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My explorations into fibre and textile arts.
Honestly, I never thought I'd get to be the ripe old age of ::cough nevermind cough:: and find myself a stud magnet! Yes, yes, that's what I said and that's what I am. I have become the object of lust for all of the local studs. I am the attention of their lewd and lascivious affection - completely and utterly. It is all rather unsettling and if I'm honest - just a little bit thrilling!
I cannot walk the simple distance of 10 feet down the hallway from my office to the boardroom
without being overwhelmed in all directions and descended upon by dozens and dozens of studs. Yes, yes, the north is filled with them! I never really imagined that what they said about the north was true! Studs everywhere! Wheee!
They are positively depraved in their singleminded crusade to poke and prod parts of my anatomy that I'd prefer be left unpoked and unprodded - thank you very much! They haven't quite got to the point of sweeping me off my feet -but I'm a quiver in anticipation at every turn.
Pity about them being so small.
Pity about them being a little round and metallic.
Utterly tragic about their being attached to the walls and such.
Oh and did I mention their affection is electric and bright blue? I didn't? Oops!
I have become of late - the victim of unprovocated attacks by static electricity! Kilowatts of the stuff! Truly, I hate this time of year. Walk two feet and - Phzzzzzt! Another - Fzaaaat! It is -32 and 2 feet of snow lays across the lawn; and there is not so much as one drop of moisture in one molecule of air - anywhere. It wouldn't be too bad, if I could atleast gain some curly hair.
For some unknown reasons - I am the conduit where all static gathers - the repository of all that stud magnetism. I suppose it explains why I've never been able to wear a watch? But, as the years pass, it gets more and more ridiculous. My otherwise friendly-in-your-face-fuzz-ball of a cat has been hiding out under the bed for three weeks now. No amount of coaxing is going to entice her out from under there. I think she's been adopted by rogue dustbunnies. In the
wee hours of the night I hear an odd sizzling - followed by a pathetic hiss and a soft mewl.
One time - only one time - (I swear) I accidentally turned on the light while she was curled up next to me.... and I am now bereft of her company until late spring. Honestly, you'd think I'd docked her tail with a butter knife?
Even my friends have decided that if I am to be permitted to grace any sort of affection whatsoever on them - I have to be standing in the bathtub with at least 6 inches of water creeping up my around my calves.
The essence du static makes computing a little tenuous at best as well.
The IT guys at work have banned me from the lab. The last straw came this morning when they decided - en masse - that I wasn't allowed to sit at the computer until I'd removed my socks! I am now labelled a mouse killer! Hellooo! -32 people!
This has been making the blog rounds since the Academy Awards. So I dug up a YouTube link. It is good.
I began thinking about music. I haven't been sewing much since I've got the - ICK flu - and have been curled up in bed with the iPod (I love my iPod!). Music is as much apart of my creative process as drawing, sewing, and painting are. Not making it, I leave that to the other talented members of my family, but listening to it. If given an ultimatum to pick between sight and hearing, I'd be truly hard pressed, because one is as important as the other to me. I can't imagine a world where I couldn't see and create in a visual language and I can't imagine a world where I wouldn't be able to hear music. I believe in something rather airy fairy called a lyric thread (dumb name, but...); that there are pieces of music where you can find a thread within and follow it. It will lead you to creativity, peace, enlightenment, healing - anything. I think it is different for every person. What works for me may not work for you.
First off, I'm a soundtrack junkie - serious Hollywood stuff. It's an addiction that I'm admiting to publicly for the first time. I love Ennio Morricone (Mission), Harry Gregson-William (Kingdom of Heaven, Narnia), Klaus Badelt (Pirates - the original), Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Pride & Prejudice), Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings), Zbigniew Preisner (Secret Garden).
Everything by Loreena Mckennitt . A debut video on YouTube can be found here.
Eclipse by Adi Sappir from a few years back but available free at Download.com
25 Years by Blackmore's Night also downloadable at Download.com
Hothouse Flowers website. No music - but YUM for Liam's O'Maonlai voice which makes me cry - everytime. I first heard him on the Rankin Family's Grey Dusk of Eve. Portobello Road is the song that causes the sniffles! Not on their site, but they have others.
