We were busy inside all day writing directions for projects, shipping product, making samples, wondering about politics in our country, checking lists and happily crossing off a few things...Then, Sue called me outside this afternoon to check out the things that are exploding out of the ground! The clematis has green starting to sprout, daffie bulbs, and sedums emerging...the fish were cruising... it was in the high 50's!!!


I have been very inspired by Kathy Murillo's wide ranging presence on the web...her blog, her new blog, her MySpace space...so yesterday I jumped right onto MySpace, signed up but can't quite figure out how to make it very Artgirly...so now that is up there on the list of things to learn! We have one friend...Tom the generic friend of all MySpacers...So thanks Kath, I'm going to get in touch when you're home from your cruise!!

We had a lovely break in our day today with a visit from Cate Coulacos Prato, Features Editor
at Cloth Paper Scissors. I actually changed out of my usual sweat pants and into a pair of jeans for the occasion. The rest stayed the same. Cate led us through a list of questions about our fascinating life and growing business and is planning on turning it into an article for the magazine. Needless to say we are honored and very grateful. We had a lot of laughs and I feel quite sure that we could have spent a couple of dayz sharing information and stories.

If you're not aware of the magazine, you should check it out. Cloth Paper Scissors and Quilting Arts are both inspiring and exciting collections of work...Highly recommended for anyone interested in texture, color, fiber, and new techniques...

Check out the Editor's Blog.
Patricia Bolton, Editor in Chief, posts lots of information about their adventures, their new tv program, and opportunities for creative types to share their work!

Stay cool. Off for some chow!

Midge and I went to NewB Camp this weekend at Johnson & Wales University. The event offered platforms for geeks to share new media information with non or medium geeks!
It was very over whelming and exciting for both of us! I learned about options that are out there in cyberland for meeting and greeting other folks and most importantly for us, spreading the Artgirlz Word!! These are some of the networks waiting to be explored:

Google Documents
Twitter
Flickr
qik
zonetag
WordPress
Ning
ChinSwing
Thinkature
del.icio.us
boingboing
Second Life
blip tv

Well, now I am going to stop working and take a break until tomorrow...just wanted to share some info and organize it up a bit!

Greetings from Snowy Rhode Island! Here we are working in the yard on our fist day (Monday) back from our various trips to the West Coast! With piles of boxes, suitcases, emails, orders all over the place, raking leaves and cleaning up piles in the yard was about the only thing we could manage! Now it is looking like a winter wonderland!


Sue and I headed for Tucson at the beginning of the month to do a show at the Manning House.
We squirmed around our lovely hotel room at the Best Western as we suffered through a stressful football game watching the Giants grab the Superbowl win. The skies were very wet over Tucson on Monday, set up day. After a few problems with rain under and over our product in a tent, we moved all of our stuff the morning that the show opened into dry territory. It was our first trip to this bead and gem extravaganza, so with nothing to compare it too, it seemed rather slow. We did however meet some new best friends and found some great new wholesale customers!

We loved it when Joelee Furrier (Bella Quilts, Tucson) and Kathy Smith were jumping with excitement as they ordered goodies for the store!! What a joy to meet these other two light beams Juliana Marquis and Thad tripping through Tucson spreading smiles! They were ready to help prepare an Artgirlz On the Road Vehicle with painting and welding skills... we were also offered an invite for fun in Wenatchee, WA!!!


And Super Mom Renee Palting supplied her daughter Edyth with our Big Beads, felting needles and roving and within a day or two they were back with friend Kylie Faber and Edyth's Amazing Needle Felted Necklace! Nice work I say!

Speaking of Inspiring, I met Jean Baruch, RN, BSN and President of Beads of Courage, Inc.
Check out the website and the programs that have been set up for children with cancer. It is a very cool program for kids going through treatment, their sibs, families and kids in the community. I am happy to say that we are designing and producing a "Courage" charm for them. They need donations of beads and findings, so if you have any contacts in that area, let them know!





It was off to LA and CHA very early on the Monday after the Tucson show closed. Midge picked us up with coffee and breakfast for our trip from LAX to the Anaheim Convention Center! We missed a day of the show, and it took us a while to land. Had fun meeting new people, seeing old buddies and spreading the word about Artgirlz!

