tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21386866010361475522024-03-21T18:05:28.864-07:00Gail EllspermannA peek inside my creative journey...Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-80874680939767770022013-11-03T16:34:00.000-08:002013-11-04T14:33:14.300-08:00Mountains of magazines....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOFOSmh3GnahYX1Hez1qOO3VOiLDhaThEkuz3hi264KaSe9CJq3gyvNYsbpG7-TreP1lA0WihiW6DFxpzLFkyg9gdtHVf0cvjVR6ypuY-haZtfxjP6yGZcMXx6QNNNoCiCd7B1N7GDdol/s1600/DSCN5384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzOFOSmh3GnahYX1Hez1qOO3VOiLDhaThEkuz3hi264KaSe9CJq3gyvNYsbpG7-TreP1lA0WihiW6DFxpzLFkyg9gdtHVf0cvjVR6ypuY-haZtfxjP6yGZcMXx6QNNNoCiCd7B1N7GDdol/s320/DSCN5384.jpg" width="213" /></a>I love magazines and subscribe to a rediculous number of them that cover a wide range of subjects - fashion, quilting, flowers, mixed media, dolls, sewing, health - the list goes on. I try to read them as they come in because they can accumulate into big piles really fast.<br />
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One of the things I enjoy about magazines is feeling free to tear <br />
things out of them. I tear out stories, pretty pictures, things I want to make, words or phrases that catch my eye, all kinds of things. Those, too, can accumulate into big piles!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIoAuZnzXsy37CBVT9iYl56Yz7caMcWPxj8ZQAFF4jUldrMK0EyYxLHi6L4daJ-aK9a4l88kSDjDhyphenhyphenBcNUoNTa8gYOEjwRxKwD1LDAwOmxmFTibqdvEPzea-m7eheYiTYEIrQ1FhW6Oaz/s1600/DSCN5389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIoAuZnzXsy37CBVT9iYl56Yz7caMcWPxj8ZQAFF4jUldrMK0EyYxLHi6L4daJ-aK9a4l88kSDjDhyphenhyphenBcNUoNTa8gYOEjwRxKwD1LDAwOmxmFTibqdvEPzea-m7eheYiTYEIrQ1FhW6Oaz/s320/DSCN5389.jpg" width="214" /></a>As the piles of "tear outs" grows, I do a few things to keep them under control. For the articles and instructions I bought a three ring binder and plastic pockets to put the articles into. I keep the photo of the item on top, instructions in the back. They aren't indexed - I prefer to flip through the pockets and often find a project I had forgotten about.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5yHab-75wZomrA9JaQnv8HjoIiYEqAb0ybozkrJVZcjG-ieflgBsBy_XwVAjnnsDoqDo1OGSQO_b_1aZcvWJ-ezmdo_B2dZzrrb7mXBRYeam3LoEiQHEyfyceGm8b8UtX5tudy9ffqd_/s1600/DSCN5398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5yHab-75wZomrA9JaQnv8HjoIiYEqAb0ybozkrJVZcjG-ieflgBsBy_XwVAjnnsDoqDo1OGSQO_b_1aZcvWJ-ezmdo_B2dZzrrb7mXBRYeam3LoEiQHEyfyceGm8b8UtX5tudy9ffqd_/s320/DSCN5398.jpg" width="214" /></a><br />
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One thing I love to do is make collages of my torn pages. I make them in color schemes, filling in areas as I find more things that fit the collage - it can take months to finish one as I wait to come across just the right image or word. They are super simple to make, I use big sheets of inexpensive watercolor paper (it has more "tooth" than oaktag) and a glue stick. <br />
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I am always seeing things that I think will be inspirations for a project, or a color scheme that I want to remember, or clothes that I want to remember for the fabric used or sewing details. Jewelry, collage, quilts and dolls are a few more subjects that I keep a lookout for. For those tear outs I use speckled composition books - I glue the images into the books, keeping a book for each subject. I sometimes make notes of what caught my eye. I collage the covers of the books to make them more fun and colorful. They are great reference books and I turn to them frequently when I'm looking for inspiration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSZjbdY6MgcgOP643wndgzisdCIiB7QvCJJN1dqPVarCymJXNoxaCf1bgFfASPf4YzyxHP28sgYJaKYrIQhuP2WAZDQYr9cqcVSqm_BKR82T_mJVMrnYI1vzHjb-LCK727aRJPlNqjf4e/s1600/DSCN5403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSZjbdY6MgcgOP643wndgzisdCIiB7QvCJJN1dqPVarCymJXNoxaCf1bgFfASPf4YzyxHP28sgYJaKYrIQhuP2WAZDQYr9cqcVSqm_BKR82T_mJVMrnYI1vzHjb-LCK727aRJPlNqjf4e/s320/DSCN5403.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
I know that the electronic age is going to eventually lead to the demise of printed magazines - a very sad prospect indeed! The electronic version of my speckled books is Pinterest and I am totally addicted. I love that my pins are shared with my followers and that with just a few clicks, a Pin is shared with an endless stream of people. What fun! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsj8HAysl9UiOAXOJNNOh_-1GJHOqLo5GS68GrKE2YSQEt_mnYEazahVB9NiqshrrhYBGFHShHXybOiIJ-aUE-EuC-tswDZekBZEF4WQyyrhW8NRvQYj07ZNZuRCxYH5HB7kLOORfSbYZ9/s1600/DSCN5386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsj8HAysl9UiOAXOJNNOh_-1GJHOqLo5GS68GrKE2YSQEt_mnYEazahVB9NiqshrrhYBGFHShHXybOiIJ-aUE-EuC-tswDZekBZEF4WQyyrhW8NRvQYj07ZNZuRCxYH5HB7kLOORfSbYZ9/s320/DSCN5386.jpg" width="215" /></a>I love my collages, I've shared some here - finished and "in progress". They are SO much fun to make!<br />
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Despite all my cutting, tearing and collaging, I've still accumulated a big pile of magazines - mostly mixed media art and quilting magazines. I have begun going through all of them, keeping only the pages/images I want. I kind of gasp when I think of how much I've spent on all of them but then when I realize how much I have learned, how many friends I've made (through being published), how much I have been inspired, well, they are a real bargain. <br />
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Three cheers for magazines - I hope they will be around for a long time to come! <br />
<br />Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-56603221738929073752013-10-16T19:25:00.000-07:002013-10-16T19:25:01.017-07:00Art InterruptedWhen I last posted back in February, my big dilemma was picking out a poem for a quilt project. Little did I to know that I would soon be facing a much bigger challenge - Stage 1 Triple Negative Breast Cancer.<br />
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Needless to say, the poem project was completely forgotten as I prepared to face the challenges of lumpectomy surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. My surgery went well, since it was "only" a lumpectomy I recovered quickly and even went back to work for the rest of tax season. I started chemotherapy on April 16th, the day after tax season ended - no rest for the weary!<br />
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I must say that the IDEA of chemotherapy had me a little unglued. I've heard all the horror stories of the side effects and of all things I deplore, getting an IV line put in and vomiting are at the top of the list. Lucky for me, the IV lines were put in with minimal discomfort and new anti-nausea medications did a great job at keeping me from getting sick to my stomach. While chemo was certainly not a pleasant experience, and my journey was not without some complications, I found chemo to be manageable. Yes, I felt lousy and tired. No, it was not unbearable. Yes, I was allowing poisons to be put into my body. No, I did not have a choice - I needed to go "full guns" at beating cancer. Yes, I am now a survivor. No, I don't want to go through this again.<br />
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I learned a lot along the way - life is full of lessons if we keep our eyes open. I was shocked to learn of how many people in my life have had breast cancer - now, remember, we know at least two thousand people just through Steve's CPA practice and we have a large circle of friends outside of that so the odds are we would know quite a few. That list is dozens of people long - a big surprise to me and a reminder of how far cancer treatment has advanced as the vast majority of them are SURVIVORS. I met a lot of people at chemo and radiation, fabulous caregivers, skilled nurses, brilliant doctors who patiently answered my million-and-two questions. I was reminded of how blessed I am to live here, an hour north of NYC where some of the most talented doctors are trained - and then wind up in my wonderful Mt Kisco Medical Group. I heard a lot of stories from other cancer patients, both good and bad experiences. I learned that everyone deals with a cancer diagnosis differently and that everyone responds differently to treatments - sometimes largely due to their emotional state.<br />
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I am blessed to have been raised by an incredible mother and father who faced their share of health issues with amazing strength and grace. My approach was to be pragmatic, learn the facts and do what was needed - all with the best attitude I could muster through it all. I can't count the times people told me that my good attitude was great medicine and would be really help me through it all.<br />
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My hair started to fall out about two weeks after my first chemo treatment. A few days into finding gobs of hair in my brush, I was running errands and it so happened that the only parking space was in front of a hair salon. I decided to go in and get my head shaved to just get the hair "thing" over with. It turned out that one of our clients worked there - I felt so bad for her, she had tears rolling down her cheeks as she cut my hair and shaved my head - I was smiling the whole time. It was SO empowering! I guess that is the "control freak" in me - I don't like being vulnerable and letting my hair be in charge of just when I was going to be bald just didn't suit me. So, I showed my hair who was in charge, LOL. I very quickly got used to having no hair and actually have enjoyed how quickly I could get ready and out of the house!<br />
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Anyway, enough rambling about the past few months.... it has been a journey. One that I could not have handled as well were it not for the incredible support of my husband, my family, my friends and the countless people who have been part of my treatment team. What was amazing to me was that nearly every day from my first treatment I received either a card, a note, a quilted postcard, flowers, a plant, home cooked food, a gift, a Mass Card, or some other kindness. It was as if everyone in my life had gotten together and set up a schedule so that the support would be spread out over the months of treatment instead of me getting a pile in the beginning and nothing in the later weeks. It was so wonderful, every day brought some little joy, an endless stream of love. <br />
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How blessed I am.<br />
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I am now back to making ART again and that will be the subject of my next blog post in about two weeks...<em> LOL, my computer drives me nuts... I somehow hit a combination of keys that has me typing in italics and I can't get rid of it.... ARGH. Anyway, I plan to be back to blogging more regularly, at least a couple of times a month or so. Thanks for hanging in there and waiting for me to show up again! </em><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-4278607454526775172013-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:002013-02-16T19:46:19.844-08:00Getting started is the toughest part!I currently have three projects with deadlines to work on, a small format art quilt "inspired by a line of poetry or song lyric", a pair of altered shoes for a Heart Health fundraiser, and a fiber art piece for an upcoming exhibit. I have spent <em>hours</em> pondering what I am going to do for each of them...<br />
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Poem after poem has been read and discarded - I like the poetry but can't come up with a visual translation that makes sense to me. I've wandered lonely as a cloud, given up on the daffodils to find myself on a road less traveled and I've tried to keep my head when all about me were losing theirs. I know that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree by the shores of the Gitche Gumee - I am now following the advice of Miller, in his poem "Columbus".... "Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!". I am sailing on in my search for the right poem... here's hoping I find it soon!<br />
