MOVING!
I am moving my blog to www.marbled-arts.com/blog What can I say it just works better for me to have my blog and website all in one place. Come and visit.
Suzi

August is my unofficial Web Designer Appreciation Month. WOW, I always knew that there was a lot involved. But now that I have taken over much of the construction and updated of my web site www.marbled-arts.com I really appreciate just how much my designer knows and has done for myself and my business.

The learning curve is steep, but I am learning so much and have a great sense of accomplishment. I can't wait to get construction done and the revised site up running. I am adding more marbled fabric, Bold Over Batiks, some Yummy Jacquards, Batiks, a few of my favorite Notions, Patterns. I am also starting an email newsletter if you are interested send me and email with your name and email stating that you would like to be placed on Marbled Arts Newsletter. I promise not to fill your inbox with lots of emails.

This is my newest creation. Sun printed fabric that I added some additional leaves to using variegated thread. I also found some new sparkly silver thread and silver beads to give a raindrop feel. The side panels are hand dyed fabric that I added river stones using variegated thread. I had great fun creating this vest, it has a very organic feel to it. I'm really happy with the way the thread painting turned out. It is the first time I tried the river stones effect. It did take a little while to get the hang of the river stones, but I always want to learn something new. And now I get to wear it.

River Rocks in Yukon Gold is the latest featured fabric on my web site. I just keep forgetting to put it on blog page. I have been busy creating new fabric. Got slowed down a bit by an inflammation in my ankle. Have to remind myself to stay off of it. But I love this fabric. When I first started marbling I could not sell this design. No one wanted it and now it is selling like hot cakes. It has such a wonderful organic feel to it.

My latest creations is two Tukaway Totes. I found this pattern and thought Quilters always need another tote. I am retraining myself to not get bags at stores, so I need a couple of totes. This one folds up into its own pocket and is easy to carry around until you need it. I'm trying to do my part to help the environment and the little things add up.

For anyone that lives in the Pacific Northwest, yet another rainy day. Last Summer my Lupine had their first season. I had planted seeds the winter before and carefully tended them. This year they burst from the ground for an amazing show. Last time I had 8 blooms and this year at last count over 60. I have noticed a lot more Bumblebees, which is good, and couple Hummingbirds. I hope the will reseed and the patch will enlarge. I dream of seeing my entire Bern in native wildflowers.

Yet another Fiona Bag. My friend Mary loves my fabric but does not sew. So she selected a piece of my hand marbled fabric and I made her a bag with the textured cording. The buttons are deer antlers pieces. It may look a little smunched as I put it in my scanner, the batteries on my camera have died.

I just joined the local quilt guild. Around16 women and only 3 or 4 have quilted before, but the rest are eager and willing to learn. Before I joined the Sew 'n' Sews made a quilt to raffle off to raise money for the new library building. And now a couple of other community groups would like fundraising quilts as well. So we were asked to choose a color, a block and make three blocks, Brights, Country and Pastels, using white for the background. This was a real challenge for me. I generally audition colors and put together what feels right. I seldom use pastels or white unless it is a focus color. Well, I don't draw inside the lines very often either. It was great fun to get out my stash and see just how many shades of green I had.

On the left is a version of Fiona's favorite bag. I used a cord maker to create the cord. I have been using a regular black cord on most of my bags, but that got a little boring. I found this cord maker and have been having a great time making fun and intresting cords with texture. Now I get to create bags to go with the cords on the right. Such fun adding texture to my world.

Here is a new friend. I found this pattern and thought he was just to cute to pass up. The Toadally Awasome Toad is made using one Fat Quarter of Yukon Gold hand marbled in the rocks or stones design. He always looks like he has had a nip or two of moonshine.

I'm back! The saying life happens has become a reality in my life. I am in the middle of physical therapy for my ankle. It is a real challenge. Recover is all about balance. To much and you slide backwards, not enough and you don't move forward. In order to achieve the proper balance I had to let a few things go for a time. So I am back to blogging once again.

New featured fabric (back by special request) Ugly Duckling in the Freestyle design. Look at my February 28, 2007 entry to see why.

I just got overwhelmed in a big way. I have been told that my chi was out of whack. That is a nice way to say I encountered a full meltdown. I had to reorganized my life and set priorities. And it has to be pretty important right now for it to get done. All is well and I hope to be back to blogging soon.

PS. The ankle is getting better too.

Everything I know I learned from My Dog.
Life is all about adapting. Miss Molly is a rescued dog. When she first arrived we thought her tail was broken because she always had it tucked between her legs. Molly came to live with us two weeks before I was involved in a auto accident that almost took my life (but that is a different story). Molly and I recovered together. She spent her first weeks in a tent formed by my borrowed recliner and the blankets I was wrapped in.

