Happy New Year 2015!

I wanted to start the new year right with a blog post.  I have not posted for ages and it is amazing how easy it was to get out of the habit of checking in online.  So here is another of my long winded posts...

October to December was a busy time for me with art and artisan shows, looking after my cat who was under the weather and had dental surgery, choir gigs, and Christmas prep. We had a lovely Christmas at my son's home - a combination of traditional and Italian - my son preparing the turkey and trimmings and his partner preparing the cannelloni etc. After many years of doing Christmas dinners it was a wonderful treat for me. 

I had two very successful shows - the annual Glebe Craft and Artisan Fair and Baz'ART at the Shenkman centre.   I sold lots of jewelry and a good number of embroideries and art pieces.   After the hot, crowded show I was in at the Bell Sensplex in September, these shows were just the thing for me!   Now I am in the process of looking for just the right local shows for my work for 2015.  I have made a list and am researching each possibility.  I will be taking part in the Fourth annual Fibre Fling at Kitchissippi United Church on April 10 and 11 and would also like to find another show to do before  Mothers Day.  I might also approach some businesses to see if I can find venues to sell my jewelry.

Here are some of the pieces which sold in the fall.

Red Sails in the Sunset 11 x 14

Small embroidered piece

Another small embroidery

 The piece on the top right (below) which was one of my first paint and embroidery works (Bonsai in the Bog) sold as well.  And the ones on the bottom left (Tenerife 3) and Centre bottom (Black Eyed Susans) are also gone to new homes.  Some of the pieces were made just before the shows and it seems I may have neglected to photograph them individually in my haste:(

Testing my Set Up

 I took part in a Out of the Box Playdate in November where we learned how to turn tissue paper into a medium for stitching by layering tissue with glue, adding colour into the layers, painting or using bleeding art tissue for colour etc.  So much fun! And I have had some ideas of how to use this technique in larger mixed media pieces.  In the meantime, I painted them up, added tiny snowflakes I cut from rice paper, hand stitched and made holiday cards.  I also mounted one horizontal piece on stretched canvas.

In September I got myself a Square reader but was depending on WiFi at shows in order to use it since I don't have a smart phone.   I am saving my $$$ :)   Nevertheless I am now able to send invoices through Square to customers wishing to purchase items with a credit card from my website, blog, by email or by phone.  Until I have saved enough money for an ipad with cellular, this is a great way for me to do business from my home and gives me an alternative to selling on Etsy.   I have posted some new items on Etsy before Christmas and will post more shortly.

I have work to do making some new necklaces, a colour challenge piece which is due in February, a hand stitched embroidery, and more postcards.  Soon time to start planning our next Fibre Fling.

I managed to finish a UFO that has been in the works for a couple of years.  I just need to mount it on a stretched canvas - unless I decide to quilt it instead.  It will be called "Ode to Newfoundland" I think.   It is my impression of life on 'The Rock'.  I included some lyrics to a song I wrote about Newfoundland called "A Land of Contradiction" and I plan to include the complete lyrics on the back of the piece.

.......A land of contradiction is rugged Newfoundland
So generous a people you will never find
There's beauty in the rocks and stones
Tragedy in the sailor's bones........

Ode to Newfoundland

I bought some tiny frames from Michaels (2" x 2" inside) and am framing tiny hand  embroideries of a tree of life or a dove because peace is on my mind these days.   I think I needed a reminder to help me keep my focus on the kind of world we could have - and can only imagine - free of poverty, hatred, violence and oppression.

PEACE.