Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Quilt, Felt, Embroidery, Textile Folk Art!


This has been my latest project.  It is a 12" square canvas with a yucky, yet wonderful, remnant of a quilt.  I absolutely loved the colors of the old fabric!  One hazard was the batting, for it was like mini balls of gum lodged in between the fabric.  It kind of makes stitching a little challenging.



The beginnings of the tree!


A few erratically placed leaves.


Leaves all hand-stitched on to the tree...


Finished tree.


Folky for sure!


Monday, July 29, 2013

Embroidery Mash Up Complete!

I am really into this embroidery mash up thingy.  This is the latest one.  I even mounted it on a canvas, which actually looks kind of good.  


There is over nine different embroidery pieces merged together and then I added my own form of creative embroidery to all of it.


It is all on a 16"x20" canvas.  There is nothing about it perfect...consistent...or measured.  So much fun to sit and just cut things up and begin sewing them together.  No premeditation or contemplation...only organic assembly.  


I am the queen of imperfect perfection.

_____________________

Still need mailing addresses of Mrs. C and Marilyn for the Junk Whisperer bumper sticker!  I will mail as soon as possible.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Bumper Sticker, Junk Whisperer!

Mrs. C and Marilyn have won the bumper sticker!!
Please email me your mailing address!
alexalett@comcast.net
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


My favorite bumper sticker has been spotted out and about today!  It makes me so happy to see it on the back of some one's vehicle!  It is like an automatic kindred spirit!

In honor of this sighting....I will have a random drawing from any comment left on this post.

Leave a comment and you might be the winner of 

"Junk Whisperer"!!!

We will have a drawing tomorrow night!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Artistic Graffiti Cane!


Very often you can easily look past the obvious.  I have always said, creativity can rear its beautiful head in the most unusual place.  And, artists can find the most unusual place to declare their canvas.  

Recently, I parked my car and was casually walking to my appointment when I noticed a HUGE patch of cane.  The first initial thought is "fishing"...yep, I grew up on a farm.  Cane fishing poles hung in every barn, shed and shack so when the urge to snatch a fish should arise...an adequate fishing device was only steps away.  Cane poles were as common as dirt on the farm.  

The next thought, was realizing the size and thickness of the cane was much larger than what I remembered on the farm.  This cane had been growing for many years.  

Then comes the need for me to get up close and personal to such a memorable part of my growing up years.  

Now, I'm tramping around in the cane patch, which is technically the shrubbery and gardens of the business building, so that I can touch the cane....when I stumble into some peace, love and the ying and yang.


 Someone has decided to make the cane their canvas.  

a.  I had no idea you could carve into cane and it be so preserved
b.  I had no idea anyone would want to carve in cane
c.  I was so surprised at how well this carving was executed


Obviously, Nana and Dada found this canvas a place to declare their sisterhood. Plus, many...many others felt the canvas was the perfect place to leave their mark as well.  Kind of graffiti-esque and a wee bit like "destruction of property", but, never the less, it was artistic and interesting.  


Lesson learned:

Never....NEVER overlook the obvious, there might be a tiny bit of artistic endeavors marking a memorable thought from the past.  

Hmmm.


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Bowl Full Of Cherries!



"Life is just a bowl of cherries, don't take it serious, its mysterious.  Life is just a bowl of cherries, so live and laugh and laugh at love, love a laugh, laugh and love." 

-Bob Fossee

Monday, July 22, 2013

The Dali Museum Wishing Tree!


While in St. Petersburg, Fl recently, I visited one of my favorite artistic places...The Dali Museum.  I am a huge fan of Salvador Dali!  

The building itself is phenomenal, not to mention the art!  This was my first time to visit this museum.  Many years ago, I visited the former one.  This one did not disappoint.  It was so much better!


One of the many visual vestibules was the "wishing" tree outside.  A simple small tree in the beautiful gardens was filled with colorful strips of paper tied to strings dangling from its limbs.



Little did I know, it was the colored wrist bands you put on to enter the museum.  Each day is identified with a different color and on a small stand under the tree is a Sharpie.  You are to leave a "wish" written on the back of your arm band and tie it to the strings attached to the tree.  Hundreds of thoughts and names blow in the breeze.


And now mine does too.

Really cool!



Sunday, July 21, 2013

Beautiful View!


This is the view from the second floor of the Chattanooga Workspace.  
Happy Sunday!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Vintage Letter Graveyard!


