What's that you say? It's Sunday?

I swear it was just Monday a mere second ago.

I think that I was abducted this last week, levitated out of my little house wearing legwarmers and my hair piled high, and time warped all the way to Sunday. I vaguely remember some small details such as opening mail containing a fabulous kitschy deer necklace, eating no less than six artichokes, snow falling in my hair, and a rockin' trip to Goodwill, but other than that, it's all a blur of unfathomable chaos.

Thankfully, at some point during the week, a sewing machine of workhorse intentions was loaned to me and I wasted precious little time.

Briar Patch Pouch

Linen and vintage flour sack

Bramble Patch Pouch

Raw linen and vintage flour sack

Thistle Patch Pouch

Linen and vintage cotton

These sweetie-petities will land in the textile shop tomorrow morning for the snapping up as soon as I've had my coffee. Additionally, as I'm packing and streamlining my life in preparation for the move, I'll be celebrating with a pretty fantastic Spring-Cleaning sale on other selected shop items (whoot!).

I'm so very excited about these new little pouches for all your pouchy needs (my needs include pencil cases, cabochon corralers - I've got a pouch filled with ocean jasper and turquoise that I've hoarded ever so greedily - lip attire, and last but not least, brightly colored bus ticket stubs I've collected from the streets of Seattle). I feel they hint at the new direction I'm striking out towards with my textile work, allowing me to use my prep drawings for paintings and simply translate them into a new medium.

On that note:

IT'S TIME FOR ME TO TELL YOU SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Warning: I'm about to get all business on you here

From day one with my fabric I committed to using natural fibers - cotton, linen, wool - and creating as little waste as humanly possible - all those patchie pillows have been created from bits and scraps and trim otherwise destine for the trash. But these days buying new cotton just doesn't feel right [for me] as I educate myself on the environmentally destructive processes the commercial industry uses. I want to move ever closer to environmentally sound business practices and I feel it's important to let you know this desire of mine. I've finally begun cutting into my stash of vintage fabrics and I feel so wonderful knowing that these textiles I've rescued from the sad corners of thrift stores and found in the bottom of trunks long sealed are being breathed new life and new purpose. They already hold history, warmth and stories, and their life makes my own creations that much richer.

I have no wish to sound preachy, but I feel it's important to let you know my intentions. That said, I'll continue to use the new materials I've already collected (getting rid of them would absolutely seem to miss the point!) in conjunctions with previously loved fabrics. I'm really looking forward to setting up my new stitchery corner in our new home as the ideas are literally falling out of my head and bouncing off my knees as I work.

In other news, updates abound in the art shop...

The Brothers Grim: Tuck

Oil on Canvas, 5" x 5"

The Brothers Grim: Nip

Oil on Canvas, 5" x 5"

I have such a fondness for these two, sigggggghhhhhh. I love their little skull-y heads.

Cyclical Nature

Archival Prints on 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper

Receiving Messages: See

Archival Prints on 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper

Receiving Messages: Hold Fast

Archival Prints on 100% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper

Whew!

I feel so businessy, I think I must go and put on my power heels just to hear them clickity-clack all over the house.

Please excuse me, there's a pencil skirt calling my name...

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Beautiful

This weekend I've been feeling fussy, prickly just under the skin, my clothes itchy and tight in all the wrong places. It's this in-between place: I can do no more painting until my studio is set up in California (wet canvas plus travel equals a dire situation), my sewing machine seized up something fierce yesterday as I was in the middle of a custom order (equaling two hours of trauma with screw drivers and about a bazillion q-tips) and it's now official in need of repair, it's too early to pack the "easy" things like the kitchen and closets, all this Spring makes me want to run outside and play but I feel I must stay inside and be productive somewhere (I have serious case of "productivity need" that seldom lets me sit idle). My to-do list is uninspiring. I'm tired of trying to catch up with emails (on that note, if you are waiting on a reply from me, know it's nothing personal but sometimes I just have to flee from my inbox. I'll come back, I promise).

So I made myself a pan of lemon-lime bars (my very own scratch recipe). I put on smokey eye-liner even though I had no plans of leaving the house and long musical earrings. I called my mom. I put on a bright pink sweater, an apple green scarf, a mustard and purple vest. I went for a bike ride, 2 hours of flying up and down these hills with the wind in my ears.

