tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30798282178799617412024-03-13T11:04:26.476-04:00its all about colorKathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-51737379312681526382016-02-14T10:36:00.000-05:002016-02-14T10:36:56.133-05:00Stringing you along<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I didn't think to take a photo of the last quilt I made. It was a gift for a friend and I was in a hurry to finish it before she had her baby... and that was more than a year ago. So this is the only image I have:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdfsvDPtg40WbHfNBhwYgCOrhMsQNVEFmAH_WQ-rms8ANN_KTDjL8HCaUcw-4joDvhF6lWxLlUsEXibGX4BL2EXKev5CjbBaqwTXN5iaxXv-Ul3WXyGZbqbL1DOT_zGwuYLaxcQc3atw/s1600/Easton%2527s+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdfsvDPtg40WbHfNBhwYgCOrhMsQNVEFmAH_WQ-rms8ANN_KTDjL8HCaUcw-4joDvhF6lWxLlUsEXibGX4BL2EXKev5CjbBaqwTXN5iaxXv-Ul3WXyGZbqbL1DOT_zGwuYLaxcQc3atw/s640/Easton%2527s+quilt.jpg" width="522" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I really like string quilts, and this pattern in particular. It is visually complicated, but so easy to make. I like that it involves very little measuring or precision -- and allows maximum freedom to play with color.</span></div>
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Now I'm working on a version in a completely different colorway. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlAWXLRgg2uVSvOgivO4gU0mQaQfO26QexB0CWmj-UQbXR2yTOvRInCJe-Z2oyGL2wWVNOFkGEPczRfJQYIARnoSEltpw19dGq-aNApYvgl719fD1ujZdbTuD3LahyphenhypheneykcdnAccUnn1s/s1600/current+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlAWXLRgg2uVSvOgivO4gU0mQaQfO26QexB0CWmj-UQbXR2yTOvRInCJe-Z2oyGL2wWVNOFkGEPczRfJQYIARnoSEltpw19dGq-aNApYvgl719fD1ujZdbTuD3LahyphenhypheneykcdnAccUnn1s/s640/current+quilt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Don't look for a finished version anytime soon. These days, life tends to get in the way of quilting. The most I can do seems to be handwork while I'm on the train. I've been working on these little pillows to turn into a journal cover, a la <a href="http://teeshascircus.blogspot.com/2010/04/free-fabric-journal-workshop-video.html">Teesha Moore</a>. It's nice to find a use for all the fabric I've dyed, printed, doodled, and batiked over the years!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTcrmfFRLKdgxLvqk1Tbz8Pe9o_ZVtEJw34QqKINANlzp7TmYA-4OhKnuLfubBPP9oadIwE0OlT8Kw9flYpIrCNvJZA9Yh6bLU8D5e0M1YtgBvo5-RBQFkHsEHI5V4OXk6j2ber_91TM/s1600/future+journals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTcrmfFRLKdgxLvqk1Tbz8Pe9o_ZVtEJw34QqKINANlzp7TmYA-4OhKnuLfubBPP9oadIwE0OlT8Kw9flYpIrCNvJZA9Yh6bLU8D5e0M1YtgBvo5-RBQFkHsEHI5V4OXk6j2ber_91TM/s640/future+journals.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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Thank heaven there are a lot of train trips in my future!</div>
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Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-2827503166410929472014-12-10T23:17:00.001-05:002014-12-10T23:17:37.734-05:00Biscotti<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been using Pinterest as my cookbook for some time now, and increasingly feel at a loss when a recipe I need is not there. This is a particular problem during the Christmas season when I'm doing my holiday baking, so I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes, and pin my post.<br />
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Today I made Biscotti, one of my family's favorite things to dunk into hot drinks. One bite takes us back to our days living in Milan, but I am worried that my recipe may not last forever....literally. I tore it out of the New York Times shortly after we moved back from Italy -- on 8 January 1992, to be exact.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD4dIujI2VYiwYWNLB73FyvZmhOcbkvGd7Tf-dqp2JlUy0vu5Z1XoeS2zKbvqgeUm1pfi_ZjLrZ-WAxyW_hlNcK0ERvBKhOgAURAdiJF5pcrgE2BHkGUj9MirRXWYcwR5OUj7F4AfZDk/s1600/nyt+8+jan+1992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD4dIujI2VYiwYWNLB73FyvZmhOcbkvGd7Tf-dqp2JlUy0vu5Z1XoeS2zKbvqgeUm1pfi_ZjLrZ-WAxyW_hlNcK0ERvBKhOgAURAdiJF5pcrgE2BHkGUj9MirRXWYcwR5OUj7F4AfZDk/s1600/nyt+8+jan+1992.jpg" height="514" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our family loves the recipe for Almond Hazelnut Biscotti, but we prefer to use Pistachios instead of Hazelnuts, and we omit the anise extract in favor of doubling the amount of vanilla. If you can't read the fine print in the photo, here's my version of the New York Times recipe:<br />
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5 c. flour<br />
1 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
4 large eggs (plus one egg for glaze)<br />
2 c. sugar<br />
2 tsp. vanilla<br />
1 tsp. almond extract<br />
2/3 c. almonds (I don't chop the nuts)<br />
2/3 c. pistachios<br />
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.<br />
*Mix all liquid ingredients with a stand mixer for about 10 minutes, until mixture forms smooth ribbon when beaters are lifted. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients into wet mixture and stir in the nuts.<br />
*Divide into three parts and form flat logs on a baking sheet (I use a silpat lining). <br />
*Beat the extra egg and brush over the three logs.<br />
*Bake 35-40 minutes.<br />
*Cut the logs into 1/4 inch slices and arrange cut side down on baking sheet. Return to oven for another 20 minutes or until they begin to brown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0AR6aZQZijcu4kpVtReO5ogudwaehkMusfdS1lvkvs1HI8nbOpPNfvTAuYcqMexcNKJYQyicNlT5vf3A8SQPmAZOImO5nDwrJcDt18pqvy5c79utXadgzSL9tX75mVN9LTfJ8ESURc8/s1600/biscotti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij0AR6aZQZijcu4kpVtReO5ogudwaehkMusfdS1lvkvs1HI8nbOpPNfvTAuYcqMexcNKJYQyicNlT5vf3A8SQPmAZOImO5nDwrJcDt18pqvy5c79utXadgzSL9tX75mVN9LTfJ8ESURc8/s1600/biscotti.jpg" height="628" width="640" /></a></div>
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Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-38209128534216142152013-03-17T23:25:00.000-04:002013-03-18T22:47:45.087-04:00Right brain, left brain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I think you might say that I'm coming more into balance these days. Now that my kids have all gone away to college, my left brain is catching up to my right brain and I am spending more time on my family history research (see my other blog: <a href="http://voicesfromadistantpast.blogspot.com/">Voices From A Distant Past</a>).<br />
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But the right brain still demands its time as well, and here's what I've been up to: <br />
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I finished this scarf for my husband, using my own hand-dyed yarns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9egDcjSfis4pWM-Y6iKdJZu5cdF5qcOVBH8vPUqzPxu0q-bu7zdVblSMZ6qFoBALxwpSqZ58P7naNHYbhlX9B97Jqp9BrbkxsYGFdYR-kWZweE10aZ0rIdtvX-DxxPkudLYvLyRbKtw/s640/blogger-image--1674069394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9egDcjSfis4pWM-Y6iKdJZu5cdF5qcOVBH8vPUqzPxu0q-bu7zdVblSMZ6qFoBALxwpSqZ58P7naNHYbhlX9B97Jqp9BrbkxsYGFdYR-kWZweE10aZ0rIdtvX-DxxPkudLYvLyRbKtw/s400/blogger-image--1674069394.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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Here's a close-up... the colors aren't quite this brown in reality:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT82XL05SShzBD-45sBWXrkoBo1OHOL8WIesUoBA-REo0rgRuFoVpwoXleEJOJK834R9XQzZ1tXBmd2WFy5W-3c9nOk6gFgDJMT0wAUyFyrKKupm0spUF1Nr6jmn0ppczggp1cJhmbC0/s640/blogger-image-1529553104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWT82XL05SShzBD-45sBWXrkoBo1OHOL8WIesUoBA-REo0rgRuFoVpwoXleEJOJK834R9XQzZ1tXBmd2WFy5W-3c9nOk6gFgDJMT0wAUyFyrKKupm0spUF1Nr6jmn0ppczggp1cJhmbC0/s640/blogger-image-1529553104.jpg" /></a></div>
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After that, I wanted to weave an ikat pattern. I found surprisingly few examples on the web, so I had to figure it out by myself. First I measured the warp and dyed it chartreuse, one of my favorite colors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvVJOUxbV_QhHUm0bUIJwezDTSr9JPk7kHgh22inYlaAxjZp6vB1kvE4jzt8TlSmzgkoKZVwtCEewxYC8olhAYS6MSNb2pN1NZBC3vY1RgAF0tzTBjS0xWHqZtSYYkyJAYjYTpqHTchw/s640/blogger-image--241693588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSvVJOUxbV_QhHUm0bUIJwezDTSr9JPk7kHgh22inYlaAxjZp6vB1kvE4jzt8TlSmzgkoKZVwtCEewxYC8olhAYS6MSNb2pN1NZBC3vY1RgAF0tzTBjS0xWHqZtSYYkyJAYjYTpqHTchw/s640/blogger-image--241693588.jpg" /></a></div>
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Next I wrapped sections of about 20 threads in what I hoped would end up as a single organic shape, and overdyed them in cerulean blue (to get a nice chartreuse to green gradation.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWRI6bftMhOTtvzqKcMhy1I_uon3QspTBgNq-pGRm6zO00g0nWKX1752juuA_37FnLSIOd9tOp86zWI17pWmrPA8vupDXzRrvVPJKg00plR3E9mSbpiuWL47-iSF8lmueuCtfpBKiC5c/s640/blogger-image--1706336773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWRI6bftMhOTtvzqKcMhy1I_uon3QspTBgNq-pGRm6zO00g0nWKX1752juuA_37FnLSIOd9tOp86zWI17pWmrPA8vupDXzRrvVPJKg00plR3E9mSbpiuWL47-iSF8lmueuCtfpBKiC5c/s640/blogger-image--1706336773.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is a selection of various weights of cotton yarns and fabrics from my dyeing session:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOAs-kEZpZCshnm9g3rO_yQ-FAMF0Hkmqy4-SCI0L_j_kE0SeM6nIelSFnXPCuuRy76NGaTa6HlUc_zMFdym2QoidrS644gOeIBib-rsSV27mymWr1Ty0eE4QalIDy_ayozrqYgSb2t8/s640/blogger-image--1223684536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOAs-kEZpZCshnm9g3rO_yQ-FAMF0Hkmqy4-SCI0L_j_kE0SeM6nIelSFnXPCuuRy76NGaTa6HlUc_zMFdym2QoidrS644gOeIBib-rsSV27mymWr1Ty0eE4QalIDy_ayozrqYgSb2t8/s640/blogger-image--1223684536.jpg" /></a></div>
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Here's the warp after I untied all the wraps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPMWCTkQG-wP_WxSoHV_Adsshrqp6yJIaXD_fq-ZBTulSdTtpE3zg5IBoI0mEwhbvROeeqRvDYpDsrzmZFG9aTWRgJ9EEeQ_7moC-c1av9ajpL89MEN5PSJnroFvUHlB00sV_libxe_w/s640/blogger-image-281655153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPMWCTkQG-wP_WxSoHV_Adsshrqp6yJIaXD_fq-ZBTulSdTtpE3zg5IBoI0mEwhbvROeeqRvDYpDsrzmZFG9aTWRgJ9EEeQ_7moC-c1av9ajpL89MEN5PSJnroFvUHlB00sV_libxe_w/s640/blogger-image-281655153.jpg" /></a></div>
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And here it is, on the loom and ready to weave.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOOR3l2EdtnrFNFlIwiZ53LgDe3yhnV9TC1SaCh6L17e3qUZJdd8o0tOXP-oMC0cokyXQjrVdT0c6oxTYmU8Dt90YRU4EUFi-2ISEL3LA5j3Zk_f1PBsqVGTG0_GXt4NXA2RLccmUKno/s640/blogger-image-514770324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOOR3l2EdtnrFNFlIwiZ53LgDe3yhnV9TC1SaCh6L17e3qUZJdd8o0tOXP-oMC0cokyXQjrVdT0c6oxTYmU8Dt90YRU4EUFi-2ISEL3LA5j3Zk_f1PBsqVGTG0_GXt4NXA2RLccmUKno/s640/blogger-image-514770324.jpg" /></a></div>
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This is the finished piece. Hmmmm. I'm not altogether pleased, but I have a better idea of what I should do next time. I think I should use thickened dyes and paint the colors on rather than wrapping the sections of warp. I think this would give me the organic shape I was going for. I ended up with more of a striped effect, because each group of twenty warps had the same wrap. If I painted the individual threads, the change from one color to the other would have been more gradual. Oh well, live and learn!<br />
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Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-9330925158813952602013-01-26T16:59:00.000-05:002013-01-26T16:59:18.823-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been away from blogging for awhile... life does speed up sometime. I've had a few creative setbacks that have kept me away, too. If you've seen my blog in the past, you'll know that my camera is happiest when it is overseas -- and 2012 was certainly a banner year for travel! I had a chance to go to Russia this summer, but returned home only to find that one of my larger memory cards was corrupted. I lost <i>tons</i> of wonderful pictures. Right after that trip, I found out that the USPS lost a quilt I was sending out to be quilted. I had made it for my youngest daughter to take to college, so the loss was especially hard to take -- especially because this was probably the one and only time I did <b><i>not</i></b> put a tracking number and insurance on a quilt I sent out! All that heartache has made it kind of hard to pick up my camera, or set a stitch in a quilt.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lost by USPS in July, 2012.... Let me know if you ever see it!!</td></tr>
