new stuff is listed on etsy! well, sort of new =)

i’ve just listed the next edition of my first 6 digital mixed media collages and will be listing 3 more new ones this evening. the editions of the original collages are numbers 3 of 25. the last batch sold out super fast, so if you’re interested in a higher numbered edition, don’t wait too long to purchase!

a few people who enjoy the textile anthology kits have expressed an interest in just the beads, so i’m obliging by listing them in my etsy shop. as of sunday may 4, i’ve listed 4 pairs of colour coordinated 6/0 seed beads from my textile anthology kits. there is a pink combo, green combo, turquoise combo and slick grey metal combo. check them out here!

within the last few days, i’ve also been asked, to list fabric packs of coordinated patterns/colours for textile anthology-styled projects. I’ve been listening to your requests and this weekend will be obliging you, my loyal readers, and will be listing 4 new groups of fabric and batting only kits in my etsy shop. these are amazing patterns and colours. so “on trend” and luxurious… you’re going to love them!

so that’s my good news at the moment… thanks for looking and reading

i’ve just started another print run of my book iconography, so exciting! soon there will be another lovely stack of books in my hands, ready for the website and ready for my next portobello west show in may.

it’s so hard for me to explain how wonderfully this book turned out, without it sounding fake and hollow. after all, who believes an author touting how great their book is? it sounds so false coming from the book artist doesn’t it?

well, earlier today i received a really kind email from a customer who had gotten my book this month. she was very enthusiastic about the publication and with her permission, i’m posting her critique of the book here:

“Your book is awesome. You have captured the true beauty of women, your botanical imagery …wonderful. The two combined with the use of street poetry makes this book my favorite.

Your dedication for your husband and your Dad and Mom is lovely. I like when artists include something personal in their books relating to family.

I have studied the book cover to cover a few times this week. I will go to your etsy shop soon and purchase one of your originals. Thank you so much for the book. I shall treasure it.”

~ Pamela Barnes, Ontario CANADA

thank you pam for your kind and generous review of my work. it warms my heart knowing that you will treasure this book for years to come.

if you are interested in purchasing a signed edition of iconography: a collection of mixed media beauties, please visit my website. you may also purchase directly through my book production house lulu.com by clicking here.

there are so many possibilities for these wonderful textile anthology fabric projects… here are a few examples for your consideration:

using large grommets and your crop-o-dile punch, create binding holes along the left edge of your fabric page so that it can be included in a traditional binder album like a maya road chipboard binder. this is a great addition to any paper based scrapbook album since it infuses unique textures and tactile qualities of fabric into your memory project.

use grommets and fasten multiple textile anthology pages together with binder rings to create a 100% fabric book. yummy!

add grommets to both sides of your main page and add additional fabric pages to the sides to create an accordion album! so cool and infinitely touchable.

make two fabric panels that are the same size, then create two narrow sides panels and a bottom panel that when stitched or fastetned together make a ’soft’ box! this is so great for holding collectibles and memorabilia in a baby’s room or as a gift for grandparents…

more ideas and photos will be coming soon!

i’m all jazzed up about making more of these touchable, lovable and huggable fabric projects. i just can’t stop touching all my fabrics and embellishments… it’s a bit of an addiction lol!

i’m off to the quilting store again this afternoon to pick up more lovely fabrics and then this weekend will be spent stitching new projects and sifting through my embellishments so that i can put together the most wonderful textile anthology kits. ahhhh… nothing like a little enabling huh?

first day teaching at inspired today. it was an early day but the vibe with all the students was great. super fun and a really laid back crowd. this vancouver girl LOVES that! everyone has been so open to the idea of stretching their creative boundaries and trying something new. it’s been awesome.

i’m also having a great time hanging with claudine for a few days. we don’t get to do this kind of thing [conferences and teaching] together, so sharing a room and hanging out has been really special and loads of fun! lots of laughs and fun stories to remember and reminisce over. love that =)

donna d has outdone herself with this event. so organized… great take home goodies, scheduled and coordinated to the hilt. you go girl! have a few pics to share on my return home Monday, so will catch up with you then =)

wow. the first portobello west of the year came and went so quickly!

it was a flurry of getting ready. setting up my display space and general hubbub on saturday morning. amidst all the mayhem was yet another truly wacky vancouver weather day. hail. snow. sun and wind. all over the city throughout the day. it made for a slower first day than i liked, but my bud deb was there to keep me company in the afternoon.

sunday was much better both on the artshow traffic and weather sides of things. gorgeous, stunningly beautiful day… the kind only vancouver gets after a weird day of weather. the mountains were magical with fluffy clouds tucked in the hills and valleys… freshly caked in new snow. as i said, gorgeous!

