CGM Podcast Episode #72: New Year, Same Me

Listen to the episode here

Show Notes 

Life Update:

• Girls birthdays: Maddy turned 4, Sam turns 8
• Frozen and Sleepovers!

• Twilter Meetup with Jaye and Torie
• Torie is @TorieQWQ on Twitter
• Jaye is @artquiltmaker and her blog is: artquiltmaker.com/blog 
• Here is a Flipagram (short video) of our meetup! 

• Cool thing I found out about the Disney Cruise
• Link to the Disney Moms site mentioned. 

F.O.'s and WIPs:

• Recently finished the low volume charm quilt. Blogged about it here. 
• Enjoying my Lifebook 2015 lessons very much.
• Still working on my sock!
• Recent stash enhancement from GnomeAcres.
• Forgot to mention she has a great podcast too! 

Colorways are: Gnome Acres DK Jazzy Gnome in Zombie Kisses
and House Gnome Fingering Sock in I Lurve Ewe

Podcasts mentioned:

• Book Riot
• DBSA Podcast
• Blog mentioned is: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

• Dear Sugar  
• Cheryl Strayed column/article I mentioned (kind of): Write Like a Motherf---er

• Curious Handmade

Classic Movie:  

Calamity Jane with Doris Day

Book Review:

 - Note: I realized after posting the episode that this is a Kindle only book. Sorry about that. I try to make sure I review books that are available in print, audio, and eBook format. This one was sent to me electronically, I read and enjoyed it, and talked about it prior to doing more research about it. I will make sure to check on future titles!

 Irrepressible You by Georgina Penney

 

 Thanks for listening!

 CGM

Art Journal Page: You Are Enough

Supplies used: Acrylic paints, magazine page cut-outs, letter and number stencils, punchinella stamp,

washi tape, muffin tin linings, black Sharpie pen, bronze Sharpie pen

CGM

Low Volume Charm Quilt

It's been awhile since I posted a finished quilt, but I'm determined to reduce my UFO pile by at least 1/3 this year. This is the low volume quilt I started last June.

45" x 53"

I assembled this scrap quilt with 16 patch blocks made from 2.5" strips randomly pieced together. I quilted it with a simple stitch in the ditch around all of the squares.

I love text prints and used them liberally throughout the quilt. I also used some Carrie Bloomston "Clippings in Spackle" fabric for the binding. And I had some yardage on hand of the Wideback Text fabric to use as backing. 

Does this quilt serve any other purpose than to add to my collection? Nope. I'm just glad to have that "I want to make a low volume quilt" itch officially scratched!

CGM

Four.

Pardon the "pause" on this blog for the last few weeks. I am suffering from a serious case of "timeflies-itis" these days. Back with lots of crafty goodness and shenanigans soon!

 

CGM

 



Lifebook 2015 Project: Warm Up Page & Beacon

Not sure if I mentioned on my podcast that I signed up at the end of 2014 for Lifebook 2015. This was a big step for me in my artful journey in that I knew I was committing to a full year of immersing myself in learning from well-known and respected mixed media artists and the community of fellow students. All of us are at different levels with our art, and while many are beginners like me, many are in their 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of taking Lifebook. 

The workshop is 52 weeks of 1-3 lessons a week with different teachers. The first week was with the creator of Lifebook, Tamara Laporte, someone whose classes I have taken in the past, and artwork I greatly admire.

Our first lesson was a warm-up exercise having to do with our word or mantra for the year.

So much fun with vintage and scrapbook papers, Neocolor II crayons, paint, washi tape, and rubber stamps on 1 page!
Our next lesson was also with Tamara and she demonstrated how to draw and paint a whimsical face to create a Beacon of Light to encourage and inspire us throughout the year.

One of the things I love most about Tamara's teaching style is how she breaks everything down (via video) into simple steps using easy shapes and brushstrokes to follow. She is a very calming and lighthearted teacher as well - very easy to feel comfortable even if it's your very first time drawing a face.

I am so excited for what is to come! Watch this space for more as I share my Lifebook journey with you.

CGM

What We're Reading This Month

Well it's a brand new year and there still seems to be a big pile of books for me to read. As I receive the summer 2015 galleys for work, it grows ever bigger. Here are a few keeping me busy this month:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

 

 



Billionaire Unmasked by J.S Scott

 

 

 

My Bluegrass Baby by Molly Harper

 

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

on sale 1/27/15, I am reading an advance copy

 

 

Samantha (age 7):

 







The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 

Amazing Animals: Cheetahs by Kate Riggs

 

 

Maddy (age 3):

 



The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

 

 

The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems

 

 

So what are you reading this month?

 

CGM



Video Share: Nobody Tells This To Beginners

One of my favorite quotes about creating is from Ira Glass that starts off "Nobody tells this to people who are beginners..." Someone recently took it to You Tube and made a creative video demonstrating this (now) famous quote. I love it, and wanted to share it with you, my fellow creatives. Enjoy!

CGM