Raindrop Girl

I got the free motion quilting bug. This afternoon I took out my colored pencils and some scraps of white fabric and played around with the gals I love to draw. I thought they would make practicing free motion quilting more fun, and I may just get some fabric postcards out of it, too.

We All Need Mail Art Friends!

My mailbox has been super happy lately! All this wonderful, colorful,cheerful mail from around the world!

Donna has been doing the most amazing paintings this year- so vibrant and wonderful. I was lucky to get one her postcards of the new ladies. Isn't she stunning! You can see more of her painting and artsy goodness on her blog.

Donna

Joanna at Fiddlesnips and I did a mail art swap this month. I have admired her collage creations all year and was thrilled to receive this beauty. And, oh, did that envelope look pretty sitting in my mailbox. Thank you, Joanna!

Joanna

Mindy from Tim's Sally is doing a great mail art exchange. Anyone is welcome to send her mail art and she'll send back one of her adorable paintings. I also loved her homemade stamps! Check out her site and see all the great mail she's been recieving! It's incredible.

Mindy

Corrine from Dosfishes and I have been exchanging mail art for a while now, and she never ceases to amaze me with new ways to Wow a girl! Her collages are always such a cool mix of techniques and ideas that always inspire!

Corrine

Today, I recieved the most adorable bookmark from a wonderful friend,Wanda,  I met through Good Mail Day.  I love her and the ribbons tied on there! She is going in my book tonight! Thank you so much!

In the last year through blogging, Good Mail Day, and Postcrossing, I always seem to be coming home to fabulous surprises! These are just a few of them.

Happiness is wool

In love with my basket of wool these days. Felting along and trying new shapes and things.

Rolling, rolling, and more rolling

Trying out the jellyroll method to make some felted beads ( or whatever they end up being)!

I love how they turned out!

I sat, knelt, and changed positions a million times rolling this for 2 hours! Is it terrible that I may be sore from felting? Shoot, I'm out of shape!

Here's the felted log and then pieces are sliced off to be added to upcoming felt and sewing projects.

Fiber Adventures

I have just returned from a three day fiber adventure in La Conner, WA and Whidbey Island.

First stop on Thursday: LaConner Quilt Museum

The museum is in a beautiful, old house from the 1800s. The shows were lovely.  I bought these beautiful hand marbled fabrics by Suzi Soderlund of Washington. I am going to let them be the inspiration for an art quilt or fabric book page.

Friday, I explored Whidbey Island's quaint little towns and shops, and of course, bakeries. Coupeville and Langley were favorites for strolling downtown and by the water.

Heading over Highway 20 each day I crossed the bridge at Deception Pass- a truly amazing view. There are pullouts to park and walk across it, and also stairs that lead down below the bridge.

Saturday was my big day I had been looking forward to- the Whidbey Island Fabulous Fall Fiber Sale!

It did not dissapoint!

It is held at Paradise Found farm in Clinton. There were wonderful, friendly vendors, and all kinds of goodies! Wool, yarns, spinning wheels, hand dyed roving, silks, gifts and hats and mittens, and so on!

I was thrilled when Barbara from BJS Fiber Creations took the time to teach me how to spin yarn with a drop spindle. I am hooked! I don't knit, but I like the idea of using my own yarns in art quilts and for embroidered pieces. 

My new toy!

And here is some of Barbara's fiber and yarn...oooooh, this makes me want to knit!

Barbara's wool!

I also met Tara from Rain City Fiber Arts. She does some amazing hand dyed wool and yarn spinning in Snohomish, WA. And she took the time to tell me all about her spinning wheel...which I someday may be buying. (First, stick with drop spindle!) Here are some of Tara's beautiful fibers...

And, I couldn't leave without a couple new books too. One for more felting ideas, and one to try my hand at natural dyes.

Looks like I am going to be busy spinning yarn and felting this fall!

A Felted Cuff

This cuff is wet felted with a silk/wool blend. My favorite Seattle shop for wool is Weaving Works. They have a beautiful selection of silk, bamboo, wool, and blends. They also have an amazing abundance of really unique yarns - but that's a whole other post!

Doodles and Postcards

This week I have been playing in my sketchbook. Lots of watercolor doodles. And I've been using copies of paintings and things I've done this year and making postcards. Always building up the mail art stash!

This girl is one I did in my egg tempura painting class a few months ago. I printed a 4x6 image and started layering on paint and things.

This is the head and shoulders from a doll I made last year. I plopped her into my felted vessels and kinda liked the picture. Mounted it and dabbed some blue paint along the edges. Instant postcard.

I love doing these watercolor doodles and seeing what comes out.

A doodle in my art journal.

Little sea creature doodle.

How many times did I just use the word doodle? Ha!

I was just over at Pipi La La and found out from Michele about this wonderful mail art project at  Tim's Sally. Mindy is doing a wondeful exchange! Looks like a lot of fun! Check it out!

And the Winner is....

Corrine from Dosfishes!

I had so much fun reading all the wonderful comments on the Giveaway post about how our blogs have changed and challenged us.  It seems many of us came to blogging for the same reasons and all of us discovered a supportive, creative, and welcoming community. I sure am glad to be here!

Corrine, I will pop the box in the mail by Saturday!

*Thanks again everyone*

In the mood to felt

I pulled out my basket of wool this weekend and created a little vessel. Playing with embroidering it. It is coming along.

(Also, if you haven't signed up for my Giveaway yet, see post below.)