HEADING TO FINLAND

 Oh I wish it was me!

I just finished a fun project of seven personalized placemats for a client in Washington. Now they are heading over to Finland and will deliver them as holiday gifts! I love these pieces!

SPICY!!!

After crossing the US/Mexican border at Nogales, it’s another 14 or 15 hours to Mazatlan, so there’s always a decision to be made as to where to spend the night. There are many small cities along Highway 15 with a wide range of accommodations for sleeping, but there also are a few destinations of interest that are less than an hour off the road. Alamos is one such place that we always had heard about from friends, so one winter we took an extra few hours to fit it into our journey.

We turned east at Navajoa and drove for another 45 minutes before reaching this 17^th century colonial town that is a winter home to many NOB (north of the border) ex-pats. With only a short afternoon and early evening for exploring before heading out the next morning, we did a quick drive-thru on the cobblestoned streets, and then set off on foot to look for some refreshment, sustenance, and lodging.

We eventually landed at Plaza Alameda, and here at this main square we found everything we were looking for. Hotel Los Portales allowed pets (our main criteria), and after getting settled, we found our way to the attached bar, La Corregidora, with outdoor seating overlooking the plaza.

Oftentimes, generous bar owners will bring a small botana with your drinks, typically chips and salsa. In this case, the chips came with a white, spicy spread that both Tom and I liked very much. Of course I had to ask how to make it, and now it’s a regular at our afternoon cribbage games.

I was told to use California (or Anaheim) chiles, but in Mazatlan, the wax chile (a bit hotter) is my choice. I turn on the burners of my gas stove and roast a dozen chiles, turning them until the skins are blackened. When finished, I put them in a plastic bag to cool. I clean them under cool running water (over a colander or strainer) by rubbing the skin, opening them gently and discarding the seeds.

I place the cleaned chiles, two-8 oz. packages of cream cheese, the juice of three small limes and a pinch of salt into a blender, and process until smooth. This is a delicious spread with traditional tostaditas or tortilla chips or even as a celery-filler, and of course a cold beer or margarita is always a perfect accompaniment. At Christmas time, I love to sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top for a festive look.

Our stay in Alamos was short-lived, but this recipe has been enjoyed by us for many years.

HARVEST TIME

I'm not sure where November went, but it quickly disappeared into the ethers of time. My harvest energy was isolated to dyeing in jars and producing a lovely collection of solids. Love those solids. My kitchen energy was devoted to memorializing my mom's pie crust recipe AGAIN on cloth. I haven't gotten around to the actual pie yet. 

Not that remodeling a house takes up every moment of my time. I am squandering every possible moment in my studio: quilt journal pieces, placemats for Finland (a commission), thinking about series work for our newly organized SAQA group here in southern Oregon, prepping for classes at Sew Creative. Goodbye November. Hello December and more of the same busyness. When not on the job at our new remodel project, I'll be in my studio, having fun.

IMPROV BIRDS

We had tons of fun at the Improvisational Applique class last Sunday at Sew Creative. Thanks ladies for a great day...love those birds! 

graceful bird by Jeanette

water bird by Sherry

perching bird by Peggy

snuggling owls by Summer

balancing bird by Grace

wild bird by Valerie

hungry bird by Mary

HAPPY AFTERMATH

The last few days of our "dream trip" to San Francisco were hectic to say the least: EVERY woman creating and completing a quilt (with mini-lessons for each step-by-step), finishing the many simple projects that were started throughout the week, last minute shopping, and lots of packing. Bev and I were constantly dropping not-so-subtle hints that everything needed to fit in the suitcase and weigh NOT more than 22 kilos. I kept looking at Vilma's "Barbie Glam Vacation House" that she brought for her daughter Sarah and wondered where it was going to fit.
The amount of learning that took place during these ten days was phenomenal: I saw incredible growth in sewing skills, in quality control, in design, in color use, etc., etc.. Most of these women had not been exposed to modern kitchens, and after a week with a variety of appliances and conveniences at their fingertips, they were navigating with confidence. They were attentive, receptive and full of gratitude with each lesson and experience. Their senses of humor rose to the top; they were delightful to live with.
At the beginning of this trip, I imagined that we'd have a few homesick souls, but that never happened. As time went on, I realized they probably have never had a time like this with trusted girlfriends, a sewing room and fabric at their fingertips, with the ability to sew into the wee hours of the night, laughing and sharing stories. And all of this was happening without family members interrupting their focus with requests for meals and the like.Don't we all love retreats from life!
On one of our final days, Linda allowed them to collect their packing materials - fabric cuts of their choice to fold and pack around their new sewing machines, filling up every nook and cranny with goodies to sew and create with for a very long time to come. Linda's generosity was GI-NORMOUS and she and this amazing opportunity will not be easily forgotten.
Many thanks Linda and all her many volunteers for all you provided for us. Many thanks to my fantastic traveling partners, Bev and Toy...we are such a good team! And to our lovely "sewing ladies" from Mazatlan, thank you for being dedicated to your craft, working so hard at all you do, being my friends, and being the reason for all of the last two weeks to happen.
Now, for a bit of breathing...

