Studios Magazine's Virtual Open Studio Event

UPDATING NEW PHOTOS AS WE SPEAK .......

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Preparing for this event has proved quite the challenge for me. I so wanted my first line here to read: Welcome to HeartSong Studio. In stead, I'm making a excuse; albeit a temporary one.
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Shooting indoors, with my little Nikon 6.0 Coolpix, is proving difficult. I do not have the best lighting, and after having shot some 50 images, the simplest thing to have considered, I did not remember to do. I forgot to turn off my Time/Date stamp. Just one item that never made it onto the list of things I need to do. I rightfully [and quite frustratingly!] plead Brainfog. A major side effect of NSAIDs and Fibromyalgia. .

So, I'm in the process of reshooting, and will return shortly with my portion of the Tour.

In the meantime, here is my Lucy napping during yesterday's shoot.

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Thank you for your patience.

Blessings

Needles and Pins and Fine Old Laces

In yesterday's post, I shared the end product. Today I thought I'd share some of the shots I took throughout the creative process.
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To the right is the pin cushion that I designed [earlier this year] to fit my old, but very faithful, Singer sewing machine. I found it rather tiresome having to either look for where I last laid my little scissors, or pick them up from the floor after having brushed them off the table top.
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I used sticky-backed hook and loop tape to secure the removable cushion to the small ledge at the front of the machine. It's quite handy and I always know where those particular scissors are!
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After auditioning several laces from my hatbox stash, to make the pin cushion for my Husqvarna Viking, I settled on this scrumptuous piece of vintage lace.
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My father came home after one of his many long weekends of scouting antiques [many years ago now], and gave me several pieces of old lace that he sorted out from a lumped together, boxed up purchase.
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I have another one of those finds that I'm going to work into an art quilt. But, I'll be working from the same piece of forest green organza as the background. More on that later.
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I read somewhere that if you wanted a permanent ink, use coffee. I took that to hold true with hand-dying as well, so-- I fired up the studio coffee pot and dropped the smallest piece into a coffee dye bath.
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It drank in the dye and the coloring is quite beautiful. And, do they even make lace like this these days?
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In the meantime [while waiting for the laces to dry], I finished the construction of the body of the pin cushion. Of which is made entirely of tightly rolled strips of wool. I then covered it with the above-mentioned organza.
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At this point, though, I'm still auditioning the skirting lace. Once I decided on the floral edging, I ran a gathering cord, not only to see how it would look, but how much bulk it would add to the bottom edge of the vintage lace.
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As I worked with it, I wondered how it would look after bathed in java. No sooner was it thought--- and I had a fresh pot of coffee abrewin'.
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When I pulled it out, to transfer to the bowl with a vinegar rinse, I wasn't so sure I'd made the right decision. It looked mottled. And all too quick, I hated thinking I'd made a mistake, having just ruined a very nice piece of lace. But as it dried, I could see that it merely took the dye differently; front to back. Meaning-- the right side of the lace looks richer than the back side. So all was good.
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While this piece of lace dried, I still had to determine where and how best to affix the corresponding pieces of hook and loop tape.
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Plus, there was still a matter of which coloration of the vintage top lace to use. Dyed or un-dyed. I hadn't made a firm choice.
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I really, really liked the muted and the more subtle contrast of the dyed swatch. But, as I shared yesterday, I opted to use the untouched lace.
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That will definitely change, though, when I tackle the free-standing design. I fully intend to use the coffee dyed lace; which-- is hanging to dry [along with several others] as I write!
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Before I made any cuts, I worked with said virgin lace, molding, stretching, and pinning it to form, in order to determine the least possible amount of waste.
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I should also state, at some point, this pin cushion was made entirely by hand. No machine sewing whatsoever. I used both straight and curved upholstery needles.
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The finished cushion has a felted bottom [for that I used a piece of double-sided adhesive webbing], and the corresponding strip of tape secured to the back side.
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Yes. This is the Cliff Notes version of the process, and I'm trusting right now, that it's not too confusing.
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I need to take a break from this chair. It's taken me the better part of ALL DAY to write this piece, and my back is screaming!
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[Added 9-30-09] As I stated above, this short little piece took me all day to put together. Reloading the pictures from CDs, resizing them, drafting, editing, etc. ... I should also indicate that prior to my ending up on LTD, this project would have been completed in a weekend's time. Instead, it took a couple of weeks from start to finish. I need many breaks in between sewing sessions. Not only from sitting in a wrong position, but from the carpal tunnel in both hands, and FM in the shoulders. And then there's times when my concentration is challenged! It gets very frustrating, but-- I am pleased with the final result; even though some of my stitches aren't as perfect as they used to be.
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Blessings
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~If you have any questions about this project, please do not hesitate to ask!

