leaps & bounds

I have been doing volunteer work through Therapy Dogs International and Seasons Hospice visiting hospice patients with my dog, Jac (on right) and my friend Diana with her dog, Colby (on left). We all get a lot out of it, seeing the patients faces light up when they get to pet the dogs or even hold them. It is very rewarding indeed, and an excellent source of good karma, i might add!

i must find an entry form for the mukwonago crazy quilters show coming at the end of march. i want to enter my what's in a name quilt? from the QAM challenge. i've been inspired by an article in QAM where the artist's work was rejected for one show, but won viewer's choice in a guild show. not that i think i'll win anything, but i did make it to be seen and i'd like it to be displayed as intended. i'm waiting to see if my postcard album challenge entry for QAM will be published. they haven't returned it yet (since august) - that has to be a good thing - right? i have to wait and see. in the meantime i'll keep playing with my art and having fun with it. i'm working on a halloween submission for RMS and another QAM challenge for True Colors. i love working with fabric & thread, especially on a smaller scale, but also love working with paper & ink. i've been experimenting with glitter. i didn't like working with it before as it can be so messy, but i found a good glitter glue, art glitter dries clear and it works beautifully, especially with the special tip for the bottle. I also got tiny spoons to broadcast the glitter. that helps to put it exactly where you want it.

I've been trying to learn new techniques from books and magazines in the past, but with the few workshops/classes i took lately, i find that helps immensely. i move ahead by leaps and bounds when i take a class with an expert in the field. this year i plan on taking more workshops - i'll be 47 in april and time is speeding by me. i need to catch up with all of this.