WE'RE WIPED!

Now you may think this picture of our dear leader Toy looks as though we're having a fun and leisurely time...and half of that is true...the FUN part. We are down to our last 24 hours and Linda still has an encyclopedia of projects to teach us. She is busy on her longarm quilting machine with our eleven quilts. Meanwhile we are in the classroom learning more new things: a 10 minute apron, how do a proper binding,  a purse from an 18 inch square, and their first attempt at free motion quilting. THEN, to top it off at the end of the day, they began filling their boxes with cuts of fabric from an amazing selection from her fabric store. These ladies are going home with a year full of projects. And yes, we are tired tonight. One more day of fun! Thank you to our teachers today, Dorte and Janet...muchas gracias.

DAY OF THE DEAD

The "sewing ladies" from Mazatlan have been VERY busy. Yesterday they began a full size quilt project and today many have already finished, minus the binding. As they complete the top, Linda puts it on her longarm and quilts it beautifully in not much more than an hour. They have gotten so much practice in design work, color work, choosing threads and the like. These last 7 days have been packed with incredible learning experiences.
But that's not all that's been happening. Since the Mazatlan group is leaving this Wednesday,  the ladies want to get in some shopping for gifts for their families. I've done a lot of shuttling to local centers and have had to rein them in from frantic spending...mainly because everything needs to fit into two suitcases...including their new sewing machine, all their projects, and the many materials that Linda will send home with them. The packing will be an adventure.
Two of the women had special visitors today. Norma met with her best teenage friend, Jessica, who she hasn't seen for almost 20 years. They talk every year on their birthdays, so have stayed in contact, but today they were able to physically spend the afternoon together. Dora Alicia's sister and family drove 3 hours from Merced, and they have not seen each other for 15 years. It was a special day of special gatherings and connections. Today was also Day of the Dead, remembering those loved ones who have gone before us. We made an altar earlier this week which hangs in the sewing room.
Linda treated us to a fun and delicious dinner at the local bar down the  street last night, which we also shared with a few of of her volunteers. Saturday night on the town! There are some amazing volunteers associated with Quiltworks. They have spoiled us, coming in to help cut fabric, teach lessons, or show off their wares. Today Vivian, master appliquér, brought in an incredibe dragon that she designed and appliqued, and also quilt squares she created for The Twelve Days of Christmas. So unique and beautiful . Thank you Vivian!
Two more full days for us...very full I am sure.

SUPPER AND SEW

Traditionally the last Friday of each month is "supper and sew", but this Friday was a bit different with our Mazatlan sewing ladies" doing the cooking. We expected 50 but with lots of competing events (Halloween,  the world series parade,  etc.), only about 20  showed up. Oh well, we now have tamales for 3 days! No cooking!  A highlight for me was my cousin Mary Ann and her friend joining us for the evening. Good food, good friends (and  family), lovely singing by Cecy! And of course more sewing lessons til the wee hours of the night.

THE TAMALE LINE

BIG PREPARATIONS

Today was a big day of preparations, as tomorrow (Halloween) we are having a big party where our sewing ladies are in charge of the dinner. We're having 50 guests so this is not a LITTLE party. We did a major shop for the tamales, tostados,  arroz con leche and other delicious things the ladies will be cooking. Then the ladies helped Linda set up her boutique of beautiful fabric arts that are right next door to where we are. This is where the accompanying photo is taken...of some of our amazing workers. We were treated to an amazing pot roast dinner from Jeanne,  a Quiltworks board member, and an earring raffle from Wanda, another volunteer. Dinner was followed by more quilting demos. We are trying to pack every moment with learning, fun, friendship, and new adventures. And we are!
AND, I thought I was through with driving, but now that I know the city, a little shopping trip across town is NOTHING! BUT, we are NOT going to the World Series parade tomorrow, so maybe I'll have a reprieve from the steering wheel.

