Shine On.

The week continues to shine on.  

First, the weather this December is like the end of April.  So warm, it's unbelievable.

Second, this blog... check it out!  The counter on the right sidebar has exceeded ONE MILLION views.  1,000,000 !?  Wow. 

Thirdly (because you know good things come in threes, right?) the most marvelous mail arrived!

I did it I did it I did!  I also did a lot of squealing and bouncing.  And then I did it again.  Squeal.  Jump.  Scream.  Bounce.  Woop it up.  Hop around.  lol

Wow.  I applied for a provincial arts board grant in September when I was between studios.  It was a good time to catch up on paperwork.  It's not the first time I've tried for this funding.  This particular grant is to create larger-scale fibre artwork from January to July that is more abstract / impressionistic, but still prairie inspired.  Oh - it was pproved!  Being financially supported in order to expand my creativity is such an honour.  THANK YOU SK ARTS BOARD.  I will continue to create and sell my threadpaintings of course.  But it will be terrific to work so open-ended like I dream about.  I want to create closer up, but larger scale.  I want to stitch by hand with all those gorgeous yarns again like I did with 'Where Sunlight Falls'.  I want to explore what I can do and really move forward.  This money is so timely as well.  Maybe you heard?  Maybe you didn't.  But it looks like we are moving house very soon -which means grieving my studio and preparing for much work starting all over again with a new space and trying to making it mine.  I'm not afraid that we can't do it again.  I am afraid of being studio-less and not able to create until things get packed and unpacked.  I suppose it's all for the best.  I'll have all this pent up energy that will get me all fired up to move an as soon as my feet hit the ground.  In the mean time, I will dream.  Well - I also have the curated show to set up in a matter of weeks.  It all works out.  It always does.  : )

Before I sign off, I should tell you that I have one small threadpainting left.  If anyone is interested in purchasing art before the holidays, please feel free to email me.  It's pictured below.

5x5" framed to 10x10" in dark brown, under glass with the double mat with lots of French Knots : ) 

Friday Finishes x 2

You might think I'm running out of titles after all these years, but no.  When I look at this, all I think is the word, "Prairie".  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Inspired by Chief Whitecap Park in October, I really loved all the long stitches.  Much of it is my hand with 12 weight threads.

Oh!  And I've been back at the French Knots as well!  This next one has a fun title.  I was going to pick something pretty and sweet, but then I decided on The Road Trip.  If you've even had a summer vacation in Saskatchewan, or just head to the lakes now and then, you'll understand.

 

I'll frame these up and then I think I'm ready for the Saturday Sale at the Creative House Classroom.  If you dare to venture out in this snow for all the wonderful sales, please add this stop to your list.  There will be 7 artisans set up at the shop.  The venue has free parking, free snacks, and free admission.  129 Ave I South in Saskatoon, 10-5 (I'm there until 4).  I'll bring some postcards supplies & stash packs too.

Be well.  Drive safe.  Stay Warm.

BIG Finish for Friday!

I've been slowly but surely stitching away in preparation for jurying next weekend.  I have re-applied to have my handwork approved at the SK Craft Council.  My free machine work was juried a couple years back.  Here's what I've been working on.

I have been holding on to this photo of mine for a while now.  With the recent windfall of gorgeous threads, ribbons, and yarns from near & far, I knew it was time.  Here it is!

I took that picture by a roadside parking lot at one of the conservation areas south of Saskatoon.  I took a LOT of photos sitting there on the dusty road.  I couldn't get over the purples, yellows, and greens.  Back in my studio, I would have never in a million years guessed that I would be using these pastel party-mint colors in my prairie work!   Flowers?  Maybe.  Grasses?  Surprise!

perfect fibres for the job

OH!  And the smell... have you ever rubbed sage in your fingers?  Close your eyes for a moment and breath deeply while recalling that strong scent.  ***I SWEAR I hallucinated while stitching these out.  I swear to you that twice I thought I smelled that heavy sage scent.  Crazy, huh!??  I'm still confused by that one.  My mom picked a big bag of it for me last year.  It's up in my closet.  I had to go pinch some off and breathe it in just to confirm that I was smelling it for real.  Explain that to me?

Before photographing them, I placed mats over to square them up.  They are a bit bigger that the window of the mat.  I'll get them framed next week and have some properly cut textured matting put in.  Okay!  Here they are at about 5" by 5" each.  

Bluestem & Sage, 2014.

#1

#2

#3

 !  Like 'em?  I like 'em.  : )  I REALLY like 'em.  They aren't for sale at this time.  They will be later on in the year.  I'll keep you posted.