Here is Linda Jones from 2 Scrappy Sisters, Kansas City, KS....I had just gifted her with this needle felted bag! We were both very happy with the exchange and I hope she is enjoying it!! As you can see, my scrappy sis is giving me the two fingers behind your head sign!!

and then there was Alexandra Underhill and her book "Alternation: Transform. Embellish. Customize." We didn't get to meet her co-author Shannon Okey, but Alexandra joined about 15 or so women for a fairly spontaneous, high energy dinner after the show. Women just kept showing up...we would just squeeze down, add tables...It was an amazing group with lots of talent, vision, energy and brains!! What's better than that!


...and then there is Candy Cooper, Margot Potter and Tracy Bautista...Tracy has a new line of goodies with Duncan...can't find it on their website...and Kathy Cano Murillo the Crafty Chica, also now with Duncan, has an amazing line of glitter, shrines, saints, among other very cool things that aren't in my brain anymore (sorry Kath)!! Nice work girlzzzz! Keep up the good work!

I've got to go and do something else...I've been at this task for a long time....below is a project we did for the Ranger Booth in Anaheim...we were assigned the yellow colors and the canvas and could go for it! Used our new Inchies!!

It's still snowing!

Well, Sue and I have our suit cases packed and have done just about everything we can do before our departure to Tucson...we don't have any Patriots gear, but other than that we are ready to go...The felt is officially on its way!
We are all excited to uncover the adventures that are ahead of us...we have opportunities flying all over the place and look forward to seeing old buddies and meeting new best friends on our trips to Tucson and Anaheim!!

How about this Bizzy Bee!

Cheers from the Troops here at Artgirlz Nation! Will be back soon!

I had someone write and ask what we would be doing for our altered clothing classes at: International Quilt Festival/Chicago
April 11-13, 2008
Rosemont, Illinois and International Quilt Festival/Long Beach
July 25-27 , 2008
Long Beach, California
so I told her that I would post some photo's. The pic above was taken last summer and the polka dot dress was purchased at a thrift store in Portland. I added a new border at the bottom, new straps and machine appliqued the words, and flowers.It is simply a matter of pulling images from fabric and reassembling it.

We are asking folks to bring a jacket or pair of pants to work on. The jacket would be easier without a lining. We will undo the seams of the pants...hopefully ahead of time.

On the right is a detail of Al's pants. This shows some use of a bleach pen for the words. She then outlined the words with embroidery thread. The collage of flowers and leaves were made up from our fabric stash. They are all machine appliqued while the seam was out of the pant leg.

The section below was also done with a bleach pen and after it was thoroughly rinsed and dried, it was embroidered with floss.








Here are a couple of more samples...









These goodies were featured in the Fall issue of Make it Mine Magazine...."Make It Mine is a craft magazine that shows you how to spice up your stuff--clothes, accessories and home--with fun, quick and easy projects." Check it out! In our class, we will be using fabric collage, paints, rubber stamps, and stitching to make something truly yours!!!

Here is a lovely love wall hanging by our Lovely Linda! She has incorporated Artgirlz Felt Hearts, pewter charms, mini wool beads, and our rubber stamps on shrink plastic!!! Nice job as usual...She has also mixed and sewed paper and fabric together..add yarns, beads, twigs and how can a girl go wrong!

We were very lucky to have received a surprise package from Nancy Smith....Great American Quilt Factory in Denver...in addition to yummy holiday sweets, we received two "slap bracelet" pin cushions...Useful and very cool! A great way to use our 3.5cm Big Beads! Thanks Nancy, we appreciate your support very much!!

New products coming very soon!!
Looking forward to a haircut!!!

Well, it is a humble beginning, but here is our first Artgirlz video...Sue, Rosie and Tracy practicing in front of our Mac Movie Maker in my fancy new computer...

I wanted to report that we found the lost email...referred to in the last message...and have sent it off to David!!!

Still busy with some great new samples to post!

Will try in the morning...we have some great samples of our new Big Bags with colorful needle felting!!

ATTENTION PERSON LOOKING FOR DAVID FROM COLLEGE IN NM...