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While I've been daunted, I haven't given up. Creativity just switched gears: I've been putting a lot of energy in my <a href="http://voicesfromadistantpast.blogspot.com/">genealogy projects</a> and I have been spending more time lately at <a href="http://www.loopoftheloom.com/">Loop of the Loom</a>, enjoying the peace and tranquility of <a href="http://100h2ofan.blogspot.com/search/label/weaving">Saori weaving</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2d1wuXyPojJtedxedZfF6dMoHF3n0aeduC8da37Deaoeq7haFsprQs9FZEPDpgQ8xgtSUcFThbV2Vrhn6NNrLd_pdRZKqNW4aHJDWSlS3yR8zd2rcrCAgsuIzFVvTe7BDV-Galp20fI/s1600/fall_2012-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2d1wuXyPojJtedxedZfF6dMoHF3n0aeduC8da37Deaoeq7haFsprQs9FZEPDpgQ8xgtSUcFThbV2Vrhn6NNrLd_pdRZKqNW4aHJDWSlS3yR8zd2rcrCAgsuIzFVvTe7BDV-Galp20fI/s640/fall_2012-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ypz1KdYIuJtiTCiF3bwPJqFj0GBqqbIMYRFTiYZ3cNkeT2TZYa-Bo4suWyzjuhaZxQKK3iZ9pl1crtThOYG_nAdYZxUL8hDFagiaY5urvpdbkaF7iHpHklY1pwzhRZ4VrevtzhvkR5Y/s1600/saori+weavings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ypz1KdYIuJtiTCiF3bwPJqFj0GBqqbIMYRFTiYZ3cNkeT2TZYa-Bo4suWyzjuhaZxQKK3iZ9pl1crtThOYG_nAdYZxUL8hDFagiaY5urvpdbkaF7iHpHklY1pwzhRZ4VrevtzhvkR5Y/s640/saori+weavings.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my Saori portfolio! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRkGJIOHd6rl1JUqtKMyk4RMJsPppUu2TVawLTPi_p_YfmqVXUr-6SdUhoK3_Wx12K6yen3dC2AiJHS6Xrx8zUsVBk-Un7MyafWkVAPUuaiPvoGshLKJHewpKfaFT3KfKtmwM1UYVGwk/s1600/untitled-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRkGJIOHd6rl1JUqtKMyk4RMJsPppUu2TVawLTPi_p_YfmqVXUr-6SdUhoK3_Wx12K6yen3dC2AiJHS6Xrx8zUsVBk-Un7MyafWkVAPUuaiPvoGshLKJHewpKfaFT3KfKtmwM1UYVGwk/s640/untitled-15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sideways detail of the first scarf I made (back in April)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I love weaving! I am fascinated by the textures, and the possibilities for playing with color.</span></div>
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I'm especially interested in the interlock technique, where you hook the weft to a second color thread to get broken strands of color across the width of a piece; I've used it in every piece I've made. </div>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I like variegated color and couldn't find exactly what I wanted at my local yarn store, so I dyed my own wool:</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs52Gus_CSJN8-ASh9VTsi1JzCppt5JG1UkoE9NzblvobbVdxCLs04VjqSsp5_FzM-te4QvyLItA-Tk71q8HUYeV0ykSdj6pZI0NllSyIU9nZsGuPq46MLUYGb9FExXt9_tIIVJdKLI7c/s1600/fall_2012-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs52Gus_CSJN8-ASh9VTsi1JzCppt5JG1UkoE9NzblvobbVdxCLs04VjqSsp5_FzM-te4QvyLItA-Tk71q8HUYeV0ykSdj6pZI0NllSyIU9nZsGuPq46MLUYGb9FExXt9_tIIVJdKLI7c/s320/fall_2012-12.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvTuD-KHD-cVjuCgmEETl5H64LlRq3qFPGA5Iw86JpZBwXm-6JgVWzzhSmg0bjFJuT-N5wCqJDuasBpLOBNB_TovIDRdR-81JebG9gY8zjIhn4nKc4zZX-z6oTHg4I8OLskdFugYpR4k/s1600/fall_2012-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvTuD-KHD-cVjuCgmEETl5H64LlRq3qFPGA5Iw86JpZBwXm-6JgVWzzhSmg0bjFJuT-N5wCqJDuasBpLOBNB_TovIDRdR-81JebG9gY8zjIhn4nKc4zZX-z6oTHg4I8OLskdFugYpR4k/s320/fall_2012-8.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfH7hma1-pZxrD9Svx3lO3ASViMviSLNfuckFOqxe2EygwgMUNbEytKxsqiXk92OqMSNVGlH48S5Cs5_PKNdHmamcVRBuW1TouqoJb0tN1fGMUqxoP0gDxnK9uLkhYzkP36z9DKhBq7U/s1600/fall_2012-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfH7hma1-pZxrD9Svx3lO3ASViMviSLNfuckFOqxe2EygwgMUNbEytKxsqiXk92OqMSNVGlH48S5Cs5_PKNdHmamcVRBuW1TouqoJb0tN1fGMUqxoP0gDxnK9uLkhYzkP36z9DKhBq7U/s640/fall_2012-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarf in progress -- using my own hand-dyed yarns<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I do tend to carry ideas out to their logical conclusion. If hand-dyed yarn is good, then shouldn't I spin my <b><i>own</i></b> hand-dyed yarn? I have some roving on hand, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://100h2ofan.blogspot.com/2009/05/dying-wool-roving-with-peruvian-dyes.html">dyed back in 2009</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, and I bought an inexpensive drop spindle the other day to give it a go. Unfortunately, spinning doesn't seem to be a popular activity where I live, so I can't find a class -- but after checking out some youtube videos, I managed to produce some yarn. A little kinky, a little wobbly, but definitely yarn! I need another project like I need a hole in the head, but I have to follow my curiosity or I'm not a happy camper.</span></div>
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And in case you were wondering, I don't think I will ever lose my love of quilting. I had been working on this one off and on for a few years, but decided to finish it after I made my daughter's quilt (but before it was lost). This one made it back safely through the mail, so here it is, for the record.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb5Y0fK823-dulJNg4UQlrNhc1gjwjlpHD58liBq_f8YkpwyZjLQu45o5Alo28fGdUUSAQmbgPIpL4z6NZ12PeEAe88x5UT-vtOlSO1ugg8-A33nLKX2WinDm9_63nOSXShFMNNbXaRw/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb5Y0fK823-dulJNg4UQlrNhc1gjwjlpHD58liBq_f8YkpwyZjLQu45o5Alo28fGdUUSAQmbgPIpL4z6NZ12PeEAe88x5UT-vtOlSO1ugg8-A33nLKX2WinDm9_63nOSXShFMNNbXaRw/s640/photo-2.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I've even made something new (albeit much smaller): a table runner for my quilt guild's Christmas gift exchange:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC8GG5kxB6o_VbMVi1SAILRHSJbz5m_8vB8x4nxU3CaKcDHXasAXRkmTllOCmsEYPuKU_KNF4r0soBtwQ5FWxr3JDFs2jqKiMCR_eoniOjLR5AkVDj8dWs4kixdcyV8V_tj6qItPLVQA/s1600/tablerunner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC8GG5kxB6o_VbMVi1SAILRHSJbz5m_8vB8x4nxU3CaKcDHXasAXRkmTllOCmsEYPuKU_KNF4r0soBtwQ5FWxr3JDFs2jqKiMCR_eoniOjLR5AkVDj8dWs4kixdcyV8V_tj6qItPLVQA/s640/tablerunner.jpg" width="354" /></a></div>
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As for photography..... yes, I've had lots of opportunities to take more shots after losing so many this summer. But.....now I'm learning Lightroom, too. It isn't huge learning curve, but I have lots of work to catalog everything, so it might be awhile before I start sharing again! <br />
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Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-7708304461173533532012-06-17T14:54:00.000-04:002012-06-17T14:54:51.474-04:00Happy Father's Day!I am lucky enough to have a wonderful Dad, who taught us all a very important concept:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><b><i>"the Daddy tax"</i></b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan</td></tr>
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This time-honored tradition of arbitrary taxation has been carried on to the next generation -- my husband embraced it with gusto, and I'm sure our kids will pass it down to their families, too. (Just kidding, Dad! I love you!)</div>
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Just a quick check-in to wish all the fathers out there a very happy Father's Day! I'm taking a short blogging break to focus on my family... my older daughter is home from college, my younger daughter is graduating from high school, and my son's health is going downhill again. Creativity sort of slows down when life heats up, I've found. I know it's only temporary, so I hope to be back soon!</div>
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<br /></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-81719965676150350142012-04-24T07:36:00.000-04:002012-04-24T07:37:01.726-04:00Thirty yearsMy husband and I took a quick trip to Italy and Holland early this month, but so much "housekeeping" stuff has come up since our return that I have barely had time to look at my photos, let alone post any. These are my favorites, taken in Zaanse Schans, a wonderful re-created historical village outside of Amsterdam, and textured with Kim Klassen's "oh my":<br />
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linking with <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-L7i2_ILp6R3D08T3CwTWchqp4jN2ow8nataxqouYrNPFBBSWXD0HfAWgM17I9U7eMor5_GpC0A2C_WrErImU_e0xp7S___bVQpziGwiBn7Rh64tBlxEBQ8-JgV6DBimDT4li5zlG8Q/s1600/IMG_1260copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1-L7i2_ILp6R3D08T3CwTWchqp4jN2ow8nataxqouYrNPFBBSWXD0HfAWgM17I9U7eMor5_GpC0A2C_WrErImU_e0xp7S___bVQpziGwiBn7Rh64tBlxEBQ8-JgV6DBimDT4li5zlG8Q/s400/IMG_1260copy.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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We enjoyed visiting friends in Amsterdam, but our heart is in Italy. My husband and I lived in Milan for the first four years we were married, so Italian habits and preferences have been part of our lives ever since. We have an academic connection to the city of Bologna, though, and return most every year for meetings, but we also take the time to slow down and absorb just being in Italy. Bologna is a very special place - known as a major center of intellectual thought, it is home to the first European university (predating Oxford). Like other Italian cities, it is full of gorgeous art and architecture, exquisite museums, unbelievably wonderful food... but relatively few tourists. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with Kim Klassen's "grunged up"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with Kim Klassen's "oh my"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with Kim Klassen's "charmed"</td></tr>
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Bologna is particularly known for the porticos covering most sidewalks in the city. It makes getting around in the rain or the summer's heat pretty easy! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkG5QJOe9wKMVQX9D1epsFLkZf9YDeqPQE6q78hh_Apunqsimt3yJxPVxkx3jLwfeJhIEqtL6M67SbZyNmBmizpJdXhCyjlQtifNdQQ2qu8mvlL95HhAyQ-qXs-yGStFhgGZGMzFxrrQ/s1600/four+portici.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkG5QJOe9wKMVQX9D1epsFLkZf9YDeqPQE6q78hh_Apunqsimt3yJxPVxkx3jLwfeJhIEqtL6M67SbZyNmBmizpJdXhCyjlQtifNdQQ2qu8mvlL95HhAyQ-qXs-yGStFhgGZGMzFxrrQ/s640/four+portici.jpg" width="536" /></a></div>
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Thirty years ago this week, I met my husband. I was a first-year graduate student and he was a few weeks away from graduation. He had spent a transformative academic year in Bologna, and over the years since, this expanded into so many Italian-focused experiences that it really shaped us as a family. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuhCjNT2yZesz_-nb_RtgOex84tEhUWpRAOMdM7O8Sgk4qYS8m5sR6xhNaVIGvrhk8NCBkiUy7HMb8p4S8cFdbZhmbhMqKKnRx5XJ8vKD_dCYUdX3BiQdWYCdUOGi0L9YHJxSYKjKvLw/s1600/toms+graduation+from+sais.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuhCjNT2yZesz_-nb_RtgOex84tEhUWpRAOMdM7O8Sgk4qYS8m5sR6xhNaVIGvrhk8NCBkiUy7HMb8p4S8cFdbZhmbhMqKKnRx5XJ8vKD_dCYUdX3BiQdWYCdUOGi0L9YHJxSYKjKvLw/s640/toms+graduation+from+sais.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
The only thing is, it just seems like yesterday. How can time go by so fast?Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-78755677965827125862012-04-16T23:18:00.000-04:002012-04-16T23:18:58.536-04:00Ah, Providence!I am gearing up for the vicarious thrill of my artistic life.... my youngest daughter will be a freshman next year at the Rhode Island School of Design. We drove to Providence on Friday to attend an open house for accepted students, and I am smitten.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20dQYJBsYkOsQ6p9lZF6cJqdmulr1E43TDE_YTzEHzUHV7RP-vkWOqAM-PlCb9x5MShaLliSQWWnl3qKoLWH2tG7CsLdUOvW-MbSB5_kRxvzfm1GXu6oRnC0BLKv5_-2cvNIjDM8PLu0/s1600/IMG_1342copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20dQYJBsYkOsQ6p9lZF6cJqdmulr1E43TDE_YTzEHzUHV7RP-vkWOqAM-PlCb9x5MShaLliSQWWnl3qKoLWH2tG7CsLdUOvW-MbSB5_kRxvzfm1GXu6oRnC0BLKv5_-2cvNIjDM8PLu0/s400/IMG_1342copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with two layers of Kim Klassen's "grunged up" (multiply @ 47% and color burn @ 71%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As a current student wrote recently on the class of 2016 facebook page, RISD is the Hogwarts of art schools. This school is more than just an art school; it is a dynamic community of creative thinkers who happen to express their ideas visually.<br />
<br />