Interweave's Cloth, Paper, Scissors Open Studios Event

Okaaay! So- I found the following Twitter post from @InterweaveNews:

Attn all crafters/artists w/blogs: You're invited to participate in Studios mag virtual Open Studio Event Sat Oct. 3! http://bit.ly/pexRa

I've shared only a few images of my studio office, so look for a few more on Saturday, October 3rd. It may get a bit messy in here, at times, but it's my favorite room.
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I'll shoot a video, but I'm not quite sure about getting it embedded here; or anywhere else for that matter. BUT, this is the perfect opportunity to give it a good go.
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Check back on Saturday, this coming weekend, for stills [at very least] or a video! [Not making any promises there!]
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This should be fun. .[Click on magazine cover for event details.]
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In the meantime, here's a look and my latest project. This is my hand-dyed [coffee-dyed] vintage lace pin cushion.
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There's a strip of hook and loop tape that afixes it to the base of my Viking sewing machine.
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I have a little bit more of the same vintage lace to do a free-standing cushion. The coffee-dyed swatch came out quite lovely! I simply opted to stay with the ecru for mine.
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Blessings

Monday the 28th's Quatrain

The Sun shines bright, the new morn’s air is crisp,
and a blustery wind rustles throughout the trees.
And while I make ready to harvest more White Sage
the transplanted lettuces Bibb thrive.

Exercising Quatrains

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Yes! It's been way too long since my last post. And I regret having to admit to being overwhelmed by the whole social media networking scene. Trying to keep up with my blog, blogs of friends, Twitter, and Facebook, etc., -- it all just got to be too much. I don't multi-task as well as I used to, and I've needed to learn my limits. More on that later.
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For now, I want to use this opportunity to share my recent poetic observations. I wanted to collect a few of my Facebook postings, and share them here; in one place. They began merely as a way of encapsulating the high points of a given morning or afternoon. And knowing my penchant for cadance, it's now become a true exercise in quatrains.
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Seeing as how I've reproduced them in the order they appear on my Wall, they may read better from the bottom up. You can see how they began to evolve. Enjoy!
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Sept. 27 ~ Summer gave way to yet another Autumn. And while the Tree Clans begin to loosen their seasonal growth, we celebrate and welcome the Moons of the Harvest and the Falling of Leaves.
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Sept. 20 ~ The Morning Star faded, giving way to yet another day, as the great Day Star rose in the East. And while the Tree Clans hint at the color to come, dark and ominous shadows traverse the sky in the West.
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Sept. 19 ~ Cassiopeia showed bright in the pre-Dawn sky, and Clan Sparrow now delights in the newly filled thistle feeder. And while I still recover from my outing to the market, SOMEone dug up ANOTHER patch of freshly sprouted seedlings!
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Sept. 15 ~ The newest Fall seedlings are asprout in the garden, and Clan Daddy Long Legs has taken up the Guard in the lettuce Bibb. The girls are bathing in a patch of morning Sun, and there's still more tech stuff to tackle.
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Sept. 13 ~ The Winged Ones are afeasting, and Pearl is basking is a patch of morning Sun. Lucy is napping on a chair tucked up under my beading worktable [I don't know how she even gets there], and I MUST tackle the c:drive!
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Sept. 11 ~ The Great Day Star radiates and blankets this little corner of the Earth in a gentle warmth. And while the day is still begun, may All face their choices, certain to follow, with Patience and Wisdom and lots of Love.
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Sept. 10 ~ Fog continues to blanket the Dawns, and a front now shadows the Sun. And while the Winged Ones are noticeably elsewhere, I make ready to don a thimble to play with needles, pins, and laces.
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Sept. 5 ~ The gorgeous full Moon is long set, and the great Day Star shines now in its stead. The Between Ones are achirp at the feeders, and I long for a French Vanilla Cappuccino.
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Sept. 2 ~ Dawn's Touch upon the new day wanes as the Sun takes its place in the sky. And as the Winged Ones gather to break their fast, the Waste Management tanks clamor about the neighborhood.
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Aug. 26 ~ The Fall berries are forming, and the morning dew sparkles across a Sun-lit lawn. And while the gentle remains of fog slowly dissipate, the Winged Ones are happy with seed.
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Aug. 25 ~ The cicadas are singing, while Clan Starling gathers and chatters in the trees. The Ruby Red Lettuce sprouts are juuust turning red. And the Sun is ashine in the sky.
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Aug. 20 ~ The Sun now rises behind the tree across the street. Its march to the South and the Autumnal Equinox has begun.

