Embroidered Cartoon

Good Day!  I thought I would share an embroidered cartoon that Vicki Freeman completed.  Vicki has a website called Sassypacks.com and a blog of the same name.

What makes this embroidery special?  I will let you see for yourself:

Anyone notice my cartoon in the above picture? The name of this cartoon is “Slimy Machine Quilting Pickup Lines.”  LOL

Vicki wanted to do this embroidery and so she contacted me to obtain my permission.  I thought her project sounded fun, so I said yes.  Thanks, Vicki, for sending me a picture!  Fun project!  LOL

Hugs, Carla

Bead Score!

A recent trip to visit family allowed me to hit a few bead stores along the way!  I was able to obtain some lovely new beads for my bead stash.  Here are some examples:

Won’t the sea colored glass beads look great in a bracelet?  Here is a lovely mix of seed beads:

I fell in love with this glass bead:

I bought lots more, but thought I would share just a sample of what I purchased along the way.

What have you all been up to?  Hugs, Carla

Sketches and Dresses

Thanks for all the comments regarding my last post about copyright and people who help themselves to my art work  This does tell me that people like my work, perhaps I should offer them for sale as cards, framed art, calendar, etc.?

Here is a quick sketch that I do not mind anyone “borrowing.”  LOL

Some days, I just have to draw, you know?

Creative wise, I think I will design a dress for my granddaughter, Kate.  My dear daughter-in-law showed me a pillowcase dress she was thinking of making, but I think I can improve on the pattern and make my own variation.  Here is my sketch:

So that means I need some new fabric.  I have a huge fabric stash, but I can’t bring myself to use fabric from the stash.  After all, what if I need them for something else- like a quilt?  LOL  Does anyone else think this way?

If my Kate dress comes out cute, I will write a tutorial.  I haven’t written a tutorial in awhile, so I guess it is time.  Off to the fabric store now!

Creative Update

Hello from Carla!!  I thought I would give you a creative update.  The registration for the June Beg. Photoshop Elements Class has been very successful!  On Friday, June 10, 2011, I will close registration for this class, so it is not too late.  See this post for more info, including a link to register.

Creative wise, I am in the process of taking my Tablet Class and converting it to be an online class.  To do this, you basically shoot lots of screen shot videos and edit them.  I really love teaching in on online format, and meeting students from all over the globe is yet another side benefit of teaching online.

I sent out a newsletter a few days ago, letting students know that the June Beg. PSE class is the prerequisite for my Tablet class.  What is a Tablet class, you might be wondering?

Since I started quilting professionally back in 2004, I had a tablet PC (a laptop with the ability to draw on the monitor screen), so I started designing quilts with my tablet.  This evolved into drawing the cartoons, and other digital work.  Here are some examples, including this quilt design I drew for Amy, a talented quilter:

Here is a random cartoon:

And, here is a handout for a class:

There is so much you can do artistically with a tablet, or a tablet plug-in or Tablet PC, so that is basically what my class will teach you!

Other news: I now have a new adorable grandson named Ethan, and love having Jack (my grandson, now 3) and Kate (granddaughter, age 1) over  to visit!  There is nothing like grandchildren, they melt your heart!

Sarge, the new dog, is a joy to own!  He has bonded with the family and he just got a summer cut, so he looks funny.  I’ll have to show you.

My goal this week is to tackle cleaning my studio.  Anyone else need to organize their studio, too?

What are YOU up to?  Carla

Freeform Beaded Quilted Bag

I am making samples for classes being taught at International Machine Quilters Showcase  (MQS) in May, 2011.  One of the classes I am teaching is combining beading and quilting.  Here is a small purse sample for the class- one of several I have made:

I still need to sew on the clasp and the focal point for the end of the “V.”  Then the purse will be complete.  I have ordered in several potential large pendants that might complement this small beaded and quilted bag.

Here is a close up of the beading:

My next project is a quilted and beaded necklace to wear to the class.  In the spirit of recycle/reuse, I will even use scraps from my studio to make this.

If you are interested in taking this class at MQS, please note that I am teaching 2 sections of the class, so you have a choice for when to take it.  Last year’s class was a huge success and the students did a wonderful job on their beading!  It is a beginning class on freeform peyote, so no experience needed.

Regards, Carla

New Class Developed!

Hello!  Registration is going great for the new class on how to use Photoshop Elements.  This is a true beginner class taught by the Pixeladies.  Does this program intimidate you?  Sign up now!!  Class starts on March 14, 2011.

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I am pleased to announce that while I have been recuperating, I have been busy developing some new classes.  I am finished with the first class, which is all about Doodle Art Fills for Quilters:

This is a class about expanding your quilting fills, and how to combine doodling and quilting.  There is also a section on using fills on your quilts,  digital doodling, also how to create a  stunning art quilt/wholecloth combination!!