Now I know that if you really want to become better at taking pictures, you must bring your camera everywhere. But this weekend was for my daughter -- and while she is usually fairly tolerant of my photographic vanities, she was horrified that I would embarrass her in this setting.... so I left the DSLR at home and used my iphone instead. In the end, though, I couldn't capture any of it because they asked that we not take photos of the students at work. It was OK to photograph inside the nature lab:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z6X2lY9kMpZtQ50SiWjc2SRe2EIqdSAIvmb5xquTieGA2d0ousd9sQeJoJJFltttLOf_Y0AAs80Fd0lzKlL9pAc-TeyxoUEJ_fjlrTRfrkbhGTs_B3q-vauQKyCI5pigkF0gkZ6q6e0/s1600/IMG_1317copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z6X2lY9kMpZtQ50SiWjc2SRe2EIqdSAIvmb5xquTieGA2d0ousd9sQeJoJJFltttLOf_Y0AAs80Fd0lzKlL9pAc-TeyxoUEJ_fjlrTRfrkbhGTs_B3q-vauQKyCI5pigkF0gkZ6q6e0/s400/IMG_1317copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with Kim Klassen's "Little things" (overlay @56%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Imagine a huge hall, filled with cabinet after cabinet of natural curiosities, from stuffed animals to specimens of all kinds of plants. It felt like a magnificent Victorian museum glorifying the great explorers of that era.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QgCc4TKBrFwAQllWjnjFdjnpA2X16q9Kity7MpkoJ5NU46Q5rdxePUQQkWnGXw0tUNwYZUBJ7DgAhYvjisys2c8G67HxYKIxCrqhvW0gtJfjxFTLmq7iZeG9RVuVtBQp-WUheHaoBq4/s1600/IMG_1316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QgCc4TKBrFwAQllWjnjFdjnpA2X16q9Kity7MpkoJ5NU46Q5rdxePUQQkWnGXw0tUNwYZUBJ7DgAhYvjisys2c8G67HxYKIxCrqhvW0gtJfjxFTLmq7iZeG9RVuVtBQp-WUheHaoBq4/s400/IMG_1316.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with three layers of Kim Klassen's "Happy heart" (soft light @100%, multiply @100%, and color burn @100% </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Providence has so many historic buildings and architectural gems, and I am looking forward to getting better acquainted with the city over the next four years. One such treasure was the <a href="http://www.providenceathenaeum.org/">Providence Athenaeum</a>, the fourth oldest public library in America. Established in 1753, the present building dates back to 1838. I loved the fact that visitors are welcome to come in and browse, and I especially loved the mixture of old and new books on the shelves, which makes it a living neighborhood resource with the stately feel of another era. I can see myself heading there next time I'm in town, just to read the newspaper in the armchairs next to the portrait of George Washington.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlkTnS23OirWbdO2YnChyTezANxh25Mu4q5HsSPO5w9GeBrouk3Gp3D8YttgEH806BzKydKa24o-3NLCnt28YbpdNyhY1dGtS27HwYCeBiiN9GUkVZQfiAfpQFaWC12I3LbTLgqFmCLA/s1600/IMG_1339copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlkTnS23OirWbdO2YnChyTezANxh25Mu4q5HsSPO5w9GeBrouk3Gp3D8YttgEH806BzKydKa24o-3NLCnt28YbpdNyhY1dGtS27HwYCeBiiN9GUkVZQfiAfpQFaWC12I3LbTLgqFmCLA/s400/IMG_1339copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with Kim Klassen's "little things" (overlay @56%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiad1Rka7U0lUd8QFx9B_Gr8z4ahxnpo8rpdYi40ff_Tp5Z5RT-C9HayzfbRnEogeIq8IjRqTC8ikPkNcSUhXt1XN74ZgBse37GsUBGSIeHdIqspR5oWw9p8g0Dv5fGrlAHHP57pWtAzG4/s1600/IMG_1341copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiad1Rka7U0lUd8QFx9B_Gr8z4ahxnpo8rpdYi40ff_Tp5Z5RT-C9HayzfbRnEogeIq8IjRqTC8ikPkNcSUhXt1XN74ZgBse37GsUBGSIeHdIqspR5oWw9p8g0Dv5fGrlAHHP57pWtAzG4/s400/IMG_1341copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with Kim Klassen's "little things" (soft light @50%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And of course, no visit is ever complete without good food. I love the internet -- I found <a href="http://nicksonbroadway.com/site/">Nick's on Broadway</a> by trolling the foodie forums for Providence. We had a spectacular brunch there, all based on the best locally-sourced ingredients. I had feathery-light poached eggs on a polenta base that was more a lemony-herbal souffle than any polenta I've ever eaten before.... delicious!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspFxh0wCl6BgdDfUszlYgRCU8SweAY9H3EyXXBLsfuGeDEe0qeuM5tnSj5dMIYzFsHfsbxAVfDc0RtjFR6NP8pl3-OWrAegtpZE7lDU5ZVjCb87avUnZq8C4wqmEVxG5zCmK_8DUP6XQ/s1600/IMG_1337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjspFxh0wCl6BgdDfUszlYgRCU8SweAY9H3EyXXBLsfuGeDEe0qeuM5tnSj5dMIYzFsHfsbxAVfDc0RtjFR6NP8pl3-OWrAegtpZE7lDU5ZVjCb87avUnZq8C4wqmEVxG5zCmK_8DUP6XQ/s400/IMG_1337.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no textures here.... pure food, served to you in a straightforward manner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here is the neighborhood cat -- I had to take this picture because it reminds me of long ago (way before kids). Back then, I had three cats who knew exactly when to jump up into the window and wait for me to come home from work: </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlGKNCrxqcEAyk-Xf3Z4T_nmk5Qr1yMaFb5U2VE7yeFC-aJb-dkHGmy3GYHdYD0MHWKJ62mdX_ylXTcLwucCxbi4lii6Zjqt-0cY0jaleJ7u4xvFzOLa9JFmQP9n-P3dsId5rASblYKQ/s1600/IMG_1336copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlGKNCrxqcEAyk-Xf3Z4T_nmk5Qr1yMaFb5U2VE7yeFC-aJb-dkHGmy3GYHdYD0MHWKJ62mdX_ylXTcLwucCxbi4lii6Zjqt-0cY0jaleJ7u4xvFzOLa9JFmQP9n-P3dsId5rASblYKQ/s400/IMG_1336copy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">textured with Kim Klassen's "little things" (multiply @100%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Linking with <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-349060909535883932012-04-07T19:37:00.000-04:002012-04-07T19:37:16.145-04:00Saori weaving<div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All flowers are beautiful,</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">even though each individual flower is different in form and color.</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Because of this difference, “all are good”.</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Because everything has the same life, </span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">life cannot be measured by a yardstick.</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is this individuality that makes</span><span style="font: 16.0px Arial; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">everything meaningful </span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">and the uniqueness of each thread</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">that creates the tapestry of life.</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Misao Jo</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">(from Loop of the Loom website)</span></div><div style="color: #d57648; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I've been busy, busy, busy. I just got back from a week in Europe, and on my first day home took my mother into New York for a birthday surprise. She loves weaving, so her gift was an all-day pass at <a href="http://www.loopoftheloom.com/">Loop of the Loom</a>, an amazing fiber studio on the upper east side that follows the Japanese tradition of saori weaving. Saori is a free-style form of weaving that embodies the concept of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi">wabi sabi</a>," or the beauty that exists in imperfection and simplicity. </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQ4yRrdvE9uS-gSDGAhXO2SZTL-CLeX_qa03Jc8xImeWqlzsfZqTiDhxQuP8WIZbNsxe-ypXqUiCA883s0Y0gI3-Z9nUIg9fUxMyq2O5eMdfwMtG8cCdeqZQYkRdhyAebKuOPz_UbTF0/s1600/weaving5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQ4yRrdvE9uS-gSDGAhXO2SZTL-CLeX_qa03Jc8xImeWqlzsfZqTiDhxQuP8WIZbNsxe-ypXqUiCA883s0Y0gI3-Z9nUIg9fUxMyq2O5eMdfwMtG8cCdeqZQYkRdhyAebKuOPz_UbTF0/s320/weaving5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>Once you learn the basic techniques, you can really just play with color:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdTdyu60ptFHLKKKEqX56A8ue4q2tsls2icw8_G66S3l4g_8cq5cNkXvHaiTY5zAr73STVVHxPcPp_K20Zid8WfGyWBDOuEHxuXRam0ppWOOAhzEwYzbNd3g2JWP0SUTkokLar9qeScw/s1600/weaving3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdTdyu60ptFHLKKKEqX56A8ue4q2tsls2icw8_G66S3l4g_8cq5cNkXvHaiTY5zAr73STVVHxPcPp_K20Zid8WfGyWBDOuEHxuXRam0ppWOOAhzEwYzbNd3g2JWP0SUTkokLar9qeScw/s320/weaving3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The program we followed was called a "zen weaving" session, and I can see why: we lost all sense of time, and became completely absorbed in the quiet sounds of the loom as we worked it, and the patterns developing before us almost without any thought.</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcohiQkyJTM7_cfEwOmbxKRoNNDqJ_JzO4VZ9gTSGCnoVakc6zsrcz46wCMM6XaMsxG2ESgjcC7-UhVGcUkzPCwl9rROMxCoNaQwXOqllcgpDLMKTTp3uu3KQWQnT3u-8vD9EWQavtme4/s1600/weaving1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcohiQkyJTM7_cfEwOmbxKRoNNDqJ_JzO4VZ9gTSGCnoVakc6zsrcz46wCMM6XaMsxG2ESgjcC7-UhVGcUkzPCwl9rROMxCoNaQwXOqllcgpDLMKTTp3uu3KQWQnT3u-8vD9EWQavtme4/s320/weaving1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It's funny -- I love color and use it intuitively in my quilting and mixed media work, but not as much in clothing. I went in with the idea of making a scarf, and my final piece reflected that:</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVQ3uoPJvp7bIaHrlu2LTOlMHj_jiyLQhGLliJHhLoo4-dGzdhQ-dPEgoHB6myCmWcH2Sug6z1m419rM4z2QQCNwDmniN2_Biq-3Cii3DFHjZH2R_RkTKgoeeAnaYhJ7KxQ_hiFtHzQA/s1600/weaving4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVQ3uoPJvp7bIaHrlu2LTOlMHj_jiyLQhGLliJHhLoo4-dGzdhQ-dPEgoHB6myCmWcH2Sug6z1m419rM4z2QQCNwDmniN2_Biq-3Cii3DFHjZH2R_RkTKgoeeAnaYhJ7KxQ_hiFtHzQA/s320/weaving4.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My mother, on the other hand, is not hesitant to wear bright colors, and so she made this:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8Z38xKBvuHi0NGKWATjjmgSxpAZw2q5hYzZUBCHB3WxN4sqTBw3Bfgy9z_icNw9pWLcTiZU_IbO6AeTUSJtHNNak3ccgaxwBcptkBsexOQr77YYjceUS_3V9slsH9sHeD78gHYjJrfA/s1600/weaving2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8Z38xKBvuHi0NGKWATjjmgSxpAZw2q5hYzZUBCHB3WxN4sqTBw3Bfgy9z_icNw9pWLcTiZU_IbO6AeTUSJtHNNak3ccgaxwBcptkBsexOQr77YYjceUS_3V9slsH9sHeD78gHYjJrfA/s320/weaving2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I think next time I go to Loop of the Loom, I will go without any preconceived notions of what I'm going to make, so I can truly just play with colors. I do that so easily with my quilts -- I wonder why weaving felt like it had to be "practical?" </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">In any case, we had a wonderful day, and I can't wait to return!</span></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-91560778850577232812012-03-27T16:27:00.000-04:002012-03-27T16:27:55.531-04:00What goes around comes around....A year ago, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer asked me to write a guest post for her blog on how I combine quilting and art journaling (you can read it <a href="http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/2011/05/art-journal-every-day-where-quilting-and-art-journaling-meet.html">here</a>). I wrote that moving from quilting to mixed media felt like the next logical step in my self-directed art education. What I didn't realize then was that passions ebb and flow in cycles, and those cycles inform and move the subsequent ones. <br />
<br />
I mentioned in my last blog post that I've been moving back to an obsession with fabric and quilting, with less emphasis on the mixed media and photography than I've had in recent months. But this time around, I sense a difference: now I'm fascinated with composition and color, not just color alone. This quilt-in-progress gives you an idea of what I mean:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5I5z_wswGdu1S5miE2lVnVJgoghFueTOWSSah_UKBZXO4wi4XBKJur0yrbREB9jSxpjw2D2KJT0nbpykBgnH8TLThsO5AW4p2CWJeBrGEQ6AUWBKEZVrpRr1EIZQIYDlxdFRNgH_G5U/s1600/current+work1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5I5z_wswGdu1S5miE2lVnVJgoghFueTOWSSah_UKBZXO4wi4XBKJur0yrbREB9jSxpjw2D2KJT0nbpykBgnH8TLThsO5AW4p2CWJeBrGEQ6AUWBKEZVrpRr1EIZQIYDlxdFRNgH_G5U/s640/current+work1.jpg" width="537" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free-form piecing inspired by the work of Nancy Crow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I don't think I could have made a quilt like this before. I wasn't able to see beyond the block, or grid, orientation that most quilts have -- but since I've taken classes in collage and have begun to work in mixed media, this is beginning to change. <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">One thing that I think is unique to patchwork, as compared with art journaling -- the fact that you can easily change your style just by changing fabrics and construction techniques! These 6" blocks are also current projects of mine. While I am artistically inspired by free-form, intuitive piecing, I'm equally fascinated by precision work, especially if it involves applique or hand-piecing. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEErEAT9-smVdC6OAGLSiNNIxKmq7Ahore-s8APwfTRwpkqqrF7L3oA3R1lVdoA8ZvSRJtZuzFvqzAjdgquAULlyHTe24CXQSl7wL47uCUryr4B35eOTVSsnN-eYOO_bRB60SI4X_vDo/s1600/current+work2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEErEAT9-smVdC6OAGLSiNNIxKmq7Ahore-s8APwfTRwpkqqrF7L3oA3R1lVdoA8ZvSRJtZuzFvqzAjdgquAULlyHTe24CXQSl7wL47uCUryr4B35eOTVSsnN-eYOO_bRB60SI4X_vDo/s400/current+work2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By staying open to whatever inspires me in the moment, I avoid boxing myself in to any one identity. I can be a free spirit! And that includes art journaling, too. Lately I have also been feeling like drawing faces, so why not?<br />
