Sewing, Painting, Cleaning

I'm not right on top of this blogging thing. Perhaps some day I'll get the hang of it. I have done a lot of sewing and painting in the last several months though.

My friend and I went out east to Connecticut to a 5-day painting seminar with Ros Stallcup in early October. We spent 8 hours a day painting projects on wood, canvas, or tin and finished the project each day. I learned different techniques and had to try very hard to get my brain to let loose so I wasn't painting so rigidly.

From Connecticut we drove Massachusetts to another 5-day Decorative Painting convention, New England Traditions. I took about 6 different classes there from various teachers and again learned different techniques. I also entered a piece I painted into a competition against other hobbyists. My piece was about 3-feet tall, an old spindle onto which I had put wood putty to look like Santa's face and arm. I added a wooden base onto which I painted a scene of a living room with windows and reindeer looking in at the Christmas tree and presents. Onto the top of the spindle I added a table top and painted Santa and his bag of toys with holly leaves and a faux finished circle around Santa. I'll have to find a picture to upload so you can see it.

To my surprise and delight, I took first place in the Holiday Division and then I was really delighted when I won Viewers Favorite in Hobbyist Division! There were many wonderful pieces in this division so I was really thrilled to receive such an award.
I've also been in a few swaps in the last few months on Art4Mail and I would love to share pics of these. Back in July we had an Animal Pincushion Swap. My swap partner loves hippos so I had to make her a hippo pincushion! Couldn't find a pattern for a hippo so I had to create my own. It took a few attempts but I came up with one. What do you think? She love it

We also had a needlecase swap. I decided to make a pattern I've had for years from Crabapple Hill, called Wild Rose Sewing Wallet. It turned out well, although somehow I got the front of it backward. I haven't been a great paper piecing fan, but I decided to try to again. Since it was only a small bit of paper piecing, it was doable and turned out pretty well.

Then we had a Fall pincushion swap. I received a wonderful Acorn pincushion from my swap partner and I sent a round felted wool pincushion with a 3-dimensional mum on top in fall colors.

For October we had a Halloween pincushion swap. My swap partner sent me a great coffin pincushion! It's covered with fabrick and decorated with creepy things. She found the coffins at Michael's.

I made a "Great Pumpkin" pincushion for her. On our trip out east we found a wonderful Gourd Place, that had laser cut gourds that were painted or dyed. I found a sweet little jack-o-lantern with a handle and put it on top of the felted wool pumpkin pincushion I made.

The rest of the time I've been organizing and re-organizing rooms and getting rid of 20 years of saving things I thought I might have a need for someday.  I've run out of room in the house! I need to get control of my house again!