Time to Speak Out

I am usually a fairly low-key, mild mannered person (LOL – so was Clark Kent) but this headline made me see RED – dark, angry red. H&M and Wal-Mart destroy and trash unsold goods. The article talks about a graduate student finding over 200 bags of unsold merchandise in a trash pile to be picked up. On opening the trash sack she discovered the merchandise, shoes, clothing, coats, gloves, etc. had been slashed and otherwise destroyed beyond repair. With all the poverty and homelessness in the world today why couldn’t someone with a charitable leaning have stopped this useless waste? Clark Kent would never have let this happen. Maybe we need a few super heroes back.

What a horrible message to be delivering to the youth of today. It is better to cut the fingers out of gloves and slash the sleeves of coats than to share with the less fortunate. And to think that this happened in New York City which has a terrible poverty and homeless problem. Sorry about the ramblings but every once in awhile something will rub me the wrong way and the ex-teacher in me comes back out on a soap box.

Let me know what you think about the practice of destroying rather than sharing with the less fortunate?

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie

Wednesday Ramblings

The consolidation of two closets into one is almost finished and I have another large stack of clothing to go to the consignment store which supports battered women and children. It is becoming quite obvious that my professional business attire is not getting any use at all. My jeans are just fine (and a lot more comfortable). My newly expanded home studio is getting closer and closer.

I have not sat at a sewing machine since we arrived back from San Diego. I think I may be having withdrawal symptoms but I am trying to hold off until we are through with the room. I have several major projects I want to get started on soon. (More than several if the truth be known.)

I have been busy with blog changes but now it is time to look at www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com. This is a good time to revisit and update the store policies and the shipping information.

Since I am not sewing yet (intentionally), I have spent a lot of time this week looking at other blogs. As in everything else, they run the entire gamut from ‘okay’ to ‘wow’. These have been blogs written by women, for the most part, with a common goal – to sell handmade items over the net. But the one thing that really jumps out at me is that there are no geographical, political, or philosophical boundaries. I wonder if there aren’t some lessons here that could be shared with “big business” or even our political leaders?? Food for thought.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie

Organization and USP's

I am so excited! We bought the shelving units for my sewing room (home studio) today and agreed where things will be going. I can actually begin work up there tomorrow. I have to do some major closet reorganizing before Big T can put up my shelving units. I have been dreaming about arranging and displaying my fabric collection (and making it much easier to work with). I am eager to get the physical, organizational work finished so I can return to my projects (which are stacking up). I think in addition to UFO’s (unfinished objects) and WIP’s (works in progress) I need a category of USP’s (unstarted projects). Am I the only one who feels this way?

Speaking of which, I just read a blog from a fellow quilter who kept track of every project she completed in 2009. I was so impressed with her tally, but when I started counting my projects (the last 8 months of 2009) I was amazed at what I had accomplished. I think we are all that way. Someone else’s accomplishments always sound bigger or better than our own.

I met a new friend from Bulgaria yesterday, Nevita. Audrey from Audreys Country Crafts highlighted Nevita’s shop over the weekend. Nevita has beautiful hand knit items. Please check out her blog site and her online store to learn more about her. I personally would like to learn more about ‘gobelin tapestry’ – just the name fascinates me.

My books on ‘easy stained glass quilts’ arrived while we were in San Diego. I sat down to peruse them as soon as I opened the package. I’m really not sure that they looked all that easy though – the jury is still out. Two of the three books looked very good; the third one did not grab my interest as much but I will give it another read to be sure.

I am having so much fun learning new and different ways to be creative. One of the projects swimming in the back of my mind is a way to show the ‘financial crash of 2009’ through contemporary quilt art. I visualize this in a black and white strip quilting technique. This one, of course, would be dedicated to Big T. I don’t know how many hours I have put in at night working on that one in my subconscious state. I have it almost finished in my sleep, while I have yet to put rotary to cloth in consciousness.

January is always quiet and a good time for thinking and organizing. I would rather think than organize, but I need to take advantage of the latter. My immediate target is the sewing room (also known as home studio). I will post pictures when it is finished. I will also remove the vacation status from my online store, Hummingbird Treasures, tomorrow and see what improvements (or changes) are needed there. There is now a 'subscription box' in the sidebar which will notify you by e-mail when a new posting is added to this blog. I look forward to seeing all of you there.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie

Happy New Year to You All!

December 31, 2009

The question of the day is – why do you never take the right type of clothes on vacation? I guess I should be greatful that our luggage arrived with us. M&R lost the suitcase with their clothes for a full 24 hours; their luggage took the scenic route to San Diego via Portland.

The Dude stayed with us in San Diego when his Mom and Dad went home. He and the Little Miss are becoming inseparable. He has also discovered the world of Ipod so he now has earphones growing from his ears. Little Miss has him drinking imaginary tea at her tea parties. Big T and I are thoroughly enjoying the world of our grandchildren.

Looking back over 2009, my accomplishments for this past year include:

• Discovering a new creative side of me


• Opening my online store through www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com


• Completing several significant customized orders through Hummingbird Treasures


• Initiating my blog site for Hummingbird Treasures at www.hummingbirdtreasures.blogspot.com


• Selling my first original items through Hummingbird Treasures


• Continuing to enjoy every day of my retirement
  

Looking forward, my high level goals for 2010 include:

• Expand the scope and readership of my blog


• Explore contemporary quilt art as a new media for Hummingbird Treasures


• Help Big T build a ‘quilt wall’ in my home studio


• Join a local writers’ group


• Finish and submit my ‘young adult novel’


• Learn to live life to its fullest

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Marie

Ready for the Holidays

Things are wrapped, shipped or packed, laundry is done (almost) and I am ready. All we have to do is wait out the expected snow and ice storm expected the same day we are scheduled to fly out. I don’t know how many times this happened to us in New Jersey; but you don’t expect this to happen when you live in the South.