<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchg2RtUAq1iyFAb3aRSehOsr_CbxEMfVTyxntZ5Cg2eNFmvsz3FwT5IqhEHkTiQ85wvQufXyTz9OciVA0OEeZ00VDnHeC5AoZ4h96A1u4XWQr62XmPRH05Ybg6sHJBLfpZC7akyMJRsM/s1600/current+work3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchg2RtUAq1iyFAb3aRSehOsr_CbxEMfVTyxntZ5Cg2eNFmvsz3FwT5IqhEHkTiQ85wvQufXyTz9OciVA0OEeZ00VDnHeC5AoZ4h96A1u4XWQr62XmPRH05Ybg6sHJBLfpZC7akyMJRsM/s320/current+work3.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-19033112198374839592012-03-20T07:43:00.000-04:002012-03-20T07:43:19.098-04:00BalanceI have been thoroughly enjoying our odd, warm winter, and now, our balmy 70 degree days of spring. After our out-of-cycle blizzard back in October, I'm sure we'll get ten inches of snow in April -- but what can you do other than just go along for the ride?<br />
<br />
<div>So that's what I'm doing right now, going along for the ride, trying to balance my every-day "stuff" with my creative life. I am deep in the midst of several big sewing projects, which don't really lend themselves to blog posts (it's kind of like watching the grass grow....), but I've got some travel plans coming up soon, so my camera is getting warmed up for action. In the meantime, here's a shot I took in Thailand over Christmas:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nySvQyfxjfcjtPRjxTqkY6VdgKg059_3XiLnfRtNtTQ1xrGRhei851t5zBLLwomq5Yhb-9WF8okDfa-gqxbET0nIuj3HFOURif2kQA_21rCciBgVAjVD-AEt8wPG3ocUXaKz5aQW_E0/s1600/IMG_0055+copy+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nySvQyfxjfcjtPRjxTqkY6VdgKg059_3XiLnfRtNtTQ1xrGRhei851t5zBLLwomq5Yhb-9WF8okDfa-gqxbET0nIuj3HFOURif2kQA_21rCciBgVAjVD-AEt8wPG3ocUXaKz5aQW_E0/s640/IMG_0055+copy+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Textured with Kim Klassen's "Thursday" (overlay @100%)<br />
<br />
linking with <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-49076411027106449582012-03-05T21:55:00.000-05:002012-03-05T21:55:53.557-05:00All work and no play......I have decided to stop fighting it. <br />
<br />
I have too many passions, and there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything. So rather than feeling frustrated because I can't spend every waking moment taking photographs.. or quilting... or making mixed media art.... I've decided to follow what <a href="http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/2012/01/art-journal-every-day-let-go-of-expectations.html">Julie Fei-Fan Balzer</a> calls the "shiny ball" -- that is, whatever intrigues me in the moment, without the burden of expectations. My creative interests tend to move in cycles, and what I find fascinating is that when I come back to something after being away from it for awhile, the other creative things I've been doing in the meantime add a dimension that was missing before. You really lose nothing by being peripatetic! <br />
<br />
The point of all this is that the great wheel is moving now, back in the direction of my more.... well, <i>nerdy</i> interests. My brain is whirling as I wrestle with a structure for a genealogical research database I am trying to create -- one that doesn't easily fit into existing commercial database models. The frustration comes because I have just enough knowledge to know what I want and how to get it, but not quite enough to design it easily.<br />
<br />
So, for a study break (and as my submission to <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday</a>), I am offering more images from our trip to Thailand over Christmas. These shots were taken at a rice mill near the town of Wiang Papao in the northern part of the country, and were textured with Kim's freebie texture, Happy Heart. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdHGAyPRMSvydL7Su3wKgOrFv-aAM8gNDvkbG_8Eads8xFaioDK5kMpNcWV1nilYpmOxlwGuEz8fU5kGO9cTSloEU3yBFVPyWjZ3e1QYWq3TzxmVR1B9FqHEhnUtC037V91HV3PKz-rg/s1600/IMG_0220web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdHGAyPRMSvydL7Su3wKgOrFv-aAM8gNDvkbG_8Eads8xFaioDK5kMpNcWV1nilYpmOxlwGuEz8fU5kGO9cTSloEU3yBFVPyWjZ3e1QYWq3TzxmVR1B9FqHEhnUtC037V91HV3PKz-rg/s640/IMG_0220web.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Happy Heart" (soft light @49%, multiply @82%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztxRKqgJJ7O0njfBSFnrJ4MRrOgrpnN4TwwCDG_X5UG1lSfXNoa8cXxuqOErxVd6_Ui4l7pLLiBzRy2G0y82ZNnzohyphenhyphenvY5P32wffPcVLVkZcJpeoWbQU39tqvtyOfnbvtlGM-lun5O8/s1600/IMG_0222web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztxRKqgJJ7O0njfBSFnrJ4MRrOgrpnN4TwwCDG_X5UG1lSfXNoa8cXxuqOErxVd6_Ui4l7pLLiBzRy2G0y82ZNnzohyphenhyphenvY5P32wffPcVLVkZcJpeoWbQU39tqvtyOfnbvtlGM-lun5O8/s640/IMG_0222web.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Happy Heart" (soft light @100%, color burn @15%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdlVzPCuqbxSAaxUwRofs93szWeOcQ4XvPn1wTLKQvCSwsluK52IMpzFUkFF3CMTHEkcA9yNWWErWUUvJ8UFCi8YD9E-kL16ErQVX2N649zAsV0RRbknwrYE2C9LrlpPogKznvHlapIA/s1600/IMG_0233web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvdlVzPCuqbxSAaxUwRofs93szWeOcQ4XvPn1wTLKQvCSwsluK52IMpzFUkFF3CMTHEkcA9yNWWErWUUvJ8UFCi8YD9E-kL16ErQVX2N649zAsV0RRbknwrYE2C9LrlpPogKznvHlapIA/s640/IMG_0233web.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Happy Heart" (soft light @70%, color burn @19%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9K0v41azMv1-4Z_kAhWBus3W3brnrV5F2ghXVCOmuQtE5AXnPO3R4aET60JJpH7uG_ImTfv6_K3sPWWhmyByzr2dUF9h28Y5my4nrnAvp6CWZNZ0sqzOB-mUbcfdnrBu93WJAo_Nk6w/s1600/IMG_0240web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9K0v41azMv1-4Z_kAhWBus3W3brnrV5F2ghXVCOmuQtE5AXnPO3R4aET60JJpH7uG_ImTfv6_K3sPWWhmyByzr2dUF9h28Y5my4nrnAvp6CWZNZ0sqzOB-mUbcfdnrBu93WJAo_Nk6w/s640/IMG_0240web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Try as I would, this image of drying rice just didn't look good with added textures!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-47447990986552749232012-02-21T07:08:00.000-05:002012-02-21T07:08:54.079-05:00And now for something completely different....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJHn2aElDTnaiDDGjUS_8mV4AEyOJ0f0xk_4oqBb5lKsFMzlRVW-JJu8OuGw1YI_C3ecZ4Lr_kXumw_sbYG_iJLKcAcnxxqeyZq44hIpvlDddQQBlnqhY9bNPMiqBIxta2hygQcKjyYE/s1600/IMG_0854+texture+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJHn2aElDTnaiDDGjUS_8mV4AEyOJ0f0xk_4oqBb5lKsFMzlRVW-JJu8OuGw1YI_C3ecZ4Lr_kXumw_sbYG_iJLKcAcnxxqeyZq44hIpvlDddQQBlnqhY9bNPMiqBIxta2hygQcKjyYE/s640/IMG_0854+texture+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Lighthouse at Fort Point, San Francisco --</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Processed with Kim Klassen's "Felicity" and a texture I created from a photo I took at the fort,<br />
using the tutorial Kim shared in our "Beyond Layers" class<br />
(linking with <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe/">Texture Tuesday</a>)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm taking a break from showing images from my trip to Thailand ..... Instead, my husband and I decided to take a quick trip out to California last week to visit family. The weather was wonderful, and we were outside as much as possible. One day we explored the parks around the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. </div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc12qLBtNXVMj-m5p3G3YHbLQN4nEmJMqTC39y4M4ElFxdzxDqIUSUMu4WD65DlH4nH-oO1kjAM5sxamXeguuBKIXrj5A0Y1TjiuZn40wdv63H9ZKFR9hyZWu3Jl9WeZp4m0yj6YDIsI/s1600/IMG_0850+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc12qLBtNXVMj-m5p3G3YHbLQN4nEmJMqTC39y4M4ElFxdzxDqIUSUMu4WD65DlH4nH-oO1kjAM5sxamXeguuBKIXrj5A0Y1TjiuZn40wdv63H9ZKFR9hyZWu3Jl9WeZp4m0yj6YDIsI/s640/IMG_0850+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Although I've been to San Francisco many times (I even lived here for a few years when I was a child), I had never visited Fort Point before. Fort Point was the main naval defense for the city of San Francisco until the civil war. It is tucked away under the base of the bridge, and probably isn't high on tourists' must-see lists. Despite my fear of heights, I had a marvelous time -- there were so many interesting angles to capture:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAskWY78HexckIGOenu4Lj22yFJ4okZ9P_S8TUXd3chDkyezLcvCzkGFW9kxkdRhSZ5UMYXK7973wtO0fmNIDkUE5JZvUGhMdOM7AJBBbeIg6kUr7CqoB_esRN-ZTveM4YfbGy4jnDhM/s1600/IMG_0810+texture+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAskWY78HexckIGOenu4Lj22yFJ4okZ9P_S8TUXd3chDkyezLcvCzkGFW9kxkdRhSZ5UMYXK7973wtO0fmNIDkUE5JZvUGhMdOM7AJBBbeIg6kUr7CqoB_esRN-ZTveM4YfbGy4jnDhM/s320/IMG_0810+texture+web.jpg" width="220" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I9D8OmMK5vA9-Y13NBbOH5rG6U-fYqqKhi0HvYSB-4xEN0mS1OBhrMob_M5RNIXmxGSgfsAjP9ONr2zFQ7pDiPVwa-mnv1MHxIVZpn9quYBHM6ifkBzzGuPytAgQFpbaDvx10A9ithI/s1600/IMG_0802+texture+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I9D8OmMK5vA9-Y13NBbOH5rG6U-fYqqKhi0HvYSB-4xEN0mS1OBhrMob_M5RNIXmxGSgfsAjP9ONr2zFQ7pDiPVwa-mnv1MHxIVZpn9quYBHM6ifkBzzGuPytAgQFpbaDvx10A9ithI/s320/IMG_0802+texture+web.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnewjNl_eTz-pJMtim7AT6MZlSRNS15YGQSOcP9ri7oO_A9p9qdxb1q-yqD-RYZ6hYRoKy8QiZnkE4FNwgEEgaoI3WOTz_izOm-xhfqCq5JBanLdi_NkzIs7lvxB_yXdGGJtjWvG5TtKA/s1600/IMG_0826+texture+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnewjNl_eTz-pJMtim7AT6MZlSRNS15YGQSOcP9ri7oO_A9p9qdxb1q-yqD-RYZ6hYRoKy8QiZnkE4FNwgEEgaoI3WOTz_izOm-xhfqCq5JBanLdi_NkzIs7lvxB_yXdGGJtjWvG5TtKA/s400/IMG_0826+texture+web.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This was the walk back from the fort towards Crissy Field:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu8unJb1RgznNhgvR-UJf-RxfLAiM49pT7VZ7Q65NPockJWP-BaIt9PO5K1NIBWUitzXmX1E3qeUS5UmDKNbmt_a_zZUnaVqp2u-5PZxkE706Afr-0pJTLOolnw3813G7mkJXoEMC-p8/s1600/IMG_0873+texture+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBu8unJb1RgznNhgvR-UJf-RxfLAiM49pT7VZ7Q65NPockJWP-BaIt9PO5K1NIBWUitzXmX1E3qeUS5UmDKNbmt_a_zZUnaVqp2u-5PZxkE706Afr-0pJTLOolnw3813G7mkJXoEMC-p8/s640/IMG_0873+texture+web.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>Crissy Field was originally an early aviation strip, and is now a well-used park along the beach. It certainly is a magnet for dogs! We met my husband's sister and her boys there with their Golden, Brooklyn. As you can see from the first photo, he was so happy in the water (it would take an awful lot of treats to get our Golden, Jackson, to venture anywhere near it)! I was surprised to see how many professional dog-walkers were out, too. I am still a little nervous about taking pictures of strangers, so I only got a few shots of them, but they were legion that day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52vafeXeH3-C6RPzcL9rdh7JOhRnSN0QWJBAJzTzDFHQOYBZOJpZcR5wcnTZAmuAWXhHHH6ShAUc-qnD3q5ZbvXUl0lFa4vSogpW0a6HsGO56DOICpXC63Z6WuQemPSAFcYeIt8qRi8A/s1600/dog+storyboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52vafeXeH3-C6RPzcL9rdh7JOhRnSN0QWJBAJzTzDFHQOYBZOJpZcR5wcnTZAmuAWXhHHH6ShAUc-qnD3q5ZbvXUl0lFa4vSogpW0a6HsGO56DOICpXC63Z6WuQemPSAFcYeIt8qRi8A/s640/dog+storyboard.jpg" width="632" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And now, on a completely different subject......</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>My creativity seems to run in cycles, and lately all I want to do is work in fabric. In the last few weeks I have completed three quilt tops. I will send two of them out to be finished by machine, but I plan on quilting this one by hand. Since it might be awhile (a long while) before I am finished, I'll show it now:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgfK_9EO6na6rEqeSX1JsZKE_O-NKO8s41VQN1Aw1cKpu94qXgJY3yAaKcpATMBuF9bfFhzjVyEZCP9ByRqQeG4ZyEPbpUr900uVSD4BjCysRBduvlhIpozvgCVZqW7CfXz6-k2cBstQ/s1600/IMG_0648+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgfK_9EO6na6rEqeSX1JsZKE_O-NKO8s41VQN1Aw1cKpu94qXgJY3yAaKcpATMBuF9bfFhzjVyEZCP9ByRqQeG4ZyEPbpUr900uVSD4BjCysRBduvlhIpozvgCVZqW7CfXz6-k2cBstQ/s400/IMG_0648+web.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div>It's really big, so wish me luck!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-24637394247406249932012-02-06T23:50:00.000-05:002012-02-07T13:37:21.906-05:00Mid-winter blues (and pinks and purples....)Right about this time of year, winter starts to gets old.... the novelty of the season wears off and I start thinking about the colors of summer. <br />
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Luckily, our trip to Thailand over Christmas gave us a brief respite from the relentless brown of bare trees and dead grass (there hasn't even been much snow here to mix things up a bit). I loved seeing a profusion of flowers everywhere; but I am used to thinking of orchids as an extravagance, and couldn't quite get used to seeing inexpensive armloads of them for sale in the markets (believe me, I could try.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8_4BB1t7k2VZeL93-D3rhxF4HM29LvN4HAc-WHWA3aouvVUr28IkX2Meo5GyHsbEJHhCDEeMkP0ICZ4xqMNDUe5XDGc8E0khC6_68Gty9c7weUbeDe8Y1hy7pH4k0gLJ9VDTtJGPbfI/s1600/flowers+storyboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD8_4BB1t7k2VZeL93-D3rhxF4HM29LvN4HAc-WHWA3aouvVUr28IkX2Meo5GyHsbEJHhCDEeMkP0ICZ4xqMNDUe5XDGc8E0khC6_68Gty9c7weUbeDe8Y1hy7pH4k0gLJ9VDTtJGPbfI/s640/flowers+storyboard.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storyboard and texture ("Thursday") courtesy of <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Kim Klassen</a><br />