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The altered shoe project is a fundraiser for the "Kick Off Your Heels" fundraisr for the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital. I've got some ideas but I want to my project to be one that people will want to buy (oh, how sad it would be to be the one project that does NOT sell in an online charity auction...).<br />
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And then there is the fiber art piece for an upcoming exhibit.... I've got that figured out in my head and have even gotten the fabric out and sorted. I need to figure out what my "base" will be and then I can get going on that one. I do have some surface design things to work out, I guess that would be a good place to start.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhjBFmth3JVkKs6tT8CYVsxdK4UROi1-rhOsZGfdg6Zb6BnsCJ4Zee035eZidYO6ubtRK6RFTN4qItyaBfcmj2uasgABXHOC-RF6yUcMvPcb07a9Aah1JKhKOt0paA0rZN2P_elWphduN/s1600/DSCN5360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDhjBFmth3JVkKs6tT8CYVsxdK4UROi1-rhOsZGfdg6Zb6BnsCJ4Zee035eZidYO6ubtRK6RFTN4qItyaBfcmj2uasgABXHOC-RF6yUcMvPcb07a9Aah1JKhKOt0paA0rZN2P_elWphduN/s320/DSCN5360.jpg" width="320" /></a>Whether it be writing or an art project, I always find that starting is the toughest part. The first line of an essay or article is, for me, the greatest challenge. It sometimes takes me longer to write the first line or two than it takes to write the next couple of pages! Art projects are the same way - the first swipe of paint on a canvas, the first cut into a piece of fabric - the committment to the idea, the hope that I'm on the right path and that it will all come together.....<br />
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I'm back to my search for the right line of poetry.... any suggestions?Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-66998214882396291702013-02-02T19:47:00.002-08:002013-02-03T09:00:27.814-08:00Letting go....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I have been making art quilts and collages for a long time, at least fifteen years. I have accumulated a very large pile of finished work (we won't talk about the UNfinished pile...). About forty pieces are on display at my husband/s office - the rest of them (dozens) are stashed in my studio, either in a pile, like these lovelies, or hanging around my studio. I have 98% of what I've made - mostly because I have a problem "letting go". </div>
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I am often asked if I sell my work, which I suppose I would do, if I ever got my act together and worked up a price list. I think, however, that one of the reasons I haven't gotten my act together on selling my work is that I really don't want to let go of it! It is totally crazy, I know. I mean, how many little qults can one person posiblly hoard? And, what is the point of creating something beautiful if you're not willing to share it with someone who will enjoy owning it? Sigh. </div>
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I met a well known painter at a party last week. We talked about how hard it is to earn a living as an artist and she said she has been supporting herself as an artist from the very start. Wow. That is darned impressive! I often wonder what it would be like to be a full time artist, needing to sell your work to pay the electric bill or make a (gulp) mortgage payment. It seems to me that I would have to make a mountain of work in order to support myself! For now, I'm grateful that my husband and I have good day jobs that pay the bills and that I just get to enjoy the process of making art, just for the enjoyment, without the pressure of having to think of whether or not it will sell.</div>
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One of my goals for 2013 is to finally finalize my website and put up galleries of my work. I'm thinking that I will be able to sell some work after it is properly recorded on my website, I'll be able to let it go because I'll be able to visit it from time to time, in pictures. Which brings me to a second goal for 2013, stocking the Etsy store I established last year. Part of those processes will be to create a price list for all of my work. That will mean I will be prepared with an answer when someone asks "Do you sell your work?". I'll whip out my price list and see what happens. </div>
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Until then, I guess I'll just keep making and hoarding... </div>
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Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-26965425604999142362013-01-14T22:14:00.000-08:002013-01-14T22:14:10.992-08:00Time managementManaging time - in life, with special people, at work, in my studio, and quiet time, is a challenge. I feel so fortunate to have a full life - a wonderful husband, a large family, lots of friends, a good job, a sweet home & a dream studio. But, I often find myself trying to squeeze 27 hours into a 24 hour day, trying to fulfill the "must do's" of life and the "want to's". <br />
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Obviously, I have to take care of the business end of life, which means going to work and doing things like laundry and paying bills. Finding ways to simplify these "must do's" allows me a little more time to spend in my studio. Little things like wearing mostly clothes that don't have to be ironed (and sending my husband's shirts to the cleaners), paying bills on-line, and spending a whole weekend cooking a freezer full of ready-to-eat meals, are just a few of the things that work for me. <br />
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The truth is, there will never be enough hours in my lifetime for me to make all of the things I have dancing in my head. However, I think that is a good thing - I mean, are all ideas really that good? Time limitations cause us to filter through what we want to do and decide what is most important, or the best of the ideas we have. Some projects get started and never finished - quilters call this their UFO (unfinished objects) pile. My view of that is: If I have a project that I really love, I will finish it. If I am ambivilent about it, it will languish and may never be completed. <br />
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Through the course of my creative journey, I have started and not finished countless projects. Either something I was thinking didn't quite work or I became distracted by something else that caught my attention. All of the work had value though - I always learn something, either "great, that worked well" or, "that was a bad idea". In the end, it is all time well spent because it helps me to grow as a person (accepting failure, enjoying success) and as an artist (learning from my mistakes, building on my successes) - those lessons show up in the piles of projects I have finished.<br />
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I often say that I wish there was an eighth day in the week, as if that would mean I would have more time to do what I want, ha ha. That joke is on me! <br />
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One thing that is both a gift and a curse to time management is the computer. It is terrific that I can find out pretty much anything with a quick Google search, pay my bills online, and get my work done faster. But on the other side are things like Pinterest (which I love but can eat up a lot of time), Facebook (which is fun but can be another time killer) and the worst part, having to constantly learn how to use the newest version of whatever you're doing. It seems that just when I get it all figured out, some wisenheimer decides to "improve" the program and I'm back to computer kindergarten (notice there are no pictures in this blog? Guess what they changed on Blogger that I haven't figured out yet...).<br />
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My goal is to strike a good balance between spending time with my husband, family, & friends, being productive at work, enjoy our home, and feed my soul with studio time. I don't know what I'm going to do with all the stuff I'm making..... maybe I'll sell it on Etsy someday, if I can figure out how to post pictures there!<br />
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Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-39067313509248631312012-10-26T22:13:00.002-07:002012-10-26T22:13:47.070-07:00I'm exhausted but at least I'm organized!Phew! Operation Organization turned out to be a bigger project than I realized! The smartest thing I did for the project was enlist the help of my sister, Valerie. Thanks for your help, sister!<br />
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The project was great on many levels. One, I now have a clean and organized studio that I am itching to get back to work in. Two, I learned a lot about my creative journey as I sorted through projects I made years ago. Wow, has my work evolved (and am I ever grateful that it has). Three, I no longer have stale supplies or books. Four, I found a lot of things I had forgotten about.<br />
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My studio space is about 25' long by 13' wide I've divided it up into several work areas so it is tough to get a good "overall" photo so I'll show it to you in sections.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsMGrcF9ze6dBEZ8rUbkS9o3LxNy4huM4lqoedNwoMuXC1br3X1nhCE43UThS0l9H7VOYIuVHax3SOBHtXo39rCnH0d-vhHstKx9_ky9skSVFs0QKWNf6dtoFY7Nwp4V9gt2dez-OS-RC/s1600/fabricedited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsMGrcF9ze6dBEZ8rUbkS9o3LxNy4huM4lqoedNwoMuXC1br3X1nhCE43UThS0l9H7VOYIuVHax3SOBHtXo39rCnH0d-vhHstKx9_ky9skSVFs0QKWNf6dtoFY7Nwp4V9gt2dez-OS-RC/s320/fabricedited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
My fabric stash is directly opposite the entrance and is a beautiful introduction to my wonderful space. As part of the re-org project, I went through all of the fabric and culled out all the fabric that no longer "spoke" to me - about EIGHTY POUNDS of it! Yikes! Some went to my sister, some to friends and some to my Goddaughter to take on her next mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I cleaned out my stash and made a bunch of people happy - how fun is that??? I still have more fabric than I can use in a lifetime.... in some circles that would be considered strange but I know that you all understand, LOL.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-6WSZBbWtD0aB6ZnP4Oh-4Fncpp7LQsTjClLd-NOPL6wd81u0rS24y4HQ_1X3XYiWFgp81tT3IFr3l2j2v57f9nWQ9bY_HeVgbsNKtMhOfkiaHN9R1Beh4B7Cg05hu8JIWhQCe4ULkoH/s1600/DSCN4609c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-6WSZBbWtD0aB6ZnP4Oh-4Fncpp7LQsTjClLd-NOPL6wd81u0rS24y4HQ_1X3XYiWFgp81tT3IFr3l2j2v57f9nWQ9bY_HeVgbsNKtMhOfkiaHN9R1Beh4B7Cg05hu8JIWhQCe4ULkoH/s320/DSCN4609c.jpg" width="320" /></a>Opposite the fabric area is my worktable for collage, handmade books, stenciling, etc. There used to be a sofa bed in this area but nobody ever slept in it or sat on it because it was covered in piles of fabric and art supplies. So, out went the sofa bed and in came three Ikea bookcase units that Val and I assembled. I moved all my mixed media supplies and some equipment, like my Cricut, into the shelves. Colorful baskets help it look neat and I love having everything at arms length. The tall skinny cabinets on the left came from Home Decorators Collection and hold much of my collage stash, sorted by subject.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxx-8ptkap-JjF6aepXDSz1dYy4OVH_Q1D9GC8cts5xfcQ0NRuuCFnzfmOstUreQGqwsA9h92myUCuo8lPIcXxzJduhkMJcnpkHk-WUyYlsbry0hvSisNpoeQJM4oNbRACKNZC1h0-sx8/s1600/DSCN4597c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxx-8ptkap-JjF6aepXDSz1dYy4OVH_Q1D9GC8cts5xfcQ0NRuuCFnzfmOstUreQGqwsA9h92myUCuo8lPIcXxzJduhkMJcnpkHk-WUyYlsbry0hvSisNpoeQJM4oNbRACKNZC1h0-sx8/s320/DSCN4597c.jpg" width="289" /></a>Under the window I have my bead cart (from Dick Blick). I love the rainbow colored drawers and have sorted my bead stash by color in the coordinating drawer. It is SO easy to find the right color beads quickly. There are four more drawers on the bottom (they are purple). The drawers pull out easily so I can take the whole drawer to my work table and keep things under control. Love this! <br />
