Ladybug ACEOs Ship Free Oct 26-Oct 31

These are just some of the Ladybug ACEOs that ship free (internationally) in my shop this week.





Sojourn Quilts ACEOs (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) are all individually designed, cut and assembled by me. They are 2.5 inches (6.4cm) by 3.5 inches (8.9cm) in size and come with a handmade envelope.

For more ACEOs, please check out my shop.

Cheers!--Janyce

Paint Penobscot County Purple Oct 12 - 18

During the week of October 12 through the 18, Spruce Run is inviting people to "Paint Penobscot County Purple."



Spruce Run Domestic Violence Project is an organization located in Bangor, ME "dedicated to serving people affected by domestic abuse in our community while working simultaneously to eliminate personal, institutional, and cultural violence against all individuals."



Show support for and honor people directly or indirectly affected by domestic violence by wearing purple, buying a purple light bulb and bathing the outside of your home or workplace in a lavender glow, tying purple ribbons around your mailbox, decorating your desk or sporting a purple ribbon. (These are just some of the ideas provided at this link).



Be creative and have fun...And don't forget to tell the folks around you why you are in such a purple mood!



Domestic violence or abuse "is a pattern of physical, verbal, or sexual threats or aggression used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Abuse can range from emotional torment like name-calling and isolation, to harassment like stalking and intimidation, to violence and physical harm."



None of us is immune. Domestic violence or abuse affects women, men, girls and boys from all walks of life regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, economic status or education.



Together, we can stop the violence.



If you live in Penobscot County, Maine and are concerned about your situation--or what is going on in the life of someone you care about--call the Spruce Run hotline at 1.800.863.9909 or check out the Spruce Run website at http://www.sprucerun.net.

The Siren Song of Creative Energy

Recently, I took a walk along the rocky coast of Maine. "Downeast" on a foggy, eerie day with the wind blowing, the mist getting in my eyes, and only the sounds of the ocean: a lobster boat puttering by, a fog horn, a bell bouy. I was in heaven, I am sure of it! I could have stayed there all day.



I grabbed a few pictures to share with you--some textures of Maine. I am sure they will crop up in my artwork at some point or other (if they haven't already).



The more I look at my surroundings, the more I see and the more I understand how richly inspirational my environment is. I am drawn to the shapes and colors and textures of my apartment, my neighborhood, my city, the forests, oceans, lakes and streams of my state--an endless array of offerings and discoveries.



The forest, mountains, ocean and fields are, in a sense, the siren song for my creative energy. They inform the way I move through the world: my thoughts, my words, my creative endeavors, my actions, my way of being in and moving through the world.



So much more to see and discover. I feel very fortunate to live in Maine.

Cheers!--Janyce

Little Cabin Quilted Postcard (by For Quilts Sake)

Watercolor Sunset (by For Quilts Sake)

Interview with Pam (For Quilts Sake)

I listened to an interview, recently, with a chef who assigned her children a night each week to cook. Rather than encourage the children to pick different recipes, she suggested doing the same recipe for a period of time. She wanted them to experiment with seasonings, toppings, cooking techniques and really understand the nuances of the dish before moving on to the next. Instead of limiting the children, this approach invited experimentation with each specific dish and resulted in broadening the children's understanding and mastery of the foods they prepared.

This approach to exploring a medium is not new or limited to cooking and may be applied to artistic endeavors as well. Sometimes placing barriers (artificial or real) on a project increases creativity and brings about surprising and wonderful results.

Pam is the talented quilter and fiber artist behind For Quilts Sake. She offered to talk with me about limitations and the creative process.

It is with great pleasure I bring you this interview.

"I never liked sewing," Pam tells me, "but I loved fabric so I took a class on how to piece and quilt by hand. My education and work experience has been as a graphic designer and also as an instructor of both graphic design and desktop publishing. I enjoy doing other artwork--watercolor painting, photography, mixed media and press flowers--but it's the quilts that I'm compelled to work on."

"I loved the final result of quilting by hand," Pam continues, "but it took too much time. I taught myself how to use the sewing machine and I'm pretty much self-taught from books and just trying things. Sometimes I get an idea like a flash and other times the fabrics tell me what they want to be. After making many quilts for myself and for friends and family, I decided to create some of my own designs, both in a traditional quilting style and also as art quilts."

Pam opened For Quilts Sake (Etsy) in November 2007, and offers handmade, unique and customer art quilts and quilt-related items, including watercolor paintings, fabric mosaics, quilted postcards and quilted necklaces. "What interests me about traditional quilting is how a quilt square can look completely different if the shapes that make up the square are in different colors or tones of the fabric. I am also interested in the secondary patterns that emerge when quilt blocks are arranged together."

When Pam gets stuck on a design or life throws her some challenges, she turns to Nature, other artists, doodles and limitations to help her work through the problem. "I believe that limitations can be powerful when trying to break through creative blocks. By limiting myself to certain colors, textures or styles I'm forced into looking at different ways to look at these constraints and (hopefully) push through them and create something new."

Pam combines her love of quilting and her concern for the environment by coordinating a fundraiser every year for a small, privately owned nature preserve called Glen Helen. Glen Helen's mission is to provide science-based, experiential learning in the outdoors while fostering respect for the natural environment and empowering people to act in its interest. Among its offerings is an Outdoor Educational Center, Trailside Museum, Raptor Center, and Nature Shop.

"Glen Helen has school groups come in to learn about the environment," Pam explains. "Some of these are city kids who don't have much opportunity to experience nature. Because it isn't covered under the state park's budget, Glen Helen has to be creative about how they get their funding. We've organized fund-raisers, done maintenance on the buildings, as well as giving monetary contributions."

The Nature Arts and Crafts Show Pam coordinates to benefit Glen Helen is going to be held Saturday, November 21 from 9am to 5pm and Sunday, November 22 from 11am to 5pm.

"This year's show is full," Pam says, "but artisans interested in setting up a booth for next year may contact me through my shop or website to get on the mailing list for the 2010 show."

If you are interested in the show but cannot attend this year's event, you may also make donations to Glen Helen at this link: http://www.antioch.edu/glenhelen/Donations/index.php.

As for what shoes Pam wears? "Bowling shoes...funky and different, yet familiar and playful. Cool in a retro sort of way but not cool in a what's hip right now sort of way."

You may find out more about Pam and her work through her website, Etsy shop or blog.

Pam is a member of the Quiltsy Team.

For more information about the Glen Helen Nature Preserve:

Glen Helen
Nature Arts and Crafts Show

What Shoes Pam Wears

FAQ about Pam's Shoes:

No, I didn't steal them, I bought them new, on-line from the company who makes them.
Yes, I wear them outside.
No, I don't wear them to bowl in (since I've worn them outside).
Yes, I wear a size 7.
No, I'm not a good bowler.