Good Golly, it's been a while since my last post! How does time slip by so quickly???
Oh, that's right...travel, studio time, more travel, family time, secret projects that I can't blog about...whoosh! There goes a month!
Studio Time
In 2013 this challenge piece was cast aside a mere week before its deadline because --- Mexico!
(Stay home and meet the deadline, or go on a trip with hubby?)
Obviously, my priorities were bang on, but gosh! It was so close - all it needed was the quilting.
Feeling at loose ends one day - not enough time to start anything big, but enough to do something - I dug it out and finished the darn thing! Yay!
Just for fun, I've also made a handful of postcards featuring some bee fabric I bought in Saskatoon last month.
And then I made a butterfly for good measure!
That's all I can show from my studio - for now!
Travel - Vancouver!
Mid month I headed west for a visit with Derrick and Brynne. Oh, how I've missed those two!
(And, boy, is that a long drive. Next time, I fly!)
One morning I hopped the Skytrain with them to get downtown. They went to work and university, and I bused to Granville Island. It's been 30 years since I've ridden a city bus! (No such thing where we live!)
I had a ticket for an evening lecture by embroidery artist Tilleke Schwarz, and the whole day for exploration of the island - how exciting!
Found a silk shop - an entire shop devoted to silk! Imagine!
A weaver was working a scarf on her loom, and she kindly allowed me to observe and take her picture.
In another part of the shop, these guys were quietly munching leaves - silk worms! According to the sign on their basket, they were 3 weeks old when I took this picture.
Another Granville Island surprise was The Craft Council of British Columbia gallery. As it happened, their featured artist was exhibiting textiles and stitchery - perfect! No photos allowed, but I wanted to mention the place so you can put it on your "to snoop" list if you're ever in the area!
The broom shop featured handmade brooms of all sorts and sizes - the air smelled delightfully aromatic and the broom maker was plying her trade as people browsed around her. She says she makes about 20 brooms a day!
Needless to say, I entertained myself quite well that day!
Another day, we visited the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the Monet exhibit. There were only a couple of his earlier works on display.
Most were far more abstract and "expressive" in nature, with muddier colours. They were painted later in Monet's life, and not nearly what we expected.
My son commented facetiously that "maybe he needed glasses", and as it turns out . . . he was RIGHT! (Oh, dear!)
If only they'd had cataract surgery back then.
No matter. Monet's work definitely continued to push the envelope in the art world, and he remained an explorer to the end - an accomplishment to be respected, for sure.
This was probably my favourite piece in the exhibit - water lilies, of course!
Home, Finished Home!
Our backsplash arrived! Now things feel finished.
We paired a retro-feeling glass tile (featuring a mix of brown, silver, black, and white) in a "subway" layout with the white countertops . . .
. . . and a coordinating tile in a different configuration with the brown countertops.
The camera doesn't pick up the colours the way I see them, but whatever. They look pretty great in person!
Our closet organizers also arrived. Am I the only one who gets excited about organizing closets???
Ordering shallow shelves for my cleaning supplies raised some eyebrows at the store, but I love being able to see everything at a glance, and - more importantly - I can grab what I need without having to move twelve things first!
All that's left to finish on the main floor is a single mirror in our guest bath. That's it!
Not to say there's nothing left to do - I have yet to hang a picture, and we are still skirting around boxes here and there. We also need a few key pieces of furniture, like seating for the living room, but all in good time!
Try, Learn, & Grow!
Carole
Oh, that's right...travel, studio time, more travel, family time, secret projects that I can't blog about...whoosh! There goes a month!
Studio Time
(Stay home and meet the deadline, or go on a trip with hubby?)
Obviously, my priorities were bang on, but gosh! It was so close - all it needed was the quilting.
 |
| "Sunshine and Vines" was the challenge theme, and the fabrics were provided. Theme interpretation and use of said fabric were entirely up to me. FreshofftheFrame.com |
Just for fun, I've also made a handful of postcards featuring some bee fabric I bought in Saskatoon last month.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
And then I made a butterfly for good measure!
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
That's all I can show from my studio - for now!
Travel - Vancouver!
Mid month I headed west for a visit with Derrick and Brynne. Oh, how I've missed those two!