I have one last item on the embroidery machine and it’s for me and not a gift. I have my sewing studio cleaned and ready to shut down for two weeks. My vacation notice is on www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com.

I added a quilting magazine to the grocery cart yesterday. When did magazines go to $12.99? I was shocked when I got home but not quite as much as Big T. He told me that I was a little out of date and that from now on I had to wear my glasses when I go shopping. It did have a few great project ideas though so all in all it was worth it.

I am quite entranced with some of the contemporary quilt art I’ve seen lately. This may be a new opportunity to explore with Hummingbird Treasures in addition to the other items. Big T has promised to hang one in the great room when it’s finished. I have made several sketches and am still deciding which to tackle first. I work best when I let things mull around in my subconscious for awhile. Hummingbird Treasures is a combination of quilting and machine embroidery, and I like the idea of combining the traditional and the contemporary arts. Keep watching after the first of the year.

The end of the calendar year is also a good time for me to analyze what is working on www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com and what is not. What needs to be revamped or changed? Two six hour plane rides in the next two weeks will give me lots of quiet thinking time. (I also plan to read the book on blogging so you can expect to see some improvements here.)
Oh yes, I need to physically write down my goals and plans for 2010. One of my goals is to join a local writers’ group. I need to dust off my young adult novel and work on completion of the second round of editing. The Dude and Big T are my only readers at this time and they left me copious editing notes to be addressed. I think this was when I put it on the shelf for awhile. I’ve probably procrastinated long enough.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic. Happy holidays to all of you!

Marie

Getting Ready for the Holidays

December 15, 2009

All right, I gave up and ordered “Google Blogging for Dummies” from Amazon. Everything I try beyond simple posting takes far too long for me to figure out. Of course, if I weren’t such a control freak, I could ask for help. But no, I have to figure it out myself.

I am so excited – Big T and I were browsing a bookstore today and saw a book co-authored by our older daughter (M). It was front and center on a center aisle shelf. There was her name and her book for the whole world to see.

The holidays are here. I finished my homemade gifts for everyone and am busy wrapping. I have not even sat at a sewing machine in almost a week. I am too busy finding the things that Big T and I acquired for everyone throughout the year and stashed in a safe place. Every year I say I am going to keep a list; but that’s Big T’s job and he does it well. I think everything has been found and is either wrapped or sorted to be wrapped.

We are having multiple holiday celebrations – one here and then one in San Diego. Yes, we are going back to San Diego again. We are ALL going this time so the entire family will be together at the holiday season. What a special treat for all of us.

My Christmas cactus is blooming. The first bloom was spotted the day after Thanksgiving. Big T and I started this one from a single stem cutting (I won’t tell you where we got it though). The last two years it has bloomed at Christmas. (Of course, it also bloomed last May.)

I am working on my plans and goals for 2010. I don’t like to call them New Year’s resolutions because I have never kept them in the past. Why would I think things would change this year? I am very goal oriented so I will approach things how I work best.

I need to start focusing on building up my readership of this blog. Any suggestions from you would be appreciated. If nothing else, it would prove there is someone out there reading this. Sometimes I feel as if Big T and I are the only ones reading this (and I’m not really sure about Big T). Leave me a comment and let me know you exist.

During our walk through the arts and crafts show on our last trip to CA, we sampled some delicious quick breads from a bakery called Mama Houli & Sister T. The breads were absolutely great. Their website is www.mamahouli.com. Check it out. My favorite was the lemon ginger bread – I think I went back several times for samples.

I have taken several e-classes online the last month or so related to embroidery and appliqué. The classes at www.embroidery.com are a perfect way to learn a new technique. I like the concept of sitting at my desk watching a demo on my PC while in my grubbies, barefoot and no makeup. This is the only way to learn - beats those college lecture halls with 200 students and a professor who was microphone-shy and couldn’t be heard past the 3rd row. You will start to see some of these new techniques on www.hummingbirdtreasures.etsy.com in the coming year.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic. Happy holidays to all of you!

Marie

Back from California

Report card time (actually now they are called progress reports) – THE DUDE pulled straight A’s this quarter. Way-to-go Dude, we’re proud of you.

We are home from our short visit with our San Diego family. K&A’s new home is absolutely just right for them – they found their perfect house after a few years of looking and frustration. And the best part of all, LITTLE MISS started walking while we were there. The worst part is coming home with a cold and I can’t be around THE DUDE until this stuff is gone. By the way, don’t fly with a sinus infection.

The red snowflake placemats and napkins were a hit with K&A. They go well with the black and red furniture. The red poinsettia guest towels went over well, and LITTLE MISS liked the gingerbread tabby. Now I need to get busy and make a set of each for inventory.

BIG T and I walked through a neighborhood arts and crafts show while we were in San Diego. I thought it interesting that there was no quilting or embroidered work. We did find a couple of nice pots from “a pottery lady”. www.karenthepotterylady.webs.com. Check out her website, she has some nice work at reasonable prices. They look great on the book shelves and we gave one as a housewarming gift.

The cleaning of my studio didn’t last long once we arrived back home – it’s back to its normal state, multiple projects ongoing at the same time. Even while sick, I managed to work an hour a day up there and it doesn’t take more than that for me to ‘creatively rearrange it’.

From me to you, lots of hugs and thanks for joining me in my new adventures of learning to be creative and artistic.

Marie