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Next is my desk which houses my computer, laser and ink jet printers and related supplies. We re-arranged this space and added a two book case units (one tall, one short) to house my journals, stationary and office supplies. It is a wonderful to have it all organized instead of in toppling piles! Two organizational items in that area that I especially love are the wooden rack for my re-inkers (a tag sale find) and the lucite cubes I found at Office Max to organize my markers (which I wanted to store flat to extend the life of the markers). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-6WSZBbWtD0aB6ZnP4Oh-4Fncpp7LQsTjClLd-NOPL6wd81u0rS24y4HQ_1X3XYiWFgp81tT3IFr3l2j2v57f9nWQ9bY_HeVgbsNKtMhOfkiaHN9R1Beh4B7Cg05hu8JIWhQCe4ULkoH/s1600/DSCN4609c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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The other side of the room is where my cabinets start - what a find they were! We got them nine years ago when we originally renovated my studio space. A contractor friend of ours was doing a kitchen expansion not far from our home. His client wanted to sell the original cabinets and we got them for just $500. We paid him another $500 to install them and the pre-made Home Depot countertops we picked up for under $500. For $1,500 I wound up with great storage and twenty-one feet of countertop. All we did in the re-org project in this area was to sort, sift and toss. Much better!<br />
This is the area I use for rubber stamping, card making, collage & journaling. The gray shelves on the left were a tag sale find - pre-made & painted wooden trays that I made into a rack to hold my rubber stamps. On the wall to the right is an old cassette rack which is perfect for holding stamp pads. The shelf to the right of that is another tag sale find - I know it was meant to be mine because the shelves are exactly the right height for bottles of Lumiere paint. The cabinets hold collage and assemblage items, envelopes, paper and countless doo dads and gee gaws. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl-cEDybLlbAM2bCU4OZf4IfPPYYPwdnLuLMHxLwbL_nyOqsZbuRSZfPFUZ0A4aN8F5N_rhOJZXSVI0wVtTc8CUzwmdZz8PYdGM14HA-pCaKJn_tgAHsiifEQ4azaJSlJO2EC9eskPYtw/s1600/DSCN4593c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl-cEDybLlbAM2bCU4OZf4IfPPYYPwdnLuLMHxLwbL_nyOqsZbuRSZfPFUZ0A4aN8F5N_rhOJZXSVI0wVtTc8CUzwmdZz8PYdGM14HA-pCaKJn_tgAHsiifEQ4azaJSlJO2EC9eskPYtw/s320/DSCN4593c.jpg" width="320" /></a> I'm skipping pictures of the next section because it is just more cabinets. The only thing of interest there is a small shelf unit I built to hold the countless bottles of glue, mediums, and other liquid stuff in bottles. At one time I was going to put a sink in the countertop below this unit but I've decided I like the countertop better. I have a laundry sink in the next room so I can live without another sink in here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq48O5jm1Y-1scNZDzMxX1vkIfvwu6WJZyj8O0_0mn6may7iNX7m62CvTsytQ1Qs0BMQhckwhDAPcsB4NMmMMMwjqDhfGDKNgeI8XyaLYF4BlvcU3NRy9vRG615fCpY5NaqRXn4NDxhw0c/s1600/DSCN4600c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq48O5jm1Y-1scNZDzMxX1vkIfvwu6WJZyj8O0_0mn6may7iNX7m62CvTsytQ1Qs0BMQhckwhDAPcsB4NMmMMMwjqDhfGDKNgeI8XyaLYF4BlvcU3NRy9vRG615fCpY5NaqRXn4NDxhw0c/s320/DSCN4600c.jpg" width="197" /></a>This cart is another new addition, from Ikea. It has wheels so I can roll it to my easel or to my work table. Three shelves hold paint, meduims, water jars & paintbrushes. Love this!<br />
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My sewing table is on the other side of the room (behind the desk area). My table is a large closet door that sits on top of a short book case and a couple of file cabinets. I love having a large area to work on and can clear it all off if I have someting big to cut. I covered the door with peel-n-stick tiles so it would be smooth and easy to cleaan. My ironing board is nearby so I just spin in my chair, iron, and return to sewing. What you can't see is the stuff UNDER the table. I've got a couple of large scrap bins & boxes of vintage linens under there - have to use all available space! This area was a mess, covered in piles of fabric and works-in-progress. Extra things have been put away and this area is ready to work in again.<br />
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</a>Before entering my studio, I pass through a foyer area that leads to the back door. Years ago, I had custom book cases built and they house my huge book collection. It had gotten pretty messy so we took all the books off the shelves, culled out the ones I no longer wanted and re-organized them into more meaningful "departments". I took out hundreds of magazines that I have been saving and I'm in the process of going through them and tearing out only the articles that I want. It seems silly to save the whole magazine when I only want five pages. For now I will keep them in binders but eventually I envision scanning them and keeping them as electronic files. "Operation Organization" extended into what I call the "Studio Annex" which is the unfinished portion of our basement. We cleaned, sorted, threw out and organized. We installed four sets of steel shelves and added narrow shelves to them to house my paper collection (a great alternative to spending a lot of money on flat files). My canvases, paper, and equipment are all nicely organized now. What a relief it is to have this all done! Time for me to get back to studio work - having my hands on all these supplies leaves me longing to do something with them. Stay tuned for posts about what I'm up to.<br />
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Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-1515075737968913152012-09-25T20:58:00.001-07:002012-09-25T21:08:11.120-07:00Me and my big ideas!We have been hard at work for more than a week on "Operation Organization" - we had a good plan in place and were off and running. I needed some new shelving so we made two trips to Ikea (New Haven, CT and Paramus, NJ - good thing I live in the middle) and two to Home Depot. I love the value of "self-assembled" furniture & shelving but that stuff is HEAVY! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Iz6fM_xNpx0mMNaGFUg7VhGgFQCU-fWHpzI0V_r2B11igTf7MTq-zhbXfk8oG8_xVBvBBn9ARp77p8d8hoPUjYhDI3sSEmCKzyLMRuJtF1SQLqUeHhmbO3UN5GSJPq-r9P7B4ntfzrTm/s1600/DSCN4558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Iz6fM_xNpx0mMNaGFUg7VhGgFQCU-fWHpzI0V_r2B11igTf7MTq-zhbXfk8oG8_xVBvBBn9ARp77p8d8hoPUjYhDI3sSEmCKzyLMRuJtF1SQLqUeHhmbO3UN5GSJPq-r9P7B4ntfzrTm/s320/DSCN4558.JPG" width="320" /></a>Supplies in place, Valerie began the process of clearing out the areas that the new shelves were going to. And that led us to my first photo, the "Omigod what have I started???" stage..... <br />
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Which led to the "Who brought all this stuff into the house??? stage....<br />
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First, I know three solid reasons for my rediculous stash of art supplies. Reason 1: When I was a kid, I had to have the "big" box of Crayola 64. I wasn't happy with the little box of 8, or 16 crayons. I had to have ALL of the colors (my favorite crayon was, and still is "Midnight Blue"). Reason 2: I managed my Mom's flower shop for fourteen years. Fourteen years of having a fully stocked work room with supplies in every size and color at my fingertips led to me replicating the same thing at home (minus the flowers, that is). And, Reason 3: My art supplies make me happy - some women want shoes & clothes, I want tubes of paint and fat quarters of fabric. Call me crazy, I consider it a compliment :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26a3KCREIFs997_HPsneyE49mEmR1aChbK0QCdhw9YI6sLJ852FFiP8WJDTOrp2B04Tv_wa0Mz_0_gFvcv6BXV8NTv9uvP08VAU9K-lOt9vJMhW6AyqyInYPy298qzUfYERuqD9Z3B57-/s1600/DSCN4559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26a3KCREIFs997_HPsneyE49mEmR1aChbK0QCdhw9YI6sLJ852FFiP8WJDTOrp2B04Tv_wa0Mz_0_gFvcv6BXV8NTv9uvP08VAU9K-lOt9vJMhW6AyqyInYPy298qzUfYERuqD9Z3B57-/s320/DSCN4559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's another shot of the crazy mess... <br />
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I should mention that this is only the STUDIO part of the space we are working on. We're also working on the basement area (also known as the Studio Annex since half of it is full of my overflow art supplies and equipment), and the "Library" area (basically a back foyer with built in bookcases), and the Utility Room (also known as Studio Annex Two since half of it if full of the rest of my overflow supplies). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNi2tqDDtsxlx6Vudw6pX82wMwo46KomrP2sdlH9jNWzqbbLt-yCWw8ud2uLeYhfVakHk2tQiPGWDm4GC1qzfOJCIWbzWVnWLvrAmgclwCIacP59tQlik6oD1UANcEpRzADjRqzj0XBD_/s1600/DSCN4565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNi2tqDDtsxlx6Vudw6pX82wMwo46KomrP2sdlH9jNWzqbbLt-yCWw8ud2uLeYhfVakHk2tQiPGWDm4GC1qzfOJCIWbzWVnWLvrAmgclwCIacP59tQlik6oD1UANcEpRzADjRqzj0XBD_/s320/DSCN4565.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's a shot of the mess in the "Library"... I will be sorting through the books & selling the ones I don't want in our tag sale. The leftovers will be going to our local library for their book sale. <br />
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Sorting through these mountains of supplies, fabric and UFO's has been and interesting reminder of how much my interests and style have changed through the years. Purging the things that no longer interest or inspire me is very freeing - I can already feel the clearer "air" in my studio. I am anxious to be done with this project so I can get back to creative work!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnAk_AUhpB4KUb5tt60RvUZXtkWTgQDjvHAYlb56zrNrpNqfkezG6mBZRrq-nv3b6Tee7jYWPmh-jnEiaaIeZ6CaaDlv4I3_eqXjOoBGjATp3-kVpWkLiIt-d7QYSza8Evw2eAGUE62wT/s1600/DSCN4563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnAk_AUhpB4KUb5tt60RvUZXtkWTgQDjvHAYlb56zrNrpNqfkezG6mBZRrq-nv3b6Tee7jYWPmh-jnEiaaIeZ6CaaDlv4I3_eqXjOoBGjATp3-kVpWkLiIt-d7QYSza8Evw2eAGUE62wT/s320/DSCN4563.JPG" width="320" /></a>Val and I have assembled four large Ikea bookcases, two "cube" cabinets, two "bin" cabinets and a great little rolling cart. The white shelves in these photos are among the ones we assembled. They went together pretty easily - by the time we got to the third one we barely looked at the assembly instructions and didn't even look at them for the fourth. <br />
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We are now in the process of of sorting supplies and deciding what should be where. <br />
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Here is the new cube we assembled for my larger pieces of fabric. I already had the one to the left, an old post office sorting cabinet that I purchased at auction. That holds my fat quarters. The new cabinet is for cuts of one yard or more. It is all pretty yummy looking, don't you agree?<br />
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If I live to be a hundred, and don't buy another inch of fabric between now and then, I could never use all the fabric I have. The same goes for ribbon, art paper and beads. It really is sort of like having my own personal store.<br />
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We also assembled four sets of steel shelves from Home Depot, for the "Studio Annex", AKA, the basement. My studio is in the finished half of the basement, the "Annex" is in the unfinished portion. It is a great place to store things like stretched canvases, tools and bulky supplies. <br />
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We are making great progress - it is a ton of work but it will be SO worth it in the end. Come back next week to see how far we've gotten!Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-25919616742553020262012-09-16T20:30:00.001-07:002012-09-16T20:30:23.097-07:00Operation Organization begins!It all starts out so innocently. You bring one bag of stuff into the house. Then another, and another. You buy a new lamp but don't get rid of the old one. You save clothes that don't fit in case you lose weight. Lots of "stuff" coming into the house and nothing going OUT!<br />
