The second Round-Robin book

Here's the second book. It belongs to my friend, Jana, and her theme was "Questions of Love". I had a lot of fun doing this one. Once again, I didn't really know where it would lead... I just knew that I was going to include actual questions of love, like "Can you live on love alone?" "Is Love the greatest gift of all?"

I'd been thinking that I was going to incorporate fabric into her book

....then, I noticed, on the inside front cover, that she had used a fabric that was in a collection that I had just used for a baby quilt, so I decided to use one of those fabrics in her book. It's inside the little door.

Yep.... All You Need Is Love.

~ Teri

My third Round-Robin book

Here's the third book that I did. The theme was "Magic". I did "The Magic of the Muses".

This was the first book (or anything!) that I put gesso on and moved it around with a "credit card" to create texture. I loved how it turned out! Then, I started putting acrylic paint on. Oh, but first I used some masking fluid to mask over some words that I wanted to keep, from the original text of the book, and not have to worry about painting over. I had a wee problem, though... I had so many layers of paint on there, that I couldn't find my spots of masking fluid! I found a few, totally intuitively. Was afraid to peel up the paint on the rest of them, just in case I was in the wrong spot... then, I'd just have a spot of roughed-up paper. :( So, I left them alone. But, it turned out all right, anyway. I was pretty happy with this one.

Oh, the magic of the muses....where would we be without them?

~ Teri

More Round-Robin photos

Here are the last two books! This first one was themed, "Teapots, Cups and Hats". This first spread, "It's Time for a Tea-Party" was completely unplanned. I mean, I only meant to do one spread in this book, because of time constraints, but the first things I did were the teapot, hat and cup...in "zentangle" fashion. Then, after I got the background on this first spread, I realized that those zentangles were *not* going to go with that background! So, I started my hunt for some images that were completely different!

These images are the "zentangles". They were fun to do! I used some new gels pens to do the "frame" around both pages and to add all the text with. I just wrote things that I thought of when I think of having tea! Scones, crumpets, lemon curd, good friends, favorite hats, ginger and lemon tea, Earl Grey... you get the picture!

This was the last book I did.... with the theme of Vintage Sewing! This first photo is of the "sign-in tag". The owner of the book provided the tags, for us to use, but we could decorate them however we wanted. I used some fabric that I also used in the spread, so it was coordinated.

This is the spread for this last book. It's funny.... I was so excited about this theme, being one dear to my own heart, but found it to be the most daunting! Perhaps because there were so many ways I wanted to approach it and so little space!! I don't know. I do know, though, that you have to trust the process with this kind of art! (All kinds of art?? I know that's true of painting!)

But, with this kind of art, you just don't know what it's going to end up being. I'd have ideas, but sometimes those would be changed, completely, as I worked! Sometimes, I only had a very basic idea and it just took on a life of its own.

It was a very rewarding project. I tried new techniques. I learned about working with mixed-media and I learned some things about myself. I had done very little altered art... but, have been wanting to (and collecting supplies!) for about five years! So, when the question of doing this round robin came up (on the altered books yahoogroup that I run), http://groups.yahoo.com/abalteredbooks I was intimidated, needless to say! There are people on there who've worked in this media for years... and who are very good! Also, people who've been published in the "best of the best" magazines and books of this particular medium! But, I also knew that it would force me to play with all those collected supplies! It would force me to take the time to do art! That's exactly what it did. It was wonderful!

I hope you've enjoyed seeing what I contributed to these peoples' books.

I look forward to the next Round Robin!

~ Teri

The latest baby quilt

Here's the latest baby quilt. I just gave it away yesterday. I used fabrics from two different collections. One was by Jason Yenter, called "Camelot", for In the Beginning fabrics. I can't remember the other one's name! It was a woman that designed it. When I figure it out, I'll let you know. But, they are gorgeous fabrics in my humble opinion! These pictures never do justice to the piece. I realize, now, that I should've taken a close-up of some of the fabrics. :(

I have "key-tags" that my local quilt shop, Boersma's, sells for $1.00. (Yes, they should give them away, but.....) I think I have six of them saved up now and when they are full (which mine are!), they are good for $25.00 worth of merchandise!! I've been wanting to make a quilt for my husband and I, but our bed is king-sized, so I knew that I'd have to quilt it on one of the long-arm machines.

So, I'm going to get the top all sewn together, first, then go take a class on how to use those machines! My SIL has used them a bunch, so she will help me, if I need it.

The other cool thing is that if you shop on your birthday, you get 25% off of everything! So, I'm going to go in on my birthday (I hope!!) and buy all the fabric then. I think I'm going to use a Fig Tree Quilts pattern with Fig Tree fabrics. Not sure, but I have to get it all figured out before my birthday!! Oh-no!! Wish me luck! (I only have eight days!)

Enjoy the day!

~ Teri

The socks are done!!

