An Ode

Well, I must confess that I have not had much time for writing this week, so I thought I would share the last of my poetic prose from my day in the Susan Wooldridge workshop.

In one of her class exercises, she carefully guided us through the use of random words in our work. When we arrived in class, Susan had scattered across the table miscellaneous words taken from a variety of resources. Each one was taped to the back of a ticket stub. We were asked to pick out ten "word tickets" from the heaping mound and use them in our poetry.

At the end of the day, Susan allowed us to take a couple of our favorite stubs home. I decided on only one ticket for myself.

These two words had a real impact on me!


Over the last several days, I was having a conversation with a good friend via email. She had just completed a drawing that took over twenty hours to do. I truly enjoyed her piece, and thought she had successfully captured the essence of her subject.

She was not so sure of her accomplishment. And my response back to her was, "Look how far you have come. Look how much you have learned from the experience, no matter how long it took to finish."

Then I admitted to her that I, too, was guilty of not stopping to take notice of my own life. I constantly feel as if I am moving at a snails pace, when I am really getting more done than I allow myself to take credit for or maybe even realize.

This particular verse is an Ode to these feelings and a reminder to... stop and revel in the moment.


I come from a lush green meadow called "only if"

My name is "tomorrow"

Yesterday, my name was "today"

Secretly, my name is "persist nonetheless",

constantly pestered by one life's absolute value.

Feelin' Neighborly

For those of you that might not know, I am the moderator of the FiberArt Trading Cards Yahoo Group. This is a gathering of artists who share a love of trading cards, and a unique vision to make meaningful, creative, and of course fiber related art! Although we are using mostly fiber materials, our work may also incorporate the use of different mediums... collage, assemblage, and mixed media.

Not only do I have the fun of coordinating exciting swaps/exchanges and projects for this group, I also have the pleasure of working with some MEGA TALENTED fiber artists. Seeing their work, up close and personal, is a BIG BONUS as moderator!!!

Recently, our group has been working on a special assignment... so I thought I would give you a small peek at the results. Let's JUST SAY... we are DEFINITELY feeling a love of Home in our hearts and in our art!

NOW THIS is my kind of neighborhood!!!!


And speaking of Home Sweet Home! For my birthday, a Very VERY sweet friend, Mary Stanley, sent me one of her INCREDIBLE pieces of art. Carefully tucked inside the package was this EXTREMELY ADORABLE little house.

I was grinning from ear to ear and squealed with delight when I saw it. My husband even came wandering upstairs from the basement to see what all the commotion was about because he could hear me.

Mary knows I am quite smitten with the subject of Home. Plus, I am a HUGE FAN of her work!!!

many thanks

This is one of my favorite photographs. The hands belong to a friend, who reluctantly agreed to pose for me. The image was used to fulfill an assignment for a photography class I was taking during art school.

After I developed the film in the university dark room, I cried.

I could have NEVER imagined the picture I was shooting would turn out so perfect. These beautiful hands mimicking the very shape of the tiny metal hearts cupped in the palms.

Funny how the universe will take opportunities to bestow upon us the most precious gifts. How lucky I was to have an incredible moment captured for all eternity.

And, here I am once again blessed with another gift... surrounded by beautiful souls who generously offer pieces of their heart by leaving comforting words and thoughful comments... all in an earnest effort to help mend my broken one.


" the love we give away is the only love we keep"

- elbert hubbard

Thinking Blogger Award

The ADORABLE Heather Simpson-Bluhm presented me with this special award.



Heather, THANKS SO MUCH for your kind and thoughtful words about me and my blog. I am honored to call you my friend!


A Friend is the present you give yourself.
-Stevenson

An Ordinary Treasure

How do you say goodbye to the daily comforts that are no longer the everyday. Taking for granted they will always be... and you will have forever to say and do all that you intend.

On Monday, our precious little dog passed away. Her fragile body gave out... not exactly the way I had planned to celebrate my birthday.

My husband and I spent the day contemplating the "what ifs" and "should haves"... vowing to each other to enjoy the mundane... reminding ourselves that even the ordinary is a treasure.

a bit of prose for Poetry Thursday

what if I lose sight,
the path ahead uncertain... I am filled with doubt.

how do I keep courage,
stay the course... when unsure where the road may lead.

inside there is a light,
it illuminates my way... helping me to see.

if I only have faith... if I will just believe.

A NEW Beginning!

TODAY is a very special day. It is... my birthday!

But, it is not just ANY birthday; it is a milestone both in age and the current events of my life.