Angelicus by Delerium featuring Isabel Baryakdarian. Download on their site apparently. But you can also listen on Facebook.
10,000 Miles by Mark Isham from Fly Away Home (it's really really hard to find!)
Walking in the Air by Aled Jones - seriously an oldie, but lovely.
Sacred Treasures (especially the Russian Choral) I, II, III, IV, V, VI - Downloadable mp3s to get you addicted as well.
Soundtrack to Water by A.R. Rahman - Piya Ho - I love this movie but I love the song more.
Anything and everything choral by Gabriel Faure
Alegria by Cirque du Soleil
Scandalize My Name by Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle
Mercedes Sosa - Gracias a la Vida
She is utterly marvelous! I will forever kick myself for not shelling out the plane ticket money to go and see her in concert when I had the chance.
Other sites with tons of links and free downloads are:
Native Village - Music and Dance Library - The more I live north, the more I'm drawn to traditional music.
Not sure if this will work - but it's a video of Mathew Nuqingaq at the Great Northern Arts Festival last summer. Another voice that makes me cry....
Gregorian Chant on the Net
Classic Cat - Free classical music on the web
More gregorian chant
Early Music - Jon Sayles (100's of hours of listening and mp3s)
Hear the choirs sing - Free and clips of 100s of choirs
Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music aka The Vatican
And now you have an inkling of why I happen to have 37 days worth of music on my iPod (and that doesn't include podcasts)! Enjoy!
The second project was Ricky Tim's convergence quilt (these were true 1/4 inch seams quilters - Ricky had to be found someplace!). I've decided that I hate the fabric - but I'll do something with it eventually - embellish the heck out of it I think. I like the idea behind it. The demo quilt was very cool - all pebbles and seashell themes. The book also is great and has some truly lovely pieces in it. However, I'm going to have to take baby steps towards curves. Did I mention I am sew not a quilter? The instructors' also did a mini trunk show of their own and various stuff they have created through their guild - Did I mention I am sew not a quilter? Lovely stuff, truly. Hey, did I mention that I am sew not a quilter?
I've been trying to finish off pieces rather than start anything new (and I will sew contradict myself later in this post) - which given my lack of inclination (or ability) to sew lately is proving problematic. One of my lil ole Inuvialuit ladies is nearly done - I just need to bind it (my inclination is to use bought binding - they type you buy at EvilMart - Hey, did I mention I am sew not a quilter?) I've re-secured the stitching down on the second lil ole one as well. No photos yet.
We had a fundraiser at work which resulted in a ton of rose petals. We have now boiled the lot of them to within an inch of their lives in the thin hope of making rose petal beads. The bright pink pot below is at the early stages (about 3 hours in). Lovely colour no? Our test beads stayed quite rosey in colour too - but are definately grainy in consistency. I have to say, when they say it takes three days of simmering to get the consistency of clay - well IT TAKES THREE DAYS OF SIMMERING TO GET THE CONSISTENCY OF CLAY!!!! Later beads are nearly black! Progressively displayed in the photos below; from flower (well lots more). Mulched in the blender to pot and simmered (never boil). Three days later for clay and then finally beads (sorry for the blurr). These probably need another day of drying before they are really hard. Lots of work and gives a whole new meaning to praying the rosary!
Oh, and finally, some scribbles on fabric with Shiva. Not sure if this will work or not... but the smell of the paintsticks is way nicer then the smell of the rose petals!
More at a later date..... Have a great week everyone!I was so impressed that I went wading through the rubbish bin to find the package so that I could share the name and manufacturer information. Are you ready for it? The wonderproduct of my day is called ...... a Needlepuller! Snort!
The packaging sucks though! It doesn't tell you anywhere who makes it or where you can get another one. On the plus side, I now know the name for needepuller in three other languages: Tireur d'aiguille and Naaldtrekker and Nadelzieher. One I can identify as French. No clue about the others though. And that is about as helpful as I can be!
Some of it is salvagable - generally because it is all on the ruff - I'm not too too worried as it adds texture. It does mean that I'm going to have to do alot more embroidery to tack those suckers down. But not I think now!
P.S. Be at peace granny! Give my love to grumpa.