Christmas Printing...

A few days before Christmas, I was knee deep into making. Ask my family.

The living room was covered in sewing-- fabric and thread. Towels lots of towels. I made 9 hooded towels for nieces and nephews, and little friends. The kitchen covered in embroidery and felt at one end of the table, drawing and painting in the middle of the table, print making on the end of the table... and ironing in the laundry room.

And then there was printing. I wanted to use these wooden printing blocks that my mentor, John had given me years ago. I do drag them out for projects once in a while but I'd wanted to organize them in alphabetical order. So I didn't have to play the "Who can find Mommy an S? Now an R?!" game.

And organizing them gave me so many options. Oooo what if I printed on paper, for cards! Posters! Tea towels!

With a few short lengths of furring strips and hot glue, held everything in place as I printed.

And I used acrylic paint as ink-- so it would dry faster.

I loved how these turned out. And the process was just so fun. I think I will get these out more often.

What have you been working on?

Creating in the Middle of Things

I've so enjoyed the posts.  Keep them coming and thanks for sharing!  You all are so talented and awesome.

Well, still trying to get a hold of things in my life.  Just when I feel like I'm "balanced" and "in control" another day comes of racing out the door, running around at work, making sure baby is fed, dogs are fed, house is cleaned up, oh..uh...what to make for dinner when there's no food in the house, and then all of a sudden it's 9 p.m. again and all I have energy or brain cells for is to watch the start of another season of "Survivor".  

As I'm living my own version of "Survivor" these days, faced with new challenges that test my mental and physical strength, I am finally starting to learn what it means to "create in the middle of things".  The evenings where I used to have time to work in my studio are now filled with bath and bedtime routine, and although I wouldn't change it for the world, I am accepting that I just don't have that kind of time anymore (or energy!).  So, instead, I am practicing creating in the middle of things. Whether that's reading my art magazine for a few minutes at work, or knitting a few stitches while Kestan's stacking blocks, I can still make art and create a little here and there, throughout the day, while I balance and juggle the other parts of my life.  I will continue to set time aside for myself so I can get some longer, quality time in my art room, and I can also rest a little easier knowing that I don't have to have something to show as a final product or make a huge production out of my art-making at this time.  I can go slower.  I can enjoy being.  I can let go of expectations.  And while I embrace all that I have to be grateful for in my life, I can actually enjoy being able to "create in the middle of things."

In the middle of everything, we enjoyed making Kestan's hand-print - our first art project together.