THE GIANTS WIN!

The San Francisco Giants won the World Series tonight...and we were in the midst of all the post-game craziness as we drove home from a quilters' event at the Presidio. (And I was a driver...more white knuckles!)
Today was another FULL DAY of classes...AND Linda gave each woman a new sewing machine to take back to Mazatlan with them. She is so generous, and they were so thrilled. The photo here is of Linda giving machine lessons: taking it out of the box,  setting it up, proper care and operation, etc. Linda knows little Spanish but her warm and animated personality communicates so much.
We all finished our sweatshirts that we cut apart on Monday, then embellished with beautiful fabric designs. The women are learning so much and having such a good time. They are away from all their family responsibilities and able to just enjoy being together, sewing and creating, laughing and telling stories. I feel so blessed to be a part of this amazing group of women and this San Francisco adventure.
Please, no more driving for me!

WHITE KNUCKLES

Today we were tourists in the beautiful city of San Francisco by the bay. In our morning session to organize ourselves, Linda informed me that I was needed as a driver. GULP! It wasn't just that I was unfamiliar with the city, but my car has STANDARD transmission. I requested NO HILLS, but it didn't quite work out that way. Now that I'm back home after a long day and everyone is still alive and breathing, AND my car is in one piece, I can proudly say "I survived driving in San Francisco!" But yes, my knuckles were VERY white.
We started out at the breathtaking scene at the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge, followed by a cable car ride. Then to downtown to Union Square for a bit more sightseeing before we began our scheduled events.
Linda and her nonprofit Quiltworks are involved in numerous programs and organizations throughout San Francisco and she wanted us to witness how quilters and sewers can give back to their communities. The first visit was to the sewing program at  HPP or the Homeless Prenatal Program, focusing on maternal health. Here Quiltworks has been instrumental in setting up a sewing program for pregnant women. The women there were involved in their individual projects and welcomed our group of Spanish speaking women. We all were so interested in how the program was organized as we possibly could get something like this going in Mazatlan.  And our new friend, Linda,  wants to help to make this happen. The photo here is of one of our women, Dora, as she pitched right in and helped another with some pant alterations that she needed for a job interview tomorrow.
Now for MORE DRIVING!!! The next stop was to the embarcadero area to check out the Delancey Street program. This is a large residential complex for ex - offenders and other folks with similar issues and also provides good vocational opportunities.  We visited the sewing and upholstery shops to see the great works they are creating there. We followed up with dinner at Delancey Street restaurant (also run by residents at the program) where we were hosted at a dinner by the Soroptomists of San Francisco.  They had goodie bags for all of our women AND little coin purses which they couldn't open until we all finished dinner. At the signal, they all opened theirs and discovered a ten dollar gift, but for one lucky woman, she discovered one hundred dollars. She was thrilled to say the least.
It was another day of amazing hospitality, huge hearts, experiences in a most beautiful city, and sharing with our wonderful group. Linda doesn't want us to say thank you anymore, so we'll just stick with a great big "MUCHAS GRACIAS" every chance we get.

DAY ONE: LOTS OF CLASSES

Linda's facility consists of four storefronts in South San Francisco - her four story home/quilting room, a fabric shop, a classroom, and a sewing boutique where our ladies have sold things in the past. Today was a classroom day, where Linda taught three different and ambitious projects: a basic quilt square, a fabric bowl (actually taught be a volunteer, Jeanne), and transforming a basic sweatshirt into a unique fabric jacket. All this was on top of learning how to use a different machine, AND absorbing a full day in both English and Spanish. Our ladies did great! We were super busy all day long, got so much accomplished, and now have an agenda and projects ahead of us (along with more lessons coming up). The women were exposed to so many new and different things. For one, they are learning to use rotary cutters and mats...something we "north of the border" sewers take for granted.Their eyes are wide open and they are taking it all in...with much happiness! The last three hours of the day were spent just straight sewing, being together, laughing and telling stories (me with my rusty Spanish), and helping each other with problems that arise. It was a bit like HEAVEN. In this photo,  Magui is showing us phase one of her sweatshirt transformation project. Muy bien Magui!

