECRETARY AND I WANT HER NOW!

You had to feel like an alien to work for me!!!!

OK.  Back to the studio.

HOME FROM ATLANTIC CITY

whim and fancy

I am still trying to get back to reality after having spent a wonderful
four days in Atlantic City.  We stayed at Caesars which was a real treat.  The artwork all around me was so inspirational it prompted me to take some shots and manipulate them so I can make mini quilts out of them.  This particular shot was inspired by the wonderful lighting designs at Bally's.

Isn't she lovely

This is another example of artwork that inspired me.  It was truly a fabulous environment for those of us who enjoy the arts.  It was all I could do not to return to my room to sew.  (My saving grace, of course was the fact that I didn't have my sewing machine with me.  Jay begged that I not take it because he knows how I can be and our going away was a birthday present from him to me.  What could I say?  I left it home.  I did bring some knitting though but was too tired from all of the excitement of playing the slots.  The next time we go I have to figure out how to sneak my sewing machine past hubby so I can take some of that wonderful artwork around me and turn it into  fabric creations!

MY PHONE IS SO COOL

I just discovered that my phone has a great drawing app.  Check this out . This is a picture of 

the highway we are on.  Would this make a great art quilt or what. I have to learn how to get the most out of this program. 

Highway
287I 

PATCHWORKER'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY QUILT SHOW AUG 10TH AND 11TH

2012 retreat sponsored by the Patchworker

2013 is a very special year for the Windham Patchworkers.  It signifies forty years that the group has been together creating beautiful quilts and other fabric art.   To celebrate we have invited area artist and craft people to join us.  And because the show is bigger and better than ever, we have moved to the WAJ School.  




I know that you are going to enjoy the variety we have put together.  We have our boutique which showcases the various crafts Patchworkers do.  The vendors include pottery makers, wonderful soaps made from goat milk, jewelry, Sweet Sensations (for the chocolate lovers in all of us), Dream Designs (hand crafted pillow cases)

Sweet Sensations

Dream Designs

These are just a sample of what you will find at the show.  Come join us for the fun and yes, we will still have complementary treats for everyone!!!!!

I can't wait to see you all.

Artfuls Daughter

THE ZEN OF CREATING HATS!

You are either a hat person or not.  I happen to be a hat person and I love wearing them.  I also love making them.  Most of the hats I make are from recycled material such as denim, flannel, and antique buttons.  Sometimes I will even break out my embroidery machine for some extra detail.  Here are two samples of my hats. When I am creating hats, my mind takes me to that special place where inspiration comes from a variety of memories.

We have come to adorn our heads in so many ways and for so many reasons. Where once hats were used to protect our head from the elements, now they are more apt to be worn as an accessory almost like jewelry.  We have worn them for religious reasons, festive reasons, weather related reasons and just for fun.  We even have special events just for hats.  For example, Saratoga hat day where the opening of the Saratoga raceway is celebrated by every hat you can imagine.

Church

Off to the races

I don't know how it came to be that hats took on such significance at a horse race (an interesting research project to be sure). I do know that hats have always been a fascination to me. But even the hats I make can be so much fun for the wearer. A beautiful embellishment to be sure for those of us who may wear them. Nothing is quite as lovely as a woman wearing a beautiful hat!

The roaring twenties.  Isn't it wonderful?!

TO MANY THINGS ON MY PLATE

      Today was a very hard day.  I haven't even gotten into the studio yet and I am not sure I will today.  You see, Jay and I have decided to sell the house because we need to be closer to Catskill.  I love our home so selling it isn't going to be easy.  Jay does not love our home anymore and welcomes any and all buyers.
       Winters are tough here and seem to last longer than in other areas.  The house is an old Catskill Mountain cabin of sorts with a beautiful stone fireplace.  We have done quite a bit of work to it and it is going to be so hard to find something as nice as this house.  Actually the land is beautiful as is the mountains around us.
         I want to be able to do it all but I know that with all the things on my plate right now it is an impossible goal.  But I will try anyway, house to keep clean, laundry to do, meals to make, quilts and pillowcases to sew, gardens to weed etc. etc., etc.,.  There doesn't seem to be an end to any of it right now.  I am not complaining.  I am just tired and my partner is no a happy camper.  This too shall pass and all will be OK but until then,  there is still ironing to do.