My socks are done! Yes, I knit them myself!! I am SO excited!! I'd just done another pair, out of this gorgeous blue yarn (similar to this green, but in blues), but they were too small!! That's when we realized that even my 10 year old son has bigger feet than I do. (And, mine have grown by 2.5 sizes since I've had kids!)

Anyway, I digress. These are so comfortable! They're a washable wool. Yes, that means machine washable and dryable (is that a word??). But, I'm trying to get into the habit of hand-washing them, because I plan to have many more pairs and they may not all be machine washable!

I'm working on summer-socks right now. I can't remember what those kinds of socks are called... you know, short socks. They barely poke out of the top of your shoes. Anyway, that's what I'm making now... out of a cotton/nylon blend. I figured I wouldn't want to wear wool in the summer.

I just finished up a project I've been working on for some time now. Well, I hadn't actually been *working* on it - that's why it took me so long to get it finished!! I hate when I do that!! I'm too easily sidetracked! Anyway, I can't tell you what it is, yet, or show you any pictures. The recipient will get it today. After that, I'll share pictures.

Besides that, I've been working on an altered-book Round Robin! There are six of us, including myself, that chose books and our own themes. I'm hosting it, so I figured out whose book goes where, and it what order....and now they are making their way all across the US and into BC. And, I mean *all* the way across the US.... there are two of us in Oregon and one guy in Maryland.

I've done two of them, so far; am waiting on the third to arrive. Should be here tomorrow or the next day! I'm so excited! It's been so fun to do this! I've been collecting supplies for about five years, but had only done a couple of small pieces. So, doing this RR has really made me jump in and play; figure out just how to do this type of art! It's amazing to see a piece come together. Even if you aren't sure where it's going when you start.... you just start playing and pretty soon all these ideas come to you! Before you know it, it's done!

So far, I've worked in books with the themes of: "There's No Place Like Home" and "Questions of Love". I'm waiting on "Hats, Teapots and Teacups", "Magic" and "Vintage Sewing". Oh, and my theme is "Victoriana"....anything Victorian. I'll share photos later, when the whole thing is done!

In the meantime, I'm hoping to get my tomatoes planted in the next couple of days!! It's supposed to be in the 70's the next few days.....I'll believe it when I see it. :( 80's over the weekend. Again, I'll believe it when I see it. It's so hard for me to imagine weather that nice right now. It's been so long! I think I've forgotten what it feels like! As you can see from my previous post, though, things are coming alive, once again, and blooming!

So, out to the flower garden for some weeding....until that altered book arrives!

Enjoy the day!

~ Teri

First small bouquet of Spring

Signs of Spring abound.....now if it would just warm up a little more! Oh, well. Bring some of those signs of Spring inside, where it is warm and dry, and you'll feel better!

I keep this small, glass, hanging vase in my bathroom as long as there are flowers blooming. I love making petite bouquets! It's a great way to use Pansies and Nasturtiums, among others, which usually can't be put in a regular bouquet because of their short stems.

This one has Columbine, "Cecile Brunner" tea-roses and Daisies. These Daisies bloom really early. They appear to be just a common, Shasta Daisy...but, I have other Daisies that look exactly like these, that won't bloom for another few weeks.

The Cecile Brunner (I've always heard it pronounced with a long "u") is a heritage rose....dates back to the 1880's. My house was built in the 1880's, so it seems that it belongs here. I planted it about three years ago, I believe, and it has already covered up the corner of my picket fence (which was my plan!) and beyond! I'm pretty sure that not all the Cecile Brunner's have a scent... but, mine has a lovely scent! If the little bouquet is entirely roses, you'll smell it when you walk into the bathroom. And, when I'm watering, weeding, mowing, whatever... out near it, while it's blooming, I can smell it from ten feet away! These roses will grow and grow.... I have to keep cutting mine back, because I'm training it to stay on the fence.

I thought this was a perfect specimen of a Shasta Daisy! Look at that center! And, all the petals are perfect. Beautiful.

For some beautiful roses, have a look at Heirloom Roses. If you can go there, even better! I'm lucky enough to live only about thirty minutes from them, so, when I was planning my wedding, over twenty-two years ago, I called them to ask if I could get some miniature/tea roses from them for my wedding cake. They said I could; to stop by. I went over, the day before the "big day". A woman went around with her Felcos (the best cutting tool around!!), and clipped off a ton of these little beauties for me. She'd say, "These?" "How do these look?" Snip, snip...... When we were done and I had a box full, I asked her how much money I owed. I can't remember exactly what she said, but basically it was, "Oh, nothing." They didn't charge me for them! And, they were so beautiful, cascading down and around our wedding cake!

Here's to beautiful flowers and generosity!

Enjoy the day!

~ Teri

The winning sci-fi film!

OK... I got the "go-ahead" from Angela. So, here's the link
to Maklar, Anyone? Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z2hinfcPac

As you were,

~ Teri