Daily Courage

Being a fan of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, I try to take myself on an Artist’s Date from time to time. Because I enjoy scouting for the work of new artists and crafters, I have convinced myself that shopping counts. Not far from my office is delightful Old Towne Orange (CA). The area looks like its out of a small town movie. Actually, it is. The Tom Hanks movie That Thing You Do along with many others. The plaza and intersecting streets are home to many wonderful shops and antique stores. Recently, I discovered Heavenly Hostess, a gem of a store that sells among many wonderful things fabulous aprons and tea towels. THere is an array of gifts, bath products, entertaining accessories, and my favorite–books. 

The best part of meandering the shop was coming upon a display with two of our books: Crowns & Tiaras and Paper Mache Treasures with Teena Flanner. Oh happy day! It was a surprise that made the Artist’s Date just perfect. Heavenly Hostess has been added to my list of favorites.

It’s a pretty spring day, and birds are going nuts flitting from tree to tree. Mother Nature is in full bloom. It made me think of this beautiful crown that Ashley Carter created for Crowns & Tiaras: Add a Little Sparkle, Glitter & Glamour to Every Day. Ashley has a touch that is her trademark. I’ve enjoyed making quite a few crowns for friends. I have found that an old light rim make a great base. I keep an eye out for them at flea markets. I am sure people wonder about me when they see me testing the size on my own head when they walk by. In a pinch a wide headband works great too. 

Everyone is the Queen of Something. Which is exactly why every woman deserves a crown. She may not be inclined to walk out in public in it, but you can be sure it will be cherished and displayed in a special spot. Now more than ever, we can each use a little royal treatment. Plan a Coronation for the Queen of Extremes, The Birthday Baroness, or the Sorceress of Secrets. By all means, celebrate and make merry. It beats the alternative. And there is far too much of the latter going on these days.

A few years back, before I had heard of Etsy, Charlotte Lyons sent me an email telling me that she had a shop there. I set out to find out what it was all about and haven’t turned to look back. Omiigosh, it’s creative heaven right here on earth. You know what I saw on there today? Prom fashions. Can’t wait to tell my daughter that I have found the answer for not showing up to see another girl in the same dress. Back to Charlotte. I have been a big fan of hers since I first met her when I was with Romantic Homes magazine. She had authored two books at that point, and I loved them both. This little canvas of hers called my name. The grammar is bad, which makes the editor in me cringe. But the sentiment is expressed so sweetly in her signature decoupage. It became my very first Etsy purchase. And the message is as true today as the day it arrived by mail!

The UPS man dropped off a box today with copies of Freddy & Gwen Collaborate Again, or as we call it Collaborative Quilting 2. Whoooo Hoooo! It’s a beauty. Darra Williamson, quilt book editor extraordinaire edited this one. Photographer Gregory Case, who we consider the best fabric photographer ever, and Elena Morera did a fabulous job capturing the colors and patterns that Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston so fabulously combine.

We’ll post an short excerpt from the book over the weekend, in the meantime, enjoy “Pyramid.” The large French tulip border is just the best finishing touch, don’t you think? Very few designers would have the courage to combine all this color excitement. But it sure works.

You’ll learn how easy it is to do these projects when you make the parts ahead of time. You’ll enjoy making these either with a friend or alone, whatever suits your style.

We still use some traditional publishing terms around here, “shipping a book” is one of them. It means the files are proofed, proofed, and reproofed and ready to go to press. We are just about to ship a wonderful book by Malka Dubrawsky titled Color Your Cloth. Malka designs and dyes all her own fabric. She doesn’t stop there, she is a wonderful seamstress and quilter too. Malka’s star is on the rise. She has been featured in numerous quilting publications of late, and we know why. She is a talent unsurpassed. She shows readers how to start from scratch and any dye their own fabrics. You will learn and how to Color Your Cloth. Stay tuned for some great projects from Malka.

We are delighted to share with you that the advance copies of several new books have arrived. If you love quilting and enjoy working in other mediums too, you are going to love Creative Paper Quilts by Terri Stegmiller. It’s filled with wonderful projects that include embroidery, applique, and other techniques. Contributing artists include: Sue Bleiweiss, Zana Clark, Cathy Collier, Colleen Kong-Savage, and Carol White. Here are the links to the author and contributing authors: http://stegart.blogspot.com, www.suebleisweiss.com, www.stampzia.com, www.phantomcrimes.etsy.com, www.kongsavage.com, www.artbycarolwhite.com

We also have a wonderful new book. Hand-Appliqued Quilts by quilter Tonye Belinda Phillips. Tonye lives in Camp Sherman, Oregon and is part of the wonderful staff at The Stitchin Post that produces The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. Tonye has developed a lovely style of hand applique that she carefully explains and presents in delightful, cheerful quilt projects. 

With school back in session one thing is for sure, Halloween decor is going to begin appearing  in stores, prompting us to get into the mood for what has become one of the largest holidays of the year. Some of the most fanciful characters and spirits you’ll see come from Bethany Lowe Designs. Here in our neighborhood of creative authors, we are very excited that Bethany’s new book filled with many ideas and designs has debuted. Bethany Lowe’s Folk Art Halloween is a must-have for any Halloween decorating afficionado.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at The Bead and Design Show in Pasadena, CA, and came upon a delightful booth that sold jewelry made from Halloween ephemera. I immediately thought of the Bethany and her daughter Erin Glennon Lowe. I had a great time choosing a pendant for each of them. This morning, I decided it was time to get them wrapped and into the mail. Using some of the ideas featured in Make It in Minutes: Mini-Boxes, I enjoyed embellishing and recycling some small tins with fall colored ribbon and papers to put the gifts in. I don’t spend enough time in my craft room, and it felt wonderful to start the day there. I wallow in the colorful handmade papers, ribbons, and trims and enjoy thoughts of gathering each treasure. Today, I used gold braid from a trip to Delhi with April Cornell, doodads from The Art Bar, and ribbons from Tinsel Trading - all favorites!

Once each tin was ready, I decided the pendants would be a much nicer gift with a silver chain. I pulled out my jewelry-making stash and found two nice snake chains and added one to each.

It was a fun way to start the day. Playing amid a stash that is tumbling out of drawers and cupboards just waiting to be part of special project. Today, I lived by the motto, Create Everyday! 

I was talking to an author yesterday who lives in another part of the country. We discussed how we know when the season is about to change. Since moving to California many years ago, I have had to learn to look for subtle changes to announce the new season. When living in Upstate New York and New England, the signs were obvious, and often welcome. But here in the west, we have to be keen and alert. Yesterday was the first day the light seemed different. Fall is around the corner.  

I don’t know anyone who loves each season like April Cornell. She cherishes each one and shares its unique color palettes and images in the fabrics she designs. 

I have had the opportunity to enjoy fall with her on a lake in Quebec, summer in Oregon, and spring in Vermont. I think it counts as winter that we were together in New Delhi in November! I see her innate color sense and artist eye take in every detail around her so that it can be translated into the lovely linens, clothing and accessories she designs.

Her fabric line for Moda is very popular and its easy to see why. Quilters love her color palettes and  her gift for bringing colors together in unexpected combinations. Today I got a peek at her new line of home linens for Danica, and it’s made me commit to having a few more lovely dinners outdoors before we bid farewell to summer.

Oh, and I am happy to share that her quilting book in underway! It’s going to be a beauty.