Opposites?

Valentine’s Day today got me thinking, are our closest relationships based on similarities or differences?  This is a photo of my daughter and her boyfriend.  She just recently entered a “cutest couple” contest using this pic and they won by a landslide.  She described the photo in opposites…he’s the marine and she’s the princess…he wears boots and she wears heels.  They are opposites in so many ways but are truly dedicated to each other.    To celebrate their relationship (while she and beau are 7,500 miles apart) I needle felted a couple of wool ducks to add to her duck collection.  I also think it’s fitting that she had her eye on the Valentine SweeTarts while we were shopping one day so there it is, opposites.  But in our case I’d say that the apple was swept by the wind when it fell.  It fell far from the tree.

Rabbits and Walnuts

What do rabbits and walnuts have in common? 

Nothing, really, except that they are being gifted today as a 50th birthday present. The 50 walnuts - opened, emptied, filled with notes, and glued back together for the recipient.

The bunny? This is a hand quilted pillow of my first foster rabbit, Dixie, upcycled from leather and suede resale shop finds.  It’s been 6 years since I first took Dixie in, at the time with the thought that there would be many bunnies taking up residence in my home for only a few short months at a time.  She was with me for 1-1/2 years and partnered with two other bunnies that traveled through my foster home.  Now, four years and many bunnies later, I’m helping Dixie’s dad celebrate his 50th birthday!  Dixie is a very content, kissing, cuddly and smart bunny.  Her dad has taught her to do “tricks” like walking on her hind legs and doing left and right spins. Dixie went to a wonderful home and I’m so very lucky to again be the recipient of her kisses and cuddles.

Empty Nest

Yesterday I received news that I won a merit award for my fiber painting, “Lily,” showing at the Naperville Art League gallery.  I just recently began my membership there after being away for nearly 3 years.  When I started working fine art in fiber I was eager to show my work and so I joined the art league.  My daughter was in high school at the time and even though I was excited about fiber art it seemed that there was never enough time to get even one piece done a month for the monthly shows.   It amazes me how much that changed with my daughter away at her first year of college.  While she was away I didn’t come home from my office job and have to put dinner on the table, or sew a dress for the next dance, or just simply be company.  Not that I didn’t love to do those things but now, with my empty nest, I can choose to do whatever I want to do.  A lot of times that means delving into my fiber stash, maybe creating a new accessory line or working on my latest “painting.”  Summer put a temporary hiatus on my work but I’m eager to get going strong in September.  I’ve had a summer of inspiration that I’m excited to put into reality. 

The NAL pictured my “Lily” in their August newsletter which you can see here.  This is a large file that takes some time to load.  Here's a partial photo of the painting:

 

Currently Showing

Last week David Sharos of the Naperville Sun ran a piece about Naperville Art League’s latest project, “Between the Lines.”  I was surprised to receive David’s phone call but the very short interview turned out to be a couple of pretty nice paragraphs in the article.  I was pleased!  You can read it here.  I received the call from David because I’m showing one of my felted pieces, "Lily," in the Art League’s current exhibit.  David also included a large photo of another fiber art piece, "Americana," in the article.  Unfortunately the photo only downloads half way but I uploaded to my blog for you to see.  

This was my first of what I consider a large fiber piece.  The size (20” x 28”) and the 3 elements made it quite an undertaking but it successfully pushed me out of my “little” box.  I usually think in terms of 16” x 20” now and with needle felted detail this can become quite time consuming.  While I compare needle felting somewhat to colored pencil in the way I layer and blend and often work only a few “strokes” at a time I would never have undertaken a colored pencil drawing of that magnitude. 

I’m also privileged to have been juried in to the Naperville Art League member’s exhibit, “Spontaneous,” at the Schoenherr Gallery of North Central College in Naperville.  This show runs until August 22.  North Central College is my Alma Mater and my daughter is currently attending there so it really pleased me to be accepted.  The fiber piece, "Uganda Couple,” that I submitted took Best of Show at one of the league’s exhibits which qualified it for the Best of the Best in 2008 held at the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook.  I don’t currently have the piece up on a website but you can see some of my fiber art here.

Carrot Juice

Back in 1993, after 3 years of dealing with 3 family members battling cancer, I purchased a juicer.  Both my dad and my brother went through alternative treatments and my brother especially was very conscious of the food he ate.  I learned to make whole wheat pizza crust (much better than white!) and was turned on to pure juices.  I’m still using the same juicer I purchased in 1993 but have to admit that fresh juices haven’t been a constant through the years.  Recently I’ve been looking at raw food cookbooks and found a “bunny spice” recipe that is super delicious!  Carrots, fresh ginger, banana (I keep a supply in the freezer), almond mild and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  It’s this recipe that got me thinking about carrot juice and the coaster design that evolved out of it.

If you're interested in purchasing these coasters visit my Etsy shop at www.kruser.etsy.com or directly at

http://www.etsy.com/listing/51831177/carrot-juice-wool-coasters