This is a very important message we are putting out into the world. Someone sent us an email about David F...being an old friend from college and we can't find the message...too much cleaning out of the emails and we feel very badly so we are hoping that you come back to check and we can continue that hook up. We are so sorry, because we know how you feel!!

So other than that very frustrating event, it has been another Day Here at Artgirlz Nation with our Patriots going to the Super Bowl and the catalog just about done...I am going to try to put a little video into this message. I have "PhotoBooth" on my fancy new Mac and you can make movies right at your desk. Not much of what I do at my desk would be very interesting...
?&$#?...it was a bust...keep getting an error message...oh well...

oh, the image above is from our new inchie stamps that will be here very soon!

Off to make dinner for the girlzzzzzzz...

Greetings from Artgirlz World Headquarters...we are trying to get UPC codes onto packaging but our software doesn't seem to want to do anything but labels...so let's do a blog posting I thought...

Getting ready for two overlapping shows...catalogs etc. I probably said that last time and it will probably be the case until we go out of the door. We have some new kits and products that are so freakin cute!! They will be posted as soon as we take care of all of the details.

This is another lovely creature that was put together by Artgirl Linda Willis! She always comes to work with a bag of new creations that never fail to thrill and amaze us! We are hoping that she continues to come to work!!!! She is constructed from one of our cones and a 3.5 cm bead for her head. The nose is a mini bead sewn onto her face. This concept could go in many many directions!!!

Can't wait for football this weekend!!!

Good Morning and Happy New Year! It was 6 degrees when I headed to my computer this morning. That is about 70 degrees lower than my personal comfort zone!! At least we won't be getting 10 feet of snow this weekend like some spots in California!!

The holidaze blew by and included a 60th birthday! We had a lot of laughs with Gabe's (Al's grandson) Wii...Who would have imagined that we were so out of shape that the four of us had very sore arm muscles after a 48 hour trip into computer tennis, bowling, golf and boxing!! I spent a lot of time going thru boxes of old pictures and stuff...got rid of many, many things...what a relief! Still lots of piles sitting around waiting for a place to live.

We are busy as usual, trying to catch up on over due projects. One of them is for Bernina, so we have been working with our loaner machine and we are loving the stitch regulator! Allison made beautiful pieced faces that will sit in the middle of the little quilt. The stitch regulator is an amazing piece of engineering! You can do free motion quilting...getting even stitches at any speed without using a presser foot....As I worked on the machine, I felt like I was building new brain connections!! That is always good!

Working on finalizing new products, dealing with the rise in metal costs, making lists of things we need for next months bead show in Tuscon and CHA in Anaheim, figuring out web issues, catalogs, cards, blogs, etc....

These wonderful Snow People were created by Linda Willis. We were very lucky to meet Linda in New Hampshire last summer and were thrilled to find out she lives in our neighborhood...basically. She gets what we do and love and want to share with the world and comes to work with new projects that she's just whipped up!! We are very grateful to have her working on our team. You will be seeing more of her work!!

Am hoping to post more often, meet deadlines for everyone, do yoga, take my vitamins, stay calm and open!!! Hoping all of you reach some of the goals on your lists!!!

I know it's about time that I am finally getting to this task. We have been mildly crazed...as usual since our return from Houston. We were home for a week and Al and I were lucky enough to be invited to a Bernina Teachers Retreat at their headquarters outside of Chicago. We were all (20) treated like royalty...everyone extremely grateful to be somewhere without piles of class kits, product, catalog sheets etc...just show up and learn about presser feet, needles and machine embroidery. Pictured above and taking a break from embroidered butterflies, is Allison with Rose DeBoer and Barb Sunderlage from Quilters Resource.

There was quite a range of talent present...pattern and clothing makers, beaders, machine quilting queens...applique, embroidery, cut work, on and on were the skills of this group. What's not to like about top of the line sewing machines, good teachers, lots of presents, snacks every two hours and lots of laughs??!!



Al and I went right from Bernina to a post Bar Mitzvah party just north of Chicago. It was with great pleasure that we surprised old friends and the grandparents of the Bar Mitzvah Boy, Ed and Shirlee Schwarz. It was a bounus to run into Shirlee right in the hotel lobby. It was a great ending to the weekend...sharing stories, meeting the other grandchildren, seeing Caroline and Tommy, good food and lots of laughs!