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After nine years, our sweet little house is bursting at the seams - time to reorganize! I started writing lists of things I wanted to do and by the time I got to number forty-two, I was overwhelmed. And that was just the lower floor! Realizing that I needed help, I called my sister, Valerie, asking if she would come out to help me. "Come out", by the way, means flying 3,000 miles across the country. Val is a great organizer and a real "nudge" about getting things done so I knew it would be worth the price of the plane ticket. Val arrived just yesterday and we have already mapped our our plans for the lower floor & she is going to get started tomorrow (I have to go to work). <br />
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Though it is embarrassing to show you these photos of my studio, the "after" pictures will have much more impact if I show you the "before". My studio is the room that will be undergoing the most changes with new shelving & some re-arranging (and LOTS of purging!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnrPTJmlgh7MS6O6-vbqregZBSFaYcQ3DDelcW0cfyrA-BLRed6AkRTAndKV1fyOtF45AiRW4FNP7fOx4NqgYh5rj1oUB9bHinBJ8cqf5Th3bfwO6pW0S-73xjrzekEe3UqaN3hBZXBhy/s1600/DSCN4546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnrPTJmlgh7MS6O6-vbqregZBSFaYcQ3DDelcW0cfyrA-BLRed6AkRTAndKV1fyOtF45AiRW4FNP7fOx4NqgYh5rj1oUB9bHinBJ8cqf5Th3bfwO6pW0S-73xjrzekEe3UqaN3hBZXBhy/s320/DSCN4546.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This pile of ribbon is out of control! Remember, I was in the flower business for twenty years so I'm used to having a lot of ribbon around. The funny thing is, no matter how much ribbon I have, it always seems that I need it wider, narrower, shinier, a different color, whatever... and this is the result of that!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi70q-MjGi5k2rM8Tk09Z8tC-TPbeVCc-tybwgImOm8_6bBqu0psVRGIK5kQWaOCao-xMTkOuUJt2wEfVQIZUdO8t9Hj7AOyeU3ePKB5Sjyrk6l0JGRvS4nXh-WNM_IIccT5nk3DUPksC/s1600/DSCN4545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmi70q-MjGi5k2rM8Tk09Z8tC-TPbeVCc-tybwgImOm8_6bBqu0psVRGIK5kQWaOCao-xMTkOuUJt2wEfVQIZUdO8t9Hj7AOyeU3ePKB5Sjyrk6l0JGRvS4nXh-WNM_IIccT5nk3DUPksC/s320/DSCN4545.JPG" width="320" /></a>This area is going to undergo the most significant change. The pull out sofa is going and I'm getting new shelving from Ikea. The worktable will be moved and all the supplies covering it will live on the new shelves. I can't wait for this section to be re-worked. It is going to make my studio a MUCH more productive place in the long run. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIOfBgnY3KNSdB8E7Qm-ThN2RNXCUXI4PvKCNrfD5Jxg6EfGnnCZX2r_kI_B7GHeC2cxX182vhttQZc3CbM6JP09lLGI3Y0rheLh1DD-X4R5vrixTcq20cZ8z_QFiTFqAsmGakxQp-8RP/s1600/DSCN4548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIOfBgnY3KNSdB8E7Qm-ThN2RNXCUXI4PvKCNrfD5Jxg6EfGnnCZX2r_kI_B7GHeC2cxX182vhttQZc3CbM6JP09lLGI3Y0rheLh1DD-X4R5vrixTcq20cZ8z_QFiTFqAsmGakxQp-8RP/s320/DSCN4548.JPG" width="320" /></a>This area behind my desk is a nightmare! A new shelving unit is going to make this area much more usable and I'm going to be able to organize my journals and inspiration books. Holy moly, I can't believe I'm showing this to you.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7j_IjysUqlOIBKE3kIyt81yZ3jhM-M8i5Y8naf6s54lvur2S24pmagZQP1jBmx2eMJGgAlqk0XvgG4E6wIPjf7EsPms5aX7Y2BnSQmztkz0MaeB8sGfxGUhqT7XGO6mQhgX7z4p4Askb/s1600/DSCN4544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha7j_IjysUqlOIBKE3kIyt81yZ3jhM-M8i5Y8naf6s54lvur2S24pmagZQP1jBmx2eMJGgAlqk0XvgG4E6wIPjf7EsPms5aX7Y2BnSQmztkz0MaeB8sGfxGUhqT7XGO6mQhgX7z4p4Askb/s320/DSCN4544.JPG" width="320" /></a>My messy sewing table, covered in UFO's and way too crowded to encourage productivity. Not much is going to change regarding set-up of the table but I'm going to find new homes for all the stuff that is taking up space.</div>
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Operation Organization begins tomorrow. It is going to be a process that I predict will take about a month (we're re-organizing the whole house, after all!). I'll post some "after" pictures when I have something to share. I'm looking forward to workiing through this project, I'm glad that Val is here to help me - I'm feeling energized about tackling this! </div>
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Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-21197629804453170962012-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:002012-09-12T21:22:51.081-07:00Two new quiltsI had a lot of fun making both of these quilts, mostly because I was just following the styles of the two books I'm writing about, not a specific pattern - that means no measuring! I just cut & sewed, squared things up on the cutting mat as I went along. <br />
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Here's the quilt I made from the book "Quilt Modern". It pretty closely follows one of the quilts in the book, I just loved the colors and look of it. I added the skinny bars of color to break up all the gray. I love pebble quilting so that's how I stitched the gray area, as it was in the book. <br />
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I also made a quilt after reading "Inspired Art Quilting" by Jean Wells'. A photo I took in Bermuda (see last post) was the idea source for this quilt. I loved the orange berries against the blue ocean and the neutral grays of the branches. I really enjoyed making this quilt and know that I will make more photo inspired abstract quilts in the future. Again, no measuring! </div>
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This weekend I am beginning a huge project - reorganizing my whole house! I'm flying in my sister, Valerie, to help me for a few weeks (yes, it will take that long). I'm also going to rework part of my studio and go through ALL of my supplies and get rid of a lot of things that are clogging up my life. I'm going to squeeze in some time to sew and blog so look back to see what I'm up to! </div>
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Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-13172114381140908192012-08-26T23:18:00.000-07:002012-08-26T23:18:06.607-07:00A great studio weekendIt has been a while since I have had a free weekend. On Friday, I decided that this weekend would be all studio time - something I've been missing! It has been a great weekend, on Saturday I worked on a writing project, made some progress on unfinished projects and worked on the quilts inspired by the books in my last post. Sunday was spent outside, sunprinting fabric with Setacolor. I wanted to take advantage of the sunshine & comfortable temperature. After I cleaned up from that, I headed back to my sewing machine. It's been a fun weekend!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx3rqCrxSPdQ4QsYE9FDNjucmlCrcJhOgS-WVqvvTIhlBTzyDxVTvnb4PcCGPIBvVnyAE0Dqqf9Yv8Cd4bhcRBt5H5kdzojTOZhLewzM0nVWs1W89mLL5rwMuFwmlh-p_aYjwX0k74QVQ/s1600/DSCN4145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqx3rqCrxSPdQ4QsYE9FDNjucmlCrcJhOgS-WVqvvTIhlBTzyDxVTvnb4PcCGPIBvVnyAE0Dqqf9Yv8Cd4bhcRBt5H5kdzojTOZhLewzM0nVWs1W89mLL5rwMuFwmlh-p_aYjwX0k74QVQ/s320/DSCN4145.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
I decided on the photo for the quilt inspired by Jean Wells' book, "Journey to Inspired Art Quilting". I took this picture in Bermuda, while my sister, Leslie, and I were walking to the "sea glass" beach in St. George's. <br />
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I stopped to take a scenery picture and the color of the berries against the color of the sea caught my eye. I love these colors so much that I'm working on using them as my logo colors. Persimmon, Apple Green, Turquoise & Slate. Yummy colors!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNm6NJNDJGHvxbuI8FrIRW2UKR9wFd4y_SkRulVrI86Z9P6OFOS1G9lMl6mhuDWuttdMgW7A4NXeH71wcLv8cwIOBhD34hKxT0mq0PmdypOZwiJakj8dlpchgQpYneD8RL3JRRryaV9ZX/s1600/DSCN4144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNm6NJNDJGHvxbuI8FrIRW2UKR9wFd4y_SkRulVrI86Z9P6OFOS1G9lMl6mhuDWuttdMgW7A4NXeH71wcLv8cwIOBhD34hKxT0mq0PmdypOZwiJakj8dlpchgQpYneD8RL3JRRryaV9ZX/s320/DSCN4144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Here is the scenic shot I stopped to take:<br />
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The quilt is a work in progress, as is the quilt from the book "Quilting Modern". I should have them both finished by the end of the week.<br />
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Hope you have had a wonderful weekend, spent doing something that you love! Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-11148784389436151502012-08-21T20:35:00.002-07:002012-08-21T20:35:20.691-07:00I'm back to blogging!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuob0K4rLZChmN26ZoOJ287AfW6x6VpQ_KENnCnaunZRRrJtqElD6a7Lh7ssnJiiQ8uIe3CBj_Qt-Bb-A73DvQeGSu2GKgu2vuy_iDz9KjwuYtbZGrvR8s66bFcuRdy8tfM6cQonMwrr-/s1600/img001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuob0K4rLZChmN26ZoOJ287AfW6x6VpQ_KENnCnaunZRRrJtqElD6a7Lh7ssnJiiQ8uIe3CBj_Qt-Bb-A73DvQeGSu2GKgu2vuy_iDz9KjwuYtbZGrvR8s66bFcuRdy8tfM6cQonMwrr-/s320/img001.jpg" width="247" /></a>I've found some new books that I have been enjoying and have decided to revive posting to my blog and making projects inspired by those books. <br />
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The first book is "Quilting Modern" by Jacquie Gering & Katie Pedersen (Interweave). I love this book for reminding me that less is often more. The quilts in this book are clean and crisp in design - a refreshing change from quilts that sometimes attempt to include every technique known. One of the things I've taken note of is how the machine stitching is showcased in these "modern" quilts. I've got a wonderful selection of Cherrywood hand dyed fabrics & some great prints to play with. Come back for a look at what this book has inspired me to make!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1kP4vRd4kVj4kSUHeCsTLZGnXjN7_MaX9KD6FvBEfmZk9DoZRRVnGT9RJ99s2dcQWX6XakNC-4tAfHGa16gVTMq7sknAHTsywcfeOTkzqxPS8UMVuCrSwLqlS6hl7tu_utJLrFas_8j_/s1600/img002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1kP4vRd4kVj4kSUHeCsTLZGnXjN7_MaX9KD6FvBEfmZk9DoZRRVnGT9RJ99s2dcQWX6XakNC-4tAfHGa16gVTMq7sknAHTsywcfeOTkzqxPS8UMVuCrSwLqlS6hl7tu_utJLrFas_8j_/s320/img002.jpg" width="247" /></a><br />
While I'm on the subect of inspiration... the second book I'm in love with is the newest title by Jean Wells, "Journey to Inspired Art Quilting" (C&T). This book is completely opposite of Quilting Modern in that the quilts are made of many different fabrics, fifteen, twenty or more, per quilt. I love the rich combinations of color and pattern. <br />
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Another thing I love about this book is the in depth discussion about sources of inspiration, design principles, and color theory. There are great examples of using photos to inspire quilts and color choices. This book is a "must have" in my opinion.<br />
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So, there you have it. Two books, equally interesting to me yet about as different as you can get, from a design persepective. They are both great books!<br />
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Time to get busy making my projects - they should be posted in about a week. Come back for a peek!<br />
