Mixed Media of a Different Sort

Here's a different sort of "Mixed Media". I've been using quilt ruler, rotary cutter & mat to cut copper sheeting for the wall, & my paint brayer to smooth the edges, along with a staple gun & hammer...

the lower walls in the back entry are now covered in copper. I also weather stripped the door after my dear housekeeper scrubbed it down for me as her last act of the day. I've hired a great gal to come in every other Thursday for just a few hours to clean. I LOVE HER! My bathroom is shining, the house has a lot less dust. She can clean & I can quilt & not feel guilty about all the other stuff I should be doing. It's almost like having a clone!

Next I have to get cement board & screw it to the floor & wall shelves so I can do the tile on them. I'm going to do pebbles. I also am still trying to decide how I want to paint the door. I have a few ideas....

I've painted a little crystal chandelier, just need an electrician to install it now.

I've got Warren working on an old ladder to hand coats on.

Tonight we went to Organic Oasis for dinner , & to listen to our friend Pete play in his band, Full Sail. They are Blue Grass, & put on a good show.

Round Robin ~ Jan's

The next round in the Round Robin, is Jan's block. Here is what it looked like when I got it.

I thought about continuing with an easy applique vine, but after doodling a bit on the computer I decided not to go there.

Thinking it needed a bit more pizazz, & something less traditional, I did an improvisational

pieced border. I'd been reading Rayna Gillman's book, Create  Your Own Free-Form quilts, which gave me the inspiration, & reminded me of Ricky Tims' Caveman quilting, in the way she pieces. Here is how it came out.

I also added just a touch of embellishment by hand couching yarn bits on 3 sides.

Today after my quilt guild meeting, I went to Doriola's. It's a great little artsy lunch place, & located just a few steps from the Quilt Zone. The food is wonderful, & the art & gift shop full of local hand made items is great. They usually hang our auction quilt here during the summer & help us sell tickets. A lot of the quilters eat there regularly. It was fun to set there & watch people react to the quilt as they walked in & out of the door.

On the way home we stopped at the bottom of our hill so I could snap a few pictures of the creek & the surrounding flora.

The fireweed is at or nearing the top, all over town. Legend says we'll have snow in 6 weeks when the top bloom opens.

Devil's Club berries are turning red.

A few leaves are starting to turn yellow.

Autumn will be here soon.

"Flying" challenge for 2013 Calendar

The other challenge our Calendar Group does each year is a word or subject for our calendar quilts. This year the word was "Flight".

Pam Harris (who moved away this year) did "Rumors Fly. Very clever girl that Pam!

Mona did these Queen Lady Bugs.

Margaret used some of her photographs of Sandhill Cranes.

Cathy's pigs fly.

Jan 's hot air balloons.

Mary G's Raven Spirit soars into a VanGogh

starry night.

Rena's flightless birds that aren't flightless.

She calls it "Flightless, My Ass".

Betty's hot air balloon doesn't need fuel, because it's loaded with the Calendar Girls, therefore has plenty of hot air.

Carol's gorgeous Dragon Flies, has a lot of BLING!

Mary Lee did a Christmas plane (guess who will be December).

Jackie's "Fly Me to the Moon",

& my "Raven Steals the Sun".

Mary Lee threw this one in for good measure, so we have 13  quilts for our "Flight " challenge.

Another Round On our Robin

With 3 more rounds to go, this is what our "Anything goes" Round Robin is looking like:

Mary Gerkin's is getting quilted as we go (I lead the way with that, & Mary is loving it).

Carol Wight Jones's started with the Raven piece...I love how it's looking. Rena made the leaf border on it, & it's spectacular.

I'm not sure who the center block belongs to yet (maybe Mary Lee?), but Rena did the top & bottom abstract borders to move it more into the modern age (I love it again Rena!), & Jackie put the flowers toward the top.

Mine is the next piece, started with a subtle gel print that I did, Carol added the green gauze & some copper touches, Jan & Betty added borders. The photo has it washed out. I'll have to see if I can get a better shot later.

This next one is in my hands next. It belongs to Jan Wills. Jackie, Rena & Mary G have all played with it.

Here is Mary Lee, holding Jackie's piece. She added the floral border on the right. It's wild & I love it. It's Jackie all over!

The next belongs to Rena Brinker. You may see Rena's home in a movie that should be coming out soon. Nicholas Cage used Rena's house for his home in a movie filmed here in Anchorage last winter. They also used my workplace & part of my department in the film....

Anyhow,...Rena brought this blue fractured circle that Mary L. had gifted her. Jackie placed it on this wild background print. Mary G put the lovely textured trunk under the circle turning it into a fanciful tree.

I added 2 fairies to it.

Carol added dragon flies, both as a subtle stamp in the background & the Angelina sheets on the surface.

Betty's started with a print of a dog. Jan's cat was quite taken with it.

Jackie pieced the bone borders, Mary G turned it into a dog house,...

& I thread-painted the dog.

As I was leaving I revisited Jan's quilt that I quilted. Pretty!

Raven Steals the Sun

OK, I really am still here. All I've been doing is working & quilting when not working. Above is this year's "Flight" challenge quilt for my Calendar Girls challenge. We will be making our calendars for next year.

Warren's poppies are starting to bloom. We've been having mostly cool  cloudy & damp days with intermittant warm sunny days. Today it's nice, & I've got Calendar girls to go to, so maybe I can post about that later. Sorry for being such a blog slacker!