The morning after coming home from the Bernina festivities, I checked out our new studio space...the only thing that was in here was a little table with our loaner Bernina...I had to take this photo with the sun beams shining on the machine!!
Al was home for one day and then took off for LA with Midge to visit Midge's daughter for Thanksgiving.


Sue and I had a very relaxing Thanksgiving. We went for a walk (it was almost 60 degrees), went out to dinner with her parents, tore down the inside of the screened in porch, preparing for windows and then started hauling goodies into the lovely empty studio space. It quickly became filled with chaotic piles of fabrics, yarns, buttons, stamps, inks, paints, beads, office stuff, sewing machines, threads, needles, paper etc that we have been moving around, throwing out, making give away piles, moving some more....

We have done nothing since...moving everything around and around, adding a new computer, organizing new office spaces for Al and I, while trying to run the business. I am so grateful for our employees!!!!!! Below is the same pink space shown in the sewing machine picture above. Everyday we say...it's coming along...

So now, one more week of the Foundry Show for those of you in the Providence, RI area. My first born arrives next Monday for a visit...Artgirlz Holiday party on Tuesday...new stamps to finish, other new goodies for CHA '08, preparing for Tuscon...hoping to have creative time very soon!

Stay calm, festive and grateful!!!!!

This is what my life has felt like lately...We got back from The International Quilt Festival and Market in Houston last week and are still barely on the planet. I was the only one that managed to avoid a return home cold...so far anyway. Houston went well. Market was busy and a very good show for us. We met great new people...Tina Givens is clearly one that you would like to have living on your street for coffee dates and fashion tips! Learned about "Sample Spree"...loved our bed and breakfast and happily watched the Red Sox play baseball!

We broke down our booth from Market...the wholesale portion of the program and taught a class that night. I hit the exhaustion wall the next morning, swearing that I wasn't going to teach anymore...I want to thank the women (seen above) that were in our house class that morning. They were all, willing, loving and competent individuals that helped me move thru that day!

Festival was very busy! I did this 3 hour Mixed Media thing with 12 or so other teacher types, each with their own table. 300 or so women came into the ball room and spread out and took seats in front of the tables...every twelve minutes the groups moved clockwise around the room, and we the teach types repeated our twelve minute show...15 times...whew...

We ran out of things every day and Midge moved what was left around our little store. The weekend brought a number of talented , smart girlz to our booth. They loved making things, knew what they liked and were very inspiring!
This is Katy Wiggins and she brought us three amazing little creatures. One of their dresses is the opening of a balloon.

Katy's mother Mary is quite the creature herself, and the mother of Cordelia...Now, Cordelia has her own blog and one of the dolls living here at Artgirlz World Headquarters insisted on going to Houston to live with Cordelia...I hope that she is happy. Anyway, thanks Katy for our great present!!! Keep up the good work!

Then there was Lizzie...she managed to make it into many many make and takes in the Mixed Media section of the show. She showed up on the weekend with her self modified jeans...cut below the knee with bright orange skirts stitched onto each leg...we were able to introduce her to Traci Bautista when she came by to say good-bye...she is another one with able hands and a bright mind.

Finally there was Linnea...I can't put my hands on our book that has the correct spelling of her name, but she was another one that warmed our hearts! I was wishing that we could get these lovely young ones together to play with materials and share their skills and teach them new things...She had saved her money to shop with us.
We set her up with a few extra goodies, introduced her to Pokey Bolton who came across with a free magazine! It was very inspiring to meet this young crew and we look forward to seeing them next year!!

We were exhausted by break down time...not to mention that the Patriots game was blocked in the Houston area.
Sue and Al took a little break and went to a sports bar to see it on the dish tv...We made it home safe and somewhat sound.



While we were gone we had two nice articles published. Bernina published an Artgirlz article in the recent "Through the Needle". It features directions for a cloth box that was made for us by Linda Willis. Thanks Linda!


Kalmbach Publishing just put out the Winter 2007 issue of "Make It Mine" and includes a bio and pics of some of our altered clothing. "Make it Mine will help you update your wardrobe and home with quick, simple projects. Embellish ready-made items, combine materials for new creations and get suggestions on how to make it from scratch with this new magazine."