In My Garden ~ A Slideshow

Giving In

No Friday Five Favorites today. Just a quick update.
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I gave in this week. I determined to let my body take the sleep it cried out for and craved. I gave in to the exhaustion of FM. And instead of thinking of it as losing precious time, I looked at it as a period of restoration. [Thank you, Alethea!] Time will tell whether it makes the difference. I am sure of one thing though. One day it was Tuesday, and the next it seemed--- was Friday. No. It doesn't mean I slept straight through. But the week simply came and went; much too quick.
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There's a local health food store that sets up weekly for B12 injections; $15 per shot. I've determined to go next week and give it a try. Can't hurt. Well, yes it will! (~: ANYway, if it helps me to feel less tired, it will be $15 well spent.
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And as regards my pc monitor dilemma. That resource did not pan out. The power switch is "not fixable," and he didn't have any monitors to sell. So, I gave in today and started to do a little online window shopping. I'm going to take my time. But. My saving grace in all of this? Comparable 19", wide flat screen monitors are a good $100 less than what I paid just a year and half ago. Still-- it's a strain on my already fragile budget!
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Remember my work on refurbishing my Saxony spinning wheel? Well, I finally got around to taking that polishing cloth to it today. I still need to purchase a maintenance kit. But what with needing a new monitor, the kit will have to wait. Besides, I still have the cord band drive and I can fudge a connector to the peddle. And wheel oil? I'll think of something.
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Oh! And the basket behind the wheel is that rose gray alpaca roving I bought from Marathon Alpacas, on ebaY. I picked up another bag of loose black alpaca roving about two weeks back. So, I've got the fiber. I just need the wheel.
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There's also the matter of finishing up work on rejuvenating the small drop spindle for spinning that silk hankie.
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In the meantime, I need to finish reading Stella, by Colin Galbraith. More on that soon. [See the side bar for my Review Queue.] For now, have a look at the book trailer.

I looked and looked, last year for a battery recharger system, and couldn't find one to save my proverbial soul. BUT, after using up the last of the throw away variety, I renewed my search effort and found a Kodak Value Charger. My digital camera is now back in 'greener' business. So is my tape recorder, which I intend to use, to take notes, as I read the hardbound Every Heart Has Its Day, by Lynda Lukow. [Scroll down the page and you'll see I am one of the winners of her Sweet Treats contest. Thank you, Lynda!] I find hardcopy books great for those periods when I'm relegated to the couch; in Recovery Mode. And the tape recorder will also help cut down on the use of notebook paper. Oh! My Kingdom for a Laptop! (~:

Look for my Sunday morning gardening updates.

