Amid the rush and confusion (my best friend is arriving from overseas on Sunday) a little time spent on making art for my MAMMA swaps. The top two are ATCS incorporating a background technique, a metal piece, a triangle and fabric (Auntie Nancy really pushed us on this one) and the bottom is a little charm that requiered, fabric and beads. This was my interpretation, breaking the rules a bit.

So much going on, so little time, yet yesterday, in the middle of the day. at lunch to be precise, I made the time to meet a longstanding cyber friend who lives close to where I work. I never thought these encounters could actually happen. I have seen so many blog posts about people who finally meet after longstanding friendships online but never thought it could actually happen to me.

Dianne and I have been talking for over two years. She even helped me set up my blog back when I had a few appehensions and she has been an ardent follower of my work on etsy, buying several of my ATCs over the years. So yesterday, meeting her and seeing her beautiful eyes for the first time was such a gift to the senses.

We went to a 50s Cafe, a diner close to my work where we had hoped to drink milk shakes which we forgot to order. One hour was so not enough to get to know her. So much to talk about. I am still processing all the nuances I perceived from her. She showed up with the most beautiful bouquet of wild flowers and roses picked from her backyard. And ofcourse we talked about her Sophie, a soon-to-be-arriving baby from China she and Dave have adopted.

Ah, friendship, kindred spirits, new love flourishing.

.....and right back into the swing of things

i've signed up for a lot of swaps this season and fearful of forgetting what I promised what to so going over e-mails to get things straight. quite a variety though, sewing, fibre art and a lot of summer themes.

My Camera loved it here. TRIP OF A LIFETIME through the Tioaga Pass in Yosemite and all through the Eastern and Western Sierras ending up in Sequoia. Humbling and awe inspiring, I cried at the beauty on several occasions.

MUSICAL DETOUR (SPANISH STYLE)

Si arrastre por este mundo

La verguenza de haber sido

Y el dolor de ya no ser

Bajo el ala del sombrero.

Cuantas veces, embozada,

Una lagrima asomada yo no pude contener

Si vague por los caminos como un paria que el destino.

Se empleo en deshacer

Si fui flojo, si fui ciego,

Solo quiero que comprendan

El valor que representa el coraje de querer.

Era, para mi la vida entera

Como un sol de primavera

Mi esperanza y pasion,

Sabia que en el mundo no cabia.

Toda la humilde alegria de mi pobre corazon

Ahora cuesta abajo en mi rodada

Las ilusiones pasadas

Ya no las puedo arrancar.

Sueno, con el pasado que anoro,

El tiempo viejo que lloro

Y que nunca va a volver

Por seguir tras de su huella

Yo bebi incansablemente.

En mi copa de dolor

Pero nadie comprendia

Que si todo yo lo daba

En cada vuelta dejaba

Pedazos de corazon.

Ahora triste en la pendiente,

Solitario y ya vencido,

Yo me quiero confesar,

Si aquella boca menta,

El amor que me ofrecia,

Por aquellos ojos brujos

Yo habria dado siempre mas

Era, para mi la vida entera.

Me llaman el desaparecido

Que cuando llega ya se ha ido

Volando vengo, volando voy

Deprisa deprisa a rumbo perdido

Cuando me buscan nunca estoyCuando me encuentran yo no soy

El que este enfrente porque ya me fui corriendo mas alla

Me dicen el desaparecido

Fantasma que nunca esta

Me dicen el desagradecido

Pero esa no es la verdad

Yo llevo en el cuerpo un dolor

Que no me deja respirar

Llevo en el cuerpo una condena

Que siempre me echa a caminar

Me llaman el desaparecido

Que cuando llega ya se ha ido

Volando vengo, volando voy

Deprisa deprisa a rumbo perdido

Yo llevo en el cuerpo un motor

Que nunca dejade rolar

Yo llevo en el alma un camino

Destinado a nunca llegar

Me llaman el desaparecido

Cuando llega ya se ha ido

Volando vengo, volando voy

Deprisa deprisa a rumbo perdido

Gesso, Inks and Rubber Stamp Technique with the subject "Friends" created for none other than my MAMMA swaps.

"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend"A. Camus

"A friend is someone who knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently, allows you to grow". W. Shakespeare

Friendship Rose

Making Friends for the World to See

what a world my sewing machine has opened up for me. for years i resented machine sewing much preferring hand sewing. but there are feels and looks that hand sewing cannot achieve and now realize there is a place for both. i am so happy playing around with all my stashes of fabrics and combining different elements. had been wanting to do this for very long but had not had the cash to buy a new sewing machine (the old one was just not user friendly and i broke over twn needles just trying to learn how to thread it). Costco carried one the last time i was there and just cloed my eyes and went for it. it comes with all sorts of stitches and a video to guide you through all the bobbin winding and needle threading. i have still not mastered the self-threading part but who cares, i just love it. and here are my first serious attempts at machine-sewn fabric collages. i chose my favorite colors ofcourse. hope you like it.

i couldn't have asked for a better challenge. my love of birds, my favorite motto

"and from the birds i learned infinite Hope, the certainty and truth of flight"

my bird art over the years, my bird art and bird collection

all pointed to this challenge by none other than my favorite MAMMA ofcourse.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING GIRL