Have a great day!  And THANK YOU to Nell, Margot, Jean, Eleanor, & Vickie for all the incredible stash (some gifts, some purchased, some bartered for).  I am having so much fun with it all!  : )

Back at 'er!

Well, hello!  Whew, that was a lot of travelling and teaching.  I was 8 days on the road.  Once we were all done, one by one each member of my family came down with bad colds.  I spent more time on facebook than blogging.  (My Sweet Prairie Studio has a FB page FYI).  This week, everyone is back at school and work, including me!  I'm thrilled to say that I am caught up on commissions with the exception of one.  I'll head to the framing shop later this week.  Here's what I have been working on...

Floral Road 2, 2013

This was a commission I picked up from the July show at my mother's home this summer.  It's different from Floral Road 1 in that it has less blonde grasses and I've added some blue flowers in the ditch.  I will post a straight-on shot of this once it's matted.

This next one wasn't a commission, but something I was longing to do after the beautiful fall field trips to Cranberry Flats.

This is a larger version of a little wee piece I sold last year.  I take great pride stitching out all those grasses by hand over the free machine work.  : )))  It brings me right back to that moment.  The grass indeed was soooo long and every stitch was done with pure joy. : )))

I also completely finished this one of the hills at Jackfish Lake.  It has hand stitched silk ribbons in the foreground.  It's off to frame this week.

detail, Hills at Jackfish, 2013

I know you've seen that one before.  That may be why I was reluctant to blog.  I don't want to bore anyone with the same old - same old.  Speaking of which, here's more canola!  haha  FINALLY.  It's from the photo I took this summer at Jackfish after a big storm.  It's STILL a work in progress, but I am happy to finally be finished all those French Knots.  I start this baby in early September.  You are looking at it pretty close to actual size (well, unless you are on your little phone). 

Treeline, 2013 work in progress

Fianlly, I have this little one that is for someone overseas, however, I think I will try one more autumn scene for the buyer to choose from.  I was going to frame this little wee one myself but it doesn't look quite right in the frame color I have on hand.  Isn't that always the way!?

Fields of Gold, 2013 (5x5")  very, very small

I do really like the fence wire and the curly dock in the ditches.  We'll see what else I can come up with before the end of the week!  : )  Linking up to Work-In-Progress Wednesday at The Needle & Thread Network. 


Well - that should make up for all the non-blogging!  lol  Hope that satisfies.

Ready and Awaiting!

**Picture-heavy post**  These are all off to be framed today...  I've been working so hard on this Winnipeg show and I am gushing over some of these!  I hope you like them too.

that's right - I officially have a sketchbook.

The result:

High on the Banks, 2013 (6x6")

The details:

High on the Banks, 2013 (detail)

Personally, I love those plum colors!  Next, you guessed.  I must include a canola piece.  This one is BIG and it happens to be my very first piece that has an exclamation point in the title!  ; ) 

She's Blooming! 2013 (click photo to view larger)

The details:

lots of fine detail in this one... all hand stitched with thread.

This is done too.  I think I have a good shot of the sparkle.

Trees at the Turnaround, 2013

The details:

wind at the water...  wind in the young spring reeds...

You've seen this one but I took newer photos, so bear with me here...

Sunlit in Silverspring, 2013

The details down:

I'm gushing over this one.  Man I can not wait for spring!

The details up:

here's a terrific view of the grid-wire fencing I put in

I won't lie - I am entirely proud of myself.  This collection is absolutely my best work yet.  I really hope they put a huge shot of beauty and pretty into the restaurant where they will hang.  I hope people fall in love with some of them.  I hope it plucks at the heartstrings of prairie lovers in Manitoba.  : )))

Can you believe it?  I have eight more to complete in three weeks.  I don't know how I am going to do it, but I will.  I am working intensely for this next exhibit.  All these works will be for sale, but not until May.  See the ad below!

WINNIPEG ONLY - May 2013

That is the poster that the folks at McNally Robinson's in Manitoba made.  WOOO that's only a month away!  I am suddenly feeling the NERVES.  oh my.  I haven't felt it this bad since I had to speak & give a personal slide show to our Quilt guild a couple years ago.  THAT was terrifying (before hand, not during).  BREATHE.  I can do this.  I can. 

I have to say a big big thank you to my framer Donna @ Cindy Moleski's in Saskatoon
who is matting and framing this entire show (2 dozen pieces).  They look smashingly high class once she is done with them.  : )  For example, this next one...