Blessings

Sunday Morning Gardening

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The Sun was barely up when I set out to putter in my humble little garden. That's the one I planted while I was a few weeks offline; with another dead pc monitor. I'm currently using a loaner [Thank you, Raymond!] , but have a resource to see if my 19" Flatron can be repaired. More on that later!
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This post is about gardening. I'd already set the stakes for the two tomato plants, earlier this week. But today, it was time to tie them up.
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Oh! And let me offer one helpful hint. If you decide to cut costs this year and purchase a package of those green bamboo stakes, just remember to use gloves! That dye brushes off onto everything you touch and does not wash off easily. My hands and nails were a faded green for days.
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There's another helpful hint I now have the experience to offer. Before anyone sets out to create their own Victory Garden, take in the full account of the project and know your limitations. I wanted to do my part and plant [albeit a small one] and grow my own food, but failed to give consideration to the entire process.
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Knowing I can no longer plant and work a proper garden is one thing. Deciding to utilize the empty containers sitting in my garage doing nothing, is another. But failing to consider the basic maintenance and the toll it has already taken on my ailing body, well-- for now, let's just write that off to brain fog.
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I also believed that gardening would help get me outdoors and keep said foggy brain more active. But watering my future crops has me in recovery mode every morning. I make at least 3-4 trips, inside and back out, with my watering cans. At very least, I eventually gave thought to, and now take a foot stool out so I can sit as I water. That's been of tremendous help.
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Getting it all planted had me recovering for days. Setting out and fussing with those tomato stakes had me in recovery mode for hours. Even container gardening goes not well with a degenerating and OA-ridden spine. Securing the tomato plants this morning, has me sitting here, again, with the heating pad on HIGH! And I can't sit here much longer.
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But here's a quick update on the fruits of my labor.
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That first little everbearing strawberry that formed in my hanging berry patch, is just turning red and will be ready to pluck in a matter of days! And my first Roma tomato has taken its beautiful meaty oblong shape. Oh for the first salad they end up in!
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There are also the bush [not vining] cucumbers. I found the first liddy biddy inch long cuke nestled underneath all those prickly leaves. I'm so looking forward to the first few slices of homegrown cucumber.
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I need to do a little research, though, as I've discovered SOMEthing is nibbling at my eggplants. Only one plant so far [of the two varieties I planted], is showing wholes in the leaves, but I've never grown eggplant before, so I'm not familiar with the possible pests.
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The Radicchio is coming along nicely [as you can see to the left. I have two pots of that.], but I've had to go out late in the day to re-water. And, I've already harvested a few White Sage leaves and brewed my first pot of tea. I've found absolutely nothing more soothing than the first swallow of sage tea.
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I came up here [to my studio office] with the scent of tomato plants still on my hands. Regardless the pain, I've been too long away from that kind of smell. Purchasing twine isn't in my budget right now, so I made a quick decision on which spool of 1/4 inch ribbon to sacrifice to the cause. And as I tied, pulled at, and straightened the branches and stems, I took the quiet of the new day to thank them for being here. With the sky as my church, this is where I find and have known the Creator. By being with and respecting Nature.
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Need to go now; my back is screaming!
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Have a wonderful day, and Blessings to All.

