Personal Symbols WIP

But I’ve been quietly stitching here in the studio. It’s always a good way for me to contemplate other things while I keep my creativity going. It’s been a very good thing for me this past week. It’s not done yet. I need to add more beads, but I needed to take a break from it.

I have a busy week planned. I spent a good part of today running errands. Tomorrow I have several appointments and then Dave is playing poker with friends, so it will be a nice quiet evening here at Casa Saperstein. Then on Wednesday, I’m speaking about the Baha at the Fountain Hills Hearing Loss Association (HLA). I hope to get some time in for drawing in-between appointments. It’s been a while since I’ve spent time alone with my sketchbook, but that’s OK, too! I’m hopeful that Thursday and Friday will be quieter and that I can focus on art for the majority of both days. Next week is my treatment (already!), so I think that some art time prior to that is just what I need!

L’Shana Tova to all my friends who celebrate Jewish New Year.

Bead Embroidery Collage from Susan Sorrell's class

I interrupted my painting progress for a bit. I’ve been taking an online class with Susan Sorrell on Personal Symbols. I have always been intrigued by her work and I’ve also always found embroidery a very relaxing and healing thing to do. So, when I saw about her class, I decided to take it. Six weeks, online. I can go at my own pace. This week, we created paper collages on Timtex and then embroidered over them, adding in buttons and beads. Some people added lace and other trims, as well. I’ve posted my version here. Enjoy!

Necklace by Amanda Davie sent as a giveaway

I confess: I read a lot of blogs. I enjoy meeting people and getting to know them through their daily lives, their artsy endeavors and blogs. Sometimes, of course, bloggers offer fabulous give-aways. Amanda Davie’s blog is one I read regularly.

About a month ago, Amanda posted a giveaway – a lovely necklace she made. Amanda describes it “Lots of wire wrapping, Swarovski Crystals, antique chandelier crystals, freshwater pearls, quartz, semi-precious stones, and a handmade bird cage pendant.” I was in love with it and I immediately commented as such. Well, earlier this week, I received an email from Amanda lettingme know that I had WON this gorgeous necklace. Yesterday it arrived in the mail in a lovely handmade art-quilted pouch. It’s even more gorgeous in person and tomorrow, I have a family brunch where I will wear this beautiful piece of art proudly.

Sneak Peek at Crazy Quilt - hand-stitching

Thanks Amanda!

In other news, I’m getting stronger each day, and the past two days, I’ve even been out to run some errands and I’ve not needed major naps soon thereafter – significant progress, let me tell you!

While at home, I’ve been working on hand stitching a crazy quilt. I’ve never done one before, but I had all these brightly colored scraps and fat quarters and I was inspired to just start putting the quilt top together just before my surgery.

Sneak Peek 2 at crazy quilt in pogress

I had thought I would stitch it during my convalescence. It took longer than I thought for me to be comfortable enough to sit up and stitch, but I’ve been working on it daily for the past week. I have always found stitching relaxing.

Monday is my treatment again. I suspect it will hit me pretty hard, as I’m just starting to get back into my regular routine. But it’s all good. We’re counting down two weeks until our vacation in Italy, so I’m more than happy to relax next week and get my strength up for the trip.

Now I’m off to learn Italian phrases and to stitch some more!

]]> http://www.fransaperstein.com/2009/04/18/a-beautiful-gift-and-a-quick-update/feed/ 6 http://www.fransaperstein.com/2009/02/23/announcing-my-new-artfirecom-studio/ http://www.fransaperstein.com/2009/02/23/announcing-my-new-artfirecom-studio/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:17:11 +0000 Fran http://www.artsyfran.com/?p=732

Open Your Own Artfire Studio

I’m excited to share that I have opened my own Artfire.com Studio. What is Artfire? Here is how the company describes itself on the site: “The premier online marketplace for handmade products designed by artisans around the globe. Our free community is designed for artisans to buy and sell their works, while celebrating unique handmade items and designs.”

Similar to Etsy, in that individual artisans have their own shops, the beauty of Artfire is that it is searchable through Google and there are no listing fees. It also links easily with other social media, like Facebook, Etsy, IndiePublic, and my blog, making marketing much easier. In addtion, there are also no expiration dates on the merchandise listings, which makes it much easier to manage than the 3-month Etsy limit.

Light blue and turquoise MP3/Cell Phone Case

I found the product uploads much faster and easier with Artfire.com than with Etsy. If you’re a crafter or artisan, I invite you to try ArtFire, as they’re running a special for $7/month for life, and that’s the only fee you will ever have!

In the shop are 14 products that have never been listed before, including arty business card holders, cell phone/MP3 players, ablums, and a painting.

This week, I hope to get additional pieces up in the studio. Today is my IV treatment, so I’m sitting here with the IV while I type this!