Now Molly is a happy healthy crazy dog. She takes her job of protecting me very seriously. I had ankle surgery the first part of December. Molly moved into my studio with me. I have two rolling office chairs that I use, so I can stay off my feet and elevate my ankle as much as possible and still work. Molly figured out how to get herself wedged under one of the chairs and roll me around the room. If I can't get my good foot on the floor in time, Molly runs me into the wall.

I just got clearance to be able to walk outside in my yard. When I stepped onto the grass for the first time Molly went nuts. She did the happy dog flips/end to end swaps and raced around like a crazy wild thing. She always adapts to the situation and shows great joy at my smallest progress.

It's catch up time. I just spent the weekend at the Kitsap Quilters Annual Quilt Show. 325 Quilts were hung for everyones viewing pleasure. It always amazes me, such wonderful, beautiful, mind blowing creativity. I love seeing new teqniques and getting new ideas. I always find inspiration. Now if I only had more time to create quilts. I really can't complain as I have been marbling fabric like MAD! And selling it just as fast, but I have desided that struggling to keep up with the demand is a good thing.

I am also finding that I am headed in a new direction with other fabrics that I sell. I currently have two fabric lines that are made by artisan overseas and made by hand. They are then paid a fair and liveable wage and the fabrics are inported to the US. It hads always been my belief that you don't give money, give them a way to make a better life themselves. The artisan can remain in their villages, support themselves and their arts lives on. So I am in the process of searching out other fabrics. Any sugggestions? They must be of high quality, cotton, suitable for quilting.

There is nothing like a good bookkeeping program. When I first started Marbled Arts one of the first things I purchased, to help keep everything organized, was a bookkeeping program. The first year I had no Idea what I was doing. I called our account and he gave me some ideas and pointers. Each year I have spent a little time "tweaking" how the program organize the information for tax time. This year I just had to make a couple of "tweaks". Now I just have to run a couple of reports and the information is all right there and just needs to be entered into the right places.

All that hard work finally paid off.

Yippee!!!!!!! Today I returned to hand marbling on fabric. Yes, I'm happy about that. I started small and only did ten pieces, but it really felt great. More happy marbling tomorrow.

I also updated my featured fabric for my web site. http://www.marbled-arts.com/ This time it is Storm Blue. It's a dark blue and a bit mysterious. It could be angry water from a large lake or ocean. Or dark rolling, boiling clouds on the move. A Storm is rolling in across the valley today. Snow is definitely on the way.

On Crutches But Not Idle.

It has been a very long six weeks. I go to see my surgeon tomorrow and hopefully he will take my crutches away. My husband said if they wanted me to remain on crutches the he would most likely have to take me out and shoot me. I suggested large amounts of Dark Chocolate instead. But just because I have been on crutches does not mean I have been idle. I spend several hours in my studio each day hand dying fabric. I have a tall rolling chair so I am able to move around somewhat. And I have been experimenting with some new colors. I really can't wait to start marbling.

The photo above is of a quilt that has been in the works for ever. It's Queen size and I'm hand quilting, so I quilt in spurts. Having been slowed down by the whole crutch thing has given me time to quilt. And having a new quilting frame really makes it more fun. Nothing like having the right equipment for the job.

A Woman is like a tea bag. You never know

how strong she is until she's in hot water.

-- Eleanor Roosevelt --

WILL IT GO UP OR DOWN FROM HERE?
This morning started a little weird. When you are on crutches life is a little trickie. I decided to take a shower this morning. Just as I got out of the shower, all nice and clean. My husband set off the fire alarm in the shop and house. That sound always freaks out Miss Molly. When she is freaked out she runs to me. She arrived just as I got out of the shower. I discovered dog hair really will stick to you when you are wet. I do think that I had more dog hair on me after the shower than before.

So, I am waiting to see which way the day will go.

Merry Christmas to One and All
Just a quick surgery update. I had the stitches taken out on the 17th. That feels so much better. Most of the swelling has gone down and those really nasty bruise colors have shown up in full force. But any time your surgeon does the happy dance when he talks about your surgery it is a really good thing. I am still on crutches, until at least Jan. 14th, my next visit with my Doctor.

I have been working on hand quilting a Queen size quilt that I started sometime ago. I am using my new Gracie Lap Quilting Frame. Normally the quilt frame part is 14" but I had them special order me an 18" frame. I really like the extra space for quilting. Don't have to move the frame as often. I LOVE it! And the quilt is finally moving along. Can't wait to get it done.

Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season and I wish you all the very best for the coming New Year.