Painting Minis

So, you remember my first pewter miniature . . . (Yeah, I'm the Church Lady -- Now, isn't that special) This is mini number three . . .

And this is mini number six . . . .

The mice are about one inch tall, the owl and leprechaun is about an inch and a half tall. .

VERY, very, very tiny.

I am having so much fun!

All minis are from Reaper Miniature

Treasury!

Gladys George of Touching Prayers has included my rosary bracelet in her treasury"Teal's the One"
Thanks so much! And the the rosary sold this weekend. Synchronicity!

Would you believe . . . ?

My art quilts are on their way to a new home!

"'Crusaders broke into this mound', Maes-Howe Orkney Scotland"

"Older than Stonehenge, Castlerigg, Lakes District, England"

When I returned from quilt retreat and checked Etsy I noticed that I had sold the above quilts and two pieces of jewelry. I did a little happy dance and scared the dogs . . . and startled the heck out of my husband too.

I cannot wait to tell my quilting buddies. They have been so encouraging and supportive.

While I was out . . .

While I have been away at Quilt Guild Retreat I have been featured on an email sent out to Etsy email subscribers. I would not have known about this except that Lisa Boucher, my Bead Soup swap buddy sent me a note to tell me. (We have wifi at the retreat center!)

Sorry for the bad screen shots. Anyway, I checked out the activity of my shop on www.Statsy.org (type in your shop name to find out the activity on YOUR shop). In a very short time I have had over 500 visits to the "Older than Stonehenge" landscape quilt I have listed.

Meanwhile, I have been working on the design below. It is inspired by this tile from the Arts and Crafts era.

(Tile above, quilt-wallhanging below.)

This will have a lovely William Morris border.

THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you!

I was hoping to get back to the Bead Soup blog list and finish reading all the reveals, but it just "ain't gonna happen". Thanks to all who visited this blog, #95, in the middle of the list and thanks especially to those who commented and added to my followers list.

I did this with my mom (#96) who had a blast! We both were pushed outside our comfort zones and challenged to produce something completely different from our usual pursuits.

So, life goes on.

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My Applique block for our Raffle Quilt 2008

This week I will be going on a four day quilt guild retreat. This involves hanging out with my creative sisters of the thread: sewing, quilting, laughing, eating, and laughing and eating some more. This is a time for me to "fill the well". I do not get to quilt much between retreats and so this is my only dedicated creative time. I will also be taking on an office in the guild, president.

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I know . . . "What was I thinking?"

One of my Retreat Quilts -- the top was started and finished in 4 days.

I have been part of this guild for 16 years and it is my turn to serve. I know there is a really short and effective word I could have said, but I could not seem to make it come out of my mouth. The guild has been my sanity and my support through my personal trials these last few years and I love the members as sisters.

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This retreat I am looking forwards to working with Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts inspired designs. I am quite taken my the works of Margaret MacDonald and her husband Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Maybe I will end up with some Mackintosh Roses similar to these:

What do you do to "fill the well"?

Do you have a community of like-minded artists you "escape and create" with?

Do you have a dedicated creative time?