Friday, December 31, 2010

2011? A New Year In So Many Ways

I have been thinking about my new year's post all week. Mostly I have been thinking about all the Mission 101 things that I didn't get done :-D It's funny how easily plans can change in a short amount of time. One such change of plan on short notice is that I will be unemployed at the end of February.

Now, I don't want to hear sorries from anyone :-) There are some things worth being sorry for, but I have been secretly buoyed by the potential for the future and being cut loose from having to make certain decisions. There is a certain freedom in having the clarity to plan and energy that comes from planning. I am excited about being able to put more time into my business, my cards, my art, and my family.

It's going to be so nice to completely immerse myself at the art college and not worry about making up hours or such. I will miss the fantastic people I work with, but I'll probably get to see them just as much in the future. Just because one door closes doesn't mean it has to close completely.

Have a happy and safe new year's eve friends, and we'll chat next year :-)

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Other Best Christmas Gift!

What do you give someone that has everything? What do you give someone that has asked for no gift? The simple answer is the gift of love :-)

My parents came over on Boxing Day and Mom had a large frame with her. What could it be? I found out in an instant and I LOVE IT! Years ago the only craft I practiced was cross-stitch and I only completed three large scale pieces (others remain unfinished as of this writing!). Maybe this piece, Country Alphabet, had a better chance of being finished because it simply was an alphabet.

The frame is 18x24" and I was pleased to see that Mom had made a buffer so that stitches would not get crushed. I can't tell you how long it took me to finish this. I probably started it in 1995. I had to improvise on the U because it featured a portrait of Uncle Sam, and being Canadian, well...

I moved a few times since finishing it and and I always wondered where my alphabet went. When I was cleaning out the basement this past summer, I was sure I would find it. Turns out I had the wrong basement!

I still love cross-stitch, but it's so hard for me to complete for some reason. I have a horse pattern on my website that you might enjoy! I got halfway through stitching the model and then I gave up. Sigh! It's a wonder anything gets done with me!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Peace, the best gift of all

There is so much I love about Christmas, from getting together with family and friends, to the sights and the sounds and homemade delights. But my favourite part of Christmas is the gift of peace. Christmas seems to be the only time of year when life truly slows down. I have had to slow down because of a cold that has dogged me most of December. I complained about how it wouldn't turn into a real cold, and then naturally this week it did!

I have watched the sun rise while lying on the couch for two mornings in a row now. There's nothing more beautiful than a crisp Alberta morning, where everything is weirdly blue for several hours. First a pretty cobalt blue, then a lighter blue as the sun wakes. We live on a busy road that is a shortcut between two communities and also a bus route. No kids, no commuters, no joggers...just many hours of treasured peacefulness while my pet birds preen and grind their beaks with contentment. Even they could feel this peacefulness. So from my family to yours, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Craft Sales - I Miss Them So!

This has been my first week without homework and my first week without a craft sale in a long time. Just two more fibre classes to go! But I do miss the craft sales...it's really the one time of year where I get to meet customers in person and chat with them. I love that so much. Just as I have a story to tell them, they often have a story to tell me.

The stories I hear the most of revolve around pansies. If I had known my pansies were going to be so popular, I would have called this Purple Pansy Art. People love their little faces and their amazing hardiness in Calgary's weather. Indeed, pansies will last up until and into the first few snowfalls here! But pansies seem to remind people of friendships, and mothers and grandmothers. I usually take pansy pictures in groups of two or three when I can, to symbolize those relationships. Plus they are very photogenic flowers.

Usually I have lots of pansies every summer, but this year I only had one pot that my mother gave me. I just adored the gentle ruffled petals! A vertical shot of these flowers graced cards and magnets this year. Although I won't be selling in person for a very long time, that doesn't mean my cards and magnets are not available. Just drop me a line anytime. I usually don't post them for sale on online venues. By the time everyone takes their cut, I'm not left with much profit unfortunately!


Ruffled Pansies