This is the back side of a valentine gift I made for my handsome husband. Wool on linen.

I think it looks beautiful, in its own quiet way.

Logorama, an animated short film by the French collective H5, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Animated Shorts category.

Logorama is set in a clean Utopian LA, a branded landscape, where even the people are logos: AOL men, Bic men, the cops are Michelin men. Ronald McDonald is a badass with an automatic weapon, Big Boy is a snarky truant. Logorama supplies a dose of popular movie mechanisms: car chases, shoot outs, Tarantino-esque conversations, and curvy models. Cataclysm ensues, that can only be inspired by absurd apocalypse plots rampant in Hollywood today.

Here it is in two parts:

I am hoping this will be the last piece I have to make for my thesis show (March 19-March 31), it is a bit different, a quote sampler based loosely on this old sampler:

For our edification, yours and mine, I am keeping time on my progress.  This pictures is at 0:00 hours (not including 12-14 hours of design time. I have laid out some basic colors.

After  5 hours and 28 minutes this is what you get:

The white mesh is a waste canvas, which provides the structure of a cross stitch fabric, for even stitches. When I am done with the extremely challenging lettering, I will be able to remove the waste canvas.

One of these I hate, the other I love. One of them feels like it will never be finished.

I have been working on this piece since last spring, drawing, sampling and finally stitching. I estimate it took 203 hours of actual needle time. I think it might need a little bit more tweaking. This is based on an actual purchase I made in the Maldives in the Indian ocean

Ta Da!!!!

It is 14 inches wide by 8.5 inches high, white dupioni silk with cotton floss, kantha style.

I have always loved postcards: making them, sending them, getting them. I still have every postcard every sent to me in a lovely postcard rack in my living room. Feel free to come on over and browse through, or I can bring them to you.

This one came from brother Ken the other day.

This recipe if only for the filling–sort your own self out with a pie crust. You can buy a fresh or frozen one and line your pie pan with it.

Heat oven to 350*.

Saute with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 10oz pkg of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 teaspoon each of salt & pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

When onion is soft and cooked, remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Combine spinach mixture with

• 15 oz ricotta
• 8 oz grated mozzarella
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 3 eggs

Spread in pie plate lined with pie crust. Bake 40 minutes, let rest for ten minutes before cutting.

I forgot how much

I like peas, frozen–not canned

Bursting tiny green

64 days until my thesis show hangs, and I am feel overwhelmed. A few things waiting to be crossed off on my list of things to do–most of these have about a dozen sub-lists:

• Make 6 valentine headbands for ShopSCAD.
• Obtain and post YouTube video for recent appearance on HGTV’s “That’s Clever.”
• Design & print cards for Thesis show
• Publicity for thesis show
• Obtain toilet & two mannequins for thesis show
• Write article for Dockwalk Magazine
• Write paper for writing class
• Write thesis paper
• Write sample chapter of a book for publisher
• Curriculum for embellished clothing class to be taught on Saturday at French Knot
• Continue creating work for thesis show
• Post pictures of frozen Fountain in Forsyth Park

Baltimore, Md. (Dec. 29, 2009) — NICHE magazine, the exclusive trade publication for retailers of American and Canadian craft, has announced the finalists for its 2010 NICHE Awards program.

The NICHE Awards competition annually recognizes excellence and innovation in North American craft.

NICHE magazine also honors the artistic achievements of students enrolled in North American undergraduate, graduate and certificate arts programs with its NICHE Student Awards program. Finalists are determined by the editors of NICHE and AmericanStyle magazine and the staff of the Buyers Market of American Craft.

I have been nominated for an award in the decorative art category for my Barcode. Visit their website here.