Road Trip

I've had this post "in limbo" for several days...I needed to locate my notes and a gallery guide so I could give proper credit to the fiber and textile artists I've featured in this post.

The Carnegie Center for Art & History, New Albany IN

Last Thursday, a friend and I went on a day trip to New Albany, Indiana.  The Carnegie Institute of Art and History was featuring an exhibit of textiles created by the Louisville Area Fiber and Textile Artists Group.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Embroidery with beads by Leigh Payne

Multiple layers of dyed and printed silk broadcloth, fused to backing, embroidery and beads as embellishment by Pat Sturtzel

Grandma's Gift Cotton fabrics and found objects by Sallie Manassah

by Sallie Manassah

Chestbuts Roasting hand-dyed silk shibori shawl by Pamela Mattel

Zion Sunset  Cotton fabric, dyed, overdyed, flour paste and soy wax resists, screen printing, textile paint & machine quilting

by Marti Plager

Silk thread on noil, hand embroidery by Bette Levy

My friend and I had a lovely time...there were lots of cool little shops in downtown New Albany, and lots of neat little cafes.  We lunched at Toast...what a great menu!  I'm looking forward to going back to New Albany in a few weeks for a one-day Indigo & Itajime Workshop.

Feeling the Fall vibe...

The weather is still muggy in our little corner of the world, but a cool front is set to move in overnight wiping away the humidity and bringing lovely weather.  This has, so far, been an easy summer...it just seems like all of the rain has been bypassing us for the past several weeks.  I'm looking forward to the bright yellows and oranges of autumn...mums, hay bales, fall decorations. The world of Pinterest is filled with autumn images...

In the meantime, I need to be in the present...enjoy whatever comes my way and finish up on my summer reading list.  In the mail today...Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield, author of The Thirteenth Tale.  It's an advanced reading copy, and I'm anxious to settle into it.  Nothing like a gothic novel to accompany a gloomy summer afternoon!  Pour the tea, please.

Favorite New Recipe

Photo via Pinterest from A Hint of Honey.com

Earlier this week while pondering my dinner-time fate, I found this picture on Pinterest.  Clicking through to the link, I found that I had all of the ingredients for this already...a good sign, I think.  I pinned the recipe, went straight home, and pulled started prepping.  

Photo via Pinterest from The Lemon Bowl.com

While the chicken chunks were sauteing, I mixed up some tzatziki sauce from a pin from this site.  Easy, also on-hand ingredients.

This was the most delicious meal I've made in ages!  As much as I like to cook, it seems like I've fallen off the wagon when it comes to fixing real meals...hard to do for one person.  Sometimes that bag of microwaved popcorn just has to do!

Summertime Learning Adventures

I love to learn new things, and there seems to be an overabundance of web-based classes to teach you anything you'd ever want to know.  This summer I've indulged in a few e-courses:

 Flora Bowley's Brave Intuitive Painting

 Dawn Sokol's Doodle Camp 2013

 Jeanne Oliver's (taught by Jen Rizzo) Santos Doll Class

Jeanne Oliver's  Creatively Made class

It's a good thing these classes can be accessed long after the course has started.  As with everything, I always think I can do/accomplish more than I actually can.  As always, I am wrong.  It has been big fun getting my supplies together for the classes, and it was especially nice to be able to do all of the shopping from my personal supply closet.  

What a difference a day makes...

By the time yesterday afternoon rolled around, I found that I had tamed the wild goings on in my head and had formulated a do-able program plan for September and October.  I guess that's part of my problem...I'm always thinking and planning ahead for my job, and feel like I'm skipping over the "now."  Take a deep breath and relax!

I found this cool little package of yarn at JoAnn's yesterday...100% cotton, thin yarn--rather like single strand embroidery floss.  Just looking at those cute little skeins makes me smile!  I was actually looking for a ribbon yarn I purchased several months ago, similar to ~~ and I say this not knowing what I'm talking about ~~ sari silk ribbon...only much less expensive!  I've come up with a really cute "treasure necklace" for a class and it hangs on sari silk.  No go, JoAnne's!  Instead, I went online and purchased it from a supplier on Etsy. 

