Seven totes finished!

Doll I made for Joanne

And it’s August! Sheesh! Where did the summer go? This weekend is the kick-off of Art Unraveled and Joanne is in town. I’m heading out to see her in a while. It seems like just a few weeks ago I was meeting Joanne in Chicago planning my trip to France. And then again, France seems like a lifetime ago.

It’s been a busy week here. I spent Monday, Wednesday and Friday working on art. Monday I made some collage packets and I did some art for CreativeTherapy. Wednesday I finished creating some totes. And today I made some dolls and my name tag for Art Unraveled. It was relaxing and productive.

Art Unraveled Name Tag

Tuesday and Thursday I volunteered for Cochlear Americas as an Awareness Advocate. I’ve mentioned my volunteer activities with this in the past. I went with the education coordinator for our region to talk about the Baha and how it has helped my life. I got to meet a Constable and a Voc Rehab specialist, both of whom have single-sided-deafness (SSD) like I do. It was a long day, but well worth it. I think both of these people will be on the road to getting Bahas and making their lives easier.

I volunteered again Thursday, to speak in front of a group of Vocational Rehabilitation counselors for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Most of these people were, themselves hearing impaired or deaf, so it was an interesting morning. The education person spoke about the cochlear implant and the baha and I told my story. They asked questions and, I hope, we were successful in educating them. We were down in Casa Grande, which is about an hour or so south of where I live. Luckily the education coordinator lives near me, so we carpool when we go to these things. Wednesday I did some final preparations on the gifts for my friends… Or so I thought. I made some totes and finished sewing all of them up. But one of my friends received a tote from me just a short time ago. So, I decided that I might do something else for her. But I was tired and I knew I had a long day scheduled. So, I went to sleep early.

I enjoy doing my volunteer work. It makes me feel like I’m giving back for all I’ve received. I’m speaking again this week for other Vocational Rehabilitation counselors and I was just told that this would be teleconferenced across the state. It will be fun, I’m sure.

More soon!

I’ve spent the past week quietly in the studio. I’ve been working on one more gift. A doll for a friend. Usually, I wouldn’t show this image until it actually got to my friend, but since I missed the last day for delivery by Christmas, I figured she deserves a good look. This is for my friend, Tracey. This doll started out as someone completely different. When I saw what was coming out of her, I felt she needed to be angelic. I removed the legs that weren’t working for her and I added wings. I also added a halo for some rhinestones around the halo with some dry-brushed silver metallic paint for some bling. Tracey loves bling!

As I was making this, I realized that organizing my fabric stash. In particular, all the pieces of vintage kimono fabric from Katie’s Vintage Kimono fabrics and my scraps. So, I spent time sitting at my table and ironing them. It doesn’t really take a ton of energy, so that worked for me. I don’t tend to have a ton of energy to expend – even more so for the week of my treatment.

Speaking of the treatment, I’m not sure if I mentioned that the nurses loved their bags. Dave said that one actually completely changed her purse to the bag I made for her. She had told me she would, but it’s always nice to know that people appreciate things when you work so hard on them!

Yesterday, we had planned to attend the holiday party I made the wine gift bag for. Change of plans. At 7:30 am, I was pouring my first cup of coffee and I suddenly heard a yelp from my bedroom, followed by some cursing. I went in to see what was wrong. Dave had broken his left little toe.  The toe was in a strange position that was clearly not natural! So, we headed over to the Banner Good Samaritan Hospital’s Emergency Room to have his toe re-set. It was a complete fracture. They really had to manipulate the toe to get it back in alignment.

As our plans had been thwarted, we had a quiet day. Dave spent the day on the couch with his New York Times, the remote, and his foot elevated.  I sat nearby and we watched TV, talked, and read our newspapers. Different than planned, but not a bad way to spend the day together.

We went on the vacation because Dave had a conference to attend at the Grand Hyatt. It was a good excuse for us to go and it also gave me a chance to see my friend, Connie, again. We met online, and this past March, when I went to Kauai the first time, we met in person. Each time we meet, I feel as if I’ve reunited with a long-lost friend. Connie is so easy to talk to and with. We had brunch at the hotel, where I gave Connie a present I had made for her. Connie turned 55 on Tuesday, while I was there. She and I met for brunch on Thursday. I made this doll before we left using the kimono fabrics from Katie’s Vintage Kimono. I had hoped Connie would like it and, well, from her reaction in person and again on her blog, I was certain of it! I had a ton of fun making it.

One of the more exciting things I did this trip was to purchase and watch Beginning Watercolor Journaling, a DVD with some great instruction and encouragement for people who like to journal. The DVD is fabulous, and you’ll really learn a lot from it! I’ve been working harder on my drawing skills for a while, thanks to Danny Gregory’s CREATIVE LICENSE, THE: GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE THE ARTIST YOU TRULY ARE. Drawing more was one of my 2007 goals, so I wanted to be able to do more of it with the beauty of Kauai as my inspiration.

I did not, however, want to schlep a ton of supplies across the Pacific Ocean and throughout Kauai wherever we went. So I created a kit of journaling supplies. Before I left, I made a four-signature book with one parent sheet each of hot press, cold press, and drawing papers. I packed only my Sakura Sketchbox Watercolor kit, several different tips of Sakura Pigma Micron pens in black, seven Lyra Polycolor Pencils, a 6B pencil, an eraser, and a pencil sharpener.