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<br />Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-47985288703111049742012-01-14T20:23:00.000-08:002012-01-14T21:38:28.510-08:00Stencil-icious<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwfgp-VEcZCAa4qMtT9CiBTyOtUCHaK1uapN65VCFO0MzBmDSZ0mih7AH80dMWeXsQ69W5gjkF4bwm_EEoKelt84XnMVm8CAHhq9vg0_Y_ay8CBiMSq_7GqccJNfAAB78EiHB1aYJlQgr/s1600/DSCN4092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 314px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697715044699306978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwfgp-VEcZCAa4qMtT9CiBTyOtUCHaK1uapN65VCFO0MzBmDSZ0mih7AH80dMWeXsQ69W5gjkF4bwm_EEoKelt84XnMVm8CAHhq9vg0_Y_ay8CBiMSq_7GqccJNfAAB78EiHB1aYJlQgr/s320/DSCN4092.JPG" /></a>At long last, here are images of some of the quilts I made with the fabrics I stenciled back when the weather was warm. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The quilts were made as trade show samples for my friend, Jaime, who is the design mastermind behind the great stencils from The Crafter's Workshop (<a href="http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com">www.thecraftersworkshop.com</a>). She comes up with new designs several times a year and I have a lot of fun figuring out new ways of working with them. I've employed a long list of techniques and materials with the stencils through the past few years. These samples use three of them, Setacolor fabric paints/sunshine, acrylic paint, and discharging. I love to layer the techniques - for example, the background of the center square in the first quilt was dyed with Setacolor, then I placed the stencil on the wet fabric and left it in the sun to dry. I later added the weed & butterfly design using that stencil with black acrylic paint. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ556_KBXH-A3k8IfO2bfEGwetJ-P3PO7KsmnOurlgaXck6_E8UU3t8vQ0b9PfF_B29_3l4Sp7gWzZ4asCO1ji03OiHz-NtQSrsmp6GFIj4G8aeFyxYyNp30AwgrRQDTXfFSipZPynxW6_/s1600/DSCN4069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 315px; height: 334px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697717164640949938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ556_KBXH-A3k8IfO2bfEGwetJ-P3PO7KsmnOurlgaXck6_E8UU3t8vQ0b9PfF_B29_3l4Sp7gWzZ4asCO1ji03OiHz-NtQSrsmp6GFIj4G8aeFyxYyNp30AwgrRQDTXfFSipZPynxW6_/s320/DSCN4069.JPG" /></a>I started the tree silhouette quilt with Setacolor & leaving it out in the sun with the stencil, as above. I wanted to have the look of a sunset in the background so I added some orange and yellow Setacolor before the fabric was totally dry. Later, I used a dot stencil with orange acrylic paint to add the dots. The harlequin edge is also a fabric I altered with stencil techniques. I got just the effect I was looking for.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>"Stencil" is a word that brings up images of the bunny rabbit & flower stencils used in home dec projects in the 1980's or of the stencil designs of colonial times. It is clear to see that has changed, a lot! Updated designs combined with imagination and easy to learn techniques have revitalized interest in stenciling, both for textiles and paper art projects, like scrapbooking & journaling.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4jspSfhjVwv8Zynv1S5G-lgcKW9ktknqmcKbSoiduxhCZYKlKIo5dkiH-nLI-ocZXh9VUL-jbWRfb-4ekj2eica0WeH34fxPiBsg62FdI8WgQh9RVkp4CHJ4yNFPjXu8IRIr8cm3rsd-/s1600/DSCN4080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; height: 312px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697719917393836306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4jspSfhjVwv8Zynv1S5G-lgcKW9ktknqmcKbSoiduxhCZYKlKIo5dkiH-nLI-ocZXh9VUL-jbWRfb-4ekj2eica0WeH34fxPiBsg62FdI8WgQh9RVkp4CHJ4yNFPjXu8IRIr8cm3rsd-/s320/DSCN4080.JPG" /></a>This quilt in shades of purples & blues measures about 24" square. The idea was to showcase a variety of stencils and combine them with commercial fabric, Kaffe Fassett in this case. These fabrics were done with a combination of discharging, Setacolor/sunshine and acrylic paint.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Most of the fabrics in this red-orange quilt were discharged using Clorox Bleach Pen or Soft Scrub with Bleach, then overpainted with acrylic paint. Be careful when discharging, work in a well ventilated place & be sure to use a neutralizing agent on your fabrics or the bleach residue with eventually eat away at your fabric.<br /><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; height: 280px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697721043577223986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQucxUDuGo_XuHOWYh9AwvtUTjnRVxCRa0cQ9c4SJDex9tThnXseOuviVGhaJLkUeO7-dbfECyxjhi1WFjoqhbxwcW86whwloVOpBsgNt5VSqKSq02ShFDPQ3Y_jXVNaMMdcy4XvaICVe/s320/DSCN4099.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>This last quilt, "Trust Your Heart", is about 12" square. Setacolor/sunshine and acrylic paint were all I used with the stencils. I really love the flower stencil & plan to make a small pile of fabric using that one.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The fabric I begin with is important to the success of each method. When using the Setacolor/sunshine method, I start with prepared for dying cotton, in white. I tear it into manageable squares, about 16" or so. The stencils are 12" and 6" squares. I like to use slightly larger fabric so I have matching dyed fabric, in case I need some solids. Sometimes I sprinkle kosher salt on the edges to get a starburst effect in the borders. For discharging, I like the hand dyed fabrics from Cherrywood the best. Optimal results are achieved by working with fabrics in rich colors. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0VF6CSk_9D3DfQs3SqQXSi9Gotbr86XRUwTEDO9zytNzfSJVs15E2tqDOpwkEd96BUhdzLrmq2tmSk_ofUoCFO6ufAREGwbxB08f1TM16BJX2w3gO1ubWeOMt_N9a0-UIy2UGf7E3E3R/s1600/DSCN3687.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px; height: 238px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697725720583614098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0VF6CSk_9D3DfQs3SqQXSi9Gotbr86XRUwTEDO9zytNzfSJVs15E2tqDOpwkEd96BUhdzLrmq2tmSk_ofUoCFO6ufAREGwbxB08f1TM16BJX2w3gO1ubWeOMt_N9a0-UIy2UGf7E3E3R/s320/DSCN3687.JPG" /></a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>If you haven't played with stencils for a while, I encourage you to do so. The Crafter's Workshop stencils are available in Michael's stores and from <a href="http://www.joggles.com">www.joggles.com</a> . I'm spending my Sunday working on a stenciled quilt for an exhibition for a quilt group I'm a member of - I'll post a photo when it's ready for show and tell.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Finally, I took this picture of my sweet husband, Steve, over the summer & am posting it as my little thank you to him for his never ending support of my creative journey. He's a wonderful husband and I am one lucky girl.</div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-74087680719331316572011-12-18T17:49:00.000-08:002011-12-19T09:46:05.689-08:00Out with the old, in with the new, tossing the useless...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxyhsAf3g8gGu15Ik781_P_MMl7i8LlxkKHii88f3iRwG-F7rDVQEhnzzuuLWPeDgMbr_4XNgeqM9PigM6cBzIrzn2DNIytt28T7emtiMhpYShicrqKqAVQjb5u72D5ASoU9U9sqn_lp3/s1600/DSCN4054.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5687650886611089170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxyhsAf3g8gGu15Ik781_P_MMl7i8LlxkKHii88f3iRwG-F7rDVQEhnzzuuLWPeDgMbr_4XNgeqM9PigM6cBzIrzn2DNIytt28T7emtiMhpYShicrqKqAVQjb5u72D5ASoU9U9sqn_lp3/s320/DSCN4054.JPG" /></a>At last, my new computer is on the desk in my studio, full of all kinds of fun things like Photoshop Elements & a Bamboo tablet and several other things I wanted on my old computer before it croaked. Before I start learning about the new things I have a lot to do in setting up things I took for granted, like shortcuts on my toolbar and knowing where my files live. The fun stuff will have to wait until I get all that figured out. I wish this computer mumbo jumbo came more naturally to me!<br /><br /><br />I love this photo, it is of a bunch of stamps I made using fun foam. The look so good laid out like this, sort of quilt like. They look so good as is I'm going to hate to dirty them with ink!<br /><br /><br />Putting the new computer on my desk led to my clearing the whole thing off so I could clean it and set it all up "brand new". My studio is now a mess (who knew one could hide so much on one little desk???) and I am going to go through everything, being ruthless on what is allowed to continue sharing my space. Quilter + Collager + Assemblage Maker = Hoarder of Stuff (most commonly heard phrase "I don't know what I want it for but it's cool and I'll use it for something someday...). Well, I'm not going to ditch the really cool stuff, just have to re-define "cool", I guess.<br /><br /><br />I've already begun going through all the magazines & books that no longer interest me - it's amazing how fast they accumulate into very big, shelf-clogging piles. I'm taking a big bag of publications to my next Art Quilt meeting in hopes they will find new homes. I'm planning to do a lot of weeding out in 2012.<br /><br /><br />And, with the new computer comes the realization that my Lexmark All in One is a dinosaur that will have to be replaced. Too bad, we actually understand one another. Guess that's another new thing I'll have to learn about.<br /><br /><br />Here's to learning about new things, appreciating the old, and knowing when to get rid of that which no longer serves a purpose. The amazing elinor peace bailey once told me that keeping "stuff" in your studio that doesn't serve a purpose (or inspire you) just clogs the creative path. Here's to taking her good advice & clearing the way!Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-23765952087310065722011-12-12T15:59:00.000-08:002011-12-12T16:06:34.071-08:00RIP Old Computer...In case anyone noticed that I haven't posted for a while, my studio computer has bit the dust, is pushing up daisies, has gone to the big computer wasteland in the sky... I've been waiting for my husband to get my new computer set up and, of course, he has been pretty busy so I'm being patient. I'm finally going to have Photoshop Elements to play with.... my Wacom Tablet is going to be installed.... lots of other programs that I've been wanting to use but couldn't because my old computer was a T-Rex, just limping along without room to install new things.<br /><br />So, I wait a little longer, hopeful that it will all be set up soon. I don't have any pictures loaded on my office computer & the scanner is plain B&W so this is a pretty boring looking post... I'm dreaming of all the things I will be able to do with the new computer & software :)<br /><br />I have made several new things & have found some great new books that I'll write about after I get all set up. Until then, take a look at Pinterest at <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">www.Pinterest.com</a> and sign up to follow me. It is a lot of fun & a wonderful resource for a million things that you can post & share. I'm still figuring it out and am enjoying all the things I'm finding along the way.<br /><br />Happy Holidays everyone! Cheers, GailGail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-86775592083548211672011-10-15T19:41:00.000-07:002011-10-15T20:08:10.553-07:00Fabric that is all my own....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEp8pZUrD-Uyk1JyloAZnnvj34vlKnOG1KRS9uyKC3x7z7ObLnXsy-YX98TulD7KYkU0oDLp85rUxhjnz6_773EUyY1zWHKqekPnGk5V8Hr44cILuk283kaHnSbtxrELV2EOmfHA2Xr3V/s1600/DSCN4020.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663920927398728370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEp8pZUrD-Uyk1JyloAZnnvj34vlKnOG1KRS9uyKC3x7z7ObLnXsy-YX98TulD7KYkU0oDLp85rUxhjnz6_773EUyY1zWHKqekPnGk5V8Hr44cILuk283kaHnSbtxrELV2EOmfHA2Xr3V/s320/DSCN4020.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div>Stenciling on fabric is a great way to build a stash of fabric that is uniquely yours. I use a lot of commercial fabrics but the ones I like most are the ones I've "made" myself using a variety of surface design techniques.<br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My last post was about using Pebeo Steacolor textile paints (which, I think act more as easy to use dyes) and sunshine to stencil designs on fabric. I wound up with a nice pile of fabrics to take to the next step, adding another layer of stencil design with acrylic paint.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr-odTbDlrBetphnJU3vO_7D-rnvd2plwguMjcmCkJxBHv8M-9rEbxCPKHKFmyE8XmNeYIp2BEFGcZ6Snur-EhY1mhwJNaOz_gjhxofndNV7oQqiuXZprNkkZ_GttMHcJEgx9svHmaXVQ/s1600/DSCN4016.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663917902436266258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYr-odTbDlrBetphnJU3vO_7D-rnvd2plwguMjcmCkJxBHv8M-9rEbxCPKHKFmyE8XmNeYIp2BEFGcZ6Snur-EhY1mhwJNaOz_gjhxofndNV7oQqiuXZprNkkZ_GttMHcJEgx9svHmaXVQ/s320/DSCN4016.JPG" /></a> I used Liquitex acrylic paints and their textile medium, mixing about equal parts of paint and medium. Using straight acrylic paint works also but the "hand" of the fabric is significantly changed by straight acrylic paint. I like using the textile medium because the paint is a little more transluscent and the hand of the fabric does not become stiff. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4wJQUGZ8CfSrnXpZKci3Bz3khtiXyYUeAri6D6vutK0Luh9GMLz4bNV2R8ye7yIzyvMIJ6arYTYIQgNO70X7Sq_gyOwJcsU9vVxeYkNya4h5gKx09KjSX3oJf4UqIdYvqjh27wNbYWPi/s1600/DSCN4045.