2016 March
Unraveled, But Not Coming Apart!
3/25/2016
The ART UNRAVELED 2016 website is up and running and I'm honored to be teaching again this year out in Phoenix. If you have never been part of a big art retreat, this is the one to try. I've been blessed to be a part of it for the past 12 years and look forward to going to spend time with like minded artists for a full week of no sleep, quick meals, wonderful long walks, and classes from some of the best art teachers out there. The schedule is on the AU website for you to look at. Art Unraveled Workshops I hope you can come play with us for a week or a few days.
This Messenger Bag is one of my creations I proposed to AU for a class, and it was accepted! I love this bag and am getting ready to make more so my students have more design options.
3/25/2016
The ART UNRAVELED 2016 website is up and running and I'm honored to be teaching again this year out in Phoenix. If you have never been part of a big art retreat, this is the one to try. I've been blessed to be a part of it for the past 12 years and look forward to going to spend time with like minded artists for a full week of no sleep, quick meals, wonderful long walks, and classes from some of the best art teachers out there. The schedule is on the AU website for you to look at. Art Unraveled Workshops I hope you can come play with us for a week or a few days.
I think the bag will be great fun to make and I really look forward to seeing the designs the students come up with!!
How special would an apron be as a shower gift for a new bride that is made out of family heirlooms?
I hope to make a fun swingy, short, half apron from linens later this week, or... maybe a patchwork apron that works around the stains in the old linens? I think we will end up using just about everything the students will bring.
Now I need to start getting my act together as far as making and packaging items to sell at my Vendors Booth at ART UNRAVELED. August seems so far away but I know it will be here before I know what hits me!
Check out my booth below. I was able to start setting up my vendors booth at Reclaimed on Main this past week. This is just a start with a lot more fun things to come. You can see that I still have a naked mannequin... I think I better get her dressed!
My heart just wants the building to go to a good successful business for the new owners and for downtown Shelbyville.
I have my first class up and on the website now and am so excited to host classes in my new studio. It is so peaceful out here with a great stone patio and a nice breeze.
The Free Form Fiber Jewelry Class is sure to be a lot of fun and what you create is only limited by your imagination. Because space is limited, classes will be limited to 4 students unless otherwise noted. The first class will be the first weekend in June so it gives me time to finish organizing the studio. I have a lot going on between now and then!
The Quilters & Crafters Club is up and running and I feel like the start of it is a huge success. The Daisy Rag iPad Cover kits have been sent to the first 10 gals who signed up. Congratulations to those who won! We have spent a lot of time this past week adding new products to the club pages. Club Members will find Down Pillow Forms, High Quality Canvas fabric and even more quilting fabrics to shop from. Joining the QCC is a great deal when you realize that you get 30% off all the products in the exclusive shopping pages!!
I'm off to conquer my list of projects!
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I have my first class up and on the website now and am so excited to host classes in my new studio. It is so peaceful out here with a great stone patio and a nice breeze.
The Free Form Fiber Jewelry Class is sure to be a lot of fun and what you create is only limited by your imagination. Because space is limited, classes will be limited to 4 students unless otherwise noted. The first class will be the first weekend in June so it gives me time to finish organizing the studio. I have a lot going on between now and then!
The Quilters & Crafters Club is up and running and I feel like the start of it is a huge success. The Daisy Rag iPad Cover kits have been sent to the first 10 gals who signed up. Congratulations to those who won! We have spent a lot of time this past week adding new products to the club pages. Club Members will find Down Pillow Forms, High Quality Canvas fabric and even more quilting fabrics to shop from. Joining the QCC is a great deal when you realize that you get 30% off all the products in the exclusive shopping pages!!
I'm off to conquer my list of projects!
Nancy Jo Hill - Oh I wish I was there, I would a student in all classes.
Pots to iPads...
3/18/2016
Spring brings out the best in me, I do believe! The bright sun in the morning, the chance to go outside and pull a weed without wrapping up in 10 layers of clothes, and seeing things growing and blooming just energizes me. And extra energy means getting things done! But most of, all it means creativity!
At one point I was going to put this in my booth to sell but Jeff and I found the glass pots at a discount store in the perfect colors for my kitchen, so I've changed my mind.
I hand-painted the flowers one day at the beginning of the week in record time and finished it with a coat of polyurethane just incase I decide to put it outside if I choose to. It will get lots of light in the kitchen and, best of all, it didn't break the budget.
This was actually my first week to have what is soon to be a 'normal' life for me. I'm still cleaning out the store and making calls and scheduling meetings for repair work around the house and store, but I found myself coming and going as I pleased and, most important, finding time to be in my new home studio.
The first project I finished is this Fish Tank Checkerboard Ottoman that I had started before the retirement sale. As soon as I finish the checkers it'll be placed on the website and ready for a permanent home at a beach or lake house.