Desert Sunset Quilt in progress

I realized that I haven’t been updating much other than with the CreativeTherapy catalyst responses. But I’ve been doing so much more.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been doing lots of journaling and collage “just because”. I often do this just because I have a lot on my mind that I just need to put down and work through. Don’t you do the same? Teesha Moore’s method of journaling, for me, is a very healing and intuitive process. When I was younger, my journaling was a good escape from, well, growing up! I used mostly free association writing and did no art as part of the journaling. Now I use collage along with the free association writing to work through things. I’m feeling much more centered from the quiet week of introspection and, well, right now it’s not really something I want to share.

Desert Landscape

I am, however, happy to share two projects I’ve been working on.

I’m getting ready for my treatment tomorrow and I will be going to the infusion center for it. So, with five hours of treatment ahead of me, I needed a project to work on. Yesterday, I attacked my fat quarters and pinned together two landscape quilts to work on, shown here. I used the method that Jane LaFazio taught at Art Unraveled. It’s a really neat process to watch the quilts come together.

I’ll update more as they develop. I hope your week is off to a great start!

Quilt of Shipwreck Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

I’ve been hunkered down in the studio this week. I needed to just sit in the studio and be with myself and not out and about. And I’ve learned to honor those needs.

This week, I’ve been working on some projects that have been sitting around unfinished. For example, you may recall the quilt top I started months ago when Angie and I took a quilting class at a local retreat. It has been sitting in my studio moved from place to place until this week. The technique was quite different from what Jane taught us earlier this month. We used glue to baste the pieces together and then we were to do hidden hand stitching to finish it up and ready it for quilting. However, I found that the glue made the hand stitching tedious. Also, I had used many small pieces, which made it even more difficult to hand sew. This week, I decided I wanted to finish it and so I took it to the sewing machine and pieced it and then quilted it. I let it sit for a few days up on my bulletin board and I decided it was done and just needed a border. Today I finished up the binding and it’s finished!

Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz fabric collection - quilt in progress

I’ve also been working on a personal sewing project. I have always been a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz. And “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” has always been one of my favorite songs. When I saw that Quilted Treasures had Wizard of Oz licensed fabric, I came close to purchasing it several times, but I couldn’t figure out what I’d do with it.

Well, finally, after seeing the fabric in real life at my local fabric store, I caved and bought some of what they had. I don’t regret that decision at all! Quilting up these images makes me smile. The hope and dreams evoked by the scene in which Dorothy sings “Over the Rainbow” always makes me smile. Having it hang in my studio will be extremely uplifting! To the right is the beginning of this project. It’s in process, so there’s a lot more to do. I think I finally figured out how to make it work, but it will require some experimentation. When I finish, I’ll be sure to share it here.

I’ve also been working on some CreativeTherapy catalysts. You’ll see those in the next few weeks, when they are published on the CT blog. I hope to do more drawing and painting in the next few days.

In addition to the work in the studio, I’ve had some housekeeping stuff to do – the car needed service; the sprinklers and French doors will be installed next week. The following week is my treatment, so I’m glad to get it all done in the next week.

Overall, It’s been a busy but good week. I’ve been feeling pretty good and I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend with Dave.

"Under the Sea" Landscape quilt 11" x 8.5"

Today I am happy to say that I completed my landscape quilt from Jane LaFazio’s class at Art Unraveled. The whole thing is hand stitched. It’s the first time I’ve ever hand-pieced a quilt and then added lots of embroidery. It was the perfect project for sitting and recovering from my treatment. It’s an abstract landscape, which was what I was going for. The embroidery added to the abstraction, and as I just went with it, I found it becoming an undersea landscape. I had thought about adding beads or buttons, but right now, I think it will stay this way for a while. I might change my mind at a later date, but for now, this is just what I want.

I got ot see Angie today for the first time since Art Unraveled. We spent the morning talking and catching up. Then we went to lunch. It was so nice to catch up with Angie and to just be together!

My new purse!

Today I was inspired to use the pieces of a purse I had started to make several months ago. I was making a lot of totes, but I wanted something that was more of a purse – with a closure. I started it and then I couldn’t figure out how to finish it. Until yesterday, that is. Joanne took a class from Kathy Cano-Murillo, the Crafty Chica. In the class, she made a collage purse and I finally knew what I needed to do to make my purse work! I added a piece in the front to highlight the fabric collage I made from vintage kimono fabrics and I added the strap. I’ll be testing out this purse tonight at Art Unraveled. It matches the tote I made for myself back in December, so that’s kind of fun, too.

I do wish I had pockets inside, so I might try to alter it some more to add a liner with a pocket or four… But still, it is a fun purse, especially, for Art Unraveled and other artistic endeavors!

Have a great day, all!

Catalyst 21 - First Memory of Love - Grandma Miriam

This week’s catalyst was a lot of fun. Since I have been doing a lot of fabric work lately, I decided to use fabric to show this one. The catalyst is “what is your first memory of love?” Mine is my grandmother. Grandma Miriam was one of the most givine and loving souls I have ever met in my life. She had such an important role in my first eleven years of life, and I have so many good memories of her. So, this is for her. To read more about this and to see the rest of the team’s responses, go to CreativeTherapy today!

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!