linking with <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-9227403304195410542012-02-03T12:40:00.000-05:002012-02-03T12:40:25.303-05:00On the road to MandalayMy grandfather was a great fan of Rudyard Kipling, and one of his favorite poems was <a href="http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mandalay">The Road to Mandalay</a> (although it was mandatory in our family to substitute "Wild Bill Robie" for "British soldier" in the 4th line). My son had a Kipling fixation when he was six or seven, and memorized every word of "Mandalay"-- you might say that it has been an undercurrent in our family's collective memory for many years. <br />
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So when we visited Thailand recently, Kipling's words couldn't help but run through my head at every point along the way.<br />
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......from the "tinkly temple bells":<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGlRmq9ikmyafyfUKc0GNSWNZUpx5BSFI6TUcHaSjPLiibpzkvd8g4cpZrD8f-8Ln7s39Or7mLF2reG5yZOCvHIGI5IxRsOazUStlbiwde2PaSRf9lZa7F8AJefKGcPm_um-FcHxhUCU/s1600/IMG_0534+butterscotch+vintage+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGlRmq9ikmyafyfUKc0GNSWNZUpx5BSFI6TUcHaSjPLiibpzkvd8g4cpZrD8f-8Ln7s39Or7mLF2reG5yZOCvHIGI5IxRsOazUStlbiwde2PaSRf9lZa7F8AJefKGcPm_um-FcHxhUCU/s640/IMG_0534+butterscotch+vintage+web.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
.....to the hathis "piling teak":<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGi89RS85DKwJh4_l1Al0OOw38ylrqtGEBiBxKVyIAZ-ZNlZC8QLiXjkbksGPYMQlry2Fnt4VsVHzFEZsZ31aw5pbv8_7FPYVquBqcblUuBBNvVn7seDJ82lP0mdceY2WreHWGGggXac/s1600/IMG_0374+butterscotch+vintage+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGi89RS85DKwJh4_l1Al0OOw38ylrqtGEBiBxKVyIAZ-ZNlZC8QLiXjkbksGPYMQlry2Fnt4VsVHzFEZsZ31aw5pbv8_7FPYVquBqcblUuBBNvVn7seDJ82lP0mdceY2WreHWGGggXac/s640/IMG_0374+butterscotch+vintage+web.jpg" width="467" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">" .....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">If you've 'eard the East a-callin', you won't never 'eed naught else.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> No! you won't 'eed nothin' else</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> But them spicy garlic smells....."</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1HfnaHVAjarBwP7NBVqhJ29ZJ3r3Ktiy2T0giq1zRe3FClXnX7dUN-w2GtiRIK5hPPjpon7anZu8FbNow02tFzWjE1ZYOVevuNSpyRg97SOPEsrNByyyxx6x188BFrpo35onKzCHqJ8/s1600/IMG_9106+butterscotch+vintage+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1HfnaHVAjarBwP7NBVqhJ29ZJ3r3Ktiy2T0giq1zRe3FClXnX7dUN-w2GtiRIK5hPPjpon7anZu8FbNow02tFzWjE1ZYOVevuNSpyRg97SOPEsrNByyyxx6x188BFrpo35onKzCHqJ8/s640/IMG_9106+butterscotch+vintage+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">"...For the temple-bells are callin', an' it's there that I would be —</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea."</span></div></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgdZXiTMoPXMsAB8T1Rc1fN0xX4ySAvZzeRw6GSjQA_w9dve4cQY7i7_FQhu7L8mjOojCZP8bivwR64dLpVcQ_55ra_o5V6g5Ke2lebKiWX2jYHcdBj5Os8UI94UC2xnc_mZD8fRNXXc/s1600/IMG_9222+butterscotch+and+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgdZXiTMoPXMsAB8T1Rc1fN0xX4ySAvZzeRw6GSjQA_w9dve4cQY7i7_FQhu7L8mjOojCZP8bivwR64dLpVcQ_55ra_o5V6g5Ke2lebKiWX2jYHcdBj5Os8UI94UC2xnc_mZD8fRNXXc/s640/IMG_9222+butterscotch+and+textures+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(all photos processed with The Coffeeshop Blog's "<a href="http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/2009/12/coffeeshop-butterscotch-vintage-pspse.html">Butterscotch Vintage</a>" action)</span></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-61300101794857760012012-01-31T07:04:00.000-05:002012-01-31T07:04:53.504-05:00SimplicityHere are some more in my series of photos from Thailand. These were taken at Wat Phao, in Suphan Buri province north of Bangkok, notable for the forest of fruit bats surrounding the temple. I enjoyed its simple lines and gorgeous, warm colors.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">All of these were processed with one or more layers of Kim Klassen's "Simplicity" texture --</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> linking up with <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbfOoPUlO0LkrxH5SOV7lsaiHc6Vtw7LcqAodnGrzrqTXUc4WN4EJmZ0meOoJflIdSfsw14eCy4xtOmnCMIWxgIAKyBK8N9FsinRqzmVSWZ78WirLZvz0Vz_BNbELPBiGZF8j9EgkFcE/s1600/IMG_9644+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbfOoPUlO0LkrxH5SOV7lsaiHc6Vtw7LcqAodnGrzrqTXUc4WN4EJmZ0meOoJflIdSfsw14eCy4xtOmnCMIWxgIAKyBK8N9FsinRqzmVSWZ78WirLZvz0Vz_BNbELPBiGZF8j9EgkFcE/s640/IMG_9644+textures+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCPNPmC3COO7llyrCmyKUlawmd4cneqdk8kBiA3brW4g_VmDnHpnOevjWEx3gElw11ChdkLnmpxRFk0Zrqjaa1XQwV43BwzpWnG7CBHOP885amZt9IhqlYPxY7s1Jg-OjZ2pnYE0b34A/s1600/IMG_9631+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCPNPmC3COO7llyrCmyKUlawmd4cneqdk8kBiA3brW4g_VmDnHpnOevjWEx3gElw11ChdkLnmpxRFk0Zrqjaa1XQwV43BwzpWnG7CBHOP885amZt9IhqlYPxY7s1Jg-OjZ2pnYE0b34A/s640/IMG_9631+textures+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never did find out why some of the trees were wrapped in monks' robes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5Zmclxos6jvI2ddqn5mosvMwvIPKNGx3jPjPb5-djGO_i6Q0fPunRfObiuga9nBvF8vUEeARkme1ixIDPA7fsEFRb1ODsPCjtq6IWKt7qCMrrLROcJ7_KZ603iR7LETou8VbBhAMzuA/s1600/IMG_9633+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5Zmclxos6jvI2ddqn5mosvMwvIPKNGx3jPjPb5-djGO_i6Q0fPunRfObiuga9nBvF8vUEeARkme1ixIDPA7fsEFRb1ODsPCjtq6IWKt7qCMrrLROcJ7_KZ603iR7LETou8VbBhAMzuA/s640/IMG_9633+textures+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg363N1AbLjVMiiDK0wIVpYZoxa2BMf6V-rNvCywSwNk6kVwD-LfmcDTZtUrL9Xb-Gf91rnMNM_RHrOf8ow1ntAkX11_2n7sPnaGRVOdkcgmufrQ4l-SypR-5jwLNZs-dRtk4zkid-IppA/s1600/IMG_9641+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg363N1AbLjVMiiDK0wIVpYZoxa2BMf6V-rNvCywSwNk6kVwD-LfmcDTZtUrL9Xb-Gf91rnMNM_RHrOf8ow1ntAkX11_2n7sPnaGRVOdkcgmufrQ4l-SypR-5jwLNZs-dRtk4zkid-IppA/s400/IMG_9641+textures+web.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBkySyGluLRvRVX9ne8C5kpHmwJ-wyOqDkbOiGCg8e9vAsk3baqpo02Eoe1TiMWuA07qsncLjf6KCJJTmdfOwUI8EbNEmvrU3LO9YWW5d1CQcF9udbHggcl25MdKCQ6Ivphn9X-Sfo5w/s1600/IMG_9640+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBkySyGluLRvRVX9ne8C5kpHmwJ-wyOqDkbOiGCg8e9vAsk3baqpo02Eoe1TiMWuA07qsncLjf6KCJJTmdfOwUI8EbNEmvrU3LO9YWW5d1CQcF9udbHggcl25MdKCQ6Ivphn9X-Sfo5w/s400/IMG_9640+textures+web.jpg" width="251" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGUdKxD2Xm5QnQD5V4Cu9h5aDoq0zzZvdrnO2bI5BYp1PBbEfYYBzRK9iMhNXruS_G1_uT1WqyBJrdMWVl9MLgZH8sFfTaHWQb69QRcDD6u52u4xxiaSHse45yfZqSDtDENAnaPQoAjE/s1600/IMG_9643+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGUdKxD2Xm5QnQD5V4Cu9h5aDoq0zzZvdrnO2bI5BYp1PBbEfYYBzRK9iMhNXruS_G1_uT1WqyBJrdMWVl9MLgZH8sFfTaHWQb69QRcDD6u52u4xxiaSHse45yfZqSDtDENAnaPQoAjE/s640/IMG_9643+textures+web.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-7162706673183165062012-01-18T12:19:00.000-05:002012-01-18T12:19:35.731-05:00The creative journey....part I<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r1CeQrwynwycEB8eBJbXjU1AP1ijnGZDgJuiBboQYhljML8JWGq1sr3OnJyq_w2-fzT0iajX1sOBiuKkkjrRjYO24oMz3bU5JIQLbUkNNm9aNoH5rzMvQHCIt8SoKbVT9FWQ_DOjct4/s1600/IMG_0051+textures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r1CeQrwynwycEB8eBJbXjU1AP1ijnGZDgJuiBboQYhljML8JWGq1sr3OnJyq_w2-fzT0iajX1sOBiuKkkjrRjYO24oMz3bU5JIQLbUkNNm9aNoH5rzMvQHCIt8SoKbVT9FWQ_DOjct4/s640/IMG_0051+textures.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lotus flower, Thailand<br />
(processed with a layer of Kim Klassen's "Sweet Treat" and "Warm Grunge")</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I always tell my children that it is not <b><i>what</i></b> happens to you in life that matters, but rather how you <b><i>react</i></b> to what happens to you that is important. "Stuff" happens to people all the time and there is nothing magical about you that keeps the "bad" from happening sometimes. The question is, will you allow it to cloud your life and your attitudes, or will you use the situation to change something in yourself.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">My creative journey is so wrapped up in the circumstances of my life that it is hard to unravel the separate threads. I had a wonderful childhood and young adulthood.... I was happy, and things came easily to me: academics, friendships, career, marriage and three wonderful children. I expected that life would just continue along this positive trajectory. And really, in a way, it has.... just not the way I thought it would. For the most part, my life is picture perfect except for one rather significant thing: my oldest child, now a 22 year-old young man, has to deal with issues that significantly impact his ability to live an independent life. The curve ball our family has been dealt in this life is not something that we recognized immediately or that came on suddenly -- rather, its severity has been revealed so gradually that, painful as it is, it has never come as a shock, but has settled down on us like a dull ache. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42PjzSBDSCDEuz9Y4kZbxbcZyOVwik4FkHfYD-NQnapVUCEPoXkzauPbxeX_40Bw4gIoKyn7VVBtkcxPA7W2c0xozyMFL3yzGZfyvub6MzDScwq_szHd5j4wRKSU4YQuhVbjRtiFe6RA/s1600/journal2+17+apr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42PjzSBDSCDEuz9Y4kZbxbcZyOVwik4FkHfYD-NQnapVUCEPoXkzauPbxeX_40Bw4gIoKyn7VVBtkcxPA7W2c0xozyMFL3yzGZfyvub6MzDScwq_szHd5j4wRKSU4YQuhVbjRtiFe6RA/s320/journal2+17+apr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of my favorite journal pages...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The details of his story are my son's to share or not, but let's just say that the <b><i>consequences</i></b> of his illness have been the impetus for my own creative journey. I have been "artsy" all my life, but the thought never even crossed my mind that I could be an artist.... after all, I didn't go to art school! I knew that to ignore my son's illness -- or to wallow in despair about it -- were both useless exercises. I had to turn to something to keep me busy and focused. I discovered quiltmaking when I was 40, and immediately fell in love with the way I could play with color without getting messy. Not only that, but I could sew while still paying attention to my kids. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdsQvGDSMwIHKHgsIrKcO56pg7AZGHONnpPJiZRCcYrNBBCSIklPRAm1XFw4bfzzDMRSUyEeOCdUjtZ6Y17dHFKt_VhDfKqOrLDTECfZpLdIzbJkQClaHftPPD75nMSCZ0S8An3tVU6c/s1600/2004-06+Jeff%2527s+quilt+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdsQvGDSMwIHKHgsIrKcO56pg7AZGHONnpPJiZRCcYrNBBCSIklPRAm1XFw4bfzzDMRSUyEeOCdUjtZ6Y17dHFKt_VhDfKqOrLDTECfZpLdIzbJkQClaHftPPD75nMSCZ0S8An3tVU6c/s320/2004-06+Jeff%2527s+quilt+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is the first quilt I made (for my son), back in 2000. It was hand-pieced... I remember every stitch!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I soon realized that the quiet time spent making quilts was my spiritual solace, a time when I could reflect on my life and its lessons and to find beauty in fragments. My needle and thread became the crucible in which despair became beauty, tempered by patience. Quilting was a perfect expression of my need for endurance. You can't achieve a finished quilt without putting in a lot of time! As I moved on in the last few years to include mixed media art and photography, the sense of time as a vital element in my work became more and more evident. I love using textures in photographs precisely because they introduce a fourth dimension -- time -- to an image, suggesting that it has withstood the ravages of time to exist today. I am in this game with my son for the long haul, and that sense of time as a distiller of something exquisite is very important to me.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">I am looking forward to 2012, and participating in the creative communities online. By nurturing our creativity every day, we will envision a world that is better than the one we live in today -- and everyone knows that once we visualize something, it is on its way.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-88655677024193624732012-01-16T23:26:00.000-05:002012-01-16T23:26:54.803-05:00Open to the experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"To receive everything, one must open one's hand and give." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">--Taisen Deshimaru</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Linking up with <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a> over at Kim Klassen's cafe.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh453tyKmqSLnQkerz-mddh2Xo1EQMP_m9XN2Z919G83QTtvN-48yc6nHzkNHGZPbs-GBvGmENBB1wRrP4CXDg83JveZPDY4BB3CiJ_tuH9koV0ZxWDyc_GxxdfJ1CDTYAlhXwyJirS8-c/s1600/IMG_9044+textured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh453tyKmqSLnQkerz-mddh2Xo1EQMP_m9XN2Z919G83QTtvN-48yc6nHzkNHGZPbs-GBvGmENBB1wRrP4CXDg83JveZPDY4BB3CiJ_tuH9koV0ZxWDyc_GxxdfJ1CDTYAlhXwyJirS8-c/s640/IMG_9044+textured.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">offering jars at Wat Pho<br />