TODAY, I stand on the precipice of a NEW beginning!

I think my blog banner at the top represents exactly how I feel. This image is filled with symbolism about my present circumstances. My life is very much like the tiny bird perched on the branch ready to spread its wings and fly.

This year has already been filled with an abundance of inspiring and memorable moments giving me the confidence to stretch my wings.

Over the last several weeks, I had the immense honor of debuting as a teacher for a well known and well-respected artist's retreat. And this honor has multiplied exponentially having also been invited to other equally outstanding events all over the country.

I have been completely exhilarated by the teaching experience, and can hardly wait until I have the opportunity to share my talents again!






















And if all of this were not enough, I recently experienced a second debut that occurred simultaneously with conducting my workshop. The premier issue of Somerset Memories Magazine hit the newsstands with a published article from yours truly.

I felt as if I was having an out of body experience when the magazine arrived in my mailbox. I stood as still as a deer in headlights carefully reading each word. By the time I had finished the page, I realized I had tears steadily streaming down my face. I could hardly believe that I had actually lived that story.






















My article is about "becoming". I know many artists have endured similar circumstances in their own lives. I had many occasions when I was overcome with severe doubts, and others that were so thrilling I could hardly breathe. I invite you to pickup a copy and read these heartfelt words for yourself.

The months ahead look to be just as interesting as the days I have had over the last three weeks.

There is SO MUCH more to share, all in good time.


Some VERY... VERY EXCITING happenings are just over the horizon.

But for now, I simply plan to bask in the joyous moments of this special day.

a humble debut

I am pleased to be making my Poetry Thursday debut.

As I have alluded to in previous posts, I had the enormous pleasure of spending a Zen-like day in a Susan Wooldridge workshop.

One exercise she had us work through involved empty matchboxes, Susan asked us to collect items from outside that would fit in these tiny containers.

Fort Worden made for a fertile landscape of found treasures that we could tuck inside our cardboard niches.

Back inside after 30 minutes of roaming the grounds, Susan then prompted our poet spirit by offering key words and phrases to use in the construction of our verse.

I must admit that I have read my class notes and poetic prose from that day maybe 100 times or more. And, I can still remember so vividly each careful step I took with head tilted downward, concentrating intently on the grass, asphalt, concrete, whatever terrain my feet stumbled upon.

Looking... always searching for that one object that called out from among all the rest. The one pearl or even two perhaps that laid there patiently waiting for me to notice.

I spied several gems amidst the vast scenery. And, I knew... once I held them gently in the palm of my hand that they had a story just waiting for me to tell.



-seed pod, you look like a beach at low tide

you promised a peek at your treasures inside

i forgot you said you would give me the moon

then when will you bring me the stars.




-feather, you look like a ballerina en pointe

bring me grace, make me fluid

you told me to stand up straight

yet, i feel so fragile, what if i break

i had forgotten you said "remember to sway".

Sharing More Artfest Stories

A photograph of the Seattle skyline I took from the back of the Washington State Ferry as we sailed away from the city toward the Olympic Peninsula.

It was somewhat difficult to see the buildings admist the gray sky. I am thrilled that my new camera seemed to capture the scene so beautifully. This was the only day that it rained while we were visiting. It even hailed for a few brief moments that same afternoon as we drove up Interstate 5 toward the city center. Every year somehow, the weather always seems to magically cooperate during ArtFest. The rest of the days spent in Port Townsend were still cloudy, but at least there was no downpour.

The Seattle landscape is so dramatically different than Kansas. I am always awestruck by the snowcapped majestic mountains surrounding the area, rising up in the distance like the walls of a mighty fortress.

And the Puget Sound... this quiet misty gray blue beauty sustaining a whole different world within its waters. Being near the sea is so calming and tranquil for me, I spend many moments back home on the plains of the Midwest pining away, sifting, and sorting through captured images within my memory wondering when I will return to this paradise.

I LOVE this picture of my beautiful mother-in-law, Marylin! She has the sweetest smile and such an infectious laugh. She is sitting in the driver's seat of our rented SUV, waiting for the ferry to unload.

Marylin celebrated her 60th birthday on our trip. We had QUITE a little party to commemorate her milestone. We treated her and ourselves to the most scrumptious birthday dinner at a quaint restaurant on Bainbridge Island called Cafe Nola. The atmosphere was delightful, and the food was mouthwatering. The waiter brought out a 7 layer... NO JOKE... MEGA mountain piece of chocolate cake with the MOST interesting birthday candle on top.

