Stitching rewarded...

Done! Loving the Alabama Chanin market bag... all that stitching turned into a bag I really like!

Stitching in the sun...

Stitching is a comforting thing... almost a meditation... and so I sit contemplating and placing stitch after stitch...

Determine to share

I have a new intention... a determination to share my creations, even before I attain some mythical perfection!

Here then are a few new paintings that I have completed in the past few weeks... I hope others enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Sigrid

A new painting... a pretty space

Here is an experiment in styling a small corner of our living room... with some new art I finished a little while ago.

Inspired by Alabama Chanin

For a few years now, I've been totally inspired and awed by the designs of Alabama Chanin. So when this little sewing chair unexpectedly entered my life, I decided to give it an update by doing some stitching:

A castle in progress...

OK, so this castle has been in the works (and in play) for about 2 years now... but this past week, it got an additions since a certain girl received additional residents on Christmas. Thankfully, Christmas also brought with it additional boxes (including klenex boxes it appears) and so an addition was possible... outside of addition, particularly the third floor, still needs finishing but all in all... not bad! :o) A little hard to see with that mess in the back... will post again when I get the addition finished...

That`s it for tonight...

Some handmade Christmas 2011

Note: Thanks to Attick 24 for this lovely pattern... I gifted a number of these this past Christmas and they were very well received... and I really love them as well. They're quite addictive to make and so great for using up little scraps of yarn that I just can't throw away!

Stashbusting... practical and... creative challenge

As many other artists and crafters experience, I too have a stash of materials (fabrics, paints, canvas, yarn...) that threatens to take over my house (I have a cartoon-like image in my head of walls being pushed outwards by these piles of 'inputs'). So, I have given myself the challenge that this fall I will focus on working with what I have - the fabric I have, the paint I have, the yarn I have... and although this is clearly an effort born out of practicality, I'm realizing that it also creates a challenge for me artistically as I look at all I have, and all those ideas I've collected and decide what I will make with them... limits imposed that might just help me focus on creating instead of consuming/purchasing more materials in hopes of inspiration!

I'll post pictures of these completed works as they are finished... wish me luck! :o)

How long can you go without posting and still be blogging?

What a lovely summer it's been - and despite the lack of posting here, I have been busy creating... I did manage to make not two but 6 bags for teachers and various other support staff at the kids' school - also made that kimono top for my girl, started to crochet and knit washcloths for this year's Christmas gifts and been sewing tops (especially my favorite from weekend sewing) - love that summer top...

This fall - in an effort at stash busting and also getting some projects done and also documented, I'm hoping to post one project per week - either here or on flickr... Hope this keeps me making!

Sigrid

The Great Quest to finish some projects

I'm ever so good at starting projects, even better at dreaming of projects, and extremely talented at aimlessly browsing the web in search of new projects.

In an effort to do some stash busting, this as part of the goal of having all of my craft and art supplies fit into existing storage (don't worry, this still means I have enough fabric and paint and... to outfit an army of artists) I am aiming at finishing the following projects, to feel freer to start new ones!

1. 2 more teachers' bags to finish as a year-end thank you

2. Kimono top for Mikayla as a pattern tester... I promised and will deliver!

3. Four skirts for 2 little nieces of a friend

4. New zipper on thrifted leather jacket... just need to figure out the zipper foot on my 'new' vintage sewing machine and it should be done in a half hour or less...

Here goes!

Sigrid

New blog - more clarity?

I'm launching a new blog... about my quest for simplicity and my need to fit the right things into my life.

From now on this blog will focus on my art and craft... and will hopefully encourage me to do more of both!

New blog at http://myfullife.blogspot.com/

Sigrid

minimalism spurred on by daffodil

What a lovely day today... and since the weather is supposed to be less than wonderful for the next two days - a return to cooler spring weather - I decided to pick some daffodils and tulips and bring them inside.

After putting a lovely daffodil in a vase and bringing it up to the bedroom it struck me how much lovelier this flower would look if the space around it were empty... and there we have it again. I felt almost angry at the stuff around the daffodil, distracting the eye from its loveliness... and once again I feel that I am on the right path, getting rid of things. I might never even want to participate in the 100-thing challenge (although I find myself strangely obsessed with the stories of those that manage it) but I will continue to rid our home of things that are really only in the way of the life we want to live...

...and I give thanks to the lovely daffodil for re-igniting in me the urge to purge :o)

I'm off to find some stuff to give away!

Driving with the windows rolled down

Thanks to Sunny of Simplicity by Sunny whose blog I've been devouring, for a wonderful post a while ago on living life with your senses... well worth a visit and a read ...

