The workspace.

This is what I did on the Forth of July.

David moved a drawing table upstairs so we could both work while we watched movies.

That is his desk in front.

I may have shown this before but this is the table David and his dad made for me.

I don't know what I would do without it.

I spread all the fabric out so it is easy to find ones that go well together.

It looks like a mess, but it works.

Heart War Fabric Paintings

Jacob's Fabric Painting

More Heart War Sketches

The working title for the show is "The Great Heart War of 184o something". Here are more sketches. I have been sketching during the day and composing fabric at night. My quota is currently 3 a night so I will have plenty to sew on during our fourth of July trip to Alabama, a week and a half away.

Delayed Pictures of ICE

I have finally received pictures of my booth from the Indie Craft Experience. It is really the same ol’ same ol’, only in a tent. The tent was fun because I was able to hang up some of the little paintings and balloon vases. Oh!, also you can see the debut of “the banner”.

I am working on a new project. It will be a gallery show full of my fabric paintings (or, Works in Applique). All the paintings will be related and tell the dramatic story of the civil war between the Wings and the Arms. Here are a couple of sketches that hint at what is going on. I will post more when I get more of the story down and feel comfortable with the drawings. I will be doing nothing but this until the end of september, NOTHING, Not only because the gallery is large and their can't be too many gaps in the narrative, but I want to go up in size. Right now the largest one I have done has been 16" X 20". I want to start measuring in feet. We shall see how this will unfold.

Pendants.

The Swag leftovers from the Ice Show were turned into fancy pendants. I am not super happy with them but for a first try they turned out ok. I will be doing more of these before Christmas.

Website Update

http://www.thefamilychicken.net/thefamilychicken.net-fabpt.html

The Little Fabric Paintings are now up on the Website. If you keep up with me here you have already seen them.

Website Update

New Stuff has been added to:

The Fabric Painting Page

http://www.thefamilychicken.net/thefamilychicken.net-fabpt.html
and

The Cards Page.

http://www.thefamilychicken.net/TheFamilyChicken.net-card.html

Jacob's Fabric Painting

Now that ICE is behind me, I am really excited to get to work on my next project. Some of my best friends, Dawn and Jeff, brought a bundle of joy into this world not to long ago. Now they have commissioned me to make a fabric painting for his room. This will be my most elaborate fabric painting yet.

SWAG

SWAG = Loot.

The ICE crew do up these give-a-way bags with cards from vendors, samples, and other fun stuff. I didn't participate in this the last show, so I didn't want to miss out this year.

These little lumps of clay have consumed my life for the majority of this week. First, I sculpted the positive from clay. (I have a new found respect for the person in charge of sculpting for the US mint.) Then, I made a negative for stamping into clay out of sculpy. Next, rolling out clay, stamping, cutting out ovals, smoothing and pokeing the holes. 500 didn't sound like that big a number when I started, but after all that and making little envelopes to enclose the pendant and a buisness card my fingers are tired. I have decided to make a few and doll them up to sell as well. I am going to take a break and do something else for a while.

Small Fabric Paintings

I have been wanting to do some smaller fabric paintings for a while and have been gathering frames from yard sales and from store sales. Friday I got out my sissors and thread. This is what happened.

Bunny Bright-Eye

What's up Baby Deer?

Cyclops Blue Bird

Jenny Owl Grade 1

"Hi Bird" said lady

Miss Popular Blue Bird Grade 6

Mother Knows Best

Website Update

The website has been updated! (a little) I updated all of my shop links and added new balloon vases to this page:

http://www.thefamilychicken.net/thefamilychicken.net-Ballo.html

An example of some of the new work.

More updates to come soon.

Ice-Atlanta...In the Park.

Come see me in Atlanta on June 2nd. This will be my second Ice Show and I can't wait to see everyone again. It will be my first time selling outside and thusly my first experience with a tent. I will have to do some practice runs setting up because it will also be the first time David won't be there to help me get settled in. You may be able to spot me easy, I might be the one standing by the tent pile. Selling my stuff out of boxes. (Like the people at the flea market.) : ) Nah, I will be fine. I have a month to get ready. Plenty of time to get some extra stuff done. I want to make a banner, print some t-shirts, make smaller fabric paintings, and paint a cow. That should be easy enough. I better get a move on though.

New Buisness Cards

Front

Back

That's Clever!

It has been a week since the "That's Clever" film crew taped my segment. I haven't really known what to do with myself since then. Their visit consumed my life for the past two months, getting all my steps ready and fixing up the barn. Now it is over and I have to wait until next year before it airs on HGTV. Until then here are some pictures from the new and improved barn/studio before the shoot.

These are the two projects they filmed. Balloon Vase and Geet.

These are all the vases I had to have ready at various stages.

These are the geets at various stages.

This is the new and improved barn.

A BIG Huge thinks to my parents for coming to help get the barn ready! and for the peanut butter balls. And a special thanks to April for coming to sit with me during the shoot while David was away.

I think things went great (they may say otherwise). If anything I decided I will not be persuing my dreams of becoming an actress. : ) I found out I freeze on camera, in front of those lights and forget everything (Where am I?). Oh no, it wasn't that bad, but at times it felt that way. At least the guys were super nice and patient. I can't wait to see how it turns out after it is all edited.

Filming In Progress.

I set a goal this new year to do one fabric painting a month. These will fill April and May's quota. I went ahead and planned them out before I have to put all my fabric away for the film crew. Yes, Film Crew!!! I have been chosen to be filmed for a segment of "That's Clever" on HGTV. I am excited and the preperation has kept me busy. I have to say I have been more productive within the past month than I have since the new year started. They are going to film me making an oblong balloon vase and a geet. Specifically these:

In progress Fabric paintings and other various pictures:

Possum heart tree (i was inspired by out new backyard friends)

Vulture and Bunny (we don't have vultures or bunnys in the backyard)

Underglazed balloon vases.

I have alot of cleaning to do. (notice the table David and his dad built for me to work on. You will have to just imagine its awsomeness since it is covered with mess.

And the Bass in the background David is teaching me to play. )

The barn has been over taken by all my practice pieces. 50 balloons later, I think I have the process down now.

Playin' Possum

We caught our backyard possem in the act last night. I went out the back door and he jumped up on the fence. I am not sure what he was up to, but he sure looks guilty of something. Several weeks ago this and one of its buddys started hanging around looking for grubs and what-not. Maybe they will run off the moles.