I was determined to do some art so I didn’t go crazy, but not to have to carry a ton of stuff. I really never felt like I was denying myself the opportunity to be creative with this little kit in my purse. Each day, when I found time — on the plane, at breakfast, from the poolside, at the beach… you get the idea — I created at least one page. You can see more of my drawings from this trip here.

I’m still on Hawaii time, but I’m getting used to being back. I hope to get into the studio tomorrow to do some more art with my photos and to get reacquainted with my art supplies!

My body is really ready for the treatment. I’m tiring more quickly and things aren’t as stable as I’d like the to be. I’ve started to have a bit of vertigo, as expected after such an event-filled month. I have to say, I’m rather pleased with how I’ve been managing my energy levels. I’ve had to pass up a few trips back east in the next few months; however, I am sure I’m making the right decisions about where my energy should go. I will miss seeing my friends, but flying in and out over 2 -3 days is hard on anyone; it’s much harder on me with my vertigo.

On Friday, Dave and I leave for Bisbee for the Grand Opening of SunSpirit Studios, where I’m their featured artist. It’s a great honor and an exciting weekend for all of us! If you’re in Arizona, please consider coming by! Bisbee is a lovely historic and arty town!

I’m so excited that in early October I’ll be taking more classes with Teesha Moore. Teesha comes to Phoenix yearly for a journaling intensive weekend at The Paper Studio. Andrea, owner of SunSpirit Studio and I are taking both classes together. Her store will officially be open over a month at that point, and I am sure she’ll need a break. We’re looking forward to some creative time together.

In the meantime, I’ve laundry to do so I have clothes and clean sheets!

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun it was to start off our day today so early with Angie. She dropped off the kids and stopped off at Starbucks. Angie brought in her sewing machine and we started going through our kimono fabric stash. We each created a doll today using kimono fabric to decorate it. Angie is going to do a bit more on her doll before she unveils the doll, but suffice to say it’s ADORABLE! To the left is my doll from today. I created her with a friend in mind. I’ll be going to the post office tomorrow to send out the other doll and some other things I have made for friends.

Yesterday, for the first day in several weeks, I did not create any art. I went through my studio and cleaned out a bunch of stuff to share with charities and schools. It really feels good to go through things and to have space to move in the studio. For the first time in several weeks, I was able to clear off the table and even clean it – I mean really clean it. It’s such a stark difference that even Dave noticed that the desk was suddenly visible this morning!

On Monday I have my treatment, and I’ve started to notice a trend. The week before treatment, I always get an instinct to “nest”. I am suddenly driven to organize. I pull apart areas of the studio that are bothering me and I reorganize them. I keep doing this that week before treatment. As a result, the studio gets some monthly attention, but it’s also an interesting thing to note for me. I think it also points to my need to make the studio “safe” and a place where I can continue to create, even when I’m not feeling 100%. I’ve learned to embrace this instinctual nesting.

Despite this drive to nest, I’m doing my best to take it easy so I can go in there with energy and – hopefully – come out with lots of energy, as I did last month. I’ve been restricting my driving and my activities that take meo out of the studio. It’s good to remember that there are only so many spoons, so I don’t push myself. I’m going to try to post again before Monday, but if I don’t, you’ll know why!

To the left is the other; she was made with another special friend in mind. I know she has no arms, but I couldn’t see a place where she needed to be!
At the shopping extravaganza, I got to meet wonderful artists, like Judy Wise, Marilyn Huskamp, Deb Trotter, whose work I have admired and blogs I’ve been following. I, of course, got to spend more time with my local buddy, Maija Lipore, chat more with Katie Kendrick – who sells the most amazing vintage kimono fabrics – some of which you see in my dolls and pouches! – reconnect with Doris Arndt (and I bought an awesome fines silver ring from her (Doris, it’s so awesome, I’ve worn it every day!!!), Anne Grgich (whose painting I won in a silent auction – when it arrives I’ll share it!), Claudia Rouller, Sylvia Luna, Lisa Pavelka, and so many others!

I also worked a bit at the Sunspirit Studio booth, where we officially announced that I am their featured artist and put some of my art out for people to see and buy! Andrea, Tracey and I spent as much time together as we could without me running out of spoons!. Friday evening, before our last class together, we had dinner at the bar in the hotel. We waited what seemed like an eternity for food, but I did get to snap this picture of Andrea and Tracey!

OK. It’s now way past my bedtime. So I’m heading to bed for the night. I’ll share more art tomorrow!

Katie made up packets of muslin, batting, newsprint (for our patterns) and loads of vintage and kimono fabrics for us to use. In addition, she included one of her faces in the packet for those who did not have their own faces to use. Even with that, there was not one doll that was like the others! Like her painting class, her doll-making class was an intuitive process.

For my doll, I used one of the portraits I painted the day before, printed on fabric. When I was painting her, she told me she wanted to fly, and when I was creating her as a doll, she told me the same, so I created this bird-doll with wings. I had so much fun creating the front, quilting and doing decorative stitching for her. I’m so ready to do another doll! LOL I just need to get some more batting and stuffing, but I have 7 other faces that I printed out. And they are begging to be made into dolls!

So today, I have time straighten up the studio, put the fabric away that I took out for the doll class, and, hopefully, do some art. I have no idea which of the many things I”m inspired to do right now will be done, but something will end up sparking today’s project! Tonight I have one more class. I’m taking Bernie Berlin’s “Resist This!” class with Tracey and Andrea. I’m tired, but I’m sure we’ll have a ball!