Well, I am just underwhelmed by the response to my 4-way meme post. Oh well, guess my regular life is not that exciting.

Now back to our regularly scheduled posting. It is time for the third set of exercises from the Color and Composition book. This set involves composing with lines and shapes. First we have two compositions using straight lines. In the first the lines are to be parallel to the edges of the foundation. I chose an asymmetrical composition.

In the second, none of the lines were to be parallel to the edges. I chose a diagonal composition:

The third composition uses curved lines in various lengths; again, I chose an asymmetrical design.

For the fourth composition, straight and curved lines are combined.

The second exercise involves composing with shapes. The first is made up of various geometric shapes in one color. I meant this to be symmetrical.

In the second, another color is introduced as a focal point, using the same shapes as the first composition.

I really enjoyed doing the line compositions. I found it fun and challenging. I was less thrilled with the shape compositions.

Today, I attended the local Surface Design meeting. I got some great feedback on my latest work – great for the ego. I have a goal of getting the studio cleared out of excess fabric and other stuff by Tuesday so that Mr. C can paint the wall where I have had my design wall and clean the carpet. Maybe I will take some pics of before and after and maybe not. Right now it looks like a disaster area as I make my piles of keep, store, give and throw away.

Diane tagged me for the 4-way meme, forcing me to take a break from the maniacal  purging of my studio.

For some more amaryllis inspiration, see what June Underwood did last year.

(Internetus interuptus: I started this post last night and our modem went dead!)

I was flying through the day yesterday with a mission – to make something creative for the guild board members and committee chairs. I am the post card queen – can I make 33 post cards in one day?

First, I must confess to getting a speeding ticket on my way home from the market to make dinner for Mr. C and Mark who had been laboring in the fields (our yard) all day. The cop said I was going 65 in a 55 zone and was passing cars. This is true. I do it all them time. I should have told him that I was in a rush because I was making 33 fiber postcards for my quilt guild – maybe he would have let me off. Traffic school, here I come!

Anyway, I got home. After dinner I sped upstairs (no cop is going to slow me down) and finished 33 postcards by midnight. Here is how I did it.

First, you need a pile of pre-fused scraps, preferably acquired from Mrs. Mel, who has Delicious hand-dyed stuff.

Next, I made a grid on a large scrap piece of batting, and started laying out my postcard designs.

Here they are – all fused.

Next, I machine quilted them as a batch. This way, I could do several that needed the same thread color at the same time.

I then fused the back with more Underwonder and fused the whole piece to canvas. Then I rotary cut the post cards to size.

I then zigzagged the edges of each one and signed them.

Voila!! Thirty-three postcards:

These are not museum quality, but they are quite wonderful. I tried to do a variety of styles to suit the different styles in the guild. I hope they like them. I had fun being the maniacal postcard maker.

I am off to guild to pass on the gavel and then my friends and I are going out to lunch to celebrate the end of my term.

…Tomorrow! That is the forecast. It has been raining again – not buckets – but incessant. I spent yesterday cleaning drawers in my kitchen. I no longer have junk drawers – I got rid of all of it. I now have drawers of useful stuff. I went to Ross, Target and Stacks and Stacks and bought some great organization stuff, a lime green shirt, a cool, striped shower curtain and a new duvet cover for one of the guest bedrooms.

Today, I finished the church newsletter and the kitchen drawer organization. I had a vestry meeting tonight, and I took my knitting. Look what I accomplished:

Here is a progress photo of the Amaryllis. It continues to grow even though it has not seen a ray of sunlight since I took it out of the burlap bag.

Mark just arrived to spend a few days with us helping Mr C get the landscaping and side yard in order. He is in the kitchen foraging. I will need to buy more food. I didn’t know he was coming until tonight. When he was thirteen, he used to stand in front of the fridge and eat, and I swear I would see his pants get too short. He is now 6" 5".

Tomorrow, I need to come up with a creative gift to give my guild board members on Thursday when I pass the gavel on to the new president. Stay tuned.

The first one goes to Jayme, my son’s girlfriend, who gave me an Amaryllis bulb to force in this beautiful red pot that perfectly matches the red in our house. I will be posting photos of the Amaryllis as it develops into a beautiful bloom. Here are the first 3 shots. Can you see it growing?

Today I made a big pan of lasagna and my quilting friend, Janet (the amazing almost 82 year old) came over for dinner with Mr C and I. We demolished a bottle of champagne and got a good start on the zinfandel she brought with her. Her cable Internet service is down, so we got her caught up on her e-mail and reading my blog while she was here. There is never a lull in the conversation when Janet is around. Janet, I will miss you so much.

I am working through my list of things I must do before the Realtor comes. I have been getting at least one task done every day. It is still raining here in Sonoma County, but it is not pouring buckets, at least. The boots that M & M gave me have come in handy this week. So far the New Year is feeling good.