Printer Error with an Artful Fail

 I wasn't thrilled with how much ink was used when my art inkjet printer errored, but this is an enhanced image I created from the fail! A full page of saturated CMYK ink spit out instead of two pages of Word docs. Cool fail, huh?! I'm seeing some fun pattern works both digitally and in fiber. Normally, I use my commercial grade HP laser printer for graphic design but I also have an HP Photosmart inkjet printer that I use for making iron-on transfers and other artful projects that the expensive laser printer isn't suitable for.

Born To Be In The Wild

Kenai River, Alaska

In 2009 I thought for sure we were going to have the big “Princesses and Banditos Part Deux” blowout birthday party like we had for my 40th. I even blogged about it in "Born to Be Wild."  As it turned out I just wasn’t up for the cleanup, set up or post throw up hang-over. I chose to spend my big FIVE-OH day with my family on the river FISHING! That's not to say I didn't celebrate and my sweet Daddy-O didn't keep my little red drink cup filled! It was the perfect way to spend the Labor Day birthday weekend –including waking up to fresh, French Press Kaladi Brothers Coffee and a Fire Island Bakery birthday cake that my sweetie surprised me with on the dock for breakfast –all while my line was in the water!! What a good way to roll into 50. 

 My fishing boys. Thanks for a GREAT birthday, family! 

xox

Olive Dog wasn't too happy to have to be tethered to the cleaning table... whenever we had a fish on or there was a SPLASHING COMMOTION she wanted to DIVE into the river and bring the fish out herself!

HOW ABOUT SOME ART MAKING TIME!

 For my latest Art Cloth pieces I’ve been experimenting with using different art papers and various types of glues, transfers and fiber paints. Each of these pieces of cloth are 14” x 14”.  The fabric is 100% cotton batiks from The Quilted Raven and The Quilt Tree. The higher the quality of fabric the better results I have. These fabrics are beautiful to work with.

 For this blue fabric piece I hand tore the white art paper and painted Mod Podge on top of the paper directly to the fabric and let it air dry. I'll sew it into a mini-art quilt wall piece.

 This piece has several layers of art papers. The first layer of the woven art paper I actually used a zig zag stitch and stitched it to the fabric. The birds are artist transfer paper and then hand colored with acrylic fabric paints and colored pencils.

As the Geese Fly so Does Time

Saturday morning at 7am as I met the tow truck driver to get the Market lot cleared (the cars are just relocated to another area of the parking lot), the crisp Fall air and inky darkness was a gentle reminder that summer is behind us. As the Geese flew overhead practicing their V formations the last Spenard Farmer’s Market was on Saturday. Officially, the majority of my volunteer commitment as the Market Vendor Coordinator and PR point person is finished… well for a couple months at least! And not a weekend too soon! Our real estate swaps are keeping me busy with paperwork and cleaning but are going well. We’re waiting for the final reports from the home inspections that were both completed on Friday. It’s still all a bit stressful but exciting at the same time. I need to make another pass through the house and studio for even more purging and donating.

 

My new Vistaprint business cards arrived last week and I love them! Fun, affordable and easy to order with their existing templates. I also ordered some new gold foil embossed seals for the ABC Books and my art prints. Gold foil labels always add to the packaging. I used Maverick Label because of their quick turnaround and low prices. The labels are due to ship this week and we’ll see how their quality and turnaround is. It’s also time to design a new fabric design for the Quilted Raven. I already have several new designs drawn out and now it’s time to get them in digital form to see how the fabric will paginate. I’m happy to report that ALL of the bolts of the “Batik Raven Fabric” SOLD OUT this summer at the Quilted Raven! The popularity was partly due to the design and to the effective color ways that Jana had selected. 

Gus earned his Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do at Champ TKD Saturday. Thank you to Master YU, Ms. Young and Instructor Timmy –what a GREAT Do Jang Champ TKD is!

Fans are Friends Too!

Downtown Anchorage was hopping yesterday! The sunshine had the visitors from near and far happily shopping, eating and sightseeing. The new Batik fabric I designed for Jana’s Quilted Raven store arrived in time for the summer season and has enjoyed positive sales and comments. I wanted to get a peek at the new bolts and color ways of the finished product and decided to pop into the store yesterday. When I walked in several shoppers were happily picking out fabric gifts for quilting friends at home and for their personal stashes. Tracy M. from Louisville, Kentucky was impressed with the selection and even more happy to meet “the designer” of some of the art quilt patterns

and the Raven fabric. I was greeted with hugs and photo opportunities! What a boost for any artist’s ego! Tracy’s husband Nat was the ultimate gentleman and a very PATIENT shopping partner while all of us laughed, shared stories, iPhone photos, perused and talked all things fabric and quilting! You’ve got a keeper Tracy! As we said in the shop yesterday “we HEART Kentucky!” The success of the fabric is due to the colors Jana selected just as much as the design. The “Ravens on Branches” has been selling as fat quarters as well as by the entire bolt! The design process was a bit longer than I’m used to as we waited months for the first strike offs to arrive then another few months for the actual fabric to arrive in the store. With the success of this design, Jana and I have several

others in the works. Jana has one of the nicest collections of quality batik fabric found anywhere and this was echoed by the customers yesterday!

Visitors to the Quilted Raven, Nat and Tracy M. from Louisville, Kentucky