This (above) is a sewing stiletto made from a turkey lacer.  I saw it on Pinterest (of course!!) and we talked about making them in the Dear Jane quilting class.  One of our members made us each one and presented them to us at the luncheon carry-in.  Super cute and handy too!  Can't wait until the turkey lacers are in stock at the supermarket for the coming holiday season.  

I'm looking forward to Monday's class...a mixed-media embroidered and beaded cuff.  We have a full house for this class and it should be really fun!

Want to's, have to's, and what I end up doing...

Once again my head is a swirl with different projects, ideas, and activities. This usually happens when I'm busy with work things...or have to complete something under a time limit.  I can always think of so many other things I'd rather be doing.  Since I'm pretty undisciplined at this stage in life, I tend to blow things off and do my own thing.  Not always a good idea.

I'm struggling with my Dear Jane quilt squares.  We had a meeting this morning and several of the women brought in their stash of completed squares.  They're truly beautiful.  I always leave those meetings inspired to go home and sew.  In the hours between the end of the meeting and actually going home, something always seems to get in the way.  By the time 6PM rolls around, I'm no longer in the mood to sew...or clean house, or do laundry, or any of a number of chores on my "to do" list.  It's surprising that I still continue to write a weekly "to do" list.  While sorting through boxes in my storage room (aka, the big bedroom), I came across a notebook with lists from 2006.  Not too much was crossed off that list, sad to say.

Want to do:
Complete my Dear Jane quilt top
Simplify my "craft"/hobby equipment **(see note below)
Get books together for a donation to the library book sale
Go through kitchen stuff...do I really need all of the gadgets and gizmos?
Retire...need I say more?  Not gonna happen any time soon...I'm so jealous of all of my retired friends.

Have to do:
Basic home maintenance and cleaning, laundry, etc.
Work stuff...planning programs and classes.  This also falls into the "what I do" category...lots of my time is spent sitting and thinking, dreaming up possible fun things to do at work.

What I do:
Sit in my chair and contemplate...read, and watch television--whether there is anything of interest on or not.  I start each day with the best of intentions...I'm usually up by 5 or 5:30 and I don't have to be at work until 9.  This is where it all starts...drinking lots of coffee, watching the news, reading, then rushing to get ready for work and out of the door on time.  Precious time wasted on a daily basis.  Color me pathetic.

So far for this summer, I can honestly say that I'm happy with my potted front porch steps garden.  I walk by these plants on a daily basis;  the location is handy for watering and weeding, and I enjoy the scent of the herbs as I walk past them.  Usually by this time of year, my plants are neglected and sun-scorched out in the back yard.  Out of sight, out of mind.  At least this is one improvement I've instituted and have stuck with.  One "atta-boy" for me.

One thing that I've wanted to do, and have completed is sending in a mixed-media jewelry project for a national magazine.  Hope I get published!  

**I have begun divesting myself of things I know I will never put together or make.  The first item I listed on eBay sold at the "buy it now" price within a few hours of listing.  Now I need to list more "stuff".  Awesome.

24 Karat Cookie Bars

My friend Helen entered a recipe in the Pillsbury Bake-off.  She's made it into the semi-finalist round (60 entries), and now votes are being tabulated to enter into the next phase of the contest.  Try these out, or just read the recipe...looks and sounds delicious.  Then...visit this link Pillsbury BakeOff Voting, and vote for Helen!  Here's the recipe:

24 Karat Cookie Bars

Prep Time
15Minutes

Total Time
2:00Hrs:Mins

Makes

24 servings

1

package Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ refrigerated sugar cookies

