Art Every Day!

Are you like me and have far better intnetions than actually happen? Do you want to get into a regular habit of sketching, drawing, creating? When I go into my studio, I want to make something, but often I gravititate towards my computer.....and then time passes and the art doesnt get done!

Well, I thought i might share my frustrations with others and see what happens! So I started a Facebook Group titled Art Every Day! Its been great to see others share their art and be enthusiastic about what we are creating...

OK, so I'm still at the computer, not making art but at least I'm learning about art, right???

So I also checked out a couple of websites about Art Every Day and found this one: http://www.dailyartfixx.com/

Daily Art Fixx began in April 2009 as a way to share art – for education and inspiration. Since then DAF has grown beyond expectations to include artist profiles (both historical and current), most visual art genres, and themes such as Women in the Arts, Art-e-Facts, E-Learning, videos, and more.

Plus the site is by two Canadian women! Cool! They have featured artists, a bit of history, lots of great visuals and a wide variety of mediums shown. There's not much fibre, so will have to work on that! I've signed up for their newsletter, lets see what happens!

In the meantime, why not trot on by to the Art Every Day Facebook Group and see what's happening? Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1668316073423495/

Here's one of my latest Ice Dyed fabrics, because every post has to have a picture, right? Now I'm off to my sewing machine.

Be Careful What You Ask For!

One of my goals for 2016 was to read more good books! I've always been an avid reader but have found in recent years that I've kinda gotten lazy about finding something to capture me between its pages.
So I went to the best source of all knowledge, Facebook and asked all my friends! Wow, you all amazed me, thank you, thank you! I am now equipped with reading material for the next 12 months and more. Some I'll buy and some I'll look for at the library. One person keep a list on Pinterest to share, great idea and many suggested www.goodreads.com

So I promised the list to everyone and they are not in any particular order. If you've read the books listed, then look for others by the same author! At the bottom of the list are authors that are recommended by other but not any particular books. I've not vetted them or checked spelling and I didn't look up the authors for books if they weren't provided (I know, I'm not very helpful, sorry!)
Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Title                                                                       Author

Left Neglected                                     Lisa Genova (Still Alice)

Puny Sorrows                                      Miriam Toews
Ragged Company                                Richard Wagamese
All the Light We Cannot See               Anthony Doerr
Ru                                                        Kim Thuy
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox    Maggie O'Farrell

Guns, Germs and Steel                       Jared Diamond.
Life after Life                                      Kate Atkinson

God in Ruins                                       same

Road Trip Rwanda by                         Will Ferguson

 914                                                     same

The Girl on the Train                          Paula Hawkins

Boys in the Boat

Shit my Dad Says                                Justin Halpern

What we Keep                                     Elizabeth Berg

Maude                                                  Donna Mobry

Bone River                                           Megan chance

Dreams of Joy                                      Lisa See

The Game of Thrones                          George RR Martin.

Water for Elephants                              Sara Gruen.

A House In The Sky                            Amanda Lindhout.

People of the Book                              Geraldine Brooks

When I Found You

The power of One                                Bryce Courteney

Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times

A Light Between Oceans

Deep Down Dark

Loving Frank

The Glass Castle.

Old Filth                                              Jane Gardam "

The long way home                            Saroo Brierley

A House in Fez                                   Suzanna Clark

Mao's Last Dancer                              Li Cunxin

Colour                                                  Victoria Finlay

The promise of Iceland                       Kari Gislason

Chocolat                                              Joanne Harris

The Invention of Wings                       Sue Monk Kidd  

Bone Clocks                                         David Mitchell

The Reason I Jump                             Marcus Zusak "

The Book Thief

What the Pilgrim told the Psychic      Jane Christmas

Anne Cleeves                                      Jimmy Perez series set in Shetland Islands

The Saints of The Lost and Found.      T M Causey

The House of Niccolo Novels             Dorothy Dunnett

Big Magic                                            Elizabeth Gilbert.

Marie Bostwick

Three Day Road                                  Joseph Boyden

The God of Small Things                    Arandhti Roy

Never Let me Go                                  Kazuo Ishiguru

The Book of Negroes.

Orenda                                                 Joseph Boyden.

A Tale For The Time Being                 Ruth Ozecki

Second Skin                                         India Flint

Favourite Authors

Margaret Maron, Louise Penny, and Anne Emery

Wanda E Brusetter

Bill Bryson

J K Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith has written a trilogy featuring a detective Cormoran Strike.

Anything by Bryce Courteney, Colleen McCulloch, Tom Keneally

Jodi Picoult

Toni McGee Causey

Henning Mankell if you enjoy Swedish noir,

What I Learned at Market

Since I didn't have a booth at Market this spring I enjoyed the freedom of walking the show floor, visiting and networking with fabric companies, pattern designers and more.
I took part in several seminars and I think what I learned there will more than pay for my trip in the near future.
On Saturday I spent a couple of hours learning about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), EMail Marketing, Home Page Web Design, and Facebook and Social Media. Those of you who know me can appreciate that I am not the most tech savvy person and often rely heavily on friends and family. But the company who did the seminars spoke very "un-tech" lingo and explained their point so clearly I was able to take notes and listen at the same time. Hurrah! So having made notes and having some handouts I feel far more prepared to venture forth onto the web and Facebook.
Yesterday I mentioned fresh new designers, young, bright, full of colour and energy. Do take a look at:
www.pixiegirlquilts.com
www.basicgrey.com
www.cluckclucksew.com
www.izzyandivydesigns.com
www.stitchstudios.com

Having seen what these designers are doing I'm excited about the future of quilting!