(And, boy, is that a long drive. Next time, I fly!)
 |
| Derrick and Brynne on the Capilano Cliff Walk FreshofftheFrame.com |
One morning I hopped the Skytrain with them to get downtown. They went to work and university, and I bused to Granville Island. It's been 30 years since I've ridden a city bus! (No such thing where we live!)
I had a ticket for an evening lecture by embroidery artist Tilleke Schwarz, and the whole day for exploration of the island - how exciting!
Found a silk shop - an entire shop devoted to silk! Imagine!
A weaver was working a scarf on her loom, and she kindly allowed me to observe and take her picture.
 |
| Loom in action! FreshofftheFrame.com |
In another part of the shop, these guys were quietly munching leaves - silk worms! According to the sign on their basket, they were 3 weeks old when I took this picture.
 |
| Basket o' worms FreshofftheFrame.com |
Another Granville Island surprise was The Craft Council of British Columbia gallery. As it happened, their featured artist was exhibiting textiles and stitchery - perfect! No photos allowed, but I wanted to mention the place so you can put it on your "to snoop" list if you're ever in the area!
The broom shop featured handmade brooms of all sorts and sizes - the air smelled delightfully aromatic and the broom maker was plying her trade as people browsed around her. She says she makes about 20 brooms a day!
 |
| Magical transportation? FreshofftheFrame.com |
Needless to say, I entertained myself quite well that day!
Another day, we visited the Vancouver Art Gallery to see the Monet exhibit. There were only a couple of his earlier works on display.
 |
| Taking a Walk Near Argenteuil, 1875 (Monet) FreshofftheFrame.com |
 |
| Weeping Willow, 1921-22 (Monet) (Brynne interpreted what she saw in the painting - performance art?) FreshofftheFrame.com |
My son commented facetiously that "maybe he needed glasses", and as it turns out . . . he was RIGHT! (Oh, dear!)
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
If only they'd had cataract surgery back then.
No matter. Monet's work definitely continued to push the envelope in the art world, and he remained an explorer to the end - an accomplishment to be respected, for sure.
This was probably my favourite piece in the exhibit - water lilies, of course!
 |
| Water Lilies, 1916-19 (Monet) FreshofftheFrame.com |
Home, Finished Home!
Our backsplash arrived! Now things feel finished.
We paired a retro-feeling glass tile (featuring a mix of brown, silver, black, and white) in a "subway" layout with the white countertops . . .
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
. . . and a coordinating tile in a different configuration with the brown countertops.
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
The camera doesn't pick up the colours the way I see them, but whatever. They look pretty great in person!
Our closet organizers also arrived. Am I the only one who gets excited about organizing closets???
Ordering shallow shelves for my cleaning supplies raised some eyebrows at the store, but I love being able to see everything at a glance, and - more importantly - I can grab what I need without having to move twelve things first!
 |
| FreshofftheFrame.com |
All that's left to finish on the main floor is a single mirror in our guest bath. That's it!
Not to say there's nothing left to do - I have yet to hang a picture, and we are still skirting around boxes here and there. We also need a few key pieces of furniture, like seating for the living room, but all in good time!
Try, Learn, & Grow!
Carole
The bees and the butterfly are very cool! The trip looked like a lot of fun. so much to see. And yay for a done house!
ReplyDeleteYour home is lovely! I get excited by organizing closets, too :)
ReplyDeleteGosh, your work is inspiring! Your travels are the envy of us all, and your home is looking beautiful. I think you're on a roll! Hope you blog and share more often!
ReplyDeleteIt's so lovely to hear from you, Carole, and get a check in on how things are going. You might not be able to show much from your studio right now, but the pieces you can are lovely and look like they were fun to complete. Welcome home!
ReplyDeleteYay - you're moved in, and it's gorgeous all the way around! I love organized space - why waste time searching for things? Well done. Those silk worms are certainly hard at work!
ReplyDeleteYay, looks like great trip and lovely home!
ReplyDeleteYou know I've been crazy busy if I'm just now seeing a post from you, and it's already 4 days old! Yay for some finished pieces :-)
ReplyDeleteThe backsplashes look fabulous!!! and everything is so sleek and modern looking! Only one mirror to hang? wooohooooo! Goodness, I think we're probably at least 2 years from the house being that done. I don't know why shallow storage isn't the norm - it's so much more convenient.
I'm so happy you got to see Brynne and your boy <3