Productive Week

This lovely lady is made from a royalty-free print on muslin, 4 kinds of yarn, ribbons, lace and fake hair. She is about 14" long. A little break for me. She's on Etsy (http://sallylsmith.etsy.com).

After the horrible shootings this week I was inclined to make this altered art ATC. I used background images from a public domain site. The pictures are actually paintball photos but they look very ominous so they work for the effect I wanted. When everything around us is falling apart, this is the only thing that is constant. She is on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=320105074783&rd=1&rd=1

I found a beautiful box for 50 cents at a sale and made this piece of altered art using a picture of my model to make this prayer box. I tried for the crackle finish but didn't quite get there. Maybe next time. It measures about 4" x 5". This is on etsy (http://sallylsmith.etsy.com.)

This altered art piece uses transparencies (package tape over professional copies and newsprint), junk watch face, old button, old library index card, lace, leaf, stamp, and copied photo. I used an old brass protractor for the hanger. It measures about 4 1/2" across and is about 5 1/2" high with the protractor another 2 " above that. This is on ETSY (http://sallylsmith.etsy.com).

Another Work Today

I made this Artist Trading Card (ATC) measuring 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" this afternoon. I put it on eBay this evening. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=011&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=320103823665&rd=1&rd=1
I've named it "Dawning." I love this time of morning and the same shadowy time in the evening. This card is made of clipped yarn covered with tulle and backed with cotton fabric. I've hand-embroidered the shadows.

New Little Quilt For Sale

I'm selling this finished product of my blog tutorial on Etsy (http://sallylsmith.etsy.com.)
I started another little quilt today but I'm dropping everything I pick up today and my head is splitting so experience tells me to stick with uncreative things. Tomorrow is another day, God willing.

Grandchildren Keep Me Busy

I just finished this little blanket for our tenth grandchild. I've made a cross stitched thermal blanket (because of the little squares that are ideal for x stitching) for the first ten g-children and this one is the last I am going to do. The last name and year are blocked out intentionally. The next one for g-child no. 11, Laura, will be a small crib quilt.

Another grandchild's quilt--Last Christmas we presented Ian, our seventh grandchild this quilt. I used parts of the patterns in a Quilt Magazine (sorry, it has been lost in the shuffle since then),

maybe you can recognize which one. I made a collage of fabric on the strip behind Ian reminiscent of the US starting on the right with the Statue of Liberty and ending with the Great North West, with fields, farms, roads and deserts in between. I pieced it and Bill quilted it. Ian was very pleased.

Catching Up

Close-up of Etching

I've been working on this piece the last few days. I photographed a young lady at church with a beautiful face and eyes and am using her in a few of my pieces of art work. We exchanged a piano lesson for a photography session. I'm using a lighter background color than I have been using. Even though green is not one of my favorite colors, I think it does this idea well. Take a look at the close-up for the detail of the etching. This is going on eBay this week, hope-hope.

It's been a busy few weeks. First the birth of our 11th grandchild and helping the family and second the finishing of this quilt for our 9th grandchild. It's ready for Grandpa to quilt now. Yes, my husband's Grandmother taught him how to quilt when he was knee-high and he finds it relaxing and enjoyable. Go figure. I actually do not like quilting and am not good at it. My arthritis doesn't help either, but I love to do the piecing. This quilt has a partner on the big brother's bed that we finished last year. We've been making a quilt or two (on good years) for each of our grandchildren and we were down to two more quilts until we found out that two more grandchildren were on the way. Oh, well, busy hands...