processed with three layers of Kim Klassen's "Warm Sun" texture <br />
(overlay @50%, linear burn @75%, and linear light @11%)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some images from our first day in Thailand: a visit to Bangkok's Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdTV-d4BhMxLGQ55WbVLJ5ALvGP-q7wXuXFu2dC9Keh9dKvNS-SD_nibc_ZbTLsVdPQ7Jj2KudhNjUsXfoxwvltgeIihn2wh4-ogCatl9Qi-rgJ_8JQ3WLGykbHu5jzMcWsMuiLui9GA/s1600/IMG_9014+edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdTV-d4BhMxLGQ55WbVLJ5ALvGP-q7wXuXFu2dC9Keh9dKvNS-SD_nibc_ZbTLsVdPQ7Jj2KudhNjUsXfoxwvltgeIihn2wh4-ogCatl9Qi-rgJ_8JQ3WLGykbHu5jzMcWsMuiLui9GA/s320/IMG_9014+edited.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">flowers for sale outside the temple</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIn2BBTF2MB4svwTC_tXKjQpN8LSgM7Afe08eBluca_HUSfBL86Q4Oiw3yi0nbpACaj8AqL5wHCofrZ5ejh_sn_22X_Ms27So9YHDNSrh4e58-XEzi03rF7N1Qh4YZx6ZZ49UHpwIW_E/s1600/IMG_9034+textured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIn2BBTF2MB4svwTC_tXKjQpN8LSgM7Afe08eBluca_HUSfBL86Q4Oiw3yi0nbpACaj8AqL5wHCofrZ5ejh_sn_22X_Ms27So9YHDNSrh4e58-XEzi03rF7N1Qh4YZx6ZZ49UHpwIW_E/s320/IMG_9034+textured.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">an offering tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbbYLpvekL6KEPuh35Dzau82ee-xzp4usrb8hyphenhyphenaLMTzqbqGvwHeWWQMlhcm9Ci5ZXFyxwkM79UOGcpNs4aOPAxOSn9Ztjk1rvVr4-28reh5R91Jn_wEdrH2j9dU0CWGZI-W898nrc4pw/s1600/IMG_9036+textures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbbYLpvekL6KEPuh35Dzau82ee-xzp4usrb8hyphenhyphenaLMTzqbqGvwHeWWQMlhcm9Ci5ZXFyxwkM79UOGcpNs4aOPAxOSn9Ztjk1rvVr4-28reh5R91Jn_wEdrH2j9dU0CWGZI-W898nrc4pw/s320/IMG_9036+textures.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">miniature Buddha beside the great reclining statue</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I fell in love with the peaceful, gentle nature of this country! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Is it possible to be a Christian Buddhist?)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-20937149411596618382012-01-09T13:58:00.000-05:002012-01-12T07:00:33.795-05:00Time TravellerOur family spent a wonderful two weeks in Thailand over the Christmas holidays. Between preparing for the trip, enjoying the trip, and then <i>recovering</i> from the trip, I've been away from the blog world for awhile. I have barely begun to look at my photos, let alone play with them, but I will share one now just in time to link up with Texture Tuesday over at <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Kim Klassen's cafe</a>. It was processed with three layers of her "Embrace" texture (two in color burn @100% and one in soft light @100%):<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBLskUxAnVoNurLDo5OGn9LfLzkNRgGA9h6fp6REtD9ap2hZwHfZCT2BDKQ-_PLK831Y5KJy8Sr4CLYpdk9GXaXUgiRE0zKZRbkE8A7qE0yqVjwb_cL8LtrmdTFbAtS1l-c8mCKlBANM/s1600/IMG_0537+textured+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBLskUxAnVoNurLDo5OGn9LfLzkNRgGA9h6fp6REtD9ap2hZwHfZCT2BDKQ-_PLK831Y5KJy8Sr4CLYpdk9GXaXUgiRE0zKZRbkE8A7qE0yqVjwb_cL8LtrmdTFbAtS1l-c8mCKlBANM/s640/IMG_0537+textured+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reclining Buddha at Doi Suthep Temple, near Chiang Mai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We had a wonderful time exploring Thailand, and discovered that the Thai people are some of the most heart-centered in the world... there was a palpable sense of kindness and compassion that can only come from their strong Buddhist faith. The food was incredibly delicious, too: imagine, Thai food three times a day!!! I especially enjoyed my holiday from Western breakfasts, and ate nothing but soup, noodles and rice in the morning instead of cereal, eggs or toast. <br />
<br />
On another note, I did have a shopping mission, too: I was constantly on the lookout for interesting fabric to use for quilting. Here is some of what I found:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZHzab0h1zHPIR2YLa6rKSm0DdNchd5pZ1wzcksL6A3DBWeEM-KIArUliYxPLeV-U_BoNfLk4iesc3gGU7DbNt3UZ8pyN6BPoSelkxZpHLH5NFOk2Ys9E4-h-DSlpkrMj5swC37bGI1o/s1600/IMG_0616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZHzab0h1zHPIR2YLa6rKSm0DdNchd5pZ1wzcksL6A3DBWeEM-KIArUliYxPLeV-U_BoNfLk4iesc3gGU7DbNt3UZ8pyN6BPoSelkxZpHLH5NFOk2Ys9E4-h-DSlpkrMj5swC37bGI1o/s320/IMG_0616.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cotton</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zMBfCFd_DYouY5kz3M-ouZcY1OSEhhx84ThO-TRSG7d40ydtKOiSG0HOWh228arR12Vyq5sGVu-VwrylhDO53Za4YEyxRk7tLUk_3S_65E-o3fCKpqelHe6bIlA24PmYXqNC3RV4JB0/s1600/IMG_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5zMBfCFd_DYouY5kz3M-ouZcY1OSEhhx84ThO-TRSG7d40ydtKOiSG0HOWh228arR12Vyq5sGVu-VwrylhDO53Za4YEyxRk7tLUk_3S_65E-o3fCKpqelHe6bIlA24PmYXqNC3RV4JB0/s320/IMG_0617.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cotton </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnzJENpoR7edavQBY7Se6x7KQMs1N1gxcfJJM2daVh0yIEv5F43QiCLSjK_48Y9jqaIvoWuOwB2O6qS_IjYFPFA6BIOXFuT9ZCL1SF9G13tG4SXh-gpf8yOJ5gSHCUrBEnfmhKqh7vzI/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnzJENpoR7edavQBY7Se6x7KQMs1N1gxcfJJM2daVh0yIEv5F43QiCLSjK_48Y9jqaIvoWuOwB2O6qS_IjYFPFA6BIOXFuT9ZCL1SF9G13tG4SXh-gpf8yOJ5gSHCUrBEnfmhKqh7vzI/s320/IMG_0619.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hand-dyed hemp</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXrK3WvR0ay7R2BLJAF7GgTxxfJ2MO3nUSi7RTTaAaxo2hZK7wEWVtQYwHqO4zbT1YRHlbbNoWtnlVes_PUdaign-8sFPXWKttp8XoEx9zGHly7GZIS5f9OByOv9C_p2X6REJ46PzE9U/s1600/IMG_0634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXrK3WvR0ay7R2BLJAF7GgTxxfJ2MO3nUSi7RTTaAaxo2hZK7wEWVtQYwHqO4zbT1YRHlbbNoWtnlVes_PUdaign-8sFPXWKttp8XoEx9zGHly7GZIS5f9OByOv9C_p2X6REJ46PzE9U/s320/IMG_0634.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hand-dyed and printed indigo on cotton</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHGjGg48Owzcw8OdEycCYruF45bOnqFshwQJbfO75hu8LE-SOatkz7AZgZ6BEkz98PMC6gFtJRup6wzePUmVnMVY4kSjKW8bz5plX-A_bx-UM7F2t0wyBzQ1ul2agAK51zSrGFiAe0oc/s1600/Thai+silks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDHGjGg48Owzcw8OdEycCYruF45bOnqFshwQJbfO75hu8LE-SOatkz7AZgZ6BEkz98PMC6gFtJRup6wzePUmVnMVY4kSjKW8bz5plX-A_bx-UM7F2t0wyBzQ1ul2agAK51zSrGFiAe0oc/s640/Thai+silks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a rainbow of silks -- the fun part was that the solid colors only cost about $10-$13 per yard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjtWmSCIMTkTzADV1HifjX6JT42LNlFkjHxFPcwb6TxrqaIVgi8q893el9gGztGD-DuzVou_Ocli0Q0Zjv-j6lQkGoODXBmfB0sHo6aWlSrIesEqAPGwWJ1kpmlbufQiJ1SrBEoy1JrA/s1600/IMG_0625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjtWmSCIMTkTzADV1HifjX6JT42LNlFkjHxFPcwb6TxrqaIVgi8q893el9gGztGD-DuzVou_Ocli0Q0Zjv-j6lQkGoODXBmfB0sHo6aWlSrIesEqAPGwWJ1kpmlbufQiJ1SrBEoy1JrA/s320/IMG_0625.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hand woven silk in a traditional pattern<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh0-Na7son-8SoPbBGbYvOu6XmIDMAqfBnLNfY8q56_nAaWsz9hlDar1FgzWZ8n3ONPIQCNsI5L17LmMrtS_LQELs-MKIcF0R9ODABZjAB4Yub9JtGoXiAHf-r10azQFn7aZApIv7ZCc/s1600/IMG_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh0-Na7son-8SoPbBGbYvOu6XmIDMAqfBnLNfY8q56_nAaWsz9hlDar1FgzWZ8n3ONPIQCNsI5L17LmMrtS_LQELs-MKIcF0R9ODABZjAB4Yub9JtGoXiAHf-r10azQFn7aZApIv7ZCc/s320/IMG_0626.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ikat pattern in silk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jet lag from Thailand is miserable, though. There is a 12 hour time difference between Connecticut and Bangkok -- that's about as much as you can get! We've been home almost a week now, and I think we are just about back to our usual sleep schedule; I tell you, it's no fun waking up at 3 am, raring to go, and falling asleep over dinner at 6.... <br />
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Here is one of the first pieces I made for my new online class with <a href="http://janedaviesstudios.com/workshops/online-workshops">Jane Davies</a> on "Exploring the Self-Portrait." Jet lag does a number on you, alright -- I never noticed that I gave myself a beard, until I loaded this photo onto the class blog. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T2ONd3VRaHfmzV_Aht0e1U3lGVaZtG0vDoZmfiGdByoiIsCjvO86zO8rdkZCP1rk6qDivKNxNbp-LQAxqSkptTpyvMmpfUniiUB2fjopT86PM8nHUlHo466urWi3BK93fjV6A-m88f8/s1600/lesson1.2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6T2ONd3VRaHfmzV_Aht0e1U3lGVaZtG0vDoZmfiGdByoiIsCjvO86zO8rdkZCP1rk6qDivKNxNbp-LQAxqSkptTpyvMmpfUniiUB2fjopT86PM8nHUlHo466urWi3BK93fjV6A-m88f8/s320/lesson1.2a.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>I hope to be back to normal next week!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-18649790891914044212011-12-01T21:09:00.000-05:002011-12-01T21:09:44.668-05:00It's about time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have been having so much fun with my online classes this fall! My "text and image" class with Jane Davies has just concluded -- and Jane is such a wonderful teacher that I immediately signed up for her next class on self-portraits, which starts on January 2. I think there is still room so by all means, check out the class <a href="http://janedaviesstudios.com/workshops/online-workshops">description</a> and join if you are interested. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final assignment in my current class was to create a series of small pieces that suggest a story or common theme, but leave enough room for the viewer's own interpretation. I learned a lot through this exercise: On the one hand, I prefer to work on a larger scale because there is greater scope for playing with color and texture, which is what I love the most. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the smaller ATC format because it was easier to find useful text at this size from old books or newspapers. I discovered that I like working on several pieces simultaneously because there is always something to do next, even when you are waiting for other things to dry. Finally, it reinforced my sense that ideas need time to percolate before being expressed. I had been mulling over this assignment for days, so when I had time to work on it, everything just flowed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoJF8xkScSatAaxVxy3d_CSzl9eLz2-ApRaSW4l1tPbUoNMoorL7nSnXZpwuOGE8kU6NajQjSQWfnybXZoi-65PLJ6ba0EdC_dhxcobJEn3Q6xDmiBWgNclI1otBKtHLpwaq5cNaPAuk/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoJF8xkScSatAaxVxy3d_CSzl9eLz2-ApRaSW4l1tPbUoNMoorL7nSnXZpwuOGE8kU6NajQjSQWfnybXZoi-65PLJ6ba0EdC_dhxcobJEn3Q6xDmiBWgNclI1otBKtHLpwaq5cNaPAuk/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ti3voh6EaJcqk8amzz4KCMPLrpPc40-DkAjat6h8HAq4Ns33ibowJg1evUQhw7bxS8K4XzWEQrdMsY5J5dHzrv_k9rBDM4ZS6Z-_L5IqQKgE9eKKDJtSLpEmbqrDOByu48esZCFREvk/s1600/sc000fcc0402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ti3voh6EaJcqk8amzz4KCMPLrpPc40-DkAjat6h8HAq4Ns33ibowJg1evUQhw7bxS8K4XzWEQrdMsY5J5dHzrv_k9rBDM4ZS6Z-_L5IqQKgE9eKKDJtSLpEmbqrDOByu48esZCFREvk/s320/sc000fcc0402.jpg" width="231" /></a>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-87397411858296667462011-11-29T07:10:00.001-05:002011-11-29T08:18:33.531-05:00GratitudeWhat amazing weather we've been having here in Connecticut this week! People were outside in shorts and t-shirts in November! It feels like time is on some kind of a weird fast track: it's spring right now, following our 8 inches of snowy weather last month... now I'm ready for summer! Well, that's just a fantasy, I know, but I am grateful for this short respite from the cold.<br />
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We had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday here at home, so "gratitude" is the perfect theme for <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a>. Make sure you visit Kim's site to see some really amazing work!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2cBLQxSVKPIE7ZcuK5RZRPMoJu3zogXRQjBwOr9efncwQTpIxmo82N23wIusSXeXSV6CxlKXNPhqFhXMdTb6wKl8d_VFnM1xJpd_-z5YDs4gs0OYIT9Kixzv27WbOBMS2VtETTyl_hM/s1600/IMG_8908+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2cBLQxSVKPIE7ZcuK5RZRPMoJu3zogXRQjBwOr9efncwQTpIxmo82N23wIusSXeXSV6CxlKXNPhqFhXMdTb6wKl8d_VFnM1xJpd_-z5YDs4gs0OYIT9Kixzv27WbOBMS2VtETTyl_hM/s640/IMG_8908+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Textured with Kim Klassen's "Chamomile" (color burn @100% and soft light @100%)</td></tr>
