Friday, November 14, 2008

Irish walking cape


There have been several magazines sellingIrish walking capes recently. The are a beautiful wool ponch/cape and they retail for $250-$500. I have been trying to figure out how to make them with no luck. Until yesterday. The nicest woman has a handmade wool one that she let me look at. Her's is beautiful shades of purple with cranberry. Two pockets and a button on the side. A zipper up the front and a collar. Very simple but quite striking. I would change the aipper and add a button or two at the neck so that it would overlap. I am going to expand my cape line to include these. I think I will start out with fleece until I can find a good supplier of wool.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

glass insulators


Just got this great idea from a lady for something creative to do with glass insulators. You can turn them over and put a votive in them. It looks really cute. Or you can put a battery operated light under them and it will illuminate them.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Sandhills of Nebraska - Home


I have traveled all over the world and still the most beautiful place is the Sandhills of Nebraska. Yesterday we had all this snow and I woke up to a winter wonderland. There was no wind so everything was just perfect and still. Of course once I let the dogs out it was a little chaotic. The sandhills is the largest sand dune in North America and covers almost 20,000 square miles. It sits on top of the Ogallala aquaifer. It might sound kinda boring but it has the largest and most intricate wetland ecosystem in the United States. Rolling hills with grass, yuccas, and all sorts of beautiful wildflowers. The sunsets are mindblowing. It's the greatest place in the world!! :)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Purple/black reversible velvet cloak




I just made the most beautiful purple/black reversible velvet cloak. It is soft and warm and would be perfect to wear on a day like today where it is cold and snowy. Check out my etsy site to see more pics. http:/www.mwestdesigns.etsy.com

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Inspiration

Where does inspiration come from? I believe that God is the source for all inspiration. Whether that is to build a scryscraper or just pick a flower. We are all a channel and God's light flows through us. One of my favorite books is Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. August is the month where she talks about creating. She says " We do not create in a vacuum. Art is a Divine Collaboration, a sacred covenant between the artist and the Great Creator." If we remember that we don't create alone than the flow of creativity can never be stopped. But what do you do on those days when it just doesn't seem possible to pick up the brush, or warp the loom or to carry on with your Creativity. You just show up. And work. And don't think too much about it. " She writes " How do you prepare yourself to enter an extraordinary state on an ordinary morning? By showing up. Day in, day out. By not judging how it's going. It it's going at all, that's enough. you can't afford to think about how the work will be received. Our job, then, is just to do it. It can't be published, produced, performed, or purchased if it doesn't exist."

So on this cold dreary morning, after weeks of beautiful weather, I'd rather just crawl back into bed. But I'm just going to show up. I am going to finish the two paintings I started yesterday. And then I'm going to work on a new rug. God is always with us, especially when we are creating. So I won't be alone on this cold morning.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Go out and Vote!!!

I was reading in the Etsy forums this morning about the British and their voting.
One person said that we Americans Rock because we are so passionate about this election. They said that in the UK they have heard more about our US elections they they ever do about their own. She made it seem like elections weren't really a big deal in the UK. Which is sad really, cause it's important to vote no matter what country you live in when you have elections. That is what it is all about. Using your voice to make a choice for the future. I am off to vote this morning and then I have a bunch of errands to run.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine


My most favorite art magazine is Cloth Paper Scissors. It is a magazine about collage, mixed media, and artistic discovery. The pictures are amazing in this magazine. It's the greatest if you need some inspiration. The articles give you step by step directions on how to make collaged and mixed media artwork. Kelly Rae Roberts has many great articles. She has this unique technique where you take collage papers and glue them onto a canvas and then put gel medium on top. After it is dry you roll paint on with a brayer and it gives the picture a beautiful back ground. She then paints these amazing women in the foreground. I am experimenting with this. The picture is one I did based on her instructions. So check out Cloth Paper Scissors for some great ideas.