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663919381050221858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4wJQUGZ8CfSrnXpZKci3Bz3khtiXyYUeAri6D6vutK0Luh9GMLz4bNV2R8ye7yIzyvMIJ6arYTYIQgNO70X7Sq_gyOwJcsU9vVxeYkNya4h5gKx09KjSX3oJf4UqIdYvqjh27wNbYWPi/s320/DSCN4045.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br />I use stencil brushes to apply the paint, tapping & swirling the paint through the stencil to get good detail. After dipping the brush in the paint, it is important to "tap off" most of the paint onto a paper towel. You should be using a semi-dry looking brush - too much paint leads to globs of paint seeping under the stencil and ruins the design. On some of the pieces, I used a nearly dry stencil brush with remnants of black paint to get the shaded effect. </div><br /><div>Next, I plan to do a little discharging with bleach pen and maybe do a little stamping with some stamps I made using fun foam. After that, I'll be using the fabric to make some small quilts and a tote bag or two. I'll post some pictures of the finished fabrics next weekend and of the finished projects shortly thereafter. </div></div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-29685640066694136872011-10-11T15:46:00.000-07:002011-10-11T16:21:01.687-07:00Sunny Saturday Art-play<div><br /><div><br /><div>On a recent sunny Saturday, I set up a few tables in my backyard and brought a bunch of art supplies out to play... new stencils from The Crafter's Workshop, Pebeo Setacolor textile paints, sea salt, and a lot of mixing cups, sponge brushes & mixing sticks. I had several yards of PFD (prepared for dying) white fabric that I tore into 14" squares.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfijC5B_UIMXcXO5AxKJgvREM4CXRKvU3nmsop0a8783A9loAorlcU9CDIlLHzEPT9LcJxwWx3_wMK5kvgpVqEv8L80_T2FuLJ5trz-pJPdt_UwM97Hk8fhGs5Zs98AEpqpNubsuQhRzB/s1600/DSCN3875.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662377205841629618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhfijC5B_UIMXcXO5AxKJgvREM4CXRKvU3nmsop0a8783A9loAorlcU9CDIlLHzEPT9LcJxwWx3_wMK5kvgpVqEv8L80_T2FuLJ5trz-pJPdt_UwM97Hk8fhGs5Zs98AEpqpNubsuQhRzB/s320/DSCN3875.JPG" /></a><br />I mixed up small batches of the textile paints & used the sponge brush to apply it to a square of fabric - sometimes using a solid color, other times adding splotches of another color or applying a couple of colors in stripes. I then placed the wet fabric on another table & placed a stencil on top, gently pressing the stencil to the wet, paint saturated fabric. After an hour or so, I lifted the stencil & moved the fabric to the shade. The result was a perfect outline of the stencil design with the positive space in the original paint color & the negative space lighter, from its exposure to the sun. I sometimes threw on some sea salt which creates a lovely mottled effect.</div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13PkQuHQ7jEWUsI08v2VL5-kZMrGvfPwhV0rYp9tSRKhr2ZIy9t8-gxxyZUHiDPMbMw8Cs7C4beM1-SAzlffd01mhyUbhhth4vmw5_y9VQSEd36Mpfl6kUDK2ecMyjSqETBonBe1Q5tRE/s1600/DSCN3878.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662374536326165858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13PkQuHQ7jEWUsI08v2VL5-kZMrGvfPwhV0rYp9tSRKhr2ZIy9t8-gxxyZUHiDPMbMw8Cs7C4beM1-SAzlffd01mhyUbhhth4vmw5_y9VQSEd36Mpfl6kUDK2ecMyjSqETBonBe1Q5tRE/s320/DSCN3878.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>I spent the entire day mixing up colors and playing with the stencils. I've wound up with a nice pile of fabrics to use in my next steps, overpainting and bleaching. I'm going to work on that over the next few days, I'll post pictures of some of the finished fabrics.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5XKZ7s3PZeoSzkrXal3UwM_zsNNOFwuvK7N_6QARKVKd1jhqv5xJvM-UIG6G3p9-n1pEnDiRY1T1U29PnBgkmNZW9qEapaLcSacLMXUJJnQtpBc6SwGXBfvtVZCNshwXcfLtjBLRlr36/s1600/DSCN3881.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662375068363138498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5XKZ7s3PZeoSzkrXal3UwM_zsNNOFwuvK7N_6QARKVKd1jhqv5xJvM-UIG6G3p9-n1pEnDiRY1T1U29PnBgkmNZW9qEapaLcSacLMXUJJnQtpBc6SwGXBfvtVZCNshwXcfLtjBLRlr36/s320/DSCN3881.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Great news for anyone looking for The Crafter's Workshop stencils, they are now being sold at both Michael's and A.C. Moore! You can see the full line and some inspirational photos and ideas at <a href="http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/">http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/</a> . It is a wholesale company so you can't buy their products there but you will be able to find a list of where they are sold.<br /></div><br /><div>My next post will include pictures of the fabrics after I do some overpainting & bleaching. After that, I'll show you what I did with the fabrics! </div></div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-9805079085223673242011-07-24T18:43:00.000-07:002011-07-24T19:13:02.833-07:00How did April become July?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDf93sQGMagKmJuHmquRbRR3RUZ8UGEngBwz7hEimIIO6rersW6Uxxn2YYGJhaT9hziKaqLM4RR6qUmTRDi8wH6hoHe3WNIHxLpbToy3yu2rXNxtho9KMS9Z2YZJOt-3_tqz1riGesndD/s1600/DSCN0351.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633106898949315906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDf93sQGMagKmJuHmquRbRR3RUZ8UGEngBwz7hEimIIO6rersW6Uxxn2YYGJhaT9hziKaqLM4RR6qUmTRDi8wH6hoHe3WNIHxLpbToy3yu2rXNxtho9KMS9Z2YZJOt-3_tqz1riGesndD/s320/DSCN0351.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>When last I posted, I had every intention of getting back to my studio & to blogging. About two weeks later, I had to have my neck surgery re-done & I went back into "recovery" mode, followed by a trip to Florida & a cruise - in short, I haven't been home enough to get any work done!<br /></div><br /><div>I have, at last, returned to my studio, and have begun work on a new series of small quilts. It will probably take me a few weeks before I finish what I have in mind but I promise to post some pictures when I do.<br /></div><br /><div>I recently spent the day with a dozen art quilt friends, new and old, sharing work, talking about processes, new directions, shows, books, and more. It was a delightful day that left me energized about focusing on my quilt work. Listening to those quilters helped me to realize that finding one's "voice" is a journey that has comfortable places along the way but that, eventually, one must move on, in search of a fresh voice. I also learned that even very established quilters struggle with new directions (Who knew? I thought they just woke up on the average Tuesday with a new brilliant direction).<br /></div><br /><div>I have been doing my share of floundering for a while, trying to find "meaning" in my work. I've finally realized that I need to do a lot more sewing and a lot less thinking - the rest will reveal itself, if I will just follow my instincts and make things that just look good to me.<br /></div><br /><div>Thank you, my Arty Party quilter friends. By sharing who you are you are helping me to find myself. </div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-32731128013186712662011-04-26T18:46:00.000-07:002011-04-26T19:06:38.964-07:00I have NOT fallen off the planet....I'm baaaaack! Well, sort of. I haven't posted in months - this tax season was a BEAR! One of the things I really dislike about tax season is that the serious side of my brain takes over and my artsy playful side goes into hibernation. Well, tax season is finally over and I'm planning on getting back to my studio & the things that make my heart sing - like the hum of my sewing machine, sticky, paint covered fingers and all of the amazing things I've been stashing in my studio forever, waiting to "become" something wonderful. <br /><br />For now, I'm in recovery mode. Tax season really beats the heck out of me. I'm not complaining, we are very blessed to have a vibrant & busy business (how else would I have money to buy fabric & paint???). It does, however, take a little "getting over". First we have to catch up on all the things we've been ignoring because they weren't urgent, then off for a week of R&R. I'm bringing my journal & a huge assortment of markers & pens. I'll draw, doodle & imagine to my hearts content, hopefully waking up my "creative core" and coming home with more ideas than I know what to do with.<br /><br />For those who were following, my step-son, Scott, and his kidney donor sister-in-law, Leslie, are both doing GREAT. Such a beautiful story of selflessness. We are forever grateful for Leslie and for the medical team that took such great care of both Scott & Leslie. <br /><br />Spring is my favorite time of year - I love watching the little specks of green leaf buds appear on barren branches and the sway of daffodils in the springtime breeze. My springtime wish is that my creative self finds a renewal, much like what I am seeing each day, as my grass grows greener and my gardens awaken. <br /><br />For now, I'm off to do some imagining. Happy spring!Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-90395469698028635012011-02-15T18:38:00.000-08:002011-02-15T18:42:45.109-08:00Unconditional Love & Sacrifice - Organ DonationMy Step-son, Scott Ellspermann, will undergo kidney transplant surgery this coming Thursday. His sister-in-law, Leslie Goss, is a match and has selflessly agreed to donate one of her kidneys to Scott. A friend of theirs wrote the post below - I can't improve on it so I copied it here:<br /><br />Unconditional Love & Sacrifice<br />The Ellspermann family….AMAZING! Have missed them so much since their move to Wisconsin. Scott & Sherri were plugged into many aspects of First Farragut United Methodist Church…but had been doing great things with the Student Ministry. Scott was my all-star photographer (documenting events via PHOTOGRAPHS has not been the same since his departure) and a leader, and Sherri was a leader as well. Britney, now a Sophomore (CRAZY), was a big part of the ministry as well…and still is! She has flown down to Tennessee for every winter retreat since they left for Wisconsin. Spencer and Hunter were often hanging out at the church as mom and dad were doing things with me. They bring a TON of energy to the Ellspermann family! I pray that the family that I have one day can mirror the love for Christ and for each other that the Ellspermann’s live out!<br />The Goss Family! Barry and Leslie are mom and dad! They are both involved in a lot of different things at First Farragut. Barry is the treasurer here at the church and also a youth leader in the student ministry. Leslie sings in the choir and is also a leader with me. They are involved with almost every event put on here at the church, including playing Santa and Mrs. Claus @ our Breakfast with Santa morning in December! Brandon is a Senior at Hardin Valley here in Knoxville and works with the audio/visual ministry Sunday mornings. He is also VERY active in the youth group. Austin is a Freshman at Grace Christian Academy and is also VERY active in the youth group. I always ask Austin, even though I know the answer, “are you coming to youth group tonight?” “DUH MARK!….when am I not here?!”, is the response I always get. He’s right! Love those guys! Barry & Leslie are brother and sister! And Barry and Leslie’s mom Frankie and her husband George are still active and involved here at First Farragut! The family love and connection to FFUMC is powerful and real!<br />It wasn’t until the Ellspermann’s moved to Wisconsin that I found out about Scott needing a kidney. I began praying immediately! Our high school missions team was in New Richmond, Wisconsin this past summer on our way home from a summer missions trip to Urban Plunge in the Twin Cities. They were amazing hosts as some kids stayed inside and some stayed outside in a camper city that was set up in their back yard! We absolutely TOOK OVER their house. I kept apologizing for the mess and all the work they were having to do and Sherri kept asking me to let the group stay longer! I’ll never forget hugging Sherri and Scott as we left….Sherri and Britney were crying asking us to put them in the trunks of the cars to take them back to Knoxville! They are such a special family.