I absolutely love the idea of having a small conversation piece of furniture in a room. It adds a touch of uniqueness and quirkiness to your living space; and we can all use a reason to smile now and then!
Another project was this French Country stool that I changed the cover on. I think it turned out very pretty and would make just the right accent piece in a room. How fun for a vanity stool in a private dressing area.
I took this up to my vendors booth at Reclaimed on Main this morning. This is where I hope to put small one-of-a-kind pieces that I find and redo for sale. Make sure you come by and check it out.
We removed the pool table out of the basement this week so I can continue to work on the perfect layout in my new studio. Check out Jeff's new 'Evening Throne' in the studio. He comes down for a while in the evenings with me and watches TV while I continue to play with paint and fabrics. Those of you who know me know that I don't sit well. I am constantly going and doing and moving, so this gives us a chance to spend a little time together.
Our schedules run opposite of each other so this is nice. He is happy and so am I! Do know that I may borrow his throne while I do my beading and hand work. Shhhhh don't tell him!
Look what I designed yesterday for you! This iPad cover PDF is free to you when you join the Quilting and Crafters Club, and for the first 10 people that join I will send you my choice of fabrics for you to make your own cover. I want you all to enjoy discounts on our batik quilting fabrics, canvas, linens and other fun items so that I can keep buying new fabrics!!
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I hand-painted the flowers one day at the beginning of the week in record time and finished it with a coat of polyurethane just incase I decide to put it outside if I choose to. It will get lots of light in the kitchen and, best of all, it didn't break the budget.
This was actually my first week to have what is soon to be a 'normal' life for me. I'm still cleaning out the store and making calls and scheduling meetings for repair work around the house and store, but I found myself coming and going as I pleased and, most important, finding time to be in my new home studio.
I absolutely love the idea of having a small conversation piece of furniture in a room. It adds a touch of uniqueness and quirkiness to your living space; and we can all use a reason to smile now and then!
I took this up to my vendors booth at Reclaimed on Main this morning. This is where I hope to put small one-of-a-kind pieces that I find and redo for sale. Make sure you come by and check it out.
Our schedules run opposite of each other so this is nice. He is happy and so am I! Do know that I may borrow his throne while I do my beading and hand work. Shhhhh don't tell him!
Hope - Great newsletter as usual. How does one join the quilting and crafter's club?
Leslie - If you go to the website funky-fibers.com, you can see it there.... it will be ready later tonight if not now. If you get the newsletter it will come out at 4 in the morning with complete instructions.... if not, go to the website and ask to receive the emails.... Thanks for following.... let me know if you have any other questions.
Flying Free...!
3/11/2016
I feel like a bird out of the cage! After 25 years of running a fabric store from Monday through Saturday, this weekend coming up is the first that I can remember being off on a Saturday. I am SO looking forward to it. Well, let me qualify that. I've been off on Saturdays when I've been out of town, but to just get out of bed and not have anything to do but sweep my front porch, take my mowers to have them serviced or do the laundry... Wow! It feels great!
This past weekend I was in Indiana at the beautiful Wooded Glen Retreat and Conference Center to meet with the Triennium planning committee. What a wonderful and hard working team and leadership! They made the work so much fun!!
I believe we were able to get more work done in this one weekend than any other pre-conference meeting that I have been privileged to be part of. It feels good to know we're ahead of the game this year.
We cut and numbered 105 - 24" stars for small group signs and have most of the signs done for the event, made two giant matching games for one of the recreation events and visited Purdue University (the site of the conference this summer).
One of the challenges we have each year is how to do recreation for 5000 youth without breaking the bank. Recycle is the way to go! We've accumulated LOTS of outdated t-shirts from past conferences that are stored in a warehouse and decided we needed to repurpose them somehow. With all the trendy t-shirt crafts out there right now we decided it would be fun to create some projects for the youth to do. BUT... they are white with past logos on them.
What to do? What to do?
I had the idea to dye them so they are bright and pretty, making the logo a non-issue as we cut them up.
Here are the first 38 dyed t-shirts. I wonder if 5000 plus or minus a thousand will fit in my living room! I don't know how many I'm dying, I was just told to bring a trailer to pick them up.
Flying Free...!
3/11/2016
This past weekend I was in Indiana at the beautiful Wooded Glen Retreat and Conference Center to meet with the Triennium planning committee. What a wonderful and hard working team and leadership! They made the work so much fun!!
I believe we were able to get more work done in this one weekend than any other pre-conference meeting that I have been privileged to be part of. It feels good to know we're ahead of the game this year.
We cut and numbered 105 - 24" stars for small group signs and have most of the signs done for the event, made two giant matching games for one of the recreation events and visited Purdue University (the site of the conference this summer).
