A fabric post card I made and sent to dear, special friend Lin. Happy Happy Day Lin and many many more to come.

This is a fabric postcard I made for my friend Pat's recent birthday -- cheater fabric, printed ribbon, and glitter glue on the candle flames.

I made this little fabric ATC for my friend Pat as a thank you for a Michael's "family" coupon which I made good use of last week! Thanks again Pat!

And one for ME! This started out as a collage card a long time ago and I recently added a peacock feather, a tiny feather, and an arrow-head shaped mini stone, then put it all in a shadow box frame. It will hang it over a bookcase -- the top of which is covered with various cats and through which my little cat Lindy likes to weave on soft paws, miraculously never knocking any of the inanimate cats onto the floor!

Some very very sad new today. One of my favorite artists, Laurel Burch, has died at 61. We were born in the same year and when I think of all she accomplished, especially given her health, it makes me ashamed. She is the person who brought me out of my neutral colors into the bright and colorful world she created. She loved all creatures but I, of course, loved her cats best. I am so grateful that she lived in this world at the same time I did and that I was able to buy her books, fabrics, jewelry, purses, mugs, and scarves. She will be sadly missed. The item above is a "self portrait" I created after one of her cat faces. More information here:

http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_6923487

Today's the day! I've opened my new Sales Blog: Close At Hand Arts and Crafts, as well as an Etsy site. The new blog address is: http://www.closeathandart.blogspot.com/ and there's a link to the Etsy site on the new blog.

Also, there are direct links to both sites on the right, on this site, under Favorite Blogs and Sites.

Any and all critiques are welcome. Thanks!

This fabric postcard and envelope is for dear friend Brenna -- a thank you for her kindness. The envelope is made from a vintage handerchief.

Equal time for "dog persons." I have now added this photo to my profile so that you will all know that, while I have only cats now, I did grow up with both dogs and cats around, starting from an early age! And would love to have a dog again some day but the resident cats don't agree so memories will have to suffice!

Nothing new to post today so I have posted the three fiber necklaces I made for ME last fall. This is my favorite and although it's too hot to wear in the summer, I love these colors together and always find something springy to wear it with on cooler days. A close up of the "dangle" part is shown below. I made the necklace part on a little Clover tool -- they are so quick and easy and so much fun to see how different fibers turn out. I have used anywhere from two to five fibers and find that three is a good number. Then I make the "dangle" part to match, and lastly I tie ribbons around the finished cord. Sometimes I add pieces of jewelry, charms, and whatever is at hand!

Here is a closeup of the "dangle" part of the necklace. I love sewing these. I sew and sew and sew, adding bits and pieces of all kinds of things until it just knows that it's done!! I added one of my ribbon beads to the top.

My second keeper! I made this one with 5 fibers so it is quite thick -- I wear it only in the winter! To make the attachment, I started another "rope" and then just lifted it off the Clover tool before it went down into the tube and then attached it to the rope with a few hand stitches. Then I attached a couple of my ribbon beads. Again, click on it to get the full effect.

Another keeper!
This necklace I made using a 2x2" tile. Dear Friend Gina taught our stamp group to make the tiles using reinkers, rubbing alcohol, and gold pens. She then finished them for us with a heavy duty sealant. Click on it to get the full effect of the tile.

I've been playing with my felting machine again and while I started with a definite idea about what I wanted to create, this piece took on a life of its own. It was intended to be another sky piece but several layers later, it became Clouds. I've always loved watching clouds, the sky, and especially sunsets (and the occasional sunrise but I am no longer a morning person and was never a "sunrise early morning person!") As I was adding layer after layer, I couldn't stop thinking of one of my favorite songs: Both Sides Now by Judy Collins:

Rows and flows of angel hair
and ice cream castles in the air
and feather canyons ev'rywhere
I've looked at clouds that way.....

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
from up and down, and still somehow
it's clouds illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all.

Now that it's delivered (late) I can show this felted postcard I made for Claire's birthday. I started with a piece of felted navy wool and a used dryer sheet. I machine felted on both sides until I had a cloud-like look to the front. Then I added a small piece of cotton orange and yellow sky fabric and felted it front and back. Then I added fine shreds of wool roving and felted lightly on top only (using pale pink, pale blue and yellow. Finally added the purchased fabric butterfly then zigzagged around the edges with variegated threads.

Finally remembered to photograph my last impressionist oil, done while I was taking lessons from Jon. It's taken from a Wolf Kahn painting of Vermont trees. Kahn uses vibrant colors, not always seen in nature!!!

