Yesterday I posted about a group of 3 new pieces I made for a juried art show at the Redlands Art Association (the only criteria, 14.5″ or less in every dimension). After making the tree, I decided to continue the same color scheme and explore my theme in different dimensions. I love my Branch & Bird series, and wanted to work a bit bigger (8″ x 10″ instead of 5″ square) and more substantial (the folks at these shows are pretty picky about hanging criteria, so wanted to have a hanging devise they’re used to – so I decided to wrap the quilt to the back of a frame and staple it, then add hanging wire). Birds build nests in the trees, and I really loved this wee nest from the Branch & Bird series:

So I grabbed some scraps from making the tree and built a nest in a bigger tree branch:

Again, apologies for the quality of the picture (ah – those moire patterns – I can’t figure out why they happen sometimes and not others, and the fix in photoshop is way long fidgety and not perfect…usually I just re-shoot, but did NOT have that option).

And don’t forget the Blog Baby Shower for Lindy Turner! Lindy of Crafted By Lindy is having baby #2!! To celebrate, we (me, alamodestuff and Smidge Box) are having 3 days of giveaways!!

I’ve got a tutorial and give-away scheduled for Thursday, but today, alamodestuff is having a giveaway hosted by Tracy at Sea Find Designs! This gorgeous necklace can be yours!!

Genuine sea glass… RARE lavender /amethyst from Newport, RI. Cut heart…. Eco Love…. Amethyst swarovski crystal. Sterling plated teenie ball chain!

How to enter:

1) Visit BOTH shops, Crafted by Lindy and Sea Find Designs.

2) Choose 1 favorite item from each shop and come back here and comment (must comment on 1 item from each shop).

3) Be sure to leave contact info!

Additional entries (4 possible entries in all):

• 2 additional entries: you can enter this giveaway on all three sponsor’s sites! Enter once at alamodestuff, then comment here and at Smidge Box for 2 more entries! [All three blogs are on different time zones. If their post isn't up yet, please visit them again later.]
• 1 additional entry: follow alamodestuff, tweet, or blog about this giveaway and receive 1 additional entry. For this one, comment back at  alamodestuff.

One winner will be chosen randomly (random.org) at midnight tonight (March 10) EST. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning (March 11).

I love that I am able to support my art by selling things…but most of the things that I sell are of the “Everyday Art” variety – the scarves, bags, journals and soon pocketin boards (I hope!). It definitely took me awhile to not feel bad that I wasn’t selling more actual art, but as I’ve continued along this path, I’ve found that the “Everyday Art” is very useful – not only in the monetary sense, but it allows me to work with and through color palettes and motifs in a way i wasn’t doing when solely making art.

Be that as it may, I really needed to get some art made for the Mini Multi Meida Show my local Art Association sponsors every year. I am one of the very few textile artists in my area, and love to expand the horizons of the folk working in the more “traditional” art media. This show receives entries from not only the local artists but from folk near and far. The “mini” aspect of the show is that idems must be 14.5″ or less in every dimension. This stipulation was what got me to make my “Home is Where the Art Is” series last year.  I love this series, and part of me can’t believe that I haven’t been working more in 3 dimensions…it’s so sad!

So with a deadline over my head and a week of Spring Break, I thought I’d really get going and continue the Home…series. But, it was not to be. The horrible news about faculty cuts at my university consumed and depressed me, completely derailing my ability to think about new houses. I was about ready to throw in the towel on entering this show when I got a call from Julie, my friend and awesome customer on Friday. I talked with her for a bit about why I was feeling so glum and how stuck I was…and she blurts out…”Why don’t you make a tree?”

AHA! That is what I needed! Thank you Julie! Not only did I make a tree, I went on to make 2 more pieces, each one different, but all using the same color scheme and revolving around the idea of home. So for today, I’d like to show you my tree!

The pictures are way less than ideal – I ended up finishing the third piece 45 minutes before they end of the take in for this show, so I had to snap a few shots and hope for the best. I’d love to play around with the shadows that can be cast from the branches – I’ll just have to make more trees!

I’ve got a little skeleton of Peltex (the stuff baseball cap brims are made of) with fused fabric cut a bit larger so that when I fuse the fabric together the white edges of the peltex don’t show. I could have zigzagged the edges, but I wanted to try this first – for some reason I really don’t like the strong line of a close zigzag stitch very much. Anyway, I cut a slot in the bottom half of one tree and the top half of the other and slotted them together. The tree is held onto the base with some small glue dots, and a fused leaf at the top holds it closed.

I’m exhausted – I had a successful show today, but I was up very early! Here’s some more pix, I hope the pix I took of the other 2 pieces came out!

Spring break is over, and with a couple of deadlines looming overhead, I put the pedal to the metal this weekend and pumped out a lot of stuff. I’ve got 3 new pieces of actual art made just in time to submit for jurying – fingers crossed the pictures on the chip came out. But right now, I’m packing up for a morning show that I have to travel to Palm Springs for…so I’ll be up before o’crack of dawn tomorrow.

I did get some new going green totes made, and as they’re usually pretty good sellers, I had to snap some quick photos now:

I also got a lot of scarves ironed (I dyed them earlier last week). Wish me luck that all this last minute frenzy was worth it!