I'm studying

yes, I said studying

as in reading the book from cover to cover in small bits

and making notes (some of them RIGHT IN THE BOOK!!)

and doing further online research

ideas are forming

this morning I fished a foam tray (like meat comes on from the stores nowdays, except this one had a chocolate breakfast bar on it -- never mind) out of the TRASH (!!) and washed it so I can try another stamping technique

there are 3 more reasons the postman will hate me --- as I requested 3 more free catalogs this morning too (and I have an 8 page list of other suppliers to check out!)

fabric ideas are floating around in my head

and I have the distinct feeling that somehow this part of my artistic life has come full circle from those first experiences with cloth that my grandmother guided me through

if I had actually been able to go to the college I wanted to go to, I might have found this a lot sooner since I wanted to major in Fashion Design, which at that time (40 years ago!) was part of the Home Economics Department and included a broad range of classes in basic design, color and learning about fibers

Shall we say that the very idea that I might be able to create a design for a fabric that I really like and possibly even have yardage made up for me and that those possibilities are actually within my reach (if not yet my grasp) is thrilling beyond belief

Meantime, I'm doing the "happy dance" for my daughter who yesterday did her first N.A.T.S. (National Association of Teachers of Singing) competition since she was in high school and she placed third in the adult division --- which also means some prize money!! Whoooo Hooooo!! To say I am a very proud mama is a vast understatement. I'm turning virtual cartwheels here.

Yesterday I actually did work on the necklace I'm trying to finish --- for quite a long time. I have more than half of the fringe finished, so there is the possibility that it will be finished today.

While I worked on the necklace (once I set up the pattern for the fringing) I was mentally working on a piece that I want to finish that's been hanging around for a couple of years. It will go in a frame, and my thought right now is to use a fairly large mat around it in the frame -- and either paint or stamp or foil (or all of the above) on the mat to carry on the theme of the piece.

I told you there was something liberating about declaring myself a multi media artist!

time to go get some breakfast and start on a project