Even though the weather here continues to be unseasonably hot, I am staying in the air conditioning, finishing up some odds and ends, working on my to do list (which thankfully is mostly creative endeavors this week) and posting some old and new art. Can you tell I'm really pining for fall??? This is a watercolor I started while still taking classes from Bill and I had a few bits here and there to finish and then find a frame and mat which worked -- Done!

For cat lovers, I've added a new link for Studio Kat Designs. I have bought patterns from this site but I just love browsing her cat files. Today's Jeter and Joba is precious -- great pics and great captions. When you click on the link and look at that, afterward click on the two sidebars: Kitty Central, and Cat Tails -- lots more pics to make you ooh and ahh. And by the way, she has some pretty neat patterns too!

This is a recent "playing around" that I did. I splashed water colores on a piece of heavy water color paper then stamped in black permanent ink, cut the eye from an old stamp catalog, then added a piece of thin vellum on top with brads. Last I stamped See on the vellum. It's too large to be called a card and I don't want to frame it as it will not allow the vellum to be lifted so it's just sitting here waiting to be used for something!

More "older" pieces. This is an oil painting I did while taking lessons from Bill Tippie. I wanted to use this frame but forgot to take it with me so ended up a bit short!!! I have intended to get a mat cut but now am wondering about doing something creative around the edges -- like painting bits of this and that. Any ideas?

A few more of my not so recent endeavors. I will get caught up eventually. Creating or blogging; blogging or creating -- there are just too many things to do and so little time!

A dandylion day (from a Rod McKuen poem). My oil painting after Sabra Field's wonderful print of a Vermont summer day. I painted this "flat" as with acrylics to more closely match the print. See details below.

You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl. I grew up in Vermont but was "transplanted" to Kentucky when I was 19. I have always missed the land though -- especially the fall foliage and the mountains. One of my favorite Vermont artists is Sabra Field. She designed a poster and a postage stamp in l991 for Vermont's 200th anniversary. It features many Vermont "staples" plowed fields, the famous red barn, the rolling green mountains (for it is the Green Mountain State), and the higher peaks in the distance. Unfortunately this summer scene couldn't also include the magnificent fall foliage.
I tried to paint this scene several times and couldn't quite get it the way I wanted it. Then I realized that what I could accomplish was the two levels of plowed earth with grass between. So, I added a green field with dandelions -- another summer Vermont staple. My effort, in oil is above.

My Collage Paws calling card. The paw is two separate die cuts (Accu-cut dies) and then I cut out pieces of my handmade or hand deorated papers and placed them between the two layers of paws. Then I stamped my information on the back side. Each one comes out different because of the papers I choose.

On the bottom right is my Collage Paws calling card which was published in Stamper's Sampler last year.

Here are three of my stitched postcards. These are watercolor backgrounds on heavy watercolor paper, then stitched on my old Singer Athena 2000. One has an embellishment. These are so rexlaxing and fun to do.

I've uploaded today a lot of my older creations so that I can have them listed under the "Labels" on the right -- a record for me -- and it also allows you to just look at one or two topics if you wish!

More ATCs to come and hopefully pictures of my handmade books.

Thanks for looking and comments AND critiques are always welcome.

My KleeKat -- drawn with pencil and then watercolored.

Fiber necklace for good friend Linda.

Another fiber necklace with a handmade acrylic-like cat. I didn't make the cat but it was hand made.

A fabric collage I made for my dear friend Lin -- a while back -- fabric and mixed media.

A paper sculpted heart I made in a class -- as bad as this one is, all the others I tried were worse!

Fabric ATC for Janet.

A fabric ATC (2.5 x 3.5") sent in to Quilting Arts fabric ATC challenge.

This postcard is rubber stamping on Lutradur and was entered in a Quilting Arts challenge. It also has some angelina fibers and a bit of added color with markers. Definitely need a lot of practice with this!

This is the very first fabric landscape I made -- started in a class and finished at home. These are SO much fun. It's a little hard to see the details because of the glass but if you click on the image you can get the detail.

I was supposed to do my portrait in fabric but just couldn't decide what to do so did this instead.

Samples of some of my very early papermaking attempts.

Second attempt - marbled paper.

My very first marbled sheet -- I have a long way to go.

Mosaics made with black mat-board (a bit thicker than the usual and black all the way through) topped with bits and pieces of left-over and altered heavy water-color paper. Used for little book covers.

My first "flat person" -- a paper doll -- Paula Best stamp. More to come!

My first attempt at torn paper landscape. I used all handmade papers, some mine, some purchased.