new life

2014

is shaping up to be a memorable year.

Sometime in mid June

the world will welcome Baby McFadden.

I made this little assemblage for Kelly and Aaron for Christmas. Kelly had texted me her first ultrasound image in late November; not long afterward I was thinking of it as baby's first portrait and decided to make something to that effect.

I knew the jpeg file would be quite small, so I edited it and printed it out to about 2" square. Then I dug up a small primed wooden cradle board and went to work. The front was already a pristine gesso white on the outside, so I gessoed the back of it since I wanted to use it as a shadowbox. I sanded and scraped it, then added some text fragments and comfy, nest-like cheese cloth, plus a paper flower + freshwater pearl center, for a soft, organic feel. I suspended an old eyeglass lens with wire over the focal area (since I initially had great difficulty 'reading' the image - LOL).

 original image

(sticking out his/her tongue: already some attitude?)

edited image

I played around a bit in Lightroom and then in Photoshop, where I added a layer of kk_isobel (Soft Light 100%). I added a Levels Adjustment layer to lighten it up for printing (necessary because the monitor image is so bright that when it translates it to printed, you have to adjust).

***

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together

in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13

***

Linking up with

Texture Tuesday

a tight knit family

My latest layout for Dad's genealogy/scrapbook:

Aldo was an only child... the center of Greg and Della’s universe.

Right from the very beginning, it was just the three of them: Ma, Pa, and Aldo.

Each was the other's closest friend, ally, confidante.

Pa's family was back in Italy; after emigrating to America in 1920,

they exchanged cards and letters,

but he never went back...

until finally in 1981, after they were all gone.

Ma's family remained distant in a different way...

although they lived in the same neighborhood where she had grown up,

the relationship was, at best, strained.

Aldo was always very close to his parents.

Yes, he had his boyhood friends and schoolmates.

However – understandably, properly – it was always to Ma and Pa

that he turned for love and comfort

...and they to him.

***

I selected the two snapshots above from a large selection of similar photos in Dad's photo album. There seemed to be a distinct pattern from each photo shoot, whether outside their home or up in the mountains on a picnic: one shot of Aldo and Ma + one shot of Aldo and Pa.

hands to work part 3

As is often the case, I wasn't quite sure of the end product until well into the process. In this case, I started with Nellie Wortman's online class, Tattered and Timeworn Banner, which I discovered via Pinterest when I saw images of her amazing work. An excellent class, with fascinating videos of Nellie's creative process. Nellie is very generous with her talent, and I learned a lot from her.

See Part 1 and Part 2 for the 'backstory' on this piece. As I was assembling my own banner I realized that the photo I had been playing with would be perfect for a focal point. And once I had a focal point - a raison d'être - I had the necessary fuel to drive the creative engine in me (I think they call that synchronicity). Soon I was happily in My Zone, with assorted bits of fabric, threads, lace, buttons, paper, and a rusted tin lid, all shouting, "Pick me!" It just doesn't get any better than this!

I gave this to Mom for Christmas, and she now displays it in her sewing room...where she likes to play with needle and thread.

***

I'm a bit late with the Show & Share link-up, but I would love to see what you might have made for Christmas...or whatever you'd care to share. This week's link-up will be open thru Tuesday, January 7th.

An InLinkz Link-up

***

Happy New Year!

special delivery

It's the same thing every Christmas season: an underlying sense of sadness, gloom, depression in the midst of this 'joyous' season. How many people wander about amidst the trimmings and trappings, 'just not in the Christmas spirit,' merely enduring it all? Aren't we supposed to be feeling 'merry and bright'? Seriously. All this Christmas Cheer seems only to magnify the human condition...the misery, the injustice, the evil of this world.

But it is for all mankind, especially these people, that Christ came into this imperfect world. (And who among us are not one of 'these people'?) And to top it off, we celebrate it at the darkest,  gloomiest time of the year: winter solstice. Ironic, eh? Or maybe not...for didn't Jesus say,

I am the Light of the world;

he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness,

but will have the Light of life.

John 8:12

Linking up with
Texture Tuesday

***

I assembled this little collage as part of an assignment in a wonderful online class with Roxanne Evans Stout: The Thread that Weaves. I didn't really have anything in mind when I created it a couple weeks ago...it just sort of happened.

The other day I scanned it so I could play with it in Photoshop, enhancing it with some of Kim's

lovely textures: kk_1216 and serious magic. Also a bit of fun with Kim's new Vines & Lines brush set.

Thank you both, Roxanne and Kim, for sharing so generously the gift of your creative talent!

***

Wishing you

Peace & Light

at

Christmas

waiting for salvation

I have waited for Thy salvation O Lord.

Genesis 49:18

***

Here's a little mixed media still life I made - an assignment for The Thread That Weaves, an online class I am taking with Roxanne Evans Stout. I am excited to be getting my hands dirty again and playing with all sorts of possibilities. Just can't settle down and stick to one thing I guess.

The theme of my class project is Revelation. Here's what I emailed to Roxanne last week:

Hi Roxanne,

I am absorbing all your videos and images, letting it soak in. Notice I didn't say "hard at work." I have learned to let stuff simmer and percolate and evolve. Took years and sometimes I revert to old ways, but here I am.

I just knew your class would be a catalyst for discovery...and I'm right. There is so much going on inside my mind, heart, and soul. A bit of Artistic ADD in me LOL. So beware! Might be a bit of real ADD says my dr.
I don't think or act linearly but often in a web of tangents. :)

My theme is Revelation...in the Catholic, biblical sense...we're at the end/beginning of the liturgical calendar year at this late autumn/early winter season. It always feels a certain way this time of year.

I've collected some revelation quotes and passages that speak to me and periodically review them. I'm not very eloquent.

I've built my base book and am having fun compiling a still life collection of stuff to photograph. Love doing this...makes me be patient and persistent.

Studying wabi sabi lately...it has long attracted me, but for years I have done controlled stuff...mainly quilt and embroidery. Dropped that long held passion about 10 yrs ago, burnt out designing and teaching. Rediscovering my love for stitchery, but can't go back to the way I was. Life has changed me I guess. It's all good.

Creating in fits and starts, early mornings before work. The time limitation due to returning to work full time after years at home with kids is really good for me.

Pinterest has been a great way to collect my thoughts and dreams.

***

So I started with these berries,

which I photographed and collected awhile back.

I found one sprig that appeared heart-shaped to me

(a Sacred Heart icon maybe?).

I grabbed a seasonal page from this old devotional

and layered it with some lace

and a scrap of cardboard

onto this old movie tin lid

and a china saucer (resembles a Eucharistic host?)

I'm liking the circle imagery...Alpha and Omega

and set it all up for photography.

Here's the original photo...

...which I edited in Lightroom,

including one of Kim's LR presets: kk_likeadream.

Then into Photoshop

for some texture play:

(note the unused/invisible clone layer - I experimented with

'enhancing' the heart-shape by filling in with cloned berries,

but realized I was being over-controlling...not in keeping with

my new-found passion for Wabi Sabi-ness).

I was planning to use the image in my little book, which is the class project, but it would need to be quite small - too small to see the details. So here it sits in my studio, unsure of its fate.

***

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up with

Texture Tuesday

Vintage Fest

show & share: peg 'o my heart

In honor of what would have been my parents' 60th wedding anniversary, here's an altered book I made for them over 10 years ago:

I gotta say this is my favorite way of working: gathering artifacts and mementos of a special event or loved ones, then pulling it all together and telling a story with all of it. I had a lot to work with here:

• my favorite wedding photo of Mom and Dad (Mom says that Dad had just cracked a joke as the photographer pressed the shutter button. This was so Dad!)
• photocopies of assorted newspaper clippings, plus the handwritten receipt for rent for their first apartment, in Dad's own handwriting
• snapshots from their courtship and wedding rehearsal
• bits of vintage chantilly lace from the 1950's
• crucifix

On the back of the book cover is the text of the Denver Post newspaper article.

I was greatly inspired by by Cindy Pestka's article in the Jan/Feb 2002 issue of Somerset Studio magazine. I played around with the concept, adapted it and made it my own, eventually teaching an Altered Book class at a local scrapbook shop, where I worked at that time. I later wrote an article about my books for Legacy magazine (Oct/Nov 2005). I will share more of these books later...

***

Here's a more recent photo of Mom and Dad, one which I took just five years ago at Thanksgiving - which we have always celebrated simultaneously with their wedding anniversary. I love this shot!

Have a listen to this old tune 'Peg 'O My Heart' which was a favorite of Dad's:

Peg o' my heart
I'll love you don't let us part
I love you I always knew it would be you
Since I heard your lilting laughter
It's your Irish heart I'm after
Peg o' my heart
Your glances make my heart say
How's chances come be my own
Come make your home in my heart

***

Kim's Beyond Beyond lesson for Day 34 last week happened along at the right time: making a 'magic' texture and applying it to a photograph for a subtly rich effect. It was just the right touch for the white background in these photos, which seemed a bit sterile for my tastes. Thanks Kim! How do you know just what I need at the right moment?

I used Kim's kk_waterfront20 for my 'experiment' and tried the Color Dodge blend mode @42%...just perfect for my purposes!

I converted the 2008 photo of Mom and Dad to b&w in Lightroom, playing around with the duo-tone concept, and even made it into a preset. It seemed to need warming up, so I added a layer of kk_waterfront12 (Overlay 34%, and then desaturated it a bit).

Linking up with

Beyond Beyond Day 34

Texture Tuesday

Vintage Fest

***

An InLinkz Link-up

random friday finds: hands to work part 2

See Part 1 of this post here.

My mother has been my 'stitch buddy' for most of my life...and my "best girlfriend" for all of my adult life. (She knew better than to try to be my friend while I was growing up; then she was simply Mom.) 

Here is a random sampling of Mom's quilt artistry. These few examples of her handiwork tell the story of a woman who creates with needle and thread for the pure joy of it...and for the love of her family and community.

Mom has won several ribbons

at the Boulder County Fair

over the years

including Best of Show and Viewer's Choice.

This is one of the quilts

she made for each of her seven grandchildren.

***

Mom also made a baby quilt for each grandchild.

I "documented" ours in

the girls' scrapbooks

a few years ago.

Here is Kelly's:

(quilt made in 1989)

...and Erin's

(quilt made in 1991)

Mom submitted the photo of herself with wee Erin

to Quilters Newsletter

and "got published"!

***

Many years ago

Mom helped make this quilt

with her friends on the 

Lakewood Arts Council

commemorating the city's 25th anniversary.

She was instrumental in all phases of its creation:

organization, design, and construction.

It is hand appliquéd and hand quilted.

The quilt is displayed

in the lobby of

Lakewood City Hall.

***

Mom and I have shared our love of stitchery

over the years.

We were both long time members

of the

Columbine Quilt Guild

and

Colorado Quilting Council

Here we are making baby quilts

at a

Charity Sew-In

in 2000.

***

Mom also made a quilt

for each of her four children.

This Grandmother's Fan

is mine.

Mom machine pieced it

and then had it hand quilted.

Each and every quilt

has been documented.

Lillian likes to nap here.

(she is the only one allowed

to sit on a quilt in this house)

***

Hands to work,

hearts to God.

Shaker proverb

***

Linking up with

Friday Finds

Random 5 Friday

Stay tuned: there's gonna be a Part 3 really soon...