For me, it really made me think- about what I want to experience and what I enjoy experiencing right now that I might just want to make more time for:

There are the almost stereotypical ones that are probably stereotypical for a good reason:

- I love the feeling of hugging, cuddling, kissing and tickling my kids...
- I love the feeling of taking that extra moment to hug my hubby
- I love the feeling of knowing that my listening and being there has helped a friend...

I also love
- the feeling of sweating in a Moksha yoga class, and then feeling my whole body dissolve at the end...
- the feeling of sinking into a warm ocean (yup, it's gotta be really warm for me to love this one!)
- the feeling of working on a project, a presentation, a problem and 'getting it' - the way forward, the next step
- the feeling of digging in the warm soil and planting my garden
- listening to absolutely nothing in the desert
- sitting in the sunshine inside on a cold winter day
- curling up with a trashy novel and a cup of coffee
- remembering to take a breath...

and yes,
driving with the windows down and the music blaring... even if I have to pump the heating up in the car so as not to freeze...

How about you?

FulLife Crisis? Or not...

FulLife crisis?

I am not going through a midlife crisis.

I’m going through a FulLIfe crisis.

My life is so full of stuff.

My life is so full of people.

My life is so full of projects and plans for even more projects.

My life is full of work and chores.

My life is full of loved ones and friends…

Problem…

My life is about to explode if it gets any fuller… and yet….

I like a full life…

I chose a full life…

Perhaps this crisis…

Is not about my life being full…

But rather what it is filled with…

And therefore

I won’t pretend I’ll be a minimalist

Even through I’m tempted to

But that would just be another project

And I have enough of those

Instead…

I’ll just focus on removing one thing/person/project/idea a day/week/month

That doesn’t serve me

Knowing my life will quickly fill the space

Left behind

But this time

I’ll be careful

To fill it

With more of what I want to have in it.

A FulLIfe

What could be better?

It doesn't need to be perfect

Nearly a year and a half since I've posted and I might still not be posting had a great friend (thanks Kira) not reminded me that I needn't wait until I figure out exactly what this blog will be about, or what I will write in the next 100 or so posts... and it struck me... it doesn't need to be perfect.

So, I will write this post and hope it reminds me as I move forward, to post when I have something to share, to write because I love to, and most of all, not to wait until I have it all figured out ('cause we'll all be waiting for a while then!:o)

So here it is in all it's imperfect glory... making it rather hard to avoid the question ' what else have I been avoiding doing becuase I haven't quite figured it all out?' I'm sure the list will be long enough to spark some more ideas for posts... I mean posts!


Sigrid

Christmas gifts...

As I scour the web and various blogs for ideas on "making" and celebrating Christmas, one idea that has me fascinated was the following. I found it on

http://www.stephmodo.com/

and she referenced http://dandeedesigns.blogspot.com

Visit both if you get the chance since they have lovely blogs.

The idea is as follows: Instead of going nuts buying various presents for everyone (in particular the kids), you follow this little mantra:
Something to to wear
Something to read
Something they want
Something they need...

That's it.

Now to see whether I can do this... I admit in advance that my kids will probably get more that one thing they want... and yet... I really do like the idea... Of course, the other thought running through my mind is how I would feel if that's what I got... hmmm... something to wear (good thing this isn't coupled with need because I need something new to wear like I need a hole in the head... but sure)... Something to read (always)... Something I want (hmmmm what could that be? Better choose wisely if it's only gonna be one! LOL) and something I need (chocolate perhaps? )

Ideas anyone?

So much for posting daily!...

I managed that all of two times!

Quick note to let you all know that I am, once again this year, donating a painting (see above) to Project Tembo. Their mandate is providing education for girls and economic empowerment for women in Tanzania - now that's something I can get behind.

Please have a look and see if this wouldn't be something you'd like to support as well!

What fun!

Yesterday night, Rob updated my website with new jewelry and paintings... it's looking great!Have a look!

www.pebblesandglass.com

For for me, I'm thinking about what living creatively actually means? What does it mean to do something creative every day? And... omg... what will I do today that is creative? The pressure is on.

Creativity is not for the faint of heart

Hello all - or rather - hello to the two of you who have to read this because I'm asking you directly to do so!

I'm finally doing it... a year after first thinking about writing a blog, a year of lurking on other people's blogs...

My goal is to blog often on the joys and challenges of living my creative moments in a wonderfully chaotic life!

At the moment, I've also set a goal of doing one creative thing - no matter how small - every day... I'll let you know how that goes!

Hope you'll join me!