I will be teaching this class at International Machine Quilting Showcase (MQS) in May.  I hope you will join me for this class.  You will go home with lots of new ideas and inspirations!!  Just click the link for MQS for more information about this class.

Keep watching, I will be sharing some of my class samples as I make them.   I also will be showcasing some of the other classes I am teaching at MQS in May!

By the way, my class logo was created using Photoshop.  I show you, step by step, how I used Doodle Art Fills to create this small quilt in my class.  It is one of the many creative exercises in my class.

For more information about using Photoshop Elements in your work, see the Beginning Photoshop Elements Class at the top of  this post!  Hugs, Carla

Freeform Winter Necklace

As I have mentioned before, I am honored to be a part of ArtBeads.com Blogging Designer Program for the last few years.   I love designing and creating bead, fiber, and metal jewelry pieces, and appreciate that I was chosen to participate in their program.

The Challenge was to create a piece inspired by “Winter Enchantment.”  I thought about the words and was immediately inspired by snow, winter and to create a freeform necklace and pendant appropriate for a winter bride:

I knew I wanted a pendant, so I searched the Artbeads website and discovered this lovely Swarovski Crystal Snowflake Pendant:

I next ordered a lovely selection of seed beads in various sizes and shades of white, gold, and silver seed beads and delicas.    I also used some lovely pearls, too, to add to the necklace.

To help ground the piece, I used a spiral Cellini Stitch for the necklace strap.  I thought it would a nice juxtaposition to go from chaos in the freeform work to organized in the spiral Cellini strap.

In the end, I love how the piece came out.   I did change colors in the beginning, but that is a part of the creative process- giving yourself the freedom to change directions.

For the Quilters reading this, please be aware that I will be teaching FreeForm Beading for Quilters at International Machine Quilting Showcase in May, 2011.  No experience needed for this class.

Thanks, once again, to ArtBeads.  Please note that I received some of the products free of charge from ArtBeads, but the company gives me complete freedom to review honestly each of the products received.  I have not been paid for any endorsements.

I hope you enjoy seeing this Winter necklace and pendant!  Hugs, Carla Barrett

Freeform Beaded Necklace

(Carla Note: to see the finished necklace, click HERE.)

I wanted to share my freeform beaded necklace I have been working on lately.  I started this project with a different color palette, then changed along the way.  I still need to do my finishing touches, including some fringe-work and the necklace strap.

Here are two images: one has a light background and the second has a black background.  What is amazing to me is that the color changes in the Swarovski crystal pendant based on the background color.

Keep in mind the photos are very rough, I will bring in a photo box and lighting for the finished piece.

Here is the black background:

The crystal pendant, in person, appears much lighter.  Similar to a light white/champagne color.  Here is a better image of this cool snowflake pendant:

When I am done, I will have to think carefully how to photograph this piece.  Perhaps draped over some seashells or some other texture.

Keep watching and I will share more pictures when it is done.   Also, details about what beads I used and where I purchased my very cool Swarovski Snowflake pendant.

What creative stuff have YOU been doing?  Hugs, Carla

Freeform Beading Project

First off, thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts surrounding my spine surgery.  My surgery to have an artificial disc replaced was very successful, thanks to the skill of my wonderful surgeon!  The surgery took place on January 20th, in San Francisco, California.  This xray image shows the artificial disc in place:

Hmmm… looks rather like an Oreo cookie in there, doesn’t it?   LOL!

While I am healing, I will do freeform beadwork, so I won’t go into creative withdrawal.  My first project will be a wearable art necklace and here is my bead palette:

and here is a different project- again, in progress-  for a large purse embellishment.  Notice how different the bead colors are:

On the topic of beads and beading, I want to give a huge  “Thank You” to Barb Kiehn, who so kindly gifted me with this book:

It looks like a wonderful resource book on beading!  It was very thoughtful of Barb to give this to me to enjoy while I’m recuperating!

That’s all for today!  Now I want to hear from YOU!  What are YOU doing to nourish your creative spirit?  Hugs, Carla

ReFashioning a T-shirt

I stumbled across the best idea I have seen in a long time from a blog called, “Stop Staring and Start Sewing,” turning an inexpensive t-shirt that I would never, ever wear into a cute top.  Can you believe  this adorable shirt started life as a unflattering tshirt from dare I say… Walmart?

JonaG also offers a mini tutorial on how to refashion this t-shirt.  The only change I would make would be to create buttonholes or use grommets instead of the slits she cut under the chest to gather and tie the center pleat detail.  Anyway, I thought it would be good to share this since I am planning to make one eventually.

While you are visiting this site, be sure to notice all her other tutorials, too.