As many misfit letters are available these days....I still love to see a vintage letter graveyard!

People get the biggest kick out of spelling as many words as possible...it is like a giant yard word game.  

Words With Friends in the middle of a field....no technology needed.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Vintage Game Cards!

Busily today I made these little tiny little canvases.  This past weekend at the Swanky Plank, I found these vintage game cards with cooky phrases.  The vendor told me they were from a European game of some type.....I have no idea.  

My BFF told me to just mount them on a canvas...but, as usual I had to add a little stitchey something to it. But, the simplicity is quite cute.  



Some of the crazy phrases are:

A tub of butter.
A bunch of posies.
Such a pretty kettle of fish.
A cake salmon.
A chaw of tobacco.
A city missionary.

What does this all mean?  Why would you say these phrases?  Whacky!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Wood Canvas Art!

This was my favorite viewing card.....man crossing the creek with woman in two! 
LOVE it!



This was my second favorite...man standing on a barrel, peeping over a fence (nosey) and wife balancing him with a broom.
Sleuths.


I only had 5 cards, so the art is limited...but, so quirky and fun!


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Mixed Media Wood Canvas Art!

I just purchased the wood canvas art board.  They are 1.5" deep and a 4"x4" square.  This little stack of wood boxes was ordered months ago, but today they entered into the land of creativity!  I loved the sturdiness of them....I painted...hammered....glued.....strung string....and wrapped some fabric....all on the same block and each stood up to the test perfectly!


The image is a former view master slide....but the duplicate other side was torn away.  The sweet little girls picking flowers was yummy!


A little string experimenting was in order today.  It kind of made an extra three dimensional frame around the image.....looks interesting!c


Then each block was wrapped with a piece of vintage feed sack fabric.  I'm a purest about my fabrics!

The fun wording was pretty obvious.  Fun to make!

Tomorrow, I will shoe you my favorite.....

Monday, July 15, 2013

Swanky Plank Vintage Market Place!

The Swanky Plank Vintage Market Place was not a disappointment!  What a beautiful day (a wee bit muggy and hot) but, a fabulous venue and vendors! The Rippavilla Estate in Spring Hill, TN, was a scorching good time. 


This quilt square on the barn is beautiful!  I have no need for a barn, but I might like one so I could put a quilt square on it.  Just LOVE, LOVE to see this!


This plantation is dotted with giant, 100+ year old trees that provided the most lush shade.  


In my list of eye candy...vintage floral and fruit table cloths are my fave! 


This turntable was terrific!  The red turntable and blue needle arm are pristine!  I unfortunately, remember when such stereo offerings were available.  Sad, but true.


I like bird cages, but this beauty was stunning.  I feel as though prestigious, elite birds must have formerly resided in this haven.  It even had molded glass watering troughs.  Beautiful place to observe the world if I had feathers.


The vignettes were so creative.  This red and white aluminum slide out table was perfect.  Plus, the reddish/watermelon pink Samsonite luggage was exactly what I received from my parents when I graduated from high school.....FLASHBACK!

Loved the day with my bestest friend and brought home piles of good junk!






Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Stitching on the Plane!


While flying down to St. Petersburg, Fl, I had a little stitching time! I loved the tatting trim....recently found it at an estate sale. 

Florida does inspire your creative juices!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Newspapers In A Pretty Stack!


Just an observation....
I am on my last "play cation" with my little friend before she is off to college. We are spending a little quality mother/daughter time! 

One of our daily challenges is to find something ordinary that has been made artistically pretty. This was mine for the day. A simple stack of daily newspapers stacked like pile of stars! Simple...but now pretty!


Sunday, July 7, 2013

New Embroidery Mash-Up!

Just another embroidery mash-up...teaser anyway. I have been sewing oodles of stuff together with no rhyme or reason! Fun! Fun!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Support Your Fellow Artisans!

“Encourage, lift and strengthen one another. 
For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all.” 
-Deborah Day


One of my friends, Debbie Harris of Studio Bee Creations has shared a sentiment about supporting each other on her blog today.  I have had many artisans....business wizards...out right smart people....creative junkies....and mentors support me when the creative process is in question.  I have one philosophy about this mutual need we all have....

Share the support!  What you give is what you get!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Mixed Media Art! Favorite Quote!


This is still my favorite quote.  I am doing a lot of chewing as of late.


"Bite off more than you can chew...then chew it."
-peter brock