ARRIVED: SAN FRANCISCO!

My 6 hour drive from Oregon was uneventful (except for the wonderful visits with family and friends along the way), but my Mexican friends weren't sure whether they were in a dream or reality with two flights (the first for many of them), and then a limo ride from the airport in SF to the fantastic home of Linda Hannawalt, who is making this amazing experience possible. Even though everyone was exhausted,  we gathered for food and a welcome/information session with Linda, translated by Toy, our fearless leader. We rolled into our bunks around 1AM, still a bit wired, all heading for dreamland in either Spanish or English,  all with similar content of great adventures ahead. This photo was taken the following morning, all looking more rested, at Linda's home.

COMING SOON...DREAM TRIP 2014

 One more week before I embark on "Dream Trip 2014". I'm excited, but assuredly not as excited as my ten Mexican friends. Mazatlan's "Sewing Ladies", along with leaders Toy and Bev will be flying into San Francisco next Saturday night. I will be driving from Oregon to meet them, and we'll be spending 12 days there, all thanks to Linda Hannawalt of Quiltworks and her many friends and volunteers.

 Linda met them last spring on a trip to Mazatlan. She connected instantly and promised to send them supplies from her shop when she returned back to the US. That was just the beginning. A few months later, she wrote to say that her group participates in an international service project every year, and they had decided to work with our ladies this year. She offered this trip to them, full of educational and cultural opportunities, along with fun and friendship. Her generosity is mindblowing to say the least.

 Ten of the twelve women will be participating. One was unable to come, and another was denied a visa. I just about cried when I heard that. A trip to the U.S. is certainly beyond their wildest dreams, but I'm sure even traveling by airplane is a new experience for most if not all of them. Plus, this is a trip steeped in friendship. Bev and I have always dreamed of traveling with our Mexican friends, and now it's coming true.

What a smile on Dora's face! I think I'll be seeing a lot of smiles, just like hers, next week. Stay tuned!

A BOUNTY OF BIRDS

What a great class we had last Saturday at Sew Creative in Ashland. "Improvisational Applique" produced eight wonderfully whimsical birds using colorful scraps and the ladder stitch. Take a look at what nested in our classroom!
 

Check the class schedule at Sew Creative to see when the next bounty of birds is coming to town!

SWEET SPIKE

September was a busy and emotional month. We sold and moved from our special summer spot in Refuge Cove, BC, and spent much energy sorting through not only material goods but also special memories made over the past fifteen years. Three days after leaving, we said good-by to our little Spike, who was the best dog ever. She had been failing quickly over the past year, and her time had come to leave us.

We had a two week period in August when the “new owners” came to spend time in “our/their” house and we temporarily moved to a tiny cabin in our community. I took along a small box of sewing items and as I watched the boats come and go, I also witnessed our Spike in her failing state, and began a journal quilt for the theme of “Animals”. With this came a poem:

Stitched to Death

I sit on the deck of this waterfront cabin,

            Small waves lapping at the pilings,

            Sun glistening off the water,

            Boat traffic and noise in the periphery,

While I stitch this cloth to death.

Browns and greens become the hilly earth shapes,

            A remnant of sky colors sit above the horizon

            And scraps of black are pieced together:

                        Four legs that have jumped up on our laps,

                        Two big pointy ears that picked up every move we made,

                        A lively black tail that was a signal to her moods,

                        And a tiny nose that ruled her life,

While I stitch this cloth to death.

It’s a time for reflection:

            A distinctive bark that signaled any visitors,

            The loyalty and friendship she gave us for sixteen years,

            The miles we traveled together – be it by boat or car or plane,

            The new friends we made just because others were so curious about her.

And further pondering her funny little habits:

            Waiting to eat her dinner when we ate ours,

            Sleeping with us but only under the top cover,

            Discriminately sitting on our left side, never on the right,

            And balancing so proudly on our folded forearms as we stood to converse with others,

While I stitch this cloth to death.

And now I wonder if she even knows us as she

            Paces through the night,

            Gets stuck in corners and tight spaces,

            Accepts her mashed up food in a bottle,

            And lets us carry her most places.

But the sweetness in her eyes remain constant, and I dwell on that

While I stitch this cloth to death.

This little journal quilt sat unfinished for a few weeks; I finally unearthed it last night to finish it.

In the meantime, I have been working on other projects, one in particular creating a “day of the dead” altar from cloth, and of course my first prototype was for Spike. It basically is a sleeve of black quilted fabric that I slipped over an inexpensive, free-standing 8x10 acrylic picture frame. The design work was mainly discharged and later colored in with bright fabric markers. Lots of buttons were added and also tiny ribbon flowers. I attached two lines of cording for displaying photos.

As you can see, we loved our dog a lot and really miss her.  

MORE "DARK LIGHT 123"

I love these five packs of color. They are created in the "dark light 123" crossover method, taught to me by my dye buddies, Cynthia and Christine. Its a lovely blend of 2 colors, which also produces different values. They work so beautifully together. Directions for this method can be found here: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7501629057264755564#editor/target=post;postID=6314322770481458600;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=57;src=postname

The combos I used, starting from upper left, proceeding clockwise:
1. golden yellow with better blue green
2. lemon yellow with deep orange
3. golden yellow with fuschia
4. turquoise with navy
5. amythest with cerulean blue
6. amythest with fuschia

I wanted to create some of these five packs for use in my personalized placemats. I love this one I recently made for a sweet youngster I know. It is pieced, batted and backed, stitched and discharged.
And here she is...sweet Cecilia.

A ROLL OF THE DICE

I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I get stressed, heading to my studio space is something that always helps. We are in the middle of house selling negotiations, and also sorting through the many things we’ve acquired through the 14 years here at Refuge Cove…what to keep, what to take, what to toss.

For some reason, yesterday had enough moments of anxiety, that I wanted to RUN to my machine, but I didn’t have anything going. What could I create? What CF theme (Cyber Fibres, my quilt journal group) jumped out at me? What was inspiring me? Since I wanted to just to GET AT IT, I did the following:

1. Opened the drawer below my computer and grabbed two dice.

2. I rolled the dice and up came a 3 and a 5.

3. I multiplied the two together and there I had my number…15!

4. I opened my CF archives where I store quilt journal submissions on my Hotmail, and counted down fifteen until I came to…

5. Dawn’s piece with the theme of Ritual. In this piece she talked about how she and her husband love to share local fare with out of town guests. The piece featured a crab and wine glasses. It was soft and beautifully created with a lovely narrative. This was my new inspiration!

I have a good stash of fusibles, and I particularly like Steam a Seam Lite. I rarely use it, but it has been calling my name lately, and I’ve really wanted to take a break from discharging. I pulled out a good handful of orangey-ish  scraps and attached them to the fusibles, then cut out crabby shapes and assembled them on a watery, net-like fabric. As I was doing this on my ironing board, I glanced up and saw a small bag of Dawn’s rovings that she sent to us as a challenge last winter. I have never used rovings or the like before but thought these would be a good addition to my composition. I discovered there are a few tricks in using them, and despite a few frustrating moments, I really enjoyed the process. When completed, I got out my button stash and looked for some large dark “eyes”…I think they really help to define what this is all about.

“Caught in the Net of Dawn’s Inspiration” was fun to do! Thank you Dawn, for this inspiration and all your other beautiful work you do. (And likewise to all the rest of you!)

P.S. Recently I was hosted at Barb’s house during the Quadra Quilt and Garden Tour. Dawn invited us over for dinner and I was able to see her creative space and all her artistic soul spread throughout her home. Not only is she gifted as a fibre artist, but also in basketry (and probably in other venues too!) Thanks again Dawn, for a lovely evening!

DINNER FOR FOUR

If I had a dinner party for four, these placemats, although not exactly matching, might grace my table. I created them last week with the thoughts of teaching a class on discharging.
AND I also used them to fit a theme (carbonated) for my quilt journal group, Cyber Fibres. Here's what I shared with my group this week:

It’s the height of summer and I am feeling remiss at not participating in my QJ group for a while. But I have been working on projects, and want to share, so found a way to tie them in…

I believe that one day, someday, a CARBONATED drink will sit on these placemats.

I have been preparing for a class that gives participants a chance to explore discharging along with closed line stitching, so have come up with this placemat project.

First I made the one with the trees on the sides and then proceeded to the three with full place settings.

“Buen Provecho” is Spanish for “enjoy your meal” and this piece was discharged with Soft Scrub with bleach.  I think my favorite beer, Negra Modelo, will accompany a meal sometime.

“Expect a Miracle” goes along with a story about my aunt and uncle whose son, Joey, ran away from home at the age of 17 or 18, and they never saw him again. (It was the Vietnam era.) Aunt Dickie was full of faith and ALWAYS set a place for him at the table, even a decade later, and her reasoning was to always “expect a miracle”. Maybe a glass of champagne would be a part of this meal with the thought of him returning. I discharged this with Jacquard’s discharge paste.

“Marina May” is for a young girl in our community who is super sweet and super smart (age 3) and I wanted to make her something special. I think this would be a great project to help young children learn about setting a table (or any age!). Maybe this is something that our generation cares about and the younger ones could care less about?  Regardless, I hope she uses it. I discharged this with Decolourant.  (I find it odd that this product is made in the US and is spelled as it is.) Perhaps there will be a “Shirley Temple” or the like (now doesn’t that age me?) to accompany a special occasion.

So, how do you like how I morphed these projects into CARBONATED?

All placemats are approximately 17”x12”.

I used a flash, which I really didn’t want to do, but wasn’t willing to wait for better light…

LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER??????

Who ever coined that phrase, "the lazy days of summer"? In my world, there are no lazy days (except maybe that super rainy day we had last Sunday!), particularly this summer. It looks as though our home is POTENTIALLY sold, so my days have random moments of cleaning out closets, organizing boxes to save or toss, and the like. And then there's all the normal daily activities and routines I try to squeeze in.

Today I woke to find a new and exciting addition to my Kindle...the new issue of Quilting Arts magazine with MY article "Custom Lettering on Cloth". I'm so excited and hope I have lots of interest in the world of discharging so I can write more articles...I have many in mind. I spent my first hour this morning relishing in the delight of this new issue with all sorts of wonderful inspiration...not to mention my own. Be sure to check it out:

http://www.quiltingdaily.com/blogs/quiltingarts/archive/2014/07/07/quilting-arts-magazine-august-sept-2014.aspx 

An incredible, SUPER INCREDIBLE opportunity has surfaced for our wonderful "sewing ladies" in Mazatlan. Last spring Linda Hannawalt from Quiltworks in San Francisco wandered into their out of the way shop and became our angel. She took an instant interest and began shipping supplies to them and working with our leader, Toy, in finding other ways she and her organization could help them. Her group has the tradition of annually choosing an international group to work with and this year they have chosen our women.

Linda's group will be flying 11 of the women, along with Toy and my good buddy Bev to SF for 12 days (Oct. 26-Nov. 5) of learning and inspiration. She has sleeping accommodations above the shop, and a 15 passenger van to haul us around for field trips. Did I say US? Yes, I'll be in southern Oregon at that time so will travel on my own to join the group. I will be teaching a class or two to help raise funds for our ladies and may even have a trunk show of my "Signs of Life" project. So many days I am dreaming or planning or communicating about this amazing opportunity in our horizon. Let me pinch myself again to make sure this is really true!!!

Two weekends ago, I escaped my island and traveled over to Quadra to help with our guild's big fundraiser, the Quilt and Garden Tour. It was a glorious weekend and the gardens, not to mention the quilts, were spectacular. I was hosted by my friends and fellow Cyber Fibre member, Barb, in her lovely home in Campbell River, so we were able to share in all things "quilting" and "creative" when not helping at the tour. The quilt above, by Ellen Russell, is one of my favorites, beautifully pieced and appliqued, so mandala-like.

These, made by Sonya Craddick, burst of life hanging from the deck of this oceanfront home. Behind them are plastic sheets of plastic, just in case it rained. Thankfully they didn't need to be used.

Plus, there was so much inspiration wherever one looked. I particularly liked this shot of this greenhouse. Hmmm...

Back home, I was swept back into my routines...the garden, cooking, thinking about our move, AND the SALMON. Tom has been busily catching LOTS of fish in this unbelievably prolific salmon season. My current mode of preserving is pickling, under the guidance of our resident fish authority (and all things GOOGLE!).

And of course, let's not forget the creating. I'm loving the exploration of more discharging, in this case of my placemat using a thickened bleach product (soft scrub with bleach). I also I am working lots with decolorant and discharge paste to learn more about those products too. You can see I have fish on the brain too!

There are no lazy days here, just good ones, full of life and learning, friends and family, and a possible move in the future!