My Watercolors

Here are a couple watercolors I recently completed. The first one is called Windward Dream I am not 100% happy with it, but it is a good exercise in helping me find my style as a watercolorist. Albeit a novice watercolorist. The second is called Stepping Stones. And once again show my love for geometric form and bright color. I can't wait to paint more, Water color is like tie dyeing on paper. Funny how one art media can relate to another. I like experimenting and finding those connections in my art.

I find Watercolor supremely satisfying since the results are almost instantanious, not like Tie Dye which takes days to complete. With the water color you can draw it in a morning and by evening have a dry painting to admire.

Hot off the press

Oh my gosh! I am having such fun with my crafts these days, some may wonder if i will ever return to the dye table.....soon I say Soon. So first off check out the two new sexy yarns I just spun up. The blue and green yarn is my Choctawhatchee Bay yarn inspired by the colors of our beautiful bay. The second is a yarn I call 'Mama Mia' I was watching the movie while I spun it up and it totally reminds me of the happy disco colors in the movie. esp the part during the credits. Pierce Brosnan in 70's disco spandex....I was laughing so hard...that one part alone makes the movie worth seeing. I imagined while watching the film that all the actors must have had a GREAT time filming this flick. And man I love Meryl Streep's singing voice. Happy Place! The First Picture above are of some cute bobby pins I have been having fun making. Inspired by my Girlfriend Holly's fun sense of style. She complaied to me that her favorite hair pin broke. That was about two years ago. I promised I would try to make her some. I have never attempted these before but the cute buttons at the store reminded me of Holly, Bright and Cheerful. So she will be getting a suprise in the mail soon. Unless she reads my blog first!

Diva-rrefic Wine Glasses

Check out these Diva-rrefic wine glasses I have been making! These are just for my own use, I needed a way to tie my collection of yard-sale and thrift shop wine glasses togeather. So I have painted up a dozen or so. Here is the latest batch. I used delta perm enamel paints. They are designed for use on Glass and ceramic, you paint them on just like acrylics the brushes rinse clean with water. once the paint dries you cure the glasses in the oven to make the paint adhere permanently. Then it's ok to wash the glasses. I put mine on the top rack in the dish washer. As you can see you don't have to have any real talent to paint these, I chose random wild brush strokes. I do recommend allowing the glass to dry between colors though. Paint the orange, let dry, the pink let cry ext. This keeps you from smearing the paint colors togeather. Wine goblets can be found at the local dollar store they have nice big ones at mine! These make great holiday gifts too. I might decide to teach these as a workshop. Fun stuff!

Upcoming Excitement

Do you see the Loveliness?
These two fabulous dresses were snapped up by my friend Diane in California.
She loves the browns. And the one on top I call my pond dress, I was thinking of pond colors when I dyed it. I have been busy getting ready for the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores Alabama the Second weekend in October. It's going to be HUGE. People come from all over to attend this event. Lots of arts and crafts people. See
www.nationalshrimpfestival.com
Hubbie Dave is getting into the act, Creating old school 70's style Tie Dyes. Its been a learning process for him but we have some nice David Dyes to show for it. He will be accompanying me to Gulf Shores and the kids are staying with Grandma. Yea Grandma!
I have been enjoying my work with Brookdale Senior Living, and on my days off It's all about the DYE.
I pretty much am doing some sort of dye activity every day now, either folding, soaking, mixing or dying or rinsing. I'll try to get some pictures of the David Dyes up soon.
Till then back to the porch.

Progress

Well I am proud to say I have made some progress for the first time in a long time dye wise. The kids started back to school today and I was blessed with half a day off. Thanks to Hurricane Fay I had to go to work for an emergency hurricane preparedness meeting. Productive? yes but not the type of productive I hoped for.
This morning I did manage to get a bunch of tie dyes folded soaked and dehydrating for dyeing later.
And I got the tie dye porch somewhat cleaned off. We have been having to shower out there due to plumbing fiascos inside that have lead my husband to jackhammer up the floor of the only working bathroom in our home.
Good Times....
I did decide this week to go get my tonails done at Wal mart. You all know it don't deny it, the regal nail salon at wal mart. A working class girl's guilty pleasure. I even had the pretty little flower painted on my big toe.
Boy those girls know what they're doing.
I really do feel like a princess when I have a pedicure.
A perhaps underated side of me that many people don't know about............the girlie girl in me.
Well I cant wait to see what treasures the tie dye porch yields this fall after I get all motivated and organized out there.
Hopefully more new pictures for the web site soon.
Oh Yeah, Hubbie Dave will be accompanying me to Gulf Shores this year. Just the two of us all weekend long.
YUM!
TDK

I've gone to the Dark Side

It's sad but true. I have gone over to the dark side. That terrible place where artists fear to tread....the working world.
alas, the price of food and gas has risen so high that I have had to take a (gasp) full time job! Yes I get the perks, like insureance and retirement savings, but the down side is the sheer amount of time between full time, overtime, and commuting. I wondered would I be able to return to work as a NURSE, and still make time for my art? I see my stack of unfolded white t-shirts staring at me..."when are you going to Dye us?" and my bag of beadwork and quilts that need finishing "when are you going to finish me?" I tell myself little white lies, I will find time I will strike a balance, Just as soon as I get used to doing more with less time and energy. Just as soon as my body gets used to less sleep and more time on my feet. I am hoping that it all falls into place soon.

Why Tie Dye makes good CENTS!

I have been reading my Friend Angela's Blog...Penny Pinscher see the link to your left. It is packed full of great money saving ideas and just general humor about the times we are in. It got me thinking about What a value Tie Dye is. I do our local Earth Day Festival every year. One of the things i bring up to people is that tie dye done with modern fiber reactive dyes is a long lasting product. This makes sense from an economic standpoint as well. Start with a quality garment and then apply quality dyes, and you have a piece of clothing that your child will wear till he outgrows it, and can then pass down to younger brother or sister. As an adult wouldn't you rather get 100 wearings out of a t-shirt than 50? Secondly Tie Dye can be used to refurbish clothing that you may be tempted to throw out or donate. That favorite Blouse with a spaghetti stain? can be dyed orange or brown for a snappy new look. Don't throw out those faded khaki's Even colored items will dye nicely if turned into a darker color than they were origionally. The only stipulation is that items have to be a natural fiber to use fiber reactive dyes. If you have an item you'd like refurbished contact me I will be happy to dye for you. Or locate a tie dye artist in your area. Go to www.dharmatrading.com for do it yourself info and supplies.