I tossed my childhood blanket out in the backyard, poured a glass of wine and wrote a few letters in the dwindling afternoon sun. I ate a spoonful of peanut butter. I checked the mail, found a postcard and a birthday present (albeit one that is not addressed to me but to BC and I'm on pain of death to not shake). And I do feel a bit better.

I hope this month passes easy. And peaceful.

And speaking of peace... I've got a slew of shop updates brewing for you in both the art and textile shops. I'll be listing items tomorrow, Tuesday, at random, with a second sneak bloggy peek on it's way!

In the meantime, a pair of "Peace, Love and Cushions" have made their way into the shop to kick off the festivities!

The Friday Confessional: March 5th 2010

Confession Number 348: Today's photos have absolutely, positively nothing to do with the content of these confessions. Well, except this first confession. Because I'm talking about them here. Hhm. Right. Anyways, incase my ramblings today bore you terribly, I've included a sampling of the wondrous Spring we're soaking up.

Confession Number 6: Sometimes my musical palette is terribly undiscerning. As much as I would like to boast of listening to highly diversified, unheard of indie or fabulously interesting music all the time, it's just not true. Just this week I had to run approximately fours hours of errands in the car (blerg!) and listened to the "stress-busting, easy-listening favorites of the 60's through today" the whole time. I confess to know ALL the words to a few Celine Dion songs. And John Cougar Mellencamp. Nevermind Counting Crows, Sugar Ray and even some Spice Girls. I may or may not even kinda liked it.

And when "I will always love you" by Whitney Houston came on, I belted it out at the top of my lungs.

(I'M SLIGHTLY MORTIFIED NOW)

(Don't Judge Me)

In a related confession, the very first CASSETTE TAPE I purchased with my own hard earned cash-o-la was the Bodyguard Soundtrack. So you see it's just ingrained at this point. I can't help it.

Ok, your turn and make it juicy!

Two Pints and taking the long way Home

What did you do tonight?

Californicus and the results of a 22 hour drive

Californicus: a native species to California

It's funny.

Sometimes you have to leave a place to realize just how much you love that place. Certain landscapes imprint themselves in the lines of your palm, they become tied up in your locks and branded on your skin in a thousand tiny moles. In my very marrow resides the grit of California and in my blood flows the current of the Golden State. Whenever I cross the state line my heart gives a little flutter and jolt and something deep in my gut recognizes that land as home.

I have the heart of a redwood

I sing the song of the raven

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Weeks ago as I slid wet brushes over canvas while nodding my head to the beat, working tirelessly to finish preparations for "Venation," I spent a long day in contemplation. I was terribly distracted from my work, and completely wrapped up in a job offer that had landed on my desk of my BC. I hosted a debate in my studio, conversing with all my painted creatures, asking their opinions and trying my hardest to remain impartial (but that was never possible). As I debated I worked on one particular piece, studying an assortment of images of jackrabbits. And then I saw it. The images I had gathered, for no other reason than technical research, were carefully labeled with the genus rather than the common name.

And they were all "Califonicus." Native Californians. As their ancestors were, as they were born and raised.

****************************************

Fast forward to this last week's trip to California:

We've made a very official decision, BC and I. We've decided to open the next chapter of our lives, to move forward, to move on. To move South, to California. And soon. We have four short weeks to pack and tidy up business and ready ourselves for the move and soak up as much Seattleness (and Morris-ness) as we can.

I intend to eat a lot this month. There are far too many fabulous restaurants still on our list.

We'll be moving to a small town in Northern California (just North of Eureka if you know the area). We've already found a home with a huge backyard (hello my new garden), plenty of studio space (natural light is my best friend), and a less-than-five-minute-drive to the beach (be still my salt water heart). Like you may have guessed, it's been a busy week. I've been living off the adrenaline thrill of moving home.

I think I'll cry when I cross that borderland, just for the sheer knowledge that it feels so right. I've loved Washington deeply, I've adored it's mountain ranges full of thick trees and cities full of cherry blossoms. It will always be dear to my heart, I will always treasure these last years.

But the time is now.

California, here I come.