Al and I are off to Chicago tomorrow to attend a Bernina Teachers Conference...we are looking forward to having time to sit at a machine and learn some new things!!

Stay calm!

It's a grey rain and warm day here in little rhody...Artgirlz Nation is in full swing with brains and fingers working overtime preparing for a trip to Connecticut this weekend and then onto Houston next Wednesday for a two week, whirlwind of selling, teaching, demonstrating, and catching up with quilting and mixed media buddies at the International Quilt Festival...The witches pictured above will be part of our doll class...which I understand is sold out. Our "Happy Home" class has lots of seats left if you are there and looking for something to do on Tuesday October 30th. Check out Quilting Arts and Pokey's blog for the Make It University schedule...Artgirlz will be offering three sessions...




There is so much going on that I can hardly think about it and how much I have to do before we head for the plane....but as usual, we get it done and when we get there, we just put one foot in front of the other....It is always exhausting, but extremely inspiring, invigorating and good for a lot of laughs and a few new treasures!!!

We have had the most beautiful weather this month. As it flew by my window, the temperature and moisture in the air were the perfect combination. It helped as the flurry and furry of building Artgirlz Nation continued on...jumping swiftly from one project to another trying not to freak out that Houston is less than a month and we've barely started...we have booths, demos, classes, and a slide show to pull together...not to mention product. So far, we have always managed to pull it all together.

On top of that, we have been moving everything out of one side of our basement to have a studio area constructed. Midge and Al seem to be working out a deal on their house so all of us will be moving everything we have around to combine and fit the very top favorite pieces of furniture, art, dishes from their life and ours to create one power house! The good news is that it is right next door! And then there is the garden. With the help of family and friends, last weekend we moved furniture, 20 yards of compost, trees, shrubs, perennials, rocks and of course the famous bathtub!!

So with infinite amounts of patience and strength, we will continue to look at and evaluate every piece of everything we have in our vast collections of everything and move them or get rid of them..and get ready for Houston, finish the article, learn how to use my fancy Bernina, decide on new product, watch football, and hope we have enough witch kits for the world!!!

better have some breakfast!

It is sunny and sort of chilly here in Rhode Island this morning and I have so much to do it is ridiculous. The last ten days were filled with travel, teaching, contracts and taping our big 3 minutes for tv...

September 7th and 8th turned out to be very hot as Al and I drove up to Topsfield, MA to teach three classes at AbsolutelyEverything. We had a great time checking out Kate's amazing collection of goodies for sale and interacting with a creative group of women that came to work with Artgirlz rubber stamps, wool felt kits and beads and charms. I love seeing what folks come up with during these classes. For example the piece above is created with two dresses stamped and put together...the top one upside down...Al told me to write the artists name so it was in the picture, so now I have to apologize once again that I don't remember her name...I can see her lovely self. The characters on the left were created by owner Kate herself...a very focused, fast acting student!!! Thanks for everything Kate!

We got home late Saturday after driving thru very scary thunder, lightening and rain. We had two days to prepare for a trip to Cleveland where we were going to do a short shoot for the new television program being put together by Quilting Arts. A few others have posted notices about their trips to the set and are linked thru Pokey's blog!


Prior to going we were trying to pick out the suggested wardrobe...no black, no white, no dots, stripes, big prints...have long sleeves, a collar to hide the microphone...and finger nails...not to mention the project that was worthy of the amazing work that is consistently highlighted. Karen the make up artist started on my little head by plucking many stray hairs that make up my eyebrows. When she finished, I had more stuff on my face than I've had since high school musicals...We actually had a great time meeting up with other artists preparing for their segments, being nervous and glamorous...and doing our bit. Everyone was so supportive and encouraging...from makeup to the camera boys...Pokey was a pro by the time we arrived. You can check your local listing at pbs.org...It should be up after Christmas...

We've been trying to figure out a way to do a show that allows a few swear words every now and then....

Back to work!!!!

Friday morning and the window boxes really need water!

Wednesday afternoon we did our first live web radio chat on Diva Craft Lounge. To hear the broadcast check out their archives. Thanks Danielle and Rayme!

Al and I are off to Topsfield, MA to teach at AbsolutelyEverything tonight and tomorrow.

Trying to stay in the moment!