granny square bag

working on a summer bag made of lucious mission falls 1824 cotton yarn, using old fashioned granny square pattern. bought some vintage fabric on ebay to use as a lining. but, wait...my crochet elbow, known to some as tendonitis, is yikes really bad, so gotta take a break from crochet. boo hoo. do you think i can find something else to do when i am not crocheting? hmmm...

a deadly sin you don't want to meet

have you met this character before? i have only had a few encounters with her, and that was enough for me. stay away!

buttons on lukyduk

here she is - my beautiful lukyduk in my beautiful neighborhood...buttons and all.

moleskine

MOLESKINES...oh how i love to glue on, spill paint on, sniff, take photos of, carry around, scribble in my moleskine. i probably wouldn't love them so much if they weren't so ubiquitous, but they are and i do. at first i was intimidated by the blank page of a sketchbook, but then i discovered that if i start somewhere in the middle and just cover a page in crayon or glue on colorful paper, then i have made a start. do u have a favorite kind of moleskine or other sketchbook?

self portrait

do you know this beautiful girl? this is irritable's alter-ego, the author of the blog, in a self-portrait. geez, it's hard not to look so serious when you are staring at yourself in the mirror for hours and trying to adjust your glasses enough so you can alternately see up close and far away. i really am happier than i look...and happy you came to visit the blog.

sock monkeys playing

today is a good play day.

opus sketchbook

SKETCHBOOKS. why are they called sketchbooks when there is so much more that goes in them than sketches? here are some pages from my book for the opus visual studies module. no stitching samples in it, because this wasn't a stitching module. lots of glue and paper and paint and journaling of ideas and concepts. so now who thinks that sketchbooks are only for people who can draw?


by the way, i do highly recommend learning to draw. i just began learning how to draw a few years ago and it has made a BIG difference in many parts of my life.

metamorphosis

my metamorphosis project for the opus visual studies module is complete. this is different from any work i have ever done before. because it is a kinetic piece, i am not sure the photos do it justice, but here it is anyway. each circle spins on a fishing swivel and each half of each figure within the circle spins on a swivel. it's a pretty personal bit of work. but i will tell you that the female figures represent me and the circles represent the big black hole that some of us occasionally fall into.

tagged

my first TAGGING. this was from TAZ. ok...five things about me:
1. i have hand-quilted a quilt for each of my 9 brothers/sisters and about 10 nieces/nephews or grandkids.
2. i am 52 years old and just starting my college art degree.
3. i was a professional sign language interpreter for 25 years.
4. my kids each made their first quilts before they were 10 years old.
5. i have buttons on my car.

embroidered shirt

here is a hint of what i am working on for my final opus visual studies project. i am busy doing this now. so i will take a pix of the shirt i am wearing to keep you entertained for the next few days. here it is below. love to all!

bicycle drawing

check out the paintings of taliah lempert. she is a real inspiration to me. so here i am trying to draw an image of my beloved bicycle in pencil.

stay tuned for images of the progress of my opus visual studies final project.

ethiopian embroidery

i have been taking a class in ethiopian embroidery at the portland fiber gallery. the stitches we have been using are all chain stitch. i have never made my embroidery this beautiful or meticulous. look - even the backs are neat! i love learning someone else's technique as if i am a beginner.

angry sock monkey

here is the newest member of our sock monkey family, born while i was away. isn't she cute? i discovered how fun it is to use sweet children's socks and turn them into a deadly sin. where would i be without getting angry from time to time? can't be all sugar and spice everyday.

LOVE TO ALL MY SPECIAL BUDS TODAY.

going to baltimore

BYE! we are closing down the blog for a few days. going to b'more to do some visiting. sloth-er has packed her bags to go. looks like all she is bringing is embroidery threads. what else does she need?? she can't wait to visit her cousin, slothy (see below).






we only have a mug shot of slothy. no family photos. it's a long story...you don't want to know.















before sloth-er leaves, she has to mapquest her way.










and now she is out the door, wearing her new crocheted sweater. BYE! see you next week.

luv to draw

my favorite salt 'n peppa shakers make a great subject for a still life.
in the background are works by two of my favorite artists. the button lamp is made by trashy woman, sally willowbee. the paper mache bug is by lancaster, PA artist, tom treadway. unfortunately, you can't see tom's work anywhere on line, but you can buy it here.