Achievements and New Directions!

 I've been venturing away from the Large Bohemian Totes I've made so frequently in the past--working on a much smaller scale...sometimes ever TINY size bags--I call them pouches when they are little enough!

 These Necklace pouches, pictured above, have slightly varying length cords so when worn around your neck they hang from mid-chest to upper-abdominal area. The pouch portion can remain empty if you wish, or carry eye glasses, credit cards, ID, money, inspirational or motivational quotes, crystals--pretty much anything you can fit inside! 

 A tiny little birds nest pouch created with bits and pieces of scrap, jute, wooden and pearl beads, vintage lace and cotton cord; hand stitches and hot glued!

 This fun tiny necklace amulet was created using a scrap of upholstery remnant and wool felt with a broken vintage clip-on earring for the center piece of the fabric flower I made using vintage cotton eyelet. The  string beads are new acrylic and the streamers are vintage lace fabric scraps.

 Pictured above and below are cross-body medicine pouches made from Jeans pockets embellished with suede fringe, quail feathers, vintage and new beads, jewelry pieces, handmade dream catcher, vintage silk Saree ribbon, and much more. They were hand and machine stitched and I have attached a tiny little bottle with a cork stopper which may be removed to add seeds, essential oils, notes of inspiration or whatever suits you to carry along...

 Above embellishments include handmade fabric bead, ribbon flowers, and other wooden, metal and glass beads. This tiny little necklace pouch is about 2x3" hanging on a 30" leather strip

 More handmade fabric flowers, layers of mosaicked fabrics and eyelash yarn, with various other laces, tulle and cotton-blend fabrics; both with satin covered cord neck strings.

 Each one of these little purses and pouches are as unique and individual as you are! In their creation I've included handmade fabric flowers, vintage and new cotton, silk and upholstery fabrics of all sort and my own handmade fabrics created by melding together scraps and remnants with machine and hand stitching. You will also see vintage buttons, beads, brooches and other jewelry pieces and parts as well as laces, silks, satins and velvets and an array of other fabulous items mosaicked together to create a one of a kind piece of wearable art!

 And DREAM CATCHERS have become a small obsession for me...

 In my research I found that it is thought that dream catchers originated with the Ojibwa (Chippewa) tribe and became popular with other Native American Nations in the 60's when attending Pow-Wows became the "thing to do" mostly amongst the college crowd. The dream catcher is thought to ward of evil by trapping the menacing spirits in the tangled web while the good spirits find their way unimpeded to the central eye opening and, travelling down the feathers they bring healing energies to those sleeping beneath.

So here I am, looking extremely tired I know! But, very happy, holding an advancement certificate that took me quite a while to complete the portfolio for. But, I did it, submitted it middle of 2015 and was granted advancement to a D level RN at UMHS. I am quite sure I will for the remainder of my nursing career be a D level RN, satisfied and content. You will most certainly NOT find me stressing to the max attempting to complete the "E" level...not in the cards for me--LOL!!!

Where have I been and what has been happening?

I know I've been gone for quite some time--so much has happened...things that were out of my control, things that left me numb and devastated.

I will fill you in, not to solicit concern, but as an explanation of why I've been away...and to voice how grateful I am to have "art" to help me heal and move on...

This past year and a half has been filled to the brim with loss and despair...it was almost too much to handle at times...among those losses, my dear friend, Jeanine (pictured on the left trying on a purple mask at Pier One Imports around Halloween time a couple of years ago--we had so much fun shopping!) was lost to me June 2nd, 2014...

Suddenly...my sister-friend, confidant, laughing partner, dog-helper buddy, neighbor and walking partner...suddenly, she was gone...

