putting the rubber where my mouth is

I know, it sounds like a really mixed metaphor --

last year at this time my friend, Barbara Beasley, was part of an open studio with Heidi Kummli

at the time I was still living at the other end of the state, and making that trip just was not in the cards, and I did a lot of moaning about not getting to go

this year was a whole different story -- I had no such excuse -- and it was a huge adventure!

you see, Heidi lives off the grid -- up in the mountains on a dirt road that Google Maps doesn't even recognize exists

and I'm a city girl -- yes, I grew up in Colorado, but I didn't go off driving the hills on my own, and then I spent a lot of years driving in freeway traffic -- a whole other kind of scary

so the drive there was one of the more nerve racking I can remember --- but the open studio was awesome!

I got to spend a lot of time talking to Heidi, one of the bead embroidery artists that got me started doing that work as well as enjoying conversation with Barbara and other folks that had made the trek up the mountain

and I came home with some goodies from Heidi's stash, a new book, and 60 photographs of the leaves turning gold here in our mountains -- and those photos will no doubt result in a number of new art quilts

it was great to go and "fill the well" creatively after a week that had included

putting up tomatoes from my daughter's garden

finishing another shed door piece

(and entering 3 of those shed doors in a quilt show that will be held in October)

completed the inking of the ghosts on this piece, so now it is ready to be quilted!

did more work on the Halloween costume for Mr Cute -- and had him here for a "fitting" which he was very excited about

worked on the piece of jewelry that is currently in process --- several of the items that came home with me from the open studios will be used in this piece

 last night I went to one of my art group meetings and was treated to this amazing sunset outside the windows as the meeting was going on

and had another friend drop this little bundle of goodies into my bag during that meeting

WOW

it's been a great week!