A Story of Prompt and Circumstance

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I took a little time out today to practice my craft. The following exercise comes via a writing prompt from one of the Daily Writing Challenges, found in the forums of The Working Writer's COACH.
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The Prompt:
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Candace looked up at Mark. “You know what this means, don't you?”
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He gulped, then nodded. His head bounced like a bobble-head ball park figurine or one of those dogs seen in the rear windows of cars that have known better days.
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"Well!" The one syllable word flowed sing-song (not quite a statement; not quite a question) out of his mouth, as he turned to meet— well— what he alone perceived as doom.
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However adept back home, Professor Townsend now knelt in the company of a long-drawn-out avoidance of Fate. Oh! He talked the Talk. But when faced with the more mobile aspect of said equation, his flair for the verbal banter knew no bounds. And, it actually stood beyond reproach.
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Too excited to wait for him to answer, Candace continued. "I get to see your brilliance at work. First hand!"
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Though several years his junior, and at times markedly naive, Mark knew Candace was no fool. He watched her drink in the excitement of the moment. And revel in the grandeur of the exotic and other-worldly surroundings.
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"If you like, I can step aside and grant you the honor of coaxing it back out." Mark craved the luxury of knowing how much longer he could stall.
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"Oh no, Professor!" Dark ringlets of damp hair clung to the sides of her face. "I couldn't imagine missing out on such a rare opportunity; seeing you in action."
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'There it is.' Mark reflected.
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He’d savored every gradation of their well-meaning, if ill-placed praise. And he'd been fortunate, all the years of his tenure, to be the sole witness to the extent of his fraud. Relatively speaking, Mark found Candace a credit to her species. But her incessant public requests, demanding a spot on his next expedition, completely wore him down. Even more when the Dean of Faculties insisted he open up and garner field experience to commendable students; i.e. Ms. Foster.
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“Alright— ” He replied, running the backside of his hand across his forehead.
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As Candace moved to the fore to set up the camcorder and documentary video, Mark drew in and released a hard-drawn breath. His eyes rolled up and to the back of his head as the lids crept over them slowly, and then shut.
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Pulling a frayed and faded plaid hanky free from the upper pocket of his photographer’s vest, Mark wiped it across his face. And here, in the sweltering heat of the Amazon Rainforest, Professor Mark Ellsworth Townsend, wet to the core with sweat, had no choice but to shake loose the shackles of his fear. Trapped by the inevitable, and regardless how ungracious his potential undoing, Mark turned back to the earthen doorway of the elusive long-haired Giant Hissing Arachnoid.
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“I’m ready when you are, Professor.”
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“Yes. Well. Your eagerness is— well— It’s—” Mark practiced pointing to the tree when his head started bobbling again.
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While Candace focused the lens and her attention on the base of the massive and ancient tree, Mark wrestled with the image of eight long legs jutting out and wrapping about his hand. And while the question of his manhood never once entered the student's mind, Mark struggled with the subsequent sensation of being dragged through the comparatively small opening and down into a dark and vast abyss.
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Though he also gave thought to feigning heat stroke it was sooner, rather than later, that Mark's pride in his standing in the academic community triumphed. With a tinge of salt in his left eye and every ounce of courage he could in secret muster, Mark braced himself against the lichen-covered tree and plunged a very, very, very long stick forward and inside the whole; to poke at a monster of both dire and imagined proportion.
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Story draft by L.L. Abbott
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The Friday Five Favorites of June 5th

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Though I've been back online since last week, getting a post updated has proved difficult. More on that later. For now, I merely want to get a Favorites out to everyone. This week I thought I would address five of my favorite RSS feeds. So here we go.
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No. 1—Words on a Page
I’ve posted a link to her blog more than once already, but it bears repeating. Lori Widmer is a great resource for freelance writers. She is also a champion for fair working wages [Writer’s Worth Day], and not selling oneself short.
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No. 2—The Urban Muse
I found Susan Johnston’s site via Twitter [UrbanMuseWriter], and find it to be another great source of information. See: 5 Tips for Organizing Source Material or I Said, He Said, We Said
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No. 3—Freedom From The Mundane
Okay! I’m more familiar right now with his website and Twitter posts, but— I’m a few chapters into Colin Galbraith's, Stella, [Yes. You read right! Review pending—and more about that soon!], and subscribed to his blog a day or so back. Check out his first stop on the blog tour for:

No. 4—Quips and Tips
Another Twitter find, Laurie Pawlik-Keinlen’s site is another great resource for both the beginning and seasoned writer. As goes her Tweets? They're filled with inspiring quotes and quips.

No. 5—Working Writer’s Coach
Lastly, I met Suzanne Lieurance during last year’s Muse Online Writer’s Conference, and subscribed to her Build Your Business Write newsletter soon after. Do yourself a favor and meet up with her as well.

Though I linked only a few, all [myself included] tweet regularly on Twitter.

That's it for today. More posts pending. Reeeeally!

Blessings