the foot traffic at portobello was way better too. the show is usually only on sunday, so i think that threw alot of the regular portobello shoppers off a bit. sunday was all good though. lots of shoppers and lots of new contacts were made! a successful first show of the year in my opinion. here are a few quick shots of the display area. i’m still working on it… but the bits and pieces are good i think.

so i’m back at the usual… packing and shipping orders that are patiently waiting for my attention. finishing off the last few things for INSPIRED. it’s t’s birthday on wednesday, so there will be a quick dinner out and a more intimate, leisurely morton’s steak house meal on friday night. two final home games for the canucks this week… tomorrow and saturday, so this week is shaping up to be a busy busy one! let’s hope my intestinal pain from thursday and friday doesn’t reappear [don’t ask! let’s just say a trip to the hospital was narrowly avoided - no time for an appendix problem at the moment!]

alright people… in the words of kal, i’m gearing up for a big GO! this week. catch you soon =)

new artworks are being finished this week for my first portobello west show of the year. yep… this coming weekend portobello west kicks off the season with a special two day opener [gulp!] and new spring themed artworks are filtering out of my studio daily.

here is a sneak peek at what you can expect to find at my portobello west booth…

these new works are still in the ‘testing’ phase and i only have a few to start… but if they sell well and the feedback is good, i’ll be doing more!

at the art+fashion market i’ll also have a limited set of my new book iconography. 10 signed, limited edition copies are available on a first come, first serve basis at the show. be sure to drop by on saturday to pick one up =)

for complete details about dates, times, and location of portobello west please visit their website. see you soon!!

it never lasts for too long in our house LOL! the kitties and the hubby won’t let me wallow for long =)

i wanted to post something fun and inspiring [i hope!] for this dreary vancouver week. with all the rain in our forecast this week, a little blast of this yummy textile and scrappy fun has dragged me outta the doldrums. i’m hoping it will do the same for you!

i’m teaching a class at the huge clipper street scrapbook stores in both coquitlam and langley at the end of april. the class is called textile anthology and is being taught for the first time here in the vancouver, area after its big debut at donna downey’s inspired.artist workshop on april 10 - 12.

it is a fusion/hybrid of scrapbooking, collage and fabric arts using all kinda of scrappy supplies, printed photos and the most amazing [seemingly scrapbooking inspired] fabric i’ve ever seen. here are the samples that can be seen in the clipper street stores this later week. please go and see the real mccoy at either store; the scan of these collage quilts just doesn’t do them justice…

to register for the classes, please click here… i hope to see you soon!

here are the first of 8 new pieces trickling out off the studio and off the studio table onto etsy!

i love these new pieces. petite, soft and infinitely girly they are the stuff of romantic notions and dreams of living a far more sophisticated existence than i ever could.

this evening i did something that i’ve been wanting to do for weeks… i finally hung  block of artwork [yes, shamefully only my own work - thank god my husband enjoys it and is super supportive] in the living room. 15 pieces! yep, 15. looks pretty freaking spectacular too. i’ve been living with them in the studio, but as i ramp up my art production for portbello west, i’ve had to make room for new pieces, and i just can’t bear to box up my babies. so… after a little prodding and alot of help [thank god T is TALL] i hung all 15 pieces in 3 rows of 5. i’ll post a pic later this week once i get me my new camera.

ok. yeah i’m spoiled sometimes. my hubby is super supportive of all my artistic endeavours. so much so that for valentine’s day the amazing man bought me a new camera. an expensive one. but… it was way more expensive at the local future shop than online, so we took back the original camera - unopened [can i just say how PAINFUL it was knowing that the camera was sitting on the dining room table begging to be opened and used - pure torture] and purchased one online. it was supposed to arrive today, in point roberts. it didn’t. i was so disappointed. sad even. so a spectacular photo of my artwall will now have to wait until later in the week.

in the meantime… here is some pretty, girly eyecandy to enjoy [and buy - hint hint, nudge nudge]
have a good week peeps.

here are the goods… enjoy!

ok. i received the first run of my mixed media collage books.

it’s a limited first run to see how i’d like them, and you know what? it’s pretty damn cool seeing yourself in print, in a self-published book where YOU are the author.

so here are the details…

• the books will be available exclusively online through my etsy shop
• they will be available locally at my artshows in vancouver at portobello west
• each book is $25.95 and will be signed
• additional book details are here

the books are on sale now. yay!!

i have started with a small batch of them to see how they sell, but i will be ordering more, so if you are interested in a book and find they are sold out through etsy, please email me, or post a comment, to request one. i’ll include your order in my next shipment.

next on my list of self-published books… how to’s featuring some of my favorite techniques for scrapping, stamping and mixed media art. fun!