1

bag (11.8 oz) Green Giant® Seasoned Steamers™ frozen honey Dijon carrots

2

teaspoons ground cinnamon

2

eggs

1/4

cup Pillsbury BEST® Self-Rising Flour

1

cup Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Coconut Pecan Frosting

2

tablespoons coarse white sparkling sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Arrange cookie dough rounds evenly in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, microwave frozen carrots as directed on bag. Cool 5 minutes. In large food processor bowl, place cooked carrots. Cover; process, using quick on-and-off motions until finely chopped, scraping sides occasionally. Add cinnamon, eggs, flour and frosting. Cover; process, using quick on-and-off motions until mixture is blended.
3. Pour mixture evenly over partially baked crust. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until top looks dry and center springs back when lightly touched.
4. Remove from oven; sprinkle with sugar. Let stand 5 minutes. Run knife around edges of pan to loosen; cut into bars. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. Serve at room temperature. Store covered in refrigerator.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)

• Calories 170
• (Calories from Fat 70),

• Total Fat 8g
• (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g,
• Trans Fat 1/2g),
• Cholesterol 15mg;
• Sodium 115mg;
• Total Carbohydrate 21g
• (Dietary Fiber 0g,
• Sugars 1g),
• Protein 1g;

Percent Daily Value*:

Exchanges:

• 1/2 Starch;
• 0 Fruit;
• 1 Other Carbohydrate;
• 0 Skim Milk;
• 0 Low-Fat Milk;
• 0 Milk;
• 0 Vegetable;
• 0 Very Lean Meat;
• 0 Lean Meat;
• 0 High-Fat Meat;
• 1 1/2 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choices:

• 1 1/2;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Gardening in Miniature

I've been enjoying this book~~Gardening in Miniature by Janit Calvo. It's filled with ideas and plans for constructing your own miniature garden.  Even though I really like having a real life-sized garden, I don't have the room for much of anything other than the basics...herbs, a few tomato plants, and lettuces.  With this book as a guide, I can construct my own "Secret Garden"...a place for my mind to wander in the upcoming heat-infused months.  

                                         

                                           

No weather complaints from me yet...I'm just happy that Spring has finally found us!

Weekend Fun

Yesterday was the Ohio Valley Art League's Kitchen Tour, just across the river in Henderson, Ky. Five kitchens were on display scattered all over town, and there was a chef stationed at each location. We sampled seared Ahi tuna, graham pralines, old fashioned homemade banana pudding, bananas Foster bread pudding with rum raisin sauce, and finally...the best for last...pizza from a wood-fired mobile pizza oven. Delicious pizzas...Bee Sting Pizza, a breakfast pizza, white pizza, and my favorite--Fig & Pig pizza--a fig and prosciutto pizza topped with peppery arugula. So good.

The kitchens were beautiful. I can't imagine cooking in a few of them...they were too perfect. Beautiful homes, beautiful landscaping...maid and gardener service required.

I picked up ingredients for pizza making...fig preserves, prosciutto, cheese...and had dough ready from my bread machine. I used the recipe from the Pioneer Woman's website...delicious!

Busy, busy, busy...

Sometimes things just get a little out of control around here.  It's been a busy week at work...painting class on Monday, faux flower making class on Tuesday, and Dear Jane quilting on Wednesday.  Whew!!  Now I have all kinds of ideas percolating in my head...new classes and programs for July and August...plus personal DIY's to do for me...and friends.  Seriously...my head is spinning.  I like to push people into things...going beyond their comfort limits and climbing out of the box.  I need to do that for myself...not so much getting out of my comfort zone...I do that on an almost daily basis.  I need to create things for myself...to actually make/do things....instead of carrying all of this "stuff" inside of my head.  I saw a really cute fabric cuff on Etsy a while back, and made one a few weeks ago.  I've collected beads and findings...I need to manufacture.  Coming home and going to sleep is just so much easier.  Spring is still playing hide and seek here...maybe that's part of the problem!

Playing around...

Relic Necklace 4.14.13