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I know I've said this before, but my family does NOT appreciate textures. My husband says this looks like the serving knife has rust all over it.... The pie was delicious, in any case.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm_udPqC2h4qcHLi-y0COJNpCUnm3xq3WA-PHI2DSQF3VUscKJfd6ZmI6qCIYCCMc6ceP7hseONqhnIJkGI-cV3gTgYfFH0bQW4YDQZjA5oqeLA2w0fgqfIKEcj7bo9tJCyM9uP34EL4/s1600/IMG_8896+and+then+some+phoebe+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm_udPqC2h4qcHLi-y0COJNpCUnm3xq3WA-PHI2DSQF3VUscKJfd6ZmI6qCIYCCMc6ceP7hseONqhnIJkGI-cV3gTgYfFH0bQW4YDQZjA5oqeLA2w0fgqfIKEcj7bo9tJCyM9uP34EL4/s640/IMG_8896+and+then+some+phoebe+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"And then some" (soft light @100%, multiply @100%) and "Thursday" (soft light @100%)</td></tr>
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Our centerpiece was beautiful, too. I love how the textures really saturate the blooms here:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbspBuObL9lkVgenxkFCF9BiDLBKxeGxWhminVEqpnhSUm8JJkLm1ChjKgo9PM4wh0JY8EM6CoYse56DtzbCAtO9hoKZqHZ40bmOkBM8x71ZrmJU8VY4v8gzW7xDWprfxOy0qKMVFZzvg/s1600/IMG_8931+textured+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbspBuObL9lkVgenxkFCF9BiDLBKxeGxWhminVEqpnhSUm8JJkLm1ChjKgo9PM4wh0JY8EM6CoYse56DtzbCAtO9hoKZqHZ40bmOkBM8x71ZrmJU8VY4v8gzW7xDWprfxOy0qKMVFZzvg/s640/IMG_8931+textured+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Phoebe" (overlay @100% and color burn @100%) and "And then some" (multiply @100%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've been trying to get more intense colors from my photographs, and have been playing with creating high dynamic range images by combining several different exposures of one shot. This one isn't a great composition by any stretch, but I love how the colors came out, even without adding any textures:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgke5yE3PrOQ5HIwr1xDHxJIlBWM_wB8UcuIOE5ZWD-BRniKSsC4WJwm0IbQLxbmzti4zi5PlymW1We8OtbSE-k1WlWVOIWl-IF9QVFahAqvC2p7DXi4CXbuJMhCHt37ENfyLMsBII5_w8/s1600/alstroemeria+IMG_8922+hdr+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgke5yE3PrOQ5HIwr1xDHxJIlBWM_wB8UcuIOE5ZWD-BRniKSsC4WJwm0IbQLxbmzti4zi5PlymW1We8OtbSE-k1WlWVOIWl-IF9QVFahAqvC2p7DXi4CXbuJMhCHt37ENfyLMsBII5_w8/s640/alstroemeria+IMG_8922+hdr+web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hdr image -- four different shots, blended on soft light mode</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPTQaKCgvYaex4mmB88Nyx7OFwCypSH9v025ntmZIPhj7BRG6bQoionCA2Psbi2zdChFvQD_GTorT4UEIKNQxPARnEJXR46lfaLipFjHS_QPPZ-KbnFiXqG2gCSRN6GREiNtJbe4qIo8/s1600/alstroemeria+4+exposures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPTQaKCgvYaex4mmB88Nyx7OFwCypSH9v025ntmZIPhj7BRG6bQoionCA2Psbi2zdChFvQD_GTorT4UEIKNQxPARnEJXR46lfaLipFjHS_QPPZ-KbnFiXqG2gCSRN6GREiNtJbe4qIo8/s400/alstroemeria+4+exposures+web.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">original images: over- and under-exposed</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am grateful for all the wonderful aspects of the day: the food, the flowers, the weather.... but in the end, the most important thing of all is having family to celebrate with.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNCx7v68CeNGnNU2ONvo9jjyqK-m56r6jQA8m05aR9HtF8O-qCp5Ywit86Pm6ZhDIFZfh_oJ0_SEbFmUaT7hSRYnTIjFd4wNdLBYNqAN1HTqcoxXIe60efGiaZtqxELVEV2bJeWS-dF0/s1600/IMG_8941+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNCx7v68CeNGnNU2ONvo9jjyqK-m56r6jQA8m05aR9HtF8O-qCp5Ywit86Pm6ZhDIFZfh_oJ0_SEbFmUaT7hSRYnTIjFd4wNdLBYNqAN1HTqcoxXIe60efGiaZtqxELVEV2bJeWS-dF0/s320/IMG_8941+web.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-22236178748658227402011-11-22T00:14:00.000-05:002011-11-22T00:14:00.004-05:00Shooting on "blur" at Grand CentralSunday was such a glorious day! The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny -- perfect for photography. My husband and I spent the day in New York, taking a class from the Digital Photo Academy, entitled "Composition in the Field: Grand Central Station." Our instructor, Morgan, combined technical information on using the camera in low light situations with practical tips on composition and style. It was the perfect level class for us, giving us hands on experience of techniques that we had only read about, but never worked with before. Both of us were feeling energized and excited about using our newfound knowledge, and were getting lots of great captures.<br />
<br />
Except.... that in the hustle and bustle and noise of the city, I kind of forgot to listen for the "chirp" of my autofocus. I must have accidentally moved the setting on my camera to manual, and the result was that I lost most of my images to blur. [Sigh.] And there I was, thinking all day that I really needed to visit the eye doctor!<br />
<br />
Here are a few shots that escaped the blur... I'll salvage some more for next week.<br />
<br />
This one is great for using the heavier textures; there is a lot of empty space just begging for layers of meaning (see <a href="http://100h2ofan.blogspot.com/2011/11/layers.html">my post</a> earlier today, on why I love layers)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzm-VOin1N9Ly-q6tnFJTVS5QtIBD7WQMV6OSbn7I0svQXm9rMx3P4EfOOVwm5tu3gdzfKh45E7TETByCKXDPKmB2iXn3QApgUHIlJNiAsjQq520Up4aiuNWq4xXIu4hUX5UkcSQIbrbA/s1600/gct+clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzm-VOin1N9Ly-q6tnFJTVS5QtIBD7WQMV6OSbn7I0svQXm9rMx3P4EfOOVwm5tu3gdzfKh45E7TETByCKXDPKmB2iXn3QApgUHIlJNiAsjQq520Up4aiuNWq4xXIu4hUX5UkcSQIbrbA/s640/gct+clock.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Processed with Kim Klassen's "Warm Grunge" (soft light @100%) and two layers of<br />
"Scripted Autumn (soft light @100% and multiply @100%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A beam of light illuminated the ticket window just for a moment, and I was there to catch it!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknmX7i4K_efCZ3IKuhAlJEGfbJ9j0MHgjBPXlQV9giSQ-wGCJxXp31KD4AxOyQbBZs8HMUFHLuO13xVlrvrueICUdNh1FgBAevljL1W1GwLybxaHi8p78W7w3pH0Z7liFAoaSatsslIA/s1600/metro+north+ticket+counter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknmX7i4K_efCZ3IKuhAlJEGfbJ9j0MHgjBPXlQV9giSQ-wGCJxXp31KD4AxOyQbBZs8HMUFHLuO13xVlrvrueICUdNh1FgBAevljL1W1GwLybxaHi8p78W7w3pH0Z7liFAoaSatsslIA/s640/metro+north+ticket+counter.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One layer of "Phoebe" (soft light @100%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Outside, a taxi driver was walking down the line of waiting cabs:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvB9B9JO6FUZuFIxoG5vKgR4Auwb1k5zZzLraGI8jXuFxjr5jXmiuoiLcgGuqXwcApKk6LJNV8-a_bClWSRipH4dnMsLbBfrNLdQkKD66C1nhp2ibgU8kqv_UiaHxdmK6ywlAlWbagoY/s1600/taxis+near+gct.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvB9B9JO6FUZuFIxoG5vKgR4Auwb1k5zZzLraGI8jXuFxjr5jXmiuoiLcgGuqXwcApKk6LJNV8-a_bClWSRipH4dnMsLbBfrNLdQkKD66C1nhp2ibgU8kqv_UiaHxdmK6ywlAlWbagoY/s400/taxis+near+gct.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three layers of "Phoebe" (soft light @100%, overlay @28%, and color burn @14%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Linking up to <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a> -- be sure to check out all the wonderful submissions over at Kim's site!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-76433236365146930562011-11-21T23:25:00.000-05:002011-11-21T23:25:21.441-05:00LayersI should know this about myself by now -- I do not do my best work in a hurry. This is true in all aspects of my life. If I rush through dinner preparations, the meal is lackluster. On the other hand, if I follow every step mindfully, the results can really be spectacular. The same thing is true of my art. I find that if I try to finish a journal page all at once, it ends up flat and dull. It takes layers of color and texture to convey a sense of meaning. <br />
<br />
That is why I love Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's "<a href="http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/online-classes.html">30 Days in Your Journa</a>l" online course. Julie's style is wonderfully forgiving -- anything goes, just try to spend a little time every day on your art (but no guilt if you can't!) By eliminating the pressure to "finish" anything at one sitting, the ideas you journal about can percolate over time, and you can make serendipitous connections that would have eluded you otherwise. I am behind in the assignments -- my trip to Houston kept me from my studio -- but that's the beauty of this class: it's self-paced! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5KlRie1NbLjmpeRIlvrVpqdODcVrxh9b6hEIUV_O-waiBt_umkyy54uqn_B8RtolR0_WJmbitcgqlcqcaesielj3ParXMn5W4d7QX7fA8MG7VPY9PrYy4HR0Unpu3N2r7NIg-kFq6GY/s1600/IMG_8871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5KlRie1NbLjmpeRIlvrVpqdODcVrxh9b6hEIUV_O-waiBt_umkyy54uqn_B8RtolR0_WJmbitcgqlcqcaesielj3ParXMn5W4d7QX7fA8MG7VPY9PrYy4HR0Unpu3N2r7NIg-kFq6GY/s400/IMG_8871.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Here's my current page:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4X0rrdDUFExp_qamIX-Mn6j862OU1mu8CL_TekWUgOSZ3WJXtpV97eKaip0V80ORFjUZxtZRSLNk5zZ_6K1Up6P8_bUCX75NtiUKV36g9DxhLt8ESTpU5EjcO7keHS1MxoMUXDjzAbk/s1600/IMG_8872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4X0rrdDUFExp_qamIX-Mn6j862OU1mu8CL_TekWUgOSZ3WJXtpV97eKaip0V80ORFjUZxtZRSLNk5zZ_6K1Up6P8_bUCX75NtiUKV36g9DxhLt8ESTpU5EjcO7keHS1MxoMUXDjzAbk/s400/IMG_8872.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I guess you can tell my favorite colors!<br />
<br />
As if this wasn't enough, I am simultaneously taking Jane Davies' online "<a href="http://janedaviesstudios.com/workshops/online-workshops">Text and Image</a>" class. Jane is the queen of layers, and her painterly style is so inspiring. When I work on my assignments, I go into the "zone" and time just doesn't exist anymore... I don't want this class to end!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygyVmrG9Y1PwkaAkBzACu23ziYJLHiUsLhmJ6Sj1-oNyJVwnv98oIzSCaUGt_YcVULsJvVgjiyMTGFPbVCFu99CM2f8aY0i4N0V0Ai2Zwaf2_jlIOtNaaLHEE_asRbINtNYa8zAiKz-w/s1600/IMG_8469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygyVmrG9Y1PwkaAkBzACu23ziYJLHiUsLhmJ6Sj1-oNyJVwnv98oIzSCaUGt_YcVULsJvVgjiyMTGFPbVCFu99CM2f8aY0i4N0V0Ai2Zwaf2_jlIOtNaaLHEE_asRbINtNYa8zAiKz-w/s320/IMG_8469.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa0kZjTBousugd5BgWqfPMwJzNMXikOyKMzruW-LreGVChIvWqW7ZzEQvt0dS0jqPcOXAxWNvak7CFn7YmnKQYi5Sdsgjjy1zhLnay9NuUth4mpiRTpJetS99yZ_Smxbo_6UlFD2Oxs4/s1600/work+in+progress2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa0kZjTBousugd5BgWqfPMwJzNMXikOyKMzruW-LreGVChIvWqW7ZzEQvt0dS0jqPcOXAxWNvak7CFn7YmnKQYi5Sdsgjjy1zhLnay9NuUth4mpiRTpJetS99yZ_Smxbo_6UlFD2Oxs4/s400/work+in+progress2.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX5gq9k2letLFZCEQhpb-BXcwZY6RpiCbsFlS5dQR7ZMcXkJ8QpQyoYB9v0FzMXEDBgQh6A5YfKxRTORwB_AEeCjm7hraikxFKcmgPY4uYOv6ZRnndz54HxxqFAczLm_VkNo5D3h_4XI/s1600/work+in+progress3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX5gq9k2letLFZCEQhpb-BXcwZY6RpiCbsFlS5dQR7ZMcXkJ8QpQyoYB9v0FzMXEDBgQh6A5YfKxRTORwB_AEeCjm7hraikxFKcmgPY4uYOv6ZRnndz54HxxqFAczLm_VkNo5D3h_4XI/s400/work+in+progress3.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6KBKMdna7GMpWe_l3J22ZS_GjPMBQPpSEZimgm6igRFV32VCy_O2d5f78P45Enc2zHr4jaHfbHXohDD3nn5C8fXi5B3NVUY4Wg67SF3NnBxJgfchwnfWSgjkrs1EgSFQVUOld8WCLew/s1600/IMG_8870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6KBKMdna7GMpWe_l3J22ZS_GjPMBQPpSEZimgm6igRFV32VCy_O2d5f78P45Enc2zHr4jaHfbHXohDD3nn5C8fXi5B3NVUY4Wg67SF3NnBxJgfchwnfWSgjkrs1EgSFQVUOld8WCLew/s400/IMG_8870.JPG" width="272" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIH7-uskHrIcNZmhNZa1D-o2YgCgo9U8RO9fFXUTqN5uY6YdsN9LPZKtDoIGyW0hUpORr93SckNwtB6M-azBofC5VZoyn2hpe25YmiErW3pHQPpXYybqh_2ooreUcZ9IXrh-x1mUGqpw/s1600/IMG_8868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIH7-uskHrIcNZmhNZa1D-o2YgCgo9U8RO9fFXUTqN5uY6YdsN9LPZKtDoIGyW0hUpORr93SckNwtB6M-azBofC5VZoyn2hpe25YmiErW3pHQPpXYybqh_2ooreUcZ9IXrh-x1mUGqpw/s400/IMG_8868.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-64943255365857513692011-11-15T00:05:00.001-05:002011-11-15T00:06:17.886-05:00Past and FutureI love to participate in Kim Klassen's <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Texture Tuesday</a>, but I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to go out and take any pictures. So for this week's submission, I am relying on my archives. <br />
<br />
