Calamity Kim

Waiting to Bloom

It rained last night and this morning the amaryllis shows drops of water but no damage from the wind. I wait patiently for them to begin blooming once the heavy stalks shoot up from their long winters nap.

I am too tired to wax poetic.

My Surface Design Guild is participating in a show at the local Art Center and after hanging it on Tuesday I felt sore and achy all day yesterday. Good exercise to climb the ladder and drill screws into walls while balancing body and artwork.

This picture was quickly snapped using my phone but you get the idea. This is the Fiber Wall with art yarn, wool mushrooms, a shawl, a scarf, some bags- just enough to wet your whistle, really.

This is the jewelry wall with silhouettes on canvas to display the pieces of jewelry by our members. Filled in with a few shirts nature printed with actual dragonflies and leaves (bamboo on bamboo fiber shirts) by Terri. I covered canvas board with botanical paper and then cut out the silhouettes from wool felt and used acrylic gel medium to attach them. Then we punched holes in the canvas board and hung the jewelry on them. This is the Nature Printed wall with all sorts of items either painted or printed or stamped or collaged with natural materials.

This is the final wall we rented with 12x12" canvas that was no picnic to hang but my Guild friends knew exactly what they were doing and got it up without any fistfights.

This is by Judy and it is a lovely example of quilted collage.

I also love this one by my friend Lori. I apologize for the picture quality- tonight is the opening and I will try to get some better shots before the crowds get too crowded!

I have been on the go it seems since last August- making stuff and getting ready for this show or that event and I am tired. I wake up tired. So much to do, and so little time to do it in, right?

I played around with some paper late yesterday afternoon, making a bat girl collage and mounting it on a water colored background. After scanning it and printing it on silk I sewed it to another piece of fabric and stuffed it with polyfill. Using Teesha Moore's technique of making a fabric pillow I embellished with some beads and will add some buttons too. This is going to be part of a handbag made using lots of small fabric pillows sewn together. I have been wanting to try this for years and am going to be teaching the technique to our Guild later this Summer so I thought I would get started now to have it done by July.

So, that's what I'm working on- among other stuff- I have to share the quilt group I'm in this year and sweater coats and vests and bags I've made from coffee bean bags that have sold before I even snapped a picture! I just can't keep up! The good news is that I am losing weight and I am happy and content- it's nice to have goals and a daily purpose. Not that I didn't before, but it wasn't as stuctured as it is now.

I hope to get more time to write here as season winds down after Easter and as the temperature rises things slow to a crawl.

For now, it's still gogogo!

See you peeps tonight at the show's reception (5-7pm) at the Art Center.

love and PEACE,

calamity kim

Mutant Veggie People Strike Again! Or Art Shows Coming Soon! Beware The Fiber!!

This is one of my mutant veggie people.
 The story behind them is that a vagabond peddler sells me some seeds and after I plant them in the garden the veggies that grow from them are alive! And of course they escape the garden and run through the house, and grab bits of this and that to disguise themselves.
 Will they make it out the front door and find freedom?
I had seen some dolls done with plastic veggies in one of Art Doll Magazine's early issues and they morphed into my own thing and I even sold a few on eBay.
This is Kona.
 He was one of my favorites.
Born from a bag of Kona coffee with spoons for legs and feet and a Fl orange for a head. He had a sweet nature and seemed a bit frightened at times of the fast paced, caffeine fueled world around him.
Sewing Sadie used the whole sewing basket for her outfit and was successful in her attempt to flee the premises.
I wish I had the skill and know how to make an animated stop motion film with some of these dolls.
It would be a great little story.
Vegetables magically coming to life and sneaking into the house. Finding the sewing room and using scraps and bits of this and that to clothe themselves. Looking out for the humans (and cats and dogs) as they make a run for it.
Timothy Tangelo loved his shoes and refused to take them off. He also had an undying love for show tunes and feather boas but that's a story for another time.
I am doing an Art Show in October in St Pete with Deb of Picasso Moon and will have some new mutants there for sale. It will be on Sunday, Oct. 11 from Noon until 5. Here's the Dirt:
Join The St. Pete Craft Heroes, Historic Uptown Neighborhood Association, and St. Anthony’s Hospital for ART-OBERFEST on Sunday October 11, 2009 from Noon until 5:00 pm. You’ll find original creations from local artists and crafts people plus fun ...family activities. Come vote for your favorite artist! Held at St. Anthony’s Park — 1200 9th Avenue North in St. Petersburg. Free Admission and Free Parking! --- This event is a fundraiser for the Historic Uptown Neighborhood Association (HUNA) and a portion of vendor registration fees will be donated to HUNA in support of their crime watch program and other neighborhood initiatives. Awards will be presented for People's Choice so come out and vote!
Also prizes for HUNA's Choice, and Most Unique vendor categories.
I hope to see you there (if you are in the area) but will take pictures to share if you miss it. Our booth will be filled with lovely handspun yarns, unique knitted shawls, scarves, hats and gloves. We will have a spinning demo at all times and will have Batts and wool, bamboo, silk and dyed roving for spinning or felting available for purchase as well.
Of course there will be some mutants lurking about and the ones that aren't adopted will go in my cobweb filled ETSY shop. I love Halloween and haven't done a show in Oct in a few years so I might even have some
Spooky Fake Cupcake ornaments...
***
 I just finished my apron for Apronology consideration and mailed it yesterday. I have been spinning and will share pictures once the sun comes back out. It's too dark and gloomy to take any today.
Vinnie Vidalia is the first one I made and I just can't part with him. He seems so unusually optimistic and cheerful.
Next week we are doing a show called Fiber In at the Hilton on Friday, Sat & Sunday and Deb will have a booth in the merchant area overflowing with handspun, gorgeous one of a kind dyed yarns and unique knitted items. Click on the above link to see the schedule of free demos. So its a busy time for me and I will be taking pictures and sharing in the fiber fun so I hope you keep coming back to check for new (if infrequent) posts- I gotta get back to "work"!
Love ya and hope you have a creative day!
xo, calamity kim