Red Barn in Winter, 2013  Shipped with love to New York just this morning.  XO

Coincidentally, that is my first sale to the US.  THANK YOU C. !  TO celebrate, I put in a big order for more fibre art supplies.  I'm going to have a sweet summer (that is... if it ever arrives!).

Have a great week everyone! 
p.s.  Check your yards - I have daylilies poking up on the south side! 

Plenty of Progress

I'm working on it!  After one year as a member of the embroiderer's guild, I finally made my required name tag!  Sheesh.  It took me long enough.  Everyone in that guild has the prettiest name tags with the most perfect and intricate formal embroidery.  I don't have those skills.  I enjoyed the silk ribbon stitching on my last piece so much that I decided I'd use that in my name tag.  It's not perfect, but I think this little tag is really me.

It's on a little piece of linen with raw edges & neutral coloured machine stitching, so it's kind of rustic looking.  It has nature in it, sewing threads, French Knots, and the ribbons were hand dyed.  I think it suits me.

I was lucky enough to finally find an online ribbon source.  I got twenty metres yards? mailed to me for $12 plus a dollar postage.  That is SUPER cheap, especially after wasting a 1/4 tank of gas driving around the city looking for silk ribbon.  sigh

The rest of my many, many days away from the blog have been spent stitching that field of dandelion puffs.  WOOO!  I'm still NOT DONE.  It's been days and days.  I'm doing good though.  I'm certainly proud of it as it's one of my biggest pieces ever - 30 cm across / 12 inches.  (Funny how most embroidery is metric and quilting is all still the old imperial.)

Here is a sideways view of it so far:

blooming dandelions (in progress)

How many now?  I completely lost count.  I have no idea.  My guess based on past work is 2000-ish.

Wait!  There's more...

I finished off a piece that I had started a while back.  I didn't show you because I didn't love it.  I wasn't feeling like it was 'singing'.  Then it hit me - a few touches here and there and the whole scene just sprang to life!  It's finished now and awaiting the framer's.

Fields at Floral Road, 2013

As for my 'news' - oh there's so much piling up that I don't know where to begin.  I'm teaching and getting booked up for public speaking in a couple different cities in 2 provinces.  It's quite overwhelming but terribly exciting!  I'm getting more and more requests for things like this.  I bet if I wanted to, I could actually book up 2014 and just travel travel travel.  Motherly guilt will keep me fairly close to home however.  Still - it's nice to know I have a wide-open world just waiting for me.  Exciting indeed!  Have a great week.  : )

P.S.  I'm linking to The Needle and Thread Network if you would like to go see what other 'penniless' Canucks are up to.  Haha.  (That's a private pun that has nothing to do with poverty, FYI.)

And You Thought Pirates Were Tough Stuff !

I've been at it again.  Two years ago there were some SERIOUS dandelions flourishing like you wouldn't believe.  I know they are foreign weeds... but I can't help it.  I thought they were pretty.  I snapped a lot of photos one afternoon down Floral Road, and had my eye on this one particular scene for a long, long time.

Should I?  Dare me to?

I accept the challenge.  French Knots, here I come!

(ten!)

On guarde! -

(one hundred and forty)

Take this -

(two hundred and sixty two)

Take that -

(three hundred and forty five)

I have a looong way to go.  This one is headed for Manitoba.  I shall not give up.  ; )

Linking up to WIP Wednesday at The Needle & Thread Network.

Did Someone Say 'French Knots'?

Yesterday afternoon during the show & tell portion of our quilt guild meeting, a member mentioned thousands of French Knots.   Several women looked straight at me and giggled a bit.  Yeah - I am obsessed too.  I love French Knots because they really are fabulous to work with.   Really - How can you just stop at one or two?  Here is a piece I am making for the "Little Gems" exhibition and sale.

'A Perfect Summer Day' 2012, work in progress

I know - you've seen me do Canola before, but I love this particular crop/composition.  I tend to work this one in a landscape horizontal.  The vertical orientation shows off the hugeness of the sky.  (Is hugeness a word??)  I love the simplicity of it even though it took hours and hours and hours over the course of a few days... oh my.  The horizon couched down perfectly.  It's such a common summer scene around here.  If you look close, there are shadows here and there in the field because of the scattered puffs of cloud. 

I hope some one falls in love with it.

Sunday Snapshots

Mmmmmmm - I couldn't resist.  I had to start another Canola field.  : )))  There's something so luscious and satisfying about stitching all those French Knots.

in progress for my December show

Things I Love Thursdays

I love hand stitching French Knots!

I love how is adds to the piece!  

Things go from 2 dimensional to popping with texture and depth. 

commission in progress

 I hope she loves it too! ; )