ANOTHER FLANNEL QUILT

The weather is still chilly outside but the weatherman is promising a warmup soon.  In the meantime I am trying to finish up another quilt similar to the one here.  Once the top is complete I will put it on my long arm and quilt it.

In the meantime I am practicing different quilting styles that might fit the top.  So far my favorite one is doing half circles throughout.  I haven't gotten into pantographs yet but I am gearing up for that.  I am also thinking about renting space for my long arm quilting projects.  In any case, I had better get sewing!  I will keep you posted.

DREAM BABIES

 Joanne and I have been thinking about adding other creations to Dream Designs.  We are both dedicated to the belief and desire that whatever we create will bring comfort and peace to whoever purchases our designs.  The idea of Dream Babies was conceived as a result of the recent destruction that we all have experienced and our desire to bring back a sense of hope and thoughts of peace through our art.  Dream Babies is still in the conceptual stage but is getting closer to becoming a reality.

We are really enjoying ourselves and our friendship through this project which I believe shows in everything we do together.

DREAM DESIGNS

Dream Designs
Pillow cases made in the Catskill Mountains

It is good to be back!  While I was out of the studio my girlfriend and business partner Joanne started a business called Dream Designs.  The photo on the left is a sample of some of our items that we make; all of 100% cotton, french seams, and thoughtfully paired designs.  The idea was Joanne's brain child and I jumped at the chance to work with her.  Our product has been received very well and we will be adding more designs as we go.      

Dream Designs

Every time I make a pair I think of who might enjoy them.  Once the pair is complete I repeat this mantra to myself....."May you be happy, May you be healthy, May your dreams be fulfilled".   

I am still creating art quilts and wearable art.  I am also becoming a Certified Zentangle Teacher.  I am very excited about this.  For those viewing this blog for the first time I did a previous post as to what a Zentangle is. Until the next time....

May you be happy, May you be healthy, May your dreams be fulfilled.

AMAZING MEDICINE

I have spent the last month prepping for my surgery.  I went into the hospital on the 25th of February to have my hip replaced.  What a remarkable process.  Dr. DiGiovani did the surgery and lucky for me, he believes in Holistic medicine.  He put me on a regiment vitamins and herbs, along with folic acid etc.  Doctors that have included herbal healing as part of the overall medical plan are becoming more common.  That is so exciting.  I am one and a half weeks post surgery and I am feeling really well and ready to get back into the studio.  If the stairs to the studio weren't so steep I would have been up there by now.  That will come before I know it.

A quick note about the hospital I was in, Columbia Memorial Hospital.  The care that I received was amazing and the staff was so attentive.  I felt like I was being cared for by friends and family and I have some awesome friends and family.  They truly went out of their way to be encouraging and supportive.  Thank you so much.  Believe it or not I am looking forward to having my other hip done in four months.  Then there will be no stopping me!!!!!

2013

It has been over a month since my last post.  The holidays sent me into high gear and the studio was humming.  No time for blogging......no time for laundry........no time for much of anything except being with my family.  It was a terrific time for us and even Gibbs behaved (well, mostly).  We travelled around quite a bit and then home for one day, only to take a trip to AC.  I love the artwork that is there.  Caesars Palace is beautiful and I plan to spend our next trip there.

Now it is time to get back to reality and making good on my promise to love myself more and be with myself in a way that embraces who I really am.  There is so much joy around me and I feel it every day.  2013 is the year that I plan to harness the joy and ride it throughout the year.  Bless us, everyone.