One of the challenges we have each year is how to do recreation for 5000 youth without breaking the bank. Recycle is the way to go! We've accumulated LOTS of outdated t-shirts from past conferences that are stored in a warehouse and decided we needed to repurpose them somehow. With all the trendy t-shirt crafts out there right now we decided it would be fun to create some projects for the youth to do. BUT... they are white with past logos on them.
What to do? What to do?
Here are the first 38 dyed t-shirts. I wonder if 5000 plus or minus a thousand will fit in my living room! I don't know how many I'm dying, I was just told to bring a trailer to pick them up.
The Rit dye company should be pleased with our purchases!! The best part of all of this is that I'm saving the pretty colored dryer lint to use in paper making this summer!!
We were able to manage a walk in the woods several of the days while we were there at Wooded Glen. Look at this treasure that I found on one of the paths among the deer and the trees. I wonder what kind of necklace or key chain I could make with this?
Judy and I are working hard on getting the online Quilters & Crafters Club up and running. There will be discounts and perks for 'Members Only'. Watch next weeks newsletter as we reveal all the details to you! I think you'll be very happy with what the membership offers because I know you love a constant sale just as much as I do!!
Old habits die hard. I have an appointment with one of my batik salesmen in a week and excited to see what new colors and patterns he has! More bargains for you!!
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Old habits die hard. I have an appointment with one of my batik salesmen in a week and excited to see what new colors and patterns he has! More bargains for you!!
Jayn Lando - When I retired and suddenly didn't have to go to work, Saturdays especially, anymore it was like a whole new world out there!
"When I Grow Up..."
3/4/2016
I remember when I was little and I would say, "When I grow up I want to be...", meaning a vocation. After establishing what direction life was taking me my line changed to, "When I grow up I want to be just like ...." Through the years there have been several folks I have admired and felt I wanted to be like when I grow up, and it has usually been because of their attitude as they grew older, their giving nature, and their youthful spirit in spite of aging. On the last day of the sale this past Saturday, I met a special lady who made me say, "When I grow up, I want to be just like her!"
"When I Grow Up..."
3/4/2016
I remember when I was little and I would say, "When I grow up I want to be...", meaning a vocation. After establishing what direction life was taking me my line changed to, "When I grow up I want to be just like ...." Through the years there have been several folks I have admired and felt I wanted to be like when I grow up, and it has usually been because of their attitude as they grew older, their giving nature, and their youthful spirit in spite of aging. On the last day of the sale this past Saturday, I met a special lady who made me say, "When I grow up, I want to be just like her!"
She was looking for scraps for a project that she wanted to work on... this, after spending time earlier in the week making bibs for folks in the nursing home! "When I grow up......"
Katherine, you make me smile!!
Now that the store is closed, I am starting to think about creating items for sale in my booth atReclaimed On Main. I have expanded my space and am excited to fill it up!
The vintage suitcase I was working on last week turned out so cute that I decided to make a few little bags to go with it. Then I decided to make a keychain to match the ensemble. I think this is really fun... what do you think??
I'll be working on my new booth this coming Thursday. Grab a cup of coffee from Harvest Coffee & Cafe, visit me at my booth and shop the store!
As I was going through the store after we had closed, I was looking around to see what I needed to do with stuff that was left to finish emptying the building. I came across this display rack from our Forcefield products. I brought it home and have ripped off the label. I think when I finish decorating it and adding pots on the racks, it will make a great place for my herbs to grow - now that I have a little extra time!
The vintage suitcase I was working on last week turned out so cute that I decided to make a few little bags to go with it. Then I decided to make a keychain to match the ensemble. I think this is really fun... what do you think??
I'll be working on my new booth this coming Thursday. Grab a cup of coffee from Harvest Coffee & Cafe, visit me at my booth and shop the store!
Watch for the finished Herb Rack!!
Saturday was the last day of the sale. I got up at the crack of dawn and I was so wound up! It had been a great week. Lots of old customers coming through and lots of merchandise going out the door. So many mixed emotions...
I took this picture in the morning before the sale. At first glance it looks like I am studying the sign..just one day left. At second glance it looks like I am walking away with the sign at my back.
At the end of the day, the sale was over, the final customer had left and there was just one more task before going home....
...taking down the sign out front.
At the end of the day, the sale was over, the final customer had left and there was just one more task before going home....
I had changed the sign a few times trying to figure out what the future of my business should be, but in the end, I'm running with my heart. Life goes on and I am headed out in a new direction. I hope you will join me!!
We are concentrating on our new direction, planning classes, emptying the building, organizing the new home studio and figuring what to do with what is left. We will keep you posted on fun things to come!
We are concentrating on our new direction, planning classes, emptying the building, organizing the new home studio and figuring what to do with what is left. We will keep you posted on fun things to come!
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Jayn Lando - Such an exciting, scary, and wonderful time for you! You will be a huge success no matter what direction you go in!
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