<br />Word came out not long ago that the kidney transplant was being moved up as Scott’s numbers were in decline. Then came the amazing news. Scott’s sister-in-law Leslie would be his donor. WOW! When I announced this on a Sunday morning at the 11:00 service the entire sanctuary erupted in applause and cheers! It was a powerful moment. True love and sacrifice, just like that modeled to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is being lived out in its greatest form by Leslie Goss. An opportunity presented itself and she responded just as Jesus would by putting the well-being of another in front of herself. I remember being in tears when I heard the news. These families and their kids are so special to me personally. As a man of God in full-time student ministry, now in my 8th year, I have been blessed to have some very special relationships! I hold the Goss and Ellspermann family very close to my heart. Their love for Christ, for family, and for the local church are inspirational.<br />A few weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about these families. I went into my living room to pray. I had an overwhelming feeling that I was suppose to travel to Minnesota for the transplant surgery to support these families as one of their pastors. I pitched the idea to my lead Pastor and the rest is history. God made a way for me to make the trip, and early tomorrow morning I will board a flight for the Twin-Cities. Leslie is flying up today. Her husband Barry flies up tomorrow. The surgery will take place Thursday morning in Minneapolis. I am excited to serve these families, to pray with these families, and to be a part of this with them. I’m humbled that they are allowing me to be a part of this big event.<br />Please be praying for those of us who are still traveling up there. Pray for Leslie and Scott as they have final testing completed tomorrow in Minneapolis. Pray for the doctors to use their amazing skills on Thursday morning and to be empowered by the Holy Spirit! Pray for those who will be waiting for good news and for all those who consider Scott, Sherri, Barry, Leslie, Brandon, Austin, Britney, Hunter, and Spencer, to be family and friends. Thank God for these families and for how they have taught us all about unconditional love and sacrifice!<br />You can read updates here on my website @http://markaronowitz.wordpress.com/ and you can also check on the First Farragut United Methodist Church facebook page as well. I will make regular updates during the week and on surgery day! Thanks again for your prayers!Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-11711363826701552522011-02-02T17:34:00.000-08:002011-02-02T18:06:44.620-08:00Is it too early to dream of spring?<div><br /><div>Week after week, snowstorm after snowstorm, my daffodil bulbs buried beneath mountains of snow... I love living in a "four season" part of the country but this winter has been brutal - and we're only halfway through it!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RIUdvxJjHfGKkxGYFTLNx3peg9z2F7ouV2JFATIJBAkA_gL6oow_KRAnzxWW4EdBoblJl76egGC-WkRy6AocuqnKV8Qzhl6dWIlnR0WR02rl1zj-W1YdYINrNd4ibv56-pBEzsJrNZ7Y/s1600/DSCN1626.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569272843265650754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RIUdvxJjHfGKkxGYFTLNx3peg9z2F7ouV2JFATIJBAkA_gL6oow_KRAnzxWW4EdBoblJl76egGC-WkRy6AocuqnKV8Qzhl6dWIlnR0WR02rl1zj-W1YdYINrNd4ibv56-pBEzsJrNZ7Y/s320/DSCN1626.JPG" /></a><br /></div><div>My favorite season is spring. I love watching the teeny bright green dots appear on the barren branches of trees and the tips of snowdrop leaves poking through the still cold ground. Every year we have dozens of daffodils added to our garden (they are the only spring bulb the deer don't eat) and I love watching them sway in the cool spring breeze.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Squirrels and chipmunks scamper across the yard in search of food as robins yank worms out of the soil.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpvQi9iaqJWqRRF3rXxEKXSHKYk4uc-VxqJKZwkJR4TqSMBtTfhawtKZXYVNypGUcUohW4cW_ocBiUtg4onyL8NSzuf3hMCkEL2Awj1pfXnSi0tB6pwqsXG06Uyr8xMF2L5uByJZBXKI5/s1600/DSCN1632.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569274847550731698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpvQi9iaqJWqRRF3rXxEKXSHKYk4uc-VxqJKZwkJR4TqSMBtTfhawtKZXYVNypGUcUohW4cW_ocBiUtg4onyL8NSzuf3hMCkEL2Awj1pfXnSi0tB6pwqsXG06Uyr8xMF2L5uByJZBXKI5/s320/DSCN1632.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div>One of the things I miss the most about the flower shop, and that I love the most about spring, is that earthy flowery scent. You know the one I mean, the sweetness of flowers mixed with musky soil and a fresh spring rain. When winter starts to get to me, I just have to close my eyes and I can conjure up that sweet aroma.</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Flowering shrubs are a favorite of mine - sadly, they are a favorite food of the deer that inhabit our neighborhood. This winter's heavy snow means that the deer will be eating everything in sight, even the things they normally leave alone. I long for big azaleas and rhododendrons but know that it will be a losing battle. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPphU3eZua5XQIkfH_ShregG6WA8lMSJbJwyk_7SSZG4xCzpDPAajLFi0tYm7H6Eksci0NRrk-4AGSSfVG2UK9zI0E4sfQxPa94dzV1VvG8TsjXn5XCwKlSU0VYnZaNnScU0535GUij0HX/s1600/DSCN1646.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569276146822161970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPphU3eZua5XQIkfH_ShregG6WA8lMSJbJwyk_7SSZG4xCzpDPAajLFi0tYm7H6Eksci0NRrk-4AGSSfVG2UK9zI0E4sfQxPa94dzV1VvG8TsjXn5XCwKlSU0VYnZaNnScU0535GUij0HX/s320/DSCN1646.JPG" /></a>Wildflowers and perennials peek out of the soil, soon to burst into bloom and the moss on the rocks becomes greener each day. My sweet lily of the valley fill my day with their heady scent as the japanese iris pop open next to forget-me-nots. Ahh, the joys of spring!</div><div> </div><div>All things come to those who wait... so, I wait for winter to pass so I may enjoy the gifts of spring. Until then, I bundle up and head to work, thankful that tax season is during winter for me. A few pots of hothouse hyacinths will get me through the next cold weeks... no, it's not too soon to dream of spring!<br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div></div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-45395858725645101832011-01-15T05:56:00.001-08:002011-01-15T08:27:32.936-08:00Favorites from Festival<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL-PV1v1uxnf9FK3A3DnjTVWytgpwzhZSvsvXB8I90XYf35M_VOfxCVu9mUyCmrHPX1f35sxhCI_eOudU_P0BFnHRcgY9ZsemxvdjiCu64VXk8SDFkysmrlHfPtI1EUZlh33fs_X9_VsQ/s1600/DSCN3142.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562414241429218082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL-PV1v1uxnf9FK3A3DnjTVWytgpwzhZSvsvXB8I90XYf35M_VOfxCVu9mUyCmrHPX1f35sxhCI_eOudU_P0BFnHRcgY9ZsemxvdjiCu64VXk8SDFkysmrlHfPtI1EUZlh33fs_X9_VsQ/s320/DSCN3142.JPG" border="0" /></a> My sore feet were testament to the hours I spent walking the Houston Quilt Festival show floor, studying the hundreds of quilts on display. It takes several trips through the show to really absorb everything - the quality and range of work is amazing and there is something to be learned in every aisle.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqy-bW4pzDAWqP1fbChPgY_ho6vDKqPxhrkzO1pt54SxXDgB0h3z2I8Ox6HOiSYcs5GIOiqNnGb-BjfBHltBpWV2fxYPJcQNiq3UpOmZXE4OHMxEATU7AY-Q98VM4cjJwUxGp0mnoARf4I/s1600/DSCN3144.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562415219932921842" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqy-bW4pzDAWqP1fbChPgY_ho6vDKqPxhrkzO1pt54SxXDgB0h3z2I8Ox6HOiSYcs5GIOiqNnGb-BjfBHltBpWV2fxYPJcQNiq3UpOmZXE4OHMxEATU7AY-Q98VM4cjJwUxGp0mnoARf4I/s320/DSCN3144.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div>This year's Best in Show quilt exhibited the most amazing quilting, black thread on a white background, a bold move as every mistake would show more clearly. The stitching was amazingly close together and there were countless stitch patterns on the quilt. I was fascinated at the quilter's mastery of stitching - her award was well deserved. </div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>Quilting skills are like any other skill, it takes countless hours of practice and many "uglies" before mastery is achieved. I am in awe of quilters who have the amazing patience it takes to create a work with detailed applique or microscopic stitching, like the quilt above. The quilt show exhibits an enormous range of work and techniques, traditional and contemporary, painted, pieced, dyed, discharged, embellished, the list goes on. </div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Here are some more images of quilts (or pieces of quilts) that caught my eye. My apologies to the artists for not having their name, or the name of their work, I didn't take notes as I took photos.</div><div><br />The Lily of the Valley quilt was one of my favorite quilts in the show. Dozens of batiks were used to create a realistic image of one of my favorite flowers. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWoFk-d-Le-Geme1NX1nDqtznd9QNNq0iliDWNEXD60kcieSs-Z4BAxZ-plmhNjjFdn7WaoQbBxhJLhs7KIfGR_nfjD0g4rbUTVbxOVfS89S1M043fw9u58OvICNHfmlipMglDg-0ANBc/s1600/DSCN3165.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562449494623576386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWoFk-d-Le-Geme1NX1nDqtznd9QNNq0iliDWNEXD60kcieSs-Z4BAxZ-plmhNjjFdn7WaoQbBxhJLhs7KIfGR_nfjD0g4rbUTVbxOVfS89S1M043fw9u58OvICNHfmlipMglDg-0ANBc/s320/DSCN3165.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>As an aside, I'll tell you why it's one of my favorites... First, who can resist the amazing scent of the Lily of the Valley? I have a small patch of them in my garden and many a morning, I pick one stem as I leave home to run errands. The scent fills my car as I go about my morning, just delicious! My Mother carried a bouquet of Lily of the Valley when she and my father got married, a match made in heaven, IMHO. When we were young girls, maybe only six and eight, my sister, Valerie, and I decided we would pick my Mother a bouquet of Lily of the Valley. We proceeded to pick every single stem of flowers in the garden, snipping them just below the last "bell", leaving no stem to go into a vase to drink up water - what did we know about picking flowers? Mom was gracious in accepting our gift, followed by a little lesson in how to pick flowers, with ste<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n_yXsOG3-OGtU0MmHzqacXfaVLeNrYUoHcNpTjglirX2tAnxbQWuYXuH2sEow4we3xXO0rgd03z1_8tqJGcD4fPv7_6FXmdSDztdVfEvkI8usYiC0NK7PDDEX6SqPvBnJdZGxNY9uw7U/s1600/DSCN3210.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562440533113182738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4n_yXsOG3-OGtU0MmHzqacXfaVLeNrYUoHcNpTjglirX2tAnxbQWuYXuH2sEow4we3xXO0rgd03z1_8tqJGcD4fPv7_6FXmdSDztdVfEvkI8usYiC0NK7PDDEX6SqPvBnJdZGxNY9uw7U/s320/DSCN3210.JPG" border="0" /></a>ms. I also love them because they are among the first flowers of spring - the best part being that they totally take care of themselves once established in a garden. Yummy flowers shown in a fabulous quilt.</div><div><br />This long and narrow quilt was another favorite. I loved the unusual shape the arts and crafts feel of the image and the color palette. Again, the artist used a wide variety of fabrics to create texture and depth. I adore this quilt and can only wish that I will someday be able to find the patience it takes to make a work with this kind of detail. </div><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nUq4ECoD-HbSNySuwVLtkimj5b4ULyLchTT2t5ztRo1pcSsDPXEmjhV2XdXz9m1PUXTQf1krAPRLgZ5GWQ3qw7B9pikZgtu07t0OPDAP2w4GXHMSjEIC01zVTILKNoovzxkHSxVYqGKn/s1600/DSCN3301.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562443376756857522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nUq4ECoD-HbSNySuwVLtkimj5b4ULyLchTT2t5ztRo1pcSsDPXEmjhV2XdXz9m1PUXTQf1krAPRLgZ5GWQ3qw7B9pikZgtu07t0OPDAP2w4GXHMSjEIC01zVTILKNoovzxkHSxVYqGKn/s320/DSCN3301.JPG" border="0" /></a>This parrot quilt was AMAZING. The feather texture was so realistic, countless tiny pieces of fabric and a mastery of color and light made this a quilt that I studied for a long time. Again, I long for the patience it takes to make a work like this!</div><div></div><br /><div>Well, that's the end of my HQF highlights for today...