Here's a shot that I took of my daughter about ten years ago (hard to believe that my baby is now a senior in high school!) All I had to do was add one layer of the challenge texture, "Phoebe," and instantly the colors popped. Now that's my kind of texture!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt84dQpNFutxz9IhN1ATZyaRF-ntzh3dMZje94pGXtxNygo61ANsDKze6RwLL3B6EKp53bM03xzq-QpqKQSOjqYRZY_NnQHDv7ur4UUaGGdBcqhBLPDXXXyqqe7Oe9lNlrnH4fx7ZZ2xo/s1600/2004+nov+st+in+fl+kk+phoebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt84dQpNFutxz9IhN1ATZyaRF-ntzh3dMZje94pGXtxNygo61ANsDKze6RwLL3B6EKp53bM03xzq-QpqKQSOjqYRZY_NnQHDv7ur4UUaGGdBcqhBLPDXXXyqqe7Oe9lNlrnH4fx7ZZ2xo/s640/2004+nov+st+in+fl+kk+phoebe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter, Sam, textured with Kim Klassen's "Phoebe" (one layer in soft light blending mode @100% opacity) </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1vwvXbL7XETyM-wYde1iMyP8I_KG9DT1O7DouBQMqIfDfiYiWwQ9LKJY8wCtbdw2MZ6jeug9vb4Q0nmqgcpD2tUnEuYPZEd6Br-wmC60XLKThpUMeSj6IpIPjXT1D-sBB1dJPcecs_o/s1600/2004+nov+st+in+fl+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1vwvXbL7XETyM-wYde1iMyP8I_KG9DT1O7DouBQMqIfDfiYiWwQ9LKJY8wCtbdw2MZ6jeug9vb4Q0nmqgcpD2tUnEuYPZEd6Br-wmC60XLKThpUMeSj6IpIPjXT1D-sBB1dJPcecs_o/s320/2004+nov+st+in+fl+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOOC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While I don't have a lot of current photos to play with, I have been dreaming of the images I will capture next summer.... we are planning a hiking trip in Ireland, combined with a stay in the Italian countryside. These are probably two of my most favorite spots on earth, so there's lots to dream about! <br />
<br />
Here's a cottage on the west coast of Ireland where we stayed several years ago:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNxuc6ZRsUM7ILXGvlQrUAxwQfsJzwa8jXNFhQ_7mf3Zmth0_Jn0frXH6IUqVvk3NkazHiuGbDILQFQH0q2kRnDhHfwxL0JyKAMuKOMN15Fowc3voXXhNu7K-DAmkF8r0GwasXECzS84/s1600/Irish+road+textured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNxuc6ZRsUM7ILXGvlQrUAxwQfsJzwa8jXNFhQ_7mf3Zmth0_Jn0frXH6IUqVvk3NkazHiuGbDILQFQH0q2kRnDhHfwxL0JyKAMuKOMN15Fowc3voXXhNu7K-DAmkF8r0GwasXECzS84/s640/Irish+road+textured.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Textured with Pixel Dust's "Grunge Surprise" plus Kim Klassen's "Golden", "Warm Sun" and 2 layers of "Crackerjack"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And here is a picture my husband took in Bologna. (I forget the recipe, since I textured this awhile ago). I know my husband took the shot because it's the view from a tower, and I do NOT go up that high without having walls and glass between me and the sheer drop below....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq_7pgMBGumfi09NHcc4o6qctQFgisGSLtgysQa-yAVMjI4ftyd8CQTZgpE_SZpTqwEimka8EpirAo906vNN4BZUSHSj66yHwZ6m0o82Jur6lCMDrootDy5q7pJ00wdhY5EeoSJoRS2k/s1600/Rooftop2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDq_7pgMBGumfi09NHcc4o6qctQFgisGSLtgysQa-yAVMjI4ftyd8CQTZgpE_SZpTqwEimka8EpirAo906vNN4BZUSHSj66yHwZ6m0o82Jur6lCMDrootDy5q7pJ00wdhY5EeoSJoRS2k/s400/Rooftop2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-7070222653810328582011-11-11T06:49:00.000-05:002011-11-11T06:49:48.541-05:00Houston!I had the most amazing time at the International Quilt Festival in Houston last week. It was my first time there, and I was in fiber heaven. My mother, who is also a quilter, came along too, and we had a wonderful girls week out. We even made time to visit my son, who lives in Houston, and as a result we were spared those drab hotel meals I heard so many attendees complain about. Every night we went to a restaurant that was featured on one TV show or another. I had no idea that Houston was a culinary destination, so all the good food was a surprise bonus!<br />
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This was just a tiny section of the huge convention center. I told myself I didn't need to buy anything because I have enough quilting and mixed media supplies to last the rest of my life. HA! I'll give you three guesses on how long <b><i>that</i></b> resolve lasted.....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0B0n950LR9BVdRmXthaDxZQqPW1qJO7iA_I4Mhpp3tbMiZpb1RLvr248tTdFxvzEjdGO4KIDl1feY11Wo5PLL3vsIHTY-PLPLKFogf6WvW_uqUOHxCF_JCZYG7pG5bvvR82Dd4x3584/s1600/IMG_0867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc0B0n950LR9BVdRmXthaDxZQqPW1qJO7iA_I4Mhpp3tbMiZpb1RLvr248tTdFxvzEjdGO4KIDl1feY11Wo5PLL3vsIHTY-PLPLKFogf6WvW_uqUOHxCF_JCZYG7pG5bvvR82Dd4x3584/s320/IMG_0867.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I took a wonderful class with <a href="http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/2011/11/dreaming-in-canvas-painted-quilt.html">Leslie Tucker Jenison</a> and <a href="http://www.jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/">Jamie Finga</a>l on Friday. We were about ten students in all, and we spent the morning playing musical chairs, collaboratively painting two canvases. Here are the final products before we cut them up in the afternoon (I am the second on the left):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiq1UUIbkts2O2BoAL9OpvT1ObXL5JkVUFu6z6RIiWSt8Ow99ysqpTOmFFrknzTLY516xf3svcr8eVKz20WuEOGqDo0ZIwnKnTYqFIAZyiJcxkXNT8kR4eXzp73IfMTjU3aMozGgK_Us/s1600/IMG_0888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimiq1UUIbkts2O2BoAL9OpvT1ObXL5JkVUFu6z6RIiWSt8Ow99ysqpTOmFFrknzTLY516xf3svcr8eVKz20WuEOGqDo0ZIwnKnTYqFIAZyiJcxkXNT8kR4eXzp73IfMTjU3aMozGgK_Us/s320/IMG_0888.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6BWwrctiTYb_Bq5cjynvdw4nCAT3H0B0SysUrPq3s3TZVJTao0UgMehvwc3QCAdtHxP03LTEasf92owEbARRR8S2SOThHbAec4KvwWRuEm61C0Bws0J-SNoz8-nWcYUTzjl1WApcWd0/s1600/IMG_0889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6BWwrctiTYb_Bq5cjynvdw4nCAT3H0B0SysUrPq3s3TZVJTao0UgMehvwc3QCAdtHxP03LTEasf92owEbARRR8S2SOThHbAec4KvwWRuEm61C0Bws0J-SNoz8-nWcYUTzjl1WApcWd0/s320/IMG_0889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were fascinated by our hands:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPwRAsOmz2N5OJDBbOmjjdpEuW5oWSwHEQWttT_5KnDwFr7mB7LTpJ8AbwMK6c2_CKWLt1bhrGEDCd9fDXJuuyXqv_xL_wySghROxr-7A5wiw7GGidQoUdxvD8GLlvip-DE_vtGOxD5Y/s1600/IMG_0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRPwRAsOmz2N5OJDBbOmjjdpEuW5oWSwHEQWttT_5KnDwFr7mB7LTpJ8AbwMK6c2_CKWLt1bhrGEDCd9fDXJuuyXqv_xL_wySghROxr-7A5wiw7GGidQoUdxvD8GLlvip-DE_vtGOxD5Y/s320/IMG_0886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some detail shots of the canvases. I love the random exuberance!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJX3Jw5NL9rAEGRzjIhax3qFaUIM2laznaXLiVFphBx0qNavrKetm-J7qvRBEK0ccrBoGcTgaW1254NcS2K5fqNihSJeKfCUc9SlDRmcPQ0NcsF9l-uf4VhcAmpygmn0BNq_np1gdpyQ0/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJX3Jw5NL9rAEGRzjIhax3qFaUIM2laznaXLiVFphBx0qNavrKetm-J7qvRBEK0ccrBoGcTgaW1254NcS2K5fqNihSJeKfCUc9SlDRmcPQ0NcsF9l-uf4VhcAmpygmn0BNq_np1gdpyQ0/s320/IMG_0882.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the afternoon, we divided the canvases and made mini quilts. Mine is the one with all the triangles on the second row, right side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S2mbXBH4ucnvzkstOvyqIWfB6fpke5F_mMdoDqS6zkD4Hf54CqYMdgZfKCxaQ2k1S_8K9GphuLmCMCPb2V_Ov9lo-GRjcFHfzNuHhheLgl7Y2pYPSFw5YpuXQoFdEZJ67jeqnYO9-GM/s1600/IMG_0891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2S2mbXBH4ucnvzkstOvyqIWfB6fpke5F_mMdoDqS6zkD4Hf54CqYMdgZfKCxaQ2k1S_8K9GphuLmCMCPb2V_Ov9lo-GRjcFHfzNuHhheLgl7Y2pYPSFw5YpuXQoFdEZJ67jeqnYO9-GM/s320/IMG_0891.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
On Saturday, my mom won a spot in Make It University's Sketchbook Challenge class (I enjoyed the chance to sit down for an hour)! Here she is having fun and learning about monoprinting on gel plates:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-v55qmNAcMF3C3Q-pU_XnTeU7MuceEAbtVYcp9lvV1FU9_Eyg_Ev-ROAXSeAlbRnPMVXzyKoRM7lXvE74lTWyr0vMTJIx7J6v-HJDC_ZFh9GYF0qR2tHQRRGQXl3HSWvrDeMXCmJENY/s1600/IMG_0908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-v55qmNAcMF3C3Q-pU_XnTeU7MuceEAbtVYcp9lvV1FU9_Eyg_Ev-ROAXSeAlbRnPMVXzyKoRM7lXvE74lTWyr0vMTJIx7J6v-HJDC_ZFh9GYF0qR2tHQRRGQXl3HSWvrDeMXCmJENY/s320/IMG_0908.JPG" width="258" /></a></div><br />
I'll close with a picture of my mother's latest quilt. This is a Ginny Beyer pattern that she tweaked to suit her own taste. She has been a sewer all her life, but only recently decided to make quilts. I have to say, I am in awe of her skills! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCgbnmqnr0nTZ34ZBmBYL4QAM6WyfJ62P2jdoZyXAxkIvtmEaPPf1NZ158mAPf6QZ9RUEXmNXwRjYFspdacxfphI9CAY5f6hmtCcCtWv-MQcgVpoUcE0Nvs-arJxZfNGFl9EAqU_FtiE/s1600/IMG_3195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCgbnmqnr0nTZ34ZBmBYL4QAM6WyfJ62P2jdoZyXAxkIvtmEaPPf1NZ158mAPf6QZ9RUEXmNXwRjYFspdacxfphI9CAY5f6hmtCcCtWv-MQcgVpoUcE0Nvs-arJxZfNGFl9EAqU_FtiE/s320/IMG_3195.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3079828217879961741.post-56806795834466157792011-11-02T07:53:00.000-04:002011-11-02T07:53:32.096-04:00Living in the eighteenth century<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Halloween snowstorm left much of the northeast in darkness. Heavy, wet snow is not meant to sit on tree branches that are still in full leaf! Connecticut has been pretty hard hit, with power lines down everywhere and schools closed. So, for my Texture Tuesday submission, here is my taste of eighteenth century living. Make sure you visit <a href="http://www.kimklassencafe.com/thecafe">Kim's site</a> for all the other textured wonders:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsEZR77qIOVwKOE2c9AI-wqgOS8KNq7OjKhB7kF55I2DcJjX_w0hZ-P1iXSkNkVRfU84xVL-05H3gQypBbY0jkmn0shoAnS-vrFXF4gUv0oOv5j6LfP0ZRdAzoIaAlatyiP-l2LdJKy8/s1600/IMG_8416+textures+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsEZR77qIOVwKOE2c9AI-wqgOS8KNq7OjKhB7kF55I2DcJjX_w0hZ-P1iXSkNkVRfU84xVL-05H3gQypBbY0jkmn0shoAnS-vrFXF4gUv0oOv5j6LfP0ZRdAzoIaAlatyiP-l2LdJKy8/s640/IMG_8416+textures+web.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Processed with 3 layers of Kim Klassen's "And then some" (color burn @100%; screen @20%, texture left only on the edges; and soft light @100%)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We were luckier than most, because we have an <a href="http://www.aga-ranges.com/_store/Scripts/prodview.asp?idproduct=73">AGA</a>, the world's most amazing stove. This kept the kitchen a little warmer than frigid, and allowed us to cook most of the food in our freezer before it defrosted. Fetching water and heating it to do dishes was not so much fun, though!<br />
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Living for a few days in another century reminds me of my ongoing dilemma. I am pulled between rival interests: some days I am wild and modern:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF3ilxvV_ppCbvlcucvC56qJRMgWKvFlZWsj5k9tvw-e7wTkU_mEgB52P-sALGVpLk4YMrFEac8pJJmf8ZB_18ysgwdhzGCP-2jDy-ilz_olOhZ9i0kd2lghu471ZQ3rxpIHXrHqKimQ/s1600/IMG_8315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEF3ilxvV_ppCbvlcucvC56qJRMgWKvFlZWsj5k9tvw-e7wTkU_mEgB52P-sALGVpLk4YMrFEac8pJJmf8ZB_18ysgwdhzGCP-2jDy-ilz_olOhZ9i0kd2lghu471ZQ3rxpIHXrHqKimQ/s320/IMG_8315.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> mandalas painted on fabric (left) and a painted glue-resist piece (right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWePqBYXc3E8u36LmgzDltqanWJqqFDEawZVxfLKoJaUA7pMR_lh1Y8jvruVsY7pNLN9m3_1lJsHM_WW0RE1XHp5eCsc2NHeZ-DsRJX4j408EyRAyI4SvKVgGG21qwUWSd7Yz6Mul9Ic/s1600/IMG_8316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWePqBYXc3E8u36LmgzDltqanWJqqFDEawZVxfLKoJaUA7pMR_lh1Y8jvruVsY7pNLN9m3_1lJsHM_WW0RE1XHp5eCsc2NHeZ-DsRJX4j408EyRAyI4SvKVgGG21qwUWSd7Yz6Mul9Ic/s320/IMG_8316.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a day of painting, scribbling, drawing, and printing on fabric</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyoBU8XXEvsji6eefQEEzit_zqhKlHCmmWsOIRHuhVt3XP_GSzhd3uisKExuNHOrSW_-Kb0a4tP3gvzKXbFZB5taYMCt-4VzanfaH9venzUqbfwyGZpimk8GXc18-OIuCL3Nc1eLzyDk/s1600/IMG_8318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyoBU8XXEvsji6eefQEEzit_zqhKlHCmmWsOIRHuhVt3XP_GSzhd3uisKExuNHOrSW_-Kb0a4tP3gvzKXbFZB5taYMCt-4VzanfaH9venzUqbfwyGZpimk8GXc18-OIuCL3Nc1eLzyDk/s320/IMG_8318.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"snap happy" bag made from my fabrics. The piecing was inspired by <a href="http://alisaburke.blogspot.com/">Alisa Burke</a>'s book, "Sew Wild"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Some days I want to live in another era:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVc4-p8HDGSjyzw86KiUDShiKoQ4MLMo-NU87LZAJuNCo2LQFJQuxHQ7I2vswmyiFnQSSPnkeCQdB1BNiHZ_yyQCztCBXhxc3zyuh5kuldBhxm5pj7JQ49ebwnwJ7pq7dM2AB9519OqDs/s1600/IMG_8324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVc4-p8HDGSjyzw86KiUDShiKoQ4MLMo-NU87LZAJuNCo2LQFJQuxHQ7I2vswmyiFnQSSPnkeCQdB1BNiHZ_yyQCztCBXhxc3zyuh5kuldBhxm5pj7JQ49ebwnwJ7pq7dM2AB9519OqDs/s320/IMG_8324.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hand-pieced tumbling blocks, all ready to put together in a quilt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5tLCnjyCiE8jG9MXoKn6uNJj-9FIVxj_NppqzaTxqYb_-xRiL-8Vga52b8h_QEHkQMajCBwPxIqQNSeP2OYM1MOX-6gcoiDSnb9taH9yXKAGoZm3TyYLbKLxlM3QJackdmoG_GGHDZg/s1600/IMG_8326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5tLCnjyCiE8jG9MXoKn6uNJj-9FIVxj_NppqzaTxqYb_-xRiL-8Vga52b8h_QEHkQMajCBwPxIqQNSeP2OYM1MOX-6gcoiDSnb9taH9yXKAGoZm3TyYLbKLxlM3QJackdmoG_GGHDZg/s320/IMG_8326.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">vintage stars, also all ready to go <br />
(you can see that the "putting together" part is not my favorite part of quilting!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We got our power back yesterday. I think I like it here in the 21st century!Kathleenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06235337888646553703noreply@blogger.com9