 --no one in her family could take in her two dogs...first, there was Mosely, her 11 year old Yorkie was diabetic with Cushing's disease and needed a lot of time and attention everyday--shots, medicine and careful monitoring. And then there was poor little Joey, her newly adopted poodle, who was finally beginning to relax in his loving home with Jeanine--he had been abused and abandoned but he blossomed with her loving care...So, I took in both boys...along with my three dogs...we were quite the menagerie...happily, Joey soon went to live with his previous foster mama who loves him dearly--Joey has a "Golden" brother named Peanut and apparently spends much of his days lounging around with him on the deck or the sofa--not a care in the world.
Sadly, Mosely did not recover from the loss of his mama; the challenge of his disabilities and his depression overcame him and he slipped away just three months later...

Then, just a little more than a year later, my friend, Larry was in a biking accident (July 2015) and did not survive the injuries he sustained. After 3 emergency surgeries, his body was just wore out and he left this world...too soon.

My daughter, Jesse--healthy, vibrant as ever, very happy, AND very much alive--cut the apron strings...

 MY apron strings...

...and MOVED to Colorado! Of course I'm happy for her, but...I misssss her desperately!

When she was a little girl I used to sing "you are my sunshine" to her at bedtime...So, at her request, I made this colorful collage for her new home...in Colorado...I'm looking forward to seeing her in November...

She misses me too...snuggles with the quilt I made for her...adult blankie...

 I've been doing more sewing...clutches and shoulder bags, nap quilts, coin purses--everything with my raw-edge bohemian twist...

 something so healing about touching fabric...

 feeling the color, texture...it just envelopes me with soothing inspiration...

I have so much more to tell  you...so much more to show you...but this has to be enough...for now!

Love and Peace...Pam =)

Happy 50th AND making scrappy fabrics

 

I made a photo memory quilt for a friends 50th wedding anniversary. I've never done anything like this before, and was actually quite pleased at the end result...

It was hard to get a good photo though, the lighting wasn't the greatest--wish I had taken it at home first...also, you might notice, I couldn't get a shot without the balloon ribbons...oh well, it WAS a success =)

 ...then it was time to begin putting some scraps together to make some...fabrics...

 ...putting the scraps together, stitching with zig-zag or other simple but decorative stitches makes the prettiest swatches...those later become...

bohemian bags, nap throws, journal covers, clutches, and more...

I start out with an old quilt or bedspread--I prefer to recycle from a thrift shop or similar, and trim it into manageable pieces, usually about the size of a crib quilt or 3x3'. Of course, the first stop is the washing machine with bleach!!! Then I iron a handful of scraps...all sizes from minute to small and a little larger! If I can see color on it, I save it...

 

 

I then place a few pieces of fabric scraps on the bedspread, like a mosaic, sort of! Sometimes using a glue stick to tack corners, sometimes not...I stitch small sections at a time,

 --usually with a very loose zig-zag. I then stitch over the same area to adhere it more securely and "pretty-up" the piece!

 There are no rules...each piece really creates itself...evolves, it you will...

 I just pay attention to the fabric and watch the piece come to life...

 I actually used up a whole tub or tiny scraps making these swatches over the past couple of days...

 ...now I'm moving on to the bigger scraps...I have more than  one tub of those, so it should keep me busy for a while!!!

 I have a table at a Holiday Art show next weekend...I started sorting through my scraps a week or so ago with the intention of finding some cool scraps to embellish some of my bohemian bag--give them a "face-lift" for the show...

 ...guess I got a little side tracked...

I'll have to post some pictures of the couple of nap quilts I ended up making, and show off some of the shoulder bags--love what a few cuts of lace, velvet, beads and silks can do to change the entire appearance of last years bohemian bag!!!

Happy Creating! Hugs

Odds and Ends

 I have just started learning to make paper beads...these are not yet finished...

 I think I'm going to put a couple of coats of finish on them...maybe a stripe of metalic paint...

                                                            ...not quite sure yet...

 ...they were so much fun to make--and there is an endless supplyof material to work with!!!

...when I am not working on a specific paint project...

 

 ...or don't have much time to devote to art but want to paint...

 

 ...I mess around and paint "backgrounds" that I can then use in future projects...

 

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend! xo