Newest piece

This a fairly large piece -5' x 6', based on a sketch I did a few years ago, and then it turned into a large drawing. I am putting the background together now, after a few weeks spent making patchwork for the letters. I hope to have it done by September, for a show I'm scheduled to have of my work. I've got to push myself hard this summer, and finish two other pieces also! If only my day-job didn't get in the way!

Oh happy day! The Sun is shining more, daffodils are starting to bloom, and the birds are singing again!

Question of the day: If you had to leave Earth forever to live on another planet, what memories about our home-sphere would you want to remember?

Run screaming into the void!

That is my plan if I don't see the sun and green grass very soon!

Lots of sewing has been getting me through long nights but I'm getting restless to be outside and touch the earth again!

I've finally getting my website up & running this year. Thanks Ted!!!

There's still a bunch to do on it, but the first page is partially up.
Here's the link: http://www.dogstarstudio.us/

I have a show coming up later this year, so I'm pushing to finish several large quilts. I really miss all the time I had off with my last job!



I bought a back-up sewing machine last week- a "Good Housekeeper"- from the 60's?/70's. It sews beautifully, I can quilt on it, and it's turquoise!

Well time to make the doughnuts........ Vegan of course!

Itchy-scratchy show

Summer flew by with lots of flower planting, porch painting, and house insulating getting done. I love summer, even all the bugs.

I've now gone into my fall "SAD" depression! I know what's coming- I dread & despise winter and it's dark cold pit of death. Gray skys for weeks on end, snow, ice. Ugh.

My life-sized Rainbow trout is being machine quilted. Can't wait to see it on a wall.

Other pieces I worked on this summer - a baby quilt for my sister's co-worker, finished hand-quilting a small log cabin & applique piece, painting on a another large wall piece- all illustrated. Lately I've been working on scrap piecing for a big quilt- part illustrated and part crazy patch-work, with lots of little things sewn on too. The patch-work colors are keeping me happy as I sew each night after my day job.

We are dealing with a minor flea invasion. My doggy & kitty are doing the itchy-scratchy dance, but we're getting the little buggers under control.

phrase of the day: "sketch everything & keep your curiosity fresh"
- John Singer Sargent

Don't forget to donate to your local animal shelter(s), and go to the
Animal Rescue Site and click on the purple button every day to give bowls of food to shelter pets. It's free!

~Namaste- Betsy

Back to Reality

Happy New Year!

Where did time go? Holidays over, inauguration day passed and time goes on and on.

This was a custom-made purse/bag for a co-worker's parental unit, for Christmas. It was loosely based on a popular designer's work, who the bag's recipient loves. (think "life is a chair of bowlies") Anyway, it has a few hidden surprises which I won't divulge. That's the fun of specially-made goodies. You personalize it for the owner so it becomes a talisman for them in a way. The lady loves it, I was thrilled to hear from her daughter and then her. I love to see someone enjoying a hand-made gift! I plan on making more styles, and selling them on this blog, and a few other web-sites. Email me if you are interested in purchasing.

Time to go make a batch of brownie biscotti with hazelnuts for my sweetie!

Colder than a well-digger's 'Arse

This picture is my life right now! (it's not my photo, but it could certainly be me in my house, and was too hilarious to pass up)

Winter is here and my house is cold. Seeing as it's 100+ years old, any insulation that it once had has long since turned to dust. We are lucky if the house stays at 60, forget about 68! The propane bills are as much as my mortgage payments! Time for space heaters kids! Sometime soon we'll be blowing in insulation, and insulating the crawl space.

Our girl Sammy had to have two teeth extracted last week due to cracks. She is ten years old so stuff happens to doggies at that age. My bank account is still in shock from the vet bill. She got to zip up to Chicago the day before, so the thrill of the car ride had not yet worn off yet! I knew she was fine, post-surgery, when the vet said she was "talking" to them.

I'm actually working on ART again! Yes, I believe somewhere in the dregs of my past blogging I mentioned I was an artist. In the last year or so it's been hard to say that. Everything was in my head, but I wasn't making time to DO it. I feel like I lost touch with that part of me and I can't take it anymore!!!!! Ahh, I feel better...

So now I'm making one of my quilted bags for a friend who's paying me. I also have a couple of other quilts in the works too. One will require lots of game pieces, so I've been scouring antique stores for old poker chips, dice and other little dodads.

Hey, more news on the Big Lebowsky! I recently watched one of the only shows on the idiot box worth watching- Ace of Cakes (my favorite!!) Duff and the gang made a giant 'Severed Little Toe' cake for a Big Lebowsky convention in Louisville.
It was gruesomely cool! I want a job at that company: just pure silliness!

Keep your little toes safe this winter kids!

Peace

Ike

Hurricane Ike brought a bad storm to our area last weekend, and wrecked havic on much of the Indianapolis area. With it came incredible winds, and blowing rain on Sunday afternoon. I had just returned from my sister's house when she phoned to say a tree fell in a yard behind her house and knocked out the whole street's electric lines. Minutes later I heard a huge boom behind my house, my power went out, and I saw a huge branch from a maple tree had dropped and pulled the power lines down from my house. After the fire and police arrived and roped off the area, we waited until late in the night for the power to come back on. We were lucky- many people are still without power! My neighbor's car got hit with a branch and got a dent in the trunk. Not good: now he dislikes me even more than for the O'bama sticker on my car! He was not happy when he found out his auto policy would have to cover it and not my homeowner's. What a great start to my new life in this town! My neighbor asked what I was doing while I had no power. Uh...... STUFF! Like reading, cleaning, watching birds, walking the dog, scraping plaque off my teeth....breathing...

On a better note- due to being without internet, and cable TV for three days, my art studio is cleaned up and ready for art! You can actually have a life when you get off your duff and do something! Why waste time being a voyer into other peoples lives.

And speaking of being a couch 'tater, the 10th anniversary edition of the cult film THE BIG LEBOWSKY has just been released! So crude, but so right on target!

Now where is my White Russian....

Cheers!

Betsy

Goals

This is one of Sammy's goals, not mine! Alas, her bowl-drinking days are pretty much over. She seems to have forgotten this filthy habit in her old age, thankfully. And before the animal-rights people give me their two-cents worth about not letting a pet drink from the toilet- first, I AM one of those animal-rights people, and I only use baking soda and vinegar to clean it so no nasty chemicals. (yes, I'm a tree-hugging, save the whales and environment gal.) I'll spare you a sermon today...lucky you.

My goals would be to get my darn studio in order to make some art again.
I got my gi-normous 10 1-2 ft table in it finally, with the help of three-and-a-half other humans. (another story). My first project on it was a tiny baby quilt that a friend needed to make for someone, and due to a broken wrist, could not accomplish without a little help. We made it in a day and it turned out great!

I'm organinzing all my fabrics now on my shelves- a feat that should not be accomplshed alone- lest one would get buried under a pile when it fell! My dear sister came over to help and we passed the time chatting and trying in vain to keep Panther the cat from getting to cozy in the piles! Didn't have much luck there! Somewhere I have photos of Panther- aka 'Owl'- when you see her you'll know why I've dubbed her that name! She resembles a great-horned-owl I think!

It's the last day of my three-day weekend and I'm savoring my precious free time! Who has time to eat when there is so much other good stuff to be doing?

Have a splendiferous week kiddies!