</div><div></div><br /><div>One of the things I like to do as I walk a quilt show is assess my own quilt skills. I walk around saying either "gee, I could have made that" or "holy mackeral, that's way over my ability". I usually fall somewhere in between, confident in my work but knowing that there is so much left to learn and so many people whose skills are far beyond my own. Mostly, what I leave with, is a sense of wonder over the countless ways that quilting has evolved, from a functional source of warmth to a work of art, and how the making of quilts has grown from hand stitched scraps to all of the amazing techinques that are now used. The sky is the limit with quilting, I can't wait to see what's next!<br /></div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-86542846360206711712010-11-05T11:02:00.000-07:002011-01-08T10:02:06.268-08:00Shopped till I dropped!<div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGgCWBKPzf3dnPytsH6rt0L7Kvb2TQyWyFEQoYINsM0-g547u5-U-RWn4ztNYHsPYrRbN1VjD5cvgjS0I9ak7-G7QPjTdfKsK1c0EqE1u5OzC9unTftcTXG8iKRBKDhUGEMIpu0emg_DQ/s1600/DSCN3224.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559859685891539474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGgCWBKPzf3dnPytsH6rt0L7Kvb2TQyWyFEQoYINsM0-g547u5-U-RWn4ztNYHsPYrRbN1VjD5cvgjS0I9ak7-G7QPjTdfKsK1c0EqE1u5OzC9unTftcTXG8iKRBKDhUGEMIpu0emg_DQ/s320/DSCN3224.JPG" border="0" /></a> After my initial post, I never got back to blogging about my visit to the Houston Quilt Festival...many weeks later, here it is....</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>For a quilter, there is nothing like fabric shopping at the Houston Quilt Festival. If it exists in the quilting world, it is there.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>The first day I shopped, I bought some hand-dyed wool selvedge bundles from Mary Flanagan Woolens. As I passed by her booth again, I decided that I just had to have more of them - when will I ever see them again? Since they are only $2.50 a bundle, it was not an expensive decision (which is a good thing because, well, the picture speaks for itself, lol). I didn't know what I was going to do with them - I just had to have them!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MbXI9AI4Ny6YIg-KAil4Hh99AuTMtLtf5ixHtdLvHk-Ll2BRvnHyXQwBLFUl0IH31GqbA_Ieh-YfB3j4AdZ2Xln4qwHJy-NAtCKXmtB3fxJadLjC8GNj2nEIxbx2vNOSzdQeVIiMNNXD/s1600/DSCN3233.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559876000441623170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MbXI9AI4Ny6YIg-KAil4Hh99AuTMtLtf5ixHtdLvHk-Ll2BRvnHyXQwBLFUl0IH31GqbA_Ieh-YfB3j4AdZ2Xln4qwHJy-NAtCKXmtB3fxJadLjC8GNj2nEIxbx2vNOSzdQeVIiMNNXD/s320/DSCN3233.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>Cherrywood is one of my very favorite booths - their hand-dyed fabrics and delicious bundles of coordinated colors are irresistable! I've been using their fabrics for a lot of the stencil techniques I've been coming up with and love that the fabric/dyes respond well to everything I put on it. I sometimes purchase through their web site but there is nothing like "hands-on" fabric shopping.<br /></div><br /><div>Two other booths that I always make a point of visiting are Laura Murray Designs and Artistic Artifacts. Laura Murray takes apart vintage kimonos and overdyes the fabrics. The results are fabulous, interesting pieces of silk that can be used for all kinds of projects. I'm a big fan of her "scrap bags" - they are always full of great pieces and unusual colors. Laura Murray is also a Paintsticks expert with terrific books & videos on the topic. Artistic Artifacts sells a wide variety of vintage fabrics, trims & goodies and their booth is an endless adventure. My favorite item is their bundles of hand-dyed vintage textiles. They take old doilies, hankies, dishtowels, laces and other vintage textiles and dye them in coordinated, gradated bundles. Each bundle is unique and contains a LOT of fabric and trim. I've used them to make tote bags, quilts, vests, garment embellishments, gifts, and more. The hardest part about shopping in their booth is maintaining <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWmkWSlNHe07OYlSNkr-7qvBBg4K_hkknldVdL3EOB5ItS1sEjNfpUdzYcwPKDq-Z_uTw9fKJbeCindgIBbrDAwOP2dAF3KTplLasHezLhBo4gPFO5TrrmvIZ9kWNsVH8P0-eYoezGPN0/s1600/DSCN3227.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559872325231330658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWmkWSlNHe07OYlSNkr-7qvBBg4K_hkknldVdL3EOB5ItS1sEjNfpUdzYcwPKDq-Z_uTw9fKJbeCindgIBbrDAwOP2dAF3KTplLasHezLhBo4gPFO5TrrmvIZ9kWNsVH8P0-eYoezGPN0/s320/DSCN3227.JPG" border="0" /></a>self-control (yeah, right, as if I can... at least I can pretend that I tried!).<br /></div><br /><div>Another thing that caught my eye was the booths full of hand-dyed wool. I tried to talk myself out of starting to collect yet another type of fabric but, in the end, I folded (ha ha, a little fabric pun). Before I left Houston I had made significant progress on a "penny" quilt mat and I'm working on another one, trying to make it using all flower shapes. I'm going to work on it while I'm on the mend (it's all hand work) and will post pictures of both next week.</div></div><div><div></div><div> </div><div>I also bought two new gizmos towards the end of the year - the L Letterpress machine and a Felting/Embellisher machine. I've yet to unpack either but am looking forward to playing with both (of course, I had to buy roving in a lot of colors to use with the embellisher.... I swear, it all started when I was a kid with that box of 64 Crayola crayons. I was never satisfied with the box of 16, I had to have the box of 64, I needed ALL the colors...an addiction that continues).</div><div></div><br /><div>Needless to say, I did my part to support the quilt industry while I was in Houston!</div><div></div><br /><div>To catch you up on my sudden disappearance... I had been having some problems with weakness in my left arm which was getting progressively worse through November. Steve & I went on a Carribean cruise after Thanksgiving and I nearly dropped a plate after going through the buffet line. One doctor visit led to another with a whole alphabet of tests, CT, MRI, EMG, etc., all resulting in the decision that my weakness was caused by pinched nerves in my neck from two herniated discs and a bone spur. On January 3rd, I had surgery to fix the problem and I am now at home, recovering. I can already feel an improvement in my arm and am relieved to have the surgery behind me. The weakness was exhausting & I have done very little in my studio since October because of it. My goal is to recover from my surgery and regain energy for creative endeavors. I'm thankful to have such wonderful doctors who have been genuinely concerned about me and how to make things better. </div><div></div><br /><div>Time for a little rest... I'll post again next week.</div></div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-14137969116479730032010-11-04T06:34:00.001-07:002010-11-04T06:51:49.979-07:00Houston Quilt FestivalLast night was the opening of the Houston Quilt Festival show floor - it's as amazing as I remember! I haven't been for a few years and I didn't realize just how much I missed it until I walked in last night.<br /><br />I decided to spend the first night visiting my favorite vendors so I could shop from their best selection. When I'm at a show, I shop only for unusual supplies and things I need to see or feel (shopping on line for fabric just doesn't always work). I loaded up on hand-dyed fabrics and scrap bags (I love scraps!). One of my favorite finds was at a vendor who hand-dyes wool. She was selling bundles of selveges - they have wonderful lettuce like edges and were very inexpensive. I have a couple of ideas brewing about what I'll do with them. <br /><br />As I hauled my treasures back to my hotel I thought I had shopped enough & that my next day would be spent just enjoying the quilts. However, after a little playing with my new finds, I'm hungry for more. I'm sure I missed a lot last night - visiting the show floor will be a new adventure today. There's plenty of time to look at the finished quilts tomorrow...<br /><br />Last night, I picked up a one pound bag of long skinny scraps at the Cherrywood booth (amazing hand-dyed fabrics). As I was considering the colors, another quilter looked at them and asked me "What will you do with those? They are SO skinny!". I told her that I don't have to know what I want to do with things, the possibilities are enough for me. <br /><br />So, here I am in Houston, shopping for I-don't-know-what, bringing home the adventure of new materials, to continue my journey to I-don't-know-where, finding joy in the possibilities that surround me. Quilter's bliss.<br /><br />More tomorrow...Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-86256331142270464432010-10-23T03:25:00.000-07:002010-10-23T04:08:29.969-07:00My yarn garden...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76RaLI8WaODvMd1dQvwCTqv-yW9sXkzKQayhG3K9QdWpYDe0SHgokYXzRrw65WIumQLn7qol6gwCmfOgnKH6hTP7Zk0FPiceS0qxVdTr9oDVP4nHShEUxrO92UyNz1H0aGq04qSi3OqZ5/s1600/DSCN2919.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531192697081743954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76RaLI8WaODvMd1dQvwCTqv-yW9sXkzKQayhG3K9QdWpYDe0SHgokYXzRrw65WIumQLn7qol6gwCmfOgnKH6hTP7Zk0FPiceS0qxVdTr9oDVP4nHShEUxrO92UyNz1H0aGq04qSi3OqZ5/s320/DSCN2919.JPG" /></a><br /><div>The book from my last entry was "100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet" (I did only crocheted flowers as I don't knit). I had fun shopping for the yarn and selected lightweight ones, like baby yarn and sock yarn. The book doesn't give specifics on yarn types or hook sizes so it was a matter of experimentation & finding what I was comfortable with. I settled on an "E" hook. I have my Nana's tiny hooks that she used for making doilies & teeny tiny flowers but I can't yet master using such a little hook (and I treasure the teeny flowers I have that she made even more!).<br /><br /><div>So, here's my little garden of flowers. I have no idea of what I will use them for but they were fun to make. My favorite is the large daisy-ish flower. The marigold (orange flower) is my least favorite - I don't think I'll be making any of those again! The instructions in the book were very good - even better were the illustrations showing small schematics of each flower, stitch by stitch. I know I will be referring back to this book for future projects.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvbI0z9X3L-BI7gqIPVFIzlzCiyqIvdk8AaQf2nGG774LyeTs6PEw5EAqxMMyZzzvLDJqjuSwDgYfDIZtEzJtefkOHm-Ls7Xr2GIkEVjXnMrwSgSKIMSPi4kA7fUfIwKMYI4xodAG1aA3/s1600/coverlayeredtattered.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 245px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531188871352683938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvbI0z9X3L-BI7gqIPVFIzlzCiyqIvdk8AaQf2nGG774LyeTs6PEw5EAqxMMyZzzvLDJqjuSwDgYfDIZtEzJtefkOHm-Ls7Xr2GIkEVjXnMrwSgSKIMSPi4kA7fUfIwKMYI4xodAG1aA3/s320/coverlayeredtattered.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div></div><div>On to this week's book.... "layered, tattered & stitched" by Ruth Rae. I love the look of a torn edge, be it fabric or paper. This book features projects with raw, sometimes frayed, edges. It sets aside all the rules of quilting that involve square corners & finished edges, encouraging experimentation and the creation of rich, layered projects.</div><div></div><br /><div>I recently picked up some new hand-dyed vintage textiles at a quilt show - perfect for using in projects from this book. Check back to see what I've come up with!</div><div></div><br /><div>Anyone heading to the Houston Quilt Festival? I am happy to report that I am going this year and that I even managed to score a room at the Hilton Americas (the one attached to the convention center). I haven't been able to go for a few years and I am super excited about the trip. There is nothing like the HQF! Hope to see you there!</div><div> </div></div>Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2138686601036147552.post-71335986100717518332010-10-13T20:10:00.000-07:002010-10-13T20:13:10.998-07:00class with MayaYes, I did take the class with Maya and it was great! She is such a gentle, peaceful soul, don't you think? She brought piles of things to play with - it's amazing what can be made from cereal boxes & newspapers!Gail Ellspermannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840323213417545447noreply@blogger.com1