We laughed until our sides hurt and reminisced about the day. There was a real air of excitment among us as we talked about the upcoming moments we would spend at Fort Worden.

This is the front and back of my 2007 ArtFest 6x6 Li Lama Journal. I did not have a chance to share it with you before I left on my adventure. Unfortunately, I am still in the midst of trying to finish some of the inside. Normally, I have loads of little izone pictures and artwork filling the pages which causes my journal to be overflowing and very hard to close. Since this year was quite a marvelous nonstop blur with very few moments to even catch my breath, I am playing catch-up in my little book.

The outside is decorated with snippets and bits using the fiber fusion technique Marylin and I taught for the Fused Fragments Extended Journal (a class we will be teaching again in Portland at Art and Soul). I also added some letter tiles and vintage papers to embellish the design. The extra baubbles and bits hanging off the journal are trades that were so generously given to me. I did not make trades this year because I had decided I would participate in not just one fatbook, but three fatbook projects.

However, just because I did not have trades did not keep friends old and new from sharing their beautiful little pieces of art.

JUST LOOK at some of the goodies I brought home. I LOVE to stash these treasures in my journal as unique mementos from the trip.

I was also most fortunate to receive several gifts that were so heartfelt, sentimental, and truly inspiring, they brought tears to my eyes.

The first was a most delicate and dantity prayer banner from my dear friend, Liz Elayne. Liz and I made an immediate connection last year when she visited my vendor table. She is the most eloquent writer/poet I know, and I am so proud to say that our meeting has evolved into a beautiful friendship. Liz has an uncanny way of capturing feelings, thoughts, emotions, joys, fears... everything! The gentle words scribed on pieces of paper and carefully sewn to this banner gave me strength and encouragement when I felt nervous or doubtful.



This second heartfelt treasure is from Dawn Shepherd. She is the owner of Mother Rubber Stamps. I had the enormous pleasure of sitting next to her in class at ArtFiberFest last year. Dawn is a very vibrant, giving, fun loving person, and such a caring individual. I was simply thrilled to find out Dawn was participating in our class. Her work is wonderful.

Dawn crafted the beautiful fiber square shown below. It had the most thoughtful verse about trusting and believing in yourself. HOW can you not help but not be inspired by these words, and her lovely presentation!



I have a very special post I plan to make in the near future to share with all of you the breathtaking work of my dearest friend, Julie Madsen. Her art is from our recently completed collaborative journal project.

And.... since, I am a newcomer to Poetry Thursday, I hope to share a few verses of poetry from my lovely day with Susan Wooldridge.

But alas... once again... I must save my prose for another day...

I wish everyone a most Joyous Easter!

Like MINDS... Like HEARTS

Where do I start... HOW do I begin to tell you all of the stories and precious moments I experienced during my INCREDIBLE WEEK at ArtFest?

First, I have to thank all of the talented artists that chose to spend their first day of class with me and Marylin.

What a Wonderful group that participated in our Fiber Fusion Extended Journal Workshop. We were COMPLETELY and UTTERLY INSPIRED by all of them!


I LOVE this collaged image of their GORGEOUS work and their smiling faces. Each of the journals were SO UNIQUE, INTRICATE and FUSED (no pun intended) with MEGA charm... just oozing with pizazz and personality.

These ladies made the class so easy and fun for us that we are literally bubbling over with excitement about our next workshop in August at ART Unraveled. WATCH OUT Phoenix... HERE WE COME!


As for the rest of ArtFest... well, it did not disappoint.
Already feeling on TOP OF THE WORLD from Thursday, I shifted gears on Friday from teacher to student.

I was presented with a Poetic License from Ms. Poem Crazy herself, the FANTASTIC Susan Wooldridge. She created the most safe and nurturing environment for all of us poet wannabes to spread our wings and FLY.

I will definitely be sharing a few verses that I penned during this workshop over the next few posts.

Then on Saturday, I had the opportunity to really sink my teeth into the realm of encaustic painting with Patricia Seggebruch. I must confess that I am extremely fascinated with the idea of using wax in my work. Although I have dabbled at it here and there, I have never mustard up enough courage to truly incorporate encaustic as an element in my art, BUT NOT ANYMORE.

Of course the cherry on top was vendor night. All I can say is WOW...WOW... WOW!!!! I am so VERY GRATEFUL and APPRECIATIVE to all those who stop by my humble table. I can not tell you how much I enjoyed seeing someone's whole face light up when they found that perfect treasure to take home.

There is so much more to share.... but alas I will have to save those stories for another day.