old is new again

Recently, I saw a hand embroidered sweater in a shop, for sale for $128. I thought, I can do that! So I went home and stitched on my cardigan.





I've always liked this little cotton cardigan, but it was sort of ordinary. Now, it's kinda cute.

Reminds me of waaaay back, when I stitched, probably just like this, along the leg of my bell-bottom jeans. Some things never change...

BeBop immediately perched on it.

a page from my sketchbook

Screen of the Month "Eucalyptus Leaf" thermofax screen

I designed this thermofax screen and it's for sale.

Lynn Krawczyk asked me to design a screen for her etsy shop. It's the screen of the month for April, and only available this month.

Don't know how to use a thermofax screen? Just watch this video on how to screen print, by Lynn. She's also got a fabulous DVD entitled "Print Design Compose~ from surface design to art quilt" that shows you how easy it is to print with these screens and then make an art quilt. (Seriously, it's a terrific DVD.) Just imagine, you could buy my screen and her DVD all at once. :-)

I created this fabric (above) with a flour resist technique, and then used my thermofax screen to print with gold BioColor paint.

Above, I used the gold paint again on a sun printed fabric and below, a piece of black linen.



I'll have a tutorial on flour resist surface design on my blog on Wednesday, April 12, so stay tuned. Meanwhile I hope you'll order my April screen of the month Eucalyptus Leaf thermfax screen.

Mundo Lindo

I have taught Mundo Lindo ~ Beautiful World, an after school art program since 2007. I created the program and got the grant to fund it. I continue to teach every week and I create each and every lesson.

For the past 3 years, I've taught it every Thursday, from 3-5pm through out the school year. For the two years prior to that, I taught it twice a week, 2 hours each time, year round.

this month

2007

2008

2007

         

2011

The past year, the class size ranges from 15-24 kids each Thursday. It's free for the kids, they are all 4th & 5th graders in Escondido public schools.

I love these kids and it makes me so happy to see them being creative, making art, and enjoying themselves. I've been blogging every week, since the first day of the program, April 26, 2007, on my Mundo Lindo ~ Beautiful World blog, photographing the kids, the art and the fun. We can always use donations. Just email me, and I'll give you the mailing address for your tax deductible donation. But much more important, is that maybe you go out and teach some kids to make art, or buy some art supplies for kids in your neighborhood.

two weeks ago

from my sketchbook.....

This page was great fun. Well, okay, they all are great fun! I walked out into our garden (okay, patio garden) and picked some of the plants showing signs of spring. 

All of husb's rose bushes are full of buds.





Selecting subject matter for my sketchbook led me notice the tiny beautiful blooms of the sage.

I drew this on a book page (Italian book!) and then glued it on. I love the look of watercolor on text.

  

The Kindness Chronicles

Write a note of appreciation to someone who doesn't expect it.

Teacher, Susan Avery Clark created this form (above) for her high school students. I'll keep you posted on what they write about.

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cupcakes are kind

I made cupcakes for my Mundo Lindo kids. Just because.

...and with 4 cupcakes left over, I walked out into the park and found 2 young moms with 4 small children, and offered them the cupcakes. They were thrilled and surprised.

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Why I Wake Early
by Mary Oliver
Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the  
miserable and the crotchety--


best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light--
good morning, good morning, good morning.


Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

My friend, Fred Jacobsen, made these "Be Kind, pass it on" cards to distribute. A lovely little reminder.

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You can join The Kindness Chronicles. Grab the badge for your blog or email me. And post on the first Sunday of the month. (My March 4 post here.)
Meanwhile check out these Chroniclers today Lyric Kinard,  Linda Kittmer, Tracie Lyn Huskamp  and Cheryl Spieth Gardiner and leave your kindness chronicle in the comments section. THANKS!