Thursday: Tsukineko Inks Again and Dinner at 8

On thursday, I taught a second Tsukineko inks class at festival and the good news is if you were trying to get in and didn't, I had such a big waiting list, I have been invited to come back and teach it again in Houston next year.

Dinner at 8

Sue Dennis, Rachel, Sue Bleiweiss, Leslie, Jamie, Sherry McCauley, Kathleen Murphy, Frances. Indigo, Kathy York and Jane LaFazio were also there but I couldn't squeeze them in the picture. 

I had the pleasure of sitting next to Sue Dennis from Australia at dinner. Sue had a special exhibit at festival with a body of work she created after doing an artist in residence in LaGrange Texas last year.

Me and Sue

Sue has now been initiated into the dinner at 8 spoon hanging tradition.She's also helping me out with contacts in Australia, I am hoping I can get booked to teach/lecture there in June/July 2013 since I will be teaching in New Zealand. It would be such a shame to be on the other side of the planet and not get a few more opportunities to extend my trip.

Sue, Rachel, Sue

My daughter Indigo has a very small nose and can't get a spoon to hang off of it the regular way, so being the unique individual that sheis, she found she can hang a spoon off her face in the other direction.

Wednesday: Tea, Preview Night and Dinner with Friends

On wednesday I taught Tea & Ephemera which is really a class about trying out lots of different techniques on one piece of colored fabric.

It's all very spontaneous, playing with various papers, printed paper imagery, drawing on tea bags, using printed abaca paper to emulate tea bags, stamping patterns and texture and using shiva paint sticks with freezer paper and stencils.

It's always fun to see everyone look at the work and see the different things other students did.

On preview night, the show opens to IQA members and then to the public. This is a great time to see the exhibits before the crowds roll in, catch up with friends and stop by the vendors.

 One of the exhibits I was anxious to see was the Artist Village as part of the Tactile Architecture exhibit. I was honored to see Kathy mentioned being inspired by me to start this project after I had made several houses a few years ago. Ironically, I entered my first structure, the Cicada house, in Tactile Architecture and it was rejected, so it's very nice to see a bigger and more elaborate project grow out of that initial art piece.

My house in this exhibit is one of the smaller ones in the center.

When I went by the Between the Spaces exhibit I ran into several friends

Kathy York, Andrea Brokenshire and Carol Soderlund

Jamie Fingal, Rachel Parris, Frances Alford, Me and Leslie Jenison

We have a similar photo of all of us sitting on the floor of the convention center from several years ago, it's nice to be consistent. At the time I didn't know why we were lifting our arms, but then I found out we were doing half of Rachels "too much information" signal she gives us at dinner sometimes. You see, Rachel is from the south and in her neck of the woods, I guess there are some things you don't discuss at the dinner table, lol.

After all the years I have gone to Houston for festival there aren't too many things I buy anymore, but these wood block stamps were one thing I had to get. They are from Coloricious. The owner Jamie Malden designs many of the stamps and has them carved in India. Use regular textile paint with them, just make sure you have a padded surface, like a foam mat, under the fabric when printing.

Me, Kathy and Frances

Jane LaFazio

One of the things I look forward to so much, is dinner at 8 each night of festival with my good friends. Indigo took all of these beautiful photos.

Jamie

One of the rituals at dinner is hanging spoons from our noses at some point during the evening.

Leslie, they both look so regal

Rachel is taking it quite seriously

Me, Kathy and Frances

Spark Some Holiday Spirit with Festive Merry Making Tutorials, Starting Tomorrow!

November 9:^: Jane LaFazio Sketch & Stitch Gift Bags   

November 10: Lyric Kinard Glitter, Glisten, Glimmer: Beaded Snowflake Ornament

November 11: Tracie Lyn Huskamp Christmas Cardinal Ornament

November 13: Traci Bunkers Moldable Foam Stamps 


November 14: Melanie Testa Zipper Pouch

November 15: Judy Coates Perez Folk Art Inspired Ornament 

November 16: Kelli Nina Perkins Whimsical Spool Garland  

November. 17: Lisa Engelbrecht Experimental Lettering

November 18: Jill Berry Geo Papers and Projects

November 19: Gloria Hansen Resizing a Digital Image the Easy Way

November 20: Diana Trout Japanese-Style Fabric Wrap (Furoshiko)

Tuesday: Tsukineko All Purpose Inks

 All my classes at festival were full with 25 students and such a treat to teach, so much incredible work was produced.

This is the work of the youngest student I have ever had in any of my classes at festival, beautiful! huh? She's 17, from England and a total delight. I was so lucky to have her in my classes two days in a row.

Back home from International Quilt Festival

My first night in Houston I met up with a few of my favorite witches Susan Bruebaker Knapp and Robbi Eklow. Our coven gathered in the bar at the Hilton and then went to dinner over at The Grove. It was a special night since it was the start of my week at festival and also Susan's birthday.

I had to get a photo of Robbi and I standing next to each other since Robbi is about 5 feet tall, I am 5'9" and for the occasion I was wearing 4" heels!

Frieda Anderson and Laura Wasilowski were supposed to join us, but poor Frieda got Strep throat while at Market and was definitely not up to a night out. I can't imagine anything worse than getting sick like that when you have to teach!

One of the things most people don't see at festival is the teachers lounge. This is a place for teachers to check in, collect their supplies they've had shipped, take a break and get a cup of coffee or tea. You never know who you'll see or what may be going on in there. Never thought I'd walk in and see Hollis Chatelain and Laura Wasilowski hula hooping early one morning.

It's good to be home, but my week in Houston always goes by way too fast! I have lots more to share over the next week or so but it's going to take me a little while to edit photos and write up some posts.

Stay tuned for more crazy adventures!