Memory Weaver

I have a lotta works in progress, and today is the day we clean the art room. Yeah, it's a disaster area. Seems every time I wanna go in there and play, I find myself cleaning up instead. I just can't create if I'm surrounded by this project and that project and the last supplies I used. It makes the river of creativity just plum dam up. So today, I'm rearranging things and getting rid of stuff I'm not currently "into". I have too much new stuff with no place to put it. Makes me scream cuz I'll just stick it in someplace and then when I wanna use t, that's riiiiiight - NO CAN FIND! AAaaaaaarrrrrrgggggh!

Since I got so many lovely emails about the baskets, I thought I'd share some more with ya. I'm sorry for the coupla grainy pix - I took pix of pix since my scanner isn't hooked up. The originals are just not great.

My fave is the one I'm holding. It's made from a shed moose antler. I knew a woman in Montana who was a (VERY GOOD) Taxidermist. Her Mom found this antler on their property and loved it. I wove it into a basket (it's a wall pocket that can actually hold stuff) in exchange for getting an elk hide tanned. LOVE trades like that!!

Anyway, enjoy! I hope you have a fun day and that you are the one hogging up all the sunshine we're not getting today! :o) Enjoy it now cuz once I get my hands on that firey ball, I AIN'T sharin' it!! Smiles... debmarie :P

A Basket Case

Happy Sunday!! Is it almost Easter already?! Sheesh...

I hope this day brought you time to enjoy the coming sunshine (or the coming cooler months if you're on the other side of our rock)! I ran across some pix I thought were lost forever, and almost cried over the discovery! Thought I'd share them with ya.

When I lived in Montana, I made my living for a while by weaving and selling contemporary baskets that I wove. I've recently taken up weaving again and cannot even begin to describe the flood of memories and feelings that came flooding back to me. It's all attached to the smell of the materials, softening in the warm water that does it. I just LOVE the fragrance of soaking reeds and grasses!!

Here are a couple that I sold last year in my Etsy shop. Enjoy! Hugs...debmarie :o)

Gone Fishin'

I can hardly believe it's been pretty decent here for a coupla days in a row! We've had highs in the 40s! Yeah, well, ok, we're not exactly squirtin' the sunscreen all over the place. But if you'd been through this past winter with the rest of us here in the Midwest, you'd be jacked about the temps. We can even see the ground, and not just in teeny tiny patches. COME on, Mother Nature! Sock it to us with the Spring stuff - we can take it!

Kim in Pennsylvania has been waiting so long for me to finally complete our trade and it's OUTTA here! Thanks for not sending me a mean note, Kim!! Watch your mailbox for a swimmingly fun new addition to your post card collection. Here's the slimy seadweller on the way to PA. I've been playing with a variety of inks and plastics, and the sea on this card is a piece of it. You can't tell (OF COURSE!), but the water actually buckles out ever so slightly and really gives it a 3D look. I hope Kim likes it!

Flow - Laguna

It's been a busy, busy week here in southern Wisconsin, where we are melting with every passing second. And a big YAHOO for THAT!! I sure hope the rumour is true that Spring IS on the way!

A quick post today, as I pause in the middle of housecleaning (absolutely NO yahoo for THAT!). This is a piece I just made and it caused me to make it part of a series, which I'm calling Flow. This particular piece is named Laguna. More later... I GOTTA get my new shower curtain up, complete with leaves of green on the curtain rings.

Mmmmmmmmmmm..... I can almost feel the warm sun on my face...

A is for Abstract

Ok. One more post today. I'm shippin' these outta here this afternoon, so I thought I'd give you a looksee first. In the artsnthemail group, we started the alphabet. You choose your own theme, as long as it starts with the current letter. For A, I chose Abstract, which is my favorite kind of ANTHING really. I had a lot of fun making these and I only hope they're not TOO abstract for the recipients.

I made 7, all different, and 5 of them are headed for Washington, New Joizee, South Caroliiiiiina, England and Turkey. How cool is THAT?! They're made out of grape flannel, handpainted paper, shredded cello, glitter, copper metallic thread, paint and foil. Have a FABulicious day!! Smooches!

Far, Far Away

I am SO very fortunate to have artistic friends all over the world!! Today's piece is from Kathy in England and I absolutely LOVE it!! It is constructed of fabric, thread, (note the cool french knots!), lutradur, neocolours and Xpandaprint. Lutradur is a material that seems to be more common overseas. I have been wanting to get my grubby little hands on some, but have not been too jazzed about paying for it, coupled with hefty postage costs. Kathy sent me some to play with and, I suppose if I become hooked on the dang stuff, I'll break down and buy some already!

I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do!! A million thanks, Kathy - your creative abilities are incredible and I will forever treasure your art!! Watch your mail for a little package, Kathy!! Many hugs... debmarie :o)

The Cutting Edge

Happy Hump Day!! Today's post might be a bit long-pictured. I have been working on several pieces and yesterday I spent a bit of time on them. I had a thought as I was finishing up my work in the shop (on the metal lathe) and I looked down and saw all these fabulous, curly shavings all over the lathe! I was ECSTATIC and my mind was racing! How pretty they looked all by themselves, just waiting to be swept into the trash.

Instead of trashing 'em, I gathered them all up and ran into the house with my shiny, new treasure. I grabbed one of my background pieces and went to work, adding gesso, glaze, glitters and the aluminum curls. I love how it all looks and, as always, wish I could convince the camera to grab the beauty and depth in this piece. Sigh....

Enjoy my shimmery fun! Thanks for stoppin' in! Hugs all around...debmarie :o)

Bugs, Bugs, Go AWAY!

WHEW!! I probably shuldn't say this out loud, (ok, I'm whispering now), buuuuuuut we MAY be on the downhill slide with this flu. What a MESS this was! I can agree with the "experts" who say they "might have missed the mark on this year's flu shot recipe". YA THINK??! ll four of us got slammed with it and lucky me - I'm still trying to hold on to the "duffy dose". But at least I can THINK now... well, as good as I ever could.

Since I have no new work completed and ready for viewing, here are a few wall quilts I made. As I looked through my pics, it was interesting how much my color work has improved. Never really knew I was devoid of color, but as I look at my older work, I realize I was,generally speaking!

But wait! I found one more! Whew! I guess